2015 ALCS Toronto Blue Jays VS Kansas City Royals

[habernac]

Damn, what a season. Bautista was clutch. Really would like to have seen the result had Cecil not been hurt. So many factors....

Thanks, Toronto, for making us care about baseball again. This rickety old ballplayer had a blast watching it.

[flames_fan_down_under]

I still really feel for Ben Revere. That 2nd strike call was unbelievable.

Pretty awesome that the best offence in baseball has 1 through 9 coming back next season.

[Jiggy_12]

So much to take away from this season and I really hope they can keep this rolling in to next year. This undoubtedly re-ignited the fan base and captured a whole demographic of brand new fans. Bandwagon or not, who cares? The Jays were starved for this kind of attention.

The biggest things I'll remember from the 2015 Jays:

1. Bautista's playoff emergence, cementing himself as one of the all-time greatest Jays. The doubters can no longer doubt. The Bat-flip will live on in baseball eternity for everyone who witnessed it. The first time a sports moment has left me physically speechless.
2. The greatest baseball playoff game most have ever seen. Game 5 ALDS featuring the infamous 53 minute long 7th inning.
3. The emergence of Kevin Pillar into not just a household name, but borderline super stardom. From a 32nd round draft pick to superman.
4. Marcus Stroman's remarkable comeback, to not only make it back but pitch lights out down the stretch and effectively in meaningful playoff games.
5. Josh Donaldson.

What a fantastic ride that was. With the 22 year drought, and the way the team toiled in mediocrity until there was just a 1/3 of the season left, brought a recipe for spontaneous surprise and pure elation that might be hard to duplicate again. I enjoyed every second of that, despite the high stress levels felt during many moments of this playoff run.

[Senator Clay Davis]

^^Is 1 through 9 coming back next season though? With so many holes to fill in both the rotation and bullpen, the Jays might not be able to do it all through free agency. Could see a position player trade or two to try and pick up some pitching. It's obviously not an accident the two teams playing for the World Series are arguably the two best overall pitching staffs in baseball. Mets got the starters, Royals got the bullpen.

[Jiggy_12]

Originally Posted by flames_fan_down_under

I still really feel for Ben Revere. That 2nd strike call was unbelievable.

Pretty awesome that the best offence in baseball has 1 through 9 coming back next season.

1-9 will be back (pending trades) but don't forget, we have Michael Saunders coming back, an upgrade on Ben Revere (don't let batting avg fool you, he's better) and Devon Travis coming back who is better than Goins. Not to mention Dalton Pompey knocking on the door and might just break it down.

When you can have Ben Revere/Dalton Pompey as your 4th/5th OF and Ryan Goins as your infield utility man, you are in really extremely good shape.

Lots of tools to help with trade if we need to shore up pitching.

[flames_fan_down_under]

Good article on Tulowitzki.

Says a lot of the things I thought was going on.

I am excited to have a rested, healthy, and comfortable Tulo on the Jays next season.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb...rlwind-season/

"It’s been a tough year for me, to be honest. Just with everything that went down with the trade. It threw me for a loop. It threw my family for a loop," Tulowitzki said. "I’m excited to go to spring training and get a fresh start with the team and be with these guys for a whole year and not have to worry about trade talks and all that. The last three or four years I had to worry about it and talk about it every single day in Colorado. So, I’m looking forward to having a year where I don’t have to talk about it. It’s going to be great."

[868904]

Originally Posted by mrkajz44

Yeah, that's pretty much my point about luck. Royals got their hits with RISP, Blue Jays didn't. Mostly luck really (in my eyes there is no such thing as "clutch" in any sport)

The problem is the jays approach is always the big swing for extra bases and their inability to play small ball. Just becaus you are a team that can mash doesn't mean you shouldn't play small ball. The last inning is the best example.

They started off great with Mrtin getting on base and Pompey and Pillar doing their jobs. Then Gibbins brings in a cold Navarro, why? Navarro isn't some great pinch hitter and he's even less of a contact hitter than Goins is. At that point, you need to tie the game first, but by bringing in Goins, Gibbns was thinking extra base hits and the win. The easiest play there is the bunt and you had Goins and Revere with opportunities. If either of them gets one down,it's tie game and you have Donaldson up with less pressure.

