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Features Great Months in Jays history
This has been an amazing month (with one day to go).  Have the Jays ever been this hot?


Doing a bit of checking as I cannot recall a month this nuts.  So best months in key years... W-L, Runs for-Against
  • 1977-1982: Last place every year and earned it most of those years.  I cover some of the nightmares below.
  • 1983: May 18-9 130-90 - this was the Jays first non-basement year
  • 1984: May 19-6 106-87 - wow, lots of luck to get that record, but no one noticed after the Tigers started 35-5 (18-2 in April, 120-63)
  • 1985: May 17-8 140-105, seeing a trend here.. May's were a lot of fun in the mid-80's
  • 1986: Aug 18-10 164-124; 3 very good months (550+) 3 sub 500 months too that year.
  • 1987: Sept 19-9 154-104...just imagine if they didn't go 0-4 the last 4 games then 0-3 in Oct.
  • 1988: Sept 20-7 135-98, 2-0 in Oct 16-6...quite the run but too little too late
  • 1989: Aug 20-9 132-91, stayed hot the rest of the year to get to the playoffs (17-11)
  • 1990,91: no month stood out
  • 1992: April 16-7 101-90; Sept 18-9 138-75
  • 1993: June 19-9 151-111; Sept 17-8 140-93 a Pythag of just 91 wins vs the 95 they had
  • 1994-1997 ; less said the better but 1996 didn't see a single winning month
  • 1998: Sept 17-8 128-98; Aug 17-10 170-126 - who would've thought dumping expensive players and the manager being revealed as having as much honesty as a politician would've resulted in such good results
  • 1999: July 19-7 149-116 then sub 450 in both Aug & Sept
  • 2000/2001: depressing
  • 2002: Sept 19-8 150-111
  • 2003: May: 21-8  193-116; Sept 19-7 137-96 same year had 2 months in the 300's for winning percentage.  Weird year.
  • 2004/5:meh
  • 2006: Sept 17-10 123-94 I think we were all getting hopeful then
  • 2007: no month over 540, just one sub 500... opposite of 2003 a very consistent year
  • 2008: May 20-10 119-94
  • 2009: April 15-9 142-112 then 4 straight sub 500 months.  Sigh.  Bye-bye JPR
  • 2010: May 19-10 164-117 then a 9-17 month, all others were 500+. Gaston's swan song.
  • 2011/12: meh
  • 2013: June 17-9 129-87, only month over 500 that year
  • 2014: May 21-9 165-124, another year with a few horrible months
  • 2015: August: 21-5 168-79 with a game to go.  Wow.  18-9 in June 156-96

Of note: 1981 June 0-10 22-67 is the worst month in Jays history.  That strike couldn't come early enough for that team. For full months it might be 1979 May: 5-23 91-143 or 1978 Sept 4-21 62-126

So the closest I see is May 2003 with a 21-8 record and 193-116 runs scored.  A 77 run spread.  Myers & Delgado led the offense with 1000+ OPS (as did Howie Clark & Jayson Werth in limited action) The team as a whole hit 298/358/500.  Kelvin Escobar was amazing with a sub 2 ERA that month, Cory Liddle was sub 3, Roy Halladay was himself, 9 saves for Cliff Politte, Mark Hendrickson was the lucky one with a 3-0 record despite a 4.46 ERA. 3.78 team ERA that month.  Impressive but this month is at 99 depending on Monday's game vs Cleveland.  A win and we have our first +100 month ever I suspect in Jays history.

With one game to go some Jay stats...

