Batter's Box Interactive Magazine

Yikes

Anybody get the license number on that truck?

Thank goodness that's over. Now we can get on with the real business of 2011, a face-to-face showdown with the Baltimore Orioles. Fourth place is on the line.

Elsewhere... Roy Halladay (hmm.. name rings a bell) will try to become the majors' first 10 game winner on Wednesday, against the Marlins. You're not going to believe this, but he also leads the majors in innings pitched and complete games.

And Derek Jeter will try to bang out seven base hits in the next four games. If he can't, he'll probably get his 3000th career hit at Wrigley Field, of all places. Which just seems weird, Wrigley being the place where he accumulated exactly 2 of the 2,993 hits he's currently sitting on. It will be the story of the week, we'll quite soon be sick of hearing about it. Especially because seven or eight years from now, when they're welcoming him to Cooperstown, no one is going to care at all. Not even a teeny, tiny bit...

Don't know if you noticed, but there was about a sixteen hour window when Jose Bautista was no longer standing alone atop this season's HR leaderboard. Curtis Granderson (described by me, right here, some five or six weeks ago, as "this year's Bautista" - pay attention to the old fool, will ya?) actually caught up to our boy. So there was that to be pleased about this weekend.

Wasn't much else.

Posted by Magpie on Monday, June 13 2011 @ 01:57 AM EDT.

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92-93 - Monday, June 13 2011 @ 08:18 AM EDT (#236635) #

57.5% thought Kyle Drabek should take his next turn in the rotation in the 6/6 poll. I wonder what that # would be today. It's interesting to me how differently the club is handling Snider, Cecil, and Drabek, and I wonder how much of that is due to having a manager as a pitching coach.

lexomatic - Monday, June 13 2011 @ 08:28 AM EDT (#236637) #

At this point, I'd like to know what Drabek is showing to management to keep him up here compared to Cecil, or someone else? Do they really want to him to avoid AAA that much? If so they need to get out of Vegas ASAP. Why even bother with a AAA team in Vegas if you're the Jays?

John Northey - Monday, June 13 2011 @ 08:43 AM EDT (#236638) #

I suspect Drabek is showing a better attitude. I remember reading a few times that a big thing to ML coaches is how players deal with failure, and Drabek is learning that big time right now. If he is taking it in stride and focusing on his next start (while still trying to fix his mistakes) then he sticks. I suspect Cecil wasn't able to move past his mistakes and that was why the Jays sent him down.

Gerry - Monday, June 13 2011 @ 08:59 AM EDT (#236639) #

The powers that be may feel that Drabek is better served working with Walton and Farrell rather than Tom Signore in Las Vegas. Signore was Drabek's pitching coach last season in NH.

I only saw the highlights of yesterdays game but one highlight showed Walton speaking to Drabek, and to me in the short clip it looked like a lecture. If Farrell and Walton think that Drabek is either not listening or if Drabek's frustration is too high then Drabek will be sent down.

If not, then the question will be where will his development be better? It's not about the wins, it's about the development.

85bluejay - Monday, June 13 2011 @ 09:02 AM EDT (#236640) #

with regards to Drabek - I heard an interview with royals GM Dayton Moore recently in which he mentioned that while he doesn't worry about having their hitting prospects doing the ML/Minors shuttle, generally he doesn't like to do that with pitching prospects.

While waiting for the Aug. 15th deadline to get a better read on the Jays Draft, I'm intrigued as to what AA will be able to accomplish on the trade market to acquire more young,controllable high upside talent - last year it was Escobar & Gose - this year in addition to veterans on the ML team, AA has more B & C type prospects esp. in the upper minors to use (Thames/Cooper/Mills/Jenkins/Jimenez/Carreno etc.) & AA has shown he's not afraid to make those type of trades.

