Blue Jays: 2015 edition

[Nad Smith]

ok, i rested last nights game. My post on Monday was about 3 regulars being rested against the Rays 5th starter. I wonder if any other manager trying to win a pennant has done that. I am glad that the risk he took did not backfire. I also know that Martin had to catch last night because of the knuckleballer (although it looks like Martin really is having problems catching the thing).

Also, I for one, have never said Gibbons is a "f*** up" . For one thing, I do not use curse words in my writing and very rarely in my speaking. My problem with Gibbons is that he takes and accepts losing way too easily. I can't picture him managing in the post season and mistakes that I doubt Showalter or Cash Or Girardi would tolerate...seem to be tolerated by Gibbons. We need an intense manager who will not accept losing and will not risk it with his line up choices.

I am also sure that Pete walker is a wonderful man, but again I see no credentials that will make better pitchers (however a case could be made for the improvement in Estrada).

Also some questioning about third base coach Rivera. Is it just me or a lot of runners stopping at third with 2 out? The chance of a man scoring from third with 2 out is about 30%. The chance of challenging arms is greater (discuss). The tying run stopped at third last night. Yes it was Navarro, but even he could score if the throw is off and so many of them are.

And by the way, gents, I do take my baseball with a grain of salt and a little humour...but I want to see us win! Tell them Kathleen

I questioned our third base coach a few days ago, and he has got worse. Yesterday Zeke went right through the stop sign and scored easily. Tonite Martin gets the stop sign - even though he was intending to score and it results in a freak out at third. You got to try to score with 2 out!!

Can we get Brian Butterfield back? ya ya I know

 

[AK-47]

Thats okay, we'll get the next 3 against the BoSox

 

[Butler1000]

I questioned our third base coach a few days ago, and he has got worse. Yesterday Zeke went right through the stop sign and scored easily. Tonite Martin gets the stop sign - even though he was intending to score and it results in a freak out at third. You got to try to score with 2 out!!

Can we get Brian Butterfield back? ya ya I know

Um. There was no way he was going to score with how quickly they got the ball in to the cutoff man. 3rd base coach had his hands up before Martin even rounded third.

I don't blame Martin for agressive running but no way would he have been close to scoring.

 

[Nad Smith]

My argument is that you have a higher percentage of scoring by challenging the arms then you have on counting on the next guy to drive you in with 2 out. We have all seen plenty of bad throws or missed tags or catchers not handling the throw to have runners score.....if they throw you out...at least you tried. It does not have to be a sure thing to try to score on a double with 2 out. I think Martin was surprised by the stop sign. I know I was because I was watching for the wave (I was at the game)

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I wonder what the thinking is in putting Goins out in left field now that Bautista is back.

Carerra can hit better and so can Cola. Goins doesn't seem to bring enough to the table in left field to make up for his lack of hitting.
Maybe Gibby just wants to keep a smile on his face now that his playing time is way down with Devon Travis back from injury.

Best probability of winning seems more like keeping Edwin at first and make Navarro the DH. When Edwin needs a day off put the Smoakmeister in there at first.
Makes for a better hitting line up or is there something I'm not seeing?

 

[mandrill]

Carrera fucked up on Sunday by strolling leisurely towards a fly ball and allowing a runner to get an important extra base. He's being spanked for a game.

Cola cannot play a competent LF.

Goins had excellent numbers before last night vs Bucholtz.

On the bright side, everyone else relevant also lost on Monday, incl WC rival Twins. So standings remain locked in place.

 

[Butler1000]

I wonder what the thinking is in putting Goins out in left field now that Bautista is back.

Carerra can hit better and so can Cola. Goins doesn't seem to bring enough to the table in left field to make up for his lack of hitting.
Maybe Gibby just wants to keep a smile on his face now that his playing time is way down with Devon Travis back from injury.

Best probability of winning seems more like keeping Edwin at first and make Navarro the DH. When Edwin needs a day off put the Smoakmeister in there at first.
Makes for a better hitting line up or is there something I'm not seeing?

Goins was 9-19 against Buckholtz coming into the game last night. So getting his bat in there was a good idea. I also think they want to have Goins become a super utility man in the vein of Brock Holts. There seem to be a few of those(ben Zobrist being the first who was prominent).

A lot of the time they take a look at a lot of factors in choosing the line up. The sabre metrics come into play depending on matchups. But there are no guarantees in Baseball.

For what ever reason Buckholtz owns us at Skydome. I think he is now 10-3 with a low ERA there. And we own him at Fenway. Baseball is a funny game.

 

[AK-47]

Skydome is sold out for tomorrows Canada day game.

Too bad it might rain. Roof could be closed

 

[tml]

Skydome is sold out for tomorrows Canada day game.

