Game #132: Jays at A's pregame
Toronto (66-65) at Oakland (65-68)
at 10:05 p.m. ET at McAfee Coliseum
Today’s lineups:
BLUE JAYS
Vernon Wells, CF
Reed Johnson, LF
Alex Rios, RF
Matt Stairs, DH
Troy Glaus, 3B
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Aaron Hill, 2B
Curtis Thigpen, C
John McDonald, SS
PITCHING: RHP Jesse Litsch (5-6, 3.44 ERA)
ATHLETICS
Shannon Stewart, LF
Mark Ellis, 2B
Nick Swisher, CF
Jack Cust, RF
Mike Piazza, DH
Dan Johnson, 1B
Marco Scutaro, SS
Jack Hannahan , 3B
Kurt Suzuki, C
PITCHING: RHP Chad Gaudin (10-9, 4.12 ERA)
NOTES: After sticking with virtually the same lineup for weeks, manager John Gibbons opted to place Wells back in the leadoff spot. Toronto is 10-6 with Wells in the No. 1 slot, where he’s hit .304 with a .377 on-base percentage, .667 slugging percentage, seven homers and 16 RBIs. For the year, Wells is hitting .258/.309/.430 with 15 homers and 74 RBIs in 128 games. Hitting coach Mickey Brantley also revealed on Tuesday that Wells has been playing with a hurt shoulder for some time now. … Jays also signed LHP Joe Kennedy to a Minor League deal and sent the southpaw to Triple-A Syracuse. GM J.P. Ricciardi said Kennedy would likely be up with the Jays after roster expand and the pitcher would get a shot at being a situational lefty out of the bullpen. … C Gregg Zaun wasn’t in the lineup after hurting his leg during Monday’s game. Zaun said his knee was a bit "puffy" when he woke up, but he believed the injury stemmed more from his calf and hamstring. He said he expects to be OK for Wednesday’s game. … Gibbons said DH Frank Thomas was simply getting a day off.
AL WILD CARD RACE
entering Tuesday
1. Seattle 73-56 (–)
2. New York 72-59 (2)
3. Detroit 71-60 (3)
4. Minnesota 67-64 (7)
5. Toronto 66-65 (8)
REALITY CHECK…Since 1995, the runner-up in the AL Wild Card race has finished with an average of 89 victories. The Blue Jays would need to go 24-7 over their final 31 games to reach 90 wins.
Major League Bastian 
I like this lineup it should work.
Why is it this team has to come up with an excuse every time a player is not doing his job,If wells has a sore shoulder it most certainly has not interfered with his deffence.
I say it is another lie conjured up by JP Brantley is the messenger.
I personally hate having Wells in the leadoff spot.
Jays sure let one get away in Gaudin. Gave him up for virtually nothing after a small one year chance in the bigs.
Don’t get me wrong I still think wells belongs in the three hole but the 1 hole is better than the 4 hole.
indigo.
What do you think of the latest pitcher the idiot JP picked up of the garbage heap.
So much for the Wild Card!!!! LOL!!!!! You have no chance of catching the Yanks nor do you have a chance to get the Wild Card. Thinking that is about ****-T-U-P-I-D as thinking your pitchers will win the Cy Young!!!! LOL!!!!! Like i said you guys should use the phrase “Wait Until Next Year!” as your motto. I F-A-R-T on all your Mom’s heads!!!!!!
GOOF25.
MY MOTHER IS DEAD.
I am a gypsy tonight I will put a curse on you,A fool always pays for his evil deads and yes I know who you are.
As for the wild card what happens happens only time will tell not you semigodgoof25.
It seems every time we give up 2 runs early we have a hard time getting going.
Nobody seems to be posting have you all given up this soon anyone not you goof25 you smell bad and I’ll bet your mother is a nice person and a wise one thats why she gave you up at birth.
hey Golf
So I see your Cy Young candidate Mike Mussina is struggling. What is that now for Mussina, 20 runs given up in the last 9 innings.
Tremendous Yankees pitching. If he keeps that up-he’s likley going to catch the Dodger.
Idiot
Oh Golf-one last thing
Be careful in your Yankee’s f a r t s.
They’ll likely come out in dribbles just like your team, and you’ll have embarrasing brownie spots in places you didn’t think possible.
lol
goof25.
A-Rod is wearing knee pads also he wears depends because every time he hears the name TOWERS he wets himself,lol.
