Batter's Box Interactive Magazine - Game 65: The Injuries Continue

The Blue Jays' best everyday player - Vernon Wells - has been placed on the disabled list. Mike Wilner stated that he's never seen anything the like of this injury plague (for me, it's similar in nature to what the Raptors suffered through during most of 2002-2003).

Still, it'll be great to see the O-Dog back on the field and I also look forward to seeing more of Alex Rios. The young man has played better of late, and playing at his natural position (centrefield) might relax him a little bit more.

For the Jays to win tonight, Pat Hentgen will have to have excellent command and the Jays batters will have to be super patient with soft tosser Kirk Rueter.

Posted by robertdudek on Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 08:52 AM EDT.

Game 65: The Injuries Continue | 55 comments | Create New Account

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Named For Hank - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 08:57 PM EDT (#57599) #

Thanks to Mike Wilner for chronicling the Cheer Club's exploits on the pre-game show.

Maybe we should get Wilner in on whatever ritual sacrifice we decide on to placate the baseball gods who are showering our Jays with bad luck.

Coach - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 09:13 PM EDT (#57600) #

Dave Berg is leading off and playing left field. Reed Johnson is the cleanup hitter. What an anemic lineup -- I hope Hentgen has a good night with the bat.

_Moffatt - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 09:18 PM EDT (#57601) #

What did Wilner say?

If the ritual sacrifice involves are blowing something up or launching something with a giant trebuchet, count me in!

Coach - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 09:25 PM EDT (#57602) #

What did Wilner say?

A caller complained that the Dome is dead and he can't give tickets away, concluding that the Jays are doomed to follow the Expos into extinction. Mike strongly disagreed, saying that a group of fans in 518 are trying to put some life into the place, and citing the Zaun cheers, the Teddy Roosevelt K signs and the O-drum.

_Moffatt - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 09:30 PM EDT (#57603) #

Excellent! Thanks again, Mr. Wilner!

I can't wait to join you guys in TO (I'll be there one week today).

_Fawaz K - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 09:35 PM EDT (#57604) #

I understand that this may be painful for you, Moffatt, but only one thing could possibly appease the Baseball Gods. The same thing that repeatedly pacifies angry would-be point-getters; CUTTLEFISH.

_Mike Forbes - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 09:36 PM EDT (#57605) #

I Wanna Post The Lineups For Tonight So....

San Fran:

2B.) Durham
RF.) Tucker
CF.) Grissom
LF.) Bonds
3B.) Alfonzo
1B.) Feliz
C.) Pierzynski
SS.) Perez
P.) Rueter

Toronto:

LF.) Berg
2B.) Hudson
SS.) Menechino
RF.) Johnson
1B.) Phelps
3B.) Hinske
CF.) Rios
C.) Cash
P.) Hentgen

...Can You Say Weak?! Lets Try My Lineup....

(Unoffical)

2B.) Hudson
SS.) Menechino
3B.) Hinske
RF.) Johnson
1B.) Phelps
CF.) Rios
C.) Cash
P.) Hentgen
LF.) Dave Berg

That'd Be About As Good As You Could Get It With Those Guys In The Lineup

_Geoff - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 09:42 PM EDT (#57606) #

I hate second guessing managers and I'm aware Reuter throws with his left hand - but, the Cat really should be playing over Dave freaking Berg - heck I'd even rather Woodward or Gomez at short and Menechino playing left rather than Berg.

Dave Till - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 09:44 PM EDT (#57607) #

The San Fran lineup doesn't look that strong either, except for the #4 guy. This game could be over by midnight.

_David - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 09:44 PM EDT (#57608) #

Hentgen's last year in St Louis, he had a .321 ops. Compare this to Berg this year. Maybe he *should* bat 8th....

_Jonny German - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 09:45 PM EDT (#57609) #

My Lineup:

2B.) Hudson
LF.) Catalanotto
RF.) Johnson
3B.) Hinske
1B.) Phelps
CF.) Rios
SS.) Woodward
C.) Cash
P.) Hentgen

Why Cat? His three year (2001-2003) splits against lefties are .236/.323/.343 (140 AB), while Berg is marginally better at .264/.310/.384 (242 AB). Given Berg's uselessness this year and the fact that Cat is a better left fielder, Dave sits.

