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Game Threads Series Thread: Boston Comes to Town
"That's chowdah! Chowdah! Say it right!"



John Farrell and The Red Sox Experience (TM) come into town with a 10-13 record, a mark significantly worse than their 16-7 through 23 games last year. It's only 23 games, but I'm not convinced this Boston squad is quite as strong as their banner team of a year ago. Getting a healthy Victorino back will help and I like Bogaerts a lot, but the dropoff from Jacoby Ellsbury to Jackie Bradley Jr. is like blowing off that three month reservation at the French Restaurant for a cheeseburger at a greasy diner. Maybe that cheeseburger will turn out to be pretty good, but you ain't getting that reservation again.
Anyhow, this is still a good team with a lot of good players who can hurt you, so lets take a looksy:

Pitching Matchups!

Friday: Jake Peavy (0-0, 3.33)-(2013: 12-5, 4.17) v. Mark Buehrle (4-0, 0.64)
Saturday: Clay Buchholz (0-2, 7.71)-(2013: 12-1, 1.74) v. Brandon Morrow (1-1, 5.03)
Sunday: Jon Lester (2-3, 2.67)-(2013: 15-8, 3.75) v. R.A. Dickey (1-3, 5.90)

Player Sure To Be A Thorn For The Jays

Mike Napoli. Big Mike is the only Red Sox regular with an OPS above .800 and he does seem to enjoy punishing us for trading him away (17 career HR versus Toronto) so uh, be careful? Pitchers?

Fun With Numbers

The Red Sox have three relievers out of their bullpen (Uehara, Tazawa, Capuano) who have yet to allow a run this year in 33 combined innings, earned or otherwise. So uh, lets get some early leads? Hitters?

Also, not to join the chorus that seems to love harping on Ryan Goins, but Cincinnati Reds pitchers have more hits so far this season (11) than Goins (8). Reds hurlers are 11-51 (.215), Goins 8-54 (.148). Of course, Mike Leake could probably hit 8th in many major league lineups. 

Questions

Can the Blue Jays homemade bullpen stop exploding again? Will Toronto pitchers contain Ortiz/Napoli? Which Red Sox scrub will annoy us with timely hits? (My money is on Brock Holt). How greasy will Clay Buchholz' hair be? Can Jose Bautista show some friggin patience, fer cryin out loud? (sarcasm). How many times will Buck and Tabler say "Boy I tell ya what, these guys just know how to win"? Lets find out.

Posted by Eephus on Friday, April 25 2014 @ 02:36 PM EDT.
Series Thread: Boston Comes to Town | 99 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
Richard S.S. - Friday, April 25 2014 @ 03:25 PM EDT (#285278) #
The 2014 Cy Young winner Mark Buehrle starts tonight. At a minimum, all I want is for him to keep his team in the game. Of course, if Boston is really suck-y tonight, I'll accept a no-hitter.
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uglyone - Friday, April 25 2014 @ 03:27 PM EDT (#285279) #
Was already the biggest series of april for me, and the loss to baltimore, and the fact that staying over .500 is now at stake, only ups the ante.

I'll be grumpy if they lose this series. And dickey better show up on sunday,
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Gerry - Friday, April 25 2014 @ 04:23 PM EDT (#285281) #
Buehrle and Dickey against an experienced lineup like the Sox worry me. Now, having said that, Boston are younger than they were last year with Boegarts and Bradley in the lineup, but I am still worried.
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John Northey - Friday, April 25 2014 @ 04:56 PM EDT (#285284) #
Hey, Boston is a last place team and the Jays are 1/2 a game from a playoff slot.  Of course, it is just a wee bit early :)

Here is a bit of an oddity... #1 on the Jays for OPS+?  Josh Thole at 212.  Never thought we'd be able to say that.  Juan Francisco is hitting 313/421/438 in his 19 PA so far.  Meanwhile if you add together Lawrie and Reyes' OPS+ you still come up shy of 100 (48 + 51 respectively).  Also in the 'Freedom 55' OPS+ range we have our 2B tandem Diaz (54) and Goins (18).  Ick.

Leverage coming into the game for the pen...
High...Santos: 1.8, Cecil 1.6, Wagner 1.6, Loup 1.4
Medium...Delabar 1.1, Redmond 1.0
Low... Happ 0.7, Rogers 0.4

An interesting stat they have is RA9Avg which basically says what an average pitcher facing the same opponents would've done.  The guy with the toughest opposition? Hutchison at 4.86 then Buehrle at 4.78.  Guess those 2 really have been as good as they look.
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Richard S.S. - Friday, April 25 2014 @ 09:02 PM EDT (#285288) #
Oops, fine time for Buehrle to have a wee bit of trouble. I guess he was due. Only one problem, Peavy's a good pitcher, just not as good as the offense has indicated. I think that there are times in some of these games where the offense gives up. How many hitters saw more than three pitches per at bat?
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dan gordon - Saturday, April 26 2014 @ 02:34 AM EDT (#285290) #
Jenkins called up, Wagner sent down. Looks like they're still determined to retain Rogers, Redmond and Happ, so Wagner is the odd man out.

Haven't seen it here, but I've read in a couple of places, that the Jays signed former Seattle and recently, Arizona pitcher Ryan Rowland-Smith as a free agent, with an out clause if he's not called up by June 1st.
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scottt - Saturday, April 26 2014 @ 05:53 AM EDT (#285291) #
Wagner has been alright. He's basically going down because he's been used to much. Sigh.

