Toronto Blue Jays!!

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Toronto Blue Jays!!

I used to watch the Jays in the bad old days when they started. The only player who was really worth watching was Dave Stieb. He wanted to win every time he pitched. I think he was a converted outfielder and could field his position very well when he pitched.

I'd go to exhibition stadium and later the Skydome maybe half dozen times a year. The Skydome is a walk from the Go Train so I haven't gone for a lot of years now. Steib pitched more times when I was there than getting tickets for random dates would indicate.

I'd love to see the Jays and Leafs win it all again, but knowing they won't doesn't stop me from watching. We've had some really good players over the years even though the teams didn't make it.

[Kevin Pacey]

Re: Toronto Blue Jays!!

The Jays season looks almost over and the Leafs are still competing...

If I'm counting right, the Jays are 9 1/2 games out of the second AL wildcard spot after tonight. Their season is thus pretty much shot in my books. The Leafs live on in a pale fashion, as if to spite me, as they are the NHL team I root against the most passionately in a given year nowadays (the New Jersey Devils are a close second, because of their imprudently chosen moniker).

The Jays have a lot of new players this season and they seem to need some time to come together...

This is another reason I had strong misgivings about the Jays chances even before the season began. In fact, all these new players also have to get used to living and playing in a new city.

If Jays management doesn't panic and unload a lot of these otherwise talented new players, the Jays could be a real contender next season, perhaps.

[Bindi Cheng]

Re: Toronto Blue Jays!!

3 in a row, come back from behind again against Tampa, of all teams, LOL

[Bindi Cheng]

Re: Toronto Blue Jays!!

Problem is that Mark Buehrle just isn't very good, he's a soft-tossing lefty whose fastball is in the mid 80s and who is only getting worse with age. He survived beforehand because his fastball was faster and the ballparks were generally more favorable than the Skydome. He gives up a ton of homers and with Skydome's park dimensions he gets throttled consistently. I didn't think he was going to be this awful but other than the brutal 3rd inning, he actually managed to recover somewhat and not give up any more runs. But that 7-spot in the third was just gut-quenching. No one's gonna pick him up though because he's basically a terrible pitcher being paid like a #2 guy.

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Toronto Blue Jays!!

I lied, I couldn't stay away from the Blue Jays and I just saw them win down 7-0 against the Rays. OMG, that's the TSN turning point right there.

We're getting pretty far into the season now. The pitching was brutal tonight, I thought. I'd put that pitcher on waivers and if he clears send him to the minors to work out his problems. If someone claims him let them pay his salary.

[Bindi Cheng]

Re: Toronto Blue Jays!!

I lied, I couldn't stay away from the Blue Jays and I just saw them win down 7-0 against the Rays. OMG, that's the TSN turning point right there.

[Kevin Pacey]

Re: Toronto Blue Jays!!

I hope they paid in cool cash. :)

It was a crushing cheque, delivered to me personally. :D

Next year the tournament may move to downtown Arnprior, even closer to a great restaurant the chessplayers like to eat at, along with regular townsfolk. I was told yet another establishment in Arnprior has won an award for serving the best fries in North America.

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Toronto Blue Jays!!

My endgame play left much to be desired, though I think I tended to play too fast - perhaps because the playing hall this year (an arena) happened to be quite cool. The prize money will come in very handy. :)

I hope they paid in cool cash. :)

[Kevin Pacey]

Re: Toronto Blue Jays!!

I'm still waiting before throwing out all but my very faintest hope for the Jays reaching the 2013 playoffs, if and until they hit 9 or more games back of the second AL wildcard spot at any point of the regular season. Looks like that might happen tonight. I stopped watching tonight's game for the time being, after the Rays went up 5-0 on the Jays.

I got lucky on the weekend, picking up $250 for clear first in the Arnprior Open. In the way I measure my luck, I got one full point's worth of lucky breaks out of two games where I was the favourite by rating (which was the case in all 5 of my games). My endgame play left much to be desired, though I think I tended to play too fast - perhaps because the playing hall this year (an arena) happened to be quite cool. The prize money will come in very handy. :)

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Toronto Blue Jays!!

The Jays season looks almost over and the Leafs are still competing. That's a bit different.

