2011 Blue Jays Season Thread

[Machiavelli]

I'm digging Litsch's beard.

[Matty81]

Litsch was throwing pumpkins in that inning and the 5 run head start is almost gone. To be fair Bautista should have ended the inning but the 4th and 5th starter slots continue to look shaky.

And Lind hammers one over the wall. Nice to see the hitting picking up.

[GirlySports]

Looks like a road trip to Texas heat did the trick (or not playing a team named Red Sox, Yankees or Rays). They can hit again!

[Machiavelli]

Litsch doesn't have the most....uh....athletic build, but he is deceptively agile.

[flames_fan_down_under]

Bautista is almost untouchable.

[zukes]

Originally Posted by Ziggy Lidstrom

I would have thanked you for engaging and furthering the discussion, but you did a drive by critique.

The jays have declined most of his option years and have team options for the 2012 season. He is looking like he will be released after 2012 if not traded first. And it was as Goze stated that JP had drafted college position players in Russ Adams and Aaron Hill the 3 years before the RR TT draft.

So thanks for coming out buddy. Sometimes I guess I take for granted the assumed consensus on information around here. My bad...

The OP's post was worded weirdly, I took it the wrong way.

Thanks for being the post police...for the record, the Jays only declined 2014 option on Hill, they have until the end of the season for 2013.

[Matty81]

Huge start for Jo-Jo tonight. You've gotta think one more beating is the end of the line for him but I'll be really curious to see who else they can plug in there with Zep looking solidly in the pen and Cecil imploding down in triple A.

Was reading about this out of nowhere prospect in AA Chad Beck who apparently was throwing 89-91 until last season when he developed some serious heat in the offseason and is living around 93-95 and touching 97 now. He has been dominating at AA in his first two starts - is it common for guys to pick up that much speed later in their careers?

With no real big time pitching prospects on the cusp in Las Vegas, it might make sense for the Jays to pick up Kevin Slowey after all if Reyes gets scorched again tonight - can't think he'd cost anything more than a mid level prospect or two.

[Gozer]

Brad Mills, Zach Stewart, and Scott Richmond would be quite annoyed at that move.

[Matty81]

Originally Posted by Gozer

Brad Mills, Zach Stewart, and Scott Richmond would be quite annoyed at that move.

Stewart is going to be good, and I know Drabek did come straight up from AA - he's the one starting pitching prospect in the organization I could see making the jump at some point this year. To me though, he's not in AA because Jo-Jo is awesome, he's in AA because that's the plan for him. If Jo-Jo keeps sucking, I can't see them changing his development plan to cover their butts for 4 months or so.

I like Richmond I just don't think you hold off on moves because you're holding back a 32 year old. I think he'd be a better stopgap than Reyes but less effective than Slowey.

Mills is pitching the best of his career. Not sold on the stuff though personally, subjective though I know. 88mph fastball, below average curve and a good change-up - wouldn't mind seeing him start a game or two but I think he might get hit hard at the MLB level.

[Ziggy Lidstrom]

Originally Posted by zukes

The OP's post was worded weirdly, I took it the wrong way.

Thanks for being the post police...for the record, the Jays only declined 2014 option on Hill, they have until the end of the season for 2013.

I'm the post police? You called me out, when you were misinformed. Not me. Nice not even mentioning it, where you were wrong. But hey, it's the internet. Any nerd can do drive byes knowing they never have to be accountable.
Pot, meet Kettle!

They have already declined the '14 option yes, but the '12 and '13 seasons are still to be determined, not just the 2013. But from the way it's looking, it won't be a tough decision for the jays if the injuries continue to be a dark cloud over hill's career.

anyway, im done with your plebeian attempts at discourse.


GO GO Jo Jo...

[Ziggy Lidstrom]

Originally Posted by Matty81

Stewart is going to be good, and I know Drabek did come straight up from AA - he's the one starting pitching prospect in the organization I could see making the jump at some point this year. To me though, he's not in AA because Jo-Jo is awesome, he's in AA because that's the plan for him. If Jo-Jo keeps sucking, I can't see them changing his development plan to cover their butts for 4 months or so.

I like Richmond I just don't think you hold off on moves because you're holding back a 32 year old. I think he'd be a better stopgap than Reyes but less effective than Slowey.

Mills is pitching the best of his career. Not sold on the stuff though personally, subjective though I know. 88mph fastball, below average curve and a good change-up - wouldn't mind seeing him start a game or two but I think he might get hit hard at the MLB level.

