12:40 AM Eastern
Amazing. Simply amazing. The worst team in the majors comes in, with a starting pitcher who has allowed a .322 opponents’ batting average and 93 baserunners in 59 innings, and the Jays are stifled. And on Shavuot, no less.
The Mariners don’t get a hit off the Jays’ bullpen, with Jesse Litsch having checked out after six, and they still win in extras.
Wladimir Balentien drops a Vernon Wells line drive leading off the 10th, J.J. Putz throws a wild pitch then gives up a hit and two walks, and the Jays can’t push a run across.
That was brutal, and Lyle Overbay (who grounded into a 3-2-3 double play with the sacks juiced and none out in the 10th) confirmed as much after the game when he said that the Jays simply cannot lose these types of games. It’s quite true, but they’ve been doing it all year.
They’re 33 up and 33 down with 96 left, and most of the losses have been of the heartbreaking variety. Over half their games have been decided by two runs or less, and they’re now 14-21 in them; 4-13 in games decided in the last at-bat.
It’s ridiculous.
I could have understood a loss tonight if, say, Litsch had blown up, gotten raked all over the yard by the Mariners. After all, Seattle fired its hitting coach before the game, and they even had a team meeting! But that’s not what happened. Two batters in, thanks to an Ichiro Suzuki single and a Jose Vidro bomb, the M’s had a 2-0 lead, but they got out 28 times after that without scoring again.
Seattle committed three errors in the game, walked seven Jays, had a wild pitch and a passed ball, and still only two runs scored. They even brought in Miguel Batista in relief in the 7th, that’s how badly they wanted to give this game away! They did get away with a balk in the 9th inning, though.
The only thing I would have done differently were I John Gibbons was that I would have squeezed with Brad Wilkerson in the 10th. First and third, none out, unless Wilkerson pops it up the worst you do is lose an out and 90 feet so long as he gets the bunt down. You’re playing for one run, but you at least ensure that you get to continue playing beyond the 10th inning. Instead, Wilkerson walked and Overbay hit into the DP. But I don’t blame Gibby for this, as I haven’t blamed him for any of the 33 losses. The hitters didn’t execute. Jason Frasor didn’t, either, but how long can you reasonably expect your pitching staff to shut another team out? As I said, they spotted Seattle two runs then shut them out for 9 1/3 innings. That ought to be enough.
Here’s tonight’s edition of The JaysTalk for your listening pleasure:
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A programming note! Because of the day game on Wednesday, J.P. Ricciardi will be appearing on the show tomorrow night. That’s right, it’ll be the critically-acclaimed “Wednesdays with J.P.; The Tuesday Edition.” Be sure not to miss it.
Comments are encouraged, especially the irrational, knee-jerk variety! Let’s keep The JaysTalk going 24/7.
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You’re not alone! I happen to agree with you that the Jays are on par with the Red Sox. I mean, a team’s wins and losses obviously don’t tell the whole story, right?
MW: Obviously not, but over the course of a whole season they get pretty close.
- Jay MoneyIt seems like the Jays are always falling behind in the race and have to make up ground (which of course, they don’t). Why can’t this team get off to a Tampa Bay-like start?
MW: Good question. One of the reasons that Carlos Tosca was fired way back when was the Jays’ inability to get off to a good start under his stewardship. This year they were 11-17 in April, last year 13-12, in 2006 12-11, 13-12 in 2005, 7-15 in 2004.
- JohnHey Mike:
You cut me off, and this is how I wanted to finish the call: I Guess I was intentionally being annoying saying I could bunt a major league baseball. If someone would give me the opportunity, I will be more than happy to take it.
That being said, Matt Stairs should be able to bunt. I see pitchers do it everyday in the National League who do not have the batting skills of Matt Stairs. This includes relievers who may make only a few PA per year.
MW: That’s all those pitchers work on. You’re right, though, every major league hitter should be able to bunt. Most of them can’t.
- Jim BFrom my reckoning the starters are now 29 and 20. The bullpen on the other hand must be 4 and 13. How can this be explained?
MW: Yep, 4-13 despite the third-best ERA in the league. It’s all about margin for error, and far more often than not, the offense hasn’t given the bullpen any.
- JaySilva probably 1 hits us tomorrow.
MW: OK. Make sure you get the bet down, though.
- ju1cedHow many games back would the Jays have to be at the deadline to consider trading Burnett?
MW: Eight or nine, maybe.
- GaryWhy can’t the Jays cash a runner in from 3rd? Stairs, Stewart, Scutaro, Inglett, and now Overbay have all failed in crucial spots in games this year and I’ve probably missed a couple of others. (That was a rhetorical question, of course.)
Also, I disagree with your take on calling for the squeeze when Wilkerson is up. That runner on 3rd is like gold and he shouldn’t be put in jeopardy like that. The time do to it would have been with Overbay up. That way if it fails, you should still end up with a runner on 3rd as long as there is no pop up and if it works, the game is tied with a runner on 3rd and just one out.
And here comes some more venting. Why on earth would Overbay take that first pitch from Putz? That is the perfect pith to drive the ball to the OF and tie the game. Instead he got stuck with a tough inside pitch and hit into the double play. His approach that AB was brutal and I’d like to know if he was thinking properly that AB.
MW: It’s not fair to just point out those four guys – everyone on this team has failed miserably with a runner on third and less than two outs more often than not. As for squeezing with Overbay, I don’t like squeezing with the bases loaded. If something goes wrong, it’s a double play at least.
- Matt SNFL coaching legend Bill Parcells has a saying that goes “You are what your record says you are”. I love the Blue Jays and desperately want to see them succeed, but the longer this season goes on, the more obvious it is that this club is probably just slightly better than .500. I’m not callling for anybody to be fired as I blame the players for the marginal season to date. This club gives away far too many games that it should win, especially at home. If they don’t win both of the remaining games in this series with the Mariners, they will have lost four consecutive series. Chuck Noll, another NFL coaching legend once stated that “Great teams are not great all of the time, they are great only when they have to be”. We will reach the half-way point of this season in about two weeks, and it is time for the Overbay’s, Wells, Rolen’s and Rios’s of the world to begin to step up and deliver when they have to in order for this club to achieve it’s intended goals for the 2008 season, otherwise, we will be facing another uneventful September.
MW: Why didn’t Wells get an apostrophe s?
- Jim BranscomeBoy oh boy, this Jays’ staff is like a constant instructional baseball video on the value of throwing strikes. We see guys like Roy Halladay, Jesse Litsch and Shaun Marcum just tear through the league not by throwing the ball really hard, but by forcing their opponents to actually hit the ball to get on base, usually by swinging at pitches that aren’t grooved down the middle.
I think the fact that we see those guys do it right so often makes it that much more painful when we see things like Burnett on Saturday, or especially Frasor tonight, who basically gift-wrapped the game-winning run to a team that didn’t look capable of hitting much of anything after the first couple of innings.
Oh and I’m pretty sure you talked about this earlier in the season, but I think my head is going to explode (speaking figuratively here) if John McDonald shows up in the DH spot again this season. As you and Chazz would say, Mike, it’s mind bottling. If you’re going to put Joe Inglett in that spot anyway, why not get him to bunt? Or heck, why not Matt Stairs. Ok, so Stairs probably hasn’t bunted since little league, and Inglett messed up that extra innings squeeze in April, but really, I’d be happier to see Shaun Marcum come in as a runner/bunter at DH, at least they wouldn’t be wasting a valuable defensive asset that might be useful later.
MW: It didn’t have to be a waste of McDonald, because had the Jays taken the lead, they still could have stuck him in for defense in the 9th.
- darrenMike,
I started the fire Gibbons train on your show today so i will continue to take this position for the rest of the season (although I am a fan and I hope to be wrong). Again, I like the guy, I hope he gets a another job (although for some reasons ex Blue Jay people never do).
You said on the show there would be a situation/day that would warrant Gibbons’ exit. I look forward to hearing you make that pronouncement on your show when you are ready of course (JP too for that matter).
I suspect that the Jays will play out this mediocre season and Gibbons will go off into the the night after game 162 (over under 5 days after the final game…just my prediction).
You also predicted that 89 wins gets us the wild card on your show tonight. I have predicted the Jays win 86 games this year, itself no easy task at this point. For 89 wins the Jays will need to go 56 and 40. This certainly isn’t impossible but if Overbay/Rios/Hill/Wells don’t play upto potential (never mind a career year) and the Jays don’t add a significant bat there is 0 chance.
If we are where we are now after 90 games I suspect you can look forward to a lot more ‘release’ Gibby rants.
Great works with the blog!
MW: I’m not sure I can hear more “Fire Gibby” rants than I did in April. Mysteriously, though, no one wanted him gone after they got out of Minnesota in May.
- Stephenahhh, just another pitaful loss to put in another joyous mood for the night shift. Sometimes I dont know why I bother. The games that we lose like this are getting easier to take each and every day, more so because im getting use to them. This club might be too far back by mid July to even consider playing meaniful ball in August. I cant see how a team in the East can stick around after losing so many one and two run games. And when the hell are we going to win a walkoff game? I cant remember the last time that happened!!! Wheres the bats boys! Bases loaded and no out and no runs come across? I hate to sound like the bulk of Jays fans writing in tonight, but come on,, unacceptable!
- DaveCan Ken Griffey Jr. get some love from the baseball world, please? The guy just hit #600 and he’s getting less coverage than Manny’s 500th! What a farce. The baseball media are always sitting on their high horses about playing the game the right way but when the best example of that reaches a huge milestone he gets less coverage than a Red Sock hitting his 500th and a known cheater. Bonds got every at-bat shown live, cutting into other games, during his milestone chases while Ken Griffey gets a mere mention on the baseball shows and websites, as if it’s some mundane occurence.
Congratulations to Ken Griffey Jr., a truly great player and easily one of the 20 best hitters ever.
MW: I think the whole Bonds/Sosa thing soured a lot of people on Home Run Chases, in general, but mlb.com showed all of Griffey, Jr.’s at-bats for free, ESPN Radio cut in to its programming to air his at-bats, we got it on the air as soon as it happened.