Can't AA  just sign Rogers for 2 years so nobody  picks him off waivers?

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China fan - Saturday, April 26 2014 @ 06:26 AM EDT (#285292) #
Wagner and Jenkins could shuttle back and forth between Toronto and Buffalo this year, allowing more depth for the bullpen.  They're both capable of throwing good innings in the majors, so it's useful to rotate them between the minors and majors.  As for Rogers/Redmond/Happ:  it's hard to blame the Jays for hoarding all three of them, when the rotation still has so many issues.  They need 6th and 7th starters in case of injuries or in case McGowan or Morrow implode, and they need long relievers in the bullpen for all those meaningless mop-up innings that the Jays seem to be suffering in recent games. Without the three long relievers, the burden on Cecil and Loup and Delabar would be even heavier, and their occasional collapses could be more frequent.
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BlueJayWay - Saturday, April 26 2014 @ 08:30 AM EDT (#285293) #
Well, it's early, but one thing of note is the AL East is collectively 3 games below .500 with a -19 run differential. In fact every team is a -ve differential right now.
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BlueJayWay - Saturday, April 26 2014 @ 08:31 AM EDT (#285294) #
Check that, mae that a -29 run differential.
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Original Ryan - Saturday, April 26 2014 @ 12:49 PM EDT (#285298) #
Can't AA just sign Rogers for 2 years so nobody picks him off waivers?

I doubt anyone would claim him as things stand now. According to Baseball Reference, he's making $1.85 million this year. I don't think he's been outrighted previously in his career, but even if he did have the ability to elect free agency rather than accept an assignment to Buffalo, it's hard to see him giving up that money in order to sign a minor league contract elsewhere.

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Jdog - Saturday, April 26 2014 @ 01:18 PM EDT (#285300) #
You must not have seen the Phillies pen in action yet. There are a lot of bullpens that would be happy to have Esmil Rogers.
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Richard S.S. - Saturday, April 26 2014 @ 01:32 PM EDT (#285301) #
It seems Dickey has trouble the third time through the lineup. It's been remarked on by various media peoples. Thole and Dickey (as per Thole interview - podcast) are aware and working on it. They need to get through the 7th to be really helpful.

I'm encourage that McGowan is dealing (per Drunk Jays Fans site) with his fatigue issues. It seems to be a "blood sugar/insulin" issue. His stuff is still really good. I'd actually like to see him pitch a consistent six innings.

I don 't understand Morrow. No matter how he pitches, he keeps the team in the games. He's not helping being unable to pitch into the seventh.

I'm not worried about Buehrle, I thought he'd have a better year this year and he is. Hutchison is a pleasant surprise, his stuff is even better than 2012. He's being pitch-limited so as to limit the stressful innings he pitches on his way to his inning limit.

The Offense is not having fun, they're trying too hard. Too many are really having issues. Until everyone is hitting "normally", pitching is having to do too much, too often. And when they fail, the Bullpen must be perfect. And that leads to "issues".
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Original Ryan - Saturday, April 26 2014 @ 01:36 PM EDT (#285302) #
There are a lot of bullpens that would be happy to have Esmil Rogers.

At nearly four times the cost of a comparable minor leaguer? I'm very skeptical of that.

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Chuck - Saturday, April 26 2014 @ 01:41 PM EDT (#285303) #
I'm thinking today's ump reffed last night's Raptors game.
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JB21 - Saturday, April 26 2014 @ 02:07 PM EDT (#285304) #
Walks are absolutely killing this team.
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Chuck - Saturday, April 26 2014 @ 02:11 PM EDT (#285305) #
Brandon Morrow and Jeff Kellogg make for an undesirable pairing.
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JB21 - Saturday, April 26 2014 @ 02:14 PM EDT (#285306) #
Relief pitchers giving up Grand Slams after the starter walks the bases loaded's are killing this team.

Seriously, could this be MORE frustrating?
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soupman - Saturday, April 26 2014 @ 02:18 PM EDT (#285307) #
yea...this has been a frustrating week.

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timpinder - Saturday, April 26 2014 @ 02:31 PM EDT (#285308) #
Painful indeed.
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92-93 - Saturday, April 26 2014 @ 03:06 PM EDT (#285309) #
"As for Rogers/Redmond/Happ: it's hard to blame the Jays for hoarding all three of them, when the rotation still has so many issues."

It's pretty sensible to blame the FO for not doing anything to improve the rotation, thereby feeling the need to carry an inferior bullpen/roster because they are worried of losing guys who do not have any tangible value.
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China fan - Saturday, April 26 2014 @ 03:16 PM EDT (#285311) #
"....feeling the need to carry an inferior bullpen/roster...."

Yes, that's the obvious corollary when the Jays fail to acquire superior players like Santana. 

As for the current roster:  could someone perhaps do the Jays pitchers a small favor and sketch an approximate image of the plate, and explain that they should try to throw the ball over the damn thing?