  • Encarnacion: 402/458/927 - that 927 is his slugging percentage, not his OPS.
  • Colabello: 415/422/756 - this is our bench guy...good way to make other teams pitchers wet themselves...he cannot crack our everyday lineup.
  • Donaldson: 327/408/723 - MVP, MVP, MVP...keep that chant going
  • Bautista: 287/374/653 - weakest of the Jays Fantastic Four this month, all over 1000 for OPS
  • Goins: 303/439/439 - over 400 for OBP from Goins?  That is when it is time for other clubs to just wrap up and go home.
  • Revere: 316/371/347 - OK, not a bad leadoff choice
  • Smoak: 206/247/441 - Taken over by Dave Kingman on offense this month...luckily not on defense.
  • 3 guys with 10+ HR this month in Donaldson, Encarnacion, and Bautista but no one else has 5.
  • 4 over 10 for BB in Goins, Donaldson, Bautista, Tulowitzki, with Encarnacion, Martin, and Revere at 9 each
  • Stolen Bases: the weak slot for this team no one has more than 2 - Bautista, Donaldson, Pillar.  9 total for the entire team with just 1 caught stealing (Martin).  No need to steal if you are cranking it.
  • 10 doubles for Encarnacion to go with his 11 HR
  • 30+ hits for Encarnacion, Donaldson, and Revere while Bautisa could join them sitting at 29.
  • 4 guys with 20 runs scored, Donaldson at 29 leads
  • RBI's see 30+ for Donaldson & Encarnacion then Bautista at 20 and Smoak at 17

Pitching...

  • ERA sub 2 for Cecil, Osuna (both sub 1), Hawkins, Sanchez, Price.  In the 2's for Estrada, Hutchison, Schultz, a 3.12 for Hendricks the rest have issues (Dickey, Buehrle, Lowe & Loup)
  • 41 K's for Price, Estrada, Hutch, and Dickey in the 20's.
  • Osuna has a 1-14 BB-SO ratio this month while Cecil, Loup & Lowe haven't walked anyone. 
  • 4-0 records for Price, Hutchison, and Dickey, while Osuna got 10 saves in 10 chances.

Phew.  What a month indeed.  All of us who've been here since the World Series years needed that.

Posted by John Northey on Monday, August 31 2015 @ 01:51 AM EDT.
Great Months in Jays history | 25 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
Cynicalguy - Monday, August 31 2015 @ 10:42 AM EDT (#310316) #
Who do you put on the playoff roster?

3B Donaldson
RF Bautista
DH Encarnacion
SS Tulowitzki
1B Smoak
C Martin
LF Revere
CF Pillar
SS Goins

Bench: Navarro, Colabello, Pennington, Pompey, Fields

SP Price
SP Dickey
SP Buehrle
SP Estrada

Bullpen: Osuna, Sanchez, Lowe, Hawkins, Cecil, Shultz, Hutchison
[ Reply to This ]
John Northey - Monday, August 31 2015 @ 11:18 AM EDT (#310322) #
The pen will be the tough part.  Although the bench & pen will hopefully be of minimal importance. 
Bench: Colabello, Navarro (no need for Thole in a short series as Martin will catch every single game), Carerra or Pompey depending what Gibbons thinks he'll need, Pennington. 
Pen: Osuana/Sanchez/Hawkins/Cecil are the guys who get used in close games, all others are more for eating innings when needed - Schultz, Hendriks, Hutch, Stroman if healthy could be there.

I can easily imagine an 8 or 9 man pen just because Gibbons will use them while he won't use much of a bench unless he goes all Gaston on us and change his methods come playoff time.

[ Reply to This ]
Mike Green - Monday, August 31 2015 @ 11:41 AM EDT (#310324) #
It's early to think about the playoff roster. The first thing is how Stroman recovers.  The interesting question for me is how you would set up the rotation. If Stroman is healthy, I'd be inclined to go Price, Stroman, Hutchison/Buehrle or Buehrle/Hutchison, Dickey/Estrada.  That would be subject to change depending on developments in September.

If the outfielders are all healthy, I don't know that having Pompey over Carrera is much of an advantage in the playoffs.  Pompey is a better defender and a better choice overall if one of the outfielders is hurt, but as a pinch-runner/stolen base threat, it's not obvious to me that he is a better choice.

The club has some very pleasant problems with regard to the playoff roster- several good choices.

[ Reply to This ]
John Northey - Monday, August 31 2015 @ 11:45 AM EDT (#310325) #
The weakest spots are backup infielder (Pennington is meh to me) and backup catcher (Navarro hasn't been that good this year).

We'll see how September goes. If it is anything like August there should be lots of nice problems.

