Batter's Box Interactive Magazine - Game 16: Battle of the Birds

Josh Towers faces Eric Dubose (damn those lefties) tonight in Baltimore. If the Jays take two out of three this weekend, they'll have started the season 2-4 v Detroit, 2-4 v Boston and 2-4 v Baltimore. Only the first of those can be viewed as very disappointing.

To wrap up the Boston series, I have a little story about last night's game. My wife attended a conference downtown (Toronto) this week. Having not seen her son for a couple of days, she invited us over after her work for the day was done yesterday. While she took my son to the Disney store, I walked down to the Dome to catch the ballgame.

I've been suffering from a bad cold since Tuesday and by the 6th inning the combination of the score (3-1 Boston) and my pounding head convinced me to head out early. I walked to the the hotel where my wife was staying and put the game on. The top of the 8th had just concluded and the score flashed on the screen: 3-3. Not long afterwards, Orlando Hudson took a close pitch for ball four and Chris Gomez pulled a fly ball that I thought was going off the wall. It managed to stay just fair and just cleared the wall for a grand slam.

This season the Jays are 0-2 during home games I have not attended, 1-1 in games that I left early and 0-5 in games I hung in to the bitter end. What does this mean?

Posted by robertdudek on Friday, April 23 2004 @ 06:48 AM EDT.

Game 16: Battle of the Birds - part 4 | 72 comments | Create New Account

The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.

Leigh - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 07:05 PM EDT (#70479) #

Over on The Score, the Expos pre-game is really freaking me out.

_Ryan Lind - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 07:08 PM EDT (#70480) #

This is a little annoying.

bluejays.com says the game is on RSN, my digital cable box says Baseball will be on Snet pacific, and yet when I flip to the channel, I get Sportsnetnews. What gives?

Leigh - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 07:11 PM EDT (#70481) #

Ryan Lind, the game is at 7:30.

Now Hulk Hogan in Tampa Bay talking trash in the pre-game of the Lightning/Canadiens. A bizarre start to what should be a fantastic night of sports.

_Ryan Lind - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 07:19 PM EDT (#70482) #

Oh, okay then.

My digital cable thing says that it's on now, so that's what threw me off.

Thanks Leigh.

_Jobu - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 07:30 PM EDT (#70483) #

Anyone know a radio station website that has a "listen live" feed i can use for the yanks/bo sox game while i watch the mighty jays? Dont matter if its NY or Boston, just want to listen to it in the background.

Mike D - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 07:30 PM EDT (#70484) #

What does this mean?

Robert, it means that if there's time, you should immediately fly to Baltimore in order to enter Oriole Park while the game's in progress...so you can then leave the game early.

_JackFoley - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 08:06 PM EDT (#70485) #

Tarp's off, so it looks like we'll play tonight

Coach - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 08:08 PM EDT (#70486) #

What does this mean?

Robert, it means you're a lot more like Named For Hank than I thought.

I just got home from a high school game, have the Yankees and Red Sox on the tube, with the sound turned down so I can listen to Mike Wilner's delightful rain delay show on the radio, and am excited about going to watch a AA game in Erie tomorrow -- baseball immersion; it's just about perfect.

I think I'll have another Keith's.

_Nigel - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 08:50 PM EDT (#70487) #

Now that was a well pitched first inning by Towers. The guy who really seems lost at the plate to me is Wells. I really can't ever remember seeing him look quite so bad as he has for the last week or so.

_John Neary - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 08:52 PM EDT (#70488) #

From your it's-still-early Department of Statistical Curiosities:

Hands up, everyone who expected Howie Clark, Chris Gomez, and Kevin Cash to be leading the Jays in EqA two and a half weeks into the season.


   Player  EqA
1. Clark   .499
2. Gomez   .376
3. Cash    .268
...............
4. Cat     .247

I hope Towers pitches well against the O's.

_StephenT - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 09:08 PM EDT (#70489) #

John, are you trying to get us to forget what you said about Cash and sample size a couple months ago? :-)

Coach - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 09:09 PM EDT (#70490) #

Gomez looks good up there; he's seeing the ball well. The leadoff walk was a great at-bat, and he went to second on a bad pickoff throw.

The sacrifice bunt -- let's score first on the road -- was perfectly executed by Sparky, and Reed almost beat it out for a hit. Howie Clark scratches the run across with an infield groundout; 1-0 Jays.

Coach - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 09:10 PM EDT (#70491) #

Oh, that was nice. A little "not trying to do too much" single up the middle by Vernon gives Carlos a shot at the big fly.

