There's a connection between the Jays' antics I spoke of yesterday and the way they sat on the bench together last night after the loss. It took me a little, but I think I got it.
For the first time in a while I get almost a palbable sense of team unity. That's not to say it wasn't there in previous seasons, but it never really seemed team wide.
There's admiration, no egos (at least to the fan's eye I think), and everyone is on the same page. They want to win. They want the whole to be greater than its parts.
With more of the pitching staff emulating Doc (the poster boy for sum = > parts) I can't say as I'm surprised. Look no further than Aaron Hill pointing out his steal wasn't the winning run, and calling Alex(is) Rios' sacrifice fly "beautiful baseball".
There doesn't even seem to be that great a divide between pitchers and fielders. Did anyone else see Shaun Marcum and Brian Butterfield's wierd (I guess you could call it) handshake on Tuesday in the dugout? I know Butter's a coach, but he's the fielding/3rd base coach...not like he has much coaching contact with pitchers.
Who's to say is this new evident team unity will mean a championship, but it's refreshing. No one's playing for themselves, I get the feeling there aren't 25 cabs leaving the hotel after a road game (although I don't know for sure). I'm happy to say I no longer have to be a little envious of fans whose team just seemed to be 9 friends playing a game.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Did He or Didn't He?
I have always believed that there is a certain amount of class that goes along with being a professional baseball player. I think last night was the first time that belief was tried.
We will never know 100% whether Alex Rodriguez actually called off Howie Clark in the top half of the 9th in last night's game. According to Clark, someone yelled "Mine!" while he was camped under the ball, and it wasn't John McDonald. According to Alex Rodriguez, via the Jays's site, "I was actually almost past third base [when I yelled]. I was surprised the ball dropped". I think the smirk A**-Rod has on his face after the play says it all.
Please excuse me as I step aside to rant for a moment.
I hate to break it to you A**-Rod, but the video playback shows otherwise. When watching the playback of the footage, it's clear that Rodriguez yelled something in the direction of Clark as he was running TOWARDS 3rd (not almost past it) and passing between Clark and Johnny Mac. In real time, you can even kinda hear it...and it doesn't sound like Johnny.
The article about the incident on the Jays' site is worth a read, for nothing else than to enjoy the attempts at ass covering. Feel free to check it out... http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070531&content_id=1996556&vkey=news_tor&fext=.jsp&c_id=tor
I think the saddest part for me might be that I'm pretty sure some Yankee fans are going to think this is awesome/hilarious/completely okay...but it's not. Here is a guy who they've had a major hate-on for since he came to New York, but he's leading All-Star voting apparently. Well, he just sullied the Yankees uniform. As a baseball fan, I have the utmost respect and admiration for the history of the Yankees, and the legacy they've created. As a Jays fan, I might hate them, but I still believe they do great things. Last night, Rodriguez dragged the whole organization down. If you need to stoop so low to win a game, then you know what? Win it. I'd rather lose with class (like the Jays are in my mind), then to win by essentially cheating.
End of rant.
Game Notes/Closing Thoughts:
Royce Clayton is day-to-day after fouling a pitch off his foot on Tuesday. Howie Clark is called up from Syracuse. I'm glad Howie's back. I always liked the things he did for the team back in '03-'04, and I'll never turn a guy away who can pretty much play 8 positions, and wears his socks up.
I was a little sad that Ryan Roberts was designated for assignment. I always thought he was solid defensively, and was okay offensively last year. Plus, he had some really nice art. It was cool to see Tattooed Guy (as I called him). It always reminds me of the pitcher the Jays had named Justin (for the LIFE of me I can't remember his last name, grrr) who always had to wear long sleeves because he had so many tattoos. I also recall he might of gotten someone's name tattooed on his behind for $1000, but I could be wrong. I know it was a Jay in the last 3-4 years who did that though.
I'm going to call it right now and say Jesse Litsch is headed for the minors as Doc takes his place in the rotation. Yes, he showed brilliance in his debut, but since then his age and lack of experience I think have caught up to him. Send him to Triple A, while the gleam of his debut is still there a little, and let him get some innings under his belt. I think Tomo Ohka pitched well enough (on 11 days rest) in his last start to warrant another chance in the rotation. Litsch's 2/3 of an inning last night I think kinda sealed the deal.
___________________________________________________
The White Sox come into to town to kick off a 4 game set on Ladies' Night. Mark Buehrle goes the Sox, as Harold Leroy "Doc" Halladay makes his much anticipated and expedited return to the Jays starting lineup. I'm not expecting Doc to go too far into the game. Maybe 70-80 pitches? That might even be pushing it, but I'll be cheering him on from Section 232/233 with the rest of the Ladies.
Until next time...