- ShawnOne thing went through my mind while watching Frasor trying to find the strike zone…why is he still here? He should be re-learning to find his release points, because it isn’t working for him. He showed that he didn’t have it, but Gibby left him in. Maybe some time on the DL with some “forearm strain” will improve his dependability. Or maybe not. At any rate, Batista looked better. Never thought I’d ever say that.
MW: Frasor had walked nine and struck out 19 in 20 innings before last night. The league is hitting .233 off him.
- JackEckstein’s pickoff reminded me of the time Bush became president.(Both shouldn’t have happened)
MW: At least Eckstein got picked off on an illegal play. Oh, wait.
- JasonI’ve been at 3 of the last 4 games (Friday, Sunday, Today) and it’s really hard to stay a fan. At what point do we get fed up with this and stop going?
In a way, we might as well have stopped going now. The crowd tonight was awful. They should have been on their feet the second Eckstien came to the plate — you know it’s the last at bat of the inning, if not the game, the fact that the majority of people left were still sitting, and quiet, is nothing short of pathetic.
MW: They never stop going to Leaf games, and that team is a WHOLE lot worse than the Blue Jays.
- CharlesWow, this is one painful game to take. I’m not gonna say what should happen as you already pointing them out already. They are painful to watch, especially lately with all the game they’re giving away when they SHOULD have resonably won. They can’t win all of them but seem like they lose 90% of them.
This team need a 180 turn around, and I say start firing someone significant to get this team a jolt, they have good players, the chemistry isn’t there mentally. I’d blame to coach for this one.
MW: I wouldn’t.
- Irvinjust a little nugget for you mike,although you probably won’t believe it.i was at a unnamed restaurant in may and,and was seated at a table near roy halladay.about 10 minutes into the meal,not that i was trying to hear his conversation,but couldn’t help it.he said to his dinner companion that at this rate “I’ll be the only pitcher ever to play 20 plus years and never pitch in post season.that shows you what he thinks of the jays future,and the reason i am just telling you this almost a month later is i did not know we could leave comments on your blog untill a couple of days ago.like i said it is a true story believe it or not.i just wish i was carrying a tape recorder that night,because most people believe it but some don’t.
MW: I wonder what he’ll say if I ask him. But he can leave after 2010 if he wants to.
- dave millenI know its the JaysTalk but in light of the historic 600th career home run, I think we would all be remised if we didn’t comment on it. So now, I have a comment and question.
First the comment, I think that Griffey would have been the all-time HR king and would have been one of, if not already the best hitter in all of baseball IF it had not been for all those injuries post Seattle.
Now to the question, in your baseball mind who do you think (between Bonds and Griffey), in their prime (roids or no roids) was A) the best overall hitter and B) best HR hitter??
And secondly, (I know I said only one question but it more of a follow up question). Where would u rank them all time and do you agree with my statement(along with most other writers) that barring injury Griffey could have been the best ever?
Oh and third question (sorry last one I promise) seeing as Khalil Greene’s season from hell is continuing, do u think that its just an off-year or do u think its a sign that its all he is going to do in the majors. He’ll be 30 next October so its not like he is a spring chicken or anything, but I still find it hard to believe that someone can fall so hard so fast. Assuming its just an off year, do you see the jays pursuing him this season or in the off-season, assuming they don’t find a long term solution (until Jackson gets here, which isn’t at least till like 2010 at the very very earliest) at SS within that time?
I know i have mentioned my view of Green to you and i’ also the head of the “Free Khalil” group but I think this guy would really really shine away from Petco.
Thanks
MW: Bonds is the better hitter of his generation, one of the top three hitters ever, so I give him the nod over Griffey, Jr. I do agree, though, that had he not been hurt so bloody much after he was traded to Cincinnati, he would have easily topped 700 homers by now. I don’t know where I rank Griffey as an all-timer, that’d take some more research, but top 25 at the absolute least, and probably a lot higher than that. As for Khalil Greene, he’s fallen right off the map. You may be right that getting him out of Petco would be a blessing (although his road numbers are sick-making – .184/.204/.301), but I want to watch the rest of his season before I figure out whether I want him here.
- Nick I.Im too tired to discuss the merits of the RBI tonight, so i’m gonna push that back. As for this game, u know how they say you are gonna win 40 and lose 40 no matter what you do..it’s the other 80 that make or break you. somehow i feel that the jays have transferred a few of the 40 win no matter what u do column into the 40 loss column..when the other team tries to give you the game, u are generally best served to take it.
some bizarre things i noted in the game.
1. seattle brining their infield in, in the tenth with the TYING, not winning, run on third and NONE out.weird..they were playing as if a tie would result in a loss..i kind of like that desperation move by them.
2. not that it ended up making a difference, but Gibbons NOT pinch running thigpen for barajas in the tenth. im not sure what he was saving him for. was he afraid of a tie and barajas bat being lost some two to three inning later? bizarre.
jays lost this game like five times. the most striking time however, to me anyway, was the first pitch JJ putz threw to Lyle overfence. after having just walked a guy to load the bases, it was sooo obvious that lyle was gonna get a groove ball right down broad way…and he certainly did…..and he took it..and it was the last good pitch the jays had to hit he rest of the game. lyle is good at what he does most of the time..which is guess hitting. i mean how many times have i seen him take fastballs right down the middle, not to go 0-1..but 0-2 ! well, he should have been guessing groove ball there.
so while i do agree that clutch hitters are sort of a fantasy, i do believe in another entity, which is the choker. a choker is someone who does things well up to a point, a point where there is pressure, and then they fail to be able to perform anywhere near the level they historically have been performing up to that point. yes. the choke hitter. the jays this year have a bunch of them. guys that simply aren’t producing anywhere near the level they have been producing in high leverage situations as they are in more routine situations. too many wins have been squandered. one has to figure this piching cannot last. i mean jessie should have given up 8 runs today with the number of line drives smashed and warning track shots he allowed. i just hope when they pitching corrects itself, the hitting does as well in the opposite direction..i know the average is up, but geez…this team has more power than THIS
MW: Geez, yes, it does. Had Overbay swung on the first pitch and popped it up, everyone would be screaming that you should never swing at the first pitch after a guy has just walked the bases loaded.
- sammyI was going to make a list of the Jays top 10 toughest losses, but then realized that I’d end up crying myself to sleep.
Man….what a brutal loss. The worst part of all these close defeats is that the Jays haven’t even had one real inspiring win where they come back from a big deficit or have a walkoff in the ninth or something. The closest they’ve come to this was probably their comeback in the ninth against Tampa last month that led to the 13-inning marathon, but even in that one, the Jays left the bases loaded in the 10th and left everyone disappointed again.
Mike, you often bring up the fact that people rip Gibby for his handling of the hitters but nobody praises his handling of Toronto’s excellent pitching staff. While this is true (and I generally think Gibbons is a better skipper than most give him credit for), the forgotten man here seems to be Brad Arnsberg. He has been absolutely as good as advertised as a pitching guru.
MW: It’s true, he gets zero credit.
- Alex PHi Mike,
I held off on sending anything in last night, because sometimes its best not to write when you’re frustrated. Waking up, I still have 2 lingering questions/comments:
1) I don’t agree with Gibbons’ decision to bring in BJ in the 9th tonight. I understand it’s pretty commonplace for managers to bring in their closer in the 9th in a tie game, but the circumstances tonight changed the equation a bit. BJ pitched the night before, and faced 3 consecutive righties to start the inning. It didn’t wind up hurting the team, but now the Jays probably won’t have BJ for the game tonight if we NEED a save situation. Personally, I think its bad management of the bullpen, but I thought I’d get your thoughts.
2) Does a season like this make you reconsider the whole ‘clutch hitting’ thing? These guys just don’t seem capable of putting hits together when it counts… pressure situations make people do strange things (squeeze the bat too tight which changes your swing, out-think yourself as a hitter, etc). I know you’re answer will still be ‘no’, but games like this have to make you sit back and wonder.
Thanks,
MW: 1 – Realizing that there was no possibility for a save situation to occur once the game was tied after eight innings, I think the right thing to do was to use Ryan there. You don’t want to lose not having used your best weapon. 2 – I believe in clutch hitting, and the Jays certainly aren’t getting much.
- Kevinhey Mike, I hate blue jays extra innings, love extendo jays talk. Tuned in late and wanted to know why were Eckstein and Johnny Mac both in the game?
MW: McDonald pinch-bunted for Stairs in the 7th.
- Mr.CazYes, it’s ridiculous. Not just this once, but the number of times these late losses and power failures happen. Soon you will be agreeing that it’s also unacceptable…
I’ve noted before that the Jays aren’t firing up much interest around town. Last night you said they drew 20,000 for the Mariners. More like they sold 20,000 tickets, but on tv it looked like a pretty paltry and low-key turnout. Hitting and winning is the only sure-fire answer here, but it appears that the suits need to come up with some fresh marketing ideas. These guys desperately need to get in a playoff race. Any thoughts?
MW: The attendance has gone up each of the last three seasons, I think, and it should go up again this year.
- JohnIrrational and knee jerk, hmm? Well, here goes……
- kitaThat’s it, it’s over, they can’t win. What’s happening, see, is that AJ Burnett and Reed Johnson have concocted a fiendish plot to use voodoo to curse the team so that they can’t score, using Joe Inglett’s voodoo dolls. My proof? Joe Inglett wears high socks, just like Reed Johnson, and AJ Burnett’s hat tip was clearly an admission of guilt and black magic. So, until someone gets into that clubhouse with a few live chickens (Cito Gaston would make it all better, he’s a magic master) we’re just going to continue to see them hit into double plays. Oh, and probably their bats are being kept in a room that is infected with elves or rabid squirrels. I don’t have proof of that though, but it just seems obvious to me, you know?
How was that? Have a good one!
Michael of the Ballyard:
Do I have a story for you.
I recently purchased a used boat that is VERY similar to the one in Kid Rock’s video for their new song ‘All Summer Long.’
So anyways, on Saturday I was fishing and I had the radio on in the boat (contrary to popular belief, the radio does not scare big fish away). And RUSH came on! I thought to myself, ‘Mike Wilner would love this — listening to RUSH in the boat from Kid Rock’s music video.’
Yes, I think about you while I fish on the weekends.
MW: That’s kind of sad.
