Today in Bluebird Banter History

One Year Ago:

I was cheering the apparent end of a slump that Lyle Overbay was suffering through at the start of the season. Lyle was hitting a big .119 going into the Jays April 23rd game, then the next three games he had 6 hits, including 2 home runs. The slump was made all the worse by the fact that hot prospect Brett Wallace was having a great start to the season at Vegas, hitting 8 home runs by this point and having a .285/..375/.671 batting line. 

It isn't all that hard to see the parallels with this season. Again we have the veteran that wasn't hitting (Rivera) but who has suddenly starting to hit (6 hits in the last 5 games, including his first home run) and the prospect that everyone wants to see who is off to a hot start. Just like last year, this year's prospect is learning a new position and both times, the team has wanted to give him more time in the minors to learn the spot. Not that I wouldn't mind the Jays giving Lawrie a look with the team for the 2 weeks that Aaron Hill is on the DL, sort of like the team did with J.P. Arencibia last year. 

Of course Lyle's hot streak didn't last, he was hitless in his next 3 games. It took him until May 20th to work his average up to .200. Overbay got better as the season went on and Wallace was traded to the Astros. He is hitting .347/.417/.467 in 22 games this year. Still a small sample but the it looks like the rumors of his inability to 

Four Years Ago:

Hugo enjoyed a 'sweep' of a series with the Yankees in Yankee Stadium. It was a to be a short two-game series and the first game was rained out. We beat Phil Hughes in his major league debut. A.J. Burnett went 7 scoreless innings for the win.