Sportnet brought in the RH colour man -- Candiotti.

Anyone have an online radio link?

www.fan590.com

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Interesting line-up they have tonight with Wilson in right and Berg at 3rd. I can understand why, though, given how much trouble Hinske has with lefties.

I was thinking the Jays needs a LHB OF, but if they're going to play Wilson when a leftie is pitching, maybe they need another RHB.

M.P.

A team with Tom Wilson batting sixth is not heading for the postseason.

A team with Wilson and Huckaby in the lineup is also looking for trouble.

Now look for the Jays to win tonight.

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I don't mind Wilson hitting sixth. I don't even mind Berg hitting sixth. It depends who is pitching.

But a team having Wilson play *RIGHT* is asking for trouble. A lot of trouble.

One of the problems I have with a lot of baseball "analysis" that if a guy is a .240 hitter they assume he's a .240 hitters against everyone. It's not inconceivable that Wilson could hit a few pitchers than Delgado.

One thing that *really* bugs me about 90's and beyond baseball is how stable the everyday lineups are and how crappy most benches are. I think a lot of lower budget teams would do a whole lot better if they had 10 pitchers and tried to create some decent fastball/curveball corner outfield platoons out of Ken Phelps All-Stars.

Of course, I'm a huge Earl Weaver disciple.

MP

Notice how Gardy went to a LH reliever for the LH starter? He knows better than to invite Cat and Hinske in off the bench too soon for Berg and Wilson. Of course, he's still got two more excellent southpaws in the 'pen. This is a good Twins team, and our boys match up pretty well.

This draft is taking forever, and I still don't have enough pitching...

Yes you do, Coach, or you can trade me some power for Ryan Franklin. :)

And the draft is a bit faster than I'd feared...no Yahoo speed, and an AWOL owner, but...

OK, Shrike, let's take this outside.

You be the manager -- is Doc done for the night now? Still not quite himself, but seven solid innings. I'd let Politte finish it, and I'd keep the Proven Closer on ice, but that ain't gonna happen.

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If Escobar blows this one, J.P. ought to be fined by Ted Rogers for offering Escobar arbitration. I still don't get that move. I also don't get the Doug Creek signing. Of course, that's why I'm an economics writer and not a baseball one.

M.P.

I hate LOOGYs when they're LNOGYs -- Politte has a better chance to get Koskie than Creek. Shades of BorBlown.

As you say, Coach...but not in the face! ;)

I am so sick of Vernon Wells right now...

:)

Free Bobby Kielty?

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Since this has turn into the battle of the bullpens, I really don't like the Jays chances.

M.P.

*Please* free Bobby Kielty; my fantasy outfield is about as miserable as it can be right now so if he could get some at-bats it would be nice. For the Twins too. Why did Gardy let Hocking bat there? Augh.

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I could *really* use a Pete Walker win for the Batters Box League

MP

Note to self: no pickoff plays at 2B in the bottom of the ninth in tie games.

PETE!

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Do you use Bordick to PH for Huckaby?

Times like this really illustrate how thin the Jays bench is.

M.P.

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What the?!? They used a left to pinch hit for a righty.. with a lefty pitcher on the mound. That's a new one.

MP

Interesting choice of pinch-hitters -- Myers against a lefty he's never seen before? Did I miss something -- where was Bordick? I'm not usually a second-guesser, I'm more of a first-guesser, but a lot of these moves have been baffling tonight.

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Both players have a 608 OPS vs. Lefties over the last 3 years. Considering the Jays had to get rid of their best defensive catcher and now have one less guy on the bench, that move didn't make any sense at all.

Are you sure it's not just Buck Martinez wearing a Carlos Tosca mask?

MP

Phelps!!!

Great job by Escobar. I was mildly concerned that he wasn't ready to start the season and we'd have to endure a shaky April.

Too bad about Griffey, BTW. That's the exact reason I didn't draft the guy on any of my roto teams.

Griffey + something in Cincinnati's water = DL

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Very nice job by Escobar. Escobar scares the crap outta me whenever he comes in, but I must admit.. he really got the job done tonight. Now let's trade him to the Phillies or Cubbies.

Too bad everyone in TO was probably watching the Leafs game because an exciting win like this against a very well respected team could get more fans going to the Dome. I suppose it makes it that much easier for Hannah and I to get tickets, tho.

MP

Also, I'm shocked and amazed at Hudson's 3 walks.

I'm all around pleased by the job the Jays did tonight. If there was anything that kept the Twins in the game, it was Doug Creek and Tosca's managing. I'm pro-Tosca overall though...he just had an off game. Players do it all the time.

Further evidence that the 'Hold' rules are bullshit, Doug Creek "earned one" tonight.

With that bench, Tosca is fighting with one-hand behind his back (some of that is his own doing, of course).

Spicol, that's hilarious about it being a hold, when you have one guy to get and you walk him. And a good point about Tosca -- I'm usually a supporter too, but he had me scratching my head tonight; he'll push all the right buttons another time. Even bloggers have off-days.

Aaron, we'll bring the brooms for tomorrow's chat.

I'm off skiing first thing tomorrow, or I'd be quite interested in a cross-country chat over the game. We'll have to have a big one sometime.

