Batter's Box Interactive Magazine

The Jays are in texas for three games in the Texas heat before coming home to face Baltimore and Texas. It's also hall of fame weekend for Canadian connected Robbie Alomar, Pat Gillick and Dave Van Horne.

All games are 8pm eastern starts.

Game one tonight has Jo Jo Reyes facing Colby Lewis. Reyes is pitching on extra rest in this game. Can Jo Jo recover from his poor start against the Yankees where he recorded an unworthy win? Maybe the Jays can put something in Jo Jo's IV to help him out. John Farrell, earlier in the week:

Farrell said he's had discussions with teams in southern climates to see how they deal with the heat on a regular basis. The Rangers pay close attention to their pitchers to ensure a similar situation to Halladay doesn't happen with them.

"Their starting pitchers take an IV before they go out in the game," Farrell said. "They'll replenish their fluids or even preventively pump their systems with fluid just to have to a reserve, or a reservoir almost, as they're going through the extreme heat.

On Saturday Carlos Villueneva faces Matt Harrison, who has been pitching very well for the Rangers.

On Sunday night Texas baseball Brett Cecil has the tough task of facing Alexi Ogando.

Among the relevant questions for this weekend are:

How many games will Travis Snider start in centre field? Today and Sunday are possibilities or will Farrell opt to go with Davis's speed?

Can Cecil bounce back from his bad first two innings against Seattle? Were those two innings because of the extra rest he had or were they just typical Cecil 2011 innings?

Will the Jays be in any blow-ous so Frank Francisco can get into the game? Seriously, the trade deadline is ten days away and if the Jays want to trade Franky he needs to have three or four good appearances in that span.

Will Farrell be under orders to showcase Rauch, Dotel or Frasor too over the next ten days?

Will we see Brett Lawrie, I don't think so?

What are you looking for this weekend?

Posted by Gerry on Friday, July 22 2011 @ 03:37 PM EDT.

Sauna Special | 26 comments | Create New Account

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

bpoz - Friday, July 22 2011 @ 04:24 PM EDT (#239056) #

I feel strongly that we will win the series, possibly even sweep.

Kelekin - Friday, July 22 2011 @ 04:36 PM EDT (#239058) #

I feel there is a 12.5% chance we sweep them!

Magpie - Friday, July 22 2011 @ 05:02 PM EDT (#239060) #

Vernon Wells and Scott Downs, both looking to play in the post-season for the first time, would surely appreciate a Jays' sweep. The Angels just did their part, breaking off the Rangers winning streak and taking two out of three from them. And they've got three games with Baltimore this weekend. The plot thickens, elsewhere. As usual.

Ron - Friday, July 22 2011 @ 06:00 PM EDT (#239062) #

I just looked at the standings and saw that the Pirates are tied for 1st place in their division. As a team, they don't hit for average, get on base, or hit for power. Their pitching staff doesn't miss bats. Several of their key players have been injured (Snyder, Doumit, Tabata). Their big position player free agent signing has been awful (Overbay) and their stud prospect was so awful at the big league level he is now down in the minors (Alvarez).

How is this team in 1st place/above .500? Would anybody here take the Pirates over the Jays in a best of 7 series?

Magpie - Friday, July 22 2011 @ 07:09 PM EDT (#239063) #

How is this team in 1st place/above .500? Would anybody here take the Pirates over the Jays in a best of 7 series?

The old fashioned way. They earned it!

Seriously, the won-loss record isn't a fluke, with their runs scored and allowed it's about what you'd expect. Andrew McCutchen notwithstanding, they do have a below league average offense, with a black hole at third base, below average production from first base, and little in the way of bench production. They're doing it with run prevention, with a pitching staff that puts the ball in play. If you have a defense that can turn balls in play into outs, that can work just fine. There have been lots and lots and lots of teams that have made this work, and there will be lots more in the future.

Why is Jeff Karstens having a much better year than Brandon Morrow? Because he throws strikes, all the time. He never walks anybody, and he's always ahead of the hitter. He's faced 450 hitters, and he's been behind when the at bat was settled in just 131 of them. This approach to pitching has always worked, and it always will.

Mind you, it doesn't always work this well...

Gerry - Friday, July 22 2011 @ 08:27 PM EDT (#239066) #

Scott Richmond has cleared waivers and is now off the 40 man roster.

The Jays 40 man roster has 37 players on it, with three open spots.

Magpie - Friday, July 22 2011 @ 09:59 PM EDT (#239070) #

Vernon with three hits, including a grand slam to break up a tight game. Angels keeping pace!

I asked it before, I'm asking again: why is Jo-Jo Reyes in the major leagues? Because Anthopoulos saw him pitch a good game against A.J. Burnett three years ago?

