All in favor?
ST. PETERSBURG — Not everyone within the Blue Jays’ clubhouse are big fans of the new instant replay ruling that Major League Baseball has implemented. Count Roy Halladay and Matt Stairs among those who aren’t entirely in favor or the decision.
“You kind of hate to see it, just because you’re starting to change the game,” Halladay saod. “Really, I think it’s probably going to be more fair and it’s probably going to be the right way to do it, but it’s starting to change the game — change the way it’s always been called.”
OK, Stairs wasn’t entirely against it — let’s be honest.
“I think changing the game and putting instant replay in, in my mind, is wrong,” Stairs said. “Next thing you know, it’s going to be computerized strike zones with no umpires. That’s the next step. I just don’t agree with bringing the instant replay in. It makes the umpires look bad if they’re wrong.”
Beginning Friday for the Jays, any questionable home runs can be reviewed by the umpires. The process involves calling MLB Advanced Media’s headquarters in New York City, where a technician and a umpire supervisor or former MLB ump, who will review the play and relay their findings to the crew at the game in question.
As Stairs put it: “The pitchers are going to suffer because of the fact that he has to stand on the mound and not do anything.”
That is certainly one concern for Halladay.
“Hopefully, they just find a way to do it quickly,” he said. “You don’t want to be standing out there every time somebody hits a home run waiting for them to figure it out. Let’s see how it works. Maybe it’s something that goes quickly and it’s not even an issue. But, yeah, that’d be a concern, especially with them trying to speed games up, I think that would put a hamper on that.”
Now, there were plenty of Blue Jays who were in favor of the new initiative, but most said that will only remain so as long as the guidelines remain as is. Stairs expressed concern that this could open the door for more reviews being allowed down the road and that’s something the players don’t want to see, or the coaches for that matter.
“I don’t want the human element taken out of this game,” bench coach Brian Butterfield said. “I don’t want there to be computers or machines doing the job of our umpires.”
Today’s lineups:
TORONTO (68-63) at TAMPE BAY (79-51)
at 7:05 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field
JAYS
Joe Inglett, 2B
Marco Scutaro, 3B
Alex Rios, RF
Vernon Wells, CF
Adam Lind, LF
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Matt Stairs, DH
Rod Barajas, C
John McDonald, SS
PITCHING: LHP David Purcey (2-4, 6.55)
RAYS
Akinori Iwamura, 2B
B.J. Upton, CF
Carlos Pena, 1B
Rocco Baldelli, DH
Willy Aybar, 3B
Ben Zobrist, LF
Shawn Riggans, C
Justin Ruggiano, RF
Jason Bartlett, SS
PITCHING: RHP Matt Garza (10-7, 3.71)
Major League Bastian 
Bosox 13.473 fans at the Trop last night not a good showing for a team that will win the divison maybe,but they will make the playoffs if I was the owner I think I would cry.
The Rays have never drawn good once schools started back. In fact they have had trouble drawing most of the time. I am pretty sure though once the team gets into October that place will be absolutely ROCKIN’!
It will be fun to watch them once they get into the playoffs!
Great MLBlog …… check mine out sometime!!
John
Major League Ballhawk
http://ballhawk.mlblogs.com
http://mlballhawk.com
Jordan – One more thing, can you tell MENCH that John Witt, his clubby from 2000 in Port Charlotte, says “HEY!”
Thanks
This game is now over,Purcey is no match for this team,and these fools cant beat Garza.
I’m not saying he is not pitchen well because he is but it’s to bad he has to face Garza it looks like he is going to be a hard luck pitcher this year, my last post about him being no match for this team was wrong I meant this team is no match for Garza,As we all know every team every year runs into a pitcher they can’t beat and Garza is the one we can’t beat.
Ballhawk read your blog enjoyed it.
Did you guys hear? We traded Robinzon Diaz for Buatista. J.P makes me laugh.
Gsumner I take anything I said about Purcey back that was a game and a half the kid pitched his heart out and took a hard luck loss,and once again the Jays made an average pitcher look good again.
I wouldn’t call Garza an average pitcher — I think he’s got a pretty bright future ahead of him.
Tough loss for Purcey, but definitely a step in the right direction.
Garry
Looks like Purcey is settling in, remember I did say it would take 5-10 starts. He finally got his breaking ball back and working. As you can tell from the k’s, it’s nasty.
Too bad we didn’t score any runs for him.
From SI-Trade Rumors
Five days before Monday’s trade deadline, the Angels continue to pursue a veteran shortstop as insurance in case Erick Aybar is injured. The team has targeted three Toronto players, slick-fielding John McDonald, former Angel David Eckstein and Marco Scutaro, as well as Baltimore’s Juan Castro and Cleveland’s Jamey Carroll. No team will just hand the Angels a quality shortstop, so the asking price, even for backups, is high.
**Let’s hope it’s David Eckstein.
I wonder which (if any) of these shortstops cleared waivers.
Steve
I’d be surprised if the Jays hadn’t put Eckstein on waivers already, and I doubt they’d have done that with Macdonald or Scutaro.
Last night MLB reported that both 2nd baseman Howie Kendrick and shortstop Erick Aybar left the LA game with tight left hamstrings. In addition, Chone Figgons was scratched from the lineup prior to the game with a sore big left toe. So it does look like LA needs some help.