5:15 PM Eastern
The Blue Jays took the first two from the Red Sox, a great start to a long homestand coming off an 0-9 road trip, but they had no answer for Jon Lester in the finale.
Lester took the Jays’ brooms and stuffed them where the sun, as it were, tends not to shine, striking out 12 Jays over six innings of three-hitter as the Red Sox romped. This wasn’t one of those days where the Jays had chances but let the starter off the hook – their three hits against Lester were all infield singles. The young lefty simply chewed them up and spit them out. One merely wonders why Lester hasn’t been able to do that against anybody else this season, but that’s why they call it baseball.
The bloom appears to be off the rose that, by any other name, is known as Ricky Romero. The sneeze did him in, it appears. Romero was riding a nice little hot streak at the beginning of the season, looking fantastic in his first three outings, but he simply hasn’t been the same guy since going on the disabled list back in April with the sneeze-induced ribcage strain.
Romero couldn’t make it out of the 5th inning today – he actually couldn’t even record an out in the 5th – walking five over his four-plus innings and allowing five runs on six hits. It wasn’t an AWFUL outing, though, despite the line. The big blow against Romero was a two-out, three-run home run by Dustin Pedroia in the 4th. I mentioned in the comments section that it was about as cheap a home run as you’ll see, and I mean no disrespect to Pedroia, who is a fine guest on tonight’s edition of The Blue Jays This Week. Thing is, it was a line drive down the left-field line that just barely held its line and hit the bottom of the foul pole in left field. If the ballpark was two feet deeper down the left-field line, that’s a foul ball. If the ball drops another six inches, it’s an RBI double.
I’m certainly not painting Romero’s work today as good, by any means, it just wasn’t horrific.
Lester, though. Wow. The Jays only hit one ball out of the infield against him all day, and get this: Had the Red Sox had just Lester and Jason Varitek out there on the field over Lester’s last three innings, the Jays would have scored all of one run. Scott Rolen’s infield single would have gone into the corner and been an inside-the-park homer, but that would have been it. Eight strikeouts and a foul pop to the catcher, along with an Aaron Hill walk. That’s dominance.
The biggest highlight for the Jays, offensively, other than Rios’ homer into the 200-level, was Kevin Millar stepping into the batters’ box in the second inning to the strains of Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer”. I thought someone had set him up, but I’m told that he and a few teammates went to the Elton John/Billy Joel concert at the ACC last night. I would have loved to have seen that – oh, well. They’re playing in Ottawa tomorrow night if any of you feel the need to attend on my behalf.
Brian Wolfe’s performance today will surely have a bunch of commenters pining for the return of Jeremy Accardo, which is understandable, but try to remember that Accardo isn’t the saviour. He had a great year in 2007 in the absence of B.J. Ryan, but lost command of his splitter before he hurt his forearm last season and didn’t look especially good this spring. He’s been OK in Las Vegas, but those numbers are difficult to read because of the hitter-friendliness of the Pacific Coast League. In 16 outings totalling 19 innings, Accardo has allowed seven runs (six earned) on 21 hits and seven walks, with 17 strikeouts. Not bad, indeed.
But the thing is, Wolfe and Accardo play very different roles. Wolfe is a guy who can go multiple innings, can work early in a game, can be kind of a mop-up/long reliever if they need it. Accardo isn’t that. I had said when Ryan went down that the call would have gone to Accardo if they’d needed a short guy, but they didn’t, with Downs, Carlson, League and Frasor all apparently just moving up a spot. Now, with Carlson’s recent struggles and Cito’s apparent unwillingness to use Frasor in a big spot, they might need a short guy – but who’s to say that Cito would trust Accardo any more than he trusts Frasor?
There’s certainly a case to be made for having Accardo here – if he has his splitter command back, which we don’t know – but he’s not the white knight that so many seem to believe he’d be.
Here’s today’s edition of The JaysTalk, for your listening pleasure:
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The Jays are off tomorrow, back Tuesday night with Roy Halladay taking his third shot at becoming baseball’s first nine-game winner. The Angels are in town, with Joe Saunders starting. Before that, though, make sure you tune into The Blue Jays This Week tonight at 7:00 PM Eastern. Tonight’s show features Brian Tallet, to whom I love talking because he’s always really forthright and thoughtful. You rarely, if ever, get a stock cliche answer from Tallet, unlike so many others. As I mentioned above, Dustin Pedroia is also on the show tonight, fawning over Aaron Hill, among other things.
As I type this, by the way, two of Alex Rios’ super-cool remote-control cars are tearing it up all over the Rogers Centre turf. Rios is controlling the more stock-car-y one, while Jose Bautista is at the controls of the open-wheel racer. Rios has already planted his into the wall down the left-field line once, and he also took it over the side of the mound, which caused the car to flip over about four times – but it landed wheels-down and was off to the races again. Very rich boys with their very expensive toys, indeed. But a lot of fun to watch.
Rational, reasonable comments are always welcome!
74 Responses to “Put The Brooms Away”
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Mike, wasn’t it Rios who last year had a RC helicopter? What happened to it?
MW: He still has a helicopter, though I’m assuming he has a newer and better version.
- NormMike, can I be the first guy to “highlight” a 22 year old AA RH pitcher named Daniel Farquhar.
He is a 2008 draft choice, in the 30th round, 308th overall.
Last year he struck out 31 in 32 1/3 innings at Auburn and Lansing, pitching to an ERA of 1.95.
He started this year at Dunedin, where he went 1-0, 0.53 in 17 games (17 innings), with 23 K’s. He has now moved up to AA New Hampshire where he has pitched in 4 games, for 4.1 innings, (8 K’s) to an ERA of 0.00, his only decision being a loss on an unearned run.
He has had some control issues, with 14 BB in his 21.1 innings this year, but even with that, his WHIP is only 1.27.
This may be another “diamond” unearthed by JP and his scouting staff!
MW: Actually, it’s funny, the assemblage was talking to Alex Anthopoulos just last week about Farquhar. The Jays’ brass is very, very impressed.
- NormHey Mike, where can I listen to the Blue Jays This Week? Are you able to put a link to it on the blog as you do with The JaysTalk episodes? Thanks,
-Pat
MW: It should be in the Audio on Demand section of this very website!
- PatHey Mike. If they had batting music in your softball league, what would you walk out to the dish listening to echoing across the field?
MW: The Authority Song, by John Cougar Mellencamp, which has one of the greatest lyrics in the history of music.
