He won't need to be anywhere near our best player, but I'm picking JPA as the important contributor to making a run. He needs to massively step up his game both offensively and defensively this year. It should help him to have some veterans on the mound, but this team needs him to take a step forward with his ability to work with a staff in order to be successful.
I feel like if we are talking playoffs near the end of the season this year then we will also be talking about how JPA is now an MLB caliber catcher.
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Agh - no, last year was the first time I have been, and getting married this fall - so that really put a damper on any other travel plans for 2013. For anyone who has even had thoughts of going - do go, such an amazing experience to witness these guys up close. They truly are amazing athletes, how they do their drills is simple incredible.
The only thing that I have seen so far - Josh Johnson looks like a complete fool with gelled hair out on the field, during his interviews after practice, etc. Pretty boy - but I'll like ya if you post a sub-3 ERA
I actually got all my spring training pics from last year on my computer - how does one go about uploading a few of my favourites?
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He won't need to be anywhere near our best player, but I'm picking JPA as the important contributor to making a run. He needs to massively step up his game both offensively and defensively this year. It should help him to have some veterans on the mound, but this team needs him to take a step forward with his ability to work with a staff in order to be successful.
I feel like if we are talking playoffs near the end of the season this year then we will also be talking about how JPA is now an MLB caliber catcher.
Interesting - never really viewed JPA as a key cog in the lineup, but I definetely can understand where you are coming from. I would agree these next three years with a veteran staff will be very crucial in JPA's development, as after these next three - we should have a mitt full of our developed arms entering our major league rotation.
I'm going to go with Brett Lawrie. Such a down year last year and I'm hoping Gibby can reign him in a bit. He can be so reckless and he needs some discipline and guidance from the coaching staff, something that simply wasn't there last season. I think the Jays are fine if he provides last year's production, but if he steps his game up somewhere in between his rookie explosion and last year's drop off and manages to avoid injury - lookout. His resurgence would make them an offensive juggernaut.
And as a cliche cop-out answer, I think the overall health of the pitching staff will be the main determinant if the Jays make the playoffs or not. I just don't see how they Jays can fail if their staff stays relatively healthy.
Last edited by howard_the_duck; 02-15-2013 at 07:27 AM.
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The home opener thing to me was just one huge scam (for lack of a better word). The Wednesday insider pre-sale there were no tickets available for, and today there weren't either. How many insiders working within the Jays or Ticketmaster, loaded up on tickets before they were even available for the public? Both days I was in right at 10am EST and only looked for 3 tickets. All sold out. End of tonights rant, but I really wanted to go to the home opener. Damn.
I'm going to go with Brett Lawrie. Such a down year last year and I'm hoping Gibby can reign him in a bit. He can be so reckless and he needs some discipline and guidance from the coaching staff, something that simply wasn't there last season. I think the Jays are fine if he provides last year's production, but if he steps his game up somewhere in between his rookie explosion and last year's drop off and manages to avoid injury - lookout. His resurgence would make them an offensive juggernaut.
I agree. if Lawrie produces where you want him to offensively there likely won't be a hole in that Jays lineup 1-9 just about everyone is going to be a challenging out and make them that much tougher to play against.
The home opener thing to me was just one huge scam (for lack of a better word). The Wednesday insider pre-sale there were no tickets available for, and today there weren't either. How many insiders working within the Jays or Ticketmaster, loaded up on tickets before they were even available for the public? Both days I was in right at 10am EST and only looked for 3 tickets. All sold out. End of tonights rant, but I really wanted to go to the home opener. Damn.
Meanwhile, over 2,500 tickets have found their way onto Stub Hub:
- Jose Bautista is, as you would expect, thrilled with general manager Alex Anthopoulos' off-season moves. "They have a plan and they executed it when they felt the timing was right to do so. It was one of the promises that was made when I signed here and they definitely came through."
Bautista and other veterans are routinely consulted by Anthopoulos about possible acquisitions. Those conversations, generally, are about a guy's personality type, off-the-field behaviour and whether he would be a good fit in the Blue Jays' clubhouse.
I don't mind consulting the players, but I hope it doesn't turn into basketball where the players seem to call the shots by bringing in their mediocre friends. Sure, ask about a players character, but Bautista or any other player shouldn't be calling shots on making a move. That's purely the GM's job.
I agree, and I think that's what's happening. AA is probably only asking the vets when he has a deal lined up and ready to pull the trigger. I don't think he's asking them who he should bring in, he already knows who he wants, he just wants some of the vets to let him know how it would affect the clubhouse.
"If we're in it in July, I've been told that we certainly could," said Anthopoulos. "From what Paul's (Beeston) has expressed to me, if we're in it in July and we have a chance to add a player we'll be able to do it."
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- Sergio Santos threw live batting practice on Sunday, for a total of 25 pitches. "I felt great," said Santos, 29. "The ball was coming out great. I threw some good change ups, a couple of good sliders. For the first time, having a hitter in the box, since April, it was nice."
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Dickey threw about 40 pitches on Sunday. He said he "could have thrown 100" pitches if necessary.
