Batter's Box Interactive Magazine - The End of the World as We Know It

It's the 23rd day of May.

The Jays just went into Boston and sent three pitchers to the hill who had started a grand total of 6 major league games in their careers before this season.

Naturally, they got swept.

Roy Halladay just gave them seven shutout innings in Atlanta, but the artist formerly known as Jesse Carlson stepped up with another late inning failure. (This is getting old, Jesse.)

They've now lost four in a row.

Meanwhile, the Beasts of the East are en fuego. The Yankees just ripped off nine wins in a row - the Red Sox had an 11 game winning streak just a while back.

Have we been mathematically eliminated yet? Just how far behind have we fallen?

Say what?

Well, I feel fine now.

Posted by Magpie on Saturday, May 23 2009 @ 04:06 AM EDT.

The End of the World as We Know It | 53 comments | Create New Account

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

Richard S.S. - Saturday, May 23 2009 @ 06:46 AM EDT (#200440) #

The Jays sent down Brett Cecil and Robert Ray to work on their stuff (and there is a lot to be done). Casey Janssen and Ricky Romero are back with the Big Club, so let's see what they can do. Fabio Castro and David Purcey are ready if needed, and Jesse Litsch is only 3-4 weeks away. Does this count as a Rescue?

Sano - Saturday, May 23 2009 @ 08:14 AM EDT (#200441) #

How would people feel about a Castro for Carlson swap? I think Carlson's blown three games now and his K numbers are way down as well.

Purcey/Castro are now the first options if someone goes down with injury or isn't doing the job, with a preference for Castro in my opinion.

Also, did I miss something, when was Bill Murphy sent down? I saw in the latest Minor league update that he pitched in Vegas.

Gerry - Saturday, May 23 2009 @ 08:23 AM EDT (#200442) #

Yes you missed something. When BJ Ryan came back last week Murphy was sent down.

ayjackson - Saturday, May 23 2009 @ 08:41 AM EDT (#200444) #

I'd like to be upset about last night's game, but Atlanta's starter pitched extremely well. His fastball command was pinpoint. He consistently got ahead of hitters painting the black.

LouisvilleJayFan - Saturday, May 23 2009 @ 08:46 AM EDT (#200446) #

Can't win if you can't score and the Jays haven't been doing much of that in the past few games.

westcoast dude - Saturday, May 23 2009 @ 11:51 AM EDT (#200449) #

This losing streak is your fault, Magpie. It started about the same time you started calling Doc a "living god." Then you had to pile it on by saying "we all agree is a living god." Well, before the Big Guy shows his displeasure by giving the Blue Jays a really ugly double figure losing streak, for the record, we don't all agree that Doc is a living god. In fact, I'm quite certain Mr. Halladay would frown on such a notion. Just sayin'.

Mylegacy - Saturday, May 23 2009 @ 12:01 PM EDT (#200451) #

I know it's always darkest before the dawn ... but man .... haven't these jerks heard of flashlights!

China fan - Saturday, May 23 2009 @ 12:17 PM EDT (#200452) #

How would people feel about a Castro for Carlson swap?

It's ridiculous to consider demoting Jesse Carlson. And to make him a scapegoat for the recent Jays problems is equally absurd. Considering the demands placed on him by the Jays this year, he's done a fine job. He has appeared in more games (23) than any other reliever in the entire league. Fifteen of those appearances were with no days of rest, or with only one day of rest. Yes, he's had one or two bad games (I'm thinking especially of his blown save against Cleveland on May 5 -- which the Jays eventually won) but every reliever has a couple of bad games. In 17 of his appearances this year, Carlson did not allow any runs. Yes, he allowed a run by the Braves last night, but you can't blame him for the loss -- the Jays failed to score a single run in the whole game! He had a poor outing against the White Sox on May 18, but the Jays still won the game. He took the loss against the Yankees on May 14, but the Jays scored only 2 runs in the entire game -- it would have taken a spectacular performance by the pitching staff to have won that game. Carlson has pitched excellently for the past two seasons, with a WHIP of 1.036, and I can certainly understand Cito's faith in him. Ideally, if BJ Ryan had been pitching up to his salary level, Cito wouldn't have needed to depend on Carlson so much this season, and he wouldn't be leading the league in appearances. With normal rest and normal workload, he'd be pitching even better.

