Blue Jays 0 Zip. Goose egg. Nothing. Red Sox 7
I don't really want to talk about that game. Nothing was good, Doc was poor. The offense was just awful. The defense wasn't much better. Adam Lind had a good day, I guess. Jesse Carlson pitched a perfect inning again, he's having a good little run. And Marco Scutaro played, which was nice to see two days after he was hit in the head with a pitch.
Oh one more thing I do want to say about the game. Why do we bunt down by 4 runs? With Marco Scutaro? It makes no sense.
Jay of the Day? Yeah right, of course there isn't a Jay of the Day. Suckage? Doc is the only one with Suckage numbers (-.191) but really the whole team gets the Suckage award.
Are we a bad team or a good team that's quit? Maybe we are a bad team that has quit. It is hard to expect much from a team that has John McDonald playing third.
Someone make the case for not firing Cito Gaston. I can't. He is supposed to be a great hitting coach. We aren't hitting at all. He's supposed to be a 'player's manager'. 'Players like playing for him' we are told time and time again. But they have quit on him.
And why wouldn't you quit. There is no accountability at all. Kevin Millar can't hit and can't field. No problem. Bat him clean up. Rod Barajas has hit nothing since May 1st? That's ok, put him out there everyday anyway. He's a free agent you know, gotta have him out there so he can get a good contract next year (just an aside, isn't that the dumbest thing you've heard? We have to play him because he's a free agent and he needs a good contract. Can you say 'self defeating strategy' boys and girls?). Vernon Wells hasn't hit all season? Let's have him in the middle of the lineup everyday anyway. Jose Bautista has forgotten how to swing the bat? That's ok, let's just send him out there and hope he walks.
Being a player's manager is all good and fine and all but there has to be some accountability. If players know there is nothing they can do to get play themselves out of the lineup, then why play hard? Why not mail it in. Well, you can see how it works.
What does Cito do well? Picking lineups? Ummmm no. In game strategy? No. Lighting a fire under players that are under performing? Nope. How about manage the bullpen. No again. Does he do a great job of preparing the team for games? No. Do the batters have a plan at the plate? Doesn't seem like it.
He is a nice guy, but being a good guy isn't the first thing I look for in a manager. Like Torgen said in yesterday's game thread 'just like it isn't something you look for in a first baseman'.
Anyway, someone make the case for keeping Cito.