bullpen issues? YES!

Good GRIEF! Just when I thought I wouldn't have to rant about the bullpen this year, it turns out to be just the opposite. Remember in my last post how I said that "having great stuff" doesn't mean anything if you can't strike out guys consistently? I still hold firm on that belief and I firmly believe that Blue Jays could've won if Cordero had brought his A-Game, not his F-Game. It was a total stunner and a heartbreaker the way the Blue Jays lost, but more importantly they could've swept a first place team for the second time in almost a week! Sifting through Twitter posts via Echofon, I noticed that Cordero was a trending topic with a LOT of posts saying along the lines of how the bullpen needs help and that Cordero should be released.

I can't say I blame those people for saying what they said. Afterall, I probably would've said something along that line or the infamous line from Donald Trump: "You're Fired". The bullpen's got issues. Something I hoped would've been fixed with the addition of Sergio Santos and the emergence of Casey Janssen. Until the bullpen gets back on track, it'll be up to the offence, starting pitching and defence to keep us out of trouble. 

Ups, downs, umpires & more..

Looks like I've missed quite a bit of writing time, but it's safe to say I'm all too well aware of what's been going on with the Jays. As it is, the Jays are in a tie for 4th in the AL East, but 3 GB and if the season were to end today, they'd be 2 games out of the AL Wildcard. 

I suppose you could say that part of what got them in this sticky mess was dropping 2 in Tampa and then being beyond humiliated by the Texas Rangers. Coming home and opening a 6 game homestand vs the Orioles and Boston, however seemed to be pretty much what was much needed. 

Funny enough, it was Hutchinson who helped them get back on track with a dominating performance vs the Orioles and closed the homestand with a stunning performance vs the Red Sox. Who knew that they Jays would have to rely on a total rookie pitcher for that? 

I must admit that I have NOT been a fan of the umpiring ever since the Lawrie incident and more recently, when Henderson Alvarez was tossed from the game for pitching inside to Ian Kinsler with no explanation and as far as I'm concerned, there was no intent to hit Kinsler! 

We're almost 1/3 of the way through the season and we're in for a tough stretch through the month of June, especially with interleague play (which is utterly useless in my mind). I still believe that Lind will return from triple-A vegas and so will Eric Thames. I'm still not totally sold on Snider returning just yet, not because he's injured, but because I don't think he's ready to make the adjustments needed at the major league level. 

I do, however still worry about the bullpen depth and consistency. To me, I could care less if a pitcher in the bullpen has "great stuff and strikeout capabilities". I'm more concerened about them using their stuff consistently and haivng a clean 1-2-3 inning instead of giving up runs and eventually blowing a save! 

Also, for those of you following the Jays on Twitter, here's a list of players you can follow: 

JP Arencibia: @jparencibia9

Ricky Romero: @RickyRo24

Kyle Drabek: @kyledrabek4

Drew Hutchinson: @1DrewHutch

Brandon Morrow: @2Morrow23

Jose Bautista: @JoeyBats19

Eric Thames: @EThames14

Travis Snider: @LunchboxHero45

Casey Janssen: @CaseyJanssen

Brett Lawrie: @blawrie13


Edwin Encarnacion: @Encadwin


Cheers, 
jLau (@jlau87) 

Bats are alive...

One month down, 5 more to go. Finishing April 12-11, the Blue Jays took 2 of 3 from the Mariners and the best team in the AL: the Texas Rangers. 


Even with the bullpen having a total meltdown last Friday vs the Mariners, the Blue Jays managed to storm back on Saturday with a 3-0 lead going into the bottom of the 8th when the Mariners decided to walk Adam Lind intentionally (and loading the bases in the process of doing so), with the hopes of striking out the red-hot bad of Edwin Encarnacion. 


THAT move, I must say was a really bad mistake. Instead of striking out, Encarnacion took one swing of the bat and whacked a grand slam for a final score of 7-0. 


Last Sunday, the Jays once again decided to bring out the big bats and took down the Mariners 7-2 before taking on the much talked about (and in my mind, over-hyped) Yu Darvish and the Texas Rangers. 


My first impression of Darvish was definitely not a good one. He looked SO arrogant for someone who's new to the MLB and it was like he had thoughts of maybe getting a no-hitter! Sure, he's no easy pitcher to hit against. Darvish then beaned Encarnacion during his first at bat and sure enough, Encarnacion got his due revenge by going yard the second time at bat. I have to say: seeing Encarnacion go yard after being beaned reminded me very much of what Bautista did a lot of last year. Sadly, the Jays went on to lose 4-1 and then broke out their big bats again on Tuesday and Wednesday. 


Home runs overdue? You bet they were. Kelly Johnson, Encarnacion, Bautista and Lind all went yard in the remainder of the series. Tuesday night, the Cordero once again blew a save opportunity in the 9th, but thankfully Brett Lawrie (of all people!) managed to bail the team out with a walk-off homer in the bottom of the 9th for a 8-7 win. 


Yesterday, with Romero on the mound, the Jays managed to get an 11-5 win in the series finale vs the Rangers and tonight, they can go into Anaheim with their heads held high, despite knowing that Jered Weaver tossed a complete game/no hitter vs the Twins last night. Anaheim's slumping a bit, and there's no better time to bring out the big bats. 


