12:15 AM Eastern
Not exactly a great game for which to come back to work, huh?
There’s really not much to discuss about this one, other than to say it’s likely that we’ll see either Jesse Litsch, Marc Rzepczynski or, as Mike Rutsey of the Sun suggests, Kyle Drabek in the fifth starter’s spot the next time it comes around on Sunday in Denver. Not that Brian Tallet was all that bad – he had one awful inning but four pretty strong ones – but just that Tallet was really never even supposed to make this start anyway. The game last week was supposed to be a one-off, only because Litsch wasn’t yet eligible to be activated off the disabled list, but Tallet pitched so well that the Jays felt obligated to give him another start. As much as they love Tallet, they’re certainly not obligated to give him any more.
The Jays got blown out, on the strength of one huge inning for the Rays that was capped by Carlos Pena’s grand slam – his second home run in as many innings – and that’s something that hasn’t happened to the Jays much this season. One would think they’d be able to shake it off and get right back to work tomorrow, with Shaun Marcum on the hill. Marcum had five straight wins following a Jays loss going into his last start last Wednesday, and in that one he took a 2-1 lead into the 9th.
The offence was non-existent tonight, with the Jays managing just two singles off Jeff Niemann, the same guy they beat up last Tuesday, and not advancing a single runner past first base. This is going to happen every once in a while when a team is indifferent towards the marvels of on-base percentage, as the Jays have been all season long. Of course, their approach has worked FAR more often than it hasn’t this season, this was just one of those nights when they got neither the hitting nor the pitching, and as a result got their heads handed to them.
A lot easier to take than any of their previous three losses, I’d imagine.
There were a bunch of callers tonight who wanted to talk about what went on this weekend, but as I said on the air, I can’t answer those questions, and I hope you understand. The weekend is over, I’m back, and that’s all I can tell you. I’m sorry to those of you who feel that’s an inadequate explanation, but again, I’ll simply ask for your understanding. I would also like to once again thank all those who came forward with their concern and their support over the last few days. It means far more to me than any of you could ever know.
Here’s tonight’s edition of The JaysTalk, for your listening pleasure:
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And here’s the transcript of tonight’s edition of “Miked Up LIVE!”:
16 Responses to “Whitewash”
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I have the theme song from Welcome Back Kotter by John Sebastion in my head for some reason!
Time to move on for all of us and there is no need for any explanation as to the why of what just went down. I say, “no need” as I think the why part is pretty obvious! I will say one more thing here however, that being; you must have been pretty moved Mike by all of the positive comments and support you have read and heard. Well deserved.
Ouch! That hurt, a 9-0 spanking by the Rays. Not surprising though given the Rays mind over matter hold on the Jays. Even back in the day; when the Rays were the doormats of the AL east, for some reason, have had the Jays number.
Regardless of the score you can bet the farm the Jays will bounce back with a vengeance tonight and lay a pounding of their own on TB! This is one team that so far this season have not gone away despite the outcome of games.
When you really get down to it the Jays could have swept both the Rays and Yanks at home in T.O. over the past week. It says a lot about this team when they lose two games in the 8th and 9th innings like the Jays did and come back to take the first two of three from the Yankees.
That was some performance from young SS in his MLB debut for Washington! Glad I got a chance to see him in Buffalo before he came up to the “bigs”. He never disappointed anyone. More important than his game stats, is his age. At 21 years young, just how he was able to take what must have been enormous pressure and release it through his right arm with such control! Amazing!
Thanks Mike, keep on doing what you do best and once more for the record, welcome back.
- Bob (Burlington)One of those tough games that every team in the Big Leagues experience from time-to-time.
The only good thing about the evening was having you back on the air.
Now that the suits have lifted your suspension – we will lift ours and plan on attending a few more games this summer. However, only after we sit out the first weekend of the next home-stand.
Go Jays!
Bill
- Bill OliverI think they’ll probably start Jesse Litsch the next game they need a number 5 (Denver?) based solely on the team penchant for loyalty to players.
Litsch deserves a shot at a starting job and I think he’ll do an adequate/admirable job and perhaps even supply some continued “veteran” savvy and calmness.
Let’s hope Marcum pulls out game 2 to give the Jays a chance to take the series.
