Around Baseball 2014

[TwistedLogic]

I could be wrong about this, but I'm pretty sure this is the first time since 1993 that the Blue Jays have lead the AL East by 4.0 games. It would be cool if someone can confirm it, but as much as I could check, the Jays lead the East by 3.0 games at one point in 2000, and by 3.5 games in 2009, but the last time they lead by 4.0 was when they clinched the East in 1993. If that's true, then today is a day for a very mild amount of celebration.

[BTS]

MLB updated web based Gameday - what do you think?

 

I don't like it at all.

[havok24]

I don't like it at all.

 

It's pretty awful.

[G-Snarls]

I could be wrong about this, but I'm pretty sure this is the first time since 1993 that the Blue Jays have lead the AL East by 4.0 games. It would be cool if someone can confirm it, but as much as I could check, the Jays lead the East by 3.0 games at one point in 2000, and by 3.5 games in 2009, but the last time they lead by 4.0 was when they clinched the East in 1993. If that's true, then today is a day for a very mild amount of celebration.

 

[43211234]

The new MLB Gameday looks like it was developed with mobile devices in mind, as everything is more squished horizontally. I don't really care for the new design but it's not terrible.

[G-Snarls]

Looked up 1993 standings and stats leaders

 

Was reminded that even though Olerud hit .363 that year, he DIDN'T have the highest BA in baseball. Quiz: Who did?

[G-Snarls]

Thank you Felix!!

[TwistedLogic]

 

Thanks, should have just checked Sportsnet to see if they had something, wasted like 20 minutes going through the standings for the past 20 years LOL

 

The exact dates for the last time we got close though:

 

June 30, 2000 - Blue Jays lead the Yankees in the AL East by 3.0 Games

May 18, 2009 - Blue Jays lead the Red Sox in the AL East by 3.5 Games

June 02, 2014 - Blue Jays lead the Yankees in the AL East by 4.0 Games

[Convo]

Do not like

 

I don't like it at all.

 

It's pretty awful.

 

People tend to hate change. On the positive side, it loads faster, it scales larger. But it needs some tweaks still.

[Convo]

Thanks, should have just checked Sportsnet to see if they had something, wasted like 20 minutes going through the standings for the past 20 years LOL

 

The exact dates for the last time we got close though:

 

June 30, 2000 - Blue Jays lead the Yankees in the AL East by 3.0 Games

May 18, 2009 - Blue Jays lead the Red Sox in the AL East by 3.5 Games

June 02, 2014 - Blue Jays lead the Yankees in the AL East by 4.0 Games

 

Exciting times in Blue Jays land!

[G-Snarls]

Exciting times in Blue Jays land!

 

Good times indeed!

[TwistedLogic]

My favourite GameDay was the one they had prior to the last one (GameDay Classic), where if you went and clicked on a previous at-bat, you could see where all the pitches were located and how they were called. The new GameDay didn't let you do that, only showed the pitches thrown in the current at-bat. The newer GameDay (which I think is terrible, although in the two minutes I used it, already seems less buggy than the old one) is the same in that regard.

[jays_fever]

Looked up 1993 standings and stats leaders

 

Was reminded that even though Olerud hit .363 that year, he DIDN'T have the highest BA in baseball. Quiz: Who did?

 

I cheated but I completely forgot about that guy. He was an absolute beast in the video games growing up haha

[Convo]

My favourite GameDay was the one they had prior to the last one (GameDay Classic), where if you went and clicked on a previous at-bat, you could see where all the pitches were located and how they were called. The new GameDay didn't let you do that, only showed the pitches thrown in the current at-bat. The newer GameDay (which I think is terrible, although in the two minutes I used it, already seems less buggy than the old one) is the same in that regard.

 

You can still load Classic Gameday - bottom right link I use it all the time for that very purpose.

[Deadpool]

Jays with a 4 game division lead. Someone shoot me in the face.

 

[kgm1]

Looked up 1993 standings and stats leaders

 

Was reminded that even though Olerud hit .363 that year, he DIDN'T have the highest BA in baseball. Quiz: Who did?

 

Well I was close . My guy was 3rd and won in 94 . wouldn't have guessed him

[Candy Maldonado]

Looked up 1993 standings and stats leaders

 

Was reminded that even though Olerud hit .363 that year, he DIDN'T have the highest BA in baseball. Quiz: Who did?

 

Galaraga?

[Convo]

Galaraga?

 

Walker?

[TheHurl]

And all it takes is one week for all of that to turn around. It's way too early in the season for them to be out of it.

 

On the topic of the Rays though...

 

This is before I started following baseball, but ouch:

 

http://i.gyazo.com/07eabc654e3c2fe986039ba3796b1f4b.png

 

Can't remember ever seeing a team lose a division by 48 games. I'm sure it must have happened, but I've never seen it.

 

I don't think they were as far behind but check the Tigers the very next season.

[TwistedLogic]

I don't think they were as far behind but check the Tigers the very next season.

 

Jesus christ, that's horrific. The only reason they weren't that many games behind was because the Twins won the division with only 90 wins. And yet the Tigers still managed to fall 47 games behind. In the East, they would have been down by 60. It's scary to think that the Tigers were once that bad.

 

Edit: I have no idea how the Padres ended up getting a higher draft pick (first overall) the following season, but whatever the reason, that abysmal season for the Tigers lead to Justin Verlander.