- Matt from BCHey Mike,
I was fortunate to recieve tickets to all 3 of these games. What great fun it was. Nice crowds, good atmosphere and some great baseball. Although the last game was disappointing, I think it was a GREAT series for the Jays to turn it around and start playing good baseball once again as we’ve been accustomed to before the 9 game losing streak. I’m hoping we can take 2 out of 3 with LA and KC and it’ll put us at 33-26 which is very respectable.
Is there any possibility of a Halladay Grienke matchup?
MW: It’s very doubtful. Halladay will pitch the finale against KC, and Greinke’s day to throw is Friday, though he might go Saturday.
- Warrenyou are right mike, rolen’s low rbi’s have nothing to do with his performance. after all he does have a .349 ba with risp. it has nothing to do with his .419 slug or his .352 slug with men on or the fact he has no hr with risp and only 3 doubles. and I wont bother checking your reply because anything that contradicts you gets deleted anyways.
MW: Seriously? Are these the depths that we have reached? People are now complaining that guys aren’t getting enough EXTRA-BASE hits with runners in scoring position? Give your head a shake.
- statgeekHello Mike….Can you tell me why the Jays are taking so long to promote Fabio Castro….the Jays called up Brian”Upper Deck”Burres and Brian”See Ya”Wolfe in a heartbeat yet for some reason they are bypassing Castro. Castro could end up being better than Romero…Castro had another great performance today….Also scouts are predicting that New Hampshires Daniel Farquhar will be in the the Blue Jays lineup by Sept.1….what do you know about this guy…appearently he is being fast tracked through the Jays system….also dont be surprised if BJ Ryan ends up in Dodger blue….SEE YA!!
MW: If the Jays could get Ryan into Dodger Blue without swallowing a large portion of his contract, they’d be happy to do it. Castro, like Brett Cecil and Brad Mills, is a guy the Jays believe could be a significant help long-term, unlike Burres. And if I’m Brian Wolfe, I’m deeply offended to be mentioned in the same breath as Burres.
- Mark from Thorold“MW: It hasn’t been so easily to get Rios to that level, not at all. To say Camp and Wolfe don’t cut it “in any role” shows just how spoiled you’ve been by this bullpen the last couple of years.”
Well Rios has hit .300 before, 24 Homeruns and 85 RBis. That ability is certainly there for Rios (.300, 25, 100). And about that hitting .330 one year with 30 HR, Im still waiting for that year.
And yes I have been spoiled by last year’s bullpen. A healthy BJ on top of his game, Downs as set up, League, Carlson supporting them. Now the Jays are relying on Camp and Wolfe to be what League and Carlson were. Why Frasor is not used? I am with you there and don’t understand.
- FrancisMike,
I believe that I spotted Mr Pat Gillck walking the outdoor concourse of the Rogers Center before today’s game. Any deals brewing amongst the Philles,Jays or Red Sox?
MW: He was here, indeed, I saw him in the press box, but he’s only a consultant with the Phillies now, not the GM. Maybe he’s here for the reunion this weekend.
- MarkMike….I always get a chuckle when people say this guy’s on pace to hit this or that or strikeout X amount of times..The reason for the chuckle is Tim McCarver’s declaration in response to those pace-setting quests: ” Yeah..and I’m on pace to live forever.” I found it humourous.
MW: Actually a good line from McCarver. Interesting.
- chris m.And a topic of being spoiled. Why fans aren’t big Lyle Overbay fans? A man named Carlos Deglado who I felt was under-appreciated here in Toronto, but now fans miss him. One of the most feared sluggers in the American League when he was with the Jays, should have won the MVP award twice. Fans want Overbay to be that same player, just because he is a first baseman.
MW: Could be. The Jays have had a long line of great, slugging first basemen.
- FrancisMichael,
Any guess on when we might see Dustin McGowan again?
MW: Not before September.
- Uncle BenHey Mike
I love you.
I also love Marco Scuataro. He is one of team’s most valuable players thus far this year. The guy has been unbelievable. I love Johnny Mac but haven’t really missed him that much the way Scoot is playing. Do you think JM could be trade bait?
MW: Only in a minimal salary dump. I love Johnny Mac, too, but he doesn’t have much value on the trade market, if any.
- TamaraMichael,
Whilst I know you think Rios and Wells are miscast in the 3 and 4 spots, one of the unique things about it is you have the team’s best base thieves in the middle of the line up.
So far Wells is on pace for 20+ bags and hasn’t been caught yet. Rios is lagging behind though.
My question is, what is Cito’s strategy in regards to stealing? Do certain guys just have the green light or is it situational?
Also, do you think we might see some more running from Scutaro, Hill, or Rolen? Rolen hasn’t stolen more than 13 since 2003 and neither Hill or Scute have stolen much in the past but all three seem swift of foot.
Thanks Michael. You are doing a good job.
MW: Thanks. Certain guys do have the green light, but you’re right, they don’t tend to go much. I’d like to see guys like Hill, Rolen and Scutaro at least be a little more opportunistic than they have been.
- Uncle BenMike,
Watching Romero pitch today I got the impression he was trying to pick the corners and not pitch to contact like the ‘Doc. Because of this, he ran up his pitch count way too quickly and sometimes got him behind although overall his ball/strikes ratio wasn’t bad. It just seems he has great stuff but he’s still a ‘thrower’ not a ‘pitcher’ like the ‘Doc is. Then again, a few bad breaks and no run support didn’t help.
One more thing- I can forgive the Jays for not winning the world series, making the playoffs, or being competitive, but I cannot let them off the hook for ruining ‘Docs chance to win 25 games and the Cy Young!
MW: Why does the word “Doc” get an apostrophe at the beginning? Romero was in his 5th major-league start, so it’s a lot to expect for him to already be a polished “pitcher”. Also, if Halladay gets the win tonight against the Angels, he’ll have nine wins in exactly one-third of a season – a pace for 27!
- Eliyou know what? i was going to make a comment re today’s game and the good start to the homestand but reading you write about Rios and his “toys” absolutely makes me SICK to my stomach. How on God’s green earth does he get away w/ this? He’s a well paid athlete who has NOT earned his salary this year and he’s out playing w/ his “toys” after a loss? Are you being serious right now Mike Wilner? How about working on his swing and doing some laps around the Rogers Centre?? Who let’s him onto the field to do this? This should be against team policy.
MW: Really?
- Tomis…had to log in and acknowledge the nice outing by Jannsen.
You had mentioned I shouldn’t give up on him & McGowan yet.
