Game #104: Blue Jays at White Sox pregame
Toronto (51-52) at Chicago (48-56)
at 2:10 p.m. ET at U.S. Cellular Field
Today’s lineups:
BLUE JAYS
Reed Johnson, LF
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Alex Rios, RF
Troy Glaus, 3B
Vernon Wells, CF
Frank Thomas, DH
Aaron Hill, 2B
Curtis Thigpen, C
John McDonald, SS
PITCHING: RHP Shaun Marcum (6-4, 3.87 ERA)
WHITE SOX
Jerry Owens, CF
Alex Cintron, 3B
Jim Thome, DH
Jermaine Dye, RF
Rob Mackowiak, 1B
Juan Uribe, SS
Scott Podsednik, LF
Toby Hall, C
Danny Richar, 2B
PITCHING: RHP Javier Vazquez (8-5, 3.71 ERA)
NOTES: RHP A.J. Burnett threw in a bullpen session on Sunday and is slated to pitch in a Minor League rehab at 10 a.m. ET on Wednesday with the Gulf Coast Blue Jays — not with Class A Dunedin. … Stat of the Day: Blue Jays are 7-14 in one-run games on the road and 12-3 in one-run games at home this season. That plays a large role in the fact that Toronto is 31-20 at home and 20-32 away from the Rogers Centre.
AL EAST STANDINGS
entering Sunday
1. Boston 64-40 (–)
2. New York 55-49 (9)
3. Toronto 51-52 (12.5)
4. Baltimore 49-54 (14.5)
5. Tampa Bay 38-65 (25.5)
AL WILD CARD RACE
entering Sunday
1. Cleveland 60-44 (–)
2. Seattle 56-46 (3)
3. New York 55-49 (5)
4. Minnesota 52-51 (7.5)
5. Toronto 51-52 (8.5)
Major League Bastian 
I like the lineup today a lot.
freedom.
In canada we can buy a baseball package that gives us 90% of the games but I moved to a smaller town and cant get it anymore but I only miss 23 games a year with the jays but I miss most of the other teams.
indigo.
I do belive Towers missed the boat to philly the question is what happens to towers now,His team mates are not happy with him.
Our season may be coming to an end but our lives are not,When we are winning we get 150 or more post but lose 2 games it’s like death valley I would settle for bosoxs comments on AJ and JP at least it was something to talk about.
Earl Weaver , now there is a colourful character. He never played one inning in the major leagues .He owns the AL record for being tossed from games ( I believe its 97) and he loved profanity.lol…He has a great sense of humour. You are right , his theory was why get a single run when you can get 3. He commanded respect from his players and he gave it back. If Gibbons was more like Weaver then the Jays might be in a better position today.
The Jays have lost 17 one run games. The long ball is not doing it for this team . I think a combination of both works better. I am not saying don’t use the long ball but they do need to bunt more, steal more and use the hit and run more especially in those one run games.
As for Towers , good question. I think his team mates will forgive but not all will forget. I am sure some team will pick him up , question is who and it may only be for triple A
Why bunt with johnson so far against the sox he was in 2 1/2 games 7 for 11 let him hit he had a hot bat.good day to you all.
I am not saying always bunt but they need to assess the situation and maybe bunt in certain cases. I have always said Johnson was my favourite player, he is a true gamer . He does assess things and steals , bunts tries to do whatever it takes to get that run across . I wish more players were like him
I love the Jays , I have no intention of bailing on them
You know I said I was gone but just one more thing,
This team does not deserve the pitchen it has gotten this year offence was to be it’s strong point what a joke,
This team has no speed just plain no speed the other team can make a bad play and still throw out 2 thirds of our players.
Thomas is nothing more than a big joke 9 mil.good god.
The defence is not great.
The offence just plain stinks we seldom have any more than 2 or 3 guys getting hits in any given game good bats in 3 out of 12 games.
we had catchers all year who coudn’t throw out their granny with her walker stealing 2nd.
And very poor manager and GM.
On the coaching staff the only good one is butterfield….BY NOW.
I think the only holes in our defense are 1) throwing out base stealers and 2) Matt Stairs. Okay, maybe 3) Troy Glaus’s gimpy legs, but he hasn’t been that bad.
Small ball only works when you’re hitting anyways. If you can’t buy a single with a man on base, it doesn’t matter whether he’s on first or second or third, but it does matter how many outs you have to try get him home with. Remember, you get an infinite number of safes every inning, but only three outs.
