After an emotional and gutsy showing this weekend, the Jays have to adjust to a non-electric atmosphere and a non-contending opponent. The Mariners, who pay an anomalous mid-September four-game visit to Toronto, faced the same problem themselves this past weekend -- and struggled against Texas after playing inspired spoiler-ball against the Angels.
* General: Their hitting and pitching each leaves plenty to be desired, but the M's are one of the best defensive clubs in the majorsAfter sweeping the contending Angels, Seattle got swept out of Arlington in a four-game series defeat ... Seattle is just 27-47 on the road ... AAA Tacoma got swept in the PCL championship series by the Nashville Sounds. Manager Dan Rohn was called up to the big club, as were his charges Clint Nageotte, Shin-Soo Choo and Rene Rivera. Bucky Jacobsen was knocked off the 40-man roster ... Gil Meche is feeling much better after his bout with patellar tendinitis in his right knee. It was severely impacting his mechanics. Ryan Franklin is likely to be bumped to the bullpen when Meche returns ... Rafael Soriano hasn't been the same pitcher since his Tommy John surgery, but his velocity is back up to 94 mph ... Dan Wilson is on the DL after ACL surgery, and will retire after this season. Wilson's hoping to be activated to catch one more inning in the Mariners' final home series before he walks into the sunset ...
* Yuniesky Betancourt: A defector -- via boat -- from Cuba ... Hits off his front foot, but can drive breaking pitches up in the zone ... Weak on all pitches down in the zone ... Smooth pivot at second on the DP ... Nice chemistry with Jose Lopez up the middle. For his part, Lopez has confidently predicted a Gold Glove in Betancourt's near future ... It must be said, however, that Yuniesky sometimes puts style ahead of efficiency ... Impressed hitting coach Don Baylor by taking in a video session of his at-bats over the weekend. The glove-obsessed Betancourt had heretofore spent all of his video room time analyzing his defence ...
* Raul Ibanez: Enjoying a sizzling September at .362/.429/.507 ... Has been given the green light lately on "take" counts ... His wheelhouse is up and in, and he can turn on fastballs for power ... Not especially vulnerable to lefties ... Pull-happy, but strong enough to drive pitches the other way ... Does not like pitches low and away. Pitch him there ...
* Richie Sexson: Goes the other way with surprising effectiveness for a strikeout-prone slugger with a long swing ... Always a threat to go deep ... Good low-ball hitter who's better early in the count ... Likes the ball out over the plate and can be tied up inside ... Can't always catch up to the heat ... Not a good throwing arm for 3-6-3 double play attempts ... Sporting platinum-blond hair these days ...
* Eddie Guardado: After converting 31 of his first 33 save opportunities, Everyday Eddie has blown his last three ... Left a flat 88-mph fastball up and over the plate to Mark DeRosa, who took him deep on Saturday ... Throws a low 80s slider without much movement when it's up ... Ordinarily very tough on lefties, sweeping the slider down and away from them with a near-sidearm angle ... Likes to nibble with righties, working the outside corner with the heater ...
* Jose Lopez: Not an especially dangerous hitter, but can handle fastballs up and in ... Long swing means he takes a lot of fastballs to right and right-centre ... Can be induced to chase off the plate away ... His hands aren't great -- especially on in-between hops -- but his throwing arm is strong and accurate at second ... Has battled his weight for the last few years. He's lost 15 pounds to get down around 200, and has vowed to lose another 5-10 pounds for next season ...
* Greg Dobbs: Stays down on pitches well, with a nice-looking line drive swing ... A bit gun-shy, and he struggles adjusting to pitches he's not expecting ... Pulls his head off pitches up in the zone ...
* Ichiro Suzuki: You know what to expect: A barrage of singles with his twisting, choppy swing ... Still incredibly fast, as he's 32-for-40 on the basepaths, with 12 triples ... His singles output, however, is down considerably this year. Luck? Luck last year? ... Does not like the ball down and in ... He can be vulnerable to slow curves from righties ... Ichiro is unsure about whether to participate in the World Baseball Classic, since he does not want to play at an event where he'd be at least than 100 percent. He typically uses spring training to get into shape ... Teammate Shigetoshi Hasegawa is not a sure bet to be invited to try out for Team Japan ...
* Jeremy Reed: Tremendous athlete in centre, and he's made a whole slew of highlight-reel catches. He's not all sizzle; his range is tremendous ... Good range coming in and going back, but his lateral range is the most impressive ... Good throwing arm, too ... That said, he has to be considered a disappointment offensively this season, particularly against lefties (against whom he seems to pick up the ball rather late) ... Level swing makes him slap balls all over the field ... Not an adept basestealer (11 SB, 11 CS) ... Is questionable for tonight's game. His wrist is still sore after crashing into the outfield fence on Friday on another running catch ...