I'll go to bed happy knowing my fantasy squad ended up being surprisingly good even with Kent's canny opposition.

Canny? I took mostly middle relievers, for which I received much flak -- Santana, Hawkins and Romero from the Twins, plus K-Rod and Franklyn German, to go with my closer Guardado. My "rotation" is ridiculously thin -- Halladay, Radke and (don't laugh) Mickey Callaway. There's very little chance I'll reach our league's minimum innings requirement unless Santana gets some starts, but my strategy is to trade power for a starter at the appropriate time.

I punted SB so I'm pretty solid in the other four hitting categories: Manny, Delgado, Phelps, Koskie, Olerud, Erstad, Millar, and Gibbons should score enough runs, and they are cetrainly going to put me in the HR, RBI and AVG race. I'd actually be happy with that lineup in a mixed league, and we're AL-only. When nobody had taken Jeter through 4 1/2 rounds, I developed a new infield plan. Spent my #5 on Derek, then added Vizquel at SS and Mark Ellis at 2B; for the short term I'll put a free agent at MI and then (if Jeter's OK) I'll be loaded up the middle. Catching isn't too awful, considering I waited until rounds 19 and 20 -- Ramon Hernandez and Dan Wilson -- and I was delighted to get Aaron Rowand as my fifth OF in the end game; I'd expected to settle for someone like Dave Berg.

I have plenty of respect for Sean's team, and our defending champ will be as tough as ever. How Dan follows baseball so closely from the U.K. is a mystery, and he's also a huge hockey fan. Commissioner Rick Sleppy had a solid draft, as always. The assistant Commish's team is very strong too, but their name -- Texas Twisters -- had an ominous note last night, as a tornado touched down in his neighbourhood during the draft. While the rest of us were keeping an eye on the Jays (or the Jayhawks), George was watching the Weather Channel and looking nervously out the window. He only got dropped from our IRC room once, and I'm glad he's OK.

Tomorrow in Da Box, I'll post a thread for BBFL trash talking, but I've been humbled this week by Scott Lucas, so I'll be on the receiving end. Of course, Week One results are about as meaningful as say, the Jays' opening series. :) It's a Head-to-Head league, but Jonny German has compiled unofficial Roto stats for us, cleverly formatted to fit a BB comment window.

Coach: Of course you drafted all those Minnie lefties, and if Tosca had been playing you last night, he'd have sent Greg up to hit against your lefties, too. What else was he going to see...never mind the match up, send up your best PH. Heresy, I realize.

I have a question. Right now the Jays are carrying twelve pitchers, right? Right. (That wasn't the question.)

Then in a week when there are fewer off-days and they need a fifth starter, Miller will come back up, right? (That's still not the question.)

When Miller comes back up, who goes down? (That's the question.) I have a sneaking suspicion it's going to be a non-pitcher. Huckaby or someone. Maybe even Hudson (I really believe they like Bordick and Berg better). For some reason the Jays in recent years seem intent on packing as many relievers onto the roster as possible, and I'm getting sick of it; I'd rather see a decent bench.

My gut feeling is that Linton will be sent down. There just aren't going to be enough opportunities for him to pitch, especially when the team already has a couple guys in the bullpen who are capable of eating some innings. I'm going to go out on a limb and say Linton only stays if Escobar is dealt between now and when Miller is recalled.

On Huckaby, I suspect he could be gone when Werth is ready to be activated. So far he looks to be Halladay's personal catcher and nothing more. Like Linton, he probably isn't going to get enough playing time to justify his spot on the roster.

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13 pitchers?!? I doubt that is going to happen.

Likely candidates (in order)
* Doug Linton
* Trever Miller
* Doug Creek

Or they could do something interesting and trade either Escobar or Bordick.

The problem is the Jays have too many 1-inning or less relievers. The Jays don't really need Creek, and Tam, and Lopez, and Escobar, and they don't need to restrict Politte to 3 batters or less a game.

M.P.

Tomorrow in Da Box, I'll post a thread for BBFL trash talking, but I've been humbled this week by Scott Lucas, so I'll be on the receiving end.

You don't sound terribly optimistic, Kent.

Truth be told, Delgado's big day has now put you in a 5-5 week with ties in saves and runs. It's going to be close. You're not getting spanked as badly as say, the sound beating I've been providing to Geoff all week.

Of course, immediately after I typed that, Geoff-owned Frank Catalanotto hit a 2 run double. Even he has a chance. No one ever dies in H2H.

Doug Creek should have been off the roster before the season even started. How anyone can call him a reliable lefty when he walks a ridiculous amount of hitters is beyond me. It doesn't much matter what his strikeout rate is if he does that.

I don't think they can trade Bordick or any other free agent signing until mid-season but I might be wrong.

Keeping 12 pitchers on the roster is almost always stupid, in my opinion, and I can't believe that the Jays even considered doing it. Why on earth do you need 8 relievers when you've already said that your schedule is so light that you only need 4 starters? It's idiotic. Not having a defensive replacement ready for CF, also idiotic. I have a lot of faith in JP as a team-builder, but his roster construction leaves a lot to be desired.