I hope he defies the odds and actually has sustained success after
shoulder surgery. He relies on the command of his 5 pitches and
doesn’t need a plus fastball. But when a guy has a sore arm,
he’ll lose his command first – not his velocity.
Lets keep our fingers crossed.
Romero was good & bad today – a little wild – some quality strikes.
I didn’t like challenging Pedroia in the 4th.
He fell behind him 2-1, had 1st base open and the lefty Drew on deck.
I’m thinking don’t throw a stike the rest of this at bat.
Barajas sets his glove behind the heart of the plate…
I get a bad feeling.
Anyway, I get lots of bad feelings watching baseball and lots of times
nothing bad happens. Its a game of inches.
Romero hit his target on this pitch (Pedroia was glad he did).
I don’t think they’ll send Wolfe down yet.
JP doesn’t send guys alone…such a long flight to Vegas.
Although Wolfe thinks he’s going – if you read his lips on the
zoom shot of him after Bay’s dinger.
He was clearly saying “Hope I get a window seat”.
But really, there’s nobody else ready to go down yet.
I think Camp has to clear waivers plus agree to go down doesn’t he?
The only other option would be Inglett – but he’s here to stay now.
Whenever “Voo Doo Joe” sees JP coming, he starts juggling his
#19 (Scutaro) and #2 (Hill) pin-cushion dolls.
JP does a quick U-turn and exits.
…anyway…Jays win the series – and that’s the goal going into every series.
keep up the good work Mike
MW: JP doesn’t send guys down alone because it’s such a long flight to Vegas – I like that! Camp doesn’t have five years’ service, so he doesn’t have to give his permission to be sent down, and I don’t remember him being talked about in the spring as a guy who was out of options, though I could be wrong.
- Mike in NBJust a point about the rotation. I’m the biggest Richmond fan I know. I couldn’t have been happier when he broke camp with the club. There are lots of people that seem to think that somehow, the off day should have been used differently to juggle starting spots. To those people, I would say sorry, but there’s actually only one guy in the five man rotation.
This whole starting pitching staff is clearly Roy Halladay every fifth day + whoever, whenever. And that’s the way it should be. There is no Burnett or Marcum in this mix, no great one two punch that other teams are afraid of. So…. everything that gets Doc one or two more starts by the end of the year is a bonus.
I’m not saying you don’t get quality pitching out of the rest of these guys, just with Doc, you get quality 95% of the time, why mess with his routine at all?
And why assume that guy X with 5 ML starts is clearly not as good an option as guy Y with 12. I mean, really, until next year we’re kinda rolling the dice every start here folks. Sure, mostly you roll sixes, sevens and eights in craps, but once in a while you get a 2, and there’s no way of telling ahead of time when that’s gonna be. And I have no idea if that analogy is gonna make sense when I read it again tomorrow.
MW: I don’t know the rules of craps, so I can’t help you there, but you’re absolutely right.
- Greg Wif the jays keep getting shut down by pitchers with era’s of 5 then what is going to happen when they start facing some good pitchers? seems like somebody might get a no hitter.
MW: I wouldn’t bet on it.
- statgeekMike buddy,
Got a couple questions about some Jays toddlers.
1- Kevin Ahrens. I realize he is super young and has yet to receive many free breakfast or internets but he is a switch hitter who cannot seem hit lefties OR righties. I know this is against the baseball norm, but how about having him hit switch, but backwards (Lefty-Lefty, Righty,Righty). Maybe give him a different look at the ball. Interesting?
2. Brian Dopirak. This guy is raking in New Hampshire. He hit his 11th homer last night and is hitting .291/.362/.545 with 16 doubles, 11 HR and 39RBI. He is 25, but has shown + power at times in his minor league career… Did the Cubs give up on him too soon? We will see him in September more than likely?
3. Daniel Farquhar. Got his first save for the Fisher Cats last night striking out the only 2 batters he faced. Farquhar has allowed 1 earned run in 21.1 innings of work striking out 31 for a 0.42 ERA. That’s lights out. Not a bad 309th pick from the worst slot machine player that runs a professional baseball team.
4.Russ Moore Adams. Was playing very well in Las Vegas until he got injured, does he get one last look in September? Earlier?
Oh and one last thing; That Rolen for Glaus trade was an awful JP move as he clearly did not eat his free breakfast OR use his free internets to research Rolen’s injury past vs. Big Troy’s. Rolen looks so injured out there while Troy is doing BodyBreak commercials with Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod. Speaking of Rolen, I think the reason people think he is not a very good baserunner is because he runs a bit awkward. Maybe its just me.
MW: 1 – No. 2 – I don’t know if the Cubs gave up on him, he left as a minor-league free agent. I wouldn’t say it’s likely we’ll see him in September, but I’m not counting it out. 3 – Indeed. 4 – Depends on when he comes back. I think people think Rolen isn’t a good baserunner is because he’s a big guy, so they simply assume he’s not a good baserunner.
- Andrew (Guelph)Haha, good stuff. Over/under of 5 for how many posts you’re gonna get here saying the boys should be sulking over a loss rather than playing with remote control cars?
My actual question is simple though, how long are we going to see Bautista/Millar/Inglett getting playing time against RHP? Don’t get me wrong, I love what Jose does against the lefties, he’s certainly an asset to this team, but against RHP I can’t help but thinking of the Mencherson/Stewart black-hole in the lineup prior to Lind’s callup last year. Inglett’s altogether a very average hitter, and that’s just looking at his career year last season. Bastian’s latest reports JP’s open to dealing for a bat if the pieces are in place after re-evaluating the situation around the end of June, is a guy like Nick Johnson or Aubrey Huff a possibility, and does this mean that Snider’s prospects of returning to the big-club prior to September depends on the team’s success?
MW: So far, we’re at one on your over/under. The thing with using Inglartista at the bottom of the line-up against righties is that they’re not going to combine to be as bad as Snider was after the Twins series. Still, I love the idea of picking up a Nick Johnson if the Nats are willing to move him. What a great improvement that would be. But would Cito hit him 9th?
- karimMike, it was the Jays’ brass who chose to go with the youthful starting rotation when they lost Burnett, and make it a developmental year and shoot for next season. It wasn’t like they had no choice. They weren’t forced into going with the young arms. They should have signed Derek Lowe. Same salary as Burnett but Lowe has been a much better pitcher over the last few years. They also could have traded for a Javier Vasquez or an Edwin Jackson. But the Jays’ incorrectly chose to shoot for 2010. Whose to say that Marcum, McGowan, Cecil, Purcey or Romero will be either healthy or pitching well next season.
