Jays Roundup - Hey - What’s My Line

Thursday, September 02 2004 @ 09:31 AM EDT

Do I have to stay here ’til the end of time
I’m - good lookin’ and bright
I wanna see life after ten at night

Jays 4 - Mariners 2

1. Recaps:
   
   • Spencer Fordin:
     
     
     On the first day of expanded rosters, the Blue Jays got a healthy mix of contributions from veterans and first-year players. Carlos Delgado and Frank Menechino spoke for the first subsection, while Dave Bush and Alex Rios came through for the latter class. The end result was a 4-2 win over Seattle, drawing the Jays even in this three-game set.
     
     
     
   • Ian Harrison:
     
     
     One day after wrapping up a 56-hit August, Suzuki went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles and a stolen base.
     
     He boosted his season hit total to 214 and remains on pace to surpass George Sisler's 1920 record of 257 hits in a season. If he maintains his current pace, Suzuki will finish with 262 hits.
     
     
     
   • Mike Ganter:
     
     
     Dave Bush, by rights, should be getting his feet wet but injuries to Roy Halladay and Justin Miller earlier this season forced the Jays to bring the rookie north a little earlier than planned.
     
     So there was Bush, a 24-year-old just two years removed from his second-round selection in the amateur draft, making his 11th major-league start and looking as composed as any 10-year veteran.
     
     If there were worries when they brought Bush up on July 2 that it might be too much too soon, there aren't any now.
     
     
     
   • CP:
     
     
     The Toronto Blue Jays decided to take the bat out of Ichiro Suzuki's hands, a smart move that allowed Frank Menechino to land the decisive blow.
     
     Menechino hit a tie-breaking home run in the seventh inning as the Blue Jays rallied to defeat the Seattle Mariners 4-2 on Wednesday. Tied 2-2 in the seventh, the Blue Jays walked Suzuki intentionally to load the bases with two out. Randy Winn followed with a pop fly to shallow right to end the threat, much to the delight of 22,310 at SkyDome.
     
     
     
   • Larry Millson:
     
     
     Bush, Toronto's starter, retired the first two batters of the seventh inning of a 2-2 game when he walked Miguel Olivo. Jose Lopez singled him to third and Ichiro Suzuki, who already had two of the five hits against Bush, was walked intentionally to load the bases. Bush then retired Randy Winn to preserve the tie and Frasor replaced him in the eighth.
     
     
     
   • Geoff Baker:
     
     
     A two-run homer by Bret Boone in the sixth had put Seattle up 2-0 before Carlos Delgado singled off Mariners starter Gil Meche in the bottom of the frame and scored on an Alex Rios triple. An ensuing sacrifice fly by Eric Hinske tied the game.
     
     The Jays had gotten only five innings out of starter Josh Towers, who is likely to miss his next start because of discomfort in his shoulder blade area, on Tuesday night and needed to give the bullpen a rest. Bush did that by completing a seven-inning stint, then handing off to Jason Frasor for a 1-2-3 eighth.
     
     
     
   
   
   
2. Fordin Notes on Josh Towers, Ismael Ramirez, and the rehabbing Doc Halladay:
   
   
   Roy Halladay threw off the mound for the first time in more than a month on Tuesday, and the Blue Jays are pointing to a return in late September.
   
   The reigning Cy Young Award winner had been sidelined six weeks with weakness in his shoulder, but he should be able to make three return appearances before the season ends.
   
   
   Excellent. It'd be great to see Doc take down the Yankees during the last home series of the year.
   
   
3. Today's Ganter Notes are also about Doc Halladay and Ismael Ramirez:
   
   
   The Blue Jays class-A team in Dunedin fared extremely well in the selections when the 2004 Florida State League all-star team was announced.
   
   Ismael Ramirez, a right-hander signed as an undrafted free agent in 1998, is 14-6 in 26 starts this year with a 2.75 ERA, was named the league's most valuable pitcher in addition to making the all-star team.
   
   
   Congratulations Ismael!
   
   
4. Tonight's 7:05PM EST start at the Dome: Righty Cha Seung Baek (1-0 0.00ERA) vs. righty Justin Miller (2-3 5.26ERA). Spencer Fordin has the game preview.
   
   
5. There's been a lot of discussion here on whether or not the Blue Jays should re-sign Delgado. Put the Sun's Bob Elliott in the camp that wants the slugger back next year:
   
   
   If Delgado leaves then the Jays have $19.7 million to spend on free-agent hitters. We'll bet a Diet Coke, or a Coca-Cola Lite, as they say in Athens, that Rogers Communications will not spend $19.7 million on hitters for next season.
   
   One misconception about Delgado -- written here -- is that the most the Jays could cut his salary is 20% from $19.7 million to $15.76 million, as per the terms of the basic agreement between the players' union and Major League Baseball. That's true if the Jays and Delgado go to salary arbitration.
   
   
   Elliott doesn't include the raises due to other players in his $19.7 million figure because he believes Rogers needs to spend more money on the team:
   
   
   The easiest way for someone to step up, considering the way the Jays revamped bullpen has performed, would be for owner Ted Rogers to expand his budget.
   
   
   
   
6. In "Delgado puts on a baserunning clinic" Richard Griffin notices something Coach and my Dad picked up on: How well Delgado is running the bases this week:
   
   
   With likely just over a month to go in his starry Blue Jays career, Carlos Delgado has suddenly become the most aggressive, imaginative baserunner on the team. Last night, in the second inning of the Jays' 4-2 win over the hapless Mariners, the burly slugger broke for second on a full count pitch to Alex Rios. The rookie slapped the ball through the hole. Delgado never hesitated, challenging Ichiro Suzuki's powerful arm, sliding safely into third on a slightly off-line throw. What's up with that?
   
   
   Add Griffin to the re-sign Delgado camp:
   
   
   Unless the Jays spend some of his saved salary on a veteran replacement for '05, they are going to find they will miss his presence in the lineup and the clubhouse next year more than they ever imagined.
   
   
   I don't think I need to remind Mr. Griffin that the Jays are on pace to finish in last place in their division this year. How much worse are they going to finish without Delgado?
   

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