Was going to do the usual thanks but I thought I would do it the old fashioned way. Good Post.

Re: Mills, I think you need to look at Maddux as a guy who never threw in the 90's but was electric. Perhaps that's a bit lofty of a comparison, but what about Glavine, who wasn't overpowering but had great command and lived on the outside part of the plate.

I think Mills could be a lesser vestige of either. He has a good curve ball and a solid change up. If he can get his fastball to move at 88, then it would easier to project him but for now he just has that straight 4 seamer and it is a minor league pitch without movement. I still have hope for him since he seems like a tough competitor.

[Machiavelli]

That was probably Reyes' last chance.

[Gozer]

Originally Posted by Ziggy Lidstrom

Re: Mills, I think you need to look at Maddux as a guy who never threw in the 90's but was electric. Perhaps that's a bit lofty of a comparison, but what about Glavine, who wasn't overpowering but had great command and lived on the outside part of the plate.

As a hopeful expectation, Marcum is a little more palatable than Maddux.

[Gozer]

Mike Wilner (Fan590) recently said it would be a minor miracle, but I'm still holding out hope that McGowan might get another MLB start yet.

[Gozer]

Cecil in AAA: 10 earned runs on 13 hits in 4 1/3 innings

I think he'll be back in the bigs this season. It's not unusual for a finesse pitcher with 50 starts to fall into a hole.

[Matty81]

Originally Posted by Ziggy Lidstrom

Was going to do the usual thanks but I thought I would do it the old fashioned way. Good Post.

Re: Mills, I think you need to look at Maddux as a guy who never threw in the 90's but was electric. Perhaps that's a bit lofty of a comparison, but what about Glavine, who wasn't overpowering but had great command and lived on the outside part of the plate.

I think Mills could be a lesser vestige of either. He has a good curve ball and a solid change up. If he can get his fastball to move at 88, then it would easier to project him but for now he just has that straight 4 seamer and it is a minor league pitch without movement. I still have hope for him since he seems like a tough competitor.

Ya, I gree that excellent control can compensate for sub par stuff and I also read that Mills is actually a pretty brainy guy who has some sort of engineering degree (tougher degrees are very rare amongst MLB players) which probably doesn't hurt when it comes to thinking the game. I haven't seen him play ever though so I'd like to see him get a couple starts at some point and just get a firsthand viewing of the kind of pitcher he is.

I do kind of feel bad for Reyes but he needs to go after tonight.

Holy crap Bautista is a BEAST this year. Who would have thought he'd be even better than last year. Early days but the contract decision by Alex is looking solid.

[Gozer]

Originally Posted by Machiavelli

That was probably Reyes' last chance.

Being a lefty and getting slapped around by Texas isn't a huge cause for concern.

Was he really struggling?
I'll try to do a pitch/fx breakdown of his game (since I didn't see it).

[Matty81]

Originally Posted by Gozer

Mike Wilner (Fan590) recently said it would be a minor miracle, but I'm still holding out hope that McGowan might get another MLB start yet.

That would be great - McGowan was such a promising pitcher before all the injury stuff, just seemed like a matter of time before he pieced it all together. I've heard they are going to start him in the pen but wonder if there is any word on how his velocity is looking.

[Gozer]

Originally Posted by Matty81

Ya, I gree that excellent control can compensate for sub par stuff and I also read that Mills is actually a pretty brainy guy who has some sort of engineering degree (tougher degrees are very rare amongst MLB players) which probably doesn't hurt when it comes to thinking the game. I haven't seen him play ever though so I'd like to see him get a couple starts at some point and just get a firsthand viewing of the kind of pitcher he is.

I think I remember seeing him and being unimpressed, but I was watching Doc and Burnett daily and it's tough to look better then them.

Civil Engineering

http://www.battersbox.ca/article.php...80513123538693

BB: There are probably not that many college graduates on baseball rosters or guys with advanced degrees. Have you felt that at all?

BM: Maybe a little bit. If anything it gives me peace of mind being here, I don't really have to press myself, I can just let it happen, be relaxed, and work on my game here because I know that I don't have to make it to the big leagues to be OK in life. So I can concentrate on this and give it my all because I know there is something waiting if it doesn't work out.

That made me feel better about his raw "stuff".
No sense in keeping the dream alive if he's being told he doesn't have it.

[Machiavelli]

Just a reminder that the Jays are facing the Rangers in an afternoon game, right now.