Jordan,
Ian Brown has chosen to remove all goffcg25@hotmail posts from the Boston blog, could you please do that here also . Thank You in advance
Indigo
No worry girl-we can defend ourselves-let him bring it on.
Garry
Now that was a good one. And here I thought the only reason A-Rod wore the knee pads was to deal with blondy.
lol
So Chad walks Stairs to get to Glaus. Hmmm-don’t think that was a smart move.
Then walk Troy-do I smell a big inning here
Nope just the same **** we smell all the time-bases loaded and no runs
Pathetic-I’m outta here
Garry, Indigo have a good night
The second I saw overbay come up I told my wife watch the double play.
good one on blondy.
indigo.
Please characterize goof25 for us go girl go.
gsumner.
come back we will win I thought I was the only one who gave up this soon.
I think gsumner lives closer to Toronto than you do garry, which means he probobly has to go to bed, on account of the fact he probobly works for a living.
What a chump! 😉
When they brought up Thigpen they said he was going to play 2 or 3 times a week,they can’t expect him to hit after sitting on the bench for 8 to 10 days at a time.
Rogers must have joined the liars club because his staff sure knows how to lie.
robertlee.
It’s only 10 here,don’t you have to work.
What time is it where you are.
Oh, it’s midnight – I live near toronto.
But I don’t have to work. I finished college in the spring and have been taking the summer off before looking for a job.
If your looking for work go to fort McMurray our son went and got his scaffolding ticket and thats all he does is put up scaffolds for 30.00 per hr.and he gets some overtime at double time,Also he gets 145.00 per day living allowance.
It cost about 1.000 per month to stay there and your food,
you work 10 days and have 4 off or you can work 20 and take 8 off.
he makes 175.000 per year and because he stays in Alberta he only pays fedral tax.
Kreuzer Named FSL Player of The Year
Dunedin Blue Jays
MiLB Headlines
Butler And Nielsen Also Receive League Honors
Two of the keys to the Blue Jays second half run were honored today by the Florida State League. First baseman Josh Kreuzer was named FSL Player of The Year and selected as the league’s best first baseman. Jacob Butler was selected as the league’s best left fielder.
Currently, the Blue Jays sit two games in front of the Clearwater Threshers and two and a half games ahead of the Tampa Yankees for the second half West Division title. The Blue Jays and Threshers play Wednesday and Thursday in Clearwater.
Kreuzer is having the best year of his career in 2007. In five seasons, Kreuzer has a .260 batting average, never hitting better than .267. Only twice did he have double digits in home runs. But this year has been a different story as his .307 batting average is currently fourth in the FSL. The power numbers are up too, with the 24 year old hitting 20 homers, 34 doubles (both numbers fourth in the league) which have combined to put him first in extra base hits (54). Despite slugging at a league best .541 clip, Kreuzer has been disciplined at the plate. His league leading .428 on base percentage follows his rise in walks from 25 in the first half of the season to 37, and strikeouts falling from 47 to 35.
Kreuzer is the third Dunedin Blue Jay to be named FSL Player of The Year. The others are Toronto Blue Jays center fielder Vernon Wells and New York Mets first baseman Carlos Delgado.
Butler’s league leading 23 home runs and 81 RBI (third in the league) made him a perfect choice in left field on the post-season All-Star Team. Butler was doing well in the first half, but has been hot since the All Star break. He has hit 14 of his homers in the second half and 48 of his RBI. In 100 games as Dunedin’s left fielder, Butler has only five errors. This isn’t the first honor for Butler in his career. In 2005, he was named the Pulaski Blue Jays’ MVP, Butler’s first season in the minors.
Nielsen Named Player of The Week
Right fielder Eric Nielsen was named the FSL Player of The Week Monday. In his last nine games, Nielsen is batting .500 with nine RBI. He is second in the league in batting (.325) and first in hits (141) and doubles (41).
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070828&content_id=295880&vkey=news_t424&fext=.jsp&sid=t424
Brandon League’s first rehab start was successfull. Went one inning, no hits and struck out 1 for the Gulf Coast Blue Jays in Monday’s game. He will likley go again tonight in Dunedin
I remember them commenting on Wells sore shoulder earlier in the year and he missed a day or two due to it, then nothing more had been said about it until now. If you watch him play , you notice him rolling it back and forth . I wonder if he has some tendonitis.
garry,
Speaking of Kennedy, I have seen better but I have seen worse . Sometimes a change of scenery does wonders for a player so I will reserve any comment about Kennedy until we see how he performs within the Jays organization. Besides he is born in a great year and great month ..lol… He is still young so hopefully can turn himself around.
