Notes on the First 4 Games of the Blue Jay Season

Random notes on our first 4 games:

• J.P. Arencibia has thrown out two runners, trying to steal second, from his knees. It would take a lot of arm strength to throw a ball 127 feet from your knees. I'm sure I couldn't make that throw. But the real surprising part is that David Ortiz tried to steal. A guy loses some weight and suddenly thinks he is an athlete? JP bat as been very cold, he seems to be working long at bats, but doesn't have much to show for them.
• Colby Rasmus knows how to win fans. Great catch in CF and hustles out a triple, in front of a sold out Rogers Centre. If he keeps that up, it won't matter that he doesn't smile. It's funny, if you like a player who doesn't smile, say Scott Rolen, then he is serious about his work and that's admirable. If you don't like the guy, it means he doesn't want to be here. Hmmmm maybe Rolen wasn't the best example.
• Speaking of not smiling, is Kelly Johnson the MVP for the first 4 games? He's had at least one hit and at least one walk in each of our games. I really like a guy having a .522 OBP hitting in front of Bautista. He turns a nice DP too.
• Brett Lawrie is having a tough start with the bat, showing that no player is as good as he looks when he's going good, or as bad as he looks when going bad. I'm sure he'll get it going soon. His defense, on the other hand, looks great. Lind saved him an error by making a nice pick on a bad throw, but, other than that, all he has done is show us great range. He's going to be good, but the George Brett comparisons, after 40 MLB games and a nice spring, were just nuts. Pitchers make adjustments, batters make adjustments. He'll be good, but I'd wait until he and MLB pitchers have been together long enough to feel each other out before I'd compare him to a Hall of Fame player.
• Edwin Encarnacion is hitting the ball hard, has 3 doubles, generally at opportune moments, but doesn't have a walk yet. He has hit in each of the games, so far, but has also struck out in each of the games. I always expect a slow start out of him, it generally takes him a while to get the timing down, but he's looked ok so far.
• Eric Thames has 2 singles in 13 at bats with a walk. I haven't noticed the improvement in defense we were promise, SSS yet.
• Adam Lind hasn't looked great at the plate, but, I think, has looked really good in the field. I'd much rather have a better bat at first, but it is nice to see him improve with the glove.
• The bullpen, other than Santos, has been really good. 5 of the 7 pitchers that have pitched out of the pen, haven't given up a run yet. Francisco Cordero has given up 1 run, in his three innings. Now if we could get Sergio to hold up his end of the bargain.