* Jamie Moyer: The cagey lefty with the very recognizable delivery will be 43 (!) in November ... Won his 200th game earlier this season, and is now up to 204 and counting ... Has made starts in 37 ballparks, not counting the old Comiskey Park (where he made two relief appearances) ... Stays effective by keeping his slow, slow curve down in the zone ... Struggles against lefties sometimes, since his curve breaks down rather than laterally ... Likes to work the outside corner against righthanded batters with the curve, then come in with a cutter down in the zone ...
* Adrian Beltre: After a solid August -- though nowhere near his 2004 form -- Beltre has slipped back into his hitting malaise this month, to the tune of .194/.247/.239 ... Just eight hits in his last 12 games -- and they've all been singles ... Has clearly been affected by his slump, as indecisive half-swings are killing him ... His head has been flying off anything over the inner half of the plate ... Alert defender at third who makes good decisions ... Great arm and a quick release ...
* Jeff Harris: A 31-year-old rookie righthander who slings the ball almost like a Justin Speier, but with a more fluid delivery ... Throws a two-seam fastball with good movement, but it's hittable out over the plate ... Good low-80s changeup with movement tailing from lefties ... Struggles with location and has no true "out" pitch against righties ... Always works from the stretch ... Has been paying more attention to his follow-through, or "finishing his pitches" ...
* Felix Hernandez: He's 19 -- and will be 19 on Opening Day 2006 ... Economical, almost minimalist delivery ... You've got to hope his high-70s curve hangs, because nine out of every ten are deadly. It drops very sharply, and very late ... Brings mid-90s heat that can be hit if it's belt-high or lower. It's hard to resist up in the zone, though ... Amazing tailing movement on his fastball. He's capable of backdooring righties with it ...
* Yorvit Torrealba: Steady presence behind the plate defensively ... Long swing, but he reads lefthanded breaking stuff well ... Doesn't pick up on righthanded cutters and sliders early enough ... Not strong on the inside corner. He can hurt you over the outer half ...
* George Sherrill: Effective LOOGY with only gopher balls as a problem ... Good, sweeping curve that he throws at lefties ... The curve's effectiveness is neutralized against righties, though ...
* Joel Pineiro: This looks like it will be the fourth consecutive year in which Pineiro's ERA will worsen by at least a half-run ... His low-90s fastball has looked straight all season ... Likes to challenge lefthanded hitters with eye-high cheese ... His slider has more "break" than "slide" to it, and he throws it under the fists of opposing batters when he's spotting his pitches well ...
My advice for those of you in the GTA: Head down to the Rogers Centre on Wednesday night, and splurge on a 100- or 200-level ticket. You'll want to be up close and personal to see 19-year-old Felix Hernandez taking aim at the Blue Jay bats.
Felix isn't the only player you likely haven't seen before as you prepare for the series. You want to learn about Greg Dobbs? George Sherrill? Jeff Harris? The wonderfully-named Yuniesky Betancourt? Well, there's an awfully convenient way to do it -- and it's to read on here at Batter's Box.
On to the Advance Scout!* General: Their hitting and pitching each leaves plenty to be desired, but the M's are one of the best defensive clubs in the majorsAfter sweeping the contending Angels, Seattle got swept out of Arlington in a four-game series defeat ... Seattle is just 27-47 on the road ... AAA Tacoma got swept in the PCL championship series by the Nashville Sounds. Manager Dan Rohn was called up to the big club, as were his charges Clint Nageotte, Shin-Soo Choo and Rene Rivera. Bucky Jacobsen was knocked off the 40-man roster ... Gil Meche is feeling much better after his bout with patellar tendinitis in his right knee. It was severely impacting his mechanics. Ryan Franklin is likely to be bumped to the bullpen when Meche returns ... Rafael Soriano hasn't been the same pitcher since his Tommy John surgery, but his velocity is back up to 94 mph ... Dan Wilson is on the DL after ACL surgery, and will retire after this season. Wilson's hoping to be activated to catch one more inning in the Mariners' final home series before he walks into the sunset ...
* Yuniesky Betancourt: A defector -- via boat -- from Cuba ... Hits off his front foot, but can drive breaking pitches up in the zone ... Weak on all pitches down in the zone ... Smooth pivot at second on the DP ... Nice chemistry with Jose Lopez up the middle. For his part, Lopez has confidently predicted a Gold Glove in Betancourt's near future ... It must be said, however, that Yuniesky sometimes puts style ahead of efficiency ... Impressed hitting coach Don Baylor by taking in a video session of his at-bats over the weekend. The glove-obsessed Betancourt had heretofore spent all of his video room time analyzing his defence ...
* Raul Ibanez: Enjoying a sizzling September at .362/.429/.507 ... Has been given the green light lately on "take" counts ... His wheelhouse is up and in, and he can turn on fastballs for power ... Not especially vulnerable to lefties ... Pull-happy, but strong enough to drive pitches the other way ... Does not like pitches low and away. Pitch him there ...