All series Long, the jays failed at the little things that championship teams need to be able to do. They relied too much on the home runs and could not win close games.

[flames_fan_down_under]

Originally Posted by Jiggy_12

1-9 will be back (pending trades) but don't forget, we have Michael Saunders coming back, an upgrade on Ben Revere (don't let batting avg fool you, he's better) and Devon Travis coming back who is better than Goins. Not to mention Dalton Pompey knocking on the door and might just break it down.

When you can have Ben Revere/Dalton Pompey as your 4th/5th OF and Ryan Goins as your infield utility man, you are in really extremely good shape.

Lots of tools to help with trade if we need to shore up pitching.

Don't forget about Maicer Izturis as well! The forgotten Jay.

If I remember correctly the last off-season the Jays worries were 2B, C, CF, and pitching.

This off-season is straightforward: Pitching.

They need more arms.

[Senator Clay Davis]

I think I'm remembering this stat from last night right, but the Royals got the leadoff hitter in an inning on base 17 times in the series. That runner scored 11 times. The Royals do the little things so well and that's what makes them such a difficult matchup.

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by flames_fan_down_under

Don't forget about Maicer Izturis as well! The forgotten Jay.
.

I don't think he's under contract next season.

[flames_fan_down_under]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

I don't think he's under contract next season.

Club option I think. Team likely doesn't pick up the option so you're right.

[spuzzum]

Originally Posted by flames_fan_down_under

Good article on Tulowitzki.

Says a lot of the things I thought was going on.

I am excited to have a rested, healthy, and comfortable Tulo on the Jays next season.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb...rlwind-season/

It's truly amazing a guy making in excess of 20 million has had a rough year because he was traded. Unreal. Even the process of moving is outsourced. Tulo nor his family have to lift a finger to move.

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by 868904

The problem is the jays approach is always the big swing for extra bases and their inability to play small ball. Just becaus you are a team that can mash doesn't mean you shouldn't play small ball. The last inning is the best example.



They started off great with Mrtin getting on base and Pompey and Pillar doing their jobs. Then Gibbins brings in a cold Navarro, why? Navarro isn't some great pinch hitter and he's even less of a contact hitter than Goins is. At that point, you need to tie the game first, but by bringing in Goins, Gibbns was thinking extra base hits and the win. The easiest play there is the bunt and you had Goins and Revere with opportunities. If either of them gets one down,it's tie game and you have Donaldson up with less pressure.



All series Long, the jays failed at the little things that championship teams need to be able to do. They relied too much on the home runs and could not win close games.

They are also really good at taking the count deep and drawing walks, but I think sometimes this hurts them. They watch so many pitches that a few bad calls can put them in a hole. I don't recall a team arguing as many calls - they usually had a point but doesn't matter since they're not going to change the umps mind. Sometimes I think they'd be better off hacking away more and just making contact.

Then again the Tulo inning a few games ago shows the value of walks.....

[flames_fan_down_under]

I have no problem with the Jays approach.

KC was luckier. Donaldson hit a line drive into Moustakas's glove, meanwhile KC had weird backspin balls that died in the infield and produced singles, balls just dropping over Tulo's head in the outfield. Just a bit luckier.

KC scored their first two runs with home runs, its not like they were just playing small ball all game.

[Harry Lime]

Dalton Pompey is a MLB player, and I think that we see one of Revere or Saunders moved. It's EE's and Bautista's walk year as well, so I think that we might see EE shopped as the bait for a pitcher. This postseason has made Bautista untouchable in terms of selling tickets next year, and he's a position player. EE and Revere package would bring a high quality arm back. Add a free agent or two, and there is more than enough money to build a staff.