- GaryDrabek hasn’t shown anything yet to suggest he would be effective as a major league pitcher.
So far in AA
169IP, 63BB, 139K’s, 14HRs
Those kinds of stats suggest a pitcher that would get killed in the majors.
Brad Mills on the other hand has put up similar numbers in Las Vegas
152.2IP, 67BB, 134K, 12Hrs
Doing that in the PCL is a hell of lot more impressive than posting such numbers in the Eastern league.
Marc Rzepczynski seems to have righted the ship. His last two starts in Vegas have been very solid.
I really like Rzepczynski because he doesn’t give up HR’s (10 in 278 minor league innings, 5 of which came this year in 23IP coming off an injury) and he makes people miss (292K’s in 278 minor league innings). He bb rate is high but being top drawer in 2 or 3 areas gives him an excellent chance of being an effective major leaguer
For what it’s worth I would rate the young Jay starting pitchers (in terms of total career value)
1. Cecil
2. Romero
3. Marcum
4. Rzepczynski
5. Mills
6. Drabek
7. Stewart
8. Litsch
McCowan is a complete question mark at this point but I always felt he was very overrated when healthy, I don’t see anything that Jenkins or Alvarez has done yet as in any way particularly interesting.
- jim maronWelcome back Mike. I know you don’t want to discuss the whole weekend off thing, but there is one thing about it that just fascinates me. If you read Jeremy Sandler’s transcription of you and cito in the National Post, cito basically responds to your question by saying he doesn’t remember what happened, and you helpfully correct him.
now the awesome thing about you mike when you do the call-in show is how quickly you can point out the inconsistencies in the callers arguments and questions. what happened, how did you miss this gigantic beachball?
- bigp7099Great to have one of the few legitimate baseball voices in this city back.
- jeremyMike,
Are you going to do a draft recap and/or any interviews? I’d love to get some understanding of the Jays’ philosophy – especially around picking the high schoolers!
- JonI agree that it is time to replace Tallet with one of the others as the Jay’s 5th starter.Brian is a fine reliever who they can surely use in the pen but I never saw him as a reliable starter.He has had his moments but also has been prone to those bad innings.The pen needs him a lot more.
- PaulMike, don’t change, be true to yourself, I enjoy your show almost as much as the game.
- DJHey Mike, Great to see you back.
I ended up catching a bit of the game near the end of TV. It seemed to me like the stadium was pretty empty. Maybe that’s just because the game was an obvious blow out and people had already left. I’m just wondering if Tampa and other noon mega markets are struggling in a similar fashion that the jays are attendance wise. If so, maybe then this a league problem rather than an organizational problem. Perhaps more national coverage (ESPN, FOX) of lesser known teams would help out. But I doubt that would happen.
Keep up the good work.
- SMMike,
- RobQuick draft-related question. Have you heard anyone make any comments about where a talent like Hecheverria would have slotted if he were eligible for the draft that just occurred? It would be great to have a frame of reference – perhaps Tinnish or AA could give you help with that answer?
Thanks.
Mike: I’m a big baseball fan in Southern Ontario. Not always an easy thing. I was very upset you weren’t on the radio this past weekend. You are a unique talent for this area; passionate and intelligent about the game of baseball. And, a voice that is easy to listen to. I have learned a lot from you about baseball. I want you on the radio and on Blue Jay broadcasts for decades to come.
- ScottIf I had to interview Gaston I wouldn’t be suspended, I’d be fired.
- Wyatt Baileyits like a whitewash game, on your return from an unexplained disappearance
- alanis morisetteMike,
Just a quick note to say thanks for your great work.
Your insight, intelligence and sense of humour are reasons why I tune into Blue Jays baseball and Jays Talk.
You make radio more interesting to listen to, and it would be a great shame if the powers that be don’t realize it.
Please don’t change. I don’t need another reason to tune out of Blue Jays baseball.
- Matt“Not exactly a great game for which to come back to work, huh?”
In trying to adhere to the nonexistant “rule” about not ending a sentence with a preposition, you’ve constructed a pretty ridiculous sentence.
As Winston Churchill once said, after being criticized for ending a sentence in a preposition, “That is the kind of thing up with which I will not put.”
- Evan White