MW: It’s not unreasonable to hope that at least a couple of them will. What makes you think Derek Lowe would have come here over the Braves? And given the way Lowe pitched the last time he was in the AL, I don’t think I’d want him for that money and term. They likely would have had to trade Sndier for Jackson, given that the Rays got a young, power-hitting lefty outfielder with some big-league time. And when you say the Jays’ brass, you mean Paul Beeston, right?
- Kelly Pfeifferlast year the jays avgd 4.4 runs/game
last 18 games jays have avg 3.38 runs/game
18/53 games = 34% of games
last 23 games jays avgd 3.52 runs/game
23/53 games = 43% of games
so for almost half the seasson the jays powerhouse offense has avgd a miniscool 3.52 runs/game. its going to be a longe seassone.
MW: Such good math, such bad spelling.
- bigmamaYesterday you said: “First basemen who can hit lefties are abundant in the wild.” Do you think Millar makes it to the end of the season, or does JP upgrade over him at some point?
MW: I think Millar makes it, though better bats will be available.
- ShaneMike, will you post the MP3 or stream of The Blue Jays This Week on the blog afterwards? I’d love to hear the Tallet and Pedroia stuff but won’t be able to listen tonight at 7.
MW: It should be up in the Audio on Demand section.
- Brandon“Two Outta Three Aint Bad” as Lester makes “meatloaf” outta the Jays (sorry Jays fans)! I guess the Red Sox fan in me came out more at the game yesterday than I expected for a couple of reasons.
My six year old grandson plays bb for the Red Sox in town here and we were at the game yesterday. Between watching Lester mow the Jays down like he did and Jr wearing his Red Sox cap while cheering for the visitors what else could I do.
Most definately no shame in losing a game to a pitcher who had everything going for him!
Looking at the standings on June 1 who would have believed the Jays, Yanks and Bo-Sox would all having the same amount of wins. I think we are in for a real treat as baseball fans this season. The AL east is looking more and more like it’s going to be a real battle between 3 maybe even 4 teams.
I’d say you called it Mike as to Romero when his re-hab outings were nothing to talk about. At least I seem to remember you mentioning that he struggled during those starts.
Woulda been a hell of a game if Doc had been up against Lester today, wouldn’t it!
Keep up the great work Mike. Thank you.
- Bob from Burlingtonhey mike,
LOVE the show. You’re one of the only media personalities in Canada who can have an intelligent discussion about baseball.
Anyways, I know this probably isn’t your call. but have you guys ever thought of putting the Jays Talk up on iTunes as a downloadable podcast? I’d love to be able to just plug my iPhone in every morning and listen to the show on my way to work!
MW: Totally not my call.
- Erichey MW. always great to hear the game called on the FAN and i enjoy hearing the pre-game show more than the post-game, mainly b/c all i hear is “the blue jays should do this” (and other calls in that manner).
- JocelynGame was fun to be at on Saturday. First time I had ever been there with a game starting with the Dome open and finishing closed.
If Brandon League has harnessed his splitter, I think we are looking at the Jays setup man. He looked fantastic on Friday night and Saturday afternoon.
Is Richmond a permanent fixture in the bullpen, or was he in there because of the lack of work with all the off days recently?
MW: He was there because of all the off-days, he’s not starting until Saturday.
- Aaron KerI liked seeing the tenacity of Tallet, Janssen and Romero in this series. Don’t write Romero off, he still has the best stuff of the three, he’s just missing high in the zone. Janssen gives up that near miss of a grand slam to Ortiz and Pedroia pulls his homer left of the foul pole in Romero’s start and you have very different results. That said, I enjoyed seeing these guys battle through tough innings the way Halladay has proven to do.
- Will, OshawaMike,
Since J.P. said he doesn’t want to do “wednesdays with J.P.” anymore, how about asking someone like Alex Anthopoulos or Tony LaCava to fill the void, even if it’s only once and awhile? I know Tony filled in a couple of times when J.P. was unavailable, maybe he’d do it again.
It was a great segment and I enjoyed listening to some of the insight from the guys at the top of the front office.
Thanks
MW: I would like to try to get the occasional guest on in that slot. I’ve kind of been lazy about that – time flies. I’ll rededicate myself.
- quinnerMike, part of the fun of baseball is that everyone like to be an arm chair manager or GM. There was a recent article that said the Jays might be in the trade market as we approach the deadline. Now lets just take a hypothetical situation that the Jays are in the race and the Twins are not. I would love to see the Jays make a play for Morneau. Would you be willing to offer one of our young pitchers like Cecil or Romero along with Snider to get Morneau? Is that too much to offer and do you think the Twins would bite. Morneau would be the number 4 hitter the Jays have been lacking also would bring in some Canadian content although that is of less importance
MW: That’s too much to offer, but the Twins wouldn’t do it anyway.
- KenHey Mike,
Re the series:
You take the good, you take the bad…. (don’t worry I’m not going to reference The Facts of Life any further)
The good was getting some clutch hitting from key elements like Rios, Wells and Lind and the gutty performances by Janssen and Tallet
The bad was a lights out Jon Lester. He was still throwing 95 even though his pitch count had exceeded 100. That curve ball was something else too.
The last two games, Romero has combined for the following numbers
9 IP 17 H 10 Runs 5 Hr’s 6 BB 8 K’s
Has the league caught up to him, or is there some lingering injury effects or mechanical flaw that have been his downfall?
MW: I don’t think it’s any of the above. I think he was pitching over his head those first three times out and he’s had a couple of bad starts in a row. It happens to everyone – the jury is still out on Ricky.
- Steve-O from WaterdownI am glad that the Jays are back after their nine game absence on the road. The AL East looks like it will be quite the battle and I hope that the Jays can hang in there. It’s great to see Rios and Wells hitting again.
It looks like the pitching situation is starting to come to a head, both with starters and the bullpen. Looks like 3/5th of the rotation is looking good. Carlson, Wolfe, and Ryan need alot of work.
Do you think the Jays will call up Litsch for starter #5 and maybe send Remero down and bring Cecil back up?
Thanks,
Tim
MW: Litsch isn’t available to be called up, and won’t be for a while.
- TimHey Mike,
Tough losing streak followed by a nice two of three from Boston. Good to see them able to respond after that road trip.
Great thing is they went through an awful 10 days which lead to a below .500 month of May and they’re still only 1.5 games out of first and 1.0 game out of the wild card.
Things are still looking good as we head into June.
Question is this – Jordan Bastian mentioned the J.P. would look for a bat if still in it – any thoughts on who you’d like to them to pursue?