Mike Green - Friday, July 22 2011 @ 10:04 PM EDT (#239071) #

It's a fair question. I can't see any point to having him in the rotation. He might have a career in the pen, and if the club cleaned out a bunch of relief in the next few days, I could see a spot being there. Zep to the rotation. Two right-handed relievers gone. Mills, Perez and Reyes to the pen.

Ron - Friday, July 22 2011 @ 10:14 PM EDT (#239072) #

Why is Jeff Karstens having a much better year than Brandon Morrow? Because he throws strikes, all the time. He never walks anybody, and he's always ahead of the hitter. He's faced 450 hitters, and he's been behind when the at bat was settled in just 131 of them. This approach to pitching has always worked, and it always will.

Mind you, it doesn't always work this well...

Before I scrolled down, I was expecting you to mention Josh Towers.

I expect the Pirates no name pitching staff to fall back down to earth soon. I can't imagine a team with that kind of roster making the playoffs even if we are talking about the NL.

Magpie - Friday, July 22 2011 @ 10:32 PM EDT (#239073) #

Before I scrolled down, I was expecting you to mention Josh Towers.

Karstens may indeed be having his Towers 2005 season. And I'd bet on the Pirates to finish third before they finish first. But it's still true that Earl Weaver and Whitey Herzog, among others, had long, long careers running pitching staffs that didn't miss bats. I don't think Weaver even once had a pitcher strike out 200 guys, which is remarkable seeing as how his starters were generally working close to 300 innings. Herzog won and won with guys like Splitorff and Andujar and Forsch and Cox and Gura.

Shane - Friday, July 22 2011 @ 10:45 PM EDT (#239074) #

"Thank **** AA didnt risk losing Jo Jo on waivers. Dudes been building up some major trade value." - commenter from other Jays fan website game thread

~ The guy wrote it up with better sarcasm then i've been able to do recently when i've tried. I've laughed each time i've re-read it.

Anders - Friday, July 22 2011 @ 10:45 PM EDT (#239075) #

Why is Jeff Karstens having a much better year than Brandon Morrow?

The word fluke comes to mind...

Magpie - Friday, July 22 2011 @ 10:49 PM EDT (#239076) #

I had to check! In 1970, Jim Palmer struck out a career high 199 batters (in 305 IP.) That was the highest total during the Weaver years.

What's really remarkable - the list of the Top 50 Orioles single season marks in K/9 IP includes no performance from the Weaver years. Not one.

There are no less than three guys (McNally, Phoebus, Brabender) making the team Top 50 for their work in 1968, the last great Year of the Pitcher. There are plenty of others from the many years before Weaver (Stu Miller, Steve Barber, Chuck Estrada, all the way back to Rube Waddell) and the years after (Mussina, Bedard, Cabrera - Adam Loewen even makes the list.) But no one from 1969 to 1982 makes the single season Top 50.

Those years were of course the most successful period - by a mile - in franchise history.

adrianveidt - Friday, July 22 2011 @ 11:30 PM EDT (#239078) #

Can someone remind me again why the Jays traded Mike Napoli?

TamRa - Friday, July 22 2011 @ 11:58 PM EDT (#239079) #

Can someone remind me again why the Jays traded Mike Napoli?

You mean the guy who hit .200 over a 44 game stretch before he got hurt?

Yes he's a monster right now - has been for NINE GAMES. I'll need to see a bit more consistant dominance before I morn his passing. It just looks bad because EE (the hitter they prefered) went south for a while and Frankie has been such an inexplicable train wreck.

They won the deal - but it has a lot more to do with unexpected failure on our end than unexpected success on theirs.

---------------------

Regarding Jo-Jo: he MIGHT still get that start in Baltimore just as a matter of roster logistics as the deadline approaches, but he'd have to throw a no-hitter to save his job. He's lost it one way or the other.

Whether he gets another start or not is merely a function of how Alex calculates the waiver process - none of us thinks we would get claimed period. I'm not sure about that but in my unprofessional opinion, I don't think a team will waste a bullet on a waiver claim right here at the deadline. This upcoming 10 game stretch might be the ideal time to sneak a struggling player through waivers.

On the other hand, if he doesn't think he'll get through, he'll wait and do it August 1 when he has a bit more options on what to do. I still think AA is loath to risk losing him for nothing. but he's surely sucked enough long enough that no team is going to see him as ready to help them.