Too bad it might rain. Roof could be closed

Don Cherry is going to throw the first pitch to Donaldson. Nice!!!

 

[AK-47]

Come on you guys, save some of those homeruns for tamarra

 

[saxon]

Jays kicking ass on sold out Canada Day. A1

 

[Jennifer_]

I wonder what the thinking is in putting Goins out in left field now that Bautista is back.

Carerra can hit better and so can Cola. Goins doesn't seem to bring enough to the table in left field to make up for his lack of hitting.
Maybe Gibby just wants to keep a smile on his face now that his playing time is way down with Devon Travis back from injury.

Best probability of winning seems more like keeping Edwin at first and make Navarro the DH. When Edwin needs a day off put the Smoakmeister in there at first.
Makes for a better hitting line up or is there something I'm not seeing?

As others said... Gibbons put Goins in because he has a good average against Clay.

Unfortunately it didn't work out but what a great game today

 

[mandrill]

Indians' Carlos Carrasco throws 8.2 innings of no hit ball against TB before allowing a single!

 

[mandrill]

Opportunity may be knocking for Daniel Norris.

Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos spoke with media on Wednesday afternoon about the rookie pitcher getting a spot start in Toronto’s rotation in the next two weeks.

"We’re not set on this, but you guys know we always look for spot starts if we can," said Anthopoulos, gesturing to a wall calendar in manager John Gibbons’s office. "We’ve got this stretch here, we don’t have a day off until the all-star break, so there’s an opportunity that we could have a spot start.

"We haven’t made a decision, but we always look for that if we can."

Toronto plays 12 straight games starting with an afternoon matinee on Wednesday against the Boston Red Sox heading to the all-star break on July 13. The Blue Jays had five straight leading in to the game against Boston, making for a 17-day stretch.

The 22-year-old Norris began the season in Toronto’s starting rotation but was optioned to triple-A Buffalo on May 1 after five starts. He had a 1-1 record with 18 strikeouts and a 3.86 earned-run average in that span.

Norris is 1-7 with the minor league Bisons with a 3.72 ERA and 60 Ks in 10 starts.

Anthopoulos was preparing to drive down to watch Norris start in Buffalo on Wednesday evening, following up on reports from triple-A that the young left-hander is improving.

"I think when Norris is right you see the strikeout totals be big," said Anthopoulos. "When he first went down the strikeout totals were good, but the last few the strikeout totals were really starting to climb. Even the last game, I think the line was five innings, four runs, nine strikeouts but they say he pitched a lot better than his line.

"I think it’s a big start for him in the sense that you put together three in a row, you’re really starting to throw well, he’ll put himself right back in the mix."

Anthopoulos pinned Norris’s struggles early in the minor league season on the disappointment of being optioned to Buffalo.

"I think like any young player they go down the first time and they’re in shock," said Anthopoulos. "Then you start telling them that guys like (NL Cy Young winner) Clayton Kershaw have been optioned. If you even get to three years of service over 80 per cent of guys are going to be optioned. It’s totally normal.

"Everyone needs to go through it at times. Very few guys come up and stay."
http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/daniel-norris-may-get-spot-start-for-blue-jays/

 

[Nad Smith]

1-7 in triple A usually gets you to double A - not the majors...but he is a chosen one - maybe he is due to get hot

 

[Nad Smith]

Three encouraging words - Vladimir Guerrero Junior

 

[Butler1000]

I wonder if the start by Norris is to showcase him to Phillie. Cole Hamel has loosened up the no trade barrier.

Sounds like a trade with them or another team, maybe Oakland is in the works.

 

[mandrill]

I wonder if the start by Norris is to showcase him to Phillie. Cole Hamel has loosened up the no trade barrier.

Sounds like a trade with them or another team, maybe Oakland is in the works.

I think Oakland is overloaded w young pitching talent, although they may want to unload Kazmir to dump salary. If so, that might be tempting. It also keeps him out of the evil clutches of You Know Who and the other You Know Who's.

I think the organization want Norris in the Bigs and is willing to overlook some bad starts in AAA to bring him back up. It's not like he's well down in the depth chart and simply didn't have the goods to move up from AA and do well in Buffalo.

 

[Insidious Von]

So the rumour mill surrounding The Big Croat (Jeff Samardzija) coming to the Jays is heating up again. This would be good for him on the level; he'll be coming to a contending team and he'll cut the red tape to getting his fishing lodge at Lake-of-the-Woods built. But the Jays will have to give up either/or Daniel Norris, Miguel Castro to get him.

And he was two sport athlete - he chose the right one.

 

[mandrill]

We start Boyd again tonight vs Wade Miley. Texas starts Gallardo against O's. Slumping TB has already lost to fall to 4th in the ALE. Yanks idle. Twins take on KC. This is a good night to make up ground.