It was an exciting long weekend at the Rogers Centre. Ace Ricky Romero pitching on Canada Day in red in front of 47,000+ fans, Roy Halladay making his first return to Toronto since being dealt and some fireworks from Jon Rauch and manager, John Farrell.
It only took 30+ home games and a long weekend for fans to pack the stadium to watch this young, exciting team. Romero pitched a great game, but some poor defence and the bullpen not being able to hold the lead put a damper on spirits on Canada’s birthday.
Halladay was chosen by Phillies manager, Charlie Manuel, to give the line-up card to the umpires at home plate and received a nice, loud ovation from the fans for a good few minutes. He garishly tipped his cap in appreciation on his way back to the dugout.
I am all for fans coming to watch Halladay pitch and say thank you for his service because he did a lot both on and off the field for the organization. The only thing that upsets me is where were you two years ago before he left? Where were you eight years ago when he won 20 games and his Cy Young award? I completely understand why Romero and some of the pitching staff were upset because Doc is no longer on the team. This is their team now and they deserve that kind of support. We have the best player in the game today in Jose Bautista (who managed to set a new record for most All-Star votes ever and will participate in this year’s Home Run Derby). Hopefully with yesterday’s win over the Red Sox and the output of home runs on Sunday will get some people interested in coming down to the ballpark.
Eric Thames has been fantastic since being recalled from AAA for the second time. Here is a stat I just read on Twitter from @MadisonBettle “In the first 22 games of his career, Thames batting .325 (26-for-80). I’d like to see more of this.” We all do Madison and I am sure it will only continue. The man has a great swing at the plate. On Saturday vs. Halladay, Thames went 2-for-4 with a home run. Every at bat, he took the ball to centre field. He has great power to all fields and uses the power allies. And what really impresses me is he does not trot around the bases after a home run, he sprints. He has a good head on his shoulders and plays the game the right way. Yes, his numbers look great right now A) teams do not have a book on how to get him out and B) his hitting in front of Bautista and is getting pitches to hit. But he is taking full advantage on those opportunities and getting on base for Bautista and Adam Lind to collect RBI’s.
Travis Snider made his return to the line-up after a couple months down in AAA Las Vegas to retool his mechanics at the plate. And they seemed to be paying off early with three doubles yesterday going 3-for-5 and two RBI’s. He has lowered his hands and opened his stance just a little bit and stayed back on the baseball a lot more and drove it with authority. Snider is on a six game hit streak dating back to his last game on April 28 against the Texas Rangers. It is hard to believe he is only 23 years old. He still has a lot of potential and many fans are happy to see him back (myself included).
Game two between the Blue Jays and Red Sox is tonight with a pair of lefties on the hill. Brett Cecil (1-3, 7.24) vs. Jon Lester (6-3, 4.42)
Until next time,
Let’s Go Blue Jays!
Twitter: @ChaseHadden
well said! it also surprises me that those who went to see halladay pitch on saturday probably weren't in toronto when he was still with the team! ah well...it's like the saying goes, "you dont know what you've got till its gone"
ReplyDeleteIn regards to Halladay - I agree entirely about where was the fan support when he was actually ours. Toronto fans couldn't seem to support a great man on a losing team, but they're more than happy to support him now that he's made it to the playoffs and is considered an Ace on one of the best teams in the NL. Halladay is a legend, whether or not he owns a World Series ring. Romero and the rest of the Blue Jays deserve just as much support and I regret that Romero was hurt by the strong reaction Halladay evoked.
ReplyDeleteHowever - Halladay was a Blue Jay for NINE years. I'm happy fans are gracious enough to show him that support, even after he's gone. The fact that we can STILL cheer for Doc even though he's not a Toronto Blue Jay anymore shows that Toronto fans aren't completely heartless. Besides, what did Romero expect - for people not to show any reaction at all?
The smile on Doc's face said it all. He loved it here, but he needed to move on. It was time. It's not always about winning, but Doc deserves his chance at pitching in a World Series game. We owe him that much.
As for cheering for our own team - I made that point about Thames because he was a recent call up and I think it's important we support progress, especially for our fresher staff. Snider coming back and playing well definitely put a smile on my face. The kid was so excited he almost tripped over himself running to first base. It's great to see him back and hitting well.
But there's another player I'd like to bring up. Two years ago, Aaron Hill and Adam Lind were Silver Sluggers. They played well and we were very proud of them. Last season, both players were in terrible slumps and barely recognizable. This season, Lind appears to be back to his old self while Hill continues to struggle along. But where is his support? Every time I watch him at 2nd base, I cringe. Not because he isn't "good" but because I'm afraid he's going to get injured. It's hard to rally support behind someone who isn't producing (both at bat and on the field) as well as he should be. At the same time, as fans, we should be giving him encouragement and not groaning every time he comes to bat.
Overbay had one hell of a bad slump last season, but he pulled through. I think Hill will come around. Whether he does before or after he's no longer a Blue Jay remains to be seen. But in the meantime, Jays fans really need to keep it classy and give him - and other Jays players - the love they deserve.
i'm actually just going to verify that it wasn't romero who threw on the day halladay pitched--it was carlos villanueva.
ReplyDelete