Brad Wilkerson hit for the cycle today, with style. He bunted for a single in the second, doubled off the wall in the fifth, hit a two-run triple in the sixth, then in the seventh, ripped a line drive homer to straightaway center. There were just 5,872 witnesses.

I'm watching the game in Baltimore, with Buck Martinez in the booth. Listened to him last night, and he has very little to add based on his experience as Jays manager. No inside dirt, no commentary on the Jays young talent or their players were to manage, almost as if he doesn't want to comment on how much better guys are playing under Tosca than they did under him. Compared to Bobby Valentine's Mets commentary on bb tonight, Buck refrains from injecting his opinions on his former team at all. Not even an annoying Gammon-esque comment on how he thought from day one Phelps or Wells or Hudson or Delgado could always play as well as they have this year...I at least expected tonight an "I always thought Kelvim would be a great pitcher if we could get him settled down, and he's proved it in his last few starts." Strange.

For two 'three-up, three-down' innings, Escobar has looked as shakey as possible. The first inning started with three straight balls, then went on to feature two fairly well hit outs (one down the line and the other into the gap). In the second, Kelvim mixed a pitch that went high to the backstop between a couple of K's. I hope the spotty control we're seeing now doesn't come back to bite us in the ass but it wouldn't surprise me.

NEWS FLASH: Jays try hit-and-run three times...two resulted in foulballs and the third yielded a fielders choice (without Johnson in motion we would have had a DP). FYI, the batter was Clarke.

Jays try hit-and-run three times.

I haven't watched much of the game, but I did notice that one of these was on a 3-2 count. Not exactly a hit-and-run.

It was with less than two outs so if Clarke strikes out the Jays are taking the risk of a double-play.

Beautiful bunt by Johnson to score Cat, 1-0 good guys (the play-by-play crew pointed out Johnson has hit safely in 7 straight AB)...Next batter Hudson smacks one off the wall for a 2RBI triple, it was so close to a HR that the fireworks were activated, lol.

Let the trading begin. Juan Gone to the Expos .... if he accepts.

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Can anybody explain this to me?!?

Cat comes up with 2 guys on base and 2 outs. Hargrove brings in a lefty.

This year Cat is 204/267/352 (619 OPS) vs lefties.

On his bench he has:

Phelps 275/326/275 (701 OPS)
Wilson 359/447/500 (947 OPS)
Woodward 263/343/368 (716 OPS)
Berg 310/341/548 (889 OPS)

Yet he leaves Cat in. WHY?!?

Mike

Yet he leaves Cat in. WHY?!?

For the same reason that he continues to keep Myers in against LHP. For the same reason that he doesn't pinch-hit for Hudson against LHP.

What the reason is, who can say? A symptom of his weaknesses with in-game tactical decisions? Stubborness? Not wanting to hurt anyone's feelings?

It certainly is frustrating.

Perhaps Carlos is just a loyal kinda guy. Read Politte. Plus I suppose he not really manager--but a teacher and all that hullabaloo--as we have seen on numerous occasions this year. I guess he's just a Cito kinda guy, he certainly aint no Tony Larussa, thats for sure.

None-the-less this is still a winning team. So don't get me wrong I'm not complaining.

Oh oh, now I'm complaining, they bring Berg into pinch hit and Hargrove brings in Lightenberg. Perhaps Carlos is in a little deep if the hitters aren't just mashing it.

For the same reason that he continues to keep Myers in against LHP. For the same reason that he doesn't pinch-hit for Hudson against LHP.

For the same reason Mike Bordick, who is absolutely dreadful against righties, stays in against Ligtenberg in the 8th.

Worst. Tactician. Ever.

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Perhaps Carlos is just a loyal kinda guy.

He might be being loyal to Cat, but he's not being loyal to the other 24 guys on the team who know that Wilson or Phelps should have been upto bat in that situation.

Mike

Mike I completely agree with you. I think you raised a pretty good example of what may kill the Jays chances by mere percentages, which is after all what Baseball is.

I guess I shoulda put one of the smiley faces up with its tongue firmly planted in its cheek on my comment.

