The thrilling 5-4 come from behind (then nearly blown) victory by the Blue Jays simply would not have happened these past few frustrating campaigns under former Manager John Gibbons. Everything went the Tigers way in this one, except for when it mattered. After a couple of questionable calls at 2nd base went Detroit's way, it seemed the Jays were destined to go home losers. But the team showed resiliency, not unlike what they did down the stretch in '08 after Gibbons was canned. Call it the Cito Gaston factor...
Down 3-0 in the 8th inning, veteran Scott Rolen laced his first home run of the young season, then Aaron Hill followed that up with a three run blast that just sailed over the left field wall giving the Jays a huge 4-3 lead heading to the 9th. Closer B. J. Ryan promptly blew the save in the 9th, serving up a no doubt solo shot to Brandon Inge. Instead of hanging their heads, in the bottom half of the 9th and the bases loaded, Rod Barajas' sacrifice fly lifted Toronto to a massive victory. It can't be underscored enough; even though the season is 2 games old, a big victory like this goes a long way in setting up a season...
It wasn't supposed to be this way. The team was expected to be awful. The rotation would falter. The creaky veterans would get hurt. The young kids would go through their lumps. Suddenly, just two games in, there is optimism in a city starved for a decent professional sports team...
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Some Blue Jays fans just don't get it.
You're at the game, and the home team is destroying the Tigers. Everyone is having fun, and then you have to be a goon and chuck stuff onto the field. Come on, what are you doing? Really?
That thought entered my mind quite a few times last night when the Jays were up big in the 8th inning and the game was delayed for nearly 10 minutes because fans started heaving beer cups, batteries, golf balls, baseballs, you name it, in the direction of the Tigers players...
The P.A. Announcer (who took a long time to address the crowd) eventually informed everyone at the Rogers Centre if this behaviour continued it would spell a forfeiture of the game for Toronto. And yet a few fans were still tossing debris onto the field. Those fans aren't true fans. They're just dumb...
Another ridiculous thing you see constantly at Jays games are people on their cell phones talking to someone a few sections down, waving frantically to get their attention! What's the deal with that? Do you realize how ridiculous you look? I don't even understand the point in doing it, because it's never as if their "friends" move to sit beside them. Mainly they distract other fans and look like a fool in the process...
And don't even get me started on how much i LOATHE the "wave" at sporting events...
That thought entered my mind quite a few times last night when the Jays were up big in the 8th inning and the game was delayed for nearly 10 minutes because fans started heaving beer cups, batteries, golf balls, baseballs, you name it, in the direction of the Tigers players...
The P.A. Announcer (who took a long time to address the crowd) eventually informed everyone at the Rogers Centre if this behaviour continued it would spell a forfeiture of the game for Toronto. And yet a few fans were still tossing debris onto the field. Those fans aren't true fans. They're just dumb...
Another ridiculous thing you see constantly at Jays games are people on their cell phones talking to someone a few sections down, waving frantically to get their attention! What's the deal with that? Do you realize how ridiculous you look? I don't even understand the point in doing it, because it's never as if their "friends" move to sit beside them. Mainly they distract other fans and look like a fool in the process...
And don't even get me started on how much i LOATHE the "wave" at sporting events...
Travis Snider is the real deal!
Believe the hype! Travis Snider will be a force patrolling Left Field for the Blue Jays for many years to come. In 4 stops in the Jays organizational ladder last season, Snider had 25 HR's, 104 RBI in 157 games, including 10 RBI in 22 games with the big club...
Snider followed up a torrid spring raking at a .381 clip with 4 HR's, 10 RBI, by smacking two extra base hits in the opener last night including his first home run of the campaign. As mentioned in a previous post, there is absolutely no way Toronto will continue to have him hit at the bottom of the order if Snider is such a force. Both Adam Lind and Snider will be right in the middle of that lineup, which, if everyone remains healthy, could be fairly potent...
