I Need All the Friends I Can Get

There's a little story in today's Toronto Star about young Jays' outfielder Adam Lind.  Richard Griffin wrote it, and it ends with this nugget:

If there is one aspect of these current Jays that defines the difference between old coaching staff and new, it is personified in the emergence of Adam Lind.

Though Griffin doesn't really make this point as clear as it could be, I think what he means is that Tenance and Cito have nurtured Lind and built up his confidence, while Gibbons did not do that.  I agree with Griffin in the sense that I think Lind's 1-19 stretch under Gibby earlier this season, followed by him being sent down, was the low point of the season.  Although Gibbons and Ricciardi share the blame for that.  You just don't do that to a young kid you're developing into a major-league hitter.  Of course, Cito has had the luxury of the Jays really being out of it, for all intents and purposes, since he took over.  Gibbons knew he had to compete or be fired, so the situation is a little different, at least, as Gibbons likely sees it.  

Hopefully next year we will see Snider get an extended shot at some point, and perhaps Arencibia as well sometime next season.  Only time will tell, and a lot is out of the coaching staff's hands, as to how and how quickly they will develop as major-league hitters.

I'll be posting the game thread later, and will be around for half of the game, in which I am hoping and praying that Sir Sidney does not humiliate us.  See y'all then.  Today's title, by the way, comes from a Camera Obscura song off their most recent record, Lets Get Out of this Country (also a great song).  I'm really enjoying that record right now.