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It hasn’t taken much of the season for us to recognize that there is a whole lot of “Same old, same old” going on down at the ballyard. It hasn’t taken long for this year’s Jays to look as if they’ll play the same mediocre baseball that last year’s Jays did. And it hasn’t taken long for JP’s master plan to crumble and to show that perhaps he has more Barnum and Bailey in him than Gillick and Beeston.
The definition of insanity (and I’m paraphrasing here) is doing the same thing with the same people and expecting different results. So insisting that he had a competitive club last year, the low results caused by circumstance, JP brought back the same club–and expected different results. Sounds like a perfect example, doesn’t it?
JP must be close to realizing that Frank Thomas isn’t an everyday player anymore. If we see it, then so should he. There’s no reason to keep sticking that wet noodle of a bat into the line-up everyday simply because he’s being paid $10 million and could possibly be a future hall of famer. There are certain pitchers that he shouldn’t be forced to face. The club is putting him in positions to fail–he can’t hit pitchers that have live fastballs. He just can’t catch up anymore. That’s when Matt Stairs plays. Matt can still get around on the fastball. At this point in time I would rather have Adam Lind hitting than Thomas.
And where did this bench come from? Just because JP was a small, middling infielder with a short skill set does it mean that he has to overload his bench with similar guys. Imagine, late in a close game, and Gibbons is looking down the bench for a hitter–and he sees Scutaro, Inglett and McDonald. Murderer’s Row they are not.
Now, I’m going to go off on Inglett. Here’s a guy that should be thanking everything and everyone for the glorious opportunity of playing in the major leagues. He is Joe everybody. He should be willing to fetch water for the manager in appreciation for his job. So, why can’t this little cheeseball hitter stand in front of the plate and simply put his bat on the ball. That’s all that was needed to win that extra inning game against Texas. But for some reason when the squeeze was called, and looked like the perfect conclusion to a series of plays that included a terrific hit and run and, with a win, would have given the club momentum–Inglett decides to turn the sacrifice into an opportunity for a bunt hit. Square up, give yourself up, bunt the ball fair and the Jays win in 10. That’s why it’s called a suicide squeeze. You are supposed to be out. And if you had done it properly then none of the following problems would have occurred. Gibbons wouldn’t have used all his pitchers and be forced to use AJ Burnett in relief–which not only costed the club that game but forced them to delay Burnett’s start by a couple of games.
All that is on you, Joe Inglett.
