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Recently in Toronto Blue Jays CategoryMea CulpasPosted on June 28, 2010 at 11:48 AM
While taking my regular weekend sabbatical from blogging, I got to thinking about some of the posts that I've written this week and I realized I've strayed a little bit from what the general tone of this blog usually is.Back in my very first entry, before I swapped Wordpress for Blogs By Fans or started up the United Cardinal Bloggers, I wrote the following: "I root for the Cardinals and typically give them and management the benefit of the doubt. I'll criticize when necessary, but I'm not big on general bashing." While I don't think my posts have been bashing per se, I don't think I've been giving management enough of the benefit of the doubt. Look, the number of moves that have gone toward veterans and away from younger players is not necessarily a philosophy that most of us on the internet would espouse. When you see things like that, one straw on top of another, it becomes difficult to keep any optimism about the moves. Fact is, though, management has more information and insight on these things than we do, especially people like me sitting a state away and watching a few innings and reading some articles on a daily basis. There's a reason they think that Blake Hawksworth should start, that signing Jeff Suppan is a good idea. And, honestly, most often they are right, or at least are right for a while. Criticism is fine and good, but kudos are due when it pans out and, so far, most everything has at least not blown up in their faces. Let's get to the last four games before talking about the team in general. Apparently I should have never said anything about not having pitching woes with Adam Wainwright on the hill. I had no idea I was such a powerful jinx. Waino seems to be having a little trouble settling into games. For the year, his first 15 pitches have been hit at a .305 clip. His only run against Oakland was allowed in the first inning. Seattle got him for two in the first. In fact, you'd have to go back to his complete game shutout against the Brewers to find a game where he didn't allow at least one run--and usually more than one--in the first frame. He gave up three in Toronto and then allowed two more in his shortest outing since Sept. 13, 2008 against Pittsburgh. Not what you want to see out of Wainwright and not what you expect to see out of him. We'll see if he's able to dodge that first inning bullet against Arizona on Tuesday. Tough to find a Hero in a game where the team is shutout on five hits, so we'll give it to Fernando Salas. He threw two scoreless innings at a time when the pen needed a little extra boost and, though he did allow four baserunners in that time, he worked out of trouble. How is it not possible, though, that this juggernaut that we as fans thought we had going into the season has yet to sweep a three game series? They got the four gamer against the Braves back in April (part of their season-long five game winning streak) and took a short two-gamer against the Nationals, but that's it. When you go for the sweep with Wainwright on the mound and don't get it, you start to wonder just how snake bit you are. Filed Under: Arizona Diamondbacks
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Another Chance To SweepPosted on June 24, 2010 at 11:27 AM
Pitching duels are a lot of fun. At least, they are when you come out on the winning side. I'm not sure Ian thought last night's game was as enjoyable as we did. Bernie Miklasz Tweeted last night that Chris Carpenter honors Bob Gibson by going out there and competing with less than his best stuff. As we've seen this year, Carpenter hasn't been that dominating figure in 2010, completely closing the opponent down, but he's still gone out there and competed, working out of jams, giving the opponent little to nothing on the scoreboard. Carp walked four, showing he didn't have his best command, but he mitigated that by allowing only three hits and getting a double play. I don't know what kind of extra motivation Toronto gives to him, but can we get them over into the NL Central? I will say I heard Buster Olney on Baseball Tonight saying the gap between Chris Carpenter and Ubaldo Jimenez for the NL Cy Young "just closed." However, Carp's not even the best pitcher on his own team this year. Is anyone really putting him in the Cy Young race? A 9-1 record and a 2.63 ERA is nice, but in this year of the pitcher, I'm not sure that'd be enough. Don't get me wrong, though--if the media wants to put him in the race, I'm all for it. I also thought it was a turning point for Matt Holliday. Sure, Holliday has gone off for the last week, crushing home runs and the like. Last night, though, he came up with a runner in scoring position in a crucial two-out spot. Two weeks ago, he'd have struck out on that pitch (which was ball four), but now that he's clicking he got the key base hit. I don't know when or if they'll move him back to the cleanup slot, but he's got to be enjoying his ride in front of Albert Pujols right now. Speaking of, good to see Pujols get some hits last night. Four hits, including a double. Too bad he couldn't have gotten one after Holliday's hit in the ninth for insurance, but asking for five hits is a bridge too far, I think. However, I want to get into the aftermath of his eighth-inning double. Yesterday, we talked about the relative insanity of Brendan Ryan trying to bunt a runner on second over