The extreme epidemic of walks this year is making me wonder if the team caught a virus from Ricky Romero last year.  Romero was the first to succumb to an inability to find the plate, and now they're all doing it.   Any theories on how this could have happened?  Should we be blaming Pete Walker, or whom?  Most of these pitchers had control in the past.  Some of them had occasional control problems in the past, but never anything close to what they're doing this year.  It seems like a remarkable coincidence that they're all doing it at the same time.  Any theories on why?
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92-93 - Saturday, April 26 2014 @ 03:18 PM EDT (#285312) #
It makes perfect sense that when your pitching staff is a mess and your offense is fine, you fire the hitting coach.
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ComebyDeanChance - Saturday, April 26 2014 @ 03:31 PM EDT (#285315) #
Hard to be a fan of bringing in Brett Cecil when the game is over, after bringing in Chad Jenkins in the high leverage situation. I suspect that if Farrell and Lovullo could create their ideal game situation, it would be loading the bases and Toronto bringing in Chad Jenkins for the decisive at bats. Wouldn't be the first time they've got their wish
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92-93 - Saturday, April 26 2014 @ 03:38 PM EDT (#285316) #
And then when Delabar-Loup-Cecil have done their work and it's the 7th inning and there's no one left to call on in a tight game but your long relievers, everyone rips Gibbons for that.

Seriously, can we focus on the horrendous starting pitching and mediocre offense instead of the manager? None of this is on Gibbons.
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greenfrog - Saturday, April 26 2014 @ 04:18 PM EDT (#285320) #
Gibbons is doing fine. The main problem is that the FO chose not to add a SP or two, a second baseman, and an upgrade over Sierra/Gose (though Navarro and Francisco have been nice additions).
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JB21 - Saturday, April 26 2014 @ 04:36 PM EDT (#285322) #
Mediocre offense? The were 10th in runs scored before this game in which they scored 6. Also, they're 26th in BABIP.

Walks are why this team isn't above .500.
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92-93 - Saturday, April 26 2014 @ 04:39 PM EDT (#285323) #
It sure would've been nice to have an MLB-calibre hitter to PH for Goins in the 8th inning and/or to be able to pitch run for Navarro in the 9th. The next time you're told the 3 man bench rarely has an effect on games, remember the two massive spots Jonathan Diaz came up within the last 72 hours.
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92-93 - Saturday, April 26 2014 @ 04:42 PM EDT (#285324) #
"Mediocre offense? The were 10th in runs scored before this game"

They were also one run ahead of being tied for 9th in the AL.

They need to hit much better than they've been doing if they are going to survive without a real rotation.
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Richard S.S. - Saturday, April 26 2014 @ 04:42 PM EDT (#285325) #
More of the blame for the Starting Pitching woes on this team lie with the offense. Runner on third (where any other runners are is immaterial) and less than two out: failure to bring in a run is unacceptable. That's happened too much this season.

Time to trade those with value for younger and hungrier players. Melky will get us a decent young Pitcher just by himself. Reyes and Buehrle earn a lot and might not get full value. Some players you keep to build around.
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scottt - Saturday, April 26 2014 @ 06:15 PM EDT (#285330) #
Bases loaded is probably not the best time to bring up Jenkins, but you can't blame that on the manager. The bullpen is not warmed up and ready to go in the third inning. I'm guessing the only choice at that point is bring Jenkins or let the starter finish the inning.
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Magpie - Saturday, April 26 2014 @ 06:24 PM EDT (#285331) #
Runner on third (where any other runners are is immaterial) and less than two out: failure to bring in a run is unacceptable.

The Blue Jays have had 32 plate appearances with a runner on third with less than two out coming into today's game. No team in the league has had fewer plate appearances in that particular situation. The Jays have been able to get that runner home 18 times, 56 percent of the time. That's about what you'd expect from what's been an average offense: the league average for the runner scoring in that situation is 54 percent of the time.
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Chuck - Saturday, April 26 2014 @ 07:04 PM EDT (#285334) #
That's about what you'd expect from what's been an average offense: the league average for the runner scoring in that situation is 54 percent of the time.

Oh you and your facts!

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Richard S.S. - Saturday, April 26 2014 @ 07:41 PM EDT (#285335) #
Everytime I see runner on third, the Jays are less than 25% successful. How many of that 56% occur in wins?

Blue Jays lost two games by one run, and four games by two runs. What's their record in those games?

Hutchison has lost two wins by Bullpen issues. He's the one that could complain. Buehrle's the only other solid starter on this team. We'll see if Dickey's corrected his third time through the lineup issues. I want to see McGowan's next start. It was mentioned he would be wearing an insulin pump while pitching. His stuff is real good, his stamina, not do much.

3-13 with RISP and 11 LOB is poor offense despite scoring 6 runs. I just want more consistency from everyone.
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James W - Saturday, April 26 2014 @ 08:18 PM EDT (#285336) #
Blue Jays lost two games by one run, and four games by two runs. What's their record in those games?

I'm going to guess the Blue Jays are 0-6 in those games.

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Magpie - Saturday, April 26 2014 @ 09:01 PM EDT (#285337) #
It's all been kind of weird, don't you think? The team is 11-13, which seems more or less in line with expectations. It's certainly in line with mine. And the record makes sense - they've scored 106 runs and allowed 113. But how did they get there? Well, three of the five starters have been just plain lousy and - somewhat more surprising - so has the bullpen. The five infielders are hitting .182/.253/.305, which speaks for itself, in harsh and unpleasant tones. Colby Rasmus is also looking up at the Mendoza Line, as the gods of BABiP have turned their back on him.

I rather think the fact that the team has managed to go 11-13 while so many things have gone so wrong and so many players have been so awful is a) grounds for hope, and b) testament to just how great Buehrle, Bautista and Cabrera have been.
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Magpie - Saturday, April 26 2014 @ 09:08 PM EDT (#285338) #
Walks are absolutely killing this team.

