Positivity Thread: Can the Jays build on this first laugher?

[NiagaraJaysFan]

The result aside, they looked to be taking a better approach with them to the plate with more line drive swings than swinging for the fences swings. It gives me hopes that they may be finally coming out of their funk. Or is this all on Saunders?

 

Thoughts?

[eastcoastjaysfan]

No

 

The lineup is not good enough. The rotation will normalize (Buehrle worries me though, he's pretty reliant on exceptional defense to succeed). But the lineup simply doesn't have enough talent. Quite possibly the worst 6-9 in baseball right now.

[NiagaraJaysFan]

No

 

The lineup is not good enough. The rotation will normalize (Buehrle worries me though, he's pretty reliant on exceptional defense to succeed). But the lineup simply doesn't have enough talent. Quite possibly the worst 6-9 in baseball right now.

Isn't that something. Not enough talent. And a great many pundits predicted WS for sure for us. How far we have fallen.

[dineke]

Isn't that something. Not enough talent. And a great many pundits predicted WS for sure for us. How far we have fallen.

 

Those pundits were retarded even before the season started.

[Camps]

They need to win tonight. Every time they have a big win like this, they crap the bed next time out, if they could string off a couple, especially against Tampa, I think they can get back to respectability, if not the playoffs.

[dineke]

No

 

The lineup is not good enough. The rotation will normalize (Buehrle worries me though, he's pretty reliant on exceptional defense to succeed). But the lineup simply doesn't have enough talent. Quite possibly the worst 6-9 in baseball right now.

 

Heeeeeeeeeeeeeyo!

[NiagaraJaysFan]

They need to win tonight. Every time they have a big win like this, they crap the bed next time out, if they could string off a couple, especially against Tampa, I think they can get back to respectability, if not the playoffs.

Realistically, this is all we can all hope for. We would need on Oakland 2002 like run to have a hope of a playoff spot. As I am an eternal optimist, I cross my fingers....

[NiagaraJaysFan]

Those pundits were retarded even before the season started.

 

I have to agree with that, but they had me fooled, I was drinking the Kool-Aid from a fountain, as were many others.

[Camps]

In any case, since this is the positivity thread, this team is not that bad. When the moves happened, with Dickey inked for 3 years, Reyes for a while, Bautista/Encarnacion/Morrow extended, there was talk of this not being built for one season but for the next 3 or 4.

 

I still believe Dickey/Morrow/JJohnson are good pitchers, they all have track records that they aren't going to magically regress to crappiness. I like Happ and his extension as a #4/#5 guy. I have real concerns about either Buerhle or Romero being good pitchers in the AL East but hopefully there is hope for Drabek/Hutch/Sanchez, if we're talking 3 year window.

 

Offensively, Bau, Edwin, Reyes will all still be somewhere between above average players and superstars. Lawrie will be when you factor in his defense.

 

Arencibia and Rasmus will be above replacement level, as they have been their whole careers. JPA with his power, Rasmus with his glove.

 

Gose can fill an OF spot, Melky may be finding his swing, DH is easy to fill, 2B will likely continue to be a wasteland until they bring in Chutley.

 

TL:DR - Team not that bad, will be fine, will be above .500 this year and hope for coming years without major changes.

[NiagaraJaysFan]

^^^^^ That's the spirit!

[NiagaraJaysFan]

Getting Reyes back will be huge too!

[Ziggyy108]

We've already created wayyyyy to big of a hole.

 

This team has to many holes to make a run that will get their heads above water.

[Chappy]

Ovcourse they can build on it, but they have to do it right now. We are about 1/5 of the way through the season. The real test will be to get to .500 my the midway point of the season. If they can do that then a wild card is certainly attainable.

[GD]

They can build on it but we'd need a sustained winning streak for it to matter.

[o2cui2i]

Ovcourse they can build on it, but they have to do it right now. We are about 1/5 of the way through the season. The real test will be to get to .500 my the midway point of the season. If they can do that then a wild card is certainly attainable.

 

we shouldn't talk about .500 until they win at least 3 in a row. something they have not managed yet. they've only won 2 in a row once.

 

this series is a move forward or make moves indicator. AA cant afford to let the slide continue without the perception of his "trying" to do something.

[Chappy]

we shouldn't talk about .500 until they win at least 3 in a row. something they have not managed yet. they've only won 2 in a row once.

 

this series is a move forward or make moves indicator. AA cant afford to let the slide continue without the perception of his "trying" to do something.