Stoman, Sanchez, (trade), (FA), (FA)
Stroman, Sanchez, (Shields with money retained), (Shark), (Estrada)

Add Izturis and Navarro money in the pot of retired pitchers, and there is no barrier to landing a solid staff and pen. DH Hague (AAA MVP), and look for someone in season, or splurge for a FA. (Price and Grienke are looking for Kershaw money, and I don't think Rogers will let that happen)

I'm not that worried about not seeing post season Blue Jays ball again next year, as well.

[JayP]

Originally Posted by browna

Yup, and then it snowballs.
1)Navarro playing defense at the plate instead of being ahead.
2)Pitcher ahead so can throw different next pitch out of zone,knowing this
3)Pitcher goes to same pitch with Revere,knowing ump just called it
4)Ump doesn't like being called inconsistent, so two wrongs=a right
5)Revere is at 2-2 instead of 3-1 and see 1)&2).
6)Now two outs so KC defense can play back. Donaldson and his sharp hit is a routine force at first.

MLB batter's OPS in 3-1 counts - 1.050
MLB batters OPS in 2-2 counts - .585

One bad call can completely submarine an entire at bat - the numbers change so drastically. The Jays had it happen back to back with the season on the line. It gets magnified when you facing the best closer in the league too. And this doesn't factor in that you have expand the zone to compensate for the brutal calls. Navaro got the same pitch with 2 strikes - there's no way he hacks at that without the ump calling it on him the pitch before.

[habernac]

Originally Posted by spuzzum

It's truly amazing a guy making in excess of 20 million has had a rough year because he was traded. Unreal. Even the process of moving is outsourced. Tulo nor his family have to lift a finger to move.

Because moving furniture is the most stressful thing about leaving one city for another

[JayP]

Originally Posted by flames_fan_down_under

I have no problem with the Jays approach.

KC was luckier. Donaldson hit a line drive into Moustakas's glove, meanwhile KC had weird backspin balls that died in the infield and produced singles, balls just dropping over Tulo's head in the outfield. Just a bit luckier.

KC scored their first two runs with home runs, its not like they were just playing small ball all game.

Yeah, their BABIP was through the roof all series. You can't defend against that. I read on twitter that with runners in scoring position, KC's BABIP was .450 to the Jays' .230. With numbers like that, its a minor miracle the series even went 6. Flip those around and the Jays win the series at home.

Playoff baseball is tough - Escobar is basically John McDonald with the bat and he hit nearly .500 this series. The Jays just didnt have any role player catch fire like that. The Royals are not a better team than the Jays. They just got hot at the right time and even then it was barely enough for them to get by. It sucks, but that's what happens in a sport where a 7 game series isn't nearly long enough to determine anything.

[Skaloper]

Originally Posted by JayP

MLB batter's OPS in 3-1 counts - 1.050
MLB batters OPS in 2-2 counts - .585

One bad call can completely submarine an entire at bat - the numbers change so drastically. The Jays had it happen back to back with the season on the line. It gets magnified when you facing the best closer in the league too. And this doesn't factor in that you have expand the zone to compensate for the brutal calls. Navaro got the same pitch with 2 strikes - there's no way he hacks at that without the ump calling it on him the pitch before.

MLB needs to have something in place to prevent expanding strike zones (I understand a variable strike zone but come on those are CLEARLY not strikes). To have your season end on something so controversial just magnifies that at some point it is no longer player ability that decides the game.

The HR call should also have been a double and I have no idea why MLB couldn't see it. I understand not calling the Balks but at least warn the pitcher that if he does it again he is going to get called on it.

The instant replay was much needed but still I feel it needs to be changed. The "Definitive Proof" needs to be changed because in a bang bang play I'm sorry but the call on the field should in no way have precedence over an instant replay that can be slowed down.

[JiriHrdina]

Couldn't watch live last night and finally decided to watch the final 3 ABs. Boy those strike calls on Navarro and Revere are tough to swallow. But the Royals would argue they got a bad call during the Bautistal AB last game.

In all the effort for MLB to "get calls right" those critical strike/ball decisions can decide a game more than anything else. I think some sort of digital strike zone is required. Won't happen any time soon.