No kidding. They're now up to 108 BB allowed in 24 games, second most in the majors. The White Sox - who happen to employ one of the most well regarded pitching coaches in the game, briefly-a-Jay Don Cooper - have issued 114 BB in 24 games.
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TangledUpInBlue - Sunday, April 27 2014 @ 03:45 AM EDT (#285341) #
"....feeling the need to carry an inferior bullpen/roster…."

Yes, that's the obvious corollary when the Jays fail to acquire superior players like Santana.

I'm still hopeful McGowan will work out as a starter, but yes -- the most direct consequence of having Santana in the rotation is that McGowan could have gone to the bullpen, giving the team an extra quality reliever. That would have been nice these last few weeks.
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TangledUpInBlue - Sunday, April 27 2014 @ 03:53 AM EDT (#285342) #
It seems like a remarkable coincidence that they're all doing it at the same time. Any theories on why?

Well, as you said, it's a coincidence. Just a coincidence, though. No need for grand theories.
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TangledUpInBlue - Sunday, April 27 2014 @ 04:16 AM EDT (#285343) #
Hard to be a fan of bringing in Brett Cecil when the game is over, after bringing in Chad Jenkins in the high leverage situation. I suspect that if Farrell and Lovullo could create their ideal game situation, it would be loading the bases and Toronto bringing in Chad Jenkins for the decisive at bats.

Yeah, if Gibbons was going to use Cecil, Loup, and Delabar later in the game anyway, then it would have made more sense to bring one of them in to get out of the jam in the 3rd and then go to Jenkins in the 4th or 5th. I don't think anyone faults Gibbons for using Jenkins today -- with the bullpen so overworked of late, there was no choice. And I wouldn't have had a problem with bringing him in in the 3rd and letting him pitch for as long as he could just to spare everyone else. But if you're only going to use him for 40 pitches or so, and plan to use the other guys also, this wasn't the ideal way to order things.

After the game, Gibbons was asked about using Cecil or Loup in this situation and said, "If you gotta go to one of those guys in the third inning, you’re in big trouble. You might as well pack it in, to be honest with you." Not too logical.
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TangledUpInBlue - Sunday, April 27 2014 @ 04:24 AM EDT (#285344) #
I rather think the fact that the team has managed to go 11-13 while so many things have gone so wrong and so many players have been so awful is a) grounds for hope, and b) testament to just how great Buehrle, Bautista and Cabrera have been.

Drew Hutchison has also been a big bright spot -- a potential top-end starter. If he can keep it up and Morrow and Dickey can turn it around, the rotation could still be very good.
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Richard S.S. - Sunday, April 27 2014 @ 11:16 AM EDT (#285349) #
Did we forget last year? 11-13 this year was 9-15 last year. They didn't win their 11th game until they had 21 loses. So a little early perspective please.

After their 11th win last year they went 11-8 over their next 19 games.
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timpinder - Sunday, April 27 2014 @ 12:26 PM EDT (#285351) #
I'm extremely frustrated with the roster management.

Bautista in CF, Sierra batting 7th and in RF, and lefty Francisco DHing against Lester.

Why did AA even bother claiming Mastroianni if he's not going to use him?

I won't even go in to the very questionable decisions on the pitching because it has been beaten to death.

Ugh.

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TangledUpInBlue - Sunday, April 27 2014 @ 12:42 PM EDT (#285352) #
Just a guess, but I suspect Sierra might be gone if he doesn't do something today. I think the back-to-back starts might be one final chance for him to show something.
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christaylor - Sunday, April 27 2014 @ 12:49 PM EDT (#285353) #
I understand the hire, but think I like Siddall less than last year's radio analyst.

His analysis of Morrow yesterday is a case in point -- "attack the zone", "establish the fastball", and "pitch to the score"? Awful. Yawn.

Looking at pitch location Morrow was consistently missing up and out to left handed hitters -- is that not a delivery way out of whack that is perhaps indicative of something wrong physically? I can imagine that his arm was dragging behind his body and not getting to his release point.

Anyone with better eyes than me (read: most anyone on the site) confirm this? I'm OK with Morrow never becoming what we'd all hoped he become, but throwing strikes seems like the bare minimum for him, even if he's on his way to being a closer.
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Richard S.S. - Sunday, April 27 2014 @ 12:51 PM EDT (#285354) #
The Hutchison game verses NY is mostly significant because they lost. In the 9th, runners on 1st and 2nd, 1 out - nothing happened. In the 8th, runner on 3rd, two out - nothing happened. In the 6th, runner on 2nd, two out - nothing happened. The Pitcher might struggle, but the offense should pick him up and they didn't.

That was the wrong time, the worst time to bring in Jenkins, the game was 3-1 Toronto, bases loaded and 2 out. Bring in a Fireman for the third out, then give Jenkins the shot - two or three innings. Bad Gibbons decision.
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PeterG - Sunday, April 27 2014 @ 12:55 PM EDT (#285355) #
coming to TO for the Oakland series in 4 weeks. Like today, there is a promotion on Sunday. The question for someone who has been through this or is there today: how early do we need to line up outside RC for a 1 pm start to be certain of being in the first 20,000. Thx.
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TangledUpInBlue - Sunday, April 27 2014 @ 01:36 PM EDT (#285356) #
His analysis of Morrow yesterday is a case in point -- "attack the zone", "establish the fastball", and "pitch to the score"? Awful. Yawn.

