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Not the start to the weekend any of us were hoping for. On the bright side, the BP only imploded for 2 runs in a tie game and Jose Reyes hit a game typing HR. On the dark side, the Angels won and the frogurt toppings still contain Potassium Benzoate.
For those youngins who are wondering who in the world is Enrico Pollatzo? Ask some old person about the Naked Gun. Poll suggestion thanks to ABSteve.
JAYS LINKS
The Blue Jay Hunter: Flashback Friday: WAMCO
Looking back at one of the most potent Blue Jays lineups - WAMCO. White, Alomar, Molitor, Carter & Olerud.
Former Toronto Blue Jays fan favourite John McDonald returns to Rogers Centre as member of Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | National Post
A 5-foot-9 reserve infielder with a career .236 batting average, McDonald played his way into the hearts of Jays’ fans with his dazzling defence and his affable personality
Blue Jays’ Erik Kratz makes best of unusual opportunity: Griffin | Toronto Star
Back-up catcher remains unfazed despite the good chance he’ll be sent down once Casey Janssen returns from injury
The Blue Jay Hunter: 3 Up 3 Down: The Bullpen, Morrow and Stroman
Another implosion by the Blue Jays bullpen against the Pirates, plus thoughts on Brandon Morrow and Marcus Stroman.
Marcus Stroman Is Not Long For The Bullpen | FanGraphs Fantasy Baseball
Last weekend, the Blue Jays called up consensus top-100 prospect Marcus Stroman, adding him to their bullpen in a middle relief role. It would be silly to expect him to stay in the bullpen for long, as Toronto’s rotation is just too thin and shallow for Stroman to pitch in relief long-term.
The Blue Jay Hunter: The Ever-Changing Batting Stance of Colby Rasmus
Looking at the many different batting stances of Colby Rasmus.
Blue Jays Minor League Report: Dunedin Continues to Roll - Jays Journal - A Toronto Blue Jays Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More
Darin Mastroianni had a three hit night for the Buffalo Bisons. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports Buffalo Bisons (18-13) The Bisons weren'
MLB LINKS
MLB rejigs investigative team after doping scandal - The Globe and Mail
In the wake of the Alex Rodriguez doping case, which drew accusations of unethical behaviour by Major League Baseball’s top investigators, the league has fired some members of its investigative team and moved to restructure the unit.
Kelly: Angels' Mike Trout the epitome of an ordinary superstar - The Globe and Mail
Young outfielder for the L.A. Angels shines without star power
Wasted Pitches and the Pitchers Who Make the Most of Them | FanGraphs Baseball
You’ll often hear of a pitcher "wasting" a pitch. Up 0-2 in a count, for example, the pitcher fires off something well out of the zone, hoping the defensive hitter will hack at it, missing or putting the ball in play weakly. The cost here is minimal – the cost of that pitcher having thrown an extra pitch and the change in count from 0-2 to 1-2.
In Search of the Perfect Fastball: Velocity, Movement, and Location – The Hardball Times
In his under-appreciated piece, Walsh concluded that low and away fastballs thrown to right-handed hitters are really effective pitches. That point may be obvious, but his second claim was more nuanced: for pitches thrown to this "perfect location," an 81 mph fastball is just as good as a 98 mph heater.
The Freaks and the Runts: Fun with Hitting Mechanics – The Hardball Times
If you have read any of my previous hitting articles, it’s no secret I think swing mechanics are an underappreciated and improperly utilized aspect of the evaluation of professional hitters. For me, looking at a player’s swing can tell you a lot about what kind of hitter he is, and a hitter who perfects his swing can overcome most limitations to his long-term success (within reason, of course).
Official Confirmation of the Role of Pitch-Receiving | FanGraphs Baseball
This is about an acknowledgment of the role of the skill, from one of the people we figure catchers are trying to convince. A lot of the time, when a post goes up here about framing, someone chimes in in the comments all skeptical-like, claiming that umpires aren’t influenced by the catchers catching the pitches.
Astros' Elias details search for elite draft talent - Sportsnet.ca
First overall picks are nothing new for Mike Elias. The Houston Astros amateur scouting director helped select Carlos Correa in 2012 then made the call to draft Mark Appel first overall in 2013.
Minneapolis City Council amends All-Star game 'clean zone' after ACLU lawsuit | Big League Stew - Yahoo Sports
From Yahoo Sports: MLB still has a say, but not final approval.
Carlos Gomez and Brian McCann bury the hatchet by hugging it out | Big League Stew - Yahoo Sports
From Yahoo Sports: Time heals all wounds.
The Worst Starts in Great Seasons | FanGraphs Baseball
Still, just how bad can it get for good pitchers? Every pitcher puts up a bad start now and then, but how bad have the best been in recent years?
Yu Darvish Loses Perfect Game On Error, Sparks Argument On MLB Network
Yu Darvish's perfect game bid tonight against the Red Sox was spoiled by a seventh-inning blunder by his fielders that, in any other ballpark, would have been ruled a hit.
Where in the world do pro athletes come from? | SPORTCHART
Active NHL, NBA, and MLB players by place of birth
TODAY IN MONTREAL EXPO HISTORY
Baseball History May 10th - National Pastime - Baseball History
1981 Expos' hurler Charlie Lea no-hits the Giants, 4-0, becoming the first French-born pitcher to accomplish the feat. The 24-year old right-hander was born in Orleans, France.