Blue Jays: 2016 Edition

ultistar

Well-known member
Apr 18, 2009
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You guys really need to lay off the Tulo crap. Typical Toronto fans. Nobody good enough for the sports experts here. Kessel sucks is the latest. Good to see him gone.

(Cut)

bet Shapiro is pretty scared when he sees the potential GM talent on TERB just waiting to take his job and run with it.
Can you give us some guidelines of what to discuss if we cannot complain about the managers and high priced players?

Hate to see you so upset.
 

busterhut

Member
Oct 5, 2008
297
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Can you give us some guidelines for us of what to discuss if we cannot complain about the managers and high priced players?

Hate to see you so upset.
Didnt see where I said I was upset. Oh well, guess you read between the lines LOL

Perhaps if you would complain about the real problems. The shots like "Tulo=Rally kiiller" are not productive they are just stupid statements. I enjoy a dscussion but complaining isn't a discussion. Calling Aaron Loup names isn't a discussion, unless you're in grade 2. It's ok to say you don't like Gibby or you think he should do things differently, but that's different than calling him an idiot or disliking him. Because he doesn't do his job the way you like doesn't make him a jerk, and I'm confident he's doing the job the best way he knows. That's all anyone can do.
An example of constructive feedback re:Tulo (as compared to the previous example cited a few lines above) is Ultistar's information a few posts back about his OPS home and away. Good concise statement and Tulo isn't berated for being what he is. There's some good feedback on this board and there are a lot of "fans" who aren't baseball people, who aren't interested in baseball as much as they are interested in the Blue Jays. I'm a baseball fan-I want the Jays to win, but I enjoy the other teams and the other teams' players. Actions should be judged by what is done, not who does it. That's just my opinion. I'm happy to not participate if that is preferred (or if I find myself getting upset LOL).
 

ultistar

Well-known member
Apr 18, 2009
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Kathleen
We have never met but...
Will you marry me?!?!

Lol :)


This is where it seemed you were upset. You guys really need to lay off the Tulo crap
Like ultistar, I too was thinking "why you so pissed off"? That comment didn't read like someone who was - lol

Anyway, the comment about Tulo being a Rally killer is well, a fact. As someone pointed out to me when I jokingly said 'could Tulo not have stayed on the DL just for the weekend', that Donaldson also blew a chance with bases loaded. So though even the best can have a bad plate appearance. But Tulowitzki tends to squander more opportunities, whereas Donalson or JB tend to thrive and make something happen.

Yes, you're right.. its not always constructive. But Tulowitzki can't see our comments, and even if he does read stuff online, hes a professional, and fans are entitled to vent.
Like seeing Stroman having 5 of his last 7 starts being horrible. This isn't little league where its "ice cream for everyone", and you say "Maybe next time". Players who continue to have bad ABs, or struggle terrible on the mound like Stroman or Loup, deserve a little criticism.

If you disagree with that, I certainly respect it. But it reminds me of Mike Wilner and Jays talk. Everything must be 'happy' and positive, or he cuts you off and goes to another caller. People just seem too sensitive sometimes. There should be nothing wrong with fans venting, or riding someone... for some, it makes them feel better. It doesn't make you a bad fan, obviously the most critical people here like AK want the Jays to do good.
 

busterhut

Member
Oct 5, 2008
297
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This is where it seemed you were upset. You guys really need to lay off the Tulo crap
Like ultistar, I too was thinking "why you so pissed off"? That comment didn't read like someone who was - lol

Anyway, the comment about Tulo being a Rally killer is well, a fact. As someone pointed out to me when I jokingly said 'could Tulo not have stayed on the DL just for the weekend', that Donaldson also blew a chance with bases loaded. So though even the best can have a bad plate appearance. But Tulowitzki tends to squander more opportunities, whereas Donalson or JB tend to thrive and make something happen.

Yes, you're right.. its not always constructive. But Tulowitzki can't see our comments, and even if he does read stuff online, hes a professional, and fans are entitled to vent.
Like seeing Stroman having 5 of his last 7 starts being horrible. This isn't little league where its "ice cream for everyone", and you say "Maybe next time". Players who continue to have bad ABs, or struggle terrible on the mound like Stroman or Loup, deserve a little criticism.

If you disagree with that, I certainly respect it. But it reminds me of Mike Wilner and Jays talk. Everything must be 'happy' and positive, or he cuts you off and goes to another caller. People just seem too sensitive sometimes. There should be nothing wrong with fans venting, or riding someone... for some, it makes them feel better. It doesn't make you a bad fan, obviously the most critical people here like AK want the Jays to do good.
I agree with many points, especially the Willner thing. It's true that Tulo has not performed at previous levels with the Jays yet, and he may not, but I kind of recall some huge issues last week (ask Aaron Sanchez) where the players you mentioned were absolutely brutal in RBI opportunities. In his first game off the DL the guy strikes out with bases loaded and someone is on his case. He actually performed quite well yesterday on his second day back. That doesn't make him a hero, just as the previous day shouldn't make him a goat. I have no problem with being harsh, but the people who take baseball personally are somewhat delusional. Me calling something crap isn't angry, it's calling crap crap. It's the ones who resort to name calling that I think are angry. If Gibby needs to be fired, fine, that doesn't make me hate him. Aaron Loup may not be good enough to pitch in the big leagues, but he goes out and gives as much effort as Marco Estrada does. I have never been angry about a game that a bunch of other guys are playing. It's fine to want the Jays to do well, but if you can't respect the game and the players, there's a problem. Support your team by being classy, not by acting like you're in grade school. Even the most vicious soccer hooligans want their team to do well also, but that doesn't make it OK.
 