Have you looked at Price's record (the AL Cy Young winner) this season? So far his ERA is close to 7. It happens.

The Jays have a lot of new players this season and they seem to need some time to come together. Some of the regulars are hitting below or slightly above the Mendoza Line at this point. Who's the hitting coach this season? Same as last season?

The Yanks aren't a bad team. Their pitching looks solid for their top 4 starters. Hughes is looking good. Probably they need a 5th starter same as the Jays.

[Duncan Smith]

Re: Toronto Blue Jays!!

I hate baseball, I'm giving it up for May, this is so frustrating... it's like watching someone defend a worse position against Carlsen and fail. This must be how Karjakin feels

They've had the bad luck of running against 5 of the best pitchers in the league ( so far ) in a row. However, this only matters because they gave away many winnable games in the past. I place a lot of blame squarely on Gibbons shoulder, he's been slow to react to problems and when he does make moves they don't seem well timed to me. This is truly why they are horrible to watch, because they are being mismanaged and repeating errors. The batting lineups lack common sense many nights. Seeing their SS bat in the 9th inning against Boston spoke directly to me that Gibbons is asleep at the wheel.

Season is genuinely over if they fail to see the urgency and make some big moves NOW. The GM's job is on the line now too, he shares some of the blame ( eg bringing in Laffey for a game and failing to address the SS issue ).For example, I'd fire Gibbons, but my guess is its his man and he won't do that ( may ultimately cost him his job though ). I'd promote Sierra and send De Rosa to Buffalo. Use Bonofocio strictly as a bench player, or demote him instead if you want him playing ball. I'd be seriously pursueing a strong 2B bat ( on base guy ) via trade. Izterus has to play regularily until this occurs. Trade might simplify things, move one of those two guys with a pitcher. Cabrera gets somewhat reduced playing time, plus bats 8th in the order, and they'll always keep one bat on the bench for late inning pinch hitting ( Cabrera, Lind, or Sierra depending on who starts ). If Cabrera begins to show real plate discipline he can earn his job again.

Pitching is somewhat fine; if they start scoring runs the pressure comes off the starters and they'll improve. Romero showed some promise.They have some veteran guys in AAA that can spot start if injuries rear up, and if the main 4 can pitch then Happ can go to long middle relief. Not sure what happened to Lincoln, but he's another guy could eat up a lot of innings.

I'm seeing a lot of empty seats at SkyDome, at some point upper management is going to ask themselves why the GM & Manager seem unwilling to make proper moves and are further alienating the fan base. I'd say if this train wreck continues unchanged until July, they'll both be fired. "ALL IN" doesn't mean trotting out Cabrera and Bonofocio every game to AGAIN go 0-4 swinging at ridiculous pitches, or replacing Reyes for months with a shortstop who is not a major league calibre player. Sierra's batting almost .400 in Buffalo. Try something.

Until they make some moves, I'm not watching them anymore. Its insane to keep doing the same thing and expect vastly better results.

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Toronto Blue Jays!!

I hate baseball, I'm giving it up for May, this is so frustrating...

They sure got lit up today! I notice Ackley hit a slam.

I didn't watch today. Had to take the dog to the vet. I can't pronouce his name so I just refer to him as Big Bill.

[Bindi Cheng]

Re: Toronto Blue Jays!!

I hate baseball, I'm giving it up for May, this is so frustrating... it's like watching someone defend a worse position against Carlsen and fail. This must be how Karjakin feels

[Kevin Pacey]

Re: Toronto Blue Jays!!

Jays 7 games back of the last AL wildcard spot now, if I'm counting right.

Last night's game was close judging by the score, but meanwhile I was busy blundering an endgame, to draw in mild time pressure against a 300 point lower rated junior. I nearly always (for decades) do my rating some damage in the three RA Summer Pickups collectively by the time the warm season is done, it seems. It could be high time to implement chess self-improvement Plan 9. :)

Returning to the Jays, believe me I do still at least remotely hope they make the post season, it's just I've seen this kind of movie too many times over the past 20 seasons. Call it faulty inductive reasoning if you like, if not realism. :(

[Bindi Cheng]

Re: Toronto Blue Jays!!

Btw, Romero is pitching on Friday instead of Johnson, he's relocated to the 15-day DL, oh Johnson, sigh...