For those who weren't listening, this was all in the context of pitch selection -- he thought with a fastball in the mid-90s yesterday, Morrow could have relied on that instead of the slider. There was one 3-2 count in particular when Morrow threw a slider for ball four that Siddall took issue with. I don't know. I found it interesting. Don't know if he's right or not -- you'd sort of want to talk to Morrow or Navarro first to know their thought process -- but I enjoyed the analysis. I've found him very good all year at analysing what pitches the pitcher's throwing, or could/should be throwing.

Howarth and Siddall also got into the issue of whether Morrow was injured. Howarth thought so, given the unusual lack of control. Siddall thought not, given the 95-mph velocity.
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Chuck - Sunday, April 27 2014 @ 01:50 PM EDT (#285357) #
I certainly don't want to re-initiate the now very tedious debate of the 7-man versus the 8-man bullpen, but I will say that Juan Francisco DHing against a LHP just screams out roster construction issues.

In his 100 career PA vs LHP, Francisco's line is 173/212/214. Dickey's career batting numbers are 187/207/202. Isn't the DH supposed to be markedly better than the man he is replacing?

If Navarro is not DHing only because of the concern over a Thole injury, then (a) get over it, it likely won't happen and (b) if it does happen, then just deal with losing the DH spot. It seems like a reasonable risk to me.

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Paul D - Sunday, April 27 2014 @ 02:43 PM EDT (#285359) #
I went to the Lawrie bobblehead game last year, got there at noon and got a bobblehead.  And I didn't have to wait inside, I was able to go in and get a beer.
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christaylor - Sunday, April 27 2014 @ 03:07 PM EDT (#285361) #
To contextualize my comment -- it was in response to his interview with Wilner before today's game. I had the game on yesterday, but only had a fraction of my attention. Today, Siddall ought to know more about where the battery were at during the game but then what they've said may not be entirely revealing. That being said, I did notice some strange pitch selection, specifically the multiple curve balls in a row during one AB. I also heard Siddall comment that Morrow should go with a two-seamer. From what I've seen in the past he doesn't have that pitch.

On second thought my comments of "Awful" and "Yawn" are a bit harsh -- I suppose it should be read as "We've got Jack-lite this year and I am disappointed". That is the same sort of stuff, without the benefit of Morris' good-to-great career which provided amusing anecdotes.

Color analysts always have the tough job of filling silence, but it'd be nice to have someone in the booth who could describe pitching mechanics in situations rather than falling back on what are pretty big cliches. Ditto with the hitters. Who that is? No idea.

The Jays seem to have had trouble filling that job after Ashby left. Howarth, as great as he is, might be a bottleneck to innovation here -- does he demand a regular partner rather than a rotating cast as there has been with the TV broadcasts? It'll be a sad day when Howarth leaves, but perhaps an opportunity for the team to innovate with its radio production.
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Jonny German - Sunday, April 27 2014 @ 03:32 PM EDT (#285365) #
"The Jays seem to have had troyble filling that job after Ashby left."

It's been nothing remotely as bad as before Ashby arrived... have you forgotten the horror that was Warren Sawkiw?
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BlueJayWay - Sunday, April 27 2014 @ 03:37 PM EDT (#285366) #
Was Sawkiw really that bad? I've heard the legends. I wasn't listening to the radio broadcast in those days.
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ayjackson - Sunday, April 27 2014 @ 03:51 PM EDT (#285367) #

How about those Toronto Blue Jays!!

Esmil rules!

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Dewey - Sunday, April 27 2014 @ 04:05 PM EDT (#285369) #
The assumption that silence must *always* be filled is one of the things plaguing current radio broadcasts of baseball. Very often a comment can be helpful, but just as often superfluous and irritating.

As for Howarth being great, I firmly disagree.  It won’t be a sad day at all when Jerry is nudged off, tediously explaining it to us (his good friends) as he goes.  With an anecdote about his glorious beginnings in Salt Lake City thrown in, gratis.   Ashby knew when to simply be quiet.  So does Dan Shulman, the best of the newer baseball announcers.

And yes, Sawkiw was that bad.
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PeterG - Sunday, April 27 2014 @ 04:06 PM EDT (#285370) #
Morrow is not on his way to being a closer...he's on his way to being somewhere else. If he does not come through this season, I don't see any way Jays would pick up 10 mil option, especially with young minimum salary starters knocking on the door.
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electric carrot - Sunday, April 27 2014 @ 04:25 PM EDT (#285373) #
As for Howarth being great, I firmly disagree.

I've read you saying this before Dewey and it's a fine critique that he talks too much. It doesn't bother me but I get it.  And if you don't like his genial radio persona that's fine too. I understand the irritation. But where Howarth I think is as good or better than any other announcer I hear is how he describes what is actually happening in a baseball play with a sequence of words that allows a listener to imagine what's happening.  So many radio announcers describe a play in a flurry of words that's actually not easily graspable visually -- more or less incoherent. Jerry gets it.  Listen to the actual words his uses and the sequence of the words and it's nearly always a rounded statement that translates beautifully to a series of images that is both coherent and NOT verbose and also captures the drama of the moment.
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McNulty - Sunday, April 27 2014 @ 04:48 PM EDT (#285376) #
Dewey I couldn't agree more with your opinions about the radio broadcasts. My two cents...

