Conclusion: 3 Games in 4 Nights
My three games in four nights has sadly come to a conclusion. Unfortunately the Jays lost all three. That being said, it was still a blast to be at the ballpark.
Father’s day was a bright, sunny, Sunday afternoon game. Just over 20,000 took in the game. My brother and I spent some quality time with our father. We checked the Jays Store and there is some nice merchandise to be bought. Surprisingly, I did not buy anything for myself. Craig(my brother) and I bought our dad a Blue Jays hat & a really cool golf shirt. Looks good.
The game itself wasn’t one of Toronto‘s best games, but that is why they play 162. Shaun Marcum was the starter and lasted only five innings. He didn’t pitch well, but only gave up one earned run. The Jays went into the 6th with a 3-2 lead. Three outs later, they were down 7-3. The final score ended up being 9-6 for the Giants. But on this day, the score did not matter. John McDonald had been away from the team for two weeks because of his ailing father. His father past away early last week and apparently he told his son to hit a Home Run for him. Well, McDonald came to the plate in the bottom of the ninth as pinch hitter. John did what his father asked for and launched one over the left field wall. The remaining fans all stood up and gave him a standing ovation. It was very touching and made you remember that the score isn’t all that matters.
Onto Tuesday’s match up against my other favourite ballclub, the St.Louis Cardinals. I arrived early and got to watch Pujols, Holliday and the rest of the Cards take batting practice. It was fantastic. Holliday hit the Windows restaurant a couple of times. The Dome was closed for BP but just before seven o’clock, they opened it. I know that a lot of people say the Rogers Centre is out-dated but it is stll pretty neat to watch it open. The game itself was a slugfest. The Cardinals mashed out four while Jose Bautista hit two for the home team. Brett Cecil didn’t have his best outing, but he is young and I think he has the mental make-up to bounce back from this. Cito’s constant mis-management of the bullpen put this game out of reach. Just under 17,000 attended the 9-6 Cardinals win. Typically, there would be more people at the game, but because of the G20 Summit, people are staying away.
I sat beside two people who were from Southern Illinois. Apparently they travel around to see their Cardinals. They commented on the Rogers Centre and said that it was nice. Perhaps Canadians are too harsh on our stadium. The people sitting behind us were from Nova Scotia and the two in front were from eastern Ontario. All Cards fans. I asked them what there favourite stadium is, and they all said PNC Park in Pittsburgh. I agree with them, that place is the best.
Wednesday’s game pitted Romero against Carpenter and they didn’t disappoint. Both pitchers threw eight innings of shutout ball. Kevin Gregg gave up the only run in the top of the ninth. Franklin closed out the game for St. Louis. Only 14,000 attended this game as the G20 approaches. The funny thing about it is that the area is a ghost town. There is hardly any traffic or pedestrians, just lots of police officers and fences. I’m glad that I made it to the games and again, there is nothing better than being at the ballpark.
Thanks for reading and go attend a Jays game.
3 Games in 4 Days
Today I embark on a three games in four day journey into Toronto. Don’t worry, this blog will not be all about the traffic/parking woes that is Rogers Centre.
My brother and I are taking our Father to see the Jays battle the Giants on Father’s Day (today). The Blue Jays have an off day tomorrow and than my other favourite MLB team flies in. The St. Louis Cardinals. I believe the last time the Cards played in Toronto was in 2004? I’ll have to check, but I know they have only been here once. So, since I travel to other cities to watch my Cards (Detroit, Washington, New York, St.Louis), I definitely need to see them ‘live’ when they are in Toronto. Unfortunately, as I have written before, the G20 Summit is next weekend and this series is the final one leading up to it. Yes, the traffic will be nuts, but that’s okay, as I get to see my two favourite teams square off.
Will facing a genius that is Tony LaRussa, finally expose Cito Gaston for what he is? A coach living off two World Series, where he managed a bunch of All-Stars? La Russa manages the game the way it should be. Perhaps Gaston will learn that you just can’t go up there and hit home runs. Sure, the Jays are leading the majors in HR’s, but have a team batting average under .250. You cannot play a whole season like that and expect to come out ahead.
