Today's game is on the Fan.

Anyone know the lineup?

I believe Bush is pitching for the Jays

At last, a spring training game I can listen to live.

Sadly, I had to miss the only two televised mlb.tv games of the whole spring, because of other commitments in the evening, but at least I watched them on archive.

Opening day needs to get here in a hurry.

LF Cat
2B Hudson
DH Rios
1B Hinske
RF Gross
CF Johnson
C Quiroz
3B Hattig
SS Adams

(Not the strongest lineup!)

SP Bush

Lineup

Cat LB
Hudson 2B
Rios DH
Hinske 1B
Gross RF
Reed CF
Quiroz C
Hattig 3B
Adams SS

Bush starting.

Crawford CF
Gonzalez 3B
Huff DH
Lee 1B
Lugo SS
Brown LF
Cantoo 2B
? C
Gathright RF

Rob Bell starting

I think TB's catcher is that Quebec guy...LeForest?

Ack, Adams makes another high throw, pulling Hinske off the bag. This is happening too often. I guess the Jays will give him the whole year to settle down, in any case. But will Hill displace Adams if Adams can't get his errant arm sorted out?

fyi: spotted Clement pitching for the Sox on WSBK today, for those who get that channel

Tom Verducci was on prime time sports on the fan the other day, talking about, of course, the blue jays.

http://www.fan590.com/mp3s/tomverducci.mp3

Jerry Howardth just noted Tampa Bay has 10 ex-blue jay's on thier roster. Among them pitching now, Mark Hendrickson.

Yay Cat walked.


YAY!!!! A miscue by the TB infield 1st and 3rd 0 outs

Sparky with a double to score two.

Quiroz pops up to end the inning.

3-0 Jays, all runs unearned going to the bottom of the third

Mike Wilner's going to call the fifth.

Apparently Travis Lee was the answer to our 1B needs,

I think I've heard 3 times today about him being the greatest defensive firstbaseman in the league

Should we be worrying that Wilner, and not Tom Cheek, is currently calling this game?

No. Mr Howarth announced that Tom had the day off at the start of the game.

It's 4-0 now, the Rays just got Crawford aboard in the sixth.

Dave Bush went four shutout innings and only gave up two hits.

League strikes out Gonzalez and Adams and Alfaro turn a DP to get out of the sixth!

Jerry said Chulk has made the team.

There's one bullpen spot left that will be given to a guy for long relief. Gibbons highlighted 3 players: Downs, Walker, and Miller.

It's lookin like Koch won't make the team.

How can you say Koch won't make the team when we aren’t even half way through spring training? I'm shocked if we don't see him since his contract is guaranteed and he will go through waivers/be released before going to Syracuse.

Yesterday the Twins announcers were talking about Restovic(sp?) being out of options and if he doesn't make the Twins he will be picked up by another club. I was thinking the Jays could use him but with Gross playing so well I don't think Restovic would land a job with the Jays either. Toronto won't carry six outfielders, that's for sure.

So if Chulk has made the team that gives us:
Batista
Speier
Schoeneweis
Frasor
Chulk
Ligtenberg
and
Walker/Miller/Downs

And League is going back to Syracuse. Or is there still the possibility that Ligtenberg might end up on the DL (or released) and League would break camp with the team?

"How can you say Koch won't make the team when we aren’t even half way through spring training? I'm shocked if we don't see him since his contract is guaranteed and he will go through waivers/be released before going to Syracuse."

Koch was never mentioned by Gibbons when addressing who's a contender for the final bullpen spot. Only Walker, Downs, and Miller were mentioned. Koch's salary is low so the Jays can swallow the contract if they need to.

The list of 6 guys that have made the club are Batista, Speier (will be the set-up man), Frasor, League, Chulk, ang Schoeneweis. Wilner and Jerry were suprised Ligtenberg was never mentioned. They speculated he might be placed on the DL to start the season.

It's still early to say for sure who makes it and who doesn't; but every time the April bullpen is mentioned, Koch's name is noticeably absent.

As for League... I think he'll push for a spot in that bullpen. If he continues to pitch well then Ligtenberg could always be put on the DL (and he's pitching like that's a good idea) to open a spot for him. Moving Batista to the bullpen makes no sense to me though. Especially if you are doing it just so you can use Chacin.

Jays win 5-0!!!

Bush went 4 innings only giving up 2 hits.

Gross went 2-3 while knocking some runs in.

Jays win 5-0.

Piniella played his starters out for the whole 9 innings. That's not a bad sign for the Jays who beat them without Shea, Koskie, or V-Dub.

By the way all of the "unheralded" jays games on the fan get listed here http://www.fan590.com/station_info/schedule.jsp
only a week at a time though so next weeks aren't up yet.

