Doc, Jays Lose Again: Yankees 5, Jays 3

by hugo on Aug 4, 2009 10:47 PM EDT in Toronto Blue Jays Game Recaps

The Jays dropped a tough one today to the hated Yankees.

On the Mound: Roy Halladay ran into some bad luck in the first inning, giving up two runs on a bloop double and an error. Once again, he struggled a bit late in the game, and that swung the game - giving up 3 solo home runs in the last 2 innings. It was a strange game for Doc, who scuffled at the outset and at the very end but just plain breezed through most of the middle.

At the Plate: The Jays turned hard hit outs into an art form once again today, with countless lineouts and well hit outs. Until the 8th inning, the only Jays run scored on an Alex Rios sacrifice fly. In the 8th inning, Vernon Wells came up with a big 2-out, 2-run double. It was clutch and it was at home. Just sayin'. Vernon also walked. Marco Scutaro and Aaron Hill each had 2 singles in 5 at-bats and everyone else pretty much stunk it up offensively. Edwin Encarnacion had a double, though not a well-struck one.

From the Pen: Nah, Doc went the distance.

Let's face it, it was a tough game and you probably don't want to read about it now that it's over. Tomorrow will be better. Jay of the Day: Vernon Wells. Lots of Hinskes today: Adam Lind, Alex Rios, Jose Bautista.

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Go Boo (YAY) Wells!

'But I don't want to go among mad people' Alice remarked.
'Oh, you can't help that' said the Cat 'we're all mad here'.

by JohnnyG on Aug 4, 2009 10:53 PM EDT reply actions

vernon clutch?

i’m not sure if hitting in meaningless games late in the season qualifies as clutch

by norm depalma on Aug 5, 2009 2:27 AM EDT reply actions

they're all meaningless

it’s grown men playing a kid’s game

"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 Aug 5, 2009 7:18 AM EDT up reply actions

well, Life is kinda meaningless anyway

what with that Hadron Collider ready to create a wormhole and all

by norm depalma on Aug 5, 2009 3:16 PM EDT up reply actions

So no matter what any of them do from this point out they cannot be labeled as clutch? Wow

'But I don't want to go among mad people' Alice remarked.
'Oh, you can't help that' said the Cat 'we're all mad here'.

by JohnnyG on Aug 5, 2009 8:09 AM EDT up reply actions

Hmm

Read something like this early this morning

But yeah.. give credit where its due. Its not exactly easy hitting off “the best closer in the game”

Whistles while walking away

by bowling_kid25 on Aug 5, 2009 8:14 AM EDT up reply actions

Wow?

well i would think that as the jays chances of making the playoffs approach zero, the importance of each game also approaches zero. by game 162, i dont think vernon would have too much nervous tension affecting his performance.

by norm depalma on Aug 5, 2009 3:21 PM EDT up reply actions

Until game 162, though

he should sacrifice bunt every at-bat, even if no one is on base.

"Look at me! I'm Tomokazu Ohka of the Montreal Expos!"

by jessef on Aug 5, 2009 3:23 PM EDT up reply actions

Since it doesn’t matter

'But I don't want to go among mad people' Alice remarked.
'Oh, you can't help that' said the Cat 'we're all mad here'.

by JohnnyG on Aug 5, 2009 3:47 PM EDT up reply actions

no, but in order to salvage his future

i would experiment with batting him leadoff

by norm depalma on Aug 5, 2009 5:01 PM EDT up reply actions

pointless

since these games are all meaningless anyway, your experiment wouldn’t tell you anything about how he’d perform in a meaningful game. waste of time.

"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 Aug 5, 2009 5:37 PM EDT up reply actions

yep

after Sep 1 callups, the Jays should be focused on evaluating the assets they have for next year

Snider should play every game
Lind should play every game
Dopirak should play every game
Inglett should play as many games as possible
E^3 should play every game
Might want to work Johnny Mac in as much as possible – maybe even a game as catcher
Roenicke should pitch as much as possible
Millar and Bautista will not need to be used much, if at all in the former case

Jays already know what they have in Vespa, Rios, Wells, Hill, Overbay, Barajas and Chavez – they will likely play as needed, but if want to experiment with AAA guys, probably a good idea to rest these guys, as applicable … all IMHO

by aagoodfella on Aug 5, 2009 5:45 PM EDT up reply actions

perhaps yes, perhaps not

but i would think that if hit for example .400 as leadoff hitter, it would have some bearing on jays plans for his future

and since a leadoff hitter oftent gets non clutch situation at bats even in a meaningful game, i would think experimenting with him in the last 50 games of the season might approximate what we could expect with him in 2010

or maybe leading off would help him get rid of some bad habits

for example, scutaro as lead off hitter this year seems to have changed his approach from the rest of his career: it is surprising that he has taken so many walks etc… perhaps wells could similarly benefit

by norm depalma on Aug 5, 2009 6:10 PM EDT up reply actions

Wells has power

you do not, IMHO, put power hitters in leadoff

candidates for leadoff are high average, high OBP and those with speed on the basepaths - guys with power you lineup behind lead off guys in order to drive them home — that is why VW makes $20M a year … to drive in runs, not to get on base

by aagoodfella on Aug 5, 2009 6:28 PM EDT up reply actions

Wells has hit 10 home runs this year

So I think his power days may be over. He also has shown good speed and smarts on the basepaths this year, stealing 14 out of 16 attempts.