Thanks as always.
MW: As mentioned above, Nick Johnson seems the obvious choice, but maybe a guy like a Chad Tracy, just off the top of my head.
- CameronMaybe this is a stupid question; but, I have to ask it anyway because sometimes I get confused about why some players are called up from the minors over players who seem to have more merit.
Specifically, I’m wondering about Fabio Castro and how many options he has left. Ie if the Blue Jays call him up this year and he can’t cope with MLB level hitters like a lot of AAA and AA pitchers – would the Jays be forced to put him on waivers or designate him for assignment if he isn’t good enough for the big club?
Thanks.
MW: Remember, there are no stupid questions – only stupid people. This is definitely a confusing issue for a lot of people, but try to think as options as “option years”. If a player has an option left (and Castro has at least one, probably two), then he can be brought up and sent down as many times as the club wants (provided he stays down for at least 10 days if the disabled list isn’t involved in the move), and he only uses up one option.
- PatMike,
Something from the game on Saturday that threw me a little, and I haven’t had a chance to check out your blog until today.
How come Tallet is allowed to throw around 120, when Doc gets yanked after 102 when trying to win your first game in 9. Just seems odd to me.
Looking at the stats for Vegas, it doesn’t look like anyone on the pitching staff is pushing the guys currently up here. Only guy that really stood out to me because of ERA is Castro. What is Litsch’s status?
The Jays are 21-21 when Halladay doesn’t start. Still better than most thought.
MW: Much better than most thought. Halladay got yanked after 102 because he had a five-run lead with six outs to go. A decent bullpen should hold that, and the Jays have a decent bullpen. Litsch went to see Dr. James Andrews last week, was declared fit, and is going to start throwing in extended spring training forthwith.
- Aaron KerHey Mike,
I heard Evan Longoria is on the block, he would be a good pick up to put in the bottom of our order. How about offering up BJ Ryan, since the Rays need a closer. I think it is safe to say they wouldn’t take a second to accept that deal.
Your #1 fan,
Piraveth
MW: Why would you post two ridiculous comments under two different names?
- Piraveth ShriraamMW,
Alex Rios made a solid contribution with his bat the last couple of games. But what happens to him when he gets on base? Have you noticed he seems to lose his concentration or that his timing is off? He surely fell asleep trying to steal on Tim Wakefield in Boston and there are several other examples this year of him running through second base and being tagged out, being slow on a double steal etc. Also, I am sure there are times in the field when he seems not to know how many are out in the inning.
On an unrelated topic from the road trip, I watched a couple of games broadcast from Boston and Atlanta with their commentators doing the play-by-play. They were very complimentary about our team which was nice to hear and they kept up a lively exchange as the game went on. But for substantive play-by-play commentary neither of their broadcast crews came close to what our FAN 590 guys
contribute.
MW: I think you’re being a little too harsh on Rios. You’re “sure” there are times on the field when he “seems” not to know how many are out? Come on. I mean, if you want to criticize, then pick on him for walking off second base in Baltimore when he was safe, or for not getting a good enough jump against Wakefield in Boston (though I think that’s kind of rough, too – people do get thrown out trying to steal sometimes). Why exaggerate to make him seem worse?
- GeorgeHi Mike,
They didn’t get the sweep but 2 out of three really ain’t bad.Like you said we are only 1 1/2 games out.Wolfe has lost it I don’t think he deserves to be here while Accardo is in the minors.Romero again paid for his mistakes but I think he will be alright.If not Purcey and Castro seem ready to make the jump.A question.What criteria is used when evaluating a player for possible promotion?Tim Collins has great numbers in Dunedin but he is still there.Can you come up with a reason for this .
thanks
Go Jays!!!
MW: Wolfe has lost it?
- marioInteresting fact about yesterday’s game. Twice the Sox sacrifice bunted. In each inning they scored three runs after the sacrifice. I’d bet that is a rare occurence. Even when they gave the jays an out, it didnt help.
Regarding Janssen, I’ve heard you many times talk about how much you think he has to offer as a starter. I would like to know what you see in him as far as what tools he has that will possibly enable him to be a solid major league starter. I know he was solid out of the penn a couple years back and that he did Ok when initially brought up as a starter the year before (prior to injury), but what would you describe are his specific attributes that make you think he can be a pretty darn good pitcher.
As you can probably guess, I don’t really see much upside in him. I think he is a decent pitcher for sure, but i think he lacks an out pitch and will be exposed by the opposition lineups when they see him three/four times a game. Im not just basing this on his two starts this year of course, but rather based on the many times i’ve seen him pitch dating back to his rookie year.
MW: Janssen has terrific control, pitches to contact and uses his defense. He gets ground balls. Whenever he has been healthy, his numbers have been nothing short of outstanding, which is why I like him so much.
- General ZodHey Mike,
Love the blog. What do you think of the favourable calls that Lester gets seemingly each an every game. One of the things that sets baseball apart from the NBA or NHL is that it doesn’t apply the “he’s a star so he gets the benefit of the doubt calls,” this is a move in the wrong direction.
Interesting that none of the Jays seemed to put up much of a fight after they were rung up looking one after another.
Pretty good evidence of Lester’s cheap calls here.
http://bjays.wordpress.com/2009/06/01/a-plane-to-catch/
MW: If I read those charts correctly, it shows that neither Romero nor Lester got the low strike called, and Lester threw five more pitches than Romero that were called strikes but shouldn’t have been.
- SteveHey Mike,
I’ve got a random question for you. If a pitcher comes into the game with a runner on first and gets the batter to ground into a force out, resulting in the batter being at first, who’s responsibility is the runner on first? Is it the new pitcher’s since he was the one that faced that batter, or is it the previous pitcher’s because that runner wouldn’t be there if it weren’t for him?
MW: It’s the previous pitcher’s responsibility.
- SamHi Mike
Don’t know if you addressed this yet, but with Carleson struggling a tad and Downs now closing, Tallet would look pretty good as a situational lefty late in the game. Can you see the Jays making that switch down the road? My guess is starting pitching is more critical then solid bullpen.
Thanks
MW: Tallet looks a heck of a lot better as a starter.
- GarryHi Mike, hope your neck is feeling better!
Great show as always, nice to take 2 out of 3 away from the Red Sox. Lester pitched the game of his life, what can you do?
A few days ago I wrote that I wouldn’t let JP live the Frank Thomas deal down, and you replied asking how the deal had “crippled” the Jays. I didn’t say that the deal crippled the Jays, but I’ll tell you why it never made any sense to me, even without hindsight and the ’08 debacle.