with two outs. If you thought that was going to be the craziest move of the week, you lose. Last night both imitated and topped it. In case you didn't see the game, know that before the game started, the buzz was about the fact that Nick Stavinoha was going to be hitting fourth as the DH. Now, Stavinoha has done a nice job off the bench. In fact, if you are going to put Stav in as the DH, compared to the other options that are readily available (i.e., not counting Memphis), Stav's a perfectly reasonable choice, especially since Ryan Ludwick was battling leg cramps. But fourth? Really? I mean, it looked like Tony La Russa had just made out the lineup as if Ludwick was playing, then was too lazy to rework it when he couldn't go. Move David Freese or Colby Rasmus (even with a lefty on the mound) up there. Stavinoha is a six-seven hitter, at best. Still, that's where he sat. So TLR has determined that Stavinoha is 1) a good enough hitter to be the designated hitter, i.e., hitting is all that he has to do and 2) he's good enough to hit fourth. These are keys for my coming rant. OK, so as I say, Pujols is on second with nobody out to start the eighth inning. Yes, it's a 0-0 game, but Stavinoha, your cleanup designated hitter, is coming up next. So, what does La Russa do? Orders the sacrifice bunt. Are you getting this? You are saying that a player that is good enough to be the designated hitter AND good enough to hit fourth in your lineup isn't good enough to swing away in that situation. Besides the general fact that, unless it's the pitcher batter, I don't want to see anyone bunting right there, but never, ever should a cleanup hitter be bunting in the majors. And for the second straight night, it doesn't work. This time, Stavinoha bunts it and Pujols gets caught in a rundown. So the result was one out, runner at second--exactly the situation it would have been in the worst case scenario of him swinging away. I hope that two failures will at least make La Russa think twice about pulling that stunt again anytime soon. So, if I could give a Goat to TLR, I would. However, I stick to players, which means that David Freese gets the tag with his 0-4, three strikeout night. Ricky Romero was a tough guy to figure out, so you can't blame Freese entirely, but it still was a night to forget. In other news, it does look like the Cardinals are just going to have bullpen games the next three times the fifth starter slot comes up between now and the All-Star Break. Which means that Adam Ottavino and PJ Walters really have no place in this organization. Seriously, you are going to wear down the bullpen on a regular basis like that? Perhaps Ottavino and Walters wouldn't give you more than five innings (though at least it would be possible that they could), but that's likely one more inning than Blake Hawksworth will give you, plus you'll take him out of commission for a while, meaning he couldn't be a reliever. You'd basically be playing with a short pitching staff. And with Jeff Suppan, who likely will never go over six innings, going the day before, you are going to need Carpenter and Adam Wainwright to go complete games and Jaime Garcia to keep his command and go seven on a regular basis. If you don't like Ottavino and Walters, fine. I'm not saying they are going to be world-beaters. They are #4, #5 starters, most likely, guys that at least can give you a little upside. I can understand you not wanting to plug them into the rotation (though I still don't understand coming out and saying that while they are on the big league roster). If that's the case, though, you have to make some sort of deal for a veteran innings-eater arm. I'm not talking about a Cliff Lee or a Roy Oswalt or a Dan Haren. Those guys would be great, but they're going to cost a lot in money and prospects. (Though if you could get Oswalt and have him rework his contract somewhat, that'd be interesting.) What about guys like Kevin Millwood (who still may cost a bit in talent, but definitely less than the other guys) and Jake Westbrook? Heck, if you can find someone that's under reasonable contract for next year as well, go after them, because there are holes in the 2011 rotation that it doesn't look like the minor league system can fill. As Justin and I said last night at the end of the UCB Radio Hour, this team seems a little like it is lacking an identity. It should be able to get the engine in gear and pull away from the Reds, but it hasn't been able to do that yet. Running bullpen games, even if it is against teams like Kansas City and Milwaukee, is a good way to lose ground on a team that just doesn't seem like it's going away. At least for one night, though, we don't have pitching woes. Adam Wainwright takes the hill against the Jays, looking again for a sweep. Seven times this season the Cards have won the first two games of a three-game series, including this one. Six times, they've lost the third one. Hopefully that changes tonight. A look at what Wainwright has done against the birds of blue:
As for Brandon Morrow, only Holliday has seen him and went 0-2. Morrow's a righty that has command issues, according to Ian's analysis last night, so if the Cardinals are patient, they'll get good pitches and will get into the Jays' pen faster. We'll see if they are able to do that this evening. Sorry for the cranky tone of the post. That really wasn't my intention when I sat down to write! Hopefully the Cardinals will keep winning and get me in a better mood this weekend!