Jerry is knowledgeable, no question. However, in the last few years has allowed the veil of a holier than thou attitude thin to a point where his broadcasts are uncomfortable to listen to. I think he has done a poor job of masking his personal distaste for the character of some players (one in particular, Jose Bautista.)+\ He has become far too opinionated for a baseball play by play man for my liking.

And Joe Siddall seems like a wonderful human being, but I believe it is his first broadcasting job. It's hard to expect him to be anything more than he is at this point.
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Magpie - Sunday, April 27 2014 @ 04:52 PM EDT (#285377) #
I'm also a Haworth fan, for two main reasons I suppose. Way, way, way back in the day I used to score games off the radio. I learned to count on Haworth's innings. He was certain to provide every bit of information I would require (that was a 1-4-3 groundout, that was a fielder's choice error, no RBI) - Tom was pretty good about that sort of thing but sometimes didn't bother. I could also count on him to provide any scoring updates along the way, and (in his 7-8 inning stint) he'd review what every one had done earlier in the game. Which was great for me in case Tom had missed something. When I started doing the same thing in the press box I quickly found out that Haworth really is just an authentically nice man, friendly, approachable, and helpful. The nicest man in the room, in fact. By a mile. There are greater virtues one can have, and I do understand how he might grate on you after a while - especially in the absence of the contrasting approach provided by Cheek - but I'll always appreciate him.
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Chuck - Sunday, April 27 2014 @ 05:10 PM EDT (#285378) #
I'm in the camp that doesn't care for Howarth as a broadcaster. For my tastes, his aforementioned "holier than thou" attitude leaks through far too often in more than just a metaphoric way. I'll just leave it that.
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Dewey - Sunday, April 27 2014 @ 05:53 PM EDT (#285379) #
I suppose the first thing to be said is that judgements of announcers are *very* subjective.  None of us can ever be definitively ‘right’.  But I can’t agree with your defense of Jerry’s skills, electric carrot;  as I dislike the very things you seem to value.  I don’t suppose that there are many listeners who have not attended a ball game (not necessarily a major-league game, of course); or, probably, who have never played the game at some point in their lives.  Jerry doesn’t need to prod my imagination to grasp what’s happening:  in fact, I wish he wouldn’t.  Too often he embellishes the simplest action with unnecessary information from his (admittedly-extensive) reservoir of baseball-related ‘facts’.   As in, “the big right-hander from Des Moines, Iowa, deals his heavy sinker to [the catcher].  The pitch is adjudged (a lot of calls are “adjudged” in Jerry’s world) a strike by home-plate umpire Joe Mxtplk, from Moline, Alabama.”  And so on, needless detail after needless detail, until you turn the radio off.  [Yes, I made up the quoted words -- poetic license]

And yes, by all accounts (including his own implicit one) Jerry is a thoroughly Nice Guy.  Not the issue.

Jerry drives me nuts with his incorrigible need to explain, to tell us things he fears we might not know.  These things get in the way; they clutter up the broadcast; they interfere with rather than elucidate what’s happening.  Jerry doesn’t trust his audience enough. . . .    Sorry to be repetitive.  I'll stop here.
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Richard S.S. - Sunday, April 27 2014 @ 05:56 PM EDT (#285380) #
Not everyone will be happy with the Team's broadcaster(s). Whether or not they do what you need from them will determine who you list to. There are usually alternate source to listen to/watch games. I can almost guarantee there are people who are satisfied with none. And that's really sad, you miss to much.
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greenfrog - Sunday, April 27 2014 @ 07:47 PM EDT (#285382) #
Fwiw, Toronto (-1) currently has the best run differential in the AL East.

I'm happy that a number of FA arms I wanted the Jays to go after (Santana, Burnett, Kazmir, Hudson) are doing well. Of course, I also thought Colon, like the above pitchers, could be an useful low-risk acquisition, but he's off to a slow start.

Hopefully the rotation will stabilize and Stroman will assist with a solid rookie campaign. I expect he'll be up before too long.
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John Northey - Sunday, April 27 2014 @ 08:28 PM EDT (#285384) #
I am curious who will be the first to come up to replace either Morrow or McGowan.  Both are extremely frustrating right now - both under 5 IP per game, Morrow walking over 6 per 9 IP, McGowan 3.7 plus 1.6 HR/9 IP - a very scary combo that.

Right now it is obvious Dickey, Buehrle and Hutchison are locks. Morrow is seeing his option go up in smoke as he fails to figure out what this funny thing called a 'strike zone' is.  McGowan has another start for sure, but how much further will the Jays go before sending him to the pen permanently? McGowan has one of 4 starts where he finished the 5th inning, and that one start is the only time he didn't allow 3+ runs.  As much as we all want him to be a good story, his story (as a ML starter at least) is coming to an end soon.
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greenfrog - Sunday, April 27 2014 @ 08:45 PM EDT (#285385) #
Lawrie's current 2014 projection: 179/233/379, 39 HR, 130 RBI, 65 R, 6 2B.

So far he's been a 2TO (two true outcomes) hitter. Either he hits a home run with runners on, or pretty much nothing happens.
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ComebyDeanChance - Sunday, April 27 2014 @ 09:51 PM EDT (#285386) #
I've listened to baseball on the radio for half a century. The three best announcers I've ever heard are Vin Scully, Jon Miller and Jerry Howarth. Honorable mentions to Mary Brennaman (a bit of a homer call as for years I lived for that final sentence) and joe Castiglione. The drop from Jerry to his successor will be precipitous. Notwithstanding the personal attacks on here I have never considered him sanctimonious or self-aggrandizing. In fact, as a man he is apparently extremely decent.