Going into the ’07 season, Thomas was 38 years old and was going to turn 39 on May 27th. The Jays signed Thomas for $18.12 million over two years. Thomas had a dismal year in ’05 in Chicago, but then bounced back with a terrific year in ’06 in Oakland, hitting .270 with 39 HRs, placing him 4th in AL MVP voting. 38 going on 39 years old, which year do you think is closer to the truth? I don’t even think that his performance makes any difference actually, and I think it’s a bad move regardless as to how well he does in Toronto given his age, position (DH), and salary, and here’s why:
No one (Jays management included) realistically expected the Jays to compete for the World Series going into ’07 or ’08. If you’re not going to realistically compete for the World Series, then you’re building for the future (the good ones are, anyway), either from within (the “have-nots”), or through acquisition (“the haves”). So if you can’t reasonably expect to compete for the World Series in either ’07 or ’08, then why would you spend 10% of a limited payroll on an aging DH who isn’t realistically going to contribute when you are ready to compete? Do I care how much Frank Thomas makes? Not really. But as a fan I’d like the Jays to win, and without Yankee sized pockets, that 10% of the payroll is better spent on players who are going to be part of the plan for the contending team of the future and not a stop gap measure when the team is clearly more than one non-position player away.
MW: The team in 2007 and 2008 certainly wasn’t clearly one non-position player away – the argument could be made that the Jays were one of the four or five best teams in the majors last year, and a big bat would have made a huge difference. Thomas, in his injury-riddled “dismal” 2005 season, still posted a slugging percentage of .590, and had never had a bad year in his career when healthy. In my eyes, it was certainly a very good gamble to take. It didn’t work, but that’s why they call them gambles.
- Terry BradleyMike,
I grew up enjoying listening to Tom and Jerry on the radio, those two were a part of my childhood. Now, I enjoy listening to you, Jerry and Alan throughout the summer.
I know you have a lot of respect for Tom and Jerry, but are there any other broadcasters that you enjoy listening to?
Personally, I’ve become a Dodgers fan now after getting to hear Vin Scully on the Extra Innings package. Also, once in a while I like listening to Josh Lewin and Tom Grieve of the Texas Rangers broadcast.
Thanks,
MW: I don’t get to hear a lot of other broadcasters, but Vin Scully is basically the gold standard. I’m a big fan of John Sterling with the Yankees and Tom Hamilton with the Indians and, of course, Dave Van Horne with the Marlins.
- Chris in Islingtonhi mike
just wanted to say that steroids in baseball doesn’t bother me as much as you in baseball.
since I moved and didn’t have to hear you on the radio my love of baseball has been renewed.
do us all a favour and let fans talk without feeling the sarcastic bite of your fabulous wit.
go jays
MW: Thanks for listening!
- blairHey Mike
This morning I visited the Louisville Slugger factory and I got an interesting request.
Apparently one of the people who work there was Scottie “Snakeface” Downs’ fourth grade teacher (apparently he was a really good student). She’d like me to relay a message to him, and I guess you’d be a good person to talk to about it. She wanted to say to Downs: “Scott, remember your best is good enough.”
Hope you could do that for her the next time you interview Downs!
MW: I’ll do my best to get the message to him.
- LeoI really appreciate scott rolen. i have question, he has OPS over 800+, which is great. scott Rolen has an average over 300 and his career he only had one previous season where he hit over 300. So do you think he will hit over 300 this year or do you think he will finish the season with an average around 280(i think thats near his career number).
I have theory about rolen’s play this season. His HR number isn’t what it was during his career and hasn’t been for the last few years. I the think adjustment Rolen made to his swing was smart. He probably thought he won’t hit 25-30 hrs anymore so the adjustment atleast enabled him to hit for a good average.
Other than Hr power decreasing, nothing else is wrong with Rolen. He still has a good glove, hits for average, good baserunner, and gets alot of doubles.
I think with his good OBP, the jays should consider him batting higher. He might not hit the 3 Run Homerun as much but i think he can be sort of a table setter.
I almost know for sure that cito won’t tweak his lineup, so i did some searching and found this stat.
Last year, the most the jays used the same lineup was 5 times. This year cito has used one lineup 13 times and another 12 times. I find it hard to believe that the most a team would use the same lineup is 5. Is the stat i found wrong?
MW: Nope. The most-used Blue Jays line-up (two of them, actually) was used just five times last year. Credit the injuries and the lack of an everyday DH for that. I agree with you about Rolen, he’s been terrific. Has he changed something that results in sacrificing power for batting average? Maybe, but his power could be down simply as a result of all those shoulder injuries. Remember, too, that the difference between a .280 batting average and a .300 batting average is ten hits over 500 at-bats – less than a hit every two weeks.
- VjeyMike,
Quick stats question: if a catcher gets the PO on a strike out, does that third strike count as a defensive ‘chance’? Or is a catcher’s fielding percentage limited to throws and plays at the plate?
Thanks,
MW: I don’t believe that third strike counts as a defensive chance.
- ol' brucieHey Mike,
How about the Yankees new error free games record…
Just another record that is pointless to acknowledge, as errors do not take into account balls you misjudge and cannot get to after misjudgment, or balls that other elite players at your position could have gotten to and made the put out.
Whats surprising is the 18 whole games for Jeter without an error…WOW…it seemed however that Cleveland last night was trying to force the Yanks into an error, forcing Jeter to make a bunch of put outs, that without Teixeira’s extension and solid glove hand could have been errors.
Lets go Jays, I hope this time we can get to Weaver.
Cheers,
MW: Jeter tends not to make a lot of errors, relative to other shortstops, but as you say, it’s because he doesn’t get to a lot of balls. Still, 18 games for a team not to make an error is very impressive, though they didn’t make it to 19, thanks to Jorge Posada.
- paoloThis unexpected start has people thinking like Leaf fans when they started better than anyone expected.
Not one of the rookies has proven to be a consistent starter, almost all of them had flashes of brilliant play over a game or two.
Bottom line is they still have no bonafide number 2-3 starter imo. They have a bunch of promising rookies who could challenge for a 4 or 5th spot on a true contender (contender being within 5 games in Sept).
The thought at the beginning of the year was .500 and 3-4 place in their division and anything else was gravy. Well, we’ve had a little beef with the gravy and now a little turkey.
Overall expectations should not have changed; a dominant rookie can’t be your No 2 guy….but with 57 of the last 84 games against the East, we can still dream as long as we know when to wake up.