AK-47

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Mar 6, 2009
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It doesn't make you a bad fan, obviously the most critical people here like AK want the Jays to do good
Thanks. I agree.

There are only 2 teams who I wind up throwing the remote control at the TV for, one is the Jays when they dont play well, and the other is the Dutch national team when they inevitably choke again.

So as you can see, quite a few remotes have been thrown at my TV last 20 years :biggrin1:
 

shack

Nitpicker Extraordinaire
Oct 2, 2001
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Sometimes I'd like to be more like Shack. He's always positive, but just find it easier to vent when mad.
Not sure if I am always positive but I am always hopeful and that is because I am first and foremost a fan and I am gonna root for my team, from prez (Shapeero?, not so much) on down to bat boy. I most definitely am not a GM or a manager. Even if those guys make bad moves they are making those moves with a helluva lot more info at their disposal than I, or any others on here, could hope to have.

That's what irks me. It's OK to vent and/or have an opinion, but don't pretend that you know more than the professionals.
 

ultistar

Well-known member
Apr 18, 2009
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In Stromans last 7 starts, his ERA is 7.59 and WHIP is 1.80.
#BringBackDHutchison
http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/32815/marcus-stroman

Checking his game logs, the only two good "quality starts" in the past month were against Minne and Phillies. At least he pitched well against the worst teams. By many metrics, he has been the worst starter in AL over the past month. He had a coupla rough starts earlier too.
So what is to be done?

I don't think we can send him down to the minors as that would be too much of an insult to a key guy from the drive of 2015. So the best option is to put him in the bullpen and try to get his mechanics or confidence back pitching in low leverage situations.

Maybe like Tom Gordon, he is too small to carry the grind of starting pitching. Maybe he might excel as setup for Osuna, we still need a good one.

The Jays are contending so we cannot afford to let him "work his way out of it" while his losses pile up.
 

busterhut

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Oct 5, 2008
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I still think he is focussing on too much low stuff. He has to change the hitters' eye level and make them defend more space. If everything is from belt down, that's all the hitters look for. He doesn't have to be in the strike zone, but he does have to use all four "areas"-in, out, up and down. Easy analogy right now is a soccer goalie-it would sure be a lot easier to defend the goal if he knew the shooters would not shoot in the left half of the net.
 

Dawgger

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Jan 3, 2005
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I still think he is focussing on too much low stuff. He has to change the hitters' eye level and make them defend more space. If everything is from belt down, that's all the hitters look for. He doesn't have to be in the strike zone, but he does have to use all four "areas"-in, out, up and down. Easy analogy right now is a soccer goalie-it would sure be a lot easier to defend the goal if he knew the shooters would not shoot in the left half of the net.
Tend to agree with you, he has to be able to get the "show me" high pitch in for a strike. He has to be able to locate his pitches and he appears to have lost that part of his game. I don't think t would hurt him to change place with Hutch for a few games, it will give the Jays a better idea what Hutch will do when back in the bigs and give Stroman a chance to settle himself down and get his game back.
IMO Stroman is a starter and not a set up man, so I don't see him in the bull pen other than maybe, long relief.
 

AK-47

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Mar 6, 2009
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Stroman is listed at 5'8". That makes him one of the shortest power pitchers in modern MLB history
 

AK-47

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Is that his call or Russ Martin's?
Catchers call the pitches, but pitchers always have the last say and can call off catcher's pitches (which they often do)
 

Toronto Passions

Trusted Since 2001!
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Catchers call the pitches, but pitchers always have the last say and can call off catcher's pitches (which they often do)
Unless runners are in scoring position where often the bench has a say.

Ok let's package Tulo and Fidel Castro (the beard) for Andrew Miller. Ya right as if lol.

Philip
 

Toronto Passions

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shack

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And Flash Gordon built a long career as that guy. I was hoping we would see more of a Pedro Martinez kinda thing out of him. He doesn't change speeds as much as I'd like.

Imagine if we signed David Price. His stuff is all but gone. On YouTube there is a video of his 2012 season highlights. This guy threw 98 plus with consistency. We are lucky that somebody in the Jays organization saw him get smacked around last year in the playoffs, trying to rely on a 95 mile-per-hour fastball. He had success with a considerably slower Slurve. This guy was a high 90s fastball, hard slider guy for years. Somebody somewhere saw a decline starting. This year he's throughing between 91 mph and 93 mph. From what I've seen so far Curt Schilling is the only guy to be very vocal about his decline.... But he was also vocal about Mitch Williams relieving, Clemens and his steroid use, and about politics. Minus the gorgeous looks, he reminds me of Stacy Dash lol.

Philip
Not that I am a Shapeero fan but this article from today compares the $30M that could have been spent on Price vs. the $30M that they actually spent on alternatives to Price.

https://www.thestar.com/sports/blue...blue-jays-decision-to-let-their-ace-walk.html
 

Toronto Passions

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And then who's gonna play SS?? Barney/Goins platoon??
Maybe a little Travis. Who's hot plays. I dunno. I just like the lineup better witout Jose and Tulo. But Jose might come Back, go on a tear and I love him all of a sudden. But he represents a style of hitting that I like the Jays better without.
Philip
 

Toronto Passions

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Not that I am a Shapeero fan but this article from today compares the $30M that could have been spent on Price vs. the $30M that they actually spent on alternatives to Price.

https://www.thestar.com/sports/blue...blue-jays-decision-to-let-their-ace-walk.html
That's a good article. It's definitely hard to assess it at this point... But so far so good. All I know is with or without Price, my day still feels empty without hearing the BlueJays orchestra song on Rogers lol.

Philip
 
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