Cards Soar In Foreign LandPosted on June 23, 2010 at 7:21 AM
You know, when the discussion of launching pad stadiums comes up, I never think of Toronto's Rogers Center. Wrigley, Coors, even the old Atlanta stadium that started the nickname. However, if last night is any indication, Rogers Center is right up there with the rest of them. The Cardinals played the long ball better, smashing four, while Jose Bautista got to 20 with his two blasts. Of course, Toronto leads the majors in home runs, but I did some quick figuring. They hit an average of 1.52 per game, but if you just look at their home rate, it's 1.71. A pretty significant jump. I know there are more stats out there, including park factors, that would indicate whether it was the park that was the cause, but I'm not able to find them right now. Maybe we'll talk to Ian about that tonight on UCB Radio Hour. Another spectacular night for Matt Holliday. The way he's been hitting against American League teams, you'd have thought he'd have torn it up for Oakland last year. If he's going to be comparable to the Holliday that the Cardinals saw last year, this offense really should get on track soon. Nice to see Colby Rasmus pinch hit and break his slump with a home run. Of course, is anyone really surprised that the Cardinals lost their DH last night and had to pinch-hit with Aaron Miles? This is Tony La Russa we are talking about. Being able to juggle a lineup and mess with the fringes of baseball rules is ideal for him. I could have almost guaranteed that at least one time this week he'd have done that. Jaime Garcia pitched pretty well also. The two-run home run by Bautista guaranteed he was going to have his ERA creep up, but you'll take three runs in six innings, especially when there were no walks involved in that. Garcia might have been able to go seven, since he was only at 89 pitches, but by that time the Cards were up 6-3 and there didn't seem to be any reason to push him. Tough night for Brendan Ryan, who went 0-4 and wasn't able to get down a sacrifice bunt in the fifth. Of course, with nobody out and a runner on second, even with the struggles Ryan has had this year, I think I want him up there swinging away. He's probably just as likely to move the runner with a ground ball and might even get a hit, priming a big inning. It's really bad when it doesn't work, since Randy Winn (who had doubled to start the inning and had a pretty good game himself) never did come around to score. Looks like Ryan is going to be a bit on the streaky side this year. After a big push got his average past the Mendoza line with room to spare, he's regressed to a .133 average this week. Perhaps it is time for the Cardinal Diamond Diaries ladies to jump start him again with a Ryan post? A little off the field news, as Shelby Miller and Eduardo Sanchez were named to the Futures Game squad. It'll be fun to see what these guys do in an All-Star setting, especially against some guys that are in higher classifications in Miller's case. I'm also keeping an eye on Astros pitcher Jordan Lyles for personal reasons--he tossed my son and I a ball after warming up at a minor league game we attended. The rotation for the Kansas City series hasn't been completely determined. Jeff Suppan is going on Friday, but the fifth starter slot comes back up Saturday. There's only one more off day until the All-Star Break, so it seems most reasonable to go ahead and pull Adam Ottavino back up and plug him back into the rotation. If La Russa decides to go with one of his patented bullpen games, however, I think you have to take that has a definite vote of no confidence in Ottavino. Would a package of Ottavino, Allen Craig (who, notably, wasn't called up while the Cards need a DH) and Mark Hamilton net a decent #3-#4 starter? Cards try to win the series tonight by sending Chris Carpenter to the mound. Last time he was in Toronto, all he did was throw a one-hitter. I don't think Carpenter has been to that level on a consistent basis this year, but he has shown that, if everything's going right, he's going to be dominant. If it isn't, he's still going to be pretty good. Here's what the current squad of Blue Jays has done against him:
On the flip side, the Cards will be facing Ricky Romero. Romero is having a solid year for Toronto in only his second major league season. The only Cardinal that has faced him is Holliday, who went 1-3 with two strikeouts against him in a game last year. Of course, he's a lefty, which seems to be all the Cardinals see lately, but after they solved Brett Cecil last night, it should give them some confidence in facing Romero. Before I wrap this up, I wanted to give an opinion on something that's circling around the baseball internet right now, the discussion of whether or not Stephen Strasburg should be an All-Star selection. Now, my friend Chris over at Bird Brained has come down on the "I don't think so" side of the equation, but I'm going to take the opposing view. Even though Strasburg was responsible for ruining my iTouch, I think that, if he keeps pitching the way he has, he should be on the All-Star roster. If you've read here for long, you know that I'm not a big fan of the "This Time It Counts" bunch of malarky that Bud Selig and company spew. The All-Star Game, in my mind, is a pure exhibition that is for the fans. If the fans want to see Player X in the starting lineup, commentators and experts need to quit griping about it when they vote him in. I like the managers and players selecting deserving players that might not be voted in. I like the every-team-has-a-representative factor. This is supposed to be a fun game and a showcase for baseball. So what better way to draw attention to the game, to bring in more eyeballs to see the best players, than to put the biggest drawing card on the market in the game? Casual fans that have heard of Strasburg may tune into the game to watch him and get caught up in the rest of it. The ratings for the ASG are never all that strong, so they could use a Strasburg bounce. Get the country talking about him and what he does. And what if he pitches one inning and strikes out two or three guys? The buzz around him only increases, and that's really good for baseball. You are already seeing the attendance bounces around the country when he pitches. What better way to get the game into the national spotlight again? Like I say, if he keeps pitching like this, he's shown he can be an All-Star. If he stumbles, maybe you reconsider. (Which means that, since I've written this, Kansas City will get to him today, most likely.) Remember, 6:07 start for the Cards tonight, 9:30 is the UCB Radio Hour. Come on and join us!
Cardinals Skip The CountryPosted on June 22, 2010 at 8:46 AM
The day off was pretty quiet, save the fact that the Cardinals skipped the country. It's a night of two national anthems tonight as the Battle of the Birds begins in Toronto.You wouldn't think it, but I actually have a friend down here in Arkansas that's a Blue Jays fan, being as he's from Canada and all. So it'd be much nicer for my piece of mind if the Cardinals took this series, and they've got the pitching matchups in their favor, at least slightly. Jaime Garcia goes tonight, and obviously the Jays haven't seen him before. Toronto is sixth in the American League in runs and OPS, so this could be a good test for him. Being unknown should help and I expect he'll continue his strong starting run tonight. Brett Cecil is having a solid year, leading the team in wins and WHIP, and a 3.58 ERA in the AL East is nothing to sneeze at. Plus he's a lefty that only Matt Holliday (0-3) has ever seen before. Good chance this is going to be a 2-1 game. Of course, there's the debate on whether interleague play is really worth it. It seems like finally there are more and more people speaking out and saying it is really not necessary. Rob Rains has a column up today at the Globe-Democrat about it, for example. I've never been a big fan of interleague, as it comes across as a feeling of an exhibition in the middle of the season. I definitely wouldn't miss it if it was ditched, let's put it that way. Remember, we'll be talking about the Blue Jays with Ian from The Blue Jay Hunter tomorrow night on the UCB Radio Hour! Make your plans to join us!
