Everyone seems to think that the Jays are going to sign Brad Wilkerson....does this complete our set of players that were good several years ago? If this was 2001 we'd have one heck of a offensive team.

Wilkerson last hit above .250 in 2004, with 32 home runs and 106 walks....that was the last year that he was a good major league player. Now at 31 we sign him. Last year he hit .234 with a .319 OBA. Now I'll admit Lind had 19 poor at bats...but it was only 19 at bats...is there any reasonable reason to think that Wilkerson is a better player now than Lind.

Wilkerson will be a good match with Stewart who's last good season was also 2004, add in Rolen who's had one good season since 2004. Stairs had a good season last year but last time he had two good ones in a row was 2004/2005. Barajas' one good season was 2005 and good is a relative term .306 on base...best he's ever had, except last year, but he only had 122 at bats last year.

I don't know what's in JP's mind but the Jays are becoming a hard team to cheer for...I like what they have done with the pitching staff....developed good young pitchers and allowed them to thrive. But on the offensive side....they seem to be grabbing up any one that was good years ago and hoping they can turn back the clock and become 27 again.

Having one or two players that you hope can turn back time is ok if you have someone that can replace them if things done work out. But asking several to is a recipe for not contending.

First off, I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Bebo and I am a longtime Cub fan (everyone can have a bad century!) and Chicago native. I have always had a passing love for the Jays, but it wasn't until last summer when I moved to Montreal (I hate French people now, btw) that I got to start to see the Jays reguarly and it's great. I've recently stumbled on this site and I hope to join in the fun.

Anyways, John Brattain wrote a nice little wrap up of the Jay's woes with man on 3rd and 0 or 1 outs here . He also talks about weather or not Gibbons should be fired (he says not yet which I think is fair) but the stats are pretty telling. In a nutshell:

Player Name: Runners batted in/ Opportunities

Alex Rios: 6/8
David Eckstein: 4/8
Marcos Scutaro: 5/7
Aaron Hill: 3/6
Lyle Overbay: 3/5
Shannon Stewart: 1/4
Vernon Wells: 1/4
Gregg Zaun: 1/4
Matt Stairs: 2/4
Joe Inglett: 2/3
Frank Thomas: 1/1
Rod Barajas: 0/1
Scott Rolen: 1/2 (Note : for some reason, he listed Rolen twice so I just combined them)

Total: 30/56 or about 54%

On the whole, they aren't great. Harping on this may be like going for a swim in a rainstorm because hitting with RISP has been the Jay's downfall so far this year, but man on 3rd less than 2 outs should be an almost guaranteed run.

I feel that if these numbers start to get up towards at least a 75% cash in rate, then that will mean more runs, obviously, but most importantly, it should start to take at least a little pressure off of the hitters. When they come up with RISP, EVERYONE knows they aren't gonna do jack (including the guys in the clubhouse and the opposing pitchers). Maybe this could be something Gibbons could really reinforce to slowly get the team off the crapper.

Mike Wilner's blog 'Miked up' Inexcusable says just about everything I think about the Jays at the moment, except he says he thought Stewart over Johnson was the right move at the time. I never thought it was and still think it was a decision made on money alone. And boy it it was foreshadowing every move made since. Anyway the link to the blog is http://blog.rogersbroadcasting.com/mikewilner/2008/04/26/inexcusable/

I didn't think Gibbons should be fired before but if he continues to refuse to use Mac as a defensive replacement he ought to be fired quick and then used as an example of how not to manage. I knew Eck wasn't a great defensive shortstop but until I got the chance to watch him I didn't realize how bad he is.

Also if JP isn't calling up Lind to save a few dollars in the future, he should be fired too. Course I don't know any other job where you can made a $8 million mistake (Thomas) and keep your job.  Anyone else here able to light a match to $8 of your employers money and then keep your job?

I agree the season isn't over....but....when you need to win 4 in a row to get to .500 you....things ain't good.

Just had to comment on some things said in an artical on mlb.com....

<"We're due," Gibbons said. "We're close. You can tell." >

I like when teams say 'we're due'....kind of like saying 'everyone gets a turn winning, it will be our turn soon'. And no Gibby....you aren't close, we can tell. When you need to sweep a series to get back to .500 you aren't close.

<"We're playing well below our capabilities," Zaun said. "We have moments of brilliance and we get some great individual performances from people night in and night out. But, as a team, we haven't played a really solid nine-inning ballgame in a while.

"I think that, offensively, we're starting to do some things," he continued. "We're starting to get a little bit more consistent, but we're still a ways from the full capability of our squad. Hopefully, we'll get it going sooner than later." >

I'd like to know that those things they are starting to do offensively are? Moments of brilliance? Well, Stairs hit two home runs the other day.

Playing below their capabilities? Well, Scoot is hitting .200...I wouldn't expect too much more from him. Barajas is hitting .200. You can see why a team would let Frank Thomas go to get him into the line up more. Stewart is .229/.345/.292. Seems to fit what he has done over the last few years. Eck is hitting about where you'd expect...and reminding us daily how great Mac is defensively.