A bonus to Snider's game is his underrated defense. He is an upgrade over Lind in left, and he manages to get to most balls hit his way, and has a pretty good arm. For being a stocky guy, he's able to cover more of the field that would seem to be the case...
There is only one potential road block in Snider's ascent to stardom is his penchant for striking out. Snider struck out quite a lot in AA, and in the brief time in AAA, he did so as well. Obviously, if he piles up the power numbers that he's been doing since being selected with the 14th pick in the 2006 draft, it won't be too much of an issue. However, there is a possibility he might go in prolonged slumps. Then again, for a 21 year old rookie, you can't expect too much...can you??
Snider followed up a torrid spring raking at a .381 clip with 4 HR's, 10 RBI, by smacking two extra base hits in the opener last night including his first home run of the campaign. As mentioned in a previous post, there is absolutely no way Toronto will continue to have him hit at the bottom of the order if Snider is such a force. Both Adam Lind and Snider will be right in the middle of that lineup, which, if everyone remains healthy, could be fairly potent...
A bonus to Snider's game is his underrated defense. He is an upgrade over Lind in left, and he manages to get to most balls hit his way, and has a pretty good arm. For being a stocky guy, he's able to cover more of the field that would seem to be the case...
There is only one potential road block in Snider's ascent to stardom is his penchant for striking out. Snider struck out quite a lot in AA, and in the brief time in AAA, he did so as well. Obviously, if he piles up the power numbers that he's been doing since being selected with the 14th pick in the 2006 draft, it won't be too much of an issue. However, there is a possibility he might go in prolonged slumps. Then again, for a 21 year old rookie, you can't expect too much...can you??
Adam Lind leads Blue Jays offensive onslaught!
What a big statement the Blue Jays made on opening day. Their expected weakness swinging the bats was proven wrong, if only for one contest. Every Blue Jay had at least one hit, pasting Tigers ace Justin Verlander for 8 earned runs in just 3.2 innings of work...
Adam Lind led the charge with 4 hits including a three-run home run, and set a Jays opening day record with six runs driven in. Manager Cito Gaston gave Lind a lot of responsibility hitting fifth behind Vernon Wells, and he didn't disappoint. Lind also drove in a pair with an RBI single in the 1st & plated an additional add-on run in the 8th with a base rap. Since being drafted in the 3rd round out of South Alabama in 2004, Lind has showed this kind of promise on more than one occasion. It's hard to believe that after a rough beginning in '08 which led to his demotion to AAA, Lind thought his major league career could have been over...
Vernon Wells didn't look like he had been suffering any ill effects from his wrist & hamstring injuries that caused him to only suit up for 11 games in the spring. Lyle Overbay, moved down to seven in the order due to a poor showing in the grapefruit league, also swung the bat well, driving in two in the first inning...
If it seems that I've missed someone, I've done it intentionally. Travis Snider is so good he deserves his own post, coming up...
Adam Lind led the charge with 4 hits including a three-run home run, and set a Jays opening day record with six runs driven in. Manager Cito Gaston gave Lind a lot of responsibility hitting fifth behind Vernon Wells, and he didn't disappoint. Lind also drove in a pair with an RBI single in the 1st & plated an additional add-on run in the 8th with a base rap. Since being drafted in the 3rd round out of South Alabama in 2004, Lind has showed this kind of promise on more than one occasion. It's hard to believe that after a rough beginning in '08 which led to his demotion to AAA, Lind thought his major league career could have been over...
Vernon Wells didn't look like he had been suffering any ill effects from his wrist & hamstring injuries that caused him to only suit up for 11 games in the spring. Lyle Overbay, moved down to seven in the order due to a poor showing in the grapefruit league, also swung the bat well, driving in two in the first inning...
If it seems that I've missed someone, I've done it intentionally. Travis Snider is so good he deserves his own post, coming up...
HUGE Blue Jays victory!
What a phenomenal opening day victory for the Jays. There are so many positives to take from the 12-5 drubbing of the Tigers...