 

I don't think they need to have any type of long winning streak right now. Obviously it would be great but it isn't the only way. Winning 2, losing 1, winning 3 losing 1, etc, etc, and this team will get back on track in no time.

[bzapple]

Maybe they needed to hit around a bad pitcher to get the bats going, or maybe Saunders was just terrible and any lineup would have destroyed him. Like I said in yesterday's post game thread we always want to think that a good win is a sign of things to come, but really it's just one game and baseball is all about the big picture. It was a terrible homestand and now they really need to win at least 4 of the 7 games on this coming road trip, because getting stomped on by our division rivals like we have been so far just isn't going to cut it.

 

No way this collective underachieving can continue though. It's just too ridiculous for pretty much every player on the roster (aside from relievers) to perform well below their career norms. Bautista and EE are still a dangerous 3-4 combo, it's too early to say that Melky is terrible because he's off PEDs or whatever, and most importantly, our pitchers aren't this terrible. I really believe this is a good rotation, and that includes Buehrle.

 

Of course, we're in a tough spot with Reyes out and not coming back soon. Someone needs to actually go above and beyond, like Dickey regaining his ace form, or Lawrie living up to his star potential.

[mitchf]

No

 

The lineup is not good enough. The rotation will normalize (Buehrle worries me though, he's pretty reliant on exceptional defense to succeed). But the lineup simply doesn't have enough talent. Quite possibly the worst 6-9 in baseball right now.

With a 5 (JP/Lind) that either can't hit, or can't walk.

 

Honestly it's better to not even analyze the lineup, makes you realize what a poor idea it was from the start that it would work.

[o2cui2i]

I don't think they need to have any type of long winning streak right now. Obviously it would be great but it isn't the only way. Winning 2, losing 1, winning 3 losing 1, etc, etc, and this team will get back on track in no time.

 

they need to start by not having their winning steak stop at one all the time and to start having their losing streak never get past 1 for the next 2 months.

[NiagaraJaysFan]

One more post for the Positivity thread!

 

18 runs scored in the last 2 games, maybe the offense is legit breaking out!

 

GO JAYS GO!

[wilko]

I still have hope for this club, they need to play sound ball starting yesterday.

 

Jays need a nice 10 game winning streak lol.

[fatcowxlive]

Jays need a nice 10 game winning streak lol.

 

If we sweep Tampa in the Trop, that means this team has gone back to being serious

[Metallijay]

They have no choice at this point, they dug themself such a hole they have little margin for error. The pitching is not good enough yet, not even close.

[JohnnyLonghorn]

We don't neccesarily need a 2012 Oakland A's style winning streak (although that would be just lovely) but we need a hot stretch of games where we take 14-15 games of the next 20 and string a few series' wins together. It is pivotal that we take the upcoming series in Fenway.

[CHRIS]

We don't neccesarily need a 2012 Oakland A's style winning streak (although that would be just lovely) but we need a hot stretch of games where we take 14-15 games of the next 20 and string a few series' wins together. It is pivotal that we take the upcoming series in Fenway.

 

Basically, we've eliminated the ability to go into much of a slump the rest of the way. One more 4 or 5 game losing streak would be tough to take.

[Rajaifailedgrade1]

I'm really worried about our rotation aside from Morrow.

 

Dickey and MB have been pretty bad, Romero we have no idea..

 

We need our offence to score at least 6 runs in most games, otherwise it doesn't look good

[CHRIS]

I'm really worried about our rotation aside from Morrow.

 

They obviously can't be as bad as they've been to date. Rotation going to have to solidify pretty quickly to make a run.

[Rajaifailedgrade1]

They obviously can't be as bad as they've been to date. Rotation going to have to solidify pretty quickly to make a run.

 

I hope so...but if I was AA I would look into acquiring another starter with a proven track record, lots of question marks in this rotation that was "suppose" to be the best in baseball??

[CHRIS]

I hope so...but if I was AA I would look into acquiring another starter with a proven track record, lots of question marks in this rotation that was "suppose" to be the best in baseball??

 

He already did that. Not sure what kind of proven guy we could get this early in the season. The best course of action may be to allow/hope Dickey, MB improve rather than spending more assets to bring in new "proven" guys.

[Rajaifailedgrade1]

He already did that. Not sure what kind of proven guy we could get this early in the season. The best course of action may be to allow/hope Dickey, MB improve rather than spending more assets to bring in new "proven" guys.

 

I believe Dickey will improve because he is dealing with some physical ailments, but MB....He's shown no signs of improvements, he pitches deep but gives up tons of homers. He's the kinda pitcher that you need to have your offence save each time.