Happy Birthday Jesse Litsch

by Tom Dakers on Mar 9, 2011 7:39 PM EST in Toronto Blue Jays Birthdays

Must be pretty nice to be 26 and have 2 seasons of sub-4.00 ERAs in your past. Course the two years since haven't been as much fun. After Tommy John surgery in 2009 and surgery to repair a 'labral tear' in his hip last year, he looks fit and healthy again.

So far this spring he has pitch 5 scoreless innings, allowing just 2 hits and picking up 5 strikeouts.

It is great to see him back and throwing well again. At very least it looks like he will make it tough for the Jays not to put him in the rotation.

I've mentioned before how great he was playing children at the Y here in Calgary. I like people that are good with kids, so he made a fan out of me.

Happy Birthday, Jesse. Hope it is a good one.

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Jesse looks to be in good shape this year. It’s nice to see his hard work paying off.

by Al Bundy is my hero on Mar 9, 2011 10:12 PM EST reply actions

Was Jesse able to convince Travis to share some of his delicious food?

HEADING STRAIGHT FOR THEM, I PRESS DOWN MAH GUNS!

by BenjiDoc on Mar 9, 2011 11:30 PM EST reply actions

Fitness and Conditioning

Good to see Jesse in the best shape I can remember him in. Happy Birthday sir.

I read a good blog article recently about a fitness coach of quite a small English football team who has impressed so much in his field that he wrangled an invite to spend time with giants Real Madrid.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/paulfletcher/2011/03/from_northampton_town_to_real.html

Now I appreciate fitness levels required for baseball may not be the same as running your socks off for 90 minutes straight once or twice a week… but if these techniques have reduced the injuries at his club that much, would it not be worth looking in to?

What influence does the club have in terms of nutrition and exercise regime? In off season I’m guessing very little, but what about during the season?

(Apologies in advance for all the football/British/English references, but it’s in my blood…)

by LimeyJaysFan on Mar 10, 2011 11:59 AM EST reply actions

(Apologies in advance for all the football/British/English references, but it’s in my blood…)

Don’t apologize!
It’s great to see someone that calls this game by his true name and avoid that S-word.

Me, I’m a Liverpool Fan, thus I’m never walking alone… And If the loss to Thurgood’s team hurried the coming of King Kenny, I have but to thank him…

Festina Lente

by HESS2479 on Mar 10, 2011 12:28 PM EST up reply actions

Say what you want, it's still called soccor on this side of the pond.

by Alan F. on Mar 10, 2011 3:36 PM EST up reply actions

considering the factthat "on this side of the pond" you call "footbal" to a game that the (sort of) ball hardly touch any foot at all....

Seriously, what makes BASEball unique are the BASES,
What makes BASKETball unique is the BASKET
VOLLEYball – I’m not sure about that…
“Most of the world” FOOTball – definitely played by the FOOT.
But “American Football”? Wha??? Should have been probably called “Weird-Shaped-Sort-of-Ball”

Point made.

Festina Lente

by HESS2479 on Mar 10, 2011 9:07 PM EST up reply actions

volleyball?

you have to volley the ball.

by benk on Mar 10, 2011 9:44 PM EST up reply actions

OK – so now I’m sure about that…

Still, does anyone have a rational explanation for American "foot"ball?

Festina Lente

by HESS2479 on Mar 11, 2011 10:35 AM EST up reply actions

here's a rather poor but plausible answer

LINK

by benk on Mar 11, 2011 10:43 AM EST up reply actions

it is poor, and not all that plausible...

It, like soccer, can be traced back to rugby football where you use your feet to kick a ball at a goal or successfully carry a ball over a goal line

Well, Rugby is just Rugby today. and they use their feet more to kick their opponents than the ball…
and CARRYING a ball over a goal line has nothing to do with feet (apart, maybe, of the actual running…)

Festina Lente

by HESS2479 on Mar 11, 2011 10:59 AM EST up reply actions

Litsch

Jesse was awesome with my 3 year old when we went to the Winter Caravan in Vancouver in January. My boy told him “We don’t cheer for the Yankees or the Red Sox” JPA and Litsch bust out laughing and signed my son’s hat and were great interacting with him.

by TrevorFries on Mar 10, 2011 12:07 PM EST reply actions

Underrated and overlooked because of how he looks and not results. Familiar? Think about it!

This guy can flat out pitch and when the smoke clears on the season he will have emerged as a true #3 starter. The haters are plentiful until success returns and then his detractors will start backpedaling their comments, “I knew that Litsch had heart and can really pitch in the middle of the rotation”. I just hope he gets a legitimate chance to ascend while still in a Jays uniform.

Happy Birthday Jessie!

by freethinkinged on Mar 10, 2011 1:58 PM EST reply actions