There are two things predictable about Blue Jays right-hander Josh Towers: He will throw strikes and his job security is measured on a day-to-day basis. Towers' ability to get the ball over the plate has been there since he was a pup. The lack of job security is something he has lived with since his first full year in the big leagues with the Baltimore Orioles in 2001.
And even this season, with Towers written in as the Jays' No. 5 starter after winning 17 games for them the past two seasons, he refuses to take take anything for granted.
"I know that it's sort of mine, but it could be taken," Towers said of his slot in the rotation. "I could lose it. I never feel like anything is for certain.
"I sit around and look at all these guys in this clubhouse and all these arms creeping up through the system," Towers said. "(Gustavo) Chacin. You look at what he did last year (two strong September starts) and he already had a good outing Friday in Fort Myers. I know there's somebody right behind me the whole time knocking on the door. I have to prove myself all the time. It's probably better that way."
Towers admits he should feel some certainty given that management and the coaching staff have been saying the No. 5 job has been his since the off-season, but he can't change.
"The bottom line is I have never had a for-sure job, except the one time in Baltimore," he said. "I think I took that for granted and I think I learned my lesson a long time ago.
"I know I don't have a guaranteed contract or any of that stuff. But if you want my job, you're going to have to pitch pretty well because I'm not just going to hand it over."
BIGGEST THREAT
At the moment, Chacin would appear to be the biggest threat to Towers. But there is also a bevy of good young arms behind him, including Dustin McGowan, who is nine months removed from Tommy John surgery and already throwing well off a mound.
"It's nice to know it is mine for now and it's up to me if I keep it or not. Not someone else," Towers said.
Jays pitching coach Brad Arnsberg says he understands why Towers feels he always has to prove himself, but he doesn't think he should worry about his future in the majors.
"You can't tell me that 30 teams in baseball have five starters who are better than Josh," Arnsberg said.
Towers was in a pretty good mood yesterday at Dunedin, Fla., after his first outing of the spring. He threw two innings of two-hit ball against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, allowing a run on a Julio Lugo triple and a ground ball. The triple was on its way into Vernon Wells' glove when the Jays centre fielder's spikes caught something on the outfield warning track forcing him to stumble.
"All spring, I've felt like the ball hasn't been coming out of my hand at all," Towers said. "Today, I felt real good. For whatever reason, it came out real good today. I don't know if I wasn't thinking about it as much or if it was the first game of the spring or what."
