Tag Archives: Toronto Blue Jays

January 27, 2011 · 7:23 AM

The Run That Wasn’t

Trivia question: Who led major league baseball in home runs last season?

That would be Toronto’s Jose Bautista. He led the league with 54 home runs. He won a Silver Slugger, the Hank Aaron award, was an AL All Star, and finished fourth in the AL MVP balloting.

Why do I bring this up in the middle of winter?

Well, with three weeks and change until the Red Sox report for Spring Training (and another 6 inches of snow on the ground) a report came out yesterday that the Sox pursued the Toronto outfielder via trade from the Blue Jays. This of course happening before they signed Carl Crawford.

So it’s clear the team wanted to improve it’s offense this off-season but I don’t think that this guy would have been the answer. If he goes on to have another monster year crushing 50+ home runs, I’ll eat my words, but I’m uncomfortable mortgaging the farm on a possible one year wonder.

Sure he’s right handed which I think plays favorably in a predominantly left handed lineup (Crawford pushes the team to the heavy side of lefties) and he hits for power (obviously). And it turns out that this is the second time the Sox tried to swing a deal for him after winning a waiver claim on him in 2009 and failing to work out a deal with the Blue Jays.

Toronto, having gotten out of Vernon Wells’ overinflated contract can now try and work out a long term deal with Bautista. That’s $80+ million they’ve freed up.

The bottom line, I don’t think we’ve heard the last of Bautista in a Sox uniform. After all, the team will be out from JD Drew’s contract after this season when Bautista becomes a free agent. Even though the team spent like drunken sailors this past off-season (assuming Gonzalez’s extension) I think this guy is in Theo’s crosshairs and will be a big target in the 2011-2012 off-season.

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August 19, 2009 · 5:46 AM

Sox Squeak it Out

So I’m in rehearsal last night and my buddy turns to me with an update from the Sox game, “7-4 good guys in the fifth.”

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Well as we know that 7-4 quickly went away and it was tied at seven when I got in the car. My confidence wasn’t too high when I heard Joe Castiglione say that Beckett looked bad and you could tell he was mad at his performance. Let’s see, five and a third innings pitched, seven runs, all earned, three long balls, yeah I think he and all of “The Nation” are disappointed in a performance like that. Especially from their ace.

Fate must’ve really wanted the Sox to win this game though because a throwing error by the Toronto pitcher, Casey Janssen, opened the floodgates for the Sox to get three runs in the eighth. All of a sudden you’re not so worried anymore. A three run cushion, Bard coming in for the eight and Papelbon warming for the ninth. What can go wrong?

Um, the train can fall off the tracks and go wrong. After two quick outs, Bard gives up a single and then another single. Uh oh. Tying run coming to the plate. Better call in your closer to get this guy out. A four out save isn’t all that unusual in baseball right?

So Papelbon comes trotting in from the bullpen and walks the first guy he faces. I a pressure save with runners on base is probably more intense than a clean inning, but seriously this is a tired record this season. Papelbon has rarely worked clean and has a 1.31 WHIP to show for it. Combined with an ERA that’s steadily creeping higher and higher, if this guy was moved in the off season, I wouldn’t be shocked one iota. Trade him while the getting is good. Trade him to Seattle as part of a King Felix package. Make him a piece of a huge trade this off season.

What’s with all the trade Papelbon talk? Well, after walking the first guy he faces, he gets out of the inning right? Wrong! He gives up a two run single (neither run charged to him of course) and walks the next guy after that. Lind flies out to left to get Papelbon out of the inning.

After the Sox failed to cushion their lead in the top of the ninth it was onto the bottom of the inning with still more drama in store. Papelbon gave up a single to the lead off hitter. Great, tying run on base, winning run coming to the plate. Papelbon manages to get two outs and then walks the next hitter. Tying run on second, game winning run on first. Kevin Youkilis, back from his suspension, bails out Papelbon by sprinting into the chasm of first base foul territory and catches the ball for the final out.

Sox pull off a win but did everything in their power to try and piss it away. The one good thing coming out of this game was that Francona benched Varitek who has 4 hits in his last 10 games and is batting a whopping .118 in August. He’s another guy I don’t want to see in a Sox uniform next season. Strained neck, bullshit excuse aside, he can’t play anymore.

Hopefully tonight is less dramatic. With Halladay going up against Buchholz (who in his defense has pitched pretty well his last couple times) the Sox should manage a couple hits and go down without a whimper once Hallady gets in his groove. My confidence is very low tonight and the season’s confidence is slowly fading.

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July 17, 2009 · 5:44 AM

Finally Some Sox

Just spit ballin here but if you were thinking of trading a guy that’s been down in Pawtucket, just beating the snot out of the competition, would a good way to showcase him be bringing him up to start right after the All Star Break against a team you’re thinking of trading him to? I thought so too.