Well said torgen but bunt in the NL or when your down one run 8th inn or later or trying to add on a run in the latter innings.Also you hit the nail on the head only three outs.
Sportsnet is going to show the rest of the giants game in 5 min.
I never said play only small ball and there is more to small ball than just bunting. I said a combination of the 2 . You have to assess the situation and the team you are playing. If a team uses small ball as well as the long ball it can help them offensively but it also helps them defensively to recognize it when other teams use it . 3 outs ..1 flyball, 2 flyball, 3 flyball…How many times have we seen the jays do exactly that? Obviously they need to try something else
We have lost 17…..one run games , maybe just maybe small ball there could have helped . Do you not remember Hill’s steal of homeplate off Pettitte ? It won us the game
If Jays worked on just the stealing factor, think of how many more runs they would score or prevent from scoring . That is small ball it is defense as well as offence, Jays need to start to utilize that tool if none other
Its called situational baseball . Jays need to improve on it whether its using small ball or the long ball
You can’t steal bases with this team rios maybe wells thats it you not only have to have speed you need to have timing most of these guys have neither,Move out thomas and glaus and bring in some speed.
Someone must be upset with jason frasor 214 ERA lowest of all blue jays this year only used 4 times this month anybody know why
TheGarry: Maybe I’m missing something, but I think Frasor’s ERA is actually above 4.00.
As far as why he isn’t used in general, I think Gibbon’s has just lost confidence in him. He bombed as the closer, bombed as the setup man, and he just doesn’t seem comfortable or confident in close ballgames. For now, I think he’s a mop up guy at best….
Some times we tell each other read my post before you comment well this time I should have read the story I was reading a little better.
Jason frasor has held his oponets to a 214 BA.
Thanks hem.gold.
Frasor can be good when he pitches with confidence, and I think if Gibby can get him in in some of those big leads or big deficits maybe he can build that up a little bit and become a key member of our bullpen once again.
I agree that we need speed, but I think that should be adressed through free agency/trade at the shortstop position
I agree with the speed at short but as much as I like glaus the right thing to do would be to trade him and get some speed at third I think were stuck with thomas no one is going to trade for him to much money and how often do you see speed at DH.
Stairs has no value on the trade block.
Towers has more value to the team as a starter than as trade bait.
nobody wants clayton.
We keep johnny Mac.
I know lets trade gibbons.
I could understand trading glaus, but not necessarily for a third baseman. One deal that I was thinking about would be maybe a trade to the Angels for Brandon Wood/Eric Aybar + one more prospect. Then in turn maybe we could work out a deal with the Astros for Morgan Ensberg. He is a slick fielder and has been an all star before. I know it seems like a long shot but this little three way move seems to make a lot of sense to me, especially if we could unload Glaus’s salary and replace him with a shortstop of the future and a guy that has equaled his production in the past at 3B
Garry: I think Stairs does still have some value as trade bait. Sure, his numbers have dropped as of late, but I don’t think anyone realistically expected him to keep up that kind of pace. But I think a contending team, especially one in the N.L., might jump on a chance to pick up Stairs as a left-handed hitting pinch-hit option with power. His salary’s also pretty low and he’s a free agent next year — not a bad pick-up if you ask me!
I’m also not sure about Towers. Once AJ comes back, what use is Towers? The Jays are pretty much out of it, so why not give Litsch the rest of the year to work out his stuff in the Majors? Towers can’t help much in the bullpen either, because he’s nothing but a long relief or mop-up guy with a big salary. Even if he could get a mid-level prospect in return, I think JP should jump on that. Problem is, though, I don’t think anyone wants Towers. From what I’ve read, Philadelphia’s the only team that’s shown interest and they’re having second thoughts….
It’s something to think about but I don’t think anyone wants to trade with JP because he wants to much and he wont give anything up even if it means helping this team now,He has to big an ego and this team will never be a winner as long as he is the boss,
Is this not 7 years now that seems like a long time to be playing around 500 does anybody see it differant.
Look at this team long and hard before you answer.
Ukgocats: I was just checking out Ensberg’s numbers and all I can say is: what happened?! The guy had promise, but he’s been brutal the past two years! Do you know if he’s been injured, or did he just peak early?