I do however enjoy the characterization of Dan Shulman as a "newer baseball announcer". After all, it has only been about twenty years that he's been doing baseball play by play and for us old-timers twenty years ago ago is indeed the recent past.
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92-93 - Sunday, April 27 2014 @ 09:57 PM EDT (#285387) #
I was skeptical when the Jays brought up Juan Francisco ahead of Dan Johnson, but I must say I like his look. I wonder what Dwayne Murphy would've been able to do with him, because there's obviously a lot of natural power and we've seen projects like Bautista & Encarnacion turn out pretty well. Francisco needs to be taught some plate discipline and to attack his pitch. I hope they find a way to keep Francisco around even when Lind comes back.
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greenfrog - Sunday, April 27 2014 @ 10:27 PM EDT (#285388) #
Maybe send him over to Luis Mercedes for some fine-tuning. Nice injury insurance for the DH slot. He has some serious power.
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greenfrog - Sunday, April 27 2014 @ 10:33 PM EDT (#285389) #
It would be nice to see the Halos finish off the Yankees and Tanaka tonight. (Am I really scoreboard-watching in April?)

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greenfrog - Sunday, April 27 2014 @ 10:48 PM EDT (#285391) #
Also, I really want to write "more Cowgill," but he's only 1-4 and has struck out three times.
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JB21 - Sunday, April 27 2014 @ 11:44 PM EDT (#285392) #
electric carrot, speak up my friend.
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Jonny German - Monday, April 28 2014 @ 04:57 AM EDT (#285394) #
Hey BBox Roster, there seems to be a bug with commenting. I can't post from Chrome or IE on Windows 7 Pro SP 1. I'm posting this from mobile Safari.
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John Northey - Monday, April 28 2014 @ 06:56 AM EDT (#285395) #
There are a lot of issues due to the age of the software running this site. Sadly, the person who can change it is quite busy thus doesn't have time to update it. For now I recommend Firefox (what I'm using) as it works well and is free.  Links are still an issue, but they can be copy/pasted in (ie: copy a players name from B-R and paste it here and it works).
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Super Bluto - Monday, April 28 2014 @ 07:35 AM EDT (#285396) #
I grew up in SW Ontario and was lucky enough to have Ernie Harwell and Paul Caray introduce me to baseball on the radio (which remains my preferred medium). Jerry's good, outstanding at times. I like that he heightens the drama of a long fly ball. I'm sure he knows it's going to be caught, but I like that he allows the moment to last for the listener. My one criticism is his need to repeat things. Like the record of the team when scoring first, something he started last year and hasn't let go of. I don't mind Siddal for the most part but yeah, he sure does need to learn the value of silence.



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jerjapan - Monday, April 28 2014 @ 08:30 AM EDT (#285397) #

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85bluejay - Monday, April 28 2014 @ 09:30 AM EDT (#285398) #
I would prefer the jays to lineup Stroman with Morrow because he's the starter I'm most worried about - I would steal Mike Green's idea - have McGowan start and go a max. of 4 innings regardless of how well he pitches, than have J.A. Happ start the 5th and hopefully go 4/5 innings - if McGowan has to be pulled before his 4 innings, use other relievers to get to 4 innings, then Happ takes over - the Jays are not an innovative team, so there's no chance of this happening.
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uglyone - Monday, April 28 2014 @ 12:27 PM EDT (#285406) #
Very, very dissappointing week of baseball.

But as i've been hard on him this year, i have to give Dickey a big shout out in this one - we absolutely needed our Ace to come up with a big slumpbusting performance and he came through big time. Good on him.

Still a little surprised at gibby's quick hook but delabar had his poop together this time.

Did anyone else have a mini heart attack when delabar gave up that long flyball, which was deep but easily catchable for rasmus......only to realize that was Bautista on the dead run back to the track? Yikes, thought for sure we were gonna screw ourselves there for a second.
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uglyone - Monday, April 28 2014 @ 12:40 PM EDT (#285407) #
Buehrle 6.7ip/gs, 2.16era, 3.23fip
Hutch 5.2ip/gs, 3.46era, 3.20fip
Dickey 5.9ip/gs, 5.09era, 4.27fip

Morrow 4.5ip/gs, 6.04era, 4.25fip
McGowan 4.3ip/gs, 6.88era, 5.61fip

AAA

Stroman 5.2ip/gs, 2.18era, 1.85fip
Nolin 5.8ip/gs, 1.96era, 3.26fip


I wonder if the solution to this equation will be as simple in a month or two as it's starting to look now.
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Chuck - Monday, April 28 2014 @ 01:11 PM EDT (#285408) #
Still a little surprised at gibby's quick hook but delabar had his poop together this time.

I'll defend the quick hook for several reasons:
1. It was a 2-1 game and Delabar was more likely to get a strikeout than Dickey.
2. Dickey's recent track record in late innings has not been good.
3. There is an off-day today which afforded more liberal use of the bullpen.

With a bigger lead or a recent string of good starts, I think Dickey would have stayed. For now, caution was the order of business. Dickey deserves praise for the adjustments he made and the success that resulted. Hopefully the outing serves as a building block.

