Due to technical problems, we cannot show the remainder of Bambi. Instead, we've got Roy Halladay and the Toronto Blue Jays facing off with Tony Armas Jr. and the Montreal Expos. There's no score after 2 innings. So put another packet of popcorn in the microwave and enjoy the game.
Who's gonna be the Blue Jay All-Star?
I would choose Halladay.
Now, to beat a dead horse: Tosca's gotta go, I anticipate his dismissal in the offseason (or his contract not being picked up). Greg Zaun, Menechino and Gomez are bench players while Kevin Cash, Woodward and Phelps are starters.
I will put in my appreciation here on the way Zaun has handled the pitchers. And I don't know how to take all this 'clubhouse leader' stuff. He went on at length about it in the Star, how he's such a leader. Were I a Blue Jay, I'd roll my eyes if a Greg Zaun put on airs of captaincy.
When you use a bench player everyday they burn out. When you use an everyday player sparingly they sputter.
I think Tosca things he's going to uncover a Greg Myers in all these old grinders.
I would choose Halladay.
Now, to beat a dead horse: Tosca's gotta go, I anticipate his dismissal in the offseason (or his contract not being picked up). Greg Zaun, Menechino and Gomez are bench players while Kevin Cash, Woodward and Phelps are starters.
I will put in my appreciation here on the way Zaun has handled the pitchers. And I don't know how to take all this 'clubhouse leader' stuff. He went on at length about it in the Star, how he's such a leader. Were I a Blue Jay, I'd roll my eyes if a Greg Zaun put on airs of captaincy.
When you use a bench player everyday they burn out. When you use an everyday player sparingly they sputter.
I think Tosca things he's going to uncover a Greg Myers in all these old grinders.
Who's gonna be the Blue Jay All-Star?
Why not Hudson? I think he's got a better OPS than Soriano or Belliard.
Why not Hudson? I think he's got a better OPS than Soriano or Belliard.
This Puerto Rican version of MLB Gameday is really killing me.
Eric Hinske gets hit in the league, yet it's a double. It's pretty funny actually. Hinske's double then showed up as a red blip in foul territory close to the crowd.
Eric Hinske gets hit in the league, yet it's a double. It's pretty funny actually. Hinske's double then showed up as a red blip in foul territory close to the crowd.
Man oh man, it's nice to have Eric Hinske back. His OPS is finally back over 700!
Heck, he even made an error, it could be possible that the ROY version of Eric Hinske is back!
Gotta love Doc's confidence tonight. Proceeds to pitch around the lefty Schneider so he can duel the pinch hitter (for Kim) whether it be Rivera or Sledge. Needless to say he blows Sledge away like a leaf.
Hinske's OPS is up to .721 after his 4-4 night.
Good sign.
On the flip side, Reed Johnson's OPS is down to .720. Yuck.
Good sign.
On the flip side, Reed Johnson's OPS is down to .720. Yuck.
Reed has to realize that even the late great Ted Williams would have a difficult time hitting for a respectable average down 1-2 and 0-2 all the time. Reed's a good hitter but I believe some pitchers are starting to use his aggressive approach against him. Just my 2 cents.
Wow, not a lot of action in here.
I get the feeling that Cerutti just jinxed Chulk with his little "he hasn't allowed a run in 11 innings" thing.
I get the feeling that Cerutti just jinxed Chulk with his little "he hasn't allowed a run in 11 innings" thing.
We need official Chulkamaniac T-Shirts. Someone get on that
Would Chulkamaniac t-shirts therefore be tearaway shirts?
Just found out Jason Bay is Canadian on ESPN.com. Anyone know if a Canadian has ever won Rookie of the Year? My guess would be no.
I'm just so tickled that they went into spring training figuring that any one of Adams, Ligtenberg, Speier and Lopez would emerge as the closer and halfway through the season we've got a rookie setting-up another rookie.
Just found out Jason Bay is Canadian on ESPN.com. Anyone know if a Canadian has ever won Rookie of the Year? My guess would be no.
Your guess would be correct.
You are the frontrunners in the ROY races this year? I really haven't paid much attention...I think Crosby's turned it around, and Mauer is hitting for more power than was expected, but he was injured.
Your guess would be correct.
You are the frontrunners in the ROY races this year? I really haven't paid much attention...I think Crosby's turned it around, and Mauer is hitting for more power than was expected, but he was injured.
The pen has become very interesting. 12 different guys have pitched at least a game, from Douglass 2 games to Adams 36.
So far the leader in games pitched is Terry Adams but he hasn't been that effective (4.30 ERA 38 IP 20-31 W-K).