For both the Jays & Aaron Hill, I think it's time to move on -even if Aaron goes on a hot streak, given his inconsistency & leg problems I think the Jays should turn the page - Jason Kipnis would be the apple of my eye (& costly) but I don't see the Indians moving him - maybe if they stay in the race & Cord Phelps produces but acquiring Kipnis would be a real coup. IF Adrian Cardenas can play 2nd adequately (He's been DHing this yr - an injury?) then he would be an okay option I wouldn't mind - good OBP,Blocked by Weeks - he's LHH & would make a good #2 hitter - with Barton regressing, maybe a Cooper for Cardenas trade - only if the Jays think Cardenas can play 2nd adequately.

Jeses Montero - He's having a good but not great year & likely a future 1b/DH but I still love the Bat & I think the Yankees may offer him for pitching - I don't see a Jays/Yanks deal but I hope that AA has his antenna up so that if Montero is offered to a team that has problems fitting him in because of his defensive shortcomings then AA can offer a package to that team ( similar to the Wallace/Gose transaction)

Mike Green - Monday, June 13 2011 @ 09:31 AM EDT (#236641) #

Another positive from yesterday's game- the Red Sox fans all around me retired to the vodka bar rather than breaking into "Sweet Caroline" in the eighth. "The Rogers Centre, it's the next best thing to being there".

The NL ex-Jay moundsmen are doing pretty well for themselves. Shaun Marcum sits 6th in the league in ERA (Doc is 2nd). When you make present for future trades, you have to be patient...

whiterasta80 - Monday, June 13 2011 @ 09:45 AM EDT (#236644) #

85, this isn't necessarily a trade target, but I'd be tempted to take a look at Aaron Poreda who the Padres DFA'd.

First round pedigree, size and power from the left side. If we can teach him a changeup, and more importantly some control, he has mad potential. Certainly a better option than Purcey was.

Jonny German - Monday, June 13 2011 @ 11:24 AM EDT (#236648) #

"When you make present for future trades, you have to be patient..."

Likewise with immediate-future for near-future. Brett Wallace is hitting .304/.376/.440 for a 130 OPS+ in 64 games so far this year.

92-93 - Monday, June 13 2011 @ 11:47 AM EDT (#236650) #

Wallace has been fueled by a .383 BABIP, and I'd suggest the trade is going exactly as expected. Wallace, despite that gaudy OBP/OPS+, is still a 1B who can't run or field with limited power. His fWAR this year is 0.6, which nestles him comfortably in between Jayson Nix's 0.5 and Jose Molina's 0.7.

85bluejay - Monday, June 13 2011 @ 12:51 PM EDT (#236656) #

whiterasta80, Poreda if I remember correctly was never valued highly & regarded as an overdraft - I think he's more of a Pirates type project - besides if I'm Poreda unless I have to, why would I want to bring my fringy stuff to the AL east.

Unless Brett Wallace starts having plus power I can't say I will ever miss him ( Besides we have in Cooper, the same thing) - even if Gose flames out, I would make that trade every time because you need that type of talent in the AL east - as Boston just demonstrated this past Wknd.

John Northey - Monday, June 13 2011 @ 01:20 PM EDT (#236663) #

Given I haven't paid as much attention as I once did to other teams/divisions - is there anyone like Escobar out there this year? Guys who were great in 2010 but are scuffling this year and still under team control for a few more years but on teams that need that player to play well NOW as they are in a playoff race (or the fringes of one)?

An impatient GM (or one under high pressure to do it now or else) is a patient GM's best friend.

Bid - Monday, June 13 2011 @ 01:49 PM EDT (#236667) #

As 85bluejay says, (referring to A. Gose,) 'you need that type of talent in the AL east.

Oh, indeed. And the weekend drubbing we just witnessed featured the local team starting four or five guys who couldn't sit on the Boston bench. I sure hope the plan is working.

greenfrog - Monday, June 13 2011 @ 01:50 PM EDT (#236668) #

I think the license plate read, "WS 2011".

TamRa - Monday, June 13 2011 @ 02:12 PM EDT (#236672) #

My proposal on Drabek was this:
His next start can be him, or it could be Perez.

The next turn after that falls on an off day - so skip that turn.

If Perez takes his next start that would give them 16 days to work with him on the side, maybe bring in a sports psychologist if they haven't already, and etc.

then there would be three turns before the break to see if he was figuring it out.

