Ryan avoids the rain
ST. PETERSBURG — Sorry for the delayed entry here. It’s the second inning, but I had to spend most of the pregame here at Progress Energy Park downstairs, trying to figure out if the Jays and Rays would get this game in in between the raindrops.
The game didn’t start until around 1:25 and just in case the rain picks up again, Toronto sent B.J. Ryan to the mound as the starter. In his Grapefruit League debit, Ryan turned in one shutout inning, striking out two and finishing the stint with 12 pitches (8 strikes).
Jesse Litsch is scheduled to take the mound in the second and is down to work four innings, weather permitting. On another note, Melky Cabrera and Shelley Duncan have been hit with suspensions for their part in the Rays-Yanks brawl the other day and they won’t be available for a few of the games in the season-opening series against Toronto.
Today’s lineups:
TORONTO (5-10) at TAMPA BAY (9-3-1)
at 1:25 p.m. ET at Progress Energy Park
BLUE JAYS
David Eckstein, SS
Scott Rolen, 3B
Alex Rios, RF
Vernon Wells, CF
Matt Stairs, DH
Shannon Stewart, LF
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Aaron Hill, 2B
Rod Barajas, C
PITCHING: LHP B.J. Ryan, RHP Jesse Litsch, LHP Scott Downs, LHP Brian Tallet, RHP Jeremy Accardo
RAYS
Elliott Johnson, 2B
Carl Crawford, LF
Willy Aybar, 3B
Cliff Floyd, DH
Eric Hinske, 1B
Dioneer Navarro, C
John Rodriguez, RF
Reid Brignac, SS
Jon Weber, CF
PITCHING: RHP Edwin Jackson
Major League Bastian 
The suspensions do give the jays a bit of an advantage but cabrera is their 4th outfeilder and duncan is supposed to be on the bench i think so doesn’t make much of a difference….
Good to know that they gave Ryan the first inning to picth…
Cabrera is actually their starting center fielder.
Harrypotter is refering to the fact that skill wise, Cabrera is on par with a 4th outfielder.
He’s the Yankees Adam Lind. Someone who wouldn’t be playing unless people are sick, or are old and unable to field their positions like Johnny Damon and Matsui.
Im glad to see John Parrish and Randy Wells havn’t been sent down to the minors yet ! Those guys could help out this year.
Parrish has definately impressed me this spring…i would love to see him as our long reliever and if litsch struggles (which i think he might…3 ER allowed today, i only hope he was working on a new pitch to justify is subpar outing) Parrish can certainly step up…
Good to see Marcum add that sinker…I think Halladay is having a really positive effect on some of these guys.
Rios hit a HR…lets hope he can build on it…
why was rolen taken out with only one atbat???
nvm i see now that he had 2 walks….ignore that question
I have never been a fan of Tallet and this outing didn’t help him at all…I believe Wolfe is better than him and he shouldn’t be in our bullpen…in situations where you need to record only one out and there is a runner on base…he always seems to give up a hit/run (kinda like frasor)
I say the bullpen be:
Ryan, League, Accardo, Downs, Wolfe, Parrish, (frasor/benitez/wells)
I guess Purcey isn’t close to being ready…they sent him down already…hopefully he will be ready halfway through the season or next season.
Benetiez still has to pitch…hope he does pretty good…It would be awesome to have him like he was a few years ago….
There are a few people still in camp which i can’t help but wonder why? if coats got sent down…then why haven’t neilsen and some other unknowns been sent down?
What is Tallet’s job? I mean, is he being considered a left-handed batter specialist? If Parrish continues to have a good showing as a starter/long reliever, he could be kept instead of Tallet.
I hope Parrish is kept instead of Tallet but Gibbons seems to be too high on Tallet….
I’m not sure that Gibbons is a big Tallet supporter. Last year, for example, Tallet got sent down to AAA at the beginning of the season even though he thought he was a lock for a spot in the pen after his decent 2006. Things might have changed in a year, though, so who knows.
And, no, Tallet is not a left-handed hitter specialist. If I remember right, his numbers are actually pretty bad against lefties. Personally, I’m hoping Parrish gets a shot, but we’ll see what happens….
Seeing as Tallet had much better numbers vs. righties last year he can hardly be called a lefty specialist. I’ve never been a big fan of his and his spring showing is not helping to change my opinion of him. He is out of options I believe so we do risk losing him if he gets sent to AAA.