Coach - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 09:13 PM EDT (#70492) #

Missed it by THAT much -- RBI double off the CF wall, but Carlos was out trying to stretch it. If you're ever going to make the last out of the inning at third, it should be after you drive in the run. :)

_Steve Z - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 09:15 PM EDT (#70493) #

I'd hope Clark's AAA days are %

_Steve Z - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 09:15 PM EDT (#70494) #

are history!

Coach - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 09:19 PM EDT (#70495) #

Towers is getting hit this inning; there's that pesky Roberts again, driving in a run. I really like his game; the O's would be just fine if they trade Hairston.

Coach - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 09:20 PM EDT (#70496) #

Hmm. I don't think walking Mora to load the bases for Tejada was what Josh wanted to do there...

Coach - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 09:22 PM EDT (#70497) #

The Jays can't turn the tough 3-6-1 as Towers was nowhere near the bag; nice play by Delgado to get one, but it's tied up.

Coach - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 09:24 PM EDT (#70498) #

3-2 O's on a sac fly by Raffy. That's OK; we're going to score a few more tonight.

Gitz - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 09:41 PM EDT (#70500) #

On the out-of-town scoreboard (how does one see a scoreboard if, assuming he or she is at a game, it's out of town?), the Red Sox are mauling the Yankees, 10-0, and the Tigers are cracking the Indians, 15-3. Think Chris Gomez was an unlikely grand slammer? Brandon Inge hit one tonight for Detroit.

Coach - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 09:41 PM EDT (#70501) #

I sure wish Carlos had stopped at second base; we might have got three or four in the third, as Phelps and Hinske opened the fourth with singles but were stranded.

Boston is making a bit of a statement to the best team $200 million can buy. It's now 10-0 at the seventh-inning stretch.

Coach - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 09:43 PM EDT (#70502) #

Mazzilli runs himself out of an inning as the Cash rifle guns out Gibbons on a miss-and-run.

_Steve Z - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 09:43 PM EDT (#70503) #

Was Cerutti somehow implying that it made sense for Phelps to break from third on the ground ball (with none out)?!

_JackFoley - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 09:45 PM EDT (#70504) #

Jays were third in the majors in '02 and '03 with sac flies, so if they're teaching them to fail they're not doing a particularly good job.

Gitz - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 09:48 PM EDT (#70505) #

I dunno about Roberts bunting with two outs and runners on first and second. Roberts is a nice ballplayer, as Coach says, but you've got to knock in some runs in that situation, or at least work the count a bit.

_JackFoley - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 09:48 PM EDT (#70506) #

How many more solid outings does David Bush need before he's given a start with the big club?

Gitz - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 09:49 PM EDT (#70507) #

On the other elbow, maybe Roberts knew all along that Towers would plunk Mora. 4-2 O's.

Gitz - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 09:51 PM EDT (#70508) #

Doof. Towers dominated Miggy with the sacks loaded, but threw away Tejada's slow roller. 6-2 O's.

_JackFoley - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 09:51 PM EDT (#70509) #

Whoops. Maybe the delay through Towers off. . .

_JackFoley - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 09:51 PM EDT (#70510) #

Threw, even. The irony!

Gitz - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 09:52 PM EDT (#70511) #

Did I mention what a great idea it was for Roberts to bunt? A clean single by Palmeiro. 7-2.

Coach - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 09:52 PM EDT (#70512) #

I have the radio on, Steve -- I have no idea what the TV guys are saying. If Phelps froze on the play, they still get an out at first, but it was too bad they got the lead guy.

Roberts' surprise bunt loaded them up for Mora, who Towers hit with a rising fastball to give up another run and bring Tejada up again with a chance to break it open.

Josh, his own worst enemy now, threw away an easy groundout to allow two more runs to score. Raffy singles, and all of a sudden it's 7-2. What a meltdown!

_Justin B. - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 09:54 PM EDT (#70513) #

What's the old saying about "momentum" and "the next day's starting pitcher"?

Gitz - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 09:54 PM EDT (#70514) #

Am I the only one watching the game?

Gitz - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 09:55 PM EDT (#70515) #

That hurt. Three unearned runs with two outs, but Towers can only blame himself. Let's see if the Jays can string together some hits.

Craig B - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 09:56 PM EDT (#70516) #

If this is how we do against the Orioles, I'm not at all looking forward to the Devil Rays.