Looking at the team stats it doesn't seem that anyone isn't hitting around where one would expect them to at this point. Could use more power from Overbay but he is getting on at a .400 clip. Would like more power from Zaun, but then he's a 37 year old journyman catcher, he's not going to become Mike Piazza suddenly.

I'm hoping with Rolen things will be some better, but then Rolen hit .265 with 8 home runs last year....should we expect .330 with 30 home runs this year?

Am I the only one checking the 'transactions' tab on mlb.com several times a day hoping that Lind has been called up so I don't have to watch Stewart and/or one of several middle infielders play corner outfield spots? I'm hoping he gets called up soon and I hope they put him in the lineup everyday, vs rightys or leftys. Lets see if he can hit 25 home runs or  prove that he's not going to be the outfielder of the future so we can sign one before next season.

Started watching the Cardinal-Brewer game this morning and both teams have the pitcher batting 8th. I've heard managers talk about batting the pitcher 8th to allow the team to have two lead off men bascally. For the Brewers it seems dumb...have you pitcher batting 8th and Kendall batting ninth with a .345 average. St. Louis....has Izturis batting 9th hitting .179 while the pitcher is hitting .200. I would think the pitch is almost as good a hitter as Izturis. and Lohse hit a single and drove in a run.

Seems funny that both managers would do this the same game.....I can see one trying it but both deciding in dependantly to do it....I have my doubts. So, one would think they discussed it....or dared each other. In which case Larusa has out witted Yost. Having Kendall posibly lose an at bat and bat after a pitcher minimizes his .345 average somewhat while he has a lousy batter batting behind the pitcher. Which one of them is better at the plate is debatable....he's losing very little, if anything.

The Jays are calling up Robinzon Diaz to fill the spot that releasing Frank Thomas opened. I'm truly pissed....I really wanted them to bring up Lind. I think they need a left handed batter.

That being said Diaz is hitting .368/.390/.553, one homerun. My worry....Gibbons won't use him as a catcher. We'll be blessed with the sight of Barajas DHing and any number of middle infielders playing LF. Similtiously slowing Diaz's progress and hurting the Jay's offense.

With Stewart hurting and not hitting when he is in the line up I don't have high hopes for the offense. But maybe Gibbons will play Diaz. Maybe Stewart will play and play well or maybe he'll be DLed and then maybe Lind will be called up. And maybe our offense will improve......

I don't like them releasing Thomas, it bothers me that they say they want to win this year but then they make decisions based on money instead of baseball. But who knows....it might all work out.

I might win the lottery too......

Reliefs pitchers are such a crap shoot, it always seeme to me they shouldn't get long term contracts...look at the Jays. They start the season with Accardo as the closer and Wolfe and Wells in the pen. Accardo is various shades of awful....and Wolfe and Wells get sent down and released, respectively.

Then they call up Carlson....who no one would have guessed  to be one of our relievers this winter and he becomes the best arm in the pen at least at the moment, out of no where.

Then Camp....who sported a wonderful 7.20 ERA in 50 games last year. 7.20! After a season like that a guy generally won't get another chance for years.  But up he comes and he gets put in a pressure spot right away and does great.

Now expecting both to continue to pitch this well, is too much to hope for I'm sure. Carlson...I think should be called Cy, but I do wonder if his delivery hides the ball some.  I wonder if major league hitters will catch on soon.

Camp apparently has a new pitch, but I can't remember a time that a pitcher found a new pitch at 32 years old and totally remade himself. So I wouldn't look to it to last.

Hello Hostiles:

A bunch of us NYC Orioles fans are meeting at a Phebe's in the East Village tonight to watch the Blue Jays battle the O's for first place. We can promise some mild-to-moderate trash talk and a fair amount of beer consumption. They have Molson on tap (alhtough I will be drinking Stella).

And I can guarantee there will be no idiotic discussion of who put a stupid shirt under concrete somewhere. 

Details in this post at Camden Chat. 

Hope to see you there, eh?

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats held their annual meet & greet in Manchester, New Hampshire earlier this week.

If you're interested, you can view pictures of the 2008 New Hampshire Fisher Cats players.

Enjoy!

Alright I have had enough of this guy. I have sat through his painfull learning curve (not that this guy would know a curve ball if he was tossed one) but it is just so damn frustrating to listen to this guy. I often watch the Jays games like I do my beloved Canadians on RDS...which is by using the MUTE button. I can put up with Tabby, I know he isnt Buck Martinez but he is better than Darrin Fletcher. So here goes...just a few of my observations from Friday night's game...

1) Obviously he has been paying attention to Paul O'Neil and his comments about Eck. "Gritty"..bah. For a guy who is seeing about 3 pitches per at bat, he seems less than gritty.

2) Jesse Litch is NOT i repeat NOT a rookie this year...check your head.

3) Announcing that Stewart was pitch hitting for Stairs would have been better suited while the atbat was still going on...not after Stew had reached 1st on a single. This may have been during the rant about how Accardo was just as good as Ryan. Bingo.