[4thOFan]

Jays fans scoreboard watching in June lol

[TheHurl]

Jesus christ, that's horrific. The only reason they weren't that many games behind was because the Twins won the division with only 90 wins. And yet the Tigers still managed to fall 47 games behind. In the East, they would have been down by 60. It's scary to think that the Tigers were once that bad.

 

Edit: I have no idea how the Padres ended up getting a higher draft pick (first overall) the following season, but whatever the reason, that abysmal season for the Tigers lead to Justin Verlander.

 

I can't remember the year it changed but the Worst in the NL and the worst in the AL used to alternate years where they picked first. Neither Matt Bush nor Verlander were ranked number 1 or 2 that year. Stephen Drew and Jered Weaver were ranked highest but fell because of Boras demands. Weaver ended up signing for much less than expected (although still second highest in the draft) and Drew signed a major league contract 1 day before the 2005 draft deadline on May 31st.

[TwistedLogic]

Despite Beeston saying that the Jays aren't using it as an excuse, I think it's a legitimate reason why attendance is down:

 

ATTENDANCE IS DOWN

 

Paul Beeston was on the Fan 590 Monday talking about the Blue Jays’ drop in attendance this season and, while we agree with Beeston that some fans have taken a wait-and-see approach to the ballclub after the massive under-achievement of 2013, that’s not the only factor.

 

“If we’re playing well in July, the attendance will be there,” Beeston said. “I’m not worried about that. Last year we kind of broke their trust. Everyone anticipated we’d be playing in October so they (are saying) ‘show me and why should I come back?’

 

“Quite frankly, we’ve had some good weekends but it’s been quiet during the week. I look at who were playing and the fact that we have to build that back. As we win, the fans will be back. The TV ratings are good and more importantly the team is playing entertaining baseball.”

 

Interesting about those TV ratings. Last week, the final game against Tampa Bay produced an audience in excess of 800,000, which is comparable to a Leaf game. People are watching on TV, but not live.

 

And why is that? Well, there isn’t a city in North America that makes it more difficult for fans to get to the games than Toronto. Sunday’s turnout of 38,008 was an astounding number, considering that one line of the subway system was closed, the Gardiner Expressway was closed and the Lakeshore also had lane closures.

 

Two lanes of the Gardiner are out of commission for up to two years from the Humber to downtown. You have to be a very avid fan to fight that snarled traffic when you can sit back and watch in high def on your 50-inch set at home. The GO Train is an alternative but it’s still a hassle.

 

We’re guessing a lot of those fans would forgive and forget 2013’s disappointment if they could just get to the ballpark.

[G-Snarls]

You can still load Classic Gameday - bottom right link I use it all the time for that very purpose.

 

Right on!

[G-Snarls]

Tulo has really slowed down, he's been a below average hitter the past half of a month or so.

 

Phew! Glad we drafted Ricky after all then. LOL

[G-Snarls]

Galaraga?

 

Yes

 

.370 BA

[eastcoastjaysfan]

Despite Beeston saying that the Jays aren't using it as an excuse, I think it's a legitimate reason why attendance is down:

 

ATTENDANCE IS DOWN

 

Paul Beeston was on the Fan 590 Monday talking about the Blue Jays’ drop in attendance this season and, while we agree with Beeston that some fans have taken a wait-and-see approach to the ballclub after the massive under-achievement of 2013, that’s not the only factor.

 

“If we’re playing well in July, the attendance will be there,” Beeston said. “I’m not worried about that. Last year we kind of broke their trust. Everyone anticipated we’d be playing in October so they (are saying) ‘show me and why should I come back?’

 

“Quite frankly, we’ve had some good weekends but it’s been quiet during the week. I look at who were playing and the fact that we have to build that back. As we win, the fans will be back. The TV ratings are good and more importantly the team is playing entertaining baseball.”

 

Interesting about those TV ratings. Last week, the final game against Tampa Bay produced an audience in excess of 800,000, which is comparable to a Leaf game. People are watching on TV, but not live.

 

And why is that? Well, there isn’t a city in North America that makes it more difficult for fans to get to the games than Toronto. Sunday’s turnout of 38,008 was an astounding number, considering that one line of the subway system was closed, the Gardiner Expressway was closed and the Lakeshore also had lane closures.

 

Two lanes of the Gardiner are out of commission for up to two years from the Humber to downtown. You have to be a very avid fan to fight that snarled traffic when you can sit back and watch in high def on your 50-inch set at home. The GO Train is an alternative but it’s still a hassle.

 

We’re guessing a lot of those fans would forgive and forget 2013’s disappointment if they could just get to the ballpark.

 

The subway closures are enraging. Seems like every second weekend the subway is closed south of Bloor. It's a joke. When all of these renovations are complete though it'll be awesome. The new Union Station looks amazing.

[Bunchedundies]

Sox finally lose, Yanks lose big, love it.

[Bunchedundies]

This week will be interesting, I'd be happy if we went 3-3. I'm feeling a little more confident now that we know Stroman is here to stay. Hopefully he can keep up the good work from his last start.

 

3-3 to 4-2 next 6 would be fine considering who we are playing, tigers won;t be easy on the road.

[G-Snarls]

The subway closures are enraging. Seems like every second weekend the subway is closed south of Bloor. It's a joke. When all of these renovations are complete though it'll be awesome. The new Union Station looks amazing.

 

When is the train from Pearson airport to Union Station going to be done?? As a guy who travels to Toronto several times a year I can't wait for that to get done.