Garry: I have no idea what JP’s reputation is like with the other GMs. One thing’s for sure, though: historically he’s never been a guy who pulls big trades at the trade deadline. Too bad, too, because I think this team is in need of a pretty big shake up.
When it comes to trading, I also think the Jays face a huge obstacle being in the same division as two of the league’s biggest spenders: New York and Boston. They don’t want to help out a contender, but those are the kind of teams that swallow big salaries at the trade deadline. Just think: maybe if the Jays were in the NL, they could somehow convince the Yankees to take the injury-plagued Burnett off their hands!
he has been injured off and on, and yes he has gone through a little bit of a rough patch. but i’ve been a fan of the guy ever since he came up, and he has proven he can hit in this league. He is a much cheaper option than Glaus, and the Astros designated him for assignment the other day, also stating they would not send him to AAA. It seems like a long shot to get several deals worked together in two days. The Jays also have not mentioned Ensberg in any way, just a thought of mine. Glaus is also a much better player, but if we could come out with a Wood/Aybar + Ensberg while dumping salary in Glaus and only losing a semi-promising single A prospect at worst, it just seems to make a lot of sense to me
Ukgocats: Your trade doesn’t seem like a bad idea, as far as I’m concerned: anything to shake up this lethargic team!
Do you think there’s any chance Towers will get traded? It’s looking less and less likely, but after his outburst to the media the other day, I bet he’s not a favourite in the clubhouse any more….
Not only is he in the doghouse with the jays but how many teams want a guy that can’t keep it in house.
What I would like to know is what phillie offerd for towers that JP turned down do you think we will ever know.
Well, lucky for the blue jays.
Both Detroit and Cleveland have went through a bad stretch and we’re still 7.5 games out in the wild card in spite of our mediocre showing in Chicago.
We need to win a minimum of 2/3 and preferably sweep Tampa-which is not going to be an easy task.
It appears, we’re catching Tampa at the worst possible moment-just when they’re coming out of an extended lossing streak.
Personally, I do not expect any trades. If there is one, it’ll likley be Stairs.
Looks like Towers has spouted off one too many times. I think he’ll find himself in the same position as Hillebrand-with no one wanting him.
He does point out though, that leadership-meaning Gibby is the issue on the team. Whether that’s true or not, I happen to agree with him.
JP has done a great job in building the team and minor leagues. Now it’s time to find the missing link and hire a manager capable of motivating the team.
Well, judging by the comments I read in the Globe today, JP seems pretty set on standing pat this trade deadline. I have to wonder, though, if it’s less “standing pat” and more “no one’s willing to give much for anyone on the Jays’ roster”. After all, a lot of the Jays’ potential trade bait has been injured a lot (Glaus, Burnett, Johnson) or are having pretty mediocre seasons (Thomas, Burnett, Towers). That and some of those contracts are pretty unmovable at the moment, unless the Yankees want to swallow some salary….
As far as Towers’ comments go, I think he hit the nail on the head. Not only is it a coaching and managing problem (Gibbons’ laid back attitude), but the players in general seem pretty complacent and almost goofy — Burnett’s chili racing, Wells’ nerf guns, and Clayton the human stopgap who seems completely indifferent to anything.
I dunno — I’m almost wishing for a major shakeup like the McGriff/Fernandez for Alomar/Carter trade many years back. Knowing JP and his stubbornness, though, I doubt that kind of thing would happen.
hem.gold
It’ll be interesting to see how many trades will take place. I am glad Teixeira went to the Braves instead of NY or Boston. He’s likely to seriously improve The Braves chances of winning.
Imagine what Marcum’s record would have been if the jays gave him run support when he first got into the rotation. He could have been 11 or 12 and 4.
So, will Glaus be in the line-up today… Trade talks have heated up again.
THERE WILL BE NO TRADES JPs ego wont let him trade he thinks he has the dream team here the man is a fool sorry gsumner I can’t go with you on JP.
I think we have one of the best teams in the mlb, and I don’t want to get rid of anyone either (except for the manager). All of you know that we would have been in much better shape if it weren’t for all of the injuries that we have endured. And if we were in better shape, maybe there wouldn’t have been all of those comment wars and insults. I think the jays should just play out this year and try to get into the playoffs, and wait until next year to make some moves which I think should be to fire Gibbons and get a good shortstop.
freedom.
You get an A+ from me