SIMMONS SAYS: Blue Jays’ Vladdy Guerrero Jr. searching to find his elite self

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This is either the best or worst news of this Blue Jays summer: Vladdy Guerrero Jr. and Danny Jansen have hit the same number of home runs.

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And neither has hit as many as Dalton Varsho.

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Guerrero’s fall from grace has been nothing like the stumble of all-star pitcher Alek Manoah but it has been startling nonetheless. Probably more for manager John Schneider, who mentored Guerrero in his early professional days, and talked, the way everyone talked, about Vladdy becoming an all-time great.

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The Jays would settle for all-time good just about now.

This is how far Guerrero has dropped since his monster season of 2021. That year he was first in runs scored. This year, he’s 51st.

That year he was first in home runs. This year, he’s 37th. That year he was first in OPS and first in on-base percentage. This year, he’s 33rd in OPS — dropping below .800 the other day — and 22nd in OBP.

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In 2021, he led the American League in total bases. He ranks 23rd today. That year, he was the sixth most-walked player. Today, 36th.

Manoah will eventually return from his Florida exile and be back in the Jays’ starting rotation. Guerrero, however, isn’t going anywhere. It’s not that he’s terrible now. He isn’t. But he isn’t anywhere near where they expected him to be or in fairness where he expected himself to be.

The date of Sept. 30 matters now because it happens to be the last time Guerrero hit a home run in Toronto. Since that time, in 137 at-bats, Guerrero is batting a powerless .226 at home. Since that time, Jansen, a career .222 hitter, with 75 at-bats is hitting over .300 at home with five home runs. That isn’t the target Guerrero should be striving for.

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THIS AND THAT

This does feel strange and unfortunate: Nick Taylor making history with the impossible, never to be forgotten, where-were-you 72-foot putt at Oakdale and then five days later not making the cut at the U.S. Open. Taylor’s putt was all-time great sporting theatre for this country, but not near Terry Fox, Donovan Bailey, Sidney Crosby, Paul Henderson, Bianca Andreescu, and Mike Weir on my all-time Canadian accomplishment list … By the way, the Joe Carter home run, the Jose Bautista bat flip, the Kawhi Leonard shot, were all fantastic moments and memories. They happened in Toronto. But they were accomplished by non-Canadians playing for Canadian teams in American leagues. It’s a different kind of greatness … For his first trick as general manager, Brad Treliving must make Jake Muzzin and Matt Murray and their salaries disappear … After that, he needs to settle his coaching situation, put together a staff for his AHL team, get Auston Matthews and William Nylander signed, and find a way to get the Leafs anywhere near the Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights or the finalist Florida Panthers in terms of grit, three-zone play, size, puck battles, and intensity. Vegas played at a different level than everyone else in the playoffs. It’s that level — even if it only happens once — that makes a champion …The Golden Knights have made six first-round draft picks since entering the NHL: Five of them have been traded away, the biggest ones in parts of deals for Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, Ivan Barbashev, and Max Pacioretty. That’s not taking advantage of expansion rules: That’s just smart asset management. They built through the draft — trading choices … The one player they regret trading: Nick Suzuki … Vegas has been in the NHL for six seasons and in that time has the fifth-best cumulative record in hockey. Ahead of them in points, Boston, Tampa Bay, Toronto, and Colorado. The Bruins and Leafs have not won in Vegas’ time in the NHL but Tampa and Colorado have. The top three teams over six seasons all play in the Atlantic Division … This is Hockey Hall of Fame Week: My class of 2023 would include Henrik Lundqvist, Curtis Joseph, Tom Barrasso, and Alex Mogilny … This is the second straight year in which a Canadian has played a huge role on an NBA champion. Last year, Andrew Wiggins in Golden State. This year, Jamal Murray in Denver. Both were second choices in Finals MVP voting… The indescribable Nikola Jokic became the first player drafted in the second round to win Finals MVP. Before that, Kawhi, drafted 15th, was the lowest pick to be MVP … The Raptors are caught in a squeeze of sorts with Fred VanVleet. They can’t afford to keep him and they can’t afford to let him go.

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HEAR AND THERE

There is so much talk about Connor Hellebuyck being available, and the high price he should bring in a deal, which is nice. But consider this, in seven seasons as starting goaltender for the Winnipeg Jets, Hellebuyck has won three playoff rounds, lost in the first round three times, and missed the playoffs twice … Juuse Saros, another of the truly great goalies in hockey has yet to win a playoff round as the starter in Nashville. The last two goalies to win the Stanley Cup: Adin Hill and Darcy Kuemper. And before Andrei Vasilevskiy won two, the four previous winners were Jordan Binnington, Braden Holtby, and Matt Murray twice … Vegas won the Cup in its sixth season. Wayne Gretzky’s Edmonton Oilers, not really an expansion team but part of the WHA merger, won in Year 5. The true expansion Philadelphia Flyers won Cups in Years 7 and 8 … Say this for goaltender Hill: He came out of almost nowhere to face the Edmonton Oilers midway through Round 2 of the playoffs. Jumping in mid-game to play Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and company, his composure was astounding. He carried it on through against Dallas and Florida. If he had melted against Edmonton, which was possible, the Golden Knights aren’t parading on Saturday night … The story around Boston early: Patrice Bergeron didn’t want to play for Bruce Cassidy anymore. The story around Vegas late: Bergeron told Mark Stone that if Vegas hired Cassidy, they would win the Stanley Cup … Two free agents the Maple Leafs could use but probably can’t afford – winger Barbashev and defenceman Radko Gudas … Oliver Ekman-Larsson turns 32 this summer. If he wants to keep playing, he may be a terrific buy on the cheap for somebody looking for a defenceman who’s been around forever … If I was a member of the 2018 junior Team Canada team and I had nothing to do with the sexual assault allegations from the investigation that never seems to end, I would not only want my name cleared, but I’d want the five players who were involved to be named — and now.