I don’t know if anyone else has noticed this , but A-Rod has been hit by a pitch in several games since Towers “plunked” him . Makes you wonder if there aren’t a few pitchers out there using him for target practice.
Have a great day everyone .
GO JAYSSSSSSSSS
i think that picking up kennedy is a stupid money wasting move. We don’t need another starter for god’s sake.
Goof
yanks ain’t making the play-offs either so might as well shut ur trap
Now i got a real farfetched trade. or what we should do off-season.
Fire gibby and JP sign a new coach and manager
Sign ichiro (i know that you guys think we don’t need him but read on)
trade thomas, reed, towers, and adams for **** who can preferably hit from left but not necessary. Someone with good onbase, and speed and is consistent.
That leaves us with lind for DH. This will also be a salary dump cause we are getting rid of some huge payrolls from players we don’t need and that might give us enough money for ichiro.
Lineup
ichiro
rios
wells
glaus
overbay
SS-we traded for
Hill
lind
thigpen
how much percent do you think this will happen or is possible? i say about 9%.
any other trades u guys got in mind.
Harry- I think Seattle has already extended Iciro’s contract, so the chances are likely 0%.
Sounds like the Jays are looking at Kennedy as a reliever.
When you think about it, the locks for the bullpen next year are: B.J. Ryan, League, Accardo, Janssen, Wolfe and Downs. That means Tallet, Romero, Frasor and Kennedy will all compete for the 7th position. Maybe they think he can be the long guy-instead of Frasor, who knows. It’s not all that expensive to sign a guy to a minor league contract-so it’s worth a look to see if he can become a reliever.
I’d personally still pick Frasor or Romero though.
i didn’t know that ichiro had his contract renewed. OH well.
I like romero too i think he’s got alot of potential. Is kennedy a left hander? and i still don’t think kennedy is needed after all you got 3 guys already battling it out for 7th spot. Is it also unheard of that you can have 8 bullpeners?
and when are these people likely gonna be major league ready?
Travis
Seth overbae
Kevin (i know he is struggling)
The catcher we got in this draft
and a few pitchers doing good.
And does josh banks have a shot at the jays 25 man roster next year?
Harry
Yes Kennedy is a lefty and he did sign a minor league contract, so maybe next year he sits in Syracuse just in case-nothing wrong with that.
Some teams go with 6 in the bullpen and some 7-I don’t know any team with 8-because it means you give up a bat on the bench.
Travis Snider-Is now 1st in the league with 91 rbi’s, top 10 with 15 hr’s, 2nd with a .313 ba, 2nd with 34 doubles, 1st with a .516 slugging and 1st with a .889 OPS. All this in 113 games. However, he also has a ******** 16 errors playing right field. That and the fact he’s only 19 is likely why he hasn’t been promoted this year. He’s as far away as his defence dictates-that has to improve. But he is an RBI machine, so lets hope he works hard and makes it quickly.
Seth Overbea rocketed through A-(Lansing) A+(Dunedin) and landed in New Hampshire-AA-all in 3 months. He gave up 1 run in 34.2 innings between Lansing and Dunedin. However, his era in New Hampshire is 4.18 as he initially struggled there. He’s been solid though the last 3 outings so it appears he’s adjusted. I’d expect he rises to AAA sometime next year-and possibly a September call up, if he continues to improve.
From our new draftees, neither Ahearns, Fruenmayor or Arencibia have started well.
What is extremely impressive, though, is the great group of young pitchers we have on the way. Auburn has 11 pitchers with era’s under 3.0; the Gulf Coast Jays have 9. Of these 20 kids, 11 have era’s under 2.0
Personally, I’m not sure about Josh Banks, he’s struggled all year in AAA. I was actually surprised The Jays are thinking of calling him up. I think Ty Taubenheim has a better chance. He got demoted from Syracuse to New Hamsphire-and it’s like a light went on. His last 14 innings, he’s given up only two runs. Personally, I’ve always like Ty and I hope he makes it.
One thing is for sure, though, any pitchers we have in AA or AAA had better make it up in the next year or so, because these kids in Auburn and Gulf Coast are going to start moving up through the system and pass them