Why Cito drives us crazy, Part 75

by Tom Dakers on Sep 24, 2009 11:05 AM EDT in Analysis Comment 20 comments

A little quote from a bluejay.com story:

Designated hitter/first baseman Randy Ruiz was out of the starting lineup for the eighth time in the past 10 games on Wednesday night. Jays manager Cito Gaston said a main reason is that outfielder Adam Lind has spent more time at DH of late after being hit by a pitch earlier this month. To date, Ruiz has made 25 starts at DH and one at first base for Toronto. The 31-year-old has noted that he is trying to work on playing the outfield, but Gaston was not sure that was realistic. "I'm not hearing too good of stuff about that," Gaston said. "I haven't seen him play out there, but I asked a few guys and they said, 'Yeah, I don't know.' So we'll see."

First of all, Cito, you are telling us that you can't take a moment and watch Randy shag flies yourself? You are the manager, take a couple of minutes during batting practice, find a seat somewhere you can see what's happening and watch Ruiz yourself. Taking the word of "a few guys saying 'Yeah, I don't know' " really doesn't seem like you are all that interested in your team. Yeah I can't imagine him in the outfield either but he runs better than you would think.

Second, if you can't play him at DH, because Lind's there and we'd hate to take Bautista out of the outfield for a game or two, that .230 average being too important for a team that's in fourth, play him at first base. I like Lyle and all, but we know what we have with him and what we have isn't terrific. It is September, we are out of is, let's try Ruiz at the position. Worst that can happen? We lose our last ten games and finish fourth. Best that can happen? We win our last ten games and finish fourth. It might just be me, but the one game Ruiz played at first base, he looked ok to me. It was just one game but he couldn't be worse than Millar at the position.

Yeah, I do understand that Ruiz is 6 years too old to be a prospect, but you refused to call up anyone that might be a prospect so throw us a small bone. Millar isn't going to be here next year, Ruiz could fill that spot in the roster and at very worst be better than Millar was.

Cito, PLAY THE GUY, please.

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I think that when Cito makes a lineup he uses Post-it notes and moves them around. And since he pretty much has a set up line that is why when someone subs he just replaces them in the same spot. See it is much easier to just move two post-it notes then a whole 9.

In this reasoning I have come to the conclusion that Randy Ruiz needs a new post-it note as the stickiness has worn off and his note keeps falling behind the desk.

As it seems Logic has played no part in making a lineup this year I have now resulting to illogical conclusions.

Life as a Toronto Sports Fan?... *sigh*... It is what it is...

by JohnnyG on Sep 24, 2009 11:44 AM EDT reply actions

Makes as much sense as anything....

by Tom Dakers on Sep 24, 2009 1:10 PM EDT up reply actions

I would love to see him play at first...

but if Cito wont give him playing time on the field then why did they called him up at all, i mean if you called someone up is to see if they are somewhat ready to play at major level and i think he can with a few improvements in the off season he could very well be our 1b or share it with whoever is going to be our 1b ( i really want Overbay to go on a trade or something) and since he can DH then give lind lind some rest when he needs it.
I think he can very well hit 20HR+, around 80RBI which would be a huge improvement at 1b.

by elpikiman on Sep 24, 2009 12:04 PM EDT reply actions

What’s the point in playing guys like Bautista, Millar, etc at this point?

Even if Ruiz is 31, see if the guy has anything that might help the team next season. Isn’t that what coaches throughout baseball are doing this time of the season?

Where was Lind hit by the pitch? He can hit and run the bases, but can’t stand in the outfield for 9 innings? That seems a bit odd…

Cito’s comments are somewhat hilarious. You’re dead on that it doesn’t take a whole lot of effort to watch a guy for 15 minutes. What else is he doing?

~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

by Kurupt on Sep 24, 2009 1:39 PM EDT reply actions

"I'm not hearing too good of stuff about that."