This, too, shall pass, but looking at tomorrow and seeing Pat Hentgen's name doesn't make me feel good. It wasn't supposed to turn out like this.

Coach - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 09:58 PM EDT (#70517) #

I'm watching, Gitz -- I just prefer the radio call.

Imagine how bad that inning might have been if not for the botched hit-and-run. :)

Gitz - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 10:01 PM EDT (#70518) #

Got ya, Coach. I'm stuck with the O's announcing team, but my dogs are barking at one of the numerous cats that stroll by our house, so I don't have to endure over-homerism too much. At any rate I'll be flipping over to the A's/Angels momentarily.

Gitz - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 10:03 PM EDT (#70519) #

And I know it's not as thrilling as the 1995 Curling Championships, but I'm more than happy to pass along updates of other games. :)

_Steve Z - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 10:04 PM EDT (#70520) #

Two huge baserunning errors by the Jays (Delgado and Phelps), and a costly fielding error by Towers, is the difference so far!

Gitz - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 10:14 PM EDT (#70521) #

I should mention, for all who are interested, that Brandon Inge was the center fielder in tonight's game. Apparently he's on the Craig Biggio career path, but Inge is so gifted he skipped second base and went right to center. If Inge can play Center, can't Chris Shelton?

Craig B - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 10:15 PM EDT (#70522) #

Anyone got any cures for EXTREME pissed-offedness? I watched the Habs get clobbered, watching the Jays get clobbered, and now the Expos are losing too. Thank God I got a chance to hang out with Jay for a couple of hours tonight or I'd be punching walls.

Coach - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 10:20 PM EDT (#70523) #

If Inge can play Center, can't Chris Shelton?

For some reason, Greg Norton keeps getting AB instead of Shelton. It's not easy to go 0-for-2 and leave four men on base while your team scores 17 runs, but that's Norton's line so far tonight, dropping him to an .037 average.

Anyone got any cures for EXTREME pissed-offedness?

I recommend going to Erie for the weekend to watch the AA kids. That last play was ugly -- nobody bothered to cover second!

_Steve Z - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 10:22 PM EDT (#70524) #

No one covers second on the cut-off, allowing another run to score!

Coach - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 10:23 PM EDT (#70525) #

It's scored as a throwing error for Cat, but I'd have to see another replay to figure out where Hudson went on a double to left.

Coach - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 10:26 PM EDT (#70526) #

Throwing away this very winnable game bothers me more than any of the other losses so far. The score should be about 4-4, not 8-2, but all the brain cramps have gone one way.

_Gwyn - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 10:32 PM EDT (#70527) #

There's a fun ame on the score as the Expos are finally scoring some runs and giving the Phillies a run for their money. Montreal are down 7-5 thanks mainly to Bobby Abreu who has a couple of doubles, a homer and 5 rbi.
I'm enjoying the Score commentary team, especially Darrin Fletcher.

_Matt - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 10:33 PM EDT (#70528) #

bah Gibbons... wow he looks good as a #6 hitter....

robertdudek - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 10:34 PM EDT (#70529) #

Cat should have thrown the ball to the cutoff man on a direct line to homeplate. The correct concept was to hold or throw out Mora, not throw out Tejada at 2nd.

_Matt - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 10:35 PM EDT (#70530) #

oh yeah??? Who else is on the expos panel??? Did they give play-by-play to Sam Cosentino???

Craig B - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 10:35 PM EDT (#70531) #

Coach, I take it you're starting to see the same lack of hustle and fire that I was mentioning to you yesterday.

This team looks like it has quit on itself.

Good news is the Expos got Calloway on to lead off the inning. Come on Terrmel.

_JackFoley - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 10:35 PM EDT (#70532) #

If Qui-Lo is on the bus to Syracuse, who comes up? Nakamura? Haines?

_Gwyn - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 10:37 PM EDT (#70533) #

Matt - Fletch is calling him Sam, so it could well be

Craig B - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 10:39 PM EDT (#70534) #

Let me be clear... I'm not down on this team going forward. There's a good team inside the one we're seeing tonight, struggling to get out. They will sooner or later.

But this has been painful, in no uncertain terms. Not only are the Jays going to be 4-12, they've played like it.

_Matt - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 10:43 PM EDT (#70535) #

Does anyone think that Cash's calls have anything to do with the slide???

Craig B - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 10:47 PM EDT (#70536) #

It's not Cash's responsibility to make the final decision about what to throw. The pitchers have the ultimate responsibility over the selection - no one's deferring to Kevin Cash, that's for sure. I'd hold him blameless.