JaysGirl5
We will never know 100% whether Alex Rodriguez actually called off Howie Clark in the top half of the 9th in last night's game. According to Clark, someone yelled "Mine!" while he was camped under the ball, and it wasn't John McDonald. According to Alex Rodriguez, via the Jays's site, "I was actually almost past third base [when I yelled]. I was surprised the ball dropped". I think the smirk A**-Rod has on his face after the play says it all.
Please excuse me as I step aside to rant for a moment.
I hate to break it to you A**-Rod, but the video playback shows otherwise. When watching the playback of the footage, it's clear that Rodriguez yelled something in the direction of Clark as he was running TOWARDS 3rd (not almost past it) and passing between Clark and Johnny Mac. In real time, you can even kinda hear it...and it doesn't sound like Johnny.
The article about the incident on the Jays' site is worth a read, for nothing else than to enjoy the attempts at ass covering. Feel free to check it out... http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070531&content_id=1996556&vkey=news_tor&fext=.jsp&c_id=tor
I think the saddest part for me might be that I'm pretty sure some Yankee fans are going to think this is awesome/hilarious/completely okay...but it's not. Here is a guy who they've had a major hate-on for since he came to New York, but he's leading All-Star voting apparently. Well, he just sullied the Yankees uniform. As a baseball fan, I have the utmost respect and admiration for the history of the Yankees, and the legacy they've created. As a Jays fan, I might hate them, but I still believe they do great things. Last night, Rodriguez dragged the whole organization down. If you need to stoop so low to win a game, then you know what? Win it. I'd rather lose with class (like the Jays are in my mind), then to win by essentially cheating.
End of rant.
Game Notes/Closing Thoughts:
Royce Clayton is day-to-day after fouling a pitch off his foot on Tuesday. Howie Clark is called up from Syracuse. I'm glad Howie's back. I always liked the things he did for the team back in '03-'04, and I'll never turn a guy away who can pretty much play 8 positions, and wears his socks up.
I was a little sad that Ryan Roberts was designated for assignment. I always thought he was solid defensively, and was okay offensively last year. Plus, he had some really nice art. It was cool to see Tattooed Guy (as I called him). It always reminds me of the pitcher the Jays had named Justin (for the LIFE of me I can't remember his last name, grrr) who always had to wear long sleeves because he had so many tattoos. I also recall he might of gotten someone's name tattooed on his behind for $1000, but I could be wrong. I know it was a Jay in the last 3-4 years who did that though.
I'm going to call it right now and say Jesse Litsch is headed for the minors as Doc takes his place in the rotation. Yes, he showed brilliance in his debut, but since then his age and lack of experience I think have caught up to him. Send him to Triple A, while the gleam of his debut is still there a little, and let him get some innings under his belt. I think Tomo Ohka pitched well enough (on 11 days rest) in his last start to warrant another chance in the rotation. Litsch's 2/3 of an inning last night I think kinda sealed the deal.
___________________________________________________
The White Sox come into to town to kick off a 4 game set on Ladies' Night. Mark Buehrle goes the Sox, as Harold Leroy "Doc" Halladay makes his much anticipated and expedited return to the Jays starting lineup. I'm not expecting Doc to go too far into the game. Maybe 70-80 pitches? That might even be pushing it, but I'll be cheering him on from Section 232/233 with the rest of the Ladies.
Until next time...
JaysGirl5
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
"Let's Play Ball!"
In an attempt to spare my friends and family, I have turned to the world of blogging to share my thoughts and feelings about my #1 passion, baseball and the Jays.
So without further ado...
After a 9 game losing skid, it's nice to see the Jays finally showing more life. It's almost 3 weeks to the day that Burnett stopped the slide. The Jays still haven't shown the complete promise spring training hinted at, but at least they're finding ways to win (ex. Hill's straight steal of home last night). I'm all for more small ball type play, especially when you're offense is scuffling, and so is the other team's.
Since May 11th, they've gone 11 for 17. Good. Their pitching has stepped up, and save for a late innings performance on Sat in Minnesota, they've been pretty consistent. Doc comes back tomorrow, and I'm super excited to be at the game. I swear he's super human, coming back 3 wks minus a day from having an appendectomy. Really though, I'm not surprised at all.
On the Injury Front:
Gregg Zaun is closer than ever to coming back. He should be making his first rehab start today, and hopes to be back next week. I've always loved Zaunie, but having read a stat about how the Jays' E.R.A. is lower when he's around, I love him even more. At least as he says, he gets his Lenny's while he's in Dunedin.
Reed Johnson is swinging a bat this week, but will still be awhile before actually hitting a ball. Brandon League is moving along as he's getting his velocity back. John Thompson is rehab starting. The only up in the air is Gustavo Chacin, but the 2nd MRI he's having might shed some light on what's going on in his shoulder.