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Conspicuous by his absence from Dunedin, first baseman David Cooper. Today, we found out why. Cooper, 26, is dealing with what the Blue Jays are calling a "serious" back injury.
Not expected to break camp with the Blue Jays, Cooper last played on August 22 before being placed on the disabled list with a back issue. He is out at least through spring training.
Interesting that AA answered about the budget question. I'm going to guess that CF or 2nd is where they'll upgrade at that time if they're in the thick of things.
"It looks like a paper airplane coming at you," DeRosa said. "It's going every which way and you really can't time it up because now he's able to add and subtract velocity on it, and occasionally sneak his heater by you. "He's just got so much confidence with the pitch and he's able to do kind of what he wants to do with it, whereas before he was just kind of throwing it at the same speed." Dickey almost exclusively throws a knuckleball but does have the ability to mix in a fastball/changeup combination. Last year, he threw the fastball approximately 14 percent of the time, and while the pitch typically is thrown in the low 80s, it often appears much faster. Lawrie was one hitter who experienced that first hand. Following a series of knuckleballs, Dickey challenged the third baseman with a fastball and Lawrie seemed incapable of getting the bat off of his shoulders. Lawrie, 23, watched helplessly as the pitch sailed by. He walked away from the batter's box shaking his head and muttered "right down the pipe." Those are the type of reactions that Dickey was able to generate a lot last season, and even though Sunday marked the first time he threw to hitters in 2013, it was a positive sign this early in camp. "It's good feedback for me," said Dickey, who went 20-6 with a 2.73 ERA last season. "I am trying to get my work in out there and ... if I see those guys talking or shaking their heads, or saying something to the catcher, I know it's probably moving pretty good. "I don't always know what it's doing there closer to the plate. I know how it feels when it leaves my hand. Getting those reactions from guys, even during the game, if I see guys over the course of the game chuckle to themselves or say something to the umpire going back to the dugout, those are little things I look for to know if it's moving well or not."
Dickey baffles teammates in first live session
Toronto ace's knuckleball described as 'paper airplane coming at you'
What a beautifully orchastrated rotation - r/r/l/r/l (knuckballer/flamethrower/ crafty muffin tosser/power pitcher/and whatever Romero decides to be)... So many different looks, and the best part - no matter what part of the rotation the opposing team hits, you are still going to get that variation of looks. These clubs are going to have a tough time getting comfortable between the chalk.
It's no accident that veteran infielder Mark DeRosa's locker at the Blue Jays' Spring Training complex is beside the one owned by Brett Lawrie. The hope is that DeRosa will be able to provide some guidance throughout camp and the season to Toronto's young third baseman.
It's often hard to gauge just how valuable leadership is inside of a clubhouse, but manager John Gibbons believes there will be a clear benefit to the pairing.
"That's his reputation -- he's a great teammate, he gets the most out of guys," Gibbons said of DeRosa. "He's one of the those guys you never hear a bad thing about. Guys want him on their club, even through all the injuries and things.
"That'll do wonders because Brett's still a young kid learning at this level. [DeRosa's] been through it."
Romero's knees feel fine after second 'pen session
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The Blue Jays will have to keep a close eye on left-hander Ricky Romero this spring as he attempts to battle back from tendinitis in both knees. He received platelet-rich plasma injections in both knees during the offseason to help alleviate the chronic pain, but the treatment was met with mixed results.
Romero currently isn't in any danger of being shut down, but it's still relatively alarming the discomfort didn't completely subside during the club's down time.
"We keep an eye on him," manager John Gibbons said. "If he's barking, we'll shut him down or lighten the load, but when you have them at this stage of your career, it's probably going to bother you your whole career. You basically just have to deal with it, there's not structural problems, but you just grin and bear it, I guess."
Blue Jays center fielder has been known to tinker with stance when slumps occur
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Rasmus has been known in the past for making rather frequent adjustments when things aren't going well, but this year, the club is looking to uphold a different philosophy.
"The talent in him is unbelievable," hitting coach Chad Mottola said. "The things he does, the way he gets to the front of the box, and we're just going to get his quick hands to work in his favour rather than going through swing changes all year.
"We modified [his approach] a little bit, but it's one of those things where as time goes on, we hope we're not going to see five different stances after an 0-for-4. We're trying to get a consistent base and then we're going to stay there."
The biggest adjustment Rasmus made last season occurred in May following a period of prolonged struggles. He opted to move up in the box and closer to the plate and for awhile, the adjustment worked wonders.
From May 21-July 8, he was easily one of the best outfielders in the league. During that stretch of 44 games, he hit .299 with 14 homers and 38 RBIs while posting an impressive .970 OPS......
"I remember a game against the Marlins he hit a home run, had a great game, was on a hot streak," Anthopoulos said of a game on June 23. "It was a day game and guys were going to go out on a Saturday night in Miami to enjoy themselves, but he goes to the cage. I was like, 'Wow.' It was non-stop.
"You almost got the sense that he was playing well and he had to work even harder to maintain that pace. I give him credit because his mindset is to work extremely hard, but I think as a young player it's learning when to back off and give himself time ... He did wear down and get tired."