Original Ryan - Saturday, July 23 2011 @ 03:21 AM EDT (#239082) #

Also, the rosters expand in just six weeks, as Las Vegas's season ends on September 5th (barring a trip to the playoffs). The Blue Jays have stuck with Reyes for nearly four months. I'm a bit doubtful the Blue Jays will drop him just to give someone else an extra six weeks in the majors.

uglyone - Saturday, July 23 2011 @ 08:27 AM EDT (#239083) #

So because they've stuck with him for 4 months, they have to stick with him forever?

There is no reason for jojo to be on our roster. No reason at all. There is no value or upside here.

Thomas - Saturday, July 23 2011 @ 10:24 AM EDT (#239084) #

You mean the guy who hit .200 over a 44 game stretch before he got hurt?

Throwing Mike Napoli's batting average out as an illustration of his skill or value to a team is very disingenuous. This is a player with a .258/.368/.501 line over the previous three seasons. He's always had a low batting average with a good batting eye and noticeable power. Even during that 44-game stretch, Napoli had an OBP of .350 and a slugging around .500. Mike Napoli has an .859 OPS away from Texas and that's hardly unexpected.

They won the deal - but it has a lot more to do with unexpected failure on our end than unexpected success on theirs.

That's being unfair to Jon Daniels. There were reasons the Jays might have preferred Francisco, but there were plenty of reasons to be critical of the trade, as many of us were on this site when it happened. And those reasons would have applied even if Francisco had put up his typical 3.50 ERA.

greenfrog - Saturday, July 23 2011 @ 10:29 AM EDT (#239085) #

Speaking of baseball near the Mexican border, has anyone heard anything more about a possible Roberto Osuna signing by the Jays?

bpoz - Saturday, July 23 2011 @ 10:36 AM EDT (#239086) #

I listened to the recent interview of AA on PTS. He said something like options are not as important as people think.
So he values options very much less than me.

I am constantly trying to understand AA's thinking. Basically I am speculating on the meaning of what he says & does.

So how is this for a wild scenario.
You have a limit of 162 starts in a season. Maybe AA values that as a tool for getting the best SP value/development as possible.
1)So you start 2011 with Romero, Morrow & Cecil based on their 2010 being quite good and that they further improve if needed to AA's standards.
2)If Litsch can recover from his injuries, then based on his past performance he becomes value to AA for various purposes.
3)Drabek & Reyes if evaluated at sufficient potential by AA, have to be given the opportunity to accomplish that potential. That makes 6 SPs & I don't know what AA's talent evaluation or time frame is.
4)Injuries & poor performance give Carlos V a SP spot because he looks like he has potential.
5) Z Stewart gets a too small opportunity, and I don't know why.
6 Mills gets no opportunity, even though he seems to be doing V well in LV & has had some success in the majors. My conclusion is that he does not have the potential that AA wants in a SP. As an aside... That incredible heat in LV has to have a huge negative effect on the pitchers or anyone playing there all season. They must be run down.
Mills trade value would increase with any ML success but he would be taking valuable starts away from someone that AA has ranked higher.

uglyone - Saturday, July 23 2011 @ 10:57 AM EDT (#239090) #

I don't get the handwringing over Mike Napoli. He'd be a minor upgrade over EE at best.

Original Ryan - Saturday, July 23 2011 @ 11:12 AM EDT (#239091) #

So because they've stuck with him for 4 months, they have to stick with him forever?

Did I say that? Of course not.

Six weeks from now it'll be harder to claim that Reyes is taking a roster spot from someone more deserving. If the Blue Jays stick with Reyes until then, they'll essentially have until December to decide what to do with him. I don't think he should be in the rotation the rest of the season and I'm doubtful that he will be, but if the team has hung onto him for this long, I'm skeptical that they'd opt to drop him now.

Kasi - Saturday, July 23 2011 @ 11:21 AM EDT (#239092) #

Agreed uglyone. Also while it would be nice to have Napoli at an option at catcher, you really can't be disappointed with the numbers Molina has given at that spot. Plus EE has done quite well for himself after early season struggles.

Original Ryan - Saturday, July 23 2011 @ 01:33 PM EDT (#239096) #

if the team has hung onto him for this long, I'm skeptical that they'd opt to drop him now.

But what do I know? They just DFA'd him.

CeeBee - Saturday, July 23 2011 @ 01:48 PM EDT (#239097) #

So Will Ledezma gets a chance. Can't say I'm sad to see Reyes go. I suspect there will be quite a few more moves in the next few week and I'd say it's time to check out a few more of the possible future Jays.

TamRa - Saturday, July 23 2011 @ 06:51 PM EDT (#239125) #

Even during that 44-game stretch, Napoli had an OBP of .350 and a slugging around .500. Mike Napoli has an .859 OPS away from Texas and that's hardly unexpected.

During the stretch I cited his OPS was .767 - respectable but nothing to get busted up about losing.

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