- JCLUnacceptable………At this point as a fan I want heads to roll, right or wrong. I sat right behind the Jays dugout last night and it amazes me the total lack of emotion this team plays with. They say the team plays like their managers emotion and based on that enough said. I’m tired of looking at Gibbons with that stupid look on his face, does he have a clue??
Enough excuses I can’t wait for the “next year” comments because they are not far away!
MW: I love when people bring up the “stupid look” on Gibby’s face. Because if they had won that game, that look would have been a look of someone who is “calm, unflappable and in control”.
- Beans26The little beaver Jarrod Washburn shuts down the Jays. The Mariners won a game after firing their hitting coach, maybe the Jays should try the same.
MW: Yes, and the Mariners hit so well last night. How many hitting coaches can you fire?
- Brett VI am officially done watching this team – great job JP $100M and this is what you come up with. You better hope for a bunch of injuries over the next few months so you can blame it on that AGAIN this year.
MW: See you after the next three-game winning streak.
- JMMike…
We live in London and listen to your show on AM980 in London after every Blue Jay
game..You are really good and we enjoy your show!
Keep up the good work and we
will keep listening…
Robert & Betty Goodwin
MW: Thank you!
- Robert GoodwinLooks like I am not the only one, here are 2 emails I just received from buddies.
They are brutal !!!!!!!!!!!!
1. I hate to say this but I am not sure I can watch them anymore. Bases loaded and 0 out and you can’t score
2. Bases loaded no one out, I don’t get it
If they can’t keep the hard core Jays fans interested, how will they keep the part-timers… they will be lucky to get 10,000 to a game.
MW: I beg to differ.
- JMThey’re killing me, Mike.
I really feel as if I’m going to die watching this team. I think what happened last night in the 10th may have been the end of my faith in this team for the 2008 season…
These are the games that the teams at the top win, and until we can string together a few of them, we won’t be anywhere near the top, nor will we deserve to be, even with our starting rotation.
MW: Teams at the top lose these kinds of games, too.
- LukeI thought what really killed us was Eckstein getting picked off in the 9th. Balk or not, Rios followed with a walk. This would have been another perfect opportunity for a Johnny Mac sacrifice bunt. Now we have 2nd and 3rd with 1 out. Perfect chance for Rolen or Wells to get someone in. But I’m sure with the way this season is going Rolen would have struck out and Wells would have popped up in the infield.
I’ve never been so frustrated by a Jays team in my 20 years as a fan. I can take it when we are a bad team (like 04), but this team really should be better than their record. This inability to score runs at crucial moments must somehow be in their heads. Didn’t that Overbay dp seem to have an air of inevitability?
Thanks as always.
MW: I didn’t think the Overbay DP had an air of inevitability at all. And it’s easy to say that Eckstein shouldn’t have been picked off, balk or no balk, but the guy balked. Eck moved when Dickey moved his front leg, which meant he would have to deliver a pitch to the plate.
- Rob H.Mike:
From London and we are a loyal listener…Time must be
running out how often the Jays can blow a game leaving so many men on base and not
hitting in the clutch….
Robert & Betty Goodwin
MW: One would think so, but stranger things have happened.
- Robert GoodwinI know that 7 games out with 96 is not to much to overcome, but can you give me one reason to be optimistic about this team? Also is this not the most frustrating Jays team to watch in years?
MW: The pitching staff is phenomenal and the hitters aren’t near their capabilities. That’s two reasons. And yes, I think it is. Also, there are no real wild card contenders who are ahead of the Jays in the standings.
- ScottMike, love the blog and the show, keep up the good work. I like you don’t blame Gibby for this loss or many of the heartbreakers the Jays have lost. I will continue however to disagree with the approach of many of the Jays hitters with runners in scoring position. They continue to watch 1st pitch fast balls right down the middle. Rolen does it constantly (7th inning) and Overbay in the 10th. You couldn’t have asked for better pitches as they split the plate. I know many people have been upset with Wells who will often let it loose on the first pitch. In my opinion it is often the best pitch a hitter will see. The stats also bear out hitters typically have higher averages when putting the ball in play on the first pitch. I know Denbo can’t hit the ball for them but having completed more than a third of the year and the Jays are near the bottom in every offensive category. I think it is time for a change. Your thoughts? They can’t let this go on forever can they?
MW: No, they can’t. And it has nothing to do with Denbo.
- KenMike,
Correct me if I am wrong but did I read you advocating for “THE BUNT”?
If I could do anything different last night I would have told Overbay not to hit into a double play…..joking. But that sure was a rally killer. Not what your looking for out of your slugging 1st but based on the quick 0-2 count it didn’t look like Overbay was seeing the ball that well.
MW: Overbay has gotten out less than anyone on this team but Scott Rolen this season.
- JWOverbay has been a much debated player these first two and a half and as his overall numbers have improved some observers, including you Mike, have trumpeted their vindication. That said, when he took that first pitch fastball right down the middle for strike one with the base loaded in the tenth, it was another clear moment as to why I find him so frustrating to watch.
Putz had just walked Wilkerson who battled him in a very tough at bat. In steps Overbay and everyone watching knew the fastball was coming. Everyone except Lyle apparently. Or, even Lyle knew but he was playing for the walk. Sound crazy? Check out his numbers with runners in scoring position and 2 out. He’s hitting .091, with an .355 on base %. In other words, he’s looking for walks and not trying to do damage with his bat.
Predictably that first pitch fastball was by far the best pitch to hit that Overbay got and his lack of aggressiveness was a big reason why he and the team failed last night and why it’s been such a frustrating year.
MW: Or he’s getting terrible pitches to hit and going fishing sometimes. See above for the first-pitch fastball thing.
- benSigh. Is this team allergic to walk off wins or something? How many times have other teams done it to the Jays this year? Three times on the last road trip alone.
It just seems like the fates are conspiring against us. Leadoff single in the bottom of the ninth, and they lose one out on a pickoff (which looked like a balk) and then another out on catcher’s interference. They *still* get the winning run to third, but it dies there. After that, it was “here we go again.”
It would have been frustrating enough to give up the winning run on three walks and a suicide squeeze. But no, this Jays team has to make things as excruciating as possible. Another turn of the screw. Load the bases with no outs in the bottom of the inning! Somehow fail to score even score once! Yay!
So what will it be today? Maybe McGowan throws a no hitter and somehow loses. Or the Jays will have a 6-0 lead going into the ninth, then give up 7. Or the Jays’ll be down a bunch of runs early, crawl back into it, only to leave the bases loaded in bottom ninth and lose by a run. Perhaps they lose 1-0, strand 15 runners, and go 0/12 with RISP. Who knows? We’ll just have to wait and see.
MW: Yes, we will. There was no catcher’s interference in last night’s game, by the way.
- Flaming MoeHi Mike,
what’s your take on Wilkerson? I personally think they should bring up Lind. Not that I really dislike Wilkerson, it’s just that I think he has shown what he is over the past few years (what’s his best-ever batting average? when was the last time he hit over .250 for a season). The Jays need something to spark them a bit, Lind has potentially the talent to really get hitting. At least give him a longer chance than before.
Thanks!
MW: Wilkerson is hitting well over .300 in his last dozen games.
- RoryOh, I just noticed you answered this yesterday. Sorry.
MW: S’ok.
- RoryGood Yomtov!
Sorry about forgetting Overbay, I was so busy trying to get Inglett into the lineup I forgot about him…
In any case I agree that Eckstein isn’t the best lead-off guy but I don’t know who we have right now who is better. Stewart is injured and in any case isn’t what he used to be. I don’t like to see Rios bat lead-off because I’d rather he batted right in front of someone who could be a power threat so that he gets something to hit. That’s the reason I’d bat Wells in front of Rolen right now. In a normal season I’d bat Rolen first and then Wells, but he wasn’t doing all that great before he was injured, and until we know the power is back I’d feel more comfortable making sure he got stuff to hit.
It seems we need a couple of things to be fixed on this team. Do we go for a power bat or do we go for a legit lead-off guy? At the moment we don’t have either. Both are essential. We probably can only afford one.
MW: Why are you so concerned about getting Inglett into the line-up?
- reyesIt’s truly beyond frustrating, GM’s and Managers have dreams about having a bullpen performing like ours, even if it has over achieved some. THEN we get starters so good we almost don’t need them. Our pitching is World Series calliber.
I stil can’t believe JP didn’t get either Piazza or especially Bonds. The day Vernon went on the DL would have been perfect. If nothing happens, particularly in the Bonds scenario, then nobodys hating on the rest of the team because, a) Bonds is Bonds and will invariably absorb most of the media attention and b) AT LEAST HE MADE A MOVE!!!
Wilkerson and Mench weren’t moves, at least not ones without a ‘pathetic’ sign slapped on the front. I’d rather have seen them bring up the hottest 2 bats from either AAA or even AA and toss the dice, at least then perhaps some good comes of it. We NEEDED Wilkerson’s .237? Both these guys have been nothing more than 4A players their whole careers.
Re: JP’s stance on Bonds ‘whatever’ that the Jays don’t want to be party to. You actually touched on it last night without knowing Mike,(you’re just that good) The greatest player in the history to the game was an imbibbing, womanizng ne’er do well. So he told some kid he’d hit him a homer and did. Probably only said to impress some nurse. Baseball LOVED steroids and would still be knee deep in them if some Senators hadn’t been purests.
Sign Barry and put Pete Rose in the dam Hall Of Fame!
Finally, do you think Scutaro has any street value, as in a trade? Too many gents of the same ilk on that bench. I’ll hang up and listen now.
MW: Scutaro hasn’t got much value in a trade, and you really need to take a better look at WilkerMench if you think they’ve been no better than AAAA players their entire careers.
- Scott 'from North Bay'… I’m truly dissappointed in that loss, probably more so than any other loss this season.
Bases Loaded. No outs. *sigh*
Just unbelieveably frustrating. It’s these types of losses that you look back on in September and say, “If only…”
Come on, Blue Jays, do it for us, the long suffering fans!
Thanks, Mike.
- Jeffmike, the first caller lastnight was great, he should be hosting your show
he’s right this is an 86 win team, you seem to believe 88 wins can get the jays into the playoffs, then you conveniently upped that number to 89 wins, i just looked at the final standings over thelast five years and an Al east team hasnt gotten in with less than 94 wins in any of those years
we both know that 88 or 89 wins will clearly not get the jays into the playoffs
and that 86 wins is not good enough for jp to stick around next year
MW: Take a look at what’s going on in the standings right now. I don’t see a 90-win team other than Boston and Anaheim.