Saves is Frasor who sure has worked out nicely, but I wonder if he can keep it going (1.78 ERA 35 IP 15-27 W-K). Still, his K/IP has improved drastically from early on and is now close to 'closer territory' (1+ K/IP). Might he be, like Henke, a late bloomer? Lets hope.
Chulk has become the setup man (1.35 ERA 20 IP 10-15 W-K, 0 HR) but I wonder how the heck he is getting away with it. A walk every other inning with under 7 K/9 IP. AAA he was 2.83 ERA 29 IP 11-26 W-K with 5 HR given up. Better W-K ratio and K/IP but homer prone vs the 0 in the majors. Jury is out until seasons end for Chulk, but dang it is nice to have a solid two at the end ... for now.
Nakamura has been a weird one. Wonderful W-K, K/IP but geez he can't keep it in the park - 7.43 ERA 23 IP 5-23 W-K 5 HR. Very bad luck too, 32 baserunners allowed, 21 runs (19 earned). For comparison Frasor has allowed 38 baserunners and only 7 have scored, Chulk at AAA allowed a similar number of HR (5 over a few more innings) but had just 13 of 39 score. If Nakamura had the same ratio his ERA would've been 4.30, not great but acceptable.
So far the leader in games pitched is Terry Adams but he hasn't been that effective (4.30 ERA 38 IP 20-31 W-K).
Saves is Frasor who sure has worked out nicely, but I wonder if he can keep it going (1.78 ERA 35 IP 15-27 W-K). Still, his K/IP has improved drastically from early on and is now close to 'closer territory' (1+ K/IP). Might he be, like Henke, a late bloomer? Lets hope.
Chulk has become the setup man (1.35 ERA 20 IP 10-15 W-K, 0 HR) but I wonder how the heck he is getting away with it. A walk every other inning with under 7 K/9 IP. AAA he was 2.83 ERA 29 IP 11-26 W-K with 5 HR given up. Better W-K ratio and K/IP but homer prone vs the 0 in the majors. Jury is out until seasons end for Chulk, but dang it is nice to have a solid two at the end ... for now.
Nakamura has been a weird one. Wonderful W-K, K/IP but geez he can't keep it in the park - 7.43 ERA 23 IP 5-23 W-K 5 HR. Very bad luck too, 32 baserunners allowed, 21 runs (19 earned). For comparison Frasor has allowed 38 baserunners and only 7 have scored, Chulk at AAA allowed a similar number of HR (5 over a few more innings) but had just 13 of 39 score. If Nakamura had the same ratio his ERA would've been 4.30, not great but acceptable.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/splits?statsId=7152&type=pitching&year=2004
Nakamura benefitted from some early games against Kansas City: 6 innings, 8 strikeouts. He doesn't seem to be fooling anybody else: Tampa Bay, Boston, Chicago and Anaheim all beat the stuffing out of him. I think the better-hitting teams just know to lay off the breaking stuff and wait for the so-called "fastball". COMN for his full splits.
Nakamura benefitted from some early games against Kansas City: 6 innings, 8 strikeouts. He doesn't seem to be fooling anybody else: Tampa Bay, Boston, Chicago and Anaheim all beat the stuffing out of him. I think the better-hitting teams just know to lay off the breaking stuff and wait for the so-called "fastball". COMN for his full splits.
Ryan, good point about Nakamura, but looking at his splits I keep seeing really odd stuff with runners scored per runner on base.
Tampa - 5 IP, 5 baserunners, 4 runs allowed
Montreal - 2 1/3 IP 3 baserunners, 3 scored
Minnesota - 2 IP, 3 baserunnrs, 3 scored
White Sox - 3 IP, 6 baserunners, 4 scored
Boston - 3 IP, 5 baserunners, 3 scored
It looks like the manager has no idea when to pull him and just waits until it is too late, or brings him in before he is warm thus leading to disaster (see his last run allowed outing vs Montreal, 2 of 3 runs allowed in first 2/3rds of an inning, one more in his 3rd inning of work.
To me, Nakamura could be effective but Tosca has yet to make me think he has a clue about bullpen management. OK, a bit too far there (he did get Frasor into the best role, making use of Chulk) but he still drives me up the wall at times.
Funny thing, the new guys brought in (Ligtenberg, Adams, Speier, De Los Santos) at about a million+ each have ERA's above 4. The two leftovers have been poor to horrid (Kershner & Lopez). Meanwhile two guys who weren't supposed to make the big team this year at all are the closer and setup man with ERA's sub 2. What do y'all want to bet that JP never again signs a reliever for more than $500k-750k and never for more than one year. $4-5 million could've been well spent on another hitter rather than the pen.