If JP makes any deal to improve this team, he should get a lefty specialist. Downs is not brought in to deal specifically with lefties since he is good against righties also. Another lefty in the pen wouldn’t hurt, provided they can actually get lefties out!
i still dont understand why so many people are so big on parrish. this guy is 30 years old, his walk to stickout ratio isnt that great, and seriosuly hasnt been that great. i’d personnally rather see wells and/or frasor in the pen, and parrish as a backup plan in syracuse.
as for tallet, don’t forget his year last year, which was 3.47 ERA over 62 IP. not bad numbers.
purcey is most likely more in the running in 09. depending on the year he has in AAA. he had a great showing in the AFL, but lets wait and see if hes the same way in syracuse, and if he is he could receive a good look, and also in the case of an injury.
as for neilsen (and i could be corrected here – im not sure) but i think he’s just in minor league camp, and comes along for some of the road games – therefore he’s not in major league camp, but in the minor league camp.
why is everyone down on tallet ? its just spring training numbers, and i think his preformance over the past 2 years should win him a spot.
now im not a big tallet fan either, but i still think he’s more then solid enough to have a spot in toronto’s bullpen.
as for supprizes in the pen, i would like to see camp,
(spring training numbers)
1.50 ERA
6 IP
4 Hits against
5 K
0 BB
recieve a good look for leaving with toronto.
let me know what you think…
Spring training is exatly what it is most of the pitchers are working on new pitches and the hitters are working on their swings,The Jays will come together in the last 10 games.
I think we have the best team in our divison and with luck we will win 96 or more games this year go Jays go.
I dont like Tallet either but canadian is right.
As for Camp I would like to see more of him so far so good.
I hadn’t noticed Camp…maybe him/wells and a fwe other people could duke it out for the final spot…
Why do i like Parrish? I think he got his control…he can finally throw pitches over the plate and with the speed he throws at he would definately be a huge help…remember he isn’t famous cause he never had good control…
Why don’t i like tallet? Everytime i saw him come in with runners on base, he usually gave up a hit and gave up atleast a run…most of those times he himself didn’t surrender a run but instead let the inherited runners score…another reason for the low ERA is because whenever he came in without a runner on, he usually gave up a hit or two but didn’t let the runner score….
I think 96 wins is getting a bit ahead of ourselves…but if the injury bug doesn’t bite us…we should definately be in contention
I personally don’t think we need to bring in another bullpen arm…but maybe a good starter for a year until we could have purcey, and litsch duke it out…
IS CECIL BRETT A STARTER OR RELIEVER?
Sorry about the “left-handed specialist” remark, but that came from his 2007 splits – ERA vs. left = 2.31, ERA vs. right = 4.15. Batting average is an opposite trend for him.
Brett Cecil was a closer, but I think there’s been talk of converting him into a starter. Here’s a scouting report on him, although it’s a little old:
http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/events/draft_report/y2007/index.jsp?mc=cecil
Cecil – Starter
with numbers like that, lets play it out with him as a starter for at least a while.
if it doesnt work out, we can always use him as a reliever when he gets up to the major league level.
and isnt not letting the runner score whats important ?
if he gives up a hit, i can deal with that, but when hes giving up multiple runs thats when youve got a problem.
besides if im not mistaken tallet held hitters to a 215 average last year.
thats seriosuly not to bad.
still i dont fell like defending tallet – i think the better point is that tallet has proved himself over the past two years, and parrish is better as an insurance pitcher incase soemthing goes wrong.
still rooting for parrish to make the team, but i dont think it should really be at tallet’s fault.
i think the team is prety well set with depth. if worst comes to worse, we can give banks a shot at the major league level as well. he held his own in syracuse last year, and if he are stuck for a starter, we could give him a shot.
Although ERA isn’t always the best way to gauge a pitcher, it’s interesting to see how Tallet’s ERA goes up depending on how many outs there are. His splits from last season:
0 out: 2.29 in 19.2IP
1 out: 3.74 ERA/21.2IP
2 outs: 4.29 ERA/21.0IP
Interesting stuff, although 4.29 still isn’t all bad….
i wouldnt read too much into that, but either way 4.29 is still decent.
anyways im out for the night.
last question. does anyone know where cecil is expected to start this year ? is he starting in A+ ( dunedin ) ??