- joshWhen the Jays couldn’t pull it off in the 8th or 9th, you knew the trend of the season would have Seattle score in the 10th. That’s just they way it’s written for the Jays this year. However, a la Rios leadoff triple in extra innings oh-so-many-games ago, Toronto had bases juiced, no outs, but nothing to show after that.
Unless Tampa collapses (which, as Mike says, is inevitable), Jays will be a terrific 3rd place team once again.
MW: Anyone who says they “knew” the Mariners would score in the 10th to win is speaking out of pure frustration, which is completely understandable.
- Chris in WhitbySorry Mike, but this is why it drives me nuts when you get on Jays fans for having a seemingly pessimistic attitude. You’re right; the Jays simply cannot afford to lose these types of games – but they have been, all year long. Is it “pessimistic” and irrational to expect this long-lasting trend to continue?
Most of us Jays fans aren’t stupid: we realize that they can’t win every game, but losses such as last nights are going to be the difference makers at the end of the season when our beloved Jays aren’t in the playoffs again. Sure, winning ballgames is tough, and it’s expected you’re going to lose a bunch, but the season doesn’t end in a 30-team tie. The “good” teams find a way to win these games and set themselves apart from the pack – thus far the Jays simply do not seem to be one of these teams. Yes, April was uncharacteristically horrible, and yes, May was exceptional, but they NEEDED a May like that to make up for that April. In any given series or any given month, we don’t know what we’re going to get from this team. I feel like the only thing we CAN expect from this team is mediocrity. I still like this team, and think they have the talent to be a playoff team. I’m quite sure they’ll also snap out of their recent funk and win 7/8 or 9/11, but they’ll probably follow it up with 7 game losing streak to get back to .500.
I would say that over 2 months gives us a good indication of how this team is going to play this season (especially when it resembles previous years), and I don’t think it’s irrational to come to the EARLY conclusion that the Jays won’t be playing in October. This could absolutely change, and I sincerely hope it does, but it won’t unless they start finding a way to win the tough ones, which would be completely contrary to their play thus far.
No one knows how it’s going to end up, but we can speculate the outcome based on current and past performance.
Mike, if you had to make a prediction, at this current juncture of the season, as to where the Jays are going to be sittingat seasons end, what would it be? Mine guess would be 3rd in the AL east, without making the playoffs. Considering their current playoff drought, another season without a playoff appearance is simply unacceptable (to EVERYONE I’m sure).
That’s why I think most fans become get reactionary after every tough loss: not because of what the loss individually represents, but rather because of how it fits into the grand scheme of failure. And I don’t think those of us who feel this way should be labelled as “irrational” until we’re given a reason to think any differently.
On a separate note, your blog is awesome! Keep up the good work man.
MW: Good job coming up with a compliment at the end there! My guess is 2nd in the AL East, with a shot at a playoff spot. Most of us, you probably included, have seen enough baseball to know that a .500 record on June 10th can easily be turned into a playoff spot. When the Yankees were 21-27 (or thereabouts) last year, don’t you think they lost games like this? When the Tigers blew a 14 1/2 game lead in their division two years ago, don’t you think they lost games like this? All teams lose ugly, brutal games that should otherwise be handed to them. It goes back to the debate we had in April here and on the radio. The Jays got swept by Tampa, fans called in to say that proved that they’ll go nowhere this year, because “playoff teams don’t get swept by Tampa Bay”. Then the Red Sox got swept in Tampa Bay. Heck, the Red Sox had a 1-5 trip through Seattle and Oakland last month.
- JohnMike:
With the case you’ve been making the last little while about how solid a pitcher AJ Burnett is and how it’s a certainty that he’ll opt out of his deal at season’s end I started wondering if the Jays would make a run at re-signing him. Do you think they’ll make an offer to him to have him stay or do you think they just let him go for the draft picks (assuming he stays for the entire season). If the numbers that you were forcasting are in the ballpark it’s only an extra 5-6 million a year or so to keep him with the team and keep the pitching staff in tact. As we’ve seen this year, the pitching staff has been the major reason that the Jays are not a lot worse off in the standings. I don’t think they have someone ready in the minors and acquiring a starting pitcher in the free agent market might be a little bit cheaper but not a lot I assume.
MW: I don’t think the Jays will be willing to spend the $15-17 million a year it’ll take to keep Burnett.
- Peter B.Unbelievable. I just heard this morning that the last time a visiting team used the squeeze play in extras and won the game was KC way back in July, 1976! The Jays sure provide the stage for rarities, don’t they? First the unassisted triple play, now this. Does that mean we will see a perfect game at the Rogers Centre this year? I’ll leave it up to you to guess which side will be on the wrong end of THAT little number…
MW: Odds are better that a Jays’ pitcher will throw it than not.
- VavaUnreal. Another loss that seemingly violated the laws of physics: bases loaded + nobody out = no runs scored. Gobsmacking. But like you said, it’s been happening all year. Can you ever remember a season like this one? This is the most sporadic .500 Jays team that I can remember: win 15 out of twenty and then drop 6 out of seven. It’s really quite phenomenal to behold. It’s also mind-bendingly frustrating.
MW: It is, but I’m sure there have been seasons just as frustrating. We tend to have short memories.
- peteMike, I want “May” back.
- Warren OwenMike, If J.P never mentioned a five year plan is it your belief that some writer decided to pull it out of thin air and claim that J.P said it? It had to have come from somewhere.
Secondly, shouldn’t J.P have had a 5 year plan? Is 5 years not enough to assemble a contending ball club? It’s year 7 and we are still a .500 team. At what point do we say enough is enough and try someone else?
MW: It’s idiotic to say that X will happen in Y amount of time. You can be hopeful, but no one has a crystal ball. It’s my belief that someone took something out of what he said and created the whole “five-year plan” thing.
- Chris JonesMike!
You said it like it is! It’s been the storyline all season and it’s good to hear you’re frustrated like everyone else… contrary to, perhaps, some past posts after a similar game. But you’re completely right – How often can they do this? This team is incredibly streaky…they go 20-10 in May with the offense coming alive for a few games…and then a week later they can’t get a sniff of run. I think this is where the frustration is coming from…all that progress in May has been nullified by this June implosion. And it’s the same song every time – disgustingly atrocious offense. The only problem is – and I’d like your opinion on this too…what do we give up to get some bats in here before the all-star break sell-offs? I think there won’t be even a chance J.P. makes a major move until the deadline…and that’s IF they’re still in it. I’ve never seen a team so good on paper, with so much talent perform the way they are for such an extended period of time. The offense is going to need the heimlich maneuver to stop this excessive choking.
MW: Except that you can’t say the 2-6 June is because of disgustingly atrocious offense. The Jays have scored 38 runs in eight games in June, an average of 4.75.
- GregHey Mike,
I don’t want this to be portrayed as a knee-jerk comment, but Frasor has got to go. I have never liked him and Gibbons confidence in him (or lack there of) was quite evident in the early parts of the year. Frasor just seems to get roughed up to often.
As for Lyle Overbay, I’m sure thats one he’d like to have back. He’s been hitting real decent of late and I’m sure if he had that bases loaded opportunity again he wouldn’t have grounded out. Tough one.
And finally, BJ Ryan seems to have bounce back nicely. Even with his to blown saves, he really is an incredible story and shined again last night even in a loss. This is still definitely one of JP’s best aquisitions.
MW: Look at Jason Frasor’s numbers over the last two years. He’s a very good relief pitcher. He’s small, and his pace is awful, and he can seem nervous on the mound, which is probably why he gets buried. But his numbers are terrific.
- Scott MMike, why not leave Camp on for another inning? Bringing B.J on to face the 7,8,9 guys in the order (all righties) made no sense (I think I am recalling correctly).
Can we also put The Greatest Jay Ever thing to rest? After Rolen’s absymal performance last night and having gone more than a month without a home run I think it is time to retire that phrase even if it is tongue in cheek.
MW: Why not go to Ryan in the 9th? You don’t want to lose a game without using your best pitcher.
- Chris Joneshey mike, do you think its time to drive a dumptruck full of money over to mickey brantley’s house and beg for forgiveness?
MW: Mickey Brantley should never have been fired. Everyone else on the coaching staff got a mulligan because of last year’s injuries.
- ArjunHi Mike, what does baseball mean
MW: Everything and nothing.
- ZerZarUh – oh. 2-6 in June with this supposed soft schedule. Didn’t the Jays turn the corner by crushing the Royals? 7 games back of the division and 6 back in the wildcard.
Let’s hope starting tonight this month can turn around and the Jays can start gaining some ground. Can the Jays go on another run where they win 14 of 18? Sure would be nice.
I didn’t see the game last night, but did Overbay at least hit the ball hard in the 10th? All you can do is make solid contact and if you do that and it ends up in someone’s glove, there is not a whole heck of alot you can do about it.
I don’t know how else this offense can get fixed. This could be 2 years in a row where the offense lets the pitching staff down.
MW: He didn’t hit that ball especially hard.
- Aaron KerIn your heart of hearts, do you in any way believe this team will earn the Wild Card spot in the A.L.?
I wish I could say they will, but playing (hitting) like this, there is no way. What are your thoughts?
MW: Let me put it another way, they went into last night’s game averaging over five runs a game in the month of June.
- CamMW,
I get your defending Gibby. He’s not the one that makes players freeze up in pressure situations with runners in scoring position, but is he not responsible for the team’s approach at the plate?
For the last 2 years we’ve heard about “working the count”. Yes, it’s worked for teams – the Yankees have employed that approach in years past and it has worked in certain situations – but I don’t know how many times I’ve seen Jays hitters take the first pitch over the last 2 years and that pitch was the one to hit. This year Wells (and sometimes Rolen) seems to be the only one that has a green light on swinging at the first pitch.
When Lance Berkman was tearing the cover off the ball last month I read that he said the best advice he’d received on hitting came during a conversation with Jim Thome in Cleveland in 1999. “When you have guys on base, you better be ready to hit from the time you step in the batter’s box,” Thome told him. “Because that first pitch may be the only one you get.”