Also, there have been some successful power hitters who led off: Rickey Henderson, Soriano etc

As well, one of Bill James first theories were that a Wade Boggs type should leadoff.

And re his OBP, perhaps Wells can change his appoach at the plate a la Scutaro.

Finally considering there is a very good chance Scutaro will demand something like $24 million for 4 years for a new contract, it would be nice to have options/bargaining leverage.

by norm depalma on Aug 5, 2009 7:15 PM EDT up reply actions

i seriously doubt Vespa getting $24 M for 4 years — there would have to be competitive bidders and I really doubt teams would (1) offer up a 4 -year contract for a player of Vespa’s age and (2) offer $6M per/year for a player without a track record

this is an aberration year for Wells (most likely) …. chances are high that Wells will be pounding extra base hits next year … however with Lind and Snider (assumed) around, I think Wells’ days as cleanup are close to over

I guess it is a question whether you plug him in 1-3 or 5-7

by aagoodfella on Aug 5, 2009 7:34 PM EDT up reply actions

you are probably right about duration of contract

upon further reflection…but i think he may get 6 million for 1 or 10 million for 2…according to some analysts, he has been the best shortstop in the AL this year…so it would be nice to have options

as to this being an aberrration year—-maybe yes, but post PEDs, you can never know…

by norm depalma on Aug 5, 2009 7:41 PM EDT up reply actions

yea but … it is one year, he does not have a track record, it was a contract year and he is cooled down a little from early on in the season

so, not really sure … I mean I do not think that $6M is not gonna happen, but I do think it is at the very top of the range

I think you could range him at $2M to $6M per year depending how aggressively other teams vie for his services …

by aagoodfella on Aug 5, 2009 7:45 PM EDT up reply actions

=(

His Cy Young chances are slowly fading away…

by bowling_kid25 on Aug 5, 2009 7:00 AM EDT reply actions

At least it wasn't the Ex-Jay that killed us for once..just the Very few Doc Killers.

by bowling_kid25 on Aug 5, 2009 7:12 AM EDT up reply actions

Cito explains his decision not to pinch hit for Millar in the 8th inning of this game

From Miked Up

Cito Gaston explained to Jerry before the game (and far more loudly to me afterwards) why he didn’t pinch-hit for Kevin Millar last night against Phil Hughes. He mentioned Overbay’s three RBIs over his last hundred (92) at-bats, the fact that he hadn’t fared well as a pinch-hitter (0-for-3, 3 Ks) and the fact that he hadn’t hit Hughes well (1-for-10). We agreed to disagree, though I don’t really recall my point last night being that Overbay should have hit specifically, but that Millar should have been replaced – it almost didn’t matter who by. I’ll have to go back and listen to the tape to be sure

'But I don't want to go among mad people' Alice remarked.
'Oh, you can't help that' said the Cat 'we're all mad here'.

by JohnnyG on Aug 6, 2009 9:20 AM EDT reply actions

makes sense

maybe people will ease up..cito didn’t get the job cause he looks pretty..

by bowling_kid25 on Aug 6, 2009 10:10 AM EDT up reply actions

Meh I still don’t agree. 0-3 as a pinch hitter is a small sample size and it was obvious to everyone watching the game that Millar should not have been at the plate.

'But I don't want to go among mad people' Alice remarked.
'Oh, you can't help that' said the Cat 'we're all mad here'.

by JohnnyG on Aug 6, 2009 10:29 AM EDT up reply actions

but at least he's not doing it because he doesn't feel like it.

and i can understand 0 for 3 where he hasn’t K’d all 3 times, but if he can’t even get wood on the ball for a ground out, hes not a good option

wheres matt stairs when u need him !!

by bowling_kid25 on Aug 6, 2009 10:31 AM EDT up reply actions

In case of emergency use Stairs.

'But I don't want to go among mad people' Alice remarked.
'Oh, you can't help that' said the Cat 'we're all mad here'.

by JohnnyG on Aug 6, 2009 10:54 AM EDT up reply actions

usually when Millar gets a bat on the ball it is a pop up, not a ground out — although past results are not necessarily an indication of future outcomes

by aagoodfella on Aug 6, 2009 12:10 PM EDT up reply actions