It remains to be seen what will happen with Royce Clayton. After fouling a pitch off his left foot two days in a row (the worst last night), he was replaced by Troy Glaus in the 9th last night because he could hardly walk. Glaus was sitting his left hamstring because he's over-compensating for his left heel bone spur. Clayton is getting it checked out, but here's hoping he won't be on the DL, especially since the Jays just sent down utility man Ryan Roberts, to call up pitcher Brian Wolfe.
Closing Thoughts:
- I saw Wolfe pitch twice in spring training this year. Even though I had never really heard of him, he was pretty good. Consistent, and he's been doing pretty well in Triple A.
- I might be the only one, but I'm loving the fun the guys are having with each other. From nerf darts to shaving cream pies to water dumping, to Matt Stairs trying to put a gum bubble on Jesse Litsch's hat without him knowing; I love it all. When you make 100s of 1000s of $ playing a game for a living, there's nothing wrong with having a little fun.
- Although early signs show the Yankees dominance of the late '90s/early '00s is coming to an end, I'm still going to be a little hesitant to break out the parade. Yes, they're sliding; Yes, they're putting A LOT of hope in Roger Clemens (who will only push the team age higher); Yes, I've never believed you could buy a championship; BUT individually they have a lot of talent on their roster. It might be only a matter of time before it starts coming together.
Although I respect Yankees fans for their passion, some times I really don't believe they have a respect for Major League Baseball at large, and I am totally loving them eating some humble pie right now. Just 'cause the Yanks aren't winning, doesn't mean they need to go Chicken Little on baseball's ass, and act like the sky is falling.
__________________________________________________________
The Jays go for the sweep tonight as Jesse Litsch goes against Tyler Clippard. Together they are younger than Rogers Clemens by about 4 1/2 months. Hopefully the Jays can continue to keep the Yanks at bay and make it 4-0 against New York on the season.
Until next time...
JaysGirl5
So without further ado...
After a 9 game losing skid, it's nice to see the Jays finally showing more life. It's almost 3 weeks to the day that Burnett stopped the slide. The Jays still haven't shown the complete promise spring training hinted at, but at least they're finding ways to win (ex. Hill's straight steal of home last night). I'm all for more small ball type play, especially when you're offense is scuffling, and so is the other team's.
Since May 11th, they've gone 11 for 17. Good. Their pitching has stepped up, and save for a late innings performance on Sat in Minnesota, they've been pretty consistent. Doc comes back tomorrow, and I'm super excited to be at the game. I swear he's super human, coming back 3 wks minus a day from having an appendectomy. Really though, I'm not surprised at all.
On the Injury Front:
Gregg Zaun is closer than ever to coming back. He should be making his first rehab start today, and hopes to be back next week. I've always loved Zaunie, but having read a stat about how the Jays' E.R.A. is lower when he's around, I love him even more. At least as he says, he gets his Lenny's while he's in Dunedin.
Reed Johnson is swinging a bat this week, but will still be awhile before actually hitting a ball. Brandon League is moving along as he's getting his velocity back. John Thompson is rehab starting. The only up in the air is Gustavo Chacin, but the 2nd MRI he's having might shed some light on what's going on in his shoulder.
It remains to be seen what will happen with Royce Clayton. After fouling a pitch off his left foot two days in a row (the worst last night), he was replaced by Troy Glaus in the 9th last night because he could hardly walk. Glaus was sitting his left hamstring because he's over-compensating for his left heel bone spur. Clayton is getting it checked out, but here's hoping he won't be on the DL, especially since the Jays just sent down utility man Ryan Roberts, to call up pitcher Brian Wolfe.
Closing Thoughts:
- I saw Wolfe pitch twice in spring training this year. Even though I had never really heard of him, he was pretty good. Consistent, and he's been doing pretty well in Triple A.
- I might be the only one, but I'm loving the fun the guys are having with each other. From nerf darts to shaving cream pies to water dumping, to Matt Stairs trying to put a gum bubble on Jesse Litsch's hat without him knowing; I love it all. When you make 100s of 1000s of $ playing a game for a living, there's nothing wrong with having a little fun.
- Although early signs show the Yankees dominance of the late '90s/early '00s is coming to an end, I'm still going to be a little hesitant to break out the parade. Yes, they're sliding; Yes, they're putting A LOT of hope in Roger Clemens (who will only push the team age higher); Yes, I've never believed you could buy a championship; BUT individually they have a lot of talent on their roster. It might be only a matter of time before it starts coming together.
Although I respect Yankees fans for their passion, some times I really don't believe they have a respect for Major League Baseball at large, and I am totally loving them eating some humble pie right now. Just 'cause the Yanks aren't winning, doesn't mean they need to go Chicken Little on baseball's ass, and act like the sky is falling.
__________________________________________________________
The Jays go for the sweep tonight as Jesse Litsch goes against Tyler Clippard. Together they are younger than Rogers Clemens by about 4 1/2 months. Hopefully the Jays can continue to keep the Yanks at bay and make it 4-0 against New York on the season.
Until next time...
JaysGirl5
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