To me, that was highlighted last night with Overbay’s at bat in the 10th when the first pitch was right down broadway, setting up the entire at bat and definitely not in favour of Overbay. But that’s not the only example. Working the count works for part of the game (early) then you have to get aggressive at some point. Case in point – Baltimore against AJ on the weekend when they were first pitch swinging and they broke open that game with a huge inning.
Last year during a telecast Jamie Campbell mentioned taking the first pitch was a great approach brought to the team by Troy Glaus.
It’s been frustrating, and yes, I know, if it’s true, it’s not the only reason that the Jays are a .500 club.
Anyway, my question to you is, do you see the same thing? Is this on Gibby? Denbo? JP?
And then lastly, why doesn’t Rios hit homeruns?
MW: I do see the Jays taking pitches in situations where they should probably be more aggressive, but if they’re looking for a pitch in a spot and don’t get it, I’d rather have them take than pop out or beat a ball into the ground. Patience at the plate is a good thing. You want to hit your pitch, not the one the pitcher wants you to hit. Rios doesn’t hit home runs because he’s not hitting home runs right now. I don’t know why he’s not, other than that he’s all messed up at the plate.
- MasterclarkThis was a hard loss to take…(there’s been a lot of those lately)
What are your thoughts when Zaun gets back, does he get back in there as the #1 catcher with Barajas finding time in the DH spot or is Barajas gonna ride it out until we run him dry as far as hitting is concerned.
Gibby was on the Fan this morning and didn’t really elude to anything other than that Barajas has been playing great since Zaun got injured.
MW: Yesterday, Gibby said “they’ll both play”. I think Barajas will get more work once Zaun gets back than he did before Zaun got hurt.
- RandyWladimir Balentien – what’s with the spelling I heard Asby call this guy Vladimir? When AJ Burnett waved his cap at the crowd he was laughing off his despicable performance. Once Casey Stengal told Martin and Mantle to stop throwing stuff and to ‘laugh it off’ when they struck out. Ever the prankster Billy told the Mick to laugh crazily every time he fanned. Soon Casey had enough and told them to throw things again. Fans would rather see the manicure man throw his glove, argue with the ump, bean a batter, start a fight, do the Ted Lilly, even refuse to talk to the media like he’s done in the past. I was crying about the loss while AJ was chuckling and thinking about the big contract he will sign next year with another team. Let’s send him to the National League so we won’t have to face him – except possibly in inter league play.
MW: A.J. isn’t getting traded. Balentien’s name is, indeed, pronounced “Vladimir”. Creative spelling, I guess.
- DanielMikey W,
boy oh boy…..never before has a .500 ballclub been so frustrating to watch. It’s completely irrational, but I found myself dreading the bases loaded in the 10th last night as you just knew the end result would be an unproductive out and a now-classic GIDP.
Why has the ball stopped flying out of the yard? I tried convincing myself that MLB was deadening the ball to “prove” they had “cleaned up” the game, but then how do you explain Luke Scott? Kevin Millar? Jose freaking Vidro?
And the fact that the team is trying to win with smallball, when the roster isn’t built for smallball, is another point of frustration. If you want to win with bunting and singles, fine, but then make sure you have guys who can hit for average, no?
Re-reading my comment, I guess I don’t have much of a point. But as a fan, I’m as frustrated watching this team as I ever have been.
MW: I understand.
- JC, WinnipegHey Mike,
I haven’t lost faith in the Jays, but for the sake of my emotional stability I’m getting of this ride. I’ll invest and believe when we see it.
MW: OK, see you after the next three-game win streak.
- Justin H.This team is fundamentally flawed in terms of construction(the GM’s fault) and in-game strategy(the manager).The Mariners basically gave the game on a plate to the Jays and they screw it up again.That game last Thursday against the Yanks was another gift which they threw away. Can Gibby tell these guys to scratch out a run in the 10th instead of waiting something to happen?It’s 0-4 in late inning games this season for the Jays and these games favor the home team.It’s like this team is playing in a Bizarro world.
What can be done?JP needs to get that RISP/clutch power hitter that will make a difference to give them a chance to win games like this.Currently ,the Jays are like the Rays except that the Rays can bash the ball and pitch!AS for Gibby?I heard your “what about Girardi” response last night regarding Girardi.Girardi has multiple WS rings(he was important to those winning seasons) and he was the 2006 National League Manager of the Year and Gibby was mostly in the minor leagues when the Mets won the 1986 and he won a minor league manager of the year.That is a background on the pedigree of these managers.That’s fine,but Gibby has been manager for 4 years and the Jays haven’t even been in the playoffs or even sniffed them.Girardi has only been Yankee manager for a few months,he hasn’t even completed a season yet.Gibby should have been analogized to Willie Randolph who has had 4 years to bring the Mets to the World Series and has failed(although they made the playoffs in 2006).In essence,this team needs a different voice that can make this team achieve its potential.
MW: I think you’re putting far too much weight into the ability of a manager. If it was so easy, why wouldn’t Gibbons just tell the Jays to “scratch out a run” in every inning? Then they’d score 8-9 a game and might not have lost yet this year.
- jayHi Mike – The fans at the Skydome (formerly known as the Rogers Centre) get a bad rap for not cheering and paying attention to the game. I just want to echo the comment in yesterday’s blog about the in game distractions. On Saturday when Wells came out of the dugout the announcement of a defensive change was not very loud. During innings the loudspeaker just trying promote the latest Roger’s product, when the announcement of Wells coming in to replace Stewart there was some Band-Aid song playing in the background and I for one have begun to tune out the loudspeaker. I was at the game and did not know of the recent roster moves and I was looking for Mighty Joe to come out and I had to take a double take to see number 10 running out on the field, I was out of my seat cheering but I was disappointed in the lack of response.
Maybe it’s the in game promotions distracting the fans. Maybe it’s the fans that don’t care so they gave us these promotions to make us happy. All I know is that racing blackberry’s between innings has got to be the final sign that the Jays are nothing more than a marketing tool to the owners.
MW: Sadly, there has become a need all across baseball to sell the sizzle more than the steak.
- Dave Gsorry mike bored in class, have lotsa time to bother you today
the yankees were 30-31 through 61 games last year so they werein the same boat as this year, finished with 94 wins
the point here as you love to say is that it is only june 10!!
do you really believe the jays could get in with 88 wins???
MW: Yes, I do. Could. Not will.
- joshMIke
I have a question about Eckstien why does he always go around the third base bag after each inning instead of cutting in front of the bag to go to to the dugout
thanx
MW: Superstition.
- TrentUmm, why do you think it’s sad that it passingly occurred to me that you’d find it amusing that music of the quality of RUSH was being played in a boat similar to the one in Kid Rock’s new music video?
MW: It’s sad that you’re thinking of me while you’re out fishing. Enjoy yourself!
- JCLMike,
A left handed batter up (vs. righty)with 1st & 3rd and nobody out is as bad a squeeze time as you could pick? That 90 ft. you’re talking about is vital when there is none or one out. You’re almost never a 2nd guesser and this one is a surprise. Even a double play ties the game (6-4-3 or 4-6-3) so I don’t think risking the man at 3rd with less than two outs (for 2 batters) justifies the risk – with one out I think it is a completely different play and I would agree…obviously, just my opinion and this type of stuff is what makes baseball so much fun to talk about!
MW: Indeed.
- Garywhat do you mean 88 wins will get the wild card? You have to figure the Yankees will surpass 90 wins. Teams like the Indians will also step up and win more games in the second half. I would not be so sure this early in the season that 88 wins will get the wildcard. As you always say, their is still a lot of the season to be played.
MW: Actually, I say that there is a lot of season to be played. Amazing, though, that people can assume that the Yankees and Indians will have no problem winning 90, but the Jays are done. Neither of those teams has a better record than the Blue Jays right now.
- aviAh Sorry Mike, either you’re not detecting my sarcasm, or I’m not detecting yours (Post #1).
MW: I think our sarcasm may have cancelled each other out.
- Jay MoneyJust like you look at the Rays and say they’re nothing to worry about, the guy who hosts the post game show in Tampa (if there is one) is probably looking at the Jays and saying they’re not a treat.
With each passing day it’s harder to decide who’s right.
MW: I’m assuming you mean threat, but it’s true. I’m right, though.
- GaryCan you please refrain from using the vacuum cleaner during the JaysTalk?
MW: Man, don’t I wish. I think they start at 11:00.
- AlexHello everyone.
People have been critical of the attendance this season and I just wanted to point out that school isn’t out and summer hasn’t officially started yet. Also the Yankee’s haven’t even come to town yet this year and the Red Sox have only been once and those teams always draw large crowds, even if many of those fans are supporting the out of towners.
On another note, I think the real reason Inglett was sent down was because he clearly can’t hit the 70mph knuckleball.
MW: Good points both.
- RobI think its becoming obvious this team needs a big bat in the middle of the lineup. Wells, Rolen, Stairs, and Overbay are all good hitters but something is definatly missing. Nobody on this team is on pace for 100 RBI’s wich is completely unacceptable if you want to win a championship. I personally would love to see this team go after a Matt Holliday. There are enough prospects down on the farm now that this deal could become a possibility. Unless you want to wait a few years for these guys to develop for achampionship then something has to be done quick. If not then get ready for another 85 win season, and a 3rd (or maybe even 4th) place finish.
MW: You have to have a dance partner to make a deal.
- Denny“MW: Why are you so concerned about getting Inglett into the line-up?”
I’m not. I just thought ‘Inglett’s been called up so where will he go…?’ Brain cramp.
However you still didn’t answer my question and now I have 2:
(1) Lead-off guy or power hitter? We need both and we don’t have either and we can’t afford both. Which one do we go for and who do we give up to get him?
(2) I’ve just finished reading all the posts here and we are all frustrated as hell. Even so, one way to go is to steer the course the way we are and trust that the hitting will come round and the pitching won’t just give up in disgust. But at what point do we re-evaluate that strategy?
MW: Power bat, and a couple of young pitchers in the minors should be enough. You re-evaluate when the power bat becomes available, in which case you go get it.
- reyesDamn Josh Towers!