My wife, Sarah, asked me who I will be cheering for when the Cards play the Jays. My answer was simple, “I will be wearing my Pujols jersey and Cardinals ball cap”. Why? St. Louis plays the game the right way and the above mentioned paragraph regarding La Russa. Pitching, Defense, Hit and Run, Bunt, you name it. The Cards do it. With that being said, I won’t be standing up and yelling like an idiot when St. Louis scores, but I will be clapping sitting down.
Doc Halladay Update: It looks like Halladay will be facing his former club next weekend. The Phillies have an off day tomorrow(Monday), so he will be pitching either Friday or Saturday. It all depends on if the Phillies keep him on a regular 4 day schedule. It’s too bad the game is being played in Philly, but it will still be exciting to watch.
Here are some baseball ramblings for a beautiful, Sunday morning: Remember the Blue Jays trade of Troy Glaus for Scott Rolen? Well, both players are no longer on the Jays but a poll taken by USAToday’s Sports Weekly puts both of them #3 & #4 for NL MVP votes for this season. Mind you it’s still early, but it is kinda funny considering the Jays got Edwin Encarnacion(plus two others) for Scott Rolen. The Jays signed yet another weaking hitting middle infielder, Nick Green. They optioned two weak hitting players (McCoy, Reed) and signed DeWayne Wise (career .215 AVG) and Green. Why do they need another SS? Not sure. Gonzalez has been exceptional & McDonald is McDonald. Perhaps Green will surprise me (remember my Gonzalez blog back in December?).
So in closing, I am really looking forward to watching some ball games live and hopefully it’s not to chaotic at the Rogers Centre(protesters for the G20, parking, etc.) Three games in a row is a lot, unless you are on holidays & are staying close to the stadium. I, however will not be on holidays as I need to work in order to attend these games.
Thanks for reading and go attend a Blue Jays game. I am.
Fans come in ‘flocks’ to watch the boys in blue.
What year is it? Is it 1992? Or 2010? My reason for this question is that over 37,000 people were in attendance for the Yanks-Jays game yesterday. Myself included. It was great to see the dome over three quarters full. The enthusiasm was great as the fans in the section beside me got the ‘wave’ going. I believe it went full circle (100 level, 200 & 500) four times.
Now with all that being said, there were some drawbacks to such a large crowd. First off, the Rogers Center staff. Or lack there of. There were too few beer concessions and not enough ushers. Typically you have an usher for each section but that was not the case. Section 209 could’ve used a full time usher. Not sure what the problem was, but many people in 209 (seats 1-12) had issues sitting in the right spot. There were numerous occasions of a logjam at the top of the section as people struggled to find their seats. Another problem is that when you get a large crowd, there will be a lot of people who don’t really follow baseball. By saying that, I mean you get some rift raft. Not all, as lots of families come out and enjoy the park too. But, these people generally sit in the cheaper seats. Ie. Outfield seats where I was sitting. People were constantly getting up to get food, beer, whatever. Even worse, was the ‘losers’ who consumed large amounts of alcohol and than decided that it would be cool to smoke a ‘joint’ in the 10th or 11th inning. Doing all this while some children sat a couple rows back. If we had an usher there, this wouldn’t have happened. Shame on those mouth-breathers. Don’t get me wrong, if you want to smoke pot, that’s your prerogative, just don’t do it in front of kids.
The other negative was of course, traffic. It took nearly an hour and a half from the Kitchener area. The Gardiner was completely jammed as it was down to two lanes at the Jameson cut-off. Than of course, you have the single lane exit(Spadina) to the dome. Now with that being said, if you leave early enough, it doesn’t really matter. And that is what I did. Today,(Sunday)part of the Don Valley Parkway and Gardiner is closed due to a bicycle charity event. I’m not against charity bike rides, but why not do it on a less important road?
Now back to the game. It was a pitchers duo between Andy Pettitte and Ricky Romero. Both pitched at least into the 8th inning. The game remained tied until Aaron Hill’s single knocked in Encarnacion in the 14th inning. Most of the 37,165 stuck around until the end.
In other news, the Jays signed DeWayne Wise to a minor league contract. Some of you may remember him from his breathtaking catch to preserve Mark Buerhle’s perfect game last season. You may also remember that Wise was once a Blue Jay prospect. He doesn’t hit for much power, but can still run & play defense. It will be interesting to see if the Jays recall the left handed hitting outfielder.
