Comments on: Anyone Sold On A.J. Burnett Yet?

By: Dave B

Dave B — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 03:27:43 +0000

Hey Mike. I listen to Jays talk when I need a good laugh. You kissing up to JP is funny. I thought you were a journalist. JP is a moron. He is trying so hard to be competitive ever since the 67 win season in 2004. The moves he has made in the last 2 years stink of desperation. Ohka, Thomson, and the other Zambrano last year keeping young guns Marcum and Mcgowan in the bullpen. What a genius. A real evaluator of young talent. Thats his job. A fat F for that. This year, Stewart, Mench, Wilkerson in left while Lind dies in triple A. More genius. Anybody who follows baseball statistics will tell you that age 26-27 are the players best years. The great players keep this going until 32-33. Then they decline. Which leads me to Rolen and Eckstein. Yikes. Lots of injuries over their careers takes its toll. I listen to JP you and some fans speak of their shock at the offence from the Blue Jays. The only disappointment is Rios. You can’t take a players best year and think it will happen in 2008 when its been since 2005 that they had a good year. Stairs is 40 and god love him he was never that good. Credit to him that he is still in the majors in some capacity, but he should really be a pinch hitter at best. Overbay. Milwaukee couldn’t get rid of him fast enough. Pop question. Name another major leaguer who had their first full season at 27 and had a long and productive career. i know there might be some, but very very rare. Boston hired Bill James, fantasy baseball guru, to be an adviser. He has definetly helped them. Back to JP and AJ Burnett, after questioning his heart, ability to handle pain, and calling him a 4th starter, how is it that the Jays can expect JP to resign this guy. If I were AJ, I’d laugh at him. The only hope the Jays have is to resign AJ, sign another pitcher and build on pitching and defence. Their hitting is a mess. Jp has had the best pitcher in the majors over the last 7 years, and nothing to show for it. That is a luxury that 20 of the 30 teams don’t have, yet the Jays haven’t even been in a playoff race in his tenure. Remarkable. In closing Mike, I heard you the other night say to a caller that Tampa has no guarantee of getting better next year. Longoria, Crawford, Upton, who by the way is 23, just to correct what you said on the air, Navarro, Shields, Garza, Kazmir and a good farm system. Alot not to like with that nucleus. Plus Boston and the Yankees. Looks really good on JP that he said to compete in that division, you need more payroll. 32 million for Tampa. Could anything more gone wrong for Jp this year, which is hopefully his last as the gm.

MW: Again – not worthy of a response.

By: Jay B

Jay B — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 20:34:17 +0000

“MW: I do view myself as more than a fan with a mic and a media pass, and so does everyone else who sits up in this press box. We’re not allowed to be fans up here, and we have so much more access to the players and decision-makers, that’s what we’re here for – to fill you in on what’s going on. It’s not about ego at all.”

fair enough…thanks for the level headed reply, but it’s equally frustrating when you lump all of us in ‘the fanbase’ together as if some of us aren’t more rational, and less fairweather natured than others…

a lot of us out there don’t feel the need to post about the jays slumps and surges, namely cause we understand that the sky isn’t falling, or because we know we aren’t WS material yet…so you’re not getting an accurate portrait of what the entire ‘fanbase’ feels…

MW: I enjoy hearing from the silent majority every once in a while. It helps.

By: slobberface

slobberface — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 20:24:00 +0000

129.
LOL

By: jim

jim — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:42:55 +0000

Trade Burnett and Barajas to the Yankees for Jaba Chamberlain.

MW: Then turn and send Litsch and Zaun to the Red Sox for Jon Lester or Clay Buchholz.

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:34:59 +0000

Haha your right Mike, they might not need him then. Based on past performances they wouldn’t want him on the mound anyways. He doesn’t perform when they need him and then as soon as there too far back, that’s when he starts to pitch well again.

My feeling is they’ll do well enough to not be totally out of it, but not well enough to really be in it either come September.

On another note, any explanation for why the Jays have done so well without Wells in the lineup? It hasn’t just been this year either, they’ve been .500 or better without him the past 3 years and I think overall there 36-27 without him since then.

By: slobberface

slobberface — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:28:15 +0000

This headline is great. Its exactly what AJ is doing right now, selling. Hes an amazing pitcher when his head in it. I cant wait to see what happens when hes “comfortable” again.

By: slobberface

slobberface — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:26:11 +0000

m-dub
its easy to be patient when you’re getting paid to follow the team…you should try PAYING to follow the team, and see how things change.

MW: I don’t know that things would change much. The big picture remains the same.

By: Shmuel

Shmuel — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:58:04 +0000

My point is that the Jays middle infield is not weak. On the contrary, the Jays have a lot of depth in that area. They could play Eckstein, they could play McDonald. Whether you think Scutaro belongs as a starter doesn’t matter, since the team has been winning with him in the lineup. In fact, if you think the Jays are better off without him in the lineup, then you’re essentially admitting that the Jays could be an even better team than they have been. So it makes little sense to use Scutaro as an indicator that the Jays have little chance, unless you think that he shouldn’t be in the lineup, that Gaston is incompetent, and that Gaston won’t figure it out before it’s too late.

MW: Scutaro is one of the indicators that the Jays have little chance, without question. The Jays are deep in the middle infield, but have chosen to give the wrong guy the majority of the playing time. Does that mean that Cito is incompetent? Don’t be ridiculous.

By: WillRain

WillRain — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 11:36:46 +0000

Those who rave about Hudson’s bat inevitably fail to notice that it’s only potent in his home park.

MW: Hudson hasn’t been bad outside the desert this year, but certainly not potent at .295/.342/.391 with two homers in 207 AB.

By: DMills

DMills — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 06:14:22 +0000

Ok, I know you don’t like most of my trade ideas but do you think this team with the addition of a bat & maybe another big name pitcher or a 12-15 game winner this year like a Dempster or Garland, do you see this team being a contender next year or will they finish third or fourth depending on how the Rays do next year.

I’m not sold that this group of players plus a bat & another pitcher can seriously contend. I remember about five years ago Delgado came out & said Mondisi wasn’t a leader he was a leader & I’m just thinking they might not have the mentallity it takes to win when it counts & possibly just don’t have enough skill. Under Riccardi the Jays are 481-490 & have missed the division by 18 games & the wildcard by 15 games. Although in there best year, 2006, they finished 87-75, the Yankees were 97-65 & DET(95-67), CWS(90-72) & LAA(89-73) all finished ahead of them in the wildcard.

So either the Jays are never that good or just really unlucky.

Do you think they need an overhaul or a couple of tweeks.

MW: I’ve stated many times that I don’t think they need an overhaul. It’s interesting that you’d bring up Delgado and Mondesi to back up your idea that they might not have the mentality to win.