- Andrew SorlieHi Mike,
Big fan of the show and the blog and ninety percent of the time I agree with your opinions and comments. But one thing that frustrates me about some of your replies is your constant refusal to really objectively argue or state why this team is not mediocre. I wouldn’t characterize you as an apologist, but you don’t really convince me that this team isn’t mediocre. And usually you dance around the issue (i.e. in today’s post #8 your reply is just a witty response to inappropriate apostrophes).
I think it’s about time for you to quit evading the issue and evaluate this ball club as we are well past the one-third mark. I personally see a mediocre team with great starting pitching, and little else to cheer for.
MW: I have said many times that all these hitters have to do is what they’ve always done, on average, for their careers, and the Jays will be fine. No one needs to have a career year, the pitching is that good. It’s just that everyone but The Captain is underachieving.
- Andyre: post #12
I completely agree with you…Congratulations to Ken Griffey Jr on home run #600…he’s been in the majors for 20 years and has never been involved in any incidents or scandals while quietly amassing 600 home runs. Taking into acconut the amount of time he’s been on the DL during his career, I think he is the hands down best home run hitter of the last 15-20 years. It’s weird, but I think the players who are controversial/loud mouthed get more attention (case and point Manny Ramirez, Barry Bonds etc). Griffey is a class act and a first ballot HOFer.
- BernardI was perusing Fox sports the other day, and one one of their panels, they say in I guess their fantasy league, Jesse Litsch is the player that’s been picked up the most since the beginning of the season. I think people are beginning to notice him
- Sam McLeanHi Mike,
If the season keeps going this way, will heads roll??? and how will the season be looked back upon?
MW: If it keeps going this way and they finish 81-81, the manager (at least) won’t be back, and J.P. might not be, either. The season will be looked back upon as an embarrassing waste of a tremendous pitching staff.
- Davedear mike, i think i know what roy halladay will say if you ask him about what he said in a restaurant last month.exactly whati or you or anybody would say,you deny it till the bitter end.so there is no end to the story,if it is even a story.it is what it is,just a tidbit of info, so that when he does leave in 2010,i know what i will look back at as a first indicator that he wanted out.
- dave millenIt has happened all too often this season. I can’t imagine how frusterated the players are if the fans are this frusterated. Litsch really showed me something. Clearly not having his best stuff but battled extremely hard to keep his team in it. Great job by Jesse.
One question… I noticed that Crawford, Iwamura, and Edwin Jackson all played last night for the Rays… why is it that the suspensions start at different times (Iwamura’s doesn’t start until the 17th, Crawfords starts on Wednesday, Jackson’s on the 13th, yet Gomes’ started the day after)? Did these players appeal their suspensions or is there another reason the suspensions start on different days? I wish they were all out of the line up simultaneously, maybe then the Jays could gain some ground.
MW: They stagger the starts of suspensions when too many players on the same team get dinged. I don’t know who appealed and who didn’t, though.
- DarylHey Mike:
How difficult is a sacrifice fly for a major league player? I have never seen a Jays team have so many problems in sac flies.
Are the Jays fouling off more pitches (or does it just seem like it)?
(Waterloo, Ontario)
MW: It just seems like it. Hitting is really, really hard. They make it look easy a lot of the time, but to say a guy can just go up, decide to hit a fly ball, and do it is way too simplistic. There’s a pitcher out there, too, trying to make sure the hitter can’t do what he wants to.
- Scott BrownMike,
I’m a big fan of Jays’ Talk. As a Leaf fan who loves all the leaf talk in this city, I wish there was more Jays’ talk. We’re confined to the game, post-game, and this blog. You’re doing your part. Thanks.
BUT, I’m getting tired very quickly of listening to the Jays argue that they are better than their record. They aren’t. Our record is our record is our record. And, we are consistently .500. We can’t be better because we don’t have the culture to win – whether it is the coach, GM, president, or players – they just aren’t capable of being better than hovering around .500. I’m a die-hard fan and I know it. So why are we sticking with a losing formuala? Is it because the formula keeps us close to almost being good enough to keep fans interested? This is turning into MLSE – just good enough to not look very bad.
Very frustrated.
MW: The Leafs aren’t good enough to look very bad. Any team that misses the playoffs three years in a row in that league is pathetic. But according to you, the Yankees are a mediocre team, the Orioles are barely better than mediocre, the Rays are great, the A’s are really good and the Indians and Tigers are awful, right?
- MichaelMike, is it me or does is look like Scott Rolen is using a shorter bat. He looks like a big kid using a tiny bat when he comes up to the plate.
Speaking on bats, what do you think of players having different bats with different weights to use depending on the situation. I was thinking, if there were 2 strikes, players could switch to a lighter bat to allow them to make contact more easily.
Also, why do college players use aluminum bats, and why aren’t they used in the major leagues?
Thanks
MW: Rolen doesn’t use a shorter bat, I don’t think, he’s just huge. And I don’t know that a lighter bat would allow them to make contact more easily more than it would really throw off their timing. Colleges use aluminum bats because they last longer, so it’s a cost issue. They’re not used in the majors because too many pitchers would get killed.
- JamesIs that the problem? are these guys chokers in key pressure clutch situations?
We keep sitting around waiting and praying things change and soon, but last season does not offer much comfort in the sense that the Jays are suffering in the same kind of situations as last year, only worse.
So if that’s the problem and guys who have a history of hitting but fail as a collective in clutch situations how do you correct this?
IF J.P. does go after a bat in july surely it has to be someone who can’t walk at the end of the season, otherwise its too high a price to pay, because we need to be thinking about how this offense can improve for next year, we can’t take another year of clutch failures
MW: So they’ve all done fine in the “clutch” for their whole careers, but for just over two months have been awful which means they’re all chokers?
- ukJayThe Jays including management does’nt deserve any goodwill. I mentioned in March that its not about prodictions and talk. That’s been going on too long. This year its about results. Let the results do the talking. Results are telling us that The Jays are last in RISP, 1 & 2 out RBI’s, no late inning heroics, no long ball. April is still killing them. A strong was very important this year. Too bad your baseball prodictions and common sence isn’t as good as your grammer Mike.
MW: I really need to work on those prodictions, grammer and common sence. Spelling, too. Wow – that actually hurt to type.
- brunoHey Mike, It’s always a pleasure listening to Jays talk and The Blue Jays This Week, you’re excellent at what you do.
Last night certainly was terrible but I can’t really see what they could have done differently other than perhaps the squeeze you suggested, or you know…hit.
The bright spot is that we’re still right in the thick of the hunt. What are your thoughts on the Post All-Star wildcard race? Do you think teams like Cleveland,Detroit and New York are destined to wake up and seriously improve. Likewise, do you foresee teams like Tampa and Oakland staying consistent all season?
If these trends continue, this season is shaping up to offer a realistic shot at the playoffs with most teams struggling so much.
MW: You’re a smart guy, Jonathan. I think Detroit is too far gone to make a really serious run, but they’ll get back to .500 and maybe better at some point. The Yankees and Indians will be right there at the end and so, I think, will the Blue Jays be. The Rays and A’s won’t.
- JonathanMike on Jaystalk lat night you commented that Frank Thomas was JP’s only expensive mistake. I think there is one other. The more I see the Jays inability to score runs and drop these close games, the more I am convinced that not signing Bonds is a huge mistake. JP decided to stand on principle and wants the issue dropped from further conversation. Fine. In my view that could be the expensive mistake that costs his job if the Jays are not in contention in September and miss the playoffs yeat again.
MW: Could be, but I really don’t think it’s his call.
- Ian CMike, in response to Josh’s comments regarding the # of wins needed to make the playoffs. You seem to think that 86-89 is needed and Josh says 94 has been needed in the last 5 years. I remember back in 1985 when Doyle Alexander won the Blue Jay’s 89 win to claim the title American league east champions. Yes it only took 89 wins. I agree with you Mike, 85-90 wins should win the east or atleast a wild card.
MW: In 1985, the Jays had 99 wins, and they needed 98 of them to secure a playoff spot. In 1989, they only won 89 games and won the division.
- MarkThe first caller was NOT great, Mike please make a rule: no comments or calling for a manager’s/GM’s head on the night of a poor result.
How did the caller so quickly forget the magnificent doulbe-delayed steal of home on Sunday vs. Baltimore?!?!
Callers stop wasting everybody’s time with knee-jerk reactions, take a look at all of the great things going on with this ball club and weigh it with the bad and you’ll soon realize that your calls aren’t needed. Cheers!
MW: Good luck with that.
- Pat in AjaxWow. Couldnt beleive they couldnt push atleast one across in the tenth there, disapointed. Still tons of baseball left to play in the year though. Just remember ’89 (I think it was. 50-50 or something you said? Before my time even)
The shows awesome by the way.
MW: Thanks!
- Ryanshuvuot? Why do you write jew words that nobody knows – remember this is a baseball blog
MW: Wow. I’m just stunned by that. I had to put it up so everyone will know why I don’t post any more of your comments.
- JuhLillJeff Blair said on the Fan last night that there’s a sense of resignation about this team-hard not to feel that way given the way things are going.
He also said JP has an out in his contract if Godfrey gets the axe.
I always thought Godfrey got off lightly for his part in creating the pre JP mess-the Gonzalez contract was much of his doing for example.
Blair’s overall point seemed to be that changes will come only if attendance,TV ratings,and marketing opportunities suffer.
MW: I thought the Gonzalez contract came about before Godfrey got here. I could be wrong, though.
- MattI see all the fire JP and gibbons people are back after taking May off. I look what the Tigers and Mariners did in the off season trading away alot to get players they thought that would put them over the hump and they are worse off then the Jays. Its hard to know which impact type player a team needs, everybody is crying for a trade but a guy like dunn won’t come cheap. If your going to trade away your best prospects for a bat why not go for Holliday, I just dont want to see another trade like young for loiza.
MW: Me neither.
- jasonif the M’s sqeezed wit bases juiced, could overbay do the same? because u didnt mention tht in the blog, only wilkerson.
and is it really THAT hard to hit a regular fly ball to tie the game??
MW: See above.
- SunkendPr0Despite some serious man-hate with JP, Keith Law is making some good points lately:
“1. Alex Rios is slumping because he’ not sure whether he should be patient or aggressive at the plate. Gibbons keep putting him at leadoff then 3rd then leadoff…
2. JP is having a mid-life crisis trying to recapture the past with all these over the hill guys like Stairs, Stewart, Wilkerson, Mench.