Overall, it was a great day & there is nothing better than watching a baseball game live. Especially when the stadium looks full. Today the Jays look to sweep the Yankees and be only half a game back of them in the standings.
Thanks for reading and go attend a Blue Jays game.
The Perfect Remedy
On Saturday, May 29th, 2010, Roy ‘Doc’ Halladay entered major league baseball’s record books by pitching a PERFECT GAME. It took the doctor 115 pitches to complete one of the (if not the most) difficult feats in pro sports. Halladay struck out eleven & had a total of 72 strikes and only 43 balls.
Philadelphia Pitchers
|
Player |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
PC |
TS |
TB |
BF |
WP |
ERA |
BLK |
|
9.0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
11 |
115 |
72 |
43 |
27 |
0 |
1.99 |
0 |
I for one, did not see the game and didn’t know about the feat until Sunday morning. Waking up and finding out about Doc’s perfect game, was splendid. After digesting what Halladay did, I was disappointed that I didn’t get to watch it live on T.V. Now if the game was during the week, I probably would’ve seen the game live on television as I usually watch the Phillies when Halladay is pitching(thank you sports package).
Being a Blue Jays fan, I was slightly saddened that it did not happen a Jays uniform. But as a Halladay & Baseball fan I am glad that a pitcher of his talent & caliber accomplished this feat. In my opinion, this now puts him in the realm of the best pitcher of my generation. All he needs to solidify number one is a World Series. He may just do that this season.
Thanks for reading and go to a Toronto Blue Jay game.
G20 Summit cancels the Doctor
The Toronto Blue Jays three game home series against the Phillies in June has been moved to Philadelphia. That series was supposed to be the return of possibly the greatest Blue Jay ever, Doc Halladay. The reason for the relocation is because of the G20 Summit being held in Toronto at the same time. It is being held literally right beside the Rogers Centre at the Metro Convention Centre. Naturally, security will be high and as we all know, parking for a Jays game is at a premium and with this going on, it would be next impossible to park. The Blue Jays will be the home team & the DH will be used in Philly.
When I first heard of this, I was mad. Which than turned into disgust, and is now disappointment. With that being said, I realize that the G20 summit is much more important than a ball game. However, I still want to know why the Jays were scheduled to play at home during the Summit. I was looking for answers to that question and others when thankfully I found some answers. Katy Feeney (VP of MLB Scheduling) was on the Fan 590 this afternoon and explained the scheduling situation. According to her the MLB schedule for 2010 was set before the Summit had decided on Toronto. Her & MLB tried to accommodate this after the fact, but could not find a better alternative than moving the series to Philly. Do I believe this? I don’t know. I can’t see why they would not try to help out one of there teams.
After all that I have mentioned above, consider this: Perhaps it is better that the games be moved to Philadelphia. I was listening to Primetime Sports on the FAN & Bob McCowan & callers had some good points. One of the points being the heighten security at the Dome. All fans would have to go through a metal detector before they entered the stadium. McCowan estimates that it will take (in his words) about only an hour more. An hour more? No big deal right? Well, I know as well as others that for some reason the Blue Jays & the radio broadcast brush off the notion of fans that are not in the GTA(Greater Toronto Area). The notion in most of Canada is that Toronto is an arrogant city who only thinks of themselves. I live only an hour away & agree totally. I can understand why people in B.C. who are three time zones away think the same thing. What I’m trying to get at is that they don’t understand that there are people(fans) outside of there city. For example, traveling from outside the GTA to a ballgame. It takes typically an hour and a half to two hours from cities like Kitchener(less than 100km away, close to Hwy. 401) to get to the ballpark. People cannot make it to a 7:00 game on a weeknight because of traffic. I do realize that a large sum of fans are from Toronto and can take the city transit or subway. Well, for the ones that don’t, it can be h*ll. I recently attended a Sunday afternoon game at the Rogers Centre and it took over an hour to drive, park & enter the stadium. That was on a Sunday. Can you imagine a Friday or Saturday while the summit is on? It would take at least 2-3 hours longer to get to the ballpark from an outlining city. And this is not just southwest of Toronto. This also includes, Hamilton, Barrie & wherever else people live. Forget it. I’d rather watch the game on T.V. and save myself the aggravation. I know people are aggravated enough with just regular schedule games. So add on 2-3 hours driving, plus trying to find a place to park in forever dwindling (or disappearing) parking lots. Than add the extra hour for security. That’s 3-4 hours. Come on Bob, and whoever thinks that it would be no big deal. It would be and I think that is one reason it wouldn’t work. Does the Jays organization realize this, or are they just concerned about the security? I’m not sure about that question or if the parking & traffic situations even occur to them.