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China fan - Monday, April 28 2014 @ 01:14 PM EDT (#285409) #
I like Stroman and Nolin, and I've got no objection to shifting McGowan to the bullpen (and perhaps giving him another crack at the rotation at some future point when his strength is improved), but giving up on Morrow will never be a "simple" solution.  And as his 4.25 FIP suggests, he's not been quite as bad as we sometimes think. There's no room for him in the bullpen, and it's pointless to trade him at the bottom of his trade value.  I'd give him more time to recover. After missing most of 2013, he might need a little more time to return to a high level of performance.
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China fan - Monday, April 28 2014 @ 01:23 PM EDT (#285411) #
"...I'll defend the quick hook for several reasons..."

In addition to the reasons that Chuck mentions, here is another good reason:  Dickey himself had specifically asked Gibbons to watch him closely and pull him early if warranted.  Here's what Dickey told the media after the game:  "I think Gibby absolutely made the right move. In fact in between the sixth and seventh, I told him to keep a close eye on me because I didn’t want what had happened in the past to kind of spiral out of control."
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McNulty - Monday, April 28 2014 @ 02:20 PM EDT (#285413) #
I haven't looked at the charts, but if Pitch FX is to be any indication, Dickey has been getting the squeeze in '14 by home plate umpires (especially it seems, on the high strike). Yesterday, it seemed Marty Foster was giving him that pitch. We can only hope this becomes a pattern.
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China fan - Monday, April 28 2014 @ 02:34 PM EDT (#285414) #
To explain the blank posts in this thread:  even on Firefox, it seems that the "comment" box is sometimes cleared of all text, after you go to the "preview" step.  So, even if the preview looks accurate, make sure to check the comment box to ensure that it hasn't gone blank.  If it has mysteriously emptied itself of the text, you can just cut-and-paste your words from the preview box into the comment box, and then it seems to post accurately.
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China fan - Monday, April 28 2014 @ 07:09 PM EDT (#285420) #
Goins has been optioned to Buffalo, but the Jays haven't yet announced who will replace him on the roster.   Kawasaki?  Stroman?
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Beyonder - Monday, April 28 2014 @ 07:21 PM EDT (#285422) #
Getz.
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uglyone - Monday, April 28 2014 @ 08:09 PM EDT (#285424) #
Getz was the guy I wanted to see make the team in the first place, though that's not saying much great about him, really. All of him, godaert, and tolleson are hitting well though i'm not sure which of them can handle 2B defensively.

and if Francisco keeps hitting, anyone think they get tempted to try that Lawrie @ 2B experiment again when Lind comes back?
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Gerry - Monday, April 28 2014 @ 09:17 PM EDT (#285427) #
A 40 man roster move is required, Mastroianni, Storey, Drabek, Rasmussen are options to come off.
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Cracka - Monday, April 28 2014 @ 10:25 PM EDT (#285431) #
Casey Janssen could be moved to the 60 day DL to open up a spot for Getz. May not be a bad move if he's more than a few weeks away - he would be eligible to return around May 30 and could still spend that time doing minor league rehab. Not ideal if he's close to returning, but Gibby made it sound otherwise with his recent comments.

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Doom Service - Monday, April 28 2014 @ 11:11 PM EDT (#285434) #
I feel a bit sorry for Goins, but he joins a club of Blue Jay second basemen abandoned after weak starts. In the long run, I think Goins is closer to Mike Sharperson (1987) than Joe Lawrence (2002), but I'd still take him over Getz.

Goins 2014 BABIP (MLB): .174
Getz 2014 BABIP (AAA): .368

Anyone have Jim Negrych's phone number? He's with Lancaster in the Atlantic League....
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greenfrog - Monday, April 28 2014 @ 11:26 PM EDT (#285435) #
Let's see what Getz brings to the table. In the meantime, AA can nudge other GMs about Hill, Utley, Franklin, and other second baseman who might come on the market in July. The problem is that the Jays' farm system isn't all that deep in prospects with high trade value (and the Jays need their high-minors pitching prospects and probably Pompey, too). And July is a long way off.
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uglyone - Monday, April 28 2014 @ 11:32 PM EDT (#285436) #
MLB

R.Goins (25-26): 187pa, .267babip, .545ops
C.Getz (24-29): 1546pa, .283babip, .619ops

AAA

R.Goins (25-25): 418pa, .316babip, .680ops
C.Getz (24-30): 695pa, ~.320babip, .786ops
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christaylor - Tuesday, April 29 2014 @ 04:40 AM EDT (#285438) #
Joe Lawrence -- I thought he was never given a fair shot to make it. He deserved a chance especially given his good work on Blossom:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005129/
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92-93 - Tuesday, April 29 2014 @ 09:16 AM EDT (#285439) #
"Still a little surprised at gibby's quick hook"

If the thought that that was an early pull even entered someone's mind, I can only surmise they haven't watched a Dickey start this season yet.
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92-93 - Tuesday, April 29 2014 @ 09:19 AM EDT (#285440) #
"Anyone have Jim Negrych's phone number? He's with Lancaster in the Atlantic League...."

Facing the illustrious Tracy McGrady. Seems like yesterday that people were clamoring for his inclusion on the MLB roster.
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jerjapan - Tuesday, April 29 2014 @ 09:37 AM EDT (#285441) #

Teammates with ex-Jays Bobby Kielty and Chad Beck. 

Always felt badly for Negrych, with the black hole at 2b last year and his hot start in Buffalo, that had to be his best shot at the show.

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