3. The team’s avg is .230 with RISP and dead last in SLG with RISP, but he keeps Adam Lind in AAA when he’s hitting .453/.717 with RISP. ”
MW: 1 – Not true. Rios was leading off until Wells got hurt, then moved to the three-hole, then back to leadoff when Wells came back. That’s hardly bouncing a guy back and forth for no reason, as Keith seems to imply.
- John2 – I doubt that very much. Mench has always been a solid bat against lefties, Stewart hit over .290 the last two seasons, Stairs was the Jays’ saving grace last year, and Wilkerson is only 30.
3 – Fair enough.
On June 10, 2007 the Jays avg attendance through 33 home games was 26,334.
Through 30 home games so far this year the avg. is 25,231.
756,000 fans through 30 games compared to 869,022. If you reckon they’ll get 25k for the next three games on average it’s really not much less.
MW: The Yankees haven’t been here yet, and the Red Sox have only been here once. There’s your difference.
- ErikBesides my oft repeated desire for a left handed power bat, I pray for a 15 game losing streak for Cincinnati every night, I would really like to see more aggressiveness.
I understand that the patience at the plate, get walks, OBP, aka Moneyball approach is organizational, but there is such a thing as balance. The Blue Jays hitters are constantly letting good pitches go buy and getting down in the count. Often times they battle back and even the count or go full, but I would just love for them to realize that 40 walks in the first 2+ months of the season are worthless if you can’t get the tying run in with the bases loaded, and nobody out.
There is absolutely no excuse whatsoever for that kind of poor execution.
MW: Why did you have to say Moneyball?
- Sean CourtMike, I was just reading through the comments and WOW I can’t beleive how many “chicken-littles” there are!!
Ok so they’re off to a rough start in June but come on people 66 games in and 96 left….lot’s can happen!
- Zacharyhi Mike
- marioHow many times indeed.It seems to me that one portion of the team is trying to out do the other in how to screw a game up.iF IT’S NOT THE BULLPEN IT’S THE HITTING IF IT’S NOT THE HITTING it,s the starters.What is going on.Does someone actually have to lose their job before we begin to capitilize on our breaks.I am near the tipping point.This team is driving me nuts.
mario
go Jays!!!
Hi Mike,
I know this is a couple of days late but I attended the game on Sunday for photo day and couldn’t find A.J. Judging by the comments on your blog I am one of the few who actually enjoys watching him pitch. I even wore the t-shirt jersey with his name and number. You probably have no way of knowing this given that you were likely preparing for your pre-game show but was he supposed to be there ? or was it one of those things where he didn’t want to be out there because of the way he pitched on Saturday. If it’s the latter I personally have lost a little respect for him. I’ll still cheer the guy but it was disappointing. I mean, Ryan was there and he wasn’t exactly pitching well the past couple of games previous. I had some pretty good seats (10 rows behind home plate) and did see Burnett in the dugout so I know he was in the building. As far as the issue he has with our attendance last I checked he came from Florida and should therefore know that there are worse places when it comes to that issue.
The way they advertised photo day was a little misleading too. I was under the impression that I would be able to take a picture with ANY of the Jays up close and personal. Instead it felt like a zoo exhibition with most of them behind a bar sitting on a bench. Only a few (Stairs, Mcgowan amongst a couple of others) were actually there to take photos with. I was lucky enough to see McGowan (got a good shot) in the runway behind the bullpen where he was kind enough to sign autographs and take photos with some of the kids. Unfortunately, he could only do that for so long and left before I could take a picture with him. I know their is nothing you can do about any of this but I just wanted to vent a little bit.
Also, you mentioned that the attendance has been increasing steadily the last 3 seasons and while that is true, the streak looks to be in jeopardy so far this year:
http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=mlb/teams/040/attendance.aspx?team=040
Last but not least where were you ? I was outside the building at about 11:20 and wanted to say hi but you weren’t at that pre-game booth thing.
P.s. Sorry for the novel-esque comment but it was either this or 3 comments in a row…
MW: I don’t know why A.J. wasn’t there, or if you missed him or something, but I’m glad you had the chance to vent. See above about the attendance, it’s pretty skewed right now. And I don’t get to that pre-game booth thing until about noon – WAY too much running around to do beforehand.
- DilsonI was looking back to see the story behind “The Captain” and I loved reading your post from that day.
“What does Barajas give the Jays that Sal Fasano doesn’t? Not all that much. They both have great throwing arms, and neither of them can hit at the major-league level. You’d think that The Captain would bring more power to the table than Big Sal, since he’s had seasons of 21 and 15 homers while Our Pal’s career high is 11, but over the course of their entire careers, Barajas’ slugging percentage is just 14 points higher than Fasano’s. Barajas is more of a threat at the plate, though, right? He gets on base more? Actually, he doesn’t. Even after his career high .352 on-base percentage with the Phils last seasons (small sample size warning – just 122 AB), Barajas has a career obp of a disgusting .288 – actually five points LOWER than Sal’s.
(By the way, I’ve been calling Barajas The Captain for years. Because if you pronounce his name slightly differently, it could rhyme with “courageous”, and who doesn’t like Captain Courageous? Sorry, just a brief glimpse into my apparently-damaged psyche for you all.)
Look, it’s not like they’re replacing one all-star for another, and if Gregg Zaun stays healthy, we’re not going to see the guy start more than 40 games this season, but the fact is that the Jays had in their hands a good soldier, great clubhouse guy and coach on the bench, and they have just replaced him with a guy who left them high and dry barely a year earlier, and whom the people in Philadelphia couldn’t wait to be rid of, all for a nine-point bump in career OPS.”
Sure gave me a good laugh. But it’s nice to hear you have come around on Barajas and are willing to start giving him some more playing time as long as he keeps slugging. Personally, I think both Rod and Zaun should be in the lineup vs. LHP, and I guess it makes sense that one of them would be the DH, although that would require carrying Thigpen, so I guess not. Maybe the answer is to sit Lyle vs. lefties and start Rod there, or is that not an option? I really wish they would free Adam Lind, there’s no reason to not give him an extended look in LF now that Stewart is injured. I REALLY hope it has nothing to do with service time.
MW: It can’t have anything to do with service time at this point. That was a fun read – really well-written, actually! But look at it again, was there anything in there that wasn’t true? Who could have predicted this?
- AriThe jays have the second most lossed in 1 runs games in league. It’s actually not the 1 run record that is most important, it’s how many losses you rack up. for comparison, look at the records of the teams which have the next most 1 run losses: atlanta, washington, san diego, colorado, frisco, seattle. These are all HORRIBLE teams, save atlanta. Therefore it is not just a coincidence. Since Gibbons is not a tactictian and has no idea how to squeeze, then it seems this team will either be horrible or average at best the rest of the way.
MW: A lot of losses means a lot of losses, which is why teams that lose a lot of one-run games have poor records – because they’ve lost a lot of games. However, one-run games have more to do with luck than any other sort of game, which is a reason why those numbers can fluctuate wildly year-to-year. Gibbons’ ability to squeeze, or lack thereof, has nothing to do with the Jays’ record. Interesting, though, that the Jays are the only team on that list that doesn’t have a losing record (other than Atlanta).
- roccoRe the Gonzalez contract I recall Godfrey at the winter meetings making a big deal about how important it was to get it done.
MW: I checked. Gonzalez signed the contract in December of 2000, three months after Godfrey took over as President and CEO.
- Matt“But look at it again, was there anything in there that wasn’t true?”
Nope. But I certainly didn’t say that there was, I just got a good chuckle from how harsh you were with Barajas! You really seemed irritated by his signing.
MW: I was, indeed.
- AriMike,
Do the M’s have any desire to trade pitcher Erik Bedard? Are the Jays interested?
MW: Doubtful, and it would depend on how much they’d have to give up. Why would the Mariners want to trade him, though?
- MarkHi Mike,
The negative: Anecdotally speaking, in my 25 years of being a baseball fan, I have never seen a contending team (as in, right there until the last week of the season) lose so many ridiculously heartbreaking games such as the one last night. As much as I try and stay optimistic in light of troubles other teams are having throughout the American League, I find it hard because of this fact.
The positive: Litsch is a player. He gives you innings and a chance to win even on nights when his command isn’t there. I think he has the mental make-up to have a long, successful major league career.
MW: As to the negative, I’d suggest that you’re not familiar with the game-by-game ins and outs of how contending teams win their wins and lose their losses. Try to remember teams like the ’06 Cardinals, ’05 Astros, ’03 Marlins, ’07 and ’06 Yankees, ’06 Tigers, just recently, all of which had horrendous stretches through large parts of their seasons. The Cards, for one, had three separate losing streaks of at least seven games. You don’t think some of those losses were frustrating and heartbreaking?
- Wong Kar-WaiYou should of been an English teacher, Mike because when you write or speak baseball its unbelievable.
MW: I should of, indeed.
- bruno- JuhLill
good job mike not posting JuhLill’s stuff anymore, one of the first times ive ever agreed with you
there’s no room on this blog for stuff like that here
(u dont need to post this)
MW: I will anyway.
- josh“MW: Actually, I say that there is a lot of season to be played. Amazing, though, that people can assume that the Yankees and Indians will have no problem winning 90, but the Jays are done. Neither of those teams has a better record than the Blue Jays right now.”
It is not at all amazing that people think the Indians and Yanks can nail 90 wins and the Jays can’t. Looking at the last 3 years, the yankees have had 90+ wins 3 times, the indians twice and the jays … you guessed it … 0.
So we can pull the injury card again, but its useless. The Jays are very much an unproven team, even though they may have “proven” players. It’s only common sense to assume the yanks have a better shot of hitting 90 wins than the jays.
MW: I don’t know, the Yankees just had their closer give up a 9th-inning homer to the Kansas City Royals in back-to-back games at home. Good teams don’t have things like that happen.
- AKSilva probably 1 hits us tomorrow.
MW: OK. Make sure you get the bet down, though.
- ju1ced
—
Meh, I over exaggerated, and wasn’t too far off through 5.
MW: Is it possible to under-exaggerate? And you’re right – three hits through five innings, two of which are home runs. That’s about the same as a one-hitter.