After the above ‘rant’, I would like to say that I agree with the moving of the games. It just would be too much chaos and as I stated before, the summit is more important than a sport. It’s just too bad that we don’t get to see Doc pitch ‘live’ in Toronto this year.
On a happier note, the Jays are playing well and hope to take one from the Red Sox tonight.
Thanks for reading and go support your Blue Jays. I do.
Bye for now.
Just call me Vernon, not Venom
Vernon Wells has started the season off well. Wellsy hit a dinger on opening day & launched two more last night against his home state Texas Rangers. Good for him. I am very happy to see this. Now, if you have read any of my previous posts, you know that I have been a little harsh on him. Even to the point of calling him ‘Venom’ Wells. Having said that, I have always stated that I liked him & hoped that he could turn it around. Let’s hope this is not just a little ‘bleep’ in an otherwise dismal downspiral that we call Vernon Wells career.
In other news, Shaun Marcum & Brian Tallett both pitched well in there opening starts. Let’s hope Ricky Romero can carry the momentum as the Jays play an afternoon game against the Rangers.
Other positives for the opening week of Blue Jays baseball:
- Travis Snider had his first hit/rbi of the season last night
- Jason Frasor bounced back after blowing a save on Monday
- Aaron Hill & Adam Lind are continuing there great hitting from last season
Stay tuned for hopefully some more up beat news about the Blue Jays. I will try to remain positive as this is going to be a difficult season.
Thanks for reading and bye for now.
BLUE JAYS PREVIEW 2010
Here is my Blue Jays 2010 Preview. Hopefully, my predictions are a little better than last year. Last season, I predicted that the Jays would have a record of 89-73. Instead, they went 75-87. I also thought that Vernon Wells would become the player he was & is supposed to be. Instead, he hit .260 & drove in a measly 66 runs. But at least I was correct on his stolen base total! (17). Now enough about last year, let’s look ahead to the 2010 baseball season.
As it has been said many times, by many people, spring brings hope to every team because everyone starts with the same record. Unfortunately, that doesn’t last long. This season, the Jays have virtually no chance of competing with the Goliath’s of the AL East. With there Ace pitcher gone & a starting staff made up of unproven arms, well, this could be a very trying season. But who knows, perhaps the boys of Baseball North will surprise us.
Batting Lineup
On the left side is my prediction, with Athlon Sports on the right.
1. Jose Bautista LF 1. Jose Bautista LF
2. Lyle Overbay 1B 2. Aaron Hill 2B
3. Aaron Hill 2B 3. Vernon Wells CF
4. Adam Lind DH 4. Adam Lind DH
5. Vernon Wells CF 5. Lyle Overbay 1B
6. Travis Snider RF 6.Edwin Encarnacion 3B
7. Edwin Encarnacion 3B 7. Travis Snider RF
8. John Buck C 8. John Buck C
9. Alex Gonzalez SS 9. Alex Gonzalez SS
1. Jose Bautista: By default, Bautista will lead off. I personally think he would be a better #2 or 7 hitter, but when you don’t have a traditional lead off man, this happens. And with a player like Jose who can play multiple positions, he will get a lot of playing time. The only drawback with Bautista is that he cannot hit righties. Since 80% of the time that is who you face, this could be a troubling part of the line up. Look to see Joey Gathright lead off when he is in the lineup
2. Lyle Overbay 1B: Typically a guy like Overbay would bat 6th or 7th. However, this is not a great lineup. I think Overbay would be good in this slot because of his ability to get on base & to make contact with the ball. If the aforementioned Bautista can get on base, than Lyle should be able to move him along. I will explain why Aaron Hill is not in this slot next.
3. Aaron Hill 2B: With the season Aaron had, I would like to have him in the 3rd spot. Since his on-base percentage is not the best, I think he would do better in this spot than in the number two spot. Was last season a career year? Perhaps. But I still see him driving in over 90 runs.