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SCENE AND HEARD

Stan Kroenke sure married well. His wife Ann Walton, she of the Walmart family, was worth $3 billion when they met. Kroenke now owns NBA champion Denver Nuggets, last year’s NHL champion Colorado Avalanche, 2020 Super Bowl champions Los Angeles Rams among his many teams. That’s about $12 billion worth of teams … Maybe the Raptors outsmarted the entire NBA by hiring Darko Rajakovic as their new head coach. Or maybe they got someone that no one else had any interest in … What’s a manager worth in baseball? The Blue Jays have gone on the cheap in their hirings from Charlie Montoyo to Schneider. The Texas Rangers paid huge for Bruce Bochy. Who would you rather have in charge? … The Rangers latest uniform reminds me of my old slow-pitch team. Looked comfortable just not big league … Take a moment, or more, to appreciate Shohei Ohtani. There has never been anyone like him before. There may never be anyone like him again. He leads the AL in OPS and strikeouts. He leads the Los Angeles Angels in hits, walks, homers, RBI, stolen bases, wins, earned run average, and strikeouts. If Kevin Gausman led the Jays in hitting, home runs, RBI, and stolen bases, he’d be Ohtani. And Gausman is a gem on his own … Yusei Kikuchi, coming back but not entirely, leads the all of baseball in home runs relinquished … Luis Arraez is hitting .390 for Miami, leading the National League. That’s 73 points ahead of AL leader Bo Bichette, which by itself is startling … Chad Kelly has been bouncing around from college to college, from pro team to pro team, and on Sunday night he gets his first professional start at the age of 29 against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The defending Grey Cup champion Argos hope this is Kelly’s time. He is the nephew of four-time Super Bowl quarterback, Jim Kelly … Kelly on losing four Super Bowls with the Buffalo Bills, told TSN: “I may have lost four Super Bowls, but I kicked cancer’s butt four times.” … My favourite sporting dads on Father’s Day, in no particular order, and not all of them still alive: Jerry Simmons. Dick Hunter. Louis Sutter. Rick Barry. Richard Williams. Archie Manning. Sherry Bassin. Frank Butler. Jack Greven. Cal Ripken. Walter Gretzky. And sorry, if I left so many of you out. Have a great and happy Father’s Day.

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AND ANOTHER THING

The greatest receiver in football history, Jerry Rice, playing with one of the greatest quarterbacks, Joe Montana, once caught 342 passes in a three-season span. Stefon Diggs, who isn’t the greatest receiver in football history, has caught 338 passes the past three seasons and now complains he doesn’t get the ball often enough from his quarterback, Josh Allen, who isn’t Joe Montana … Funny, how putting babies in the Stanley Cup has suddenly become a thing. But it’s not anything new. For those who care, Red Kelly’s baby peed in the Stanley Cup in the mid-60s, back when the Maple Leafs won such things … I wish I better understood how memory works. I can name the starting lineup from the 1967 World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals, player by player — I was 10 then — but I can’t tell you three starters from the Cards today. And I can remember all the words to Brown Eyed Girl, a huge hit in 1967, but I never know where my car keys are … Winnipeg was made for Zach Collaros, the former Argo/Ticat/Roughriders quarterback. His won-loss record with the Bombers is now 29-4. Winnipeg is averaging 43 points a game through two starts. No one in the CFL is close to Collaros, who was just 34-32 before getting to play for coach Mike O’Shea … Among the NBA champions who will be getting rings — assistant coach and former Raptor Popeye Jones, father of NHL players Seth Jones and Caleb Jones … Why bother having instant replay when you can’t get the call right? The NBA made a horrendous call at the end of Game 5, then didn’t correct it, and that almost forced a Game 6. Have trouble understanding how that happens … For the record, Roman Reigns is not my Tribal Chief … Kyle Lowry had a forgettable season with the Miami Heat looking like his time was up, but in some playoff moments, his smarts and savvy shone through. He still has some game left, not a lot, but some … Toronto billionaire Michael Andlauer is the new owner of the Ottawa Senators but word around is that his stake is less than half the $950 million that was paid for 90% of the franchise. Lots of partners here … Now that Michael Jordan is selling the Charlotte Hornets for $3 billion, there are no African-American majority owners in the NBA. Jordan paid $275 million for the team 13 years ago … Bobby Orr’s career earnings: Less than $3 million … Happy birthday to Kurt Browning (57), Manny Lee (58), Bruce Smith (60), Martin St. Louis (48), Tom Clements (70), Paul McCartney (81), Nikita Kucherov (30), Dougie Hamilton (30), John Garrett (72), Mike Milbury (72), Bob Rouse (59), Popeye Jones (53). Koko B. Ware (66) and Dave Concepcion (75) … And hey, whatever became of Kyle Drabek?

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