Romero Deserves Better, Jays Lose in Extras

by Tom Dakers on Apr 15, 2009 12:29 AM EDT in Toronto Blue Jays Game Recaps

Jays 2 Twins 3 in 11 innings

Ricky Romero pitched a great game, 8 innings, 2 earned runs, no walks, only 2 strikeouts, but just a really good for his second major league start. Snakeface pitched a great 9th. Jesse Carlson pitched a great 10th but tired in the 11th and got a few pitches up. Really in an ideal world Cito would have noticed and pulled him, especially since with a runner on 1st Cy a lefty was facing a right-hander and Shawn Camp was warming in the pen.

Offensively we didn't do much, Scott Rolen and Rod Barajas each had two hits. Rios, Wells and Lind each had a hit. Ofers went to Scutaro, Hill, Millar and Bautista. Millar though smoked a couple of fly balls that would have been homers in other parks. Bautista on the other hand didn't look very good, and Cito left him in to face righty Jesse Crain in the 10th inning. One of Cito's little idiosyncrasies is that he won't pinch hit no matter how obvious a moment it is. Travis Snider yesterday hit 2 home runs and yet couldn't get into the game today. Really Cito, it is time to Snider play against left-handers.

Cito seems to have moves he does every game no matter what. He's been pinch running John McDonald for Barajas every game of late. He won't pinch hit. Period. The bunts lately, he just has these things he is doing like clock work, without thought to the different situations. I don't really mean to rag on Cito, all managers have things they do well and thing they don't. Cito's forte isn't in game management. He is great at getting the most of a player's batting potential. And heck the team is wining with him.

Jays of the Day? Romero (.212 WPA), Downs (.143), Wells (.130) and Barajas (.121). Suckage Jays....well half the team, Carlson (-.214, tho if Cito had pulled when he should have.....), Bautista (-.194, again if Cito had pinch hit for him), Kevin Millar (-.149, totally not fair, hit two deep down the line, just too big a park there), Hill (-.139) and Lind (-.122).

Anyway at 6-3 we've dropped back to second, a half game behind the Orioles. Life is still good. Tomorrow Scott Richmond gets his second start of the year and Scott Baker makes his first start of the year for the Twins.

If you haven't heard yet, the Jays have decided to have Brian Tallet start in Jesse Litsch's spot on Saturday. I was hoping to see Brent Cecil, but can't have everything. I'm sure Tallet will do great.

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Huh

I can’t believe how much bigger that one foul line is compared to the other. I just looked it up and left field is 343’ compared to right field at 327’. Roger’s’ foul lines are both at 328’. That sucks for Millar – two HRs in the home stadium taken away.

by wroth91 on Apr 15, 2009 12:59 PM EDT reply actions

yeah that's the life of a baseball player.

look at the power alleys at Yankee Stadium sometime. Left handers it is a short poke, righties have to be king kong to knock it out.

by Tom Dakers on Apr 15, 2009 1:06 PM EDT up reply actions

shite.

by Andy Mc on Apr 15, 2009 5:54 PM EDT up reply actions

Was Yankee Stadium like that when the original was first built?

I thought they played football there for a brief period, which would explain one field being deeper than the other, but I’m not sure which is the chicken and which is the egg.

They're not just hitting home runs. They're doing the little things, like hitting doubles.

by Torgen on Apr 15, 2009 6:53 PM EDT up reply actions

the original dimensions were insane

something like 290 down the lines and almost 500 to dead center. but yes, it’s always been very lopsided and much deeper to left

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on Apr 15, 2009 7:08 PM EDT up reply actions

do you think they did that

for babe ruth like the giants gave barry bonds all those splash homers?

and, if so, it would have been interesting if the yankees had done a mirror image . . . think of all the homeruns a-rod could hit

"The NY Mets are my favorite squadron" -- Apu Nahasapeemapetilon

by jessef on Apr 15, 2009 7:12 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah the idea was that Babe was their big draw and a huge pull hitter

Yeah I know, huge in more than one way. They are not supposed to be able to do that anymore but then it seems like Selig will let teams do what they want now.

by Tom Dakers on Apr 15, 2009 7:42 PM EDT up reply actions

The right field wall probably hurt Bonds, actually

Think about how tall it is.

They're not just hitting home runs. They're doing the little things, like hitting doubles.

by Torgen on Apr 15, 2009 7:52 PM EDT up reply actions

Also the right field power alley at Phone Company Park is 421 feet

They're not just hitting home runs. They're doing the little things, like hitting doubles.

by Torgen on Apr 15, 2009 7:57 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah i know that he had to hit them hard

though i think the wind generally blew that way (though not 100% sure on that)

anyway, i was referring to the design of the stadium being that when he hit homers to right they would have a good chance to go out of the stadium and land in the bay

"The NY Mets are my favorite squadron" -- Apu Nahasapeemapetilon

by jessef on Apr 15, 2009 8:11 PM EDT up reply actions

according to http://www.ballparks.com/baseball/american/yankee.htm

always bigger in leftfield, except down the line

Dimensions: Left field: 280.58 (1923), 301 (1928), 312 (1976), 318 (1988); left side of bullpen gate in short left-center: 395 (1923), 402 (1928), 387 (1976), 379 (1985); right side of bullpen gate: 415 (1937); deepest left-center: 500 (1923), 490 (1924), 457 (1937), 430 (1976), 411 (1985), 399 (1988); left side of cente-field screen: 466 (1937); center field: 487 (1923), 461 (1937), 463 (1967), 417 (1976), 410 (1985), 408 (1988); deepest right-center: 429 (1923), 407 (1937), 385 (1976); left side of bullpen gate in short right-center: 350 (1923), 367 (1937), 353 (1976); right side of bullpen gate: 344 (1937); right field 294.75 (1923), 295 (1930), 296 (1939), 310 (1976), 314 (1988); backstop: 82 (1942), 80 (1953), 84 (1976); foul territory: large for the catcher behind home plate, but small for fielders down the foul lines.

"The NY Mets are my favorite squadron" -- Apu Nahasapeemapetilon

by jessef on Apr 15, 2009 7:09 PM EDT up reply actions