I'm sure you read the Griffen piece, Carlos loyal to closer.

I think the biggest point I took from that is the JP comments about playing every angle they can right now while they are in the race. I am becoming convinced this guy know his chops.

Me thinks that JP will be having a cup of coffee with his manager tonite.

With Phelps, Wilson, and Woodward all on the bench, the one guy he decides to use as a pinch-hitter the whole game is Dave Berg? Terrible.

The Rays are now my best friend...Grand Slam in the 8th puts them up 5 on the Yankees. Boston crushed Detroit 10-1 so best scenario in the standings is tied with Boston for 1GB of NYY.

Carlos' loyalty is often misplaced, as Mike points out. Loyalty to the team should come first.

But more than that, most of his players already know their shortcomings and hardly require coddling. Does Tosca think Greg Myers' confidence hangs by such a tenuous thread that pinch-hitting for him would send him spiralling? Does he think Catalanotto doesn't already know that he might have a minor problem with lefties? Is he concerned that by pointing out to Mike Bordick that there are may be better hitters than he against RHP that he'll suffer an emotional collapse?

Obviously I have no way of knowing, but I'd say there's probably just one guy in the entire lineup battling self-doubt (well two, if you count Hinske) and that would be Josh Phelps, who now can no longer be assured that he'll be the starting DH if there's a righty on the hill. And for all I know, Phelps is rock solid with respect to his confidence.

Tosca needs to be reminded that he has a dugout full of grown men -- strong of character we are continually told -- not young minor leaguers. His babysitting days are behind him.

Ahhh, nevermind, the Devil Rays give up a 3-run shot and they're tied.

It's being reported that Gonzalez has turned down the trade to Les Expos. That's really too bad...this whole Canadian teams are cleaning up baseball summer is pretty damn exciting.

Myna is a fool to make that trade. Like I said in a previous post, he has the Mets syndrome where he feels he has to trade for a big name player to make his team better. He's trying to trade away what little Montreal has left in prospects for an injury prone, aging OF. In a couple of years Montreal will be a mess; no young talent coming in, unable to keep the stars it does have, and unable to lure FA talent. (Of course, by the time this is relevent they could be relocated.)

A better strategy would be for him to trade away one of his stars for some younger talented players. I'm not talking AAA prospects but someone like a Johan Santana or a Juan Cruz, who you will have for the forseeable future and can help you now as well.

A cynic might suggest the following. Omar Minaya has no reason to believe that he would be kept on as GM under a new ownership group, and realistically so. As such, he could care less about the state of the Expos' minor league system. His future as a GM, anywhere, rides a lot on how well the Expos do in the present.

My question is this: have the Expos suddenly been granted permission to take on salary?

Chuck took the words right out of my mouth. I am the cynic he speaks of.

have the Expos suddenly been granted permission to take on salary?

My understanding is that Texas are prepared to eat some of or maybe all of Gonzalez's salary for the right deal.

As to Montreal's prospects, if they can't help this year they don't matter. This team is still scheduled to be another team in 2004 (though we all know it's not happening), so the future is *right now*. The "future" does not matter, and to any Montreal fans trying to "build for the future" would, at this stage, amount to another terrible betrayal. As an Expos fan (still, against my better judgment) I'd be perfectly happy to see them sell off everything that isn't nailed down in a desperate attempt to grab the Wild Card place.

My question is this: have the Expos suddenly been granted permission to take on salary?

From what I heard the Rangers were going to eat all his remaining salary for the year.

I figure Minaya thinks if MLB aren't going to take the present or future of the Expos seriously why the hell should he ?

My question is this: have the Expos suddenly been granted permission to take on salary?

From what I heard the Rangers were going to eat all his remaining salary for the year.

I figure Minaya thinks if MLB aren't going to take the present or future of the Expos seriously why the hell should he ?

How about this for the Conspiracy Files?

The Expos aren't drawing as well as they have been in Puerto Rico. Bringing in a huge brand-name PR-born star to bring the locals back out is in all 29 owner's best interest (to get the gate back up).

The truth is out there. Trust no-one :)