4. Adam Lind DH: This is a guy who I personally think should be playing in the field. Whether it’s at first base or left field. I don’t believe a young guy should be used as an everyday DH. Having said that, he does have the mental make up to do so. If Overbay gets traded, look for Lind or Wallace to play first.
5. Vernon Wells CF: Until Vernon proves that he can hit consistently, I believe he belongs in this spot. Having a player like Vernon (even though he has not been putting up good numbers) behind Lind, will do nothing but good for both players. If Wells does become the player of old, than I would definitely move him to the #3 spot. I say this because I truly believe that Aaron Hill would be a better #5 than 2 or 3.
6. Travis Snider RF: This could be a reach, but I love this kid. I am hoping that he has a break through spring and takes the everyday right field job.
7. Edwin Encarnacion 3B: With all his inconsistencies, I see him as a #7 hitter, with some pop.
8. John Buck C: Or whoever starts at this position. Personally, I don’t understand why the Jays did not bring back Barajas. Considering he took a minor league contract elsewhere, I think he would’ve been feasible & better than the catchers they have. See Buck, Chavez & Jose Molina.
9. Alex Gonzalez SS: He bats here, because there is no where else to put this light hitting shortstop.
STARTING ROTATION
As mentioned before, the Jays enter this season with a sleuth of young pitchers. If they can remain healthy & some of them don’t get the ‘sophomore’ jinx, than it may not be all that bad. Here is my prediction:
Ricky Romero
Shaun Marcum
Brandon Morrow
Marc Rzepczyncski
Casey Janssen
This could easily be changed as Cecil, Tallet & others will be vying for a spot.
Bullpen
Scotty Downs & Jason Frasor will compete for the closer duties. Accardo, Carlson, Camp and others will compete for spots. This should be one of Toronto’s strong suits.
Infield
The infield is not as good defensively as this time last year. Mind you, the Jays had one of the best third baseman of all time in Scotty Rolen. Unfortunately, Encarnacion can not even hold Rolen’s glove. That is how bad defensively this man is. Look for Bautista to take over third if Edwin remains erratic with both the glove & bat. The Shortstop & Second base position will remain strong. Whether its Gonzalez or MacDonald, Aaron Hill will have an outstanding partner for the middle infield. Lyle Overbay will remain constant at first base. From time to time you will see newly acquired prospect, Brett Wallace playing here. That is if he makes the club.
Outfield
Typically some of your better hitters are outfielders. Well, not with the Blue Jays. Same goes for depth. As of now, the starting three are (from left to right field) Bautista, Wells & Snider. The light hitting Joey Gathright will be the fourth outfielder. Ouch. Perhaps some in season acquisitions will happen and hopefully Travis Snider recognizes his potential.
Catching
As I said earlier, I wish that the Jays would’ve re-signed Barajas. Even after he declined their option, they could’ve still signed him. Now we have retreads Buck, Chavez & Jose Molina competing to be number one until the ‘future’ J.P. Arencibia is ready.
Bench
This is another offensive weak spot. You have still unproven Randy Ruiz as the power hitter off the bench. Johnny Mac & Gathright are good defense replacements or pinch runners. But do you really need to pinch runners? No. I would personally like to see another ‘hitter’ on Cito’s bench.
Now for my Baseball predictions for the rest of baseball.
AL EAST AL CENTRAL
1. New York 1. Minnesota
2. Boston* 2. Chicago
3. Tampa Bay 3. Detroit
4. Toronto 4. Cleveland
5. Baltimore 5. Kansas City
AL WEST
1. L.A. Angels
2. Seattle
3. Texas
4. Oakland
NATIONAL LEAGUE PREDICTIONS:
NL EAST NL CENTRAL
1. Philadelphia 1. St. Louis
2. Atlanta* 2. Chicago
3. New York Mets 3. Milwaukee
4. Florida 4. Cincinnati
5. Washington 5. Houston
6. Pittsburgh
NL WEST
1. L.A. Dodgers
2. Arizona
3. Colorado
4. San Fransisco
5. San Diego
· *denotes wild card
American League Championship: Angels over Yankees
National League Championship: Cardinals over Dodgers
WORLD SERIES: My St.Louis Cardinals over the Angels of Anaheim!