Wow, great insight there, skipper.

by snaptoit on Sep 24, 2009 2:06 PM EDT reply actions

personally, if the Ghost of Baseball Yet To Come

came to me and said, you can play Ruiz for the rest of the season to better assess him, but if you do, you will lose every remaining (meaningless) game — I would say “then make it so”

play Ruiz for gosh sakes!

hell play phillips, play every minor leaguer we got on the bench … we have nothing to lose and everything to gain

it is basic math … little if anything wagered with the potential for a fortuitous outcome

by aagoodfella on Sep 24, 2009 3:07 PM EDT reply actions

This is where if we had real leadership in the GM position, there would be word’s whispered in Cito’s ear about finding out what we have for next year. If that didn’t work, an escalation to perhaps even releasing an older player if that player is seeing too much playing time.

by siggian on Sep 24, 2009 3:24 PM EDT reply actions

I'm all for playing Ruiz over Millar and Bautista

realistically, though, team’s don’t just bench everyday player veterans for non-prospects at the end of a season, even if they’re out of it. If you have a blue-chip prospect, maybe, but that’s not the case with us. I wouldn’t expect Barajas or Overbay to be sitting everyday for Phillips and Ruiz, and that’s probably for the best ultimately.

"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 Sep 24, 2009 3:27 PM EDT reply actions

I’d be more sympathetic to playing Millar if he’d been a little more effective during the season. It’s hard to think of any other team that would have put up with his lack of production for as long as the Jays have. He was brought in to be an occasional player and he should have stayed that way.

Bautista’s only been a semi-regular since they got rid of Rios but I can accept that he should play a reasonable amount in September.

by siggian on Sep 24, 2009 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions

again, if i was running the team, I would probably be releasing Bautista at end of season

sure he has done a good job the past weeks, but his performance was poor from June thru August and there is no reason to expect any different from next year

it is nice, that he is playing well in Sept, but if it takes fear of losing a contract to boost performance, we pretty much no that 2010 will be a repeat of 2009, which was unsatisfactory from a team mgmt perspective

by aagoodfella on Sep 24, 2009 3:41 PM EDT up reply actions

Millar is done, I would say thank you, release him right now and pay him for the rest of the season

by aagoodfella on Sep 24, 2009 3:44 PM EDT up reply actions

well, I was running the team, I would consider Ruiz to be a high probability prospect for next year and 2 to 3 years after that

I would consider next year phillips to be a low- to moderate-prospect for next year and a year maybe 2 after that

Barajas is known quantity so there is no real need to play him

Overbay is a know quantity so there is no real need to play him and next year is most likely his last with the Jays (due to cost / performance issues)

hence I would be playing Ruiz everyday for sure and possibly Phillips

by aagoodfella on Sep 24, 2009 3:38 PM EDT up reply actions

that’s just not done.

"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 Sep 24, 2009 4:03 PM EDT up reply actions

but you could have Ruiz play 5 games at DH and 3 or 4 at first.....

and get some playing time for him.

by Tom Dakers on Sep 24, 2009 4:43 PM EDT up reply actions

yes, definitely

no reason for Bautista to be playing right field when you can fill the corner spots with Lind and Snider and have Ruiz DH, and Lyle doesn’t need to play first against lefties either.

"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 Sep 24, 2009 4:49 PM EDT up reply actions

Agree with Hugo Re: Overbay/Barajas

I see no reason for them to be on the bench more than they are.

But I do think that Ruiz (others; Dopriak?) should be playing more than Millar Bautista.

And I love Johnny Mac, but don’t we have anyone to spell him? He wasn’t pulled for a pinch hitter the other day (though he did come through) b/c there was no one else to play SS.

by Rhinos on Sep 24, 2009 6:26 PM EDT up reply actions

Conspiracy Theory Time!

JP got so pissed off when Ruiz made him eat his words, he told Cito to not play him on a regular basis.

by Frag on Sep 24, 2009 10:09 PM EDT reply actions

what words did Ruiz make JP eat?

by aagoodfella on Sep 25, 2009 7:10 PM EDT up reply actions

When there's only 10 games left

Hack, I would sit Lind if that’s what it takes to see what we want keep for next year, what’s the harm of playing Ruiz at first when you are sitting Overbay? And if Overbay is playing, play him DH and sit Lind for couple of games. Dammit, the guy takes a pitch on the face and walk it off, just for that, I would play him everyday, if I was running the team.

by Outz on Sep 25, 2009 11:46 AM EDT reply actions