If we're looking for reasons for the Jays losses of late, put the blame squarely on the offence, which mustered only 5 runs in the past 4 games. Blaming the hardest-working member of the bullpen is a little unfair.

Glevin - Saturday, May 23 2009 @ 12:24 PM EDT (#200453) #

The question for the Jays was never will they keep up what they were doing. They were never going to. The question is how good they will be when things start reverting to the mean. The Jays still have more reverting to the mean to do before we find out.

Jimbag - Saturday, May 23 2009 @ 12:38 PM EDT (#200454) #

Carlson isn't to blame (though I was kind of surprised to see him come in to face Diaz at the top of the inning...I know the pen is lefty-heavy, but that was the time for a ROOGY. Lifting Doc in the first place seemed a little desperate...the Jays had 2 cracks at advancing Rolen and didn't do a damn thing, having Inglett come up instead of Roy was by the numbers, but it wasn't necessarily smart...if Halladay was left in (94 pitches! He had 3 strong innings left in his arm!) the game might still be going on.

And was I the only one hoping Hill would try to steal home again? This time he had a lefty on the mound and a righty at the plate....if you're going to go down, you might as well go down swinging.

johnny was - Saturday, May 23 2009 @ 01:33 PM EDT (#200456) #

The worst part of the L last night was that it reduces the odds of Doc becoming the first 30-game winner since Denny McLain. Lousy, non-scoring offense!

Chuck - Saturday, May 23 2009 @ 02:15 PM EDT (#200458) #

I was kind of surprised to see him come in to face Diaz at the top of the inning

Strictly speaking, he was brought in to face the pitcher whom Cox then pinch-hit for with Diaz. I don't know if Cox had any lefties on the bench he could have gone to had Gaston opted for Frasor instead (perhaps the PH would have been Diaz regardless). I was expecting Frasor for two batters and then Carlson for the string of lefties in the 2 to 5 slots (Kotchman, Anderson, McCann and Johnson), so I share your surprise about seeing Carlson to start the inning, especially given that he's been struggling a bit lately. But Carlson seems to be a favourite of Cito's.

The worst part of the L last night was that it reduces the odds of Doc becoming the first 30-game winner since Denny McLain.

Well, the odds were prohibitively against Halladay anyway. Even had he won, to earn his 9th win in 10 starts, he'd still have to win 21 of his remaining 23/24 starts, a clip of 88%-91%. McClain, in his big season, won 31 of 41 starts, a 76% rate.

Since 2002, Halladay has won 56% of his starts. Based on that trending, he's good for another 13 wins this season, or 21 wins in total. Just goes to show how hard it is to even win 20 games when you only start 33 or 34.

jmoney - Saturday, May 23 2009 @ 02:44 PM EDT (#200459) #

I think that "The Franchise" making the final out last night was fitting.

zeppelinkm - Saturday, May 23 2009 @ 03:09 PM EDT (#200460) #

At least he was hustling. What a rollercoaster of emotions one felt in less than 1 second.

Vernon hits weak ground ball to 3B - *Sigh*

3B bobbles ball - *we've done it, we've tied it, woo!*

3B quickly recovers, nails a genuinely hustling Wells at 1B by 1/8th step - *Oh, no we haven't. F***."

Mike Green - Saturday, May 23 2009 @ 04:24 PM EDT (#200461) #

Last year, Alex Obal did the subtle advertising for me. Now this. I am deeply touched, Magpie.

The batting troubles started, as they so often do, when facing a knuckleballer under optimal conditions (wind blowing out). Timing was disrupted, and has not yet been regained. If ever there was a time for Cito to give a few players a day off, tonight would be it. One each of Scutaro/Hill and Wells/Rios would fit the bill.

Magpie - Saturday, May 23 2009 @ 05:47 PM EDT (#200463) #

And to make [Carlson] a scapegoat for the recent Jays problems is equally absurd.

Oh, true enough. It's just that every time he has given up a run this season, it's been in a tied game (four times) or it resulted in a tied game (twice).

All relievers will give up runs at some point. That is The Way Things Are. I just wish Carlson would learn that cool Scott Downs trick of only allowing runs when you have a four run cushion.

Magpie - Saturday, May 23 2009 @ 05:55 PM EDT (#200464) #

This losing streak is your fault, Magpie. It started about the same time you started calling Doc a "living god."

Gosh - I think you're right.