AL MVP: Alex Rodriguez Yankees
NL MVP: Albert Pujols Cardinals
AL CY YOUNG: Felix Hernandez Seattle
NL CY YOUNG: Roy Halladay (of course) Phillies
Last season my predictions were not that bad, with the exception of the New York Mets winning the World Series!?!? Not sure what I was thinking there. But this is what makes baseball fun. You never know what is going to happen in a 162 game schedule.
Remember, the Jays are a young team that is re-building from the Riccardi years. Please be civil & don’t be ‘booing’ them at home games. For whatever reason, Toronto fans (whether its hockey, baseball, whatever) seem to think that they are better than the teams they are suppose to support and constantly jeer them. I say we give these guys some positive support.
So come on out to some games and support our team. It is a new era.
Thanks for reading and bye for now.
Did the Jays win the Halladay trade?
It will take a few years before we finally see the outcome of this deal. If Drabek can be a bona fide #1 or even a number #2 starter, than the Jays did alright. The same goes with Travis D’Arnaurd. The problem with him is that he is a catcher. Lately, every catcher prospect for the Jays has been a dud. Hopefully he bucks the trend. The Saunders for Wallace swap should be good. Apparently this Wallace is a real baseball nut. If he becomes a slugger & Snider starts to realize his potential, than lookout.
The Doctor is out. For good.(bad)
As everyone is probably aware by now, Roy ‘Doc’ Halladay has been traded from the Blue Jays. The Franchise is now gone. What do we have left? A $21.5 million sub-par player in Vernon Wells. I do recall at one time, that Vernon was the ‘franchise’. I guess he is again.
The Jays are involved in a three team trade that includes two Cy Young Award winners. Cliff Lee is leaving Philly & joining the Mariners. Doc Halladay moves to the Phils. And the rest is up in the air. According to www.mlbtraderumors.com , there are many different opinions on who went where. All told, here are the suggested prospects. Phillippe Aumont, Tyson Gillies, Juan Ramirez, Kyle Drabek, Michael Taylor & Travis D’Arnaud. At this time, no one really knows who goes where. Hopefully the Jays get at least Drabek, Taylor, D’Arnaud & Aumont. Not likely, but hopefully. The Blue Jays will also be paying $6 million towards Halladay’s salary this upcoming season.
Another rumour going around is the Jays trading Michael Taylor to the A’s for 3B Brett Wallace. Wallace was an original draft pick by the Blue Jays. He ended up going back in the draft and signed by my other favourite team (which is a lot better, thankfully), the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cards than traded him & others to Oakland for Matt Holliday. If this trade does go through, I can see the Jays moving Wallace to first base as he is a below average fielder. Where does that leave Overbay? Who knows. Hopefully not in a Jays uniform.
Since GM Alex (whatever his last name is) of the Blue Jays is so tight lipped, no one really knows what exactly transpired in the past 48 hours. What we do know is that Doc is gone & all we have left is a mild hope. A mild hope that newly signed players Joey Gathright & Ramon Castro lead the way. Just kidding. If that is what we’re going to rely on, than there is no hope.
Signed,
A disgruntled & wounded Blue Jays fan.
Jays Sign Alex Gonzalez
Alert! Alert! The Blue Jays signed Alex Gonzalez for 2.75 million for 2010. You’re probably thinking “Is that the Alex who played for the Jays in the ’90′s?”. The answer is NO.
This Alex Gonzalez played for Boston & Cincinnati last year. His offense is pitiful, although not as bad as John McDonald’s. Speaking of Johnny Mac, the Jays signed him for two years. So now they have to defensive shortstops with little offense. I know that MacDonald can play third, but he didn’t overly impress me at that position last season.
With the signing of Gonzalez, means the end of Scutaro. That is ok. Marco will probably be making 6-8 million next season and as the Jays are rebuilding, they do not need that expense.
Halladay Rumours: As we all know, Doc is on the trade block. Several teams are in the hunt, including the Angels & Dodgers. Apparently the Red Sox are at the forefront. But it all depends on who gives up the most. I personally think that Halladay will be in another uniform at the start of the 2010 season.
It will be a sad day when he is traded.
Thanks for reading and bye for now.
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