I'd also like to know why on earth Carlos has Woody benched.

_Jonny German - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 09:47 PM EDT (#57610) #

On further reflection, I've lined up 4 righthanded bats in a row (5 if you count Hentgen), so I probably should have Cat in the bottom half to break that up. But the main point is, Cat and Woody over Berg and Mighty Mouse.

_StephenT - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 09:53 PM EDT (#57611) #

fyi: Jon Miller (one of my favorites) will join Jerry Howarth (of course, another one of my favorites) in the broadcast booth for the 3rd and 4th innings tonight.

_Rob - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 10:07 PM EDT (#57612) #

I hate second guessing managers

Technically, it's first-guessing since the game hasn't started yet. :)

My Lineup:
Hudson 4
Cat 7
Johnson 9
Phelps 3
Hinske 5
Woodward 6
Rios 8
Cash 2
Hentgen 1

Note the absence of Dave Berg.

_Keith Talent - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 10:17 PM EDT (#57613) #

What a depressing lineup. Sure 'Berg hits a slow roller' and he runs to first slowly.

_Ron - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 10:17 PM EDT (#57614) #

I'm convinced Berg has pictures of Tosca and JP together in sexual positions.......... there's no other possible explanation for his playing time ... and even hitting lead off today. Why have a guy that's batting below .170 leading off?

I don't understand the logic unless the logic is losing.

_Paul S - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 10:17 PM EDT (#57615) #

Nope, it's Berg. And I know there were two strikes but you do NOT swing at that garbage.

_Sean - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 10:17 PM EDT (#57616) #

Sorry off topic but I enjoyed hearing the cheer club on saturdays game against the diamondbacks.
Going Going Zaun!
I was cheering along, good times.

_Keith Talent - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 10:22 PM EDT (#57617) #

I can't believe the CAT isn't playing. If I were him I'd be so outraged I wouldn't consider returning next year. DAVE BERG is the preferable choice? Berg is content being a Major League Lowlife. Did you see how he happily sauntered to first on that groundout. RUN DAMMIT! Dave Berg floats to first like he's Griffey. And it pisses me off when Griffey does it.

_Paul S - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 10:25 PM EDT (#57618) #

At least Griffey is terrified off popping something.

Jeez, is every ball hit there going to be a triple?

_Paul S - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 10:27 PM EDT (#57619) #

Oh goddammit. That was ass awful.

_Keith Talent - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 10:27 PM EDT (#57620) #

This IS a last place club.

_Paul S - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 10:28 PM EDT (#57621) #

aaaaand it costs them a run. Well done.

_Fawaz K - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 10:28 PM EDT (#57622) #

Unbelievable. How do they screw that up? Bonds isn't exactly Juan Pierre. If they get that out, the second run doesn't score on a sac fly.

_Ron - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 10:29 PM EDT (#57623) #

I'm very tempted to punch the wall right now........... I would pay good money to hear JP go in the booth to give his thoughts throughout the game.

_Paul S - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 10:30 PM EDT (#57624) #

aaaand two more. At least I have Feliz in one of my leagues.

_Keith Talent - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 10:31 PM EDT (#57625) #

Screw this: I'm going to bed. I'll let Tosca and Berg have their "alone time".

I can't watch this.

_Magpie - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 10:34 PM EDT (#57626) #

Well, Hentgen does that fake to third and throw to first EVERY time, and no one ever falls for it. And when someone finally does, Hentgen can't remember that he has to go over and back up first...

_Fawaz K - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 10:38 PM EDT (#57627) #

Rueter's got a perfect game going.

That should do the trick. Never gets said early enough.

Coach - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 10:47 PM EDT (#57628) #

You took the words right out of my mouth, Magpie. Pat hasn't helped himself much so far -- he almost threw the 3-2 to Tucker to the screen, left a couple of fat pitches up in the zone that anyone could have hit for extra bases, and was a spectator on the rundown.

The remarkable thing about this "last place club" (which is a game out of third, but that's not nearly as dramatic a description) is that they haven't given up, despite all the adversity. If there finally is a letdown today, that's understandable -- Vernon is their heart and soul -- but they will bounce back tomorrow.

Nice hitting by Rios. Good job, Fawaz.