And therefore I do most heartily repent me of my sins, vow to amend my life, and repair the error of My Ways. I beg forgiveness of one and all. Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. I have deleted the offending phrase from my mental repertoire. Never again shall it cross my lips, or emerge from my keyboard.

I have spoken - so shall it be! And as a result...

The line must be drawn here! This far and no further!

(If i Were a hip young person, might I be allowed to say "Roy Halladay is da Bomb?" Not that I actually am a hip young person...)

Thomas - Saturday, May 23 2009 @ 05:58 PM EDT (#200465) #

Stephen Brunt has a fine article on Cito in today's Globe. I'd link it, but it's probably faster for you to just head to the Globe website and find it rather than me trying to work around the linking problem. It's nothing particularly new, but it's good writing by one of the few newspaper men in the city who can still write well about sports. It also reports that the job offer from the Royals following Gaston's dismissal from the Jays was a position as the hitting coach (and not the managerial job, as I've sometimes seen reported).

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/jays-zen-master-rules-the-roost/article1150280/

scottt - Saturday, May 23 2009 @ 05:58 PM EDT (#200466) #

So, where has the offense gone?

Lind is 1 for 19 in the last 5 games. Is that it?

Magpie - Saturday, May 23 2009 @ 06:01 PM EDT (#200467) #

I have this linking thing down! Here's Brunt's piece.

Thomas - Saturday, May 23 2009 @ 06:26 PM EDT (#200468) #

Magpie, of course, is da bomb.

Magpie - Saturday, May 23 2009 @ 06:32 PM EDT (#200469) #

This has nothing to do with baseball - it's something of a hockey story. But it's a nice story. It seems there is at least one American vehicle manufacturer that is puttering along much the same as always.

At about 9 mph, to be precise.

That would be the Frank J. Zamboni Company, of Los Angeles, California (L.A.? Who knew? Not me, anyway.) Still a family business, after all these years!

JohnL - Saturday, May 23 2009 @ 07:40 PM EDT (#200472) #

Stephen Brunt has a fine article on Cito in today's Globe..... It's nothing particularly new, but it's good writing by one of the few newspaper men in the city who can still write well about sports.

Brunt is excellent, and not just in his writing. I sometimes tune in to The FAN only looking for some baseball info or talk, and it's a great pleasure to find him in one of his occasional stints as the second banana on Bob McCown's show. He's (Brunt, not McCown) intelligent, perceptive, humorous, reasonable. I'll even listen if they're talking about some other sport, at least until MCown puts me off.

And how Jim Kelly gets such a regular gig I'll never know. At least he's better than Mike Toth. I don't know what else he does besides guest on Mike Hogans show... I gather he does some sports show on TV somewhere. On the radio, he sounds like the dumbest, most obtuse person I ever hear on radio.

Thank goodness for Stephen Brunt.

snider - Saturday, May 23 2009 @ 10:05 PM EDT (#200473) #

Another clutch game from Rios/Wells. Personally I'd rather see Rich or Rob Butler at bat for the Jays than either of those two. I'd also rather see Paul Spolgaric come out of the pen than BJ.

Are those guys available?

Mylegacy - Sunday, May 24 2009 @ 12:39 AM EDT (#200474) #

At the start of the season - If someone told me that in late May we'd LOSE 5 games in a row and STILL be ALONE in first place in the AL East - I'd have said something like "Pshaw, I say!"

So - Pshaw, I say! Go Jays!

China fan - Sunday, May 24 2009 @ 05:25 AM EDT (#200475) #

The Jays offence is coming back to earth with a thud. Over the past six games, the Jays have hit just .190 with runners in scoring position, stranding 44 baserunners. (Source: Jordan Bastian) The pitching has actually been reasonably good in most games. It's the offence that is beginning to reveal its weaknesses.

Cito, the Zen master, is inevitably preaching calm and patience. He's pointing to the 1991 season, when the Jays lost 7 games in a row in August and still won the title. "You can't panic," he told reporters calmly last night.

Not everyone will agree. So, to quote one of Lenin's books: What Is To Be Done?

Cito's argument for patience is a strong one, but mostly because Wells and Rios simply can't be moved out of there. There's really no use in trying to trade them, with their salaries and histories, and there's nobody available, realistically, who has a good chance of improving on their numbers. The team just has to pray that the Dynamic Duo will improve, while Cito and Tennace spend their days poring over the video of their swings, looking for something, anything, to unlock their Hidden Power.