[ Reply to This ]
Cynicalguy - Monday, August 31 2015 @ 12:03 PM EDT (#310327) #
I really hope the Jays go with a 3 man starting rotation in the playoffs...but I doubt it, they are usually too conservative with pitching, they never used the 3 man rotation in 92-93.
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Jevant - Monday, August 31 2015 @ 12:10 PM EDT (#310328) #
Stroman instead of Schultz, and Loup instead of Fields (I think they'll want 2 LHP).  Could in theory see them take off whichever of Hutch or Estrada isn't starting, to add an extra pinch running threat.
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Mike Green - Monday, August 31 2015 @ 12:32 PM EDT (#310330) #
Ben Rowen has been very impressive this year.  I imagine that he'll get a September call-up and might even get a playoff roster slot.  The submarine approach, the ability to get out both right and left handed hitters, and the heavy ground ball tendencies would make him an interesting complement to the bullpen. 
[ Reply to This ]
short - Monday, August 31 2015 @ 12:33 PM EDT (#310331) #
If they are going to add a pinch runner to the roster, I would take Berti. He can play infield/outfield, has more experience, and seems to run just as well as Fields. Also, he has to be added to the 40 man roster otherwise he could be lost in the Rule V draft. Fields doesn't need to be added for a few years.
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JohnL - Monday, August 31 2015 @ 12:42 PM EDT (#310332) #

they never used the 3 man rotation in 92-93.

They did go with a 3-man in the 92 ALCS: Morris, Cone, Guzman. Key was in the bullpen. I remember they'd announced the plan, but didn't choose between Key & Guzman till the last week. I think it was an outstanding game by Guzman that decided it, as he wasn't too consistent for a while after coming back from the DL.

[ Reply to This ]
jerjapan - Monday, August 31 2015 @ 12:56 PM EDT (#310333) #
Where is all this Fields talk coming from?  I don't see why he's even superior to Carrera, who is already on the 40 man and has spent plenty of time with the team this year.  he hasn't run as much this season, but his SB% for his minor league career is better than Fields.

Not sure where all these projected call-ups are going to fit.  AA has said 6-8 guys.  guys who have contributed this year seem like locks - Tepera, Delebar, Mune, Thole.  Fingers crossed on Travis and Stroman.  that leaves 2 spots unless the team surprises with Delebar again. You have to assume one or even two lefties as well, so Loup makes 7 if the injury cards fall right. 

Mike Green, you mentioned Rowen and the waiver wire OF pickup from the other day who's name i forger - who do you leave off?  Poor matt hague has to have earned a callup, no? 

[ Reply to This ]
Kasi - Monday, August 31 2015 @ 01:03 PM EDT (#310334) #
Unless Loup improves (and he's been even worse in the minors) I see no way he makes the postseason roster. Similarly unless he has a setback Stroman is pretty guaranteed to be in. He'd be our second best pitcher.
[ Reply to This ]
uglyone - Monday, August 31 2015 @ 01:20 PM EDT (#310336) #
Playoff SP is turning into a fascinating discussion.

August SP

Price: 5gs, 7.3ip/gs, 1.98era, 2.52fip, 3.16xfip
Hutch: 4gs, 6.4ip/gs, 2.45era, 3.05fip, 3.72xfip
Estrada: 5gs, 6.1ip/gs, 2.05era, 4.43fip, 5.00xfip
Dickey: 6gs, 6.1ip/gs, 4.17era, 4.60fip, 4.92xfip
Buehrle: 6gs, 6.2ip/gs, 4.38era, 5.10fip, 4.91xfip


a Price-Stro-Hutch-Estrada playoff rotation, anyone?
[ Reply to This ]
Kasi - Monday, August 31 2015 @ 01:45 PM EDT (#310337) #
I think those are the four best SP if healthy. The thing is I can't see Gibbons doing that with Buerhle or Dickey, even if they continue to struggle.
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whiterasta80 - Monday, August 31 2015 @ 02:22 PM EDT (#310341) #
Well at least the above would allow us another non-Loup lefty in the bullpen (Buerhle).
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Magpie - Monday, August 31 2015 @ 03:16 PM EDT (#310346) #
they never used the 3 man rotation in 92-93.