Matt Clement took the loss as Twins doubled Red Sox 4-2.
In a perfect world, the 4 outfielders for the Jays out of the gate would be Wells, Rios, Gross and Johnson.

I'm unsure about how I feel about how the bullpen is shaking out.

According to Gregg Zaun (and who made Zaun a talent-spotting expert?), Miguel Batista has "stuff similar to Mariano Riavera", and therefore could be quite effective in the role of closer. Yeah, I think Batista has talent, and yeah he did "okay" in his short audition in the role last year, but I think it seems like an expensive use of his $4.3 MIL and modestly-priced starter's paycheque.

Additionally -- is it just me, or has everybody in the Jays' organization turned on Billy Koch? Sure Mr. "Gas Can" is quite scary at points, but didn't we know that when we signed him? As far as I can tell, he had only one or two appearances so far in Spring Training, and already John "I've been a major league coach for a third of a year" Gibbons referring to "if" Koch makes the club.

It seems logical to me that if we don't like how Koch is performing now, we should send him down to AAA, and let him sit tight until somebody hurts themselves (let's all remember that Justin Miller has been injured before, as well as Ligtenberg, and many of our other guys), and then bust him out. Or perhaps I am just ignorant on a) the rules of treating veterans like this, or b) the structure of his particular contract (believe me, it is quite possible I am very ignorant on both of these facts).

I am also thinking this craziness suggests there is some kind of trade (?-who I'm not sure) in the works, because our rotation looks shakier with Towers / Chacin filling out the back end as compared to Bush / Towers. Perhaps, it is JP's wish to "show off the goods" until June or July when somebody is shipped off to some other team, when we take on salary in a salary-dump. Not sure - what do you guys think?

Well, if Batista can do a good job I have no problem giving him 4.3 million. The common factor of the last 3 years has been a bad bullpen. If he's good then he's worth every penny.

IMO, just speculation, I believe a trade will be made by mid April. Batista is being named a month before this trade to get everything prepared for the season, and what a better time to test things out. Also, this will give Chacin and Towers 2-3 weeks to test their stuff in real games. Then, this mysterious starter who we will trade for, will come in, and the winner of the Chacin/Towers sweepstakes will get the number five job. Ingenious!

Jerry mentioned upcoming broadcasts during the game today. Wednesday's and Thursday's games are on the web and the next games on the Fan will be next weekend.

Because Tom Cheek will not be doing road games, has anyone heard what the Jays will do in terms of road radio braodcasts? Will it be like last year with Jerry doing the bulk of the broadcasts and one of the home team's announcers filling in for a couple of innings or are they going to get a road only announcer to work with Jerry Howarth?

Because Tom Cheek will not be doing road games, has anyone heard what the Jays will do in terms of road radio braodcasts?

I read in The Star last week that they were looking for another announcer for the road trips.

Regarding Koch: they mentioned in brief that he has been unable to get his fastball over 92mph so far this spring, including during practice sessions. Without that fastball, he essentially has nothing. They're not turning on him; but there is no point to keep him on the team if he can't contribute AND he's taking a spot from someone else. The Jays have lots of arms that are ready for the big leagues, or will be this year.

There's no reason why Koch wouldn't (or shouln't) be given a chance to work out his issues at Syracuse. Yes, it would mean passing him through waivers; but anyone claiming him on waivers would take over his full contract.

Re: JK and Craig B

I see your point Joseph, it has nothing to do with poor treatment or "turning" on Monsieur Koch, as I initially stated it. We do have a lot of arms ready-to-go in the minors, and by keeping him here when not at proper skill level, it is really lose-lose in that regard. I think I just hold some sentimental attachement to all the times in the past that I saw his fastball hit 100, 101, even 102 on the SkyDome radar...

...But, like Craig B responded, I think shipping him to AAA would be a useful move -- even win-win. If he goes to the minors and fixes his stuff, the Jays win, and if someone takes on his contract via grabbing him from waiver wires, then we win as well. Presumably this is the type of thing JP would be thinking anyways, although maybe all that new cash has gone to his head -- j/k.

I just spent 20 minutes trying to get Koch's signing details. I was recollecting a one year garuanteed deal at about $700,000 odd. But according to TSN its one year at $900,000.

Thats not exactly chump change but it does represent a pretty significant commitment nonetheless.

While with the Jays and Oakland Koch threw around 100 mph. Last season he was around 94-96. And so far this year he's not broken 92. I gotta a nickle he gets back up to 95 mph. But he will remain wild meaning he's going to groove some hard flat stuff across the heart of the plate.

The results are not likely to be pretty.

At the beginning of spring training I got the sense that the coaches are not that happy to have him around.

For everyones sake, I hope he can pull it together.

For what it's worth, I've started a fantasy league on Yahoo, and I still have five spots left. Rotisserie, with a live-draft this saturday. Anyone interested?