So in an effort to “set the rotation” as Tito puts it, Caly has been called up for a spot start tonight against the Blue Jays. With more and more rumors surfacing about the Yankees being contenders in the Halladay sweepstakes doesn’t it make sense to showcase Clay against major league hitting? Especially against the team he could be going to? I think that if Halladay is heading to Philly the Sox really don’t care but if New York is seriously in the mix and has the players to get it done the Sox will trade Clay as one of the pieces to make it happen.

One of the other rumors from Toronto is that the Sox are looking at Scott Rolen. The former Cardinal and Phillie played under Terry Francona his first four years in the league which included a rookie of the year award. This is just insurance in case Mike Lowell can’t come back, but I think it’s a decent pick up so long as you’re not giving up too much to get him. It beats having guys named Bates in the lineup.

Another rumor that came down the pike yesterday from Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com: The Rockies have discussed a Garrett Atkins-for-Takashi Saito trade with the Red Sox, but both teams continue to explore other options, according to major-league sources. While the Rockies are eager to dump Atkins, who is earning $7.05 million, they might want more of a return for the third baseman than Saito, who missed most of the second half of last season with a sprained elbow ligament. I make this deal in a second. I guy that you have under contract for one year that’s almost over for a productive third base option. Again, this is contingent on no Mike Lowell.

Finally, my favorite. The Julio Lugo era in Boston seems to be coming to a close. Ken Rosenthal also reported that the Sox are desperately trying to trade Julio Lugo. Lugo who Theo had undoubtable man love for is in the third year of a four year $36 million contract. A contract that the Mets are so grateful they didn’t sign him to. If the Sox can’t find someone willing to take him, they’ll likely release him. The writings on the wall and I’m loving it.

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September 11, 2008 · 7:09 AM

News Flash: Timlin Still Sucks

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Jaylizotte.com has obtained this exclusive photo of Mike Timlin after the game. Apparently the man known as “The Janitor” for all his mopping up in recent games was allowed to have his dog in the clubhouse after blowing another Sox game.

Timlin is now 4-4 with a 6.09 ERA. If the Sox make the post season and this guy makes the roster I will be baffled. He’s an absolute waste of space that should have retired two years ago, yet still hangs on for the $3-$4M payday. Hey Grandpa, stop blowing games for the Sox, retire, and if you need a Payday go to CVS.

So the Sox had a shot to be a half game back in the East before welcoming the Jays to Fenway, but instead are sitting 2.5 games back. Way to step up when you need to. It doesn’t help that the Jays are 9-1 in their last ten and trying to be like last year’s Rockies and push for the Wold Card.

The Jays may be too little too late as the Sox have a five game lead over the Twins and a seven game over the Jays for the Wild Card. The Rays head to NYC for a showdown with the Yankees, and once again I’m pulling for the Yanks to beat up on the Rays; yet I’m somehow drawn to seeing the Rays beat down the Yanks into the cellar in the East.

At least it’s going to be interesting for the last month of the season. Back tomorrow with a Pats preview against the Jets.

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May 1, 2008 · 8:33 AM

Twice Is Nice

“Oh great, Dice-K is on the hill, this is going to be a very long night.”

Those are the exact words that came out of my mouth last night when I tuned into the Sox, waiting for the Celtics to start. But once again the Toronto starter set the tone and this game too, flew by. I’m sure it helped that I started flipping to the C’s at 8:30.

It wasn’t a complete game but Dice-K made it through 7 scoreless striking out four and walking two. But the pace was almost as if someone told him to stop being an asshole and people have work and can’t stay up till 11:30 watching him pitch.

It was very much like Tuesday night’s game. Tied in the bottom of the ninth when Brandon Moss hits a single up the middle and Jed Lowrie (who my wife noted looks like a real life Beavis) is on his way home to win the game. Whoops, forgot about Vernon Wells. After bobbling the ball Tuesday he threw a strike home and Lowrie was gunned down.

Shit, now it’s going to go to extra innings and mess up my Celtics watching.

Or not. Varitek stepped up with Manny on second and hit a single to center. It was like deja-vu. Oh no, Manny’s going to get thrown out. Not this time Vernon. The throw was not a strike and THIGHS (as Lauren calls him) comes through in the clutch. Sox win in a walk off again!

Now back to the Celtics. Going into the half they have a 15 point lead. Fantastic. Good to see that with all my flipping back and forth I didn’t miss anything. From the tip in this game the attitude, swagger if you will, is back with the Celtics and they’re playing like the team we saw in games one and two.

I giant fuck you to the people over at TNT for starting the game at 8:30 last night. Since the Sox were done so quick on Tuesday I went to bed at a decent hour, meaning I woke up at a decent hour. What does that mean? I couldn’t keep my eyes open trying to watch the Celtics to completion.

I tuned in and watched most of the third quarter but my eyes started to get heavy. What happens next? I wake up and see the Celtics rolled 110-85. They best keep this energy and focus up in Atlanta Friday night. The fact that this game went six is embarrassing, to go seven would be inconceivable.

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