2010-06-03

Game 55 Recap: Live And In Effect


So I had this great idea.  Why not go to a Blue Jays game?  Two great starters on the hill in Marcum and Price in a rubber match.  I made a few calls to the boys, The Human Rain Delay and Jimmy Triggs were feeling it so it was on.  Spontaneous Jays game. 

What we saw was a game filled with missed opportunities and miscues by both teams.  Fittingly, it ended with a grand slam by the visiting team on a mistake and the crowd went home disappointed.  We decided to stay and watch the final outs, me with my hat turned inside out.

Now I know that most will hang this loss on the manager.  And I dislike him as much as the next guy.  Probably more.  But on the ride home I found myself replaying that fateful ninth inning back, wondering what he could have done different.  And you know what I came up with.  Nothing.

He let his staff leader go out and try to finish off the game and even had the double barreled action up in the pen just in case.  After two well hit singles, the argument could be made that a pitching change was needed.  But Marcum had been wiggling his way out of trouble very well this game.  And he was able to get the groundball he was looking for, it was just not hit hard enough to turn the double play.  And if Overbay makes that play on the bunt, we probably win the game.

Point being: these games are bound to happen over a 162 game schedule.  They hurt.  They demoralize.  But what they do not mean is we are falling apart.  In a rare moment, I will try to look at the positives.  And there are many to take out of this game as well as this series folks.  

Your Toronto Blue Jays can play competitive baseball with anyone.  That's right.  I said it.  I think this team is for real.  We entered the ninth inning of each of these games with the lead against the best team record wise in the entire Major Leagues.  That's a huge lift for the confidence of the players.  More times than not that means we are going to win the game.  We just didn't get it done this time around.  You know what the best part about it is?  We get another shot at these lucky bastards next week.

Lick your wounds on the off day everyone and get ready for the Evil Empire.  

7 comments:

  1. I am with you. If anybody out there complains that the Jays suck after those games I will get angry. When virtually every "expert" picks you to come in last, and through 1/3 of the season you have a record good enough to lead three divisions, you are doing well.

    The Jays will be fine.

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  2. Jeremy,
    Thanks for stopping by!

    I am disappointed in the outcomes of the last two games. Everybody is. But there are quite a few things that did not go our way AND we still almost won.
    That ball Vernon hit off their closer 2 days ago in the ninth after Gregg did his thing was a few feet away from giving us a tie game.
    And if umpie doesn't make that crazy call (the Rays runner missing third base) then nobody second guesses why The Cito lets Marcum go out for one more inning because it would have been a tie game.
    I don't know, coulda, shoulda, woulda.....
    I am happy we are where we are and I think our boyz are starting to figure out what it takes to win games. That will serve us well moving forward.

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  3. I'll admit that I've never totally agreed with the Cito hate and the more I watch his second go as manager, the more I agree with his philosophy. I'm not sure this team plays with this much confidence under anyone else. He makes his teams believe it's possible to win.

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  4. You're totally right about our opposite opinions on the issue. If I was there to watch that game go down live, I'd either be extremely vivid or I'd be in the "oh well, we'll get them next time" mindset.

    It is after all just two games in early June.

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  5. Mattt,
    I still think his style works better when he has horses. Players make the manager look either really good or really bad. I will say this, we have lost a few battles lately but perhaps it has set us up to be in a position to win the war later on.....

    Hunter,
    Don't get me wrong man, I was FUCKING pissed while it was happening. But the difference was I had an hour or two to think about it while I drove home.

    It is still early but I think our team is getting closer. That is where my head is at right now.

    Thank you gentlemen for your thoughts.

    Could this be the TSN turning point on the year? Do we come out against the Skankies and beat the shit out of them or do we roll over and play dead.

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  6. We beat the shit out of them. Turning point reached!

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  7. Boooooooya!
    We got Rick Ro going tomorrow.....
    Nice to see the real time updates on the bomb counter!
    Everybody needs to support this site:
    http://www.ballotsforbautista.com/

    ReplyDelete