I don't know why they'd start him in AA as has been rumored. He really should be in AAA from the get-go, and IMO, because of his age be in there until next year. Jays have enough starters for this year, plus more competing for spots. They really should stash him for his own good.
Location: Wondering when # became hashtag and not a number sign.
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“That’s one of the toughest, if not the toughest lineups to face,” Baltimore Orioles skipper Brandon Hyde told The Athletic's Kaitlyn McGrath. “[George] Springer and Vlad [Guerrero Jr.] and [Bo] Bichette, it’s really, really tough at-bats. Not to mention their pitching was really good last year, the front-end starters and a good bullpen. And they’re going to be really, really good again.”
Toronto's balanced lineup is something Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora commented on, jokingly pointing out he may actually be able to deploy some southpaw relievers against the Blue Jays in 2023. The Blue Jays dominated the Red Sox last season, winning 16 of their 19 meetings.
“Our lefties come into play. We had three last year that we couldn’t use because of all their righties, so hopefully on our end, it’s an advantage,” Cora said to McGrath. “But all joking aside, they’re a powerhouse. Obviously, they got a taste of the playoffs last year, and they’re looking for more.”
The New York Yankees ended up winning the ultra-competitive AL East by seven games in 2022 and are favoured to take the crown once again this year. Yankees manager Aaron Boone isn't expecting to walk to another division title and expects the Blue Jays to give his squad a run for its money.
“They’re going to be a team that is going to be fighting for the division and right in that mix,” Boone told The Athletic. “Anytime we play them, you got to play your best to beat them.”
Super glad to see this. Last year it was irritating as a fan to see them celebrate like kids when they’re being blown out. Bigtime gimmick to keep them loose but it got out of hand and that became a symbol of immaturity. Good riddance.
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He had some very good years and iconic moments. But level of excellence? Not that big a deal but to me he didn’t have the career longevity here and the team didn’t do well enough to deserve it. But I don’t begrudge them for doing it. That one HR was iconic.
He had some very good years and iconic moments. But level of excellence? Not that big a deal but to me he didn’t have the career longevity here and the team didn’t do well enough to deserve it. But I don’t begrudge them for doing it. That one HR was iconic.
I think he had 10 seasons which is in line with those on the level of excellence (more than Carter who had 6). I mean, Alomar's jersey was retired and he only had 5 seasons.
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He had some very good years and iconic moments. But level of excellence? Not that big a deal but to me he didn’t have the career longevity here and the team didn’t do well enough to deserve it. But I don’t begrudge them for doing it. That one HR was iconic.
I disagree on both counts. He played over 9 seasons as a Blue Jay which exceeds fellow Level of Excellence players George Bell (9 Seasons) & Joe Carter (7 Seasons). He has the Blue Jays single season record of Hitting 54 HR in a season, an iconic playoff HR, double the Blue Jays WAR of Joe Carter & George Bell, and was on teams that made the ALCS in consecutive seasons. Jays teams of the mid 2010s were better teams than any of fellow Level of Excellence member Carlos Delgado was on and as many ALCS appearances as Jays teams that George Bell was on. He's not in the top 3 Blue Jays ever (My Opinion would be Steib, Halladay & Delgado with Delgado being one of the most criminally underrated baseball players of all-time), but on basically all counts he belongs with the group that's currently in the Level of Excellence.
Bautista absolutely deserves it. A few monster seasons, and one of the biggest Jays moments ever belongs to him. Also has the single season HR record, was the face of the franchise for at least half a decade and lead the team to two consecutive ALCS appearances.
Very well deserved
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I think he had 10 seasons which is in line with those on the level of excellence (more than Carter who had 6). I mean, Alomar's jersey was retired and he only had 5 seasons.
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Originally Posted by Cowboy89
I disagree on both counts. He played over 9 seasons as a Blue Jay which exceeds fellow Level of Excellence players George Bell (9 Seasons) & Joe Carter (7 Seasons). He has the Blue Jays single season record of Hitting 54 HR in a season, an iconic playoff HR, double the Blue Jays WAR of Joe Carter & George Bell, and was on teams that made the ALCS in consecutive seasons. Jays teams of the mid 2010s were better teams than any of fellow Level of Excellence member Carlos Delgado was on and as many ALCS appearances as Jays teams that George Bell was on. He's not in the top 3 Blue Jays ever (My Opinion would be Steib, Halladay & Delgado with Delgado being one of the most criminally underrated baseball players of all-time), but on basically all counts he belongs with the group that's currently in the Level of Excellence.
Agree with it all - changed my mind completely as I didn't realize 10 seasons passed by (thought it was more around 5). That said, those three guys are definitely higher on the list.
Bautista also has the highest WAR in bluejays position player history (only Halladay and Steib are higher), in addition to having 4 finishes in the top 10 of MVP voting (tied with Bell for first in Jays history)
Dude was a machine.
Problem was, Jays had 6 or 7 dark years with him before a lot of people started paying any attention to the team
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Yeah, I’m sure I’ll be corrected but there was nothing spectacular about Joe Carter’s stats. A very good player for his years in Toronto, but really, his home run is iconic, as is Bautista’s, and that’s the main reason he’s up there. He’s (Carter) off the HoF ballot and I doubt Jose makes it there either.
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HOF is a whole different kettle of fish. Unlike other sports HOF where it's generally a joke, baseball tends to have very high standards, promoting career longevity and consistency. That's partially why I'm puzzled at the wall of excellence. Part of me just wonders if the standard should be like the HOF.
And yes, nothing special about Carter. His HR was one of the greatest moments in sports ever.
The Wall of Excellence can be anything it wants to be. It recognizes Blue Jays icons and they can reach that iconic status in different ways. The standard doesn't have to have any relation to the HOF standard.
What about getting Gibby up there? 2nd behind Cito for wins as a Jays manager. He is beloved by the Jays fanbase. He still loves the Jays.
Last edited by flames_fan_down_under; 03-05-2023 at 09:35 PM.
