The Blue Jays Thread. - Page 2 - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

JayP · 02-23-2007, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jiggy_12

I love what the Jays have done lately. They are going to have about 5 darts to throw at the rotation, chances are 1 or 2 will stick.

Exactly. I've loved what JP's done this off-season as he didn't overpay and get saddled with potential (ie; Lilly and Meche) for 5 years at $10M+. The Jays already did that last off-season and while Burnett showed a lot to me when he was healthy, you can't afford to fill your whole rotation with high-priced guys who haven't proven much.

It comes down to having 5 guys (Ohka, Thomson, Marcum, Towers, McGowan) fighting for 2 jobs. Competition is definitely what the Jays rotation needed and chances are one of those guys is going to either return to form (Ohka/Thomson/Towers) or finally realize their potential (McGowan/Marcum). It'd be near impossible to the Jay's 4 and 5 starters to put up worse numbers than last year so there's going to be improvement this season. The real key is how much improvement.

habernac · 02-24-2007, 09:20 AM

who knew Vernon Wells Sr was a Stampeder?

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Baseball/M...62101-sun.html

Gord Wappel · 02-24-2007, 09:55 AM

Quote:

I love what the Jays have done lately. They are going to have about 5 darts to throw at the rotation, chances are 1 or 2 will stick.

Six darts. Add Matumoto
I agree - not a bad strategy considering the alternatives (maybe Huselius and Kipper were darts and you just discard the Lundmarks etc.)
(you might have to copy paste the link not sure why)
http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070223&content_id=1813554&vkey=s pt2007news&fext=.jsp&c_id=tor

kipperfan · 02-24-2007, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gord Wappel

Six darts. Add Matumoto
I agree - not a bad strategy considering the alternatives (maybe Huselius and Kipper were darts and you just discard the Lundmarks etc.)
(you might have to copy paste the link not sure why)
http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070223&content_id=1813554&vkey=s pt2007news&fext=.jsp&c_id=tor

Seven once Zambrano is healthy. From an interview I heard with JP on the FAN 590 a few weeks ago he hopes that once healthy Zambrano will be good enough to take the #3 spot in the rotation away from Chacin.

Antithesis · 02-24-2007, 10:35 AM

I am so excited for the start of the 2007 season ... I haven't been this pumped for the Blue Jays in a really long time. Like everyone else, I think the strategy of "throwing darts" at the starting rotation was one of the most astute moves JP made this offseason when you consider what starting pitching was going for.

I think if you even get one of the seven to surprise the move will have been a success, and two would be an unqualified success. It's a fairly low-risk/high reward situation.

bluejays · 02-24-2007, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Antithesis

I am so excited for the start of the 2007 season ... I haven't been this pumped for the Blue Jays in a really long time. Like everyone else, I think the strategy of "throwing darts" at the starting rotation was one of the most astute moves JP made this offseason when you consider what starting pitching was going for.

I think if you even get one of the seven to surprise the move will have been a success, and two would be an unqualified success. It's a fairly low-risk/high reward situation.

I really like this throwing darts thing too, though it'll likely fetch a couple 4-5 starters and will still rely on Chacin being able to pull off 12 wins as the 3rd sting. I haven't even looked up opening day, but I'd sure like to be there this year (it's always a great time down there on opening day as the environment around the Dome is buzzing with spring air...I love it).

Cerebral · 03-01-2007, 01:24 AM

Zambrano is apparently way ahead of schedule, he actually pitched an inning today and looked healthy enough. I'll be curious to see if the Jays use him out of the pen or if they let him, Thompson, Ohka and McGowan battle it out for the last two starting spots (along with Towers and all the young kids).

Cerebral · 03-05-2007, 09:30 PM

Casey Janssen has apparently added a major-league quality strikeout pitch to his arsenal (some are saying a splitter?) which could make him a favorite for the #5 spot in the rotation. He had a very strong outing today going 2 innings with 4 strikeouts.

Also interesting, it sounds like Burnett has added a changeup to what he throws. If so, he could be absolutely nasty this year if he mixes the changeup in with his curveball.

CaramonLS · 03-05-2007, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cerebral

Casey Janssen has apparently added a major-league quality strikeout pitch to his arsenal (some are saying a splitter?) which could make him a favorite for the #5 spot in the rotation. He had a very strong outing today going 2 innings with 4 strikeouts.

Also interesting, it sounds like Burnett has added a changeup to what he throws. If so, he could be absolutely nasty this year if he mixes the changeup in with his curveball.

Where did you hear that Cerebral?