- ju1cedmike, you may be right re 1 run losses. In 2005 cleveland had 36 1 run losses yet won 93 games so there is precedent. moving on, can you tell me what percentage of rios’s outs are ground balls vs fly balls. It seems to me that 90% of his outs are weak ground balls. Even most of his hits seem to be ground balls that squeek through. I can’t remember the last time he hit a fly ball. Most power hitters have a slight upper cut, but rios’ swing is very flat. I think he has one of the worst stances I have ever seen. Rios will never get out of this slump until he starts hitting fly balls. You can’t hit homers if you’re hitting line drives and ground balls.
MW: Rios has 1.85 ground ball outs for every air out this season. The last two years, he’s gotten out more in the air than on the ground and for his career, it’s 1.1:1, favour of ground outs.
- roccoMike,
I hope you read this and respond to this, you are always an optimist about the Jays the last two years in Aug. and early Sept, you were trumpeting their wild card chances when everyone knew they were done.
But to get to todays point, I can’t beleive you said last night that the only money JP wasted was on Frank Thomas HA!!!!!! What a joke JP is a bum and should be fired. Here is a summary off the Top of my Head.
Josh Towers – total waste of money.
Vernon Wells – Will be a waste of money he was terrible last year and this so far.
AJ Burnett – He gave 55 million to a .500 often injured pitcher and thats what we go. He is the clealy the #5 starter on the JAys this year.
BJ Ryan – We lost a whole year out of him I knew arm trouble was coming I think he had arm problems earlier in his career as well.
Frank Thomas – Bad contract the only one of the above I agreed with at the time of the signing, all of of the others I knew were a wast the moment they were signed.
So I will add to the Fire JP comments, just go ask Bob McCown I think he wants Jp gone too.
I do believe the Jays have a chance this year thanks to Halladay, Marcum, Litsch, and McGowan.
MW: I know McCown probably wants JP gone, too. Doesn’t mean he’s right. Burnett and Ryan were both bargains, as the market progressed, and Towers was paid peanuts, so it doesn’t matter much that that was thrown-out money. Wells has been terrible so far this year? Have you been watching at all?
- PeterERA of 11 in May, Jays get 3 runs. Close enough.
MW: Not close enough. You can’t say that a guy is going to throw a one-hitter, then have the Jays beat him and still say you were right.
- ju1cedI’d like to say good for John for letting Dustin pitch despite the high pitch count. Dustin was fantastic tonight and it was nice to see a manager go against what everyone else would have likely done (take him out earlier.) About the only little gripe that I had was that according to the tv guys no one was warming up in the bullpen. I would have had Ryan getting ready in case someone had reached base. McGowan was still dealing though 94MPH on his last pitch.
MW: Downs was up in the bullpen in the 9th.
- DilsonMike,
Did you see the incident involving Elijah Dukes and his manager. The man clearly has some issues and on top of that it wasn’t too bright of him to do that to a guy who can control his playing time.
MW: Didn’t see it. Dukes is a guy who has already been given too many second chances, if you ask me.
- DilsonMike, My statement to JP
tonight might have not come out the way I wanted it to, I was on the highway in traffic which may have had something to do with that, However my statement was, If Scott Rolen hit only 8 home runs in over 390 @ bats last year and Troy Glaus hit 20 in 380 @ bats does it make any sense to trade away a power hitter in Troy Glaus that hit 20 homeruns in a injury plagued season for a guy who has also had injuries and only delivered 8 home runs in almost 400 @ bats and to this point after 100 @ bats only has 2.
In case you have not noticed the Jays are so lacking power. unlike all the teams in the division and most of the teams in the A.L we have noone in double digits in home runs.
Secondly, when people out there critisize J.P and the Jays performance and record, you are always brining up Detroit, which I feel is not at all Dombrowski’s or Leyland s Fault that is a situation I totally put on the players, Dombrowski based on the personell he has assembled has given the Tigers a great shot, Who can argue with Pudge,Ordonez,Shefield,Cabreara
Clevland who you also always reffer to as being a dissappointment I feel overachieved last year, they have a young and upcoming pitching staff and a strong nucleaus of young players that have future, not to mention there payroll is 78million. The GM Has given them a future and a good chance at being a contender for many years to come. The Yankees who you also speak about as being disappointing, we all know because of the reputable offence and the ability to aquire more offense, everyone knows they will be there at the end, Hank has given them a great chance to win by resigning ARod and Posada and with the development of Cabrara and Cano, I doubt anyone is worried about the Yankees chances.
What is this team designed to do
When you have guys like Stairs @ 41 years old who belongs on a serious contender and guys like Mench,Scutoro and Wilkerson and a bunch of other guys that just hit for average, What really is this team designed to do. The Chemistry is out of Wack. That is part of the reason why our consistancy has not been there. No power or career 300 hitters.
Finally as I mentioned, that Clevland was given a great chance to succeed in the future with all the young talent which stunned everyone last year, Yankees also have been given a chance to succeed with all the high profile talent as has Chicago, Detroit and Anahiem With all their talent and high profile players.
Would you say the talent currently on the Blue Jays and the talent we have had over the years is an indication that J.P has given us great opportunities to be a serious contender or has it been pure patch work and hope that the patch work turns into something amazing. Although the teams mentioned above are losing the fans can at least say that the GM’s have given the teams a serious chance.
MW: So with everyone else it’s on the players and not the GM, but with the Jays it’s on the GM and not the players? Interesting.
- NeilMike,
Although the end result was excellent I was concerned with McGowan coming out for the 9th after 116 pitches. For a pitcher with a history of arm problems I would have preferred had Ryan come out for the 9th. Hope the outcome is not similar to last year when Burnett experienced some health issues after he had a couple of exceedingly high pitch outings.
MW: McGowan doesn’t have a history of arm problems, he had Tommy John surgery five years ago (I think). Burnett is in his 8th season in the bigs, and it’s only the second in which he hasn’t gone on the disabled list (so far), and that situation you’re referring to was three 110+ pitch outings in a row, might even have been 115+.
- Adrian MBy the way Glaus is hitting 266 With 7 homeruns 38 RBI’s and .441 slg percentage in 222 @ bats. In 2006 Rolen Hit 22 home Runs with 521 @ bats 2 more than the Troy Glaus 20 home run 380+ @ bat season. JP traded power for average. Good Job JP. Could we not have held on to Glaus, DH him let go of the money given to Stairs being that he is 41, Alternate between DH and 3rd base with Glaus until we find an equivalent power bat, to move Glaus for.
MW: Glaus was moved for average, defense, speed, durability and the ability to hit right-handed pitching. I liked it then, I like it even more now.
- NeilMike, just a quick note on the “W” spelling/pronunciation in Balentien’s name.
In many of the “Germanic” and “Slavic” languages, including Dutch & German for sure, and I think also Russian and Ukrainian, the “W” carries a “V” sound.
In Balentien’s case, I don’t know his background, or where the name comes from, but since Vladimir is a very common name in Eastern Europe (Ukraine, Russia, etc.), it is not unlikely that there would be a connection there, and it would also be quite acceptable to spell the name with a “W” (with a “V” sound).
MW: Fine by me. I just ask them how they pronounce their names and, stunningly, most of them aren’t the least bit interested in linguistics. It would be cool, though, if we pronounced everyone’s name the way that language suggests they should be pronounced, regardless of what the person actually believes.
- NormMike, that guy was right, you saying only 1 bad contract is not being realistic as you say you are. how bout korie coskie? 18 mil was it? or how bout hinske? let me ask you this, is it appropriate to give a guy an 80 mil contract when he only had 52 career homers in 4 years? for comparison vw had almost 500 homers for his 120 mil contract. JP spends money like a politician, he knows that if these contracts don’t work out, he won’t be around to clean up the mess.
MW: Vernon Wells had almost 500 homers? Please clarify.
- roccoYour Darn right I would put the lack of success on the players, in the case of Yankees,Detroit,Seattle, becasue alot of the guys that play for those teams are proven talent, like Richie Sexon, Ivan Rodriquez,ARod etc. What more could Detroit,Yankees,Chicago, ask for from the GM’s. Hek I can ask for more When I have guys like Wilkerson,Mench,Scuduro etc.
Hey Rocco J.P doesn’t give bad contracts, he plays it safe. He gets recycled players for cheap hoping that their past will be reinvented, If it does home run if it doesn’t, on to the next batch of damaged goods for a cheap price.
- Neilin all fairness mike, it is a jewish word. Definitely the tone of that dude’s statement is well off… but he does make a valid point.
MW: It is a Hebrew word. It’s not a Jewish word, or worse, a “Jew” word.
- Paul Othis has nothing to do with overbays double play couple nights back
but after overbays two homerun game i remember you saying overbay has the corner infielder power that the jays need.
but he still only has five homeruns!! and rolen has 2! we arent (wont) get enough power from our corner infielders and ourfielders, theres isn’t one 30-35 homerun guy at the corners, (don’t say rios he clearly wont hit 30)
MW: I never said Overbay “has the corner infielder power that the Jays need”. In fact, what I’ve always said is that people get too caught up in this position has to hit this many homeruns. I did say that I thought the Jays would get about 30-35 homers combined from first and second base, which is fine. I don’t know if I believe that anymore, though. But it’s not even summer yet.
- joshI haven’t read all your blogs I’m jsut new to the website but have listened to your program for some time. I’m sure you addressed the issue before but please clarify how JP has only signed one bad contract.
Again, he is TERRIBLE!!!!
Also, based on you view on managers what would Gibbons have to do to get fired bat John MacDonald cleanup and put Vernon at short, since he does no wrong in your eyes.
Perhaps you should remember what happened the year the Jays hired Cito.
MW: What happened when the Jays hired Cito was almost exactly what has happened to the Jays this year. They stunk, then started playing better and hung out around .500 for the longest time. Except this year, they did that without firing the manager. In ’89, they were 32-36 through 68 games. Way to back up your opinion of J.P. with facts, by the way.
- PeterJust heard that the Jays lost 2-1 to Seattle after another solid pitching performance. What a frustrating year….they just start to win some games and then they lose to Seattle, the worst flippin’ team in the AL.
They continue to find ways to lose. Somethings got to give here at some point, what a waste of a first class pitching staff.
- Jason