The Jays did use a 3 man rotation (Morris, Cone, Guzman) in the 1992 ALCS against Oakland. Gaston wasn't wild about how it went (Morris and Cone didn't pitch very well in their second starts), so he added Key to the WS rotation.
[ Reply to This ]
Magpie - Monday, August 31 2015 @ 03:21 PM EDT (#310347) #
Ah, JohnL was there already! Guzman may indeed have saved his spot in the 1992 post-season rotation with his final start, but I do recall that one of the factors at the time was that Key had relief experience, having pitched effectively in the bullpen as a rookie. Guzman never did make a relief appearance in the majors.
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Magpie - Monday, August 31 2015 @ 03:24 PM EDT (#310348) #
Who do you put on the playoff roster?

Too soon.

Even talking about such things is Tempting Fate.
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Cynicalguy - Monday, August 31 2015 @ 04:17 PM EDT (#310351) #
Wilner is that you :p It's just fun speculating, nothing more.
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China fan - Monday, August 31 2015 @ 05:05 PM EDT (#310361) #
The expanded roster (tomorrow) is not "too soon" for us to discuss, even if the playoff roster is too soon to discuss.  So let's update the situation.  Gibbons today said the Jays will promote only 4 or 5 players tomorrow, plus another couple of players at the end of the minor-league season (Sept. 7).  That's actually fewer players than we might have expected, and it probably eliminates the less-likely candidates such as Fields or Dorn or Rowen.  So I'm going to guess that the Jays initially promote Delabar, Tepera, Loup and Kawasaki tomorrow, plus Thole on Wednesday.  Then, at the end of the season, Pompey and Stroman.  And okay, Hague probably gets promoted too, but that would make 8 players instead of 7 players in total, so I'm not sure if he bumps another player off the list.
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jerjapan - Tuesday, September 01 2015 @ 12:46 PM EDT (#310418) #
Deserved or not, I don't think there's any chance Estrada or hutch starts over buehrle
in the playoffs
[ Reply to This ]
electric carrot - Tuesday, September 01 2015 @ 03:33 PM EDT (#310425) #
If playoffs start tomorrow my pitchers line up like this:
Price, Stroman, Hutch (only home starts tho) Dickey

[ Reply to This ]
electric carrot - Tuesday, September 01 2015 @ 03:35 PM EDT (#310426) #
What I mean is if it's October tomorrow -- not if playoffs start Sept. 2. (Actually who knows what I really mean.)
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Mike Green - Tuesday, September 01 2015 @ 04:00 PM EDT (#310428) #
Speaking of greatness, Kevin Kiermaier may force me to adjust my sights about how much a defender can add.  So far, in his career, he's played about just over a season in total.  He's at +40/150G according to UZR and +45/150G according to DRS.  If he can keep that up for another season, he will be at a more valuable place than Andrelton Simmons at his best (+21/150G according to UZR and +35/150G according to DRS over two seasons). Do I think that these guys are better than Mays and Ozzie?  I suspect that Kiermaier may be better than Mays (heretical as that may be), and I think Simmons and Smith may have been close (although I doubt that Simmons will be able to sustain his defensive ability the way that Ozzie did). 

Andruw Jones was according to the available metrics pretty close to where Kiermaier is when he came up.   Anyways, it looks like Kiermaier is about as valuable as Adam Jones despite being only a league average hitter.  No one thinks of him as an All-Star but he is. 

[ Reply to This ]
jjdynomite - Tuesday, September 01 2015 @ 04:31 PM EDT (#310432) #
To follow up Mike G's post, here's a collection of Kiermaier excellence (on CBC?!):

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/baseball/mlb/kevin-kiermaier-manny-machado-catch-rays-1.3210725

An All-Star Game "catch off" between Trout, Pillar and Kiermaier would be must-see TV. Make it happen Sha-pie-ro!
[ Reply to This ]
Kasi - Tuesday, September 01 2015 @ 05:35 PM EDT (#310437) #
Sadly Trout no longer belongs in that discussion. It's remarkable how quickly he changed his physique to more of a power hitter. His speed in both steals and his defensive ability/range have both drastically decreased in the last two years. He's no longer above average. Now someone like Cain though, he belongs in the discussion.
[ Reply to This ]
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The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.