Comments on: It’s Finally Over

By: isabella reyes

isabella reyes — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 02:27:19 +0000

MW: I must admit I wasn’t paying that much attention on Sunday. There’s just no way for Vernon to win, though, is there? Either get roasted for always swinging at the first pitch, or get roasted for not swinging enough at the first pitch.

Of course there’s a way to win. Vernon Wells hits the first pitch.

I hope after the AS break we have a bit of a line-up shuffle and Wells is moved down to where his average and RISP percentage warrants him. Which, I hate to say, is either 8 or 9. It’s increasingly depressing to watch Scutaro and Hill get on and then have to deal with what is right now a pretty certain unproductive out right behind them. I know Wells got a hit tonight, but that is too rare an event.

As for getting a big hitter to help in the second half, I don’t expect it. But I would love to see it. And I suspect I’m not alone in that…

MW: Wells hits the first pitch all the time, he just pops it up or hits it on the ground sometimes.

By: Lorrie

Lorrie — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:05:46 +0000

Hi Mike: Hope you’re feeling better. The game on Sunday was a tough one to take. I’ve noticed lately and it was apparent in the ninth inning Sunday that a lot of Jay’s hitters and particularly Vernon Wells are taking way too many first pitch stikes. If you look at the tape of the game, if you have access to it the first pitch to Wells in the ninth inning was about as good a pitch to hit as you could ever hope to get and he just looked at it. The problem obviously, especially for somebody struggling is that getting behind 0-1 in the count means the next pitch or two will likely be off the plate, with possibly a lot of break and hard to hit or lay off of. I don’t understand why an experienced hitter( unless it’s due to lack of confidence or not seeing the ball very well) would not go up to the plate with the predetermined intention of hitting the first pitch if it is right over the plate. there were two other great first pitches not swung at in that inning, one by Russ Adams. It’s very frustrating to watch these great pitches ignored and then have to watch hitters waving futiley at the next pitches which are infinitely harder to hit.
Have you noticed this as well?

By: WillRain

WillRain — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:34:41 +0000

MW: It’s not a bad idea, but it’s a lot of actual dollar value for Wells to give up, no?

Not give up, just defer – with interest.

Probably very little interest, but it’s not unlike an investment in a bond or something that has a scheduled payout.

Lets say what he defers is $7 mil per over 5 years. That’s $35 in all and if he’s repaid over 20 years at $2.5 million a year (which if you suppose that the payments start in 2015 – it could be later – that’s going to be a minimal impact on a major league team’s budget from 2015-2035) then his $35 million turns into $50 million.

That’s just an example. I have no idea what would be a “fair” amount of interest.

MW: If they work out a fair amount of interest, then it gets more interesting, as it were.

By: darrell bishop

darrell bishop — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:00:23 +0000

michael,
something came to mind the other day after hearing aaron hill set a record for hr’s by a 2b for the bj’s franchise the other day (and in only half a season i might add)
so needless to say that particular feat blows the doors right off of the exploits of one robbie alomar.
heck the kid might hit 35-40 at this pace. enough said there.
also assuming that his pace for rbi’s is going to eclipse anything alomar ever did as well. strike 2.
so the big 2 categories that everyone seems to care about the most, hill’s got it all over the other.
hitting average? well hill looks like a bonafide .300+ hitter as he is right now i believe (and i know i’ve heard alan from the radio suggest a few times that he sees a batting title in the future for aaron. so perhaps he’s got that on alomar too.
and it doesn’t seem these parts of hill’s game are leaving him anytime soon either.
so what have we got here then?
perhaps the only thing alomar will have over hill when it’s all said & done is his defence.
and having said that, hill it seems to me routinely makes plays down at 2nd that continue to amaze.
how about last night for instance? i’m pretty sure he jumped a good 14-15 feet in the air to snag that ball (as was reported) by rolen a few previous nights to that.
(but you know how these folklore types of stories can sometimes take on a life of their own) that was good btw michael.
anyway, what about suggesting hill’s got it all over former alomar?
or is that just too sacred of a topic to even broach or mention? caue it’s just an observation of the facts as far as i can see…..