MW: They’re a third of the way through the season and only one team in the league has more wins, so I think we’re past the “fluke” stage, especially when you consider there was a nine-game losing streak in there. You’re right about there being no dominant second starter, though believe it or not Brian Tallet certainly has looked the part. I’m not one who believes the Jays will simply shrivel up when they start to play the East on a regular basis, but it could happen.
- GaryHey Mike,
You’re the best, man.
Let’s say you’re the GM of a team in the 1980s or 1990s. If you could choose only between Sparky Anderson, Tommy Lasorda, or Tony LaRussa, who would you have managing your team and why?
MW: Sparky, because he was so great on WKRP.
- Jayson TuttleWhat’s the update on Jesse Litsch? When he comes back what do you think the Jays will do with the rotation? I think they should move Richmond into the pen and send Wolfe to AAA. In the pen Richmond can be used as a right handed specialist or an innings eater if they need to throw someone out there for 3-4 innings. In my opinion he has more value for the team there once they start getting guys back from injury.
MW: Richmond is probably going to be sent to the bullpen when Litsch comes back, but Litsch won’t be back for a while and so much can happen between now and then. See above for the update on Litsch.
- SamHi Mike
I was at the saturday game last weekend and like what i saw from league. I noticed he was throwing a splitter with some hard drop in it. Is this a pitch hes been working on this year or is it one hes always had and just is throwing it well right now. Because with his heater and that split he definitely looked like a future stopper
MW: He’s always had it, just hasn’t been able to throw it for strikes on a consistent basis.
- Scottwhat ever happened to John Ford-Griffin? Wasn’t he going to be the one that was going to move VW out of CF several yrs ago?
MW: No, he wasn’t. He was going to be a big bat who they hoped they could hide in left field. It didn’t work out.
- Jay BHey Mike!
What do you think of RP Tim Collins from the Dunedin Blue Jays? He looks like a very promising arm coming up through the system. Did JP ever tell you the story on how he discovered Collins? If not you should ask him, its a pretty interesting story!
Keep up the fantastic job with the show and blogs Mike!
MW: J.P. actually told that story on the air last year, it was a good one. Collins should be in AA soon.
- SilvioHey Mike,
What do you make of Brandon League’s dropoff in velocity this year (see fangraphs)?
Im wondering if this is by design to try and get League more consistently in the strike zone (heck, I know 93 – 94 mph sinkers are hard to hit even if you know they’re coming). I remember the days when League was throwing 97 – 98 mph sinkers and you really didnt need a third baseman or right fielder. Amazing, and I miss it. Will we see that again?
MW: I don’t know. When League threw 99, he didn’t throw that many strikes.
- JayIs it just me or does Zach Greinke destroy Halladay in every category.
IP theyre tied.
Win-Loss tied.
Shutouts 2-0
CG 5-1.
ERA 1.10- 2.63
Strikeouts 68-88
HOME RUNS- 6-0
Hits 76-62
SAME AMOUNT OF STARTS/GAMES.
where did this guy come from? Garbage to the TOP?
MW: Greinke was never garbage. He was once the most highly-regarded pitching prospect in the game. Just shows you how people give up on guys way too soon.
- FugueHey Mike,
I believe Vernon Wells is the best defensive center fielder in baseball, and will be the immediate first choice for the AL gold glove this year. Do you think the Jays will be able to lock him up for the future? Right now he probably isn’t happy with his contract status seeing as he is the most underpaid superstar in the league. I think a fair proposal would be along the lines of 12 years, 380 million. By extending his contract it would probably bring thunder to his already unreal batting performance this year.
Piraveth
MW: This is the last one of yours I’ll post. Hope you enjoyed it.
- Piraveth SHi Mike,
What do you think about the Jays trying to acquire Brad Hawpe from the Rockies? He’s signed through 2010 and hits lefty and he’s good for 30 doubles, 25 hr’s and a .900ish OPS. The Jays could hit him 3rd or 4th in the lineup and play him in LF. Also, his production doesn’t seem totally Coors Field dependent either.
What do you think the Rockies would want for him? Maybe one of the two good catching prospects plus some starting pitching? The Jays have some minor league depth in both of those areas and they would be taking on some salary with a guy like Hawpe. I’m just not sure what else the Jays could offer for him.
MW: Hawpe hasn’t been a Coors Field creation – his OPS on the road is still .858 for his career (.901 in Colorado). The question, as it always is, it what will it cost? The Jays hope Travis Snider can fill the position that Hawpe would take next year, so is what they’d have to give up worth the difference between Snider and Hawpe?
- JamieBy Blue Jays’ brass, I mean, whom ever makes the final decision on moves. You would know better than I. Is it Beeston or JP?
MW: Beeston sets the payroll within which JP has to work.
- Kelly PfeifferHi Mike,
I know there is a big ‘Cito-revival’ movement about, and I’m all for it. One thing that I think gets missed in the shuffle, is the story on Rich Hacker, their 3rd base coach from 1992. I still consider Nick Leyva his replacement. I was 10 years old when Rich Hacker had his car accident, and still remember it ominously.
Best Regards,
Winston T.
- Winston Tuttlem-dub,
check out this story i just read off another forum
sound familiar?
told you!!!
Hey all,
I had the oppertunity to go to a Jays game this past Sunday when the Red Sox were in town. I rarely go to see the Jays but since they’ve been playing so well this season, I figured it would be worth it to see them play.
Anyways, we were group of 12 guys sitting in right field just behined the Red Sox bullpen… which obviously is also behined the Right Fielder who happened to be J.D. Drew. From the first inning on we were heckling him, cheering the Blue Jays, having a good time. We were conscious of the fact that their were chidren present so we kept it clean. Nobody in our section was complaining to us. Everyone was laughing. We were having fun.
In the 3rd inning, an elderly gentleman approached us to basically warn us of our behaviour. Confused, we asked what the problem was. He claimed that we were cursing, being rude and obnoxious, and if we kept on that we’d be kicked out of the stadium. He even went as far as to tell as that he 3 times our age, and he has authority do whatever he wants. Still confused, we agreed even though we had done nothing wrong and continued to watch the game…
As the game went along, we changed our ‘J.D. Drew sucks’ sucks chants to ‘J.D. Drew is not very good’. Simple little chants.
By the time the 7th inning rolled around, our section had litterally 10 security guards surrounding it. Again, a guard came over to warn us that we were being to loud. One of the guys kept asking what were doing wrong so we can correct it. At this point, they asked this guy to leave the building which pretty much ment we all had to leave the building.