Adam Lind set a franchise record with 6 RBI on opening day...
Rookie of the Year candidate Travis Snider had a double & a solo home run...
Every Blue Jay had at least one hit...
Even when Roy Halladay let a few pitches get away from him (which led to a pair of homers, and nearly two more), he still managed to mow down Detroit...
The best bullpen in baseball in '08 continued its fine form...
The only embarrassment were the actions of a few fans causing a delay in the game by throwing objects onto the field...
More on this game, and what to expect going forward tomorrow!
Adam Lind set a franchise record with 6 RBI on opening day...
Rookie of the Year candidate Travis Snider had a double & a solo home run...
Every Blue Jay had at least one hit...
Even when Roy Halladay let a few pitches get away from him (which led to a pair of homers, and nearly two more), he still managed to mow down Detroit...
The best bullpen in baseball in '08 continued its fine form...
The only embarrassment were the actions of a few fans causing a delay in the game by throwing objects onto the field...
More on this game, and what to expect going forward tomorrow!
Monday, April 6, 2009
Opening Day!
The first pitch to the Toronto Blue Jays season is a couple of hours away! The Detroit Tigers pose a quality test for the 4 games series. Last season everyone (including myself) was hyping up the Tigers BIG time. This year, without the pressure, they could very well snatch the AL Central crown from the Chicago White Sox...
Roy Halladay will make his 7th straight opening day start, go up against Justin Verlander...
I'll be going to the first game tonight, and will blog about the big Jays victory later this evening (a win that will put them on pace to finish 162-0!)
Enjoy the game!
Roy Halladay will make his 7th straight opening day start, go up against Justin Verlander...
I'll be going to the first game tonight, and will blog about the big Jays victory later this evening (a win that will put them on pace to finish 162-0!)
Enjoy the game!
The enigmatic Vernon Wells
Vernon "V-Dub" Wells has always put up good numbers. Since being selected with the 5th pick in the 1997 draft, he has been a professional ball player in the truest sense. Yet it's hard to find much sympathy for the 3 time gold glove winner. Maybe it's the 7 year, $126 million contract he signed two seasons ago, or the label that he's not a "clutch" player, not to mention his countless maladies, but Wells' fan fare is slipping with each passing year...
Last season, V-Dub put up very respectable numbers for a guy battling two injuries (broken wrist, hamstring) 20 HR, 78 RBI in just 108 games. One has to wonder that if he can complete a full campaign this year, with the addition of Adam Lind & Travis Snider in Toronto's lineup whether he could post 100+ RBI for only the 2nd time in the last 6 seasons...
It's not not to already be concerned and frustrated with Wells. He's missed a chunk of time in spring training due to problems with his hamstring & wrist (again!) Is another trip to the DL imminent? Or will Wells bash 25-30 homers and drive in 100+ runs? Fans are growing restless and impatient with the same script. In a close ball game, it's expected he'll pop out or whiff. He always "pads" his stats when the game is out of line. For a guy that brings so much to the clubhouse (leadership, offense, great defense), there is an air of mystery behind Wells. He is an all star centre fielder wrapped in an enigma...
Last season, V-Dub put up very respectable numbers for a guy battling two injuries (broken wrist, hamstring) 20 HR, 78 RBI in just 108 games. One has to wonder that if he can complete a full campaign this year, with the addition of Adam Lind & Travis Snider in Toronto's lineup whether he could post 100+ RBI for only the 2nd time in the last 6 seasons...
It's not not to already be concerned and frustrated with Wells. He's missed a chunk of time in spring training due to problems with his hamstring & wrist (again!) Is another trip to the DL imminent? Or will Wells bash 25-30 homers and drive in 100+ runs? Fans are growing restless and impatient with the same script. In a close ball game, it's expected he'll pop out or whiff. He always "pads" his stats when the game is out of line. For a guy that brings so much to the clubhouse (leadership, offense, great defense), there is an air of mystery behind Wells. He is an all star centre fielder wrapped in an enigma...
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