Playing Pepper 2010: Toronto Blue JaysPosted on March 23, 2010 at 3:11 PM
Last year before the season began, I posed five questions to a
blogger for each team, so as to get to know the rest of baseball. I
focus so heavily on the Cardinals that sometimes the rest of MLB can
pass me by. That went very well, so much so that it spawned not only a
postseason edition but was part of the impetus for the formation of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance.So this year, I've brought Playing Pepper back, with a little bit of a twist. Instead of five questions, I posed 10 questions, and this year every team got the same set. Plus, tapping into those BBA connections, I sent them to every blogger representing that team in the BBA. We'll try to do two a day in a general alphabetical order---ah, who are we kidding, we'll get them up when we get them up. Toronto Blue Jays 2009 Finish: 75-87, fourth in AL East It had to be extremely tough this offseason for Jays fans to see Toronto icon Roy Halladay get shipped on. Sure, they knew it was coming sometime, and they'd had the dry run for the whole thing around the trading deadline last year, but that couldn't have made it any easier. The BBA is stocked with great Blue Jay bloggers, so I was able to round up Dick from 1 Blue Jays Way, Ian from The Blue Jay Hunter, Chris from Infield Fly and Mat from Jays Journal to take a look at the season to come via the Playing Pepper Ten. Continue Reading Playing Pepper 2009: Toronto Blue JaysPosted on February 13, 2009 at 11:30 AM
As the players start getting themselves ready for another season, I
thought it'd be a good idea to do the same. I contacted a blogger for
each major league team and posted them five questions. This is the
result. You can find the tentative schedule of teams here and today's main post is right here.For a while there, it looked like the Blue Jays were trying to become St. Louis North, what with Scott Rolen and David Eckstein manning the left side of the diamond. A Canadian friend of mine told me at the time that there were shirts up that way that said "St. Toronto Blue Cards" or something similar to that. Even this offseason, it has continued with Cardinal experiment Matt Clement signing a minor league contract with the Blue Jays. So what do we know about out friends to the north, besides they play in an extremely tough division and probably here a lot of "eh" jokes? I talked to the Jays blog uniquely titled The Tao of Stieb to see how our old 3B was doing and how things were in the AL East. Continue Reading One More TryPosted on July 24, 2008 at 2:34 PM
Really, is there anything to say about last night? Sabathia was on, was dominant, and we have to be glad for the few Cardinals hits and the fact the score stayed close.Hero? I guess Brendan Ryan, for breaking up the no-hitter. None of the pitchers were that great. Looper kept it close, but could only go five innings after continually getting into trouble. Jiminez and Izzy both went two, but gave up a run in that time span. Goat? Albert Pujols. Flying out with men on first and second basically put paid on that game. Newest rumor buzz: Roy Halladay. Discussion on various sites agrees that a trade like that would take Colby Rasmus. The dissension comes from whether he's worth it. My initial reaction is no. The Cards are going to need cheap, quality offense in the years to come and Rasmus should provide that. The other side of the coin, though, has merit. Rasmus may not pan out. Halladay is pretty proven. 'Course, that's what they said about Mark Mulder. If there was anyway to get Halladay without Rasmus (say, Anderson, Todd and Reyes), I'd have to say go for it. Otherwise, I just don't know. Tonight, the Cards try to avoid the sweep with Todd Wellemeyer going against Ben Sheets. The Cardinals have been able to solve Sheets before, but it's a tough puzzle. Albert's really liked to see him in the past. Maybe he can stop that homerless streak tonight. The Cards scored three runs in seven innings on him earlier in the year, which didn't give him the loss but the Cards did win the game. He's fairly unknown to the Brewers; though they won the matchup against him this year, he got a no-decision allowing two unearned runs in six innings. Housekeeping: I forgot to note it last week, but CATB has passed the one-year milestone. Over 300 posts when you combine the Wordpress version and this one. Glad y'all are still reading and I hope you enjoy it. If you are on Facebook, please join the CATB blog group over there. Thanks! Filed Under: Baseball
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