MW: It’s not really an observation of the facts according to anyone else. It’s not that it’s too sacred a topic to broach, it’s that Roberto Alomar is a Hall of Fame-level player and Aaron Hill isn’t there yet, nor may he ever be. Alomar was almost without peer as a defensive second baseman, a .300 career hitter with a career OPS of .814. Hill has never hit .300 in any full season, and because he outhomered and out-RBI’d Alomar in his best year isn’t close to a reason to say Hill “has it all over” Alomar. It’s not close.

By: Jays Fan

Jays Fan — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:02:34 +0000

Hi Mike,

As I can remember, most of Blue Jays game on TSN end up with a lost one way or another.

The first series was against Boston on Fenway where Blue Jays were swept and suffer 6 more losses after that to make 9 game losing streak.

The next series on TSN were also losses which I can’t remember who they were playing against.

Another series on TSN was against the Marlins where as we all know, Roy Halladay got injured (which is a lost anyway) and Blue Jays got swept.

The one last night (the first game against Tampa Bay Rays) was also another lost.

The only win I can remember on TSN was against Bronson Arroyo where he had not performed on the last 2 starts against Toronto on Rogers Centre anyway.

Can you check what is Blue Jays record when playing on TSN? I hope that as more people notice this, the trend will be proven wrong and we can see more wins for the Blue Jays.

Thank you and keep up the good work.

MW: I don’t know what their record is when they’re on TSN, though someone above said they thought it was 1-8. I can say, though, that being on TSN or Rogers Sportsnet or nothing has less than no effect on the Jays on the field.

By: Joachim

Joachim — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:42:08 +0000

Perhaps a useless stat. Jays were 18-10 last season with Travis Snider on the team and 27-18 this season for a combined mark of 45-28 or a .616 winning percentage. They are 14-19 since sending down Snider this season.

MW: One wonders how useful a stat that is, given that Snider didn’t really do anything the last few weeks he was here.

By: Paul O

Paul O — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:39:02 +0000

steroid-list-leaks-out-rumored.html

I know what you’re going to say – but usually when there is a ‘rumour’ like this… the final truth isn’t too far off

MW: I didn’t post the link, because they’ve already removed the list, and all it is is a straight list of names, no sources, no nothing. Anyone could have made it up.

By: isabella reyes

isabella reyes — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:18:30 +0000

I watched last night’s game and could not decide whether the Jays front office should go out and get someone who might make a difference and perhaps get us to the playoffs, or whether we should start to rebuild. And I realized that every year about this time I have the same thoughts. I’ve said this before, but I wish we were downright bad rather than OK with the occasional brilliant flourish. Like the 10-game win-streak last year, and this year’s brilliant start. I think we were resigned to ‘rebuilding’ this year, especially after the fans meeting in the winter. And then the team had their yearly ‘brilliance’ bit early so we all started to hope.

I realize the pitching staff has been decimated by injury, but even with that, most of the starters have been outstanding. Sadly, I think the problem lies with the hitting and specifically with the guys who have been 3 and 4 until very recently. Scutaro and Hill have been amazing at bat and on the field. Rolen has been terrific. Lind has been very good. Overbay is much better than he was. Barajas offers up the occasional very welcome hr or extra-base hit.

So this year I would like to see the team go out and get a bona fide bopper to hit 3rd or cleanup. Enough with the Mencherson route, let’s get a difference-maker just this once. See what happens. Give it a go.

MW: Don’t hold your breath.

By: Chris Thompson

Chris Thompson — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:37:25 +0000

Hey Mike, hope you’re feeling better and will bless us all with your presence today. No comments regarding the last few games as I’ve missed them, just a question regarding your illness. Was it a 590 or a Blue Jays decision to keep you away from the ball park until today?

MW: It had nothing to do with the Blue Jays.

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 06:20:37 +0000

Thankfully inter-league is done for another year.
I know a lot of people like this mess but I’m not one!!!!
It’s time to go back to pre 1997 where the only time the 2 leagues faced each other was at the all star game and the world series.