It's good to see and hear the Tampa heckler again. The one thing that always brought some enjoyable atmosphere to games there. I feel like I haven't seen him in years.
Yeah I was hoping with the Rays' recent success he would get more airtime on the national telecasts but he just vanished. Loved hearing him rip Hinske back in the day.
Yeah I was hoping with the Rays' recent success he would get more airtime on the national telecasts but he just vanished. Loved hearing him rip Hinske back in the day.
I think he has had some legal troubles for the past few years.
What are your guys' thoughts on Lawrie so far this season?
His batting eye hasn't seemed as good this season and he's been over aggressive (both at the plate and on the bases (the stealing home attempts)). His patience during his call-up was the reason I was so optimistic over him being a consistently good hitter.
The more I watch him though, I definately believe I would hate the guy if he played for the Sox for example. You can see why Milwauke had some comments about his personality. I'll take the talent though
What are your guys' thoughts on Lawrie so far this season?
swinging at too many pitches out of the zone. Cannot hit the breaking right now and even when he does, not enough power. Last year, when he came up, he was smashing balls. Right now, it's a lot of weak contact, and reaching for pitches. Not much conviction in his swings.
defensively, I don't think you can ask for anything more. He has trouble with the odd play here and there, but he saves so many runs and is so athletic at 3rd, you'll take an error here or there. At times it looks like he'll have trouble with the routine play, but will make a difficult play look routine.
Overall, I'm not concerned. It's not like we have any other better options, plus this is all part of the learning curve. Can't jerk him around like our other prospects (Snider!!!!); he'll be a good one for the next decade or so.
Only thing that scares me about Lawrie is his fearlessness. You absolutely love the passion and the heart going after anything and everything on defense, but those dives into the stands with a sizable lead and late into a ball game have to be tamed...
Time to give Chad Mattola the keys to the hitters.
I think it's just that it's his second time through the league. The pitchers have adjusted to him and he has to adjust back. He has definitely been less patient this year, though.
...this season, Aaron Sanchez and Justin Nicolino are inseparable, even on the days they pitch.
Every fifth day, one starts and pitches four innings and the other follows with another four-inning stint. The night before, their bullpen mates look forward to a day off and opposing hitters have nightmares.
Pitching for the low Class-A Lansing Lugnuts, Sanchez and Nicolino form one tandem in the Blue Jays' unusual "piggybacking'' plan, which aims to protect young blue-chip pitchers by meticulously governing their workload.
Sanchez, a right-hander, and Nicolino, a lefty, started the season by working three innings apiece, back to back. On Friday night, they are scheduled to pitch four innings apiece for the fifth time. They have not been told when they will advance to five innings, or whether that means each will have his own "start day.''
But they do know the plan is working. Each has pitched 31 innings. Their combined ERA is 0.87.
Noah Syndergaard and Anthony DeSclafani form Lansing's other piggy-back pairing. Their combined ERA is 3.07.
"When our hitters get out on the bases, they get comments from the infielders saying, 'We don't like facing this guy, we don't like facing that guy. How many guys do you have that throw over 90?''' Sanchez said in a telephone interview.
Sanchez and Syndergaard are 19. Nicolino is 20. All three were drafted in 2010. DeSclafani is 22 but was drafted last year and is in his first professional season. In a system rife with pitching talent, the Blue Jays have decided to handle these youngsters with particular care.
``The piggyback is working like we thought and wanted it to work,'' said assistant general manager Tony LaCava, who oversees the club's farm system. ``It's a sensible way that challenges them but also protects them. It allows them to get their work in every fifth day, but not be overworked.''
LaCava said each pitcher will get a chance to start "at some point.'' He also said the workload plan, devised last winter, extends into 2013. But he declined to provide particulars. The details, he said, are "proprietary.''
Sanchez and Nicolino say they believe in the plan, as outlined to the Lansing starting staff in a meeting at the end of spring training by roving pitching instructor Dane Johnson. There were seven starters in the room. Three got their own start days. Four would share the other two days.
"Sure enough, they said Nicolino and Sanchez, you're together. We just kind of chuckled after that and it's been a fun ride ever since then,'' Sanchez said.
Quote:
...Naturally, they pick each other's brains about pitching, even though they are very different types of pitchers. Sanchez is a power guy with a wicked curveball, Nicolino a control artist with a nasty change-up.
So it follows that Sanchez would be working on his change-up and Nicolino on his curve.
In fact, Sanchez says he has focused on developing his change-up since the day he signed, and this year he feels it has become a weapon.
"It's probably been the biggest thing I've improved on,'' he said. "I worked on it in spring training, and now that I've taken it into the season, it's been tremendous.''
Nicolino talks about his curveball in the same way, thanks to some tips from pitching coach Vince Horsman.
"It wasn't as sharp at the beginning of the season,'' he said. "Now it's starting to be tighter and more on a fastball plane. I've worked really hard with Vince on this for the last month. I have more command and trust in it, and I can go to it whenever I need to.''
How long the best friends will stay together is anybody's guess. LaCava said the Jays have unique development plans for every pitcher, based on strengths, weaknesses, body types and health histories, as well as how well they perform on the mound.
But for now, Sanchez and Nicolino are helping to make Lansing the scourge of the Midwest League, four innings at a time.
The Lugnuts have a team ERA of 2.56, a 1.19 WHIP and eight shutouts. Their 32-13 record is the second-best in the minor leagues. And their rotation includes seven starters.
It seems almost unfair. Except, perhaps, to Blue Jays fans with an eye on the future.
It looks like the Jays are just throwing shit (Cooper, Lind, Gomes, Vlad, whoever) against a wall and seeing what sticks when it comes the 1B/DH spot. That's probably the plan for the rest of the year until they fill the hole with a signing or trade in the offseason.
When it comes to LF, I have a feeling that Snider would've already been up had he not gotten injured. Thames needs to start putting together some monster games if he wants to stay. I think that once Snider is pain free and puts together a couple good games in Vegas, he'll be up with the Jays for the rest of the year.
It looks like the Jays are just throwing shit (Cooper, Lind, Gomes, Vlad, whoever) against a wall and seeing what sticks when it comes the 1B/DH spot. That's probably the plan for the rest of the year until they fill the hole with a signing or trade in the offseason.
When it comes to LF, I have a feeling that Snider would've already been up had he not gotten injured. Thames needs to start putting together some monster games if he wants to stay. I think that once Snider is pain free and puts together a couple good games in Vegas, he'll be up with the Jays for the rest of the year.
Crunched some numbers:
Since July 16 of last year (108 games, 385 ABs) Eric Thames is hitting .239/.294/.397 (.691) with 11 HRs, 26 BBs and 97 Ks.
Re: Toronto Blue Jays 2012 Season Thread