Anything else to be done? While in church praying for the rehabilitation of Wells and Rios, we can also pray that Travis Snider finds his swing in Las Vegas and makes a quick return to the majors, although realistically that might take a few weeks at least. Looking at the rest of the lineup -- there aren't very many obvious holes. Even Lyle Overbay has an OBP of .370 and a SLG of .509. But I'm becoming persuaded by those who argue that the LF/DH slot is where Ricciardi should be looking for a bat. There's got to be someone out there -- anyone?? I like Joe Inglett as much as anyone does, but there's got to be someone better.

zeppelinkm - Sunday, May 24 2009 @ 07:02 AM EDT (#200476) #

Yup, and his name is Nick Johnson. Apparently he can be had. Shift Lind back to LF and slide Johnson into DH.

What did Riccardi and the Gillick see in Ibanez that others didn't? Somehow they knew he would be leading the Majors in HR's after 7 weeks... We were so upset that the Jays didn't get Giambi or Burrell for cheap, although I strongly doubt either of those guys are going to keep being as bad as they have, and I doubt Ibanez will continue to be as good.

I think virtually every at bat I've seen with Wells over the past 3 games he's rolled over the ball and hit a grounder to either 3B or SS. Maybe he's a bit anxious and he's jumping at the ball too early, instead of letting it get deeper in the zone. If you constantly grounding the ball you are early. Which is kind of ironic since he is as we all know, the pop up king. He seems to be making a lot of contact at least, I think it's only a matter of time before he starts lining the ball all over the place instead of grounding the bal to the left side. Which is too bad, I just traded him in my keeper league (someone dropped Granderson... why do people do these things?).

But hey, Wells has been a slow starter on more than one occasion, and in the grand scheme of things it is still early. And we are still in first place. It's not at that stressful breaking point where we are all saying "Well the team just needs to reel off 5 or 6 wins in a row, and we're right back in the thick of things". How often do you remember reading quotes like that last year? We are in the thick of things, right now, after a 5 game losing streak. But it sure would help if Wells and subsequently Rios can get it going.

Richard S.S. - Sunday, May 24 2009 @ 07:27 AM EDT (#200477) #

IT'S KARMA!

Boston wins 11 in a row, New York wins 10 in a row, Toronto loses 5 in a row, our 3&4 hitters are stuggling and our bullpen is giving away games. Our Blue Jays are still in 1st place. It's time to look ahead. If you are trading to improve your team, the sooner you start the better. I doubt anything happens before Jesse Litsch is ready, but we'll see.

Jim - Sunday, May 24 2009 @ 11:34 AM EDT (#200480) #

It was the offense that brought them back to the pack. It's going to be the rotation that fails them as they begin to lose ground.

This team just isn't as good as Boston, New York or Tampa. It might be the 4th or 5th best team in the American League, but in the end that won't matter.

greenfrog - Sunday, May 24 2009 @ 12:13 PM EDT (#200481) #

Nick Johnson would look great in the Jays' lineup and give them a chance at staying in the race. If the going rate is Manny Delcarmen (that is, if you believe the rumours), the Jays have to get in on the bidding. I could see a League-Johnson or Mills-Johnson trade, although the price might get a bit steeper. The Nats would undoubtedly ask for Cecil or Romero.

Mike Green - Sunday, May 24 2009 @ 12:40 PM EDT (#200482) #

The club has lost 5 in a row, but they still have been the best team in the American League so far. When it looks like that from the nadir, you're in pretty good shape. The return of Aaron Hill has made a big difference; one could not have anticipated at the start of the season that he would be at his offensive peak and would strengthen the infield defence considerably too. The infield defence is the team's greatest strength, and is the barely visible reason why so many pitchers have, to our surprise, performed well.

They do still need a backup shortstop, and another outfielder/DH.

Flex - Sunday, May 24 2009 @ 01:16 PM EDT (#200483) #

It was the offense that brought them back to the pack. It's going to be the rotation that fails them as they begin to lose ground.

This team just isn't as good as Boston, New York or Tampa. It might be the 4th or 5th best team in the American League, but in the end that won't matter.

What a depressing, defeatest outlook. Do your friends call you Eeyore?

Gerry - Sunday, May 24 2009 @ 02:55 PM EDT (#200484) #

Travis Snider is finally in the AAA line-up playing LF today.

Ryan Day - Sunday, May 24 2009 @ 03:26 PM EDT (#200485) #

It was the offense that brought them back to the pack. It's going to be the rotation that fails them as they begin to lose ground.