Talk soon, Jays fans. As always, you can follow me on Twitter at @jlau87 

Off to a good start..

First off: I have zilch intentions of worrying like crazy about the bullpen, but seeing 4 blown saves is a bit of an issue--already! Seeing the Blue Jays out last the Indians over the span of 28 innings in the first two games of the season was impressive, but at the same time a bit strange. Taking 2 of 3 vs the Indians got them of to a pretty roaring start...and then it began to get a bit hairy this week with the Boston Red Sox and the Orioles in town.

Like all of you, I was totally stoked for the Home Opener but I definitely didn't expect that the BoSox would walk in with an 0-3 start, rain all over the Blue Jays' parade and walk out with the win that night..not with Alvarez having pitched a total GEM of a game! Then again, leave it to the bullpen to allow for the home opener to have the result it did. However, the Blue Jays managed to take 2 of 3 vs the Red Sox and enjoy Thursday off.

Finally, we get to this weekend vs the Orioles. There's not a whole lot for me to say about this series except that this is when the Jays blew TWO save opportunities, the Orioles looked WAY more agressive than usual (they're also seeing the ball unusually well!) and we finally see the longball come alive. Today's game though, was definitely important. Despite the first run being surrendered to the O's yet again, Lawrie came up big with a solo HR to tie it at 1, Encarnacion whacked out a 2-run shot and then in the 6th inning, the Jays exploded for 7 runs off former Blue Jay Kevin Gregg. After all the carnage was said and done, the Jays had an 8-2 lead and won by a final score of 9-2.

9 games down, 157 to go and for now, the Jays are in a TIE for first in the AL East.
Finally, I have absolutely no idea as to why Arencibia and Bautista aren't hitting like they should be at the moment, but I'm hopeful that this "funk" will turn tables soon. 

2012 season: my views, predictions & expectations

With the new season just around the corner (mark your calendars for April 5!), here's a glance at what I hope to see for the Blue Jays:

Pitching:
No doubt, Farrell will have Romero (@RickyRo24) as the Ace, followed by Brandon Morrow. As for sports 3-5, I'm predictinng Cecil, Alvarez & McGowan, though it likely goes without saying that McGowan will be on a pitch count as he works his way back from his shoulder injury. I firmly believe that the rotation has to step up its game even more and to not let their opponents get the best of them--something Drabek has to work on. Also, I'd be remiss to say that the bullpen better seriously step up their game so that the horrendous stat of "25 blown saves" doesn't become a sticking point again!


Hitting:
Bautista, Lawrie. These two are just something else aren't they? I certainly think so and they'll likely lead the way in terms of homeruns, RBIs etc. Can Adam Lind have a year of redemption? One can only hope he will. Encaracion as DH was a pretty good surprise--I like him at that position MUCH more than at either 1B or 3B! As for who needs to step up hitting wise: either Thames or Snider and most definitely, Colby Rasmus. I had expected much from them last year, only to find myself very disappointed.

Extra AL Wild Card spot? Right now, I'd say plausible. A lot of things would have to swing in favour of the Blue Jays if they're seriously thinking of contending: great pitching, offence, stellar defence...the list goes on--I'm quite sure the rest of the list you readers can complete for yourselves.

I do carry somewhat higher expectations this year, though I still refuse to predict just what the overall record will be--it's just too early for me to tell.

Take care, Blue Jays nation. Just remember: the season isn't that far away now.

GO JAYS GO! 

Spring Training 2012: Hope Springs Eternal (again)

Just hold on and find a way to get through the next month or so. Before you know it, all of us here at Baseball on Ice will be back talkin' baseball, each with our unique perspective. I know what you're thinkin': "I CAN'T WAIT!! Waiting is total madness!" Relax--I hear you loud and clear, so I might as well make it known that as I blog, the Blue Jays are presently in Dunedin, FL and they'll be playing their FIRST Spring Training game in THREE days!

Like all of you, I'm also counting down till April 9, when the 2012-13 season officially opens vs AL East rivals Boston. However, if you just can't wait and you NEED to get your fix even though it's only Grapefruit League, tune into the FAN radio network, as they'll have the call of the Blue Jays taking on the Pirates.

We'll chat again soon...most likely when the season begins.
Cheers, everyone! In the meantime, a few vids for your viewing pleasure:

Joey Bats Homers to MLB The Show Cover

Jose Bautista is one of the most feared hitters in the game and is starting to get recognition for it. This year he will grace the cover of the Canadian edition of Playstation's MLB 12: The Show baseball game.

Bautista has lead the Majors in home runs for the last two seasons with 54 and 43 respectively. He bumped up his batting average by 42 points in 2011 from .260 to .302 and was intentionally walked 24 times (only twice in 2010). He also finished third in American League MVP voting and won his second consecutive Silver Slugger Award. The Blue Jays' right fielder is only the second Toronto player of the four major sports (although the city does not have an NFL team) to find himself on the cover of a sports video game (Vince Carter was the first for the Toronto Raptors, NBA Live 2004 North American cover).

I am really excited to see Bautista and the Toronto Blue Jays getting some attention from the rest of the league. To me, this is a step in the right direction and soon the United States will see just what this team is capable of doing. Next stop, Sunday Night Baseball!

Until next time,

Let's Go Blue Jays!

Twitter: @ChaseHadden