One week from today is the Jays last pre-season game. From this point on Cito intends on playing the regulars more and more to get ready for the real games. Cito also announced that Jason Frasor is his likely closer.
The Jays got off to a fast start in the spring but the results have been rockier recently. Shaun Marcum celebrated his being named as the opening day starter by giving up nine runs yesterday and Brian Tallet and Marc Rzepczynski have been getting hit around too. Brandon Morrow, Dustin McGowan, Jesse Carlson, Edwin Encarnacion and Lyle Overbey are battling injuries.
But these games don't count right?
It's the biggest division in baseball and it's smack dab in the middle of what learned baseball fans call the senior circuit. Five of the six teams will be looking at former Blue Jays to boost their fortunes in 2010. Guess which team could have the most former Jays on their roster this season? Guess which team doesn't have a former Jay as of now? Which player (not a former Jay!) denied me a free taco five years ago? Who really let the dogs out? And where the hell are my Toronto Star Season Passes already? The answers to most of these questions and more in the Batter's Box 2010 NL Central rundown.
We've tried a variety of pre-season preview formats here on Batter's Box over the past few years, some with each team getting its own thread, some division-by-division, some all written by members of The Roster, others involving "guest" previews, some by invitation and other by volunteers.
This year? The answer is (Z) All of the Above.
Beginning later this week ...
So as we barrel forward into the 2010 season, the first decade of the 21st century, "the aughts" is now forever behind us. And I found myself musing on the drive home from work recently, was there a "Team of the Aughts" and if so, who was it?
I started wondering this because it occured to me that my first three full decades of baseball fandom all at least arguably had one team (for one season!) be the defining -- that's not necessarily the same as best -- team of that decade.
For instance, in the 1970's ...
Kermit the frog once said "It ain't easy being green" but it's a lot easier today as we celebrate all things Irish on this St. Patrick's Day. We certainly hope the Green Jays have the luck of the Irish not only today against the Orioles but against the rest of the American League in 2010.
Today, let's look at things from a fantasy baseball perspective. USA Today Sports Weekly recently released its Fantasy Baseball issue and came out with its Fantasy Extra update issue today. Three Green Jays made the Top 200 list with Aaron Hill being ranked 51st while Adam Lind and Vernon Wells were rated 64th and 160th respectively.
Which player - Green Jays or otherwise - will have the luck of the Irish and who won't have it this season? If you like, you can throw in an "out of nowhere" prediction like Ryan Howard hitting 74 homers this season but try to make it somewhat realistic.
Erin Go Bragh! By the way, it's not a coincidence that this post comes up at 3:17 today! Always thinking!! :D
When we discuss "Hall Watch" candidates here on Batter's Box, we tend to (understandably) focus on the players of today's game who might someday have plaques hanging in Cooperstown.
But what about the skippers, the captains of the ship, the bench jockeys and leaders of those very same players? There are 17 managers currently in the Hall of Fame. Are any active skippers bound to join them there someday?
To my reading, there are currently only eight legitimate candidates to consider ...
Shaun "Of The Dead" Marcum made a lot of Rays hitters look like zombies as he delivered three shutout innings in the Jays 4-1 loss to Tampa Bay at Port Charlotte Thursday afternoon. Jordan Bastian of bluejays.com reports the Kansas City native could be the man on the mound for the Opening Day start April 5th in Texas.