And it will be the asteroid that kills us all and turns us into zombies, condemning us to eternal waking torment upon the Earth. Just like BP said.

jmoney - Sunday, May 24 2009 @ 04:20 PM EDT (#200486) #

Jays are doing their best impersonation of a last place team. Good stuff.

China fan - Sunday, May 24 2009 @ 05:27 PM EDT (#200487) #

I'm too demoralized to verify this with actual research, but don't the Jays have a historical pattern of falling apart in their National League swings every season, dashing the hopes of their fans by appearing jinxed against inferior NL teams that they should, on paper, be able to beat?

Glevin - Sunday, May 24 2009 @ 05:38 PM EDT (#200488) #

It's a cliche but true here: The Jays are not as good as they looked earlier and not as bad as they've looked the past week. I think .500 for the rest of the year is a reasonable goal and it would give them a shot of being in it late in the year.

westcoast dude - Sunday, May 24 2009 @ 06:00 PM EDT (#200489) #

As far as historical pattern of falling apart against NL teams in May, I recall a brutal sweep by Colorado Rockies in 2006 after a promising April which included a heroic extra inning win at Fenway. There are positives in today's situation, though. 1) Wildcard. 2) Ahead of the Yankees. 3) Orioles coming up with. 4) Brian Tallet and Ricky Romero coming up to be followed by Doc. 5) Hey, if you gonna lose why not get beat and find out some Stuff. 6) Technical Analysis shows a target of .925 for the Canadian Dollar near term with Dennis Gartman predicting par and beyond medium term.

Flex - Sunday, May 24 2009 @ 07:10 PM EDT (#200490) #

Give Vernon Wells some credit. He may not be hitting for power the way he should as a cleanup hitter, but he's not going down without a fight. The way he created a run in the fourth from nothing shows that he's trying to contribute and that it matters to him. It's a bit of leadership from him, and I applaud it.

Mylegacy - Sunday, May 24 2009 @ 07:40 PM EDT (#200491) #

Flex - right on. Wells stole second and then third and came in on a ground out. Without his two stolen bases and run we actually lose 10 to 1. Without his other run we lose 10 - 0. Now if only someone else was going anything.

As far as playing the NL - if SEEMS to me that EVERY YEAR this Inter League month is the month we get slaughtered - BOTH - by our actually getting slaughtered AND by NY and Bos slaughtering everything in sight.

It makes a guy wanna give up living next to an abattoir - I think I'll beome a vegan.

Christopher - Sunday, May 24 2009 @ 09:22 PM EDT (#200492) #

I didn't get chance to watch the games this weekend, but was there any mention of Scott Downs be unable to pitch for any reason? He hasn't pitched since the White Sox series according to Baseball Reference.

I know the Jays haven't had any save opportunities lately, but I'd be pretty disappointed if Camp saw action in a tie game today with both Frasor and Downs available.

Mike Green - Sunday, May 24 2009 @ 09:51 PM EDT (#200493) #

You would have thought that Downs would have been given some work by now, save situation or not, to prevent the accumulation of rust.

I was listening to the game in snatches on the radio. I turned on the radio, after missing an inning, in the bottom of the seventh. The game had been tied when I left it and when I heard that Camp was on to pitch, and the crowd was deathly silent, I thought "Great, the Jays must have scored 2 or 3 in the top of the seventh". Francoeur singled, the crowd livened up, and then Alan told me that the score was still 2-2. I swore at the car radio. It was not the right situation for Shawn Camp. Oh well. It probably wouldn't have mattered who Cito brought in.

Sherrystar - Sunday, May 24 2009 @ 10:47 PM EDT (#200494) #

It amazes me that Camp maintains his spot in the pen. He is just gawd awful! I can think of 3 or 4 pitchers in the minors who could do a much, much better job than him. The Braves announcers were saying some crazy stat like his given up 7 runs in his last 6 appearances? (not including today's disater?) His slider is oh-so hittable, hanging and asking to be crushed to left field.

And what's the deal with Cito and his lack of faith in Frasor? He should have started the inning. It was over by the time he came in thanks to Camp.

greenfrog - Sunday, May 24 2009 @ 11:36 PM EDT (#200495) #

I think Cito is trying to be somewhat disciplined in his 'pen usage. So he may have been thinking Camp (7th), Frasor (8th), Downs (9th). Neither Carlson or Ryan were great options in the 7th b/c of usage and recent shaky performances.