If he did, the kid could go far in the majors.

ricoFlame · 03-05-2007, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cerebral

Also interesting, it sounds like Burnett has added a changeup to what he throws. If so, he could be absolutely nasty this year if he mixes the changeup in with his curveball.

as long as he doesn't over do it on that arm of his. him being a light's out type all year long would be sweet.

Cerebral · 03-05-2007, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaramonLS

Where did you hear that Cerebral?

If he did, the kid could go far in the majors.

I read it on the Blue Jays forum at Scout. The Jays management has apparently been very impressed by Janssen but it's obviously only two innings so far. Toronto's best case scenario is that one of Ohka or Thompson work out (my money is on Thompson) and that one of the younger guys can step up and take a rotation spot as well (I'm hoping for one of Janssen or McGowan). Zambrano is a bit of a wild card, I wouldn't be entirely shocked if the Jays use him out of the bullpen to start the year.

If I had to pick the starting rotation right now, I would go with this:

Halladay
Burnett
Chachin
Thompson
Janssen

Who knows though, Marcum had a pretty good first start in the pre-season and even Towers apparently looked pretty decent.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ricoFlame

as long as he doesn't over do it on that arm of his. him being a light's out type all year long would be sweet.

His numbers were pretty damn good last year (especially considering what division he's pitching in) but he just can't seem to stay healthy. Hopefully this is the year as he truly has Cy Young stuff if he can stay healthy for a full season.

ricoFlame · 03-08-2007, 01:28 PM

The big hurt had his first AB's of the spring. 1-3.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/art...08_135814_4452

Antithesis · 03-13-2007, 08:33 PM

Burnett put up some nice numbers today, I believe it was 1 hit in 4 innings pitched. Definitely only allowed 1 hit though. Janssen picks up the win. I know spring training means nothing but the pitchers have been performing above expectations, as far as I'm concerned.

ricoFlame · 03-14-2007, 05:21 PM

Thompson got roughed up pretty bad today...hopefully he can start hitting his spots by the end of the spring.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/art...14_175249_5156

Cerebral · 03-14-2007, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ricoFlame

Thompson got roughed up pretty bad today...hopefully he can start hitting his spots by the end of the spring.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/art...14_175249_5156

That's his first bad start of the pre-season, the first two were pretty damn good.

Janssen continues to impress me, he's striking out about a batter an inning which is far better than last season. Truth be told, I thought he would have been absolutely dynamite last year if he had a strike-out pitch. The guy has great accuracy and I can remember a million times where he would get ahead in the count 0-2 and simply wouldn't have the stuff to put the guy away. Janssen with a strikeout pitch could very well be a 15 game winner in the league in a season or two.

JiriHrdina · 03-14-2007, 10:49 PM

Hopefully Towers can grab a spot in the rotation - I'm rooting for the guy after last season's disaster. He trained in the off-season with Reed Johnson who apparently really kicked the holy heck out of him.

Cerebral · 03-15-2007, 12:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

Hopefully Towers can grab a spot in the rotation - I'm rooting for the guy after last season's disaster. He trained in the off-season with Reed Johnson who apparently really kicked the holy heck out of him.

It's tough not to like Towers, the guy looks like a total dweeb and he's brutally honest in interviews after he loses (which happened a lot last season). He has had a pretty decent pre-season but I'm still not sold at this point. The problem with Towers is that he's a control pitcher who lacks control at times. When he puts the ball where he wants to, he's a pretty effective pitcher. When he doesn't, his stuff is too weak and he consequently gets knocked all over the place.

Thomson is a ground-ball pitcher who can actually strike some guys out so he seems like a very good bet to be in the rotation. Given J.P.'s comments on Zambrano, I wouldn't be shocked if he finds his way into the rotation as well at some point (I'm hoping they start him out in the bullpen - he's absolute murder against right-handed hitters if I remember correctly). Add in Ohka and the very strong performance by Janssen so far and Towers is in tough for a spot.

We'll have to see though, it's tough not to root for the underdog and Towers has always struck me as a very nice person.

Flickered Flame · 03-16-2007, 09:54 PM

Chacin has been arrested.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/art...16_224249_4168

Jiggy_12 · 03-17-2007, 12:31 AM

Ugh...not what the doctor ordered.

Cerebral · 03-18-2007, 02:58 PM

Janssen pitched 2.2 innings today and struck out 6 batters in the process!

I know the common belief is that Janssen should start the season in AAA but he is seriously looking lethal in the pre-season now that he has a strikeout pitch he can rely on. He has been compared to Halladay in the past and he could start to rack up the wins if he can manage to put away batters when he gets them into 0-2 counts.