Tampa - 5 IP, 5 baserunners, 4 runs allowed
Montreal - 2 1/3 IP 3 baserunners, 3 scored
Minnesota - 2 IP, 3 baserunnrs, 3 scored
White Sox - 3 IP, 6 baserunners, 4 scored
Boston - 3 IP, 5 baserunners, 3 scored
It looks like the manager has no idea when to pull him and just waits until it is too late, or brings him in before he is warm thus leading to disaster (see his last run allowed outing vs Montreal, 2 of 3 runs allowed in first 2/3rds of an inning, one more in his 3rd inning of work.
To me, Nakamura could be effective but Tosca has yet to make me think he has a clue about bullpen management. OK, a bit too far there (he did get Frasor into the best role, making use of Chulk) but he still drives me up the wall at times.
Funny thing, the new guys brought in (Ligtenberg, Adams, Speier, De Los Santos) at about a million+ each have ERA's above 4. The two leftovers have been poor to horrid (Kershner & Lopez). Meanwhile two guys who weren't supposed to make the big team this year at all are the closer and setup man with ERA's sub 2. What do y'all want to bet that JP never again signs a reliever for more than $500k-750k and never for more than one year. $4-5 million could've been well spent on another hitter rather than the pen.
You can probably attribute some of Nakamura's bad luck to the rest of the pen; it seems like every time Adams comes into a game, he gives up a run-scoring hit. Nobody other than Frasor has been particularly inspiring coming into the game with runners on base. That probably averages him out to merely "bad" as opposed to "horrible", but I'm still not particularly impressed with him.
What do y'all want to bet that JP never again signs a reliever for more than $500k-750k and never for more than one year.
If all goes according to plan (hah!) it won't be necessary, given all the potential relief arms in the organization. Peterson, Frederick, League, Vermilyea, plus all those starters who can't fit in the rotation.
What do y'all want to bet that JP never again signs a reliever for more than $500k-750k and never for more than one year.
If all goes according to plan (hah!) it won't be necessary, given all the potential relief arms in the organization. Peterson, Frederick, League, Vermilyea, plus all those starters who can't fit in the rotation.
http://www.mathesond.mindsay.com
On the other hand, Mr. Ricciardi may decide that the 'pen is too important to leave to rookies and low-cost vets, and may decide to throw a few million bucks towards a couple of arms that have proven they ncan shut the other team in the 8th and 9th on a regular basis
On the other hand, Mr. Ricciardi may decide that the 'pen is too important to leave to rookies and low-cost vets, and may decide to throw a few million bucks towards a couple of arms that have proven they ncan shut the other team in the 8th and 9th on a regular basis
... Frasor who sure has worked out nicely, but I wonder if he can keep it going... Chulk has become the setup man... but I wonder how the heck he is getting away with it. A walk every other inning with under 7 K/9 IP.
Luck has obviously played a huge role in the success of both Frasor and Chulk to this point. Neither are allowing many hits (Frasor 23 in 35 IP, Chulk 14 in 20), and neither has allowed a homerun. This has easily served to offset their high walk rates.
We'll see how these two react when the luck starts running out. While they look all the world like major league pitchers, the Ward/Henke routine can't last forever.
Luck has obviously played a huge role in the success of both Frasor and Chulk to this point. Neither are allowing many hits (Frasor 23 in 35 IP, Chulk 14 in 20), and neither has allowed a homerun. This has easily served to offset their high walk rates.
We'll see how these two react when the luck starts running out. While they look all the world like major league pitchers, the Ward/Henke routine can't last forever.
Quality lefties are expensive, but jays dont have any in their system, so they may have to use those millions that their paying guys like adams and lightenberg to get a solid lefty, no more VDLS or trever miller types, they gotta actually spend like 2-4 million to get somebody they can depend on. Lukcily, most of the big boys in their division like ARod, Manny and Garciaperra, are right handed hitters so its not the most pressing issue right now.
Frasor's K:BB is actually 27:12, as three of his listed walks are intentional. That would give him a K/BB of 2.25, which is not bad at all.
Not that I'm saying he hasn't been lucky so far, but his K:BB is actually better than it is listed.
I'm more worried about Chulk hitting earth at a rapid pace, but I expect both of their ERA's to climb in the second half. Probably settling in the 3.00 range, which is a great accomplishment for a rookie.
But who am I to complain about the Henke/Ward impersonation that is being seen in Toronto right now? Keep it up, boys!
Not that I'm saying he hasn't been lucky so far, but his K:BB is actually better than it is listed.
I'm more worried about Chulk hitting earth at a rapid pace, but I expect both of their ERA's to climb in the second half. Probably settling in the 3.00 range, which is a great accomplishment for a rookie.
But who am I to complain about the Henke/Ward impersonation that is being seen in Toronto right now? Keep it up, boys!