I was listening to the radio, so I can't comment on how tough the Overbay missed catch was--but it sounded as if he normally makes that play. Alan Ashby said, more or less, that big-league infielders are used to catching hard-hit liners like Jones's. That was probably the decisive moment in the game. Sort of the opposite of the game-ending play the other night (when Wells grounded to 3rd with two out in the ninth and the third baseman booted it, but recovered to save the tying run from scoring).

sduguid - Sunday, May 24 2009 @ 11:37 PM EDT (#200496) #

I'd say Cito does trust Frasor - certainly more than Gibbons did. I recall Frasor being left to rot many a time when Gibby was in charge.

Mylegacy - Monday, May 25 2009 @ 12:49 AM EDT (#200498) #

Camp is basically the 23rd man in a 7 man pen. Whomever is the last guy is going to pitch little and usually in low pressure places. However, any guy that pitches infrequently is going to have a real hard time keeping sharp. Sometimes - shit happens.

Going forward it looks like Roy, Janssen, Richmond, Tallet and Romero. That's not a bad five. Tallet, Romero and Roy vs the O's and then Janssen, Richmond and Tallet vs the Sox. These five guys are good enough to win most series.

Offense - get your hitting gloves on - your adoring fans await your rebirth.

Alex Obal - Monday, May 25 2009 @ 05:49 AM EDT (#200500) #

It's so strange to see Baltimore throwing three pitchers with a pulse at the Jays. When was the last time that happened? This division just keeps getting nastier.

I think the bats break out tonight, though. The game takes place in a good hitters' park with a familiar hitting background, and the Jays have seen plenty of Guthrie the last few years.

Jim - Monday, May 25 2009 @ 08:21 AM EDT (#200501) #

Going forward it looks like Roy, Janssen, Richmond, Tallet and Romero. That's not a bad five.

I guess you can label it not a bad five because you really have no idea what 3 of those pitchers are going to give you. I like Janssen but he's made one start after surgery and he didn't strike anyone out. Romero has had 3 good starts. Richmond is off to a good start but the track record is non-existant. Even Tallet had made less then 10 starts in his entire career before this season.

The defense makes them look better then they have pitched.

I wasn't sold on the Yankees coming into the season, but 200+ million has bought a team that is going to win a boatload of games. If they keep Sabathia healthy they have a chance to run away and hide even on the Red Sox.

They still have to play the games, but there is no case to be made that the Jays can finish ahead of the Yankees other then an avalanche of injuries in New York. The Jays bring a knife to the AL East gunfight.

Ryan Day - Monday, May 25 2009 @ 09:16 AM EDT (#200505) #

The defense makes them look better then they have pitched.

That's kind of the point of defense, isn't it?

China fan - Monday, May 25 2009 @ 10:55 AM EDT (#200507) #

Jim -- you're telling us that there is not even a possible "case to be made" that the Jays can finish ahead of the Yankees?? You're saying that the results of the past 47 games are so irrelevant and meaningless that they don't even amount to an arguable "case to be made" for the final outcome? Wow, with that level of certainty about the future, you should be making billions of dollars on the stock market and the lotteries, rather than wasting your time with baseball predictions. But we're grateful that you gave us this peek into the future for free!

Jim - Tuesday, May 26 2009 @ 09:19 AM EDT (#200532) #

I'm not saying what is going to happen. I'm saying that any realistic look at the situation can only lead you to one expectation. Unless injuries pile up the Yankees have a much better team and are probably going to finish well ahead of the Blue Jays.

Anything can happen when they play the games, but you have to be realistic, if the Yankees fix the bullpen that team is a juggernaut.

Jevant - Tuesday, May 26 2009 @ 12:58 PM EDT (#200543) #

Perhaps, but an old aging juggernaut that WILL see the injuries pile up, at a higher and faster pace than the younger Jays/O's/Rays should.

Jim - Wednesday, May 27 2009 @ 10:45 AM EDT (#200563) #

The Yankees aren't as old as they used to be.

Using the baseball-reference methodolgy which isn't perfect (and includes Posada and A-Rod's injuries):

Yankees:

30.3 batting & 29.2 pitching

Baltimore:

29.6 & 29.8

Toronto:

29.9 & 28.8

Only Tampa is really younger

27.7 & 27.8

The End of the World as We Know It | 53 comments | Create New Account

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