We kept on asking what we did wrong, and they never answered. They simpily said ‘you haven’t been charged with anything yet, but if you keep this going, we can and will charge you’…
So a heads up to those travelling down to Rogers Centre to catch a Jays game. You’re not allowed to cheer or support the team. Golf claps only.
Just really pi***d me off and had to get that off my chest.
And Kudos to Boston Red Sox fans. There was a couple sitting behined us who made there way from Boston to catch the game. They said of all the staidums they’d been too, it was the worst one they’ve ever visted. They even complained to Rogers Centre on our behalf once we were kicked out of the game.
Go Sox Go!
MW: This continues to make no sense to me. I’ll talk to the Blue Jays head of security, but every time I do, I get an answer that conflicts with these stories.
- SlobberfaceWhy wont anybody get on base for Alex Rios I think all of his homeruns this year have been solo shots. This is also pretty surprising given that scutaro and hill are the people hitting ahead of him
MW: It’s Rios’ fault. But it’s true, six of his seven homers have been solo shots.
- Jazzcomment 64
Of course you get a different answer. Theyre justifying their jobs, and nobody questions their reports.
anyways, thanks for caring M-Dub.
Do me a favour a click on my name. Check out that pick i took in Wrigley, a couple years ago.
How many Bleacher Bums you think got kicked out that day!?
go jays!
- SlobberfaceHey, Mike I watch the game to today when Roy Halladay pitched and I will be honest I am a basketball fan and when you and everyone said that Roy.H was the best pitcher in the MLB you were so right! He played fantastic! He was so unreal he deserves A HUGE PAY RAISE!!!
I didn’t watch the beginning of the game so, how did Jay Triano pitched?
MW: Triano came with a sidearm delivery, and I’d say just missed the corner.
- J FanMike, re George’s comments, Post #39
I agree that the radio call on 590 is great, but — to be completely fair to the commentators cited — there is a substantive difference between a radio play-by-play and the commentary on a telecast, where the gist of the play is there for all to see.
My ideal, even with the slightly out-of-synch situation, is to listen to Jerry/Alan, while watching on TV.
- NormMike,
Assuming the indians are out of the race by the all star break, what do you think about trading for a guy like victor martinez.
The jays could have him play at first base against LHP, and then him and rod barajas could have some 50/50 or 70/30 ratio of some sort against RHP at catcher.
MW: Vic is cheap and has a cheap option for next year. He’s a power-hitting, switch-hitting catcher, and I’m not sure the Indians would be terribly inclined to deal him. If they were, the offer would have to be huge.
- Chrisstatgeek (not me!) posted:
you are right mike, rolen’s low rbi’s have nothing to do with his performance. after all he does have a .349 ba with risp. it has nothing to do with his .419 slug or his .352 slug with men on or the fact he has no hr with risp and only 3 doubles. and I wont bother checking your reply because anything that contradicts you gets deleted anyways.
MW: Seriously? Are these the depths that we have reached? People are now complaining that guys aren’t getting enough EXTRA-BASE hits with runners in scoring position? Give your head a shake.
———-
statgeek certainly needs to give his head a shake. Sure, Rolen has batted in only 16.1% of runners on compared to the team average of 19.7%, but offsetting that is that he has only erased 1.1% on DPs. Netting this two values gives his BR converted to runs percentage which is 15%, just under the team average of 15.6%. Tops on the team is Barajas at 25.8%, followed by Lind and Overbay, tied at 20%.
- Alan the stat geekHi Mike, another great show! I was hoping you’d extendo all the way to 11:00. :)
What can I say about Halladay that hasn’t already been said? And Rios is turning it around recently in a big way, great to see.
“A man named Carlos Deglado…Fans want Overbay to be that same player, just because he is a first baseman.”
No, fans want Overbay to be that same player because that is what a first baseman is typically – a big bat. Arguably one of the least demanding positions on the field, it’s a position that teams often use to hide the sluggers (short of the DH spot) who have lost a step on the field. First base and left field are the waiting rooms to the DH position. That being said, Overbay’s defensive skill at first is a huge bonus, and I think, under appreciated and unfairly overshadowed by his relatively low HR numbers for a first baseman. I’d like to see him get more playing time.
MW: Carlos Delgado is a borderline Hall of Famer, he’s not what a typical first baseman usually is. As for Overbay, you’re right – and hey, Cito put him out there for the ninth inning today!
- Terry BradleyMike,
What is with Alex Rios tiny lead offs when on first base? I don’t think I’ve ever seen the guy slide back on a pick off attempt (or… remotely come close to being picked off for that matter).
For a guy who has the speed to steal bases, why would they not get him to at least ‘practice’ increasing he lead off. He’s been doing this for years, and last time I looked stolen bases are usually bang – bang plays. An extra step can make all the difference.
MW: Rios stole 32 bases in 40 attempts last season.
- JakeHi Mike,
Just want to back up Slobberface. Approximately 8 guys were ejected from the section I was in for Halladay vs. Burnett. They were pointing at Cabrera and shouting “you suck Melky”. Honest to god that’s all they were doing. The usher for our section did warn the group to stop, so the ejection was not surprising to me. (The back of the ticket gives the Centre authority to eject people for any behaviour staff deem objectionable.) But why were they told to stop?
A few years ago, I was asked to sit down during a game I found particularly exciting because by cheering standing up I was blocking the view of the people one row behind me.
Things like this make one not want to watch baseball at Rogers Centre.
Also, on a related note, I have found the ball parks in the US are (ironically?) more communal than Rogers. They have circulation areas where cheap ticket holders can actually watch the game while they move around and common areas in prime parts of the park (outfield porches and centre field bbq areas). I have heard that other ball parks actually encourage people from upper sections to move down after a certain point in the game.
Thanks,
MW: I spoke to the Jays’ director of security before the game, and he said he was surprised to hear people were being ejected without using profanity or throwing things at players in the bullpen or on the field. I have to say, though, that if you’re the only one in your section who’s standing, you probably should sit down.
- G ManHello Mike….Just an observation about Brandon League…..Brandon will always do well against free swinging teams (eg) Red Sox or Texas but teams like the Yankees who are very patient at the plate he will have problems…..if you ever watch his pitches most of the time the batter swings at pitches he throws that are out of the strike zone and would be balls if the batter never swings….just curious as to what his stats are comparing free swinging teams to patient teams at the plate…
MW: The Red Sox are generally among the league leaders in OBP, they’re not a team I would hold up as a group of free swingers.
- Mark from Thorold