* Richie Sexson: Goes the other way with surprising effectiveness for a strikeout-prone slugger with a long swing ... Always a threat to go deep ... Good low-ball hitter who's better early in the count ... Likes the ball out over the plate and can be tied up inside ... Can't always catch up to the heat ... Not a good throwing arm for 3-6-3 double play attempts ... Sporting platinum-blond hair these days ...
* Eddie Guardado: After converting 31 of his first 33 save opportunities, Everyday Eddie has blown his last three ... Left a flat 88-mph fastball up and over the plate to Mark DeRosa, who took him deep on Saturday ... Throws a low 80s slider without much movement when it's up ... Ordinarily very tough on lefties, sweeping the slider down and away from them with a near-sidearm angle ... Likes to nibble with righties, working the outside corner with the heater ...
* Jose Lopez: Not an especially dangerous hitter, but can handle fastballs up and in ... Long swing means he takes a lot of fastballs to right and right-centre ... Can be induced to chase off the plate away ... His hands aren't great -- especially on in-between hops -- but his throwing arm is strong and accurate at second ... Has battled his weight for the last few years. He's lost 15 pounds to get down around 200, and has vowed to lose another 5-10 pounds for next season ...
* Greg Dobbs: Stays down on pitches well, with a nice-looking line drive swing ... A bit gun-shy, and he struggles adjusting to pitches he's not expecting ... Pulls his head off pitches up in the zone ...
* Ichiro Suzuki: You know what to expect: A barrage of singles with his twisting, choppy swing ... Still incredibly fast, as he's 32-for-40 on the basepaths, with 12 triples ... His singles output, however, is down considerably this year. Luck? Luck last year? ... Does not like the ball down and in ... He can be vulnerable to slow curves from righties ... Ichiro is unsure about whether to participate in the World Baseball Classic, since he does not want to play at an event where he'd be at least than 100 percent. He typically uses spring training to get into shape ... Teammate Shigetoshi Hasegawa is not a sure bet to be invited to try out for Team Japan ...
* Jeremy Reed: Tremendous athlete in centre, and he's made a whole slew of highlight-reel catches. He's not all sizzle; his range is tremendous ... Good range coming in and going back, but his lateral range is the most impressive ... Good throwing arm, too ... That said, he has to be considered a disappointment offensively this season, particularly against lefties (against whom he seems to pick up the ball rather late) ... Level swing makes him slap balls all over the field ... Not an adept basestealer (11 SB, 11 CS) ... Is questionable for tonight's game. His wrist is still sore after crashing into the outfield fence on Friday on another running catch ...
* Jamie Moyer: The cagey lefty with the very recognizable delivery will be 43 (!) in November ... Won his 200th game earlier this season, and is now up to 204 and counting ... Has made starts in 37 ballparks, not counting the old Comiskey Park (where he made two relief appearances) ... Stays effective by keeping his slow, slow curve down in the zone ... Struggles against lefties sometimes, since his curve breaks down rather than laterally ... Likes to work the outside corner against righthanded batters with the curve, then come in with a cutter down in the zone ...
* Adrian Beltre: After a solid August -- though nowhere near his 2004 form -- Beltre has slipped back into his hitting malaise this month, to the tune of .194/.247/.239 ... Just eight hits in his last 12 games -- and they've all been singles ... Has clearly been affected by his slump, as indecisive half-swings are killing him ... His head has been flying off anything over the inner half of the plate ... Alert defender at third who makes good decisions ... Great arm and a quick release ...
* Jeff Harris: A 31-year-old rookie righthander who slings the ball almost like a Justin Speier, but with a more fluid delivery ... Throws a two-seam fastball with good movement, but it's hittable out over the plate ... Good low-80s changeup with movement tailing from lefties ... Struggles with location and has no true "out" pitch against righties ... Always works from the stretch ... Has been paying more attention to his follow-through, or "finishing his pitches" ...
* Felix Hernandez: He's 19 -- and will be 19 on Opening Day 2006 ... Economical, almost minimalist delivery ... You've got to hope his high-70s curve hangs, because nine out of every ten are deadly. It drops very sharply, and very late ... Brings mid-90s heat that can be hit if it's belt-high or lower. It's hard to resist up in the zone, though ... Amazing tailing movement on his fastball. He's capable of backdooring righties with it ...
* Yorvit Torrealba: Steady presence behind the plate defensively ... Long swing, but he reads lefthanded breaking stuff well ... Doesn't pick up on righthanded cutters and sliders early enough ... Not strong on the inside corner. He can hurt you over the outer half ...
* George Sherrill: Effective LOOGY with only gopher balls as a problem ... Good, sweeping curve that he throws at lefties ... The curve's effectiveness is neutralized against righties, though ...
* Joel Pineiro: This looks like it will be the fourth consecutive year in which Pineiro's ERA will worsen by at least a half-run ... His low-90s fastball has looked straight all season ... Likes to challenge lefthanded hitters with eye-high cheese ... His slider has more "break" than "slide" to it, and he throws it under the fists of opposing batters when he's spotting his pitches well ...
