[RedHot25]

Poor Shea just can't get enough of the 'ole Blue Jays. Whether or not he has his point, this is ridiculous; he keeps going on and on and on and on....

Among the highlights:
http://torontosun.com/Sports/Basebal...54227-sun.html

"J.P. will deny it, but he told my agent, Dan Lozano, they'd bury me ... keep cutting down on my playing time, unless I got in line," Hillenbrand said.

...

During batting practice he was in the outfield talking with players ("players who wanted out, the trade deadline was approaching"). He admitted, in the interview this week, to writing "Play for yourselves" on the clubhouse whiteboard July 19.
Gregg Zaun mockingly wrote the next line "Play for your contract" and argued with Hillenbrand. Then, Hillenbrand wrote "This ship is sinking."
Hitting coach Mickey Brantley told Gibbons what was on the board, Hillenbrand claims. After batting practice a team meeting was scheduled, called by Vernon Wells. A teammate had accused the centre fielder of pulling up on a ball that should have been caught.


....


Gibbons delivered a "you or me" ultimatum to Hillenbrand. Later, assistant to the GM Bart Given told Hillenbrand he had been designated for assignment. That night the Jays claimed Hillenbrand had cut up both the Canadian flag crest on his cap and the Canada across the back of his jersey on July 1 after being removed late in a 5-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

.....
"I'm not a guy like Gregg Zaun who claims he's a leader, I'm a competitor," Hillenbrand said.
"I like Gibbons, but J.P. puts so much pressure on him. Gibbons keeps everything inside until he reaches the boiling point and can't keep it in any longer."


....


Hillenbrand remembers being in the training room at Rogers Centre after a game early in 2005.
"J.P. comes in ranting, knocking Vernon for a lack of work ethic and saying how he couldn't stand Eric Hinske," Hillenbrand said. "I hardly knew the GM and he's saying this to me?"


....


Hillenbrand spoke of a dugout scene against the New York Yankees in 2005 when Alex Rios didn't run out a ball and Gibbons lifted Rios from the game.
"The manager had the situation under control; at the end of the inning in comes (third base coach) Brian Butterfield, he's yelling, swearing, hitting the Gatorade bucket and crapping on Rios.
"I tap him and say 'it's okay, John handled it,' and Butterfield turns and goes off on me. We didn't need him distracting everyone. (Butterfield) said later I didn't know him well enough to say anything to him."