Coach - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 10:51 PM EDT (#70537) #

Cash didn't call the bases-loaded HBP or the subsequent 2-run throwing error on the third out of the inning; Towers came up with those plays himself.

_Gwyn - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 10:56 PM EDT (#70538) #

Leedee batted in an insurance run and Montreal have to get three against Wagner in the bottom of the ninth.

Thomas - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 10:57 PM EDT (#70539) #

I have just watched the 6th-8th innings of the Expos game (Chavez got screwed by Dale Scott, and the Expos got screwed out of getting him out of the batter's box) and I would second the notion that I really enjoyed the Expos team, which makes it more impressive if it is their first shot an announcing.

They do a really good job of analysing each at-bat, at least the key ones, in terms of pitcher/catcher thought process and what the batter might expect. I really enjoyed them breaking down the Sledge at-bat, and them showing how Sledge was cheating inside on a fastball, and had to adjust to the slider away.

Coach - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 10:59 PM EDT (#70540) #

_JackFoley - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 11:03 PM EDT (#70541) #

I'm not giving up on him either, Coach, but indications seem that he might be on his way down. I was just curious to hear from people who know more than I think about who should come up.

I like this move, giving O-Dog a chance on the right side of the plate. Called strike three, unfortunately.

_JackFoley - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 11:04 PM EDT (#70542) #

That should be "...what they think about who should come up." My grammar is awful tonight.

Leigh - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 11:16 PM EDT (#70543) #

Endy Chavez is the worst player in the Major Leagues. Frank Robinson is a legend, and Omar Minaya has been, well, industrious, but c'mon, there must be somebody else to whom they could allot the playing time.

Gitz - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 11:29 PM EDT (#70544) #

I can share everyone's grumpiness tonight. Barry Zito, my second-favorite player behind Miguel Tejada, has been knocked out after four innings. Nine-zero Anaheim. D'oh!

_steve - Friday, April 23 2004 @ 11:56 PM EDT (#70545) #

This is way off topic, but...

Has anyone else noticed that J.P. Ricciardi is the only 'A.L. Executive' with enough juevos to go on record with reporters when commenting about other players? Most of the time when you read comments it's 'high ranking baseball executive', but I see J.P.'s name coming up quite a bit in various articles. You just have to respect a guy that's willing to stand by things he says like that.

_Spider - Saturday, April 24 2004 @ 12:17 AM EDT (#70546) #

When is the obvious going to be said. Ted spend 20 million and get one real closer and one real starter. Then maybe we will have 40000 fans again and Ted will make money again. Thats spider ball and it worked before in TO and it will work again.

_John Neary - Saturday, April 24 2004 @ 12:58 AM EDT (#70547) #

StephenT (#167111): Yes, it appears that I made the wrong call on Kevin Cash. I'll stick by what I said a few months ago, though. I don't think that his record last year could reasonably be dismissed with the "small sample size" tag, and I haven't changed my mind. Cash has hit quite well so far this month but in a smaller number of PAs than he had last year, so I think the jury is still out. I don't have a problem admitting that he's done much better than I expected, and I'm quite pleased to be wrong so far.

Good news for the night: Josh Banks and Tom Mastny made very, very good starts for Dunedin and Charleston, and Guillermo Quiroz hit two homers for Syracuse. I'd be much happier if we didn't need to rely on the minors for good news so often, but I guess we need to take what we can get.

John

_3RunHomer - Saturday, April 24 2004 @ 08:48 AM EDT (#70548) #

If this is how we do against the Orioles, I'm not at all looking forward to the Devil Rays.

The Os are a MUCH better team than the hapless Rays.

Don't give up, Jays fans! Still only 3 (count 'em ... three) games behind the Yankees in the loss column!!!

_R Billie - Saturday, April 24 2004 @ 12:13 PM EDT (#70549) #

Right now though the Jays versus Rays is like the Senators versus the Leafs. One team is obviously better on paper but it's the other team that hands them their lunch in a brown paper bag which has been stepped on.

_Jacko - Saturday, April 24 2004 @ 12:54 PM EDT (#70550) #

I'm not giving up on Aquilino Lopez long term, but he probably needs to find his stuff and his confidence in AAA again before facing too many more AL hitters. I don't know who they'll call up -- they may as well get a close look at Nakamura.

Any of Nakamura, Matos, or Haines would be better than the current version of Lopez we have the bullpen.

Game 16: Battle of the Birds - part 4 | 72 comments | Create New Account

The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.