_Paul D - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 10:53 PM EDT (#57629) #

That hurts. At least we got one.

How many people like the DH? Hate it?
I like it, as you can avoid situations like what just happened with Hentgen.

_Fawaz K - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 10:53 PM EDT (#57630) #

Hentgen's work on the mound aside; if he backs up first the Giants only score 1 and if he does anything other than BUNT into a double play this inning would still be going and a good bunt might have let 2 score on Berg's hit.

It's crazy that these veteran pitchers are failing cover first. That should be second nature at this stage of their careers.

_Lefty - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 11:00 PM EDT (#57631) #

Haven't checked in for a while, just wanted to say goodnight you guys ;-)

_P Smith - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 11:00 PM EDT (#57632) #

This is the ugliest game I have seen all year, and we're only in the third inning.

Bad baserunning by the Giants, a botched pickoff by the Jays, a badly botched double play by the Giants, then a bad sacrifice by the Jays... could be a long night.

I like the DH, but then, I grew up with it. All of the debate over the DH tends to focus on strategy and style of play, but for me it was the style that I was first exposed when I first started watching the game, and I've always preferred it.

_Ron - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 11:01 PM EDT (#57633) #

Let's go for the Tigers record!!!!!

BTW Pac Bell Park might be the prettiest in the majors. And the owner paid for it himself too! Very pretty!

_Cristian - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 11:03 PM EDT (#57634) #

Tanyon Sturtze is starting for the Yankees today. If he of all people pulls a Loaiza, then there will be no denying that the Jays are cursed.

_Magpie - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 11:06 PM EDT (#57635) #

On another thread today, I said "What we're seeing this year is what happens when just about everything goes wrong..."

That was before we knew about Vernon. And before this ball game.

Little did I know. Like a great man once said, "you ain't seen nothing yet."

Coach - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 11:11 PM EDT (#57636) #

That really was a strange third inning -- Durham butchered a Cash double play ball, and all hands were safe, but then Hentgen (it's not Pat's night) handed back all that good fortune by turning a sac bunt attempt into a 2-5-3 DP. Everyone's favourite whipping boy, Dave Berg, improved to 4-for-10 lifetime off Rueter with an RBI single, but that should have been a better rally after the gift. Making AL pitchers bat for nine of 162 games is an absolute farce. Either adopt the DH in the NL, or get rid of it entirely, I don't care.

Sturtze was staked to a 5-0 lead, Christian, but he's doing his best to squander it.

_Paul S - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 11:12 PM EDT (#57637) #

Nice play Josh! Maybe he's not a zero with the glove.

_Paul S - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 11:19 PM EDT (#57638) #

The thing I've noticed about Alex is that he has a great approach, even though he's not getting the results. He has worked the two stuff-less lefties he's faced so far (Moyer and Rueter) very well. He walks or hits the ball hard. I'm not all that worried about him. He'll adjust after maybe another month of seeing ML pitching.

_jim854 - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 11:34 PM EDT (#57639) #

Sorry Coach, this miserable outing is NOT understanable - pitching very poorly and not covering first is not just miserable but pathetic. Even the SF pitcher hits better than most of the Jays. I think I will go to bed and miss the rest of this this disaster.

The good news is the Jays at this point will make the 6th pick in next years first year player draft.

_P Smith - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 11:34 PM EDT (#57640) #

Did we just intentionally walk Neifi Perez in an 8-1 game? I was away from the TV for a bit...

Coach - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 11:50 PM EDT (#57641) #

I agree, Paul. Good at-bats tonight by Alexis, who hasn't looked as much like a raw rookie at the plate as he has in the field and on the bases. If there's a silver lining in the very dark cloud of the Wells injury, it may be Rios.

Jim854, these Jays have battled so hard, for so long, despite being shorthanded, that the loss of their best remaining player had to be devastating emotionally. So I'm not at all surprised at this "disaster," and find it completely understandable, though difficult to watch. I also believe that there's enough character in the room to regroup behind Doc tomorrow night.

_StephenT - Wednesday, June 16 2004 @ 11:56 PM EDT (#57642) #

fyi: Jon Miller has come back to the Jays radio booth in the 7th.