Once you reach the break Litsch should be healthy and you might have a better read on Cecil.

all that said, Drabek insists the side work goes great and he loses it only when he's in a game so what do I know?

TamRa - Monday, June 13 2011 @ 02:17 PM EDT (#236674) #

is there anyone like Escobar out there this year?

If you were addressing a position where our need is in excess of your youth - that's pretty much 2B

If i was going to try to catch a down guy that might have worn out the patience of their team, it would be Gordon Beckham.

Might be interested in looking into Ian Stewart too IF he can play a competent 2B.

TamRa - Monday, June 13 2011 @ 03:10 PM EDT (#236677) #

MLBTR reports Phillies looking for RH hitting outfielders. They can have Rivera (and half his remaining salary) for an autographed glossy of Roy Halladay! ;)

bpoz - Monday, June 13 2011 @ 03:48 PM EDT (#236681) #

Y Escobar certainly fell into our laps IMO. A Gon's defense and 17 Hr was something only we could have provided.
Pastornicky & Collins... JoJo Reyes to fill out the trade.

IMO both teams won.

Since we are looking for another Escobar type to trade for, who do we have in an A Gon type to give up.

uglyone - Monday, June 13 2011 @ 05:35 PM EDT (#236690) #

I'm pretty sure the reason Cecil is in the minors is due to the velocity drop. This is something which seems to really concern the Jays - remember Farrell pulling Morrow in the 3rd inning with 1 out and the bases loaded because he suddenly lost velocity. I guess the thinking with Drabek is that at least his tools are working, unlike with Cecil, who simply couldn't find his stuff.

Likewise with immediate-future for near-future. Brett Wallace is hitting .304/.376/.440 for a 130 OPS+ in 64 games so far this year.

Wallace:

2010: 144ab, .615ops APR: 85ab, .987ops MAY: 92ab, .719ops JUN: 26ab, .713ops

Wallace had a ridiculous April fueled by an unthinkable BABIP, but he's been a sub-par hitter since then, like he was before. His BABIP is still unsustainably high (.383), and so I'm guessing his performance the rest of the season will continue to reflect his career performance to date (.734ops) more than that crazy April.

whiterasta80 - Monday, June 13 2011 @ 05:40 PM EDT (#236691) #

I'll grant you that Poreda's walk numbers make Purcey look like Greg Maddux but can a 96 MPH fastball still be "fringy stuff"? I'll also add that Bautista was a Pirates-type prospect as well. That being said, I've only ever seen him once, in Portland, so I won't pretend to know whether he is worth the investment.

Ian Stewart (who definitely can't play a competant 2B, but works at 3B), and Chris Davis are the two guys who I think might fit the "Escobar" mould, although neither of them have his track record.

Spifficus - Monday, June 13 2011 @ 07:06 PM EDT (#236696) #

Dexter Fowler's another good buy-low upside play.

Gerry - Tuesday, June 14 2011 @ 01:32 PM EDT (#236727) #

Brad Arnsberg is out as pitching coach in Houston due to philosophical differences. One one hand this is not a surprise as Arnsberg does have some strong beliefs. But Brad Mills was his buddy, I recall the Jays released Arnsberg so he could coach with Mills, so it is a surprise that the buddies had a falling out.

Hodgie - Tuesday, June 14 2011 @ 01:51 PM EDT (#236728) #

Just speculation of course, but I wonder if the philosophical differences weren't so much with Mills (who I would presume would have been well aware of Arnsberg's methodology and tendencies) as much as they were with Ed Wade.

Shane - Tuesday, June 14 2011 @ 02:29 PM EDT (#236730) #

Haha. I'd completely forgot about this old Keith Law quote that Dustin Parkes is re-using over at his TheScore.com column:

Brad Arnsberg..."And You Will Know Him By His Trail Of Dead Arms". Good stuff.

scottt - Tuesday, June 14 2011 @ 09:55 PM EDT (#236786) #

And Derek Jeter will try to bang out seven base hits in the next four games.

Or just go on the DL.

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