_Jobu - Thursday, June 17 2004 @ 12:12 AM EDT (#57643) #

With this game so out of whack, if any bauxites are looking for something to be passionate about, why not watch the TB/Padres game on MLB gameday? It's 5 - 4 TB and you can root for the padres to make a comeback and hold the Devil Rays to a half game above the Jays.

Now how's that for forcing a silver lining.

_The Crusty Old - Thursday, June 17 2004 @ 12:17 AM EDT (#57644) #

Nice try Jobu, but in the time it took you to wrote that poorly structured paragraph, I infused Blue Jay nemisis Jose Cruz Jr with the power of the Bizzaro-Hammer to drive a two-run homerun pushing the game to 7-4. Suffer Blue Jay fans... SUFFER CHEER CLUB HOUSE!!!

MUH AH HA HAH AHA HA HA HA HA!!!!

_Not H-Rod - Thursday, June 17 2004 @ 12:25 AM EDT (#57645) #

Heheh, I agree with Jobu. For the last few years my fellow Dome attendees have set up our own pennant races. Generally it's a two team race between Baltimore and Toronto, but this year things look to be rather exciting!
Any time the Jays can keep it within 3 these days, being so shorthanded, I'm pretty happy. Although not fun to watch, I figure it's time to make some appearances at the SkyDome and show some support. I hope Tosca can keep the spirits relatively high on this team. They can lose 'em all, but I'll be happy if I see a fighting spirit.
Well, Dave Berg got himself 3 hits, so it looks like he may be able to keep his apartment in Toronto until July.

Coach - Thursday, June 17 2004 @ 12:27 AM EDT (#57646) #

With Baltimore trailing 6-1 in L.A., the D-Rays might wake up in the rarefied air of third place tomorrow morning. The Jays will be all of a game and a half out of third, with only 97 left to play.

I'm getting a bit worried about both of Jobu's personalities...

_Jobu - Thursday, June 17 2004 @ 12:39 AM EDT (#57647) #

Dont worry Coach, the pills will help settle things down. That'll show that crusty old dean.... what's that Dean? You want me to burn things??

Hey "Not" H-Rod. Thats a wicked awesome idea. Third place team this year gets the Robert Goulet Memorial Wildcard Trophy!!

Wow! It will add a thrill and passion to this Blue Jay year I have yet to experience since the early 90s!

_StephenT - Thursday, June 17 2004 @ 12:40 AM EDT (#57648) #

I enjoyed hearing Jon Miller with Jerry on the radiocast. We got a lot of good background information on the ballpark (wind comes through those archways in right-field), Barry's personality (Willie Mays gets on his case for not smiling in public), etc. Thanks to Jon for contributing and Jerry for inviting.

I also watched the Sportsnet videofeed. It was obviously quite cool there (all the fans behind home plate were wearing jackets at the end of the game). To my surprise, the games aren't selling out any more (you could see a few empty sections in the upper-deck).

_Not H-Rod - Thursday, June 17 2004 @ 12:41 AM EDT (#57649) #

In Berg we trust.
Bring home the Goulet in '04!

_S.K. - Thursday, June 17 2004 @ 07:58 AM EDT (#57650) #

Hard to believe Hentgen and his agent declined a guaranteed 2-year deal from Baltimor to sign a 1-year deal with the Jays, because he felt that he could get a better deal a year later.

It may be time for Pat to fire his agent.

_coliver - Thursday, June 17 2004 @ 08:05 AM EDT (#57651) #

Robert Goulet? Remember his most memorable role?

"Jingle Bells, Batman smells
Robin layed an egg.

The Batmobile lost it's wheel
and the Joker got away"

Appearing next: "Millhouse"

Tomorrow: "An Evening With Jimbo"

Thomas - Thursday, June 17 2004 @ 08:52 AM EDT (#57652) #

In his last 6 games Berg is 5 for 15 with a walk, albeit with no extra base hits and some defensive miscues. However, he's not got a career .698 OPS by fluke.

_Jobu - Thursday, June 17 2004 @ 11:49 AM EDT (#57653) #

Man that was a great Goulet performance.... but I'm still partial to his "who let the dogs out" rendition

"Who let those dogs out?
Who let those doges out?
Who let those little mutts GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...... GOULET!"

Now all we need is the Jays to bring home the First Annual Goulet this year.

Game 65: The Injuries Continue | 55 comments | Create New Account

The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.