General 2016 Blue Jays discussion thread

[crazy47larry]

been away for the last 10 days... has there been any reaction to how the dirt is playing so far?

[Jimcanuck]

Ian Hunter

Kevin Pillar played with a broken hand last season - according to the Blue Jays assistant hitting coach.

 

Someone to break a Pillar's hand, please.

 

There is an assistant hitting coach? wtf do these guys do

[KingKat]

been away for the last 10 days... has there been any reaction to how the dirt is playing so far?

 

Having heard much about it at all which is a good sign. Everyone must be happy.

[Pendleton]

There is an assistant hitting coach? wtf do these guys do

 

Likely assists the hitting coach.

[closetjaysfan]

been away for the last 10 days... has there been any reaction to how the dirt is playing so far?

 

I think it may have gotten wet on one occasion in the red sox series and started to marble... I expect the ground crew is still getting used to it.

[Spanky__99]

Likely assists the hitting coach.

 

Hah! Pretty self explanatory.

[Brownie19]

If Venditte needs Tommy John surgery on one of his elbows, could he conceivably come back after a few months (to a point where the elbow is stable enough to catch the ball) and pitch solely with his other arm while he rehabs the injured elbow? That would be pretty cool.

 

Most likely he'd have to blow out his right elbow and come back as a LOOGY.

[Statman]

It is crazy how much Russell Martins framing has declined since the start of 2015.

[Spanky__99]

It is crazy how much Russell Martins framing has declined since the start of 2015.

 

It has?

[BTS]

It is crazy how much Russell Martins framing has declined since the start of 2015.

 

We've seen that happen for a lot of elite framers. Most common explanation is that teams don't employ terrible framers anymore so the difference between best and worst is much, much smaller than it was 2-3 years ago. He's likely just as good, just not relative to the rest of the league.

[Spanky__99]

We've seen that happen for a lot of elite framers. Most common explanation is that teams don't employ terrible framers anymore so the difference between best and worst is much, much smaller than it was 2-3 years ago. He's likely just as good, just not relative to the rest of the league.

 

I think it was more of catching Dickey. 8 games is too small a sample to get any reliable information on 16'.

 

http://statcorner.com/CatcherReport.php

[Statman]

If anyone needs a laugh today.

 

http://www.thestar.com/sports/bluejays/2013/05/16/blue_jays_catcher_jp_arencibia_needs_postseason_to_elevate_profile_griffin.html

[baseballsss]

If anyone needs a laugh today.

 

http://www.thestar.com/sports/bluejays/2013/05/16/blue_jays_catcher_jp_arencibia_needs_postseason_to_elevate_profile_griffin.html

 

 

Ouch

[burlingtonbandit]

It is crazy how much Russell Martins framing has declined since the start of 2015.

 

I'd like to see the numbers from last night. He did a really good job and got some strikes that weren't even close.

[baseballsss]

I'd like to see the numbers from last night. He did a really good job and got some strikes that weren't even close.

 

Have they actually declined that much or was catching Dickey last year the reason they don't look as good?

[burlingtonbandit]

Have they actually declined that much or was catching Dickey last year the reason they don't look as good?

 

I would say Dickey and not even just catching Dickey himself but adjusting to catching guys after Dickey came in. I don't think his skill of pitch framing has changed really, just a lot of guys getting better. His reputation might even hurt him a little bit with some umpires.

[Governator]

I would say Dickey and not even just catching Dickey himself but adjusting to catching guys after Dickey came in. I don't think his skill of pitch framing has changed really, just a lot of guys getting better. His reputation might even hurt him a little bit with some umpires.

 

And don't umps have a new strike zone this year? Higher or lower I forget. Plus some umps have been downright awful in consistency this year so far.

[Stangstag]

It is crazy how much Russell Martins framing has declined since the start of 2015.

 

Time for you to go on the ignore list

[HERPDERP]

I'm honestly too dumb and lazy to go figure out how you can check catcher framing #'s by month.

[Stangstag]

I'm honestly too dumb and lazy to go figure out how you can check catcher framing #'s by month.

 

Google is your friend

[HERPDERP]

I'm honestly too dumb and lazy to go figure out how you can check catcher framing #'s by month.

 

.....

[HERPDERP]

Stroman's love for the sinker:

https://sports.vice.com/ca/article/how-discovering-a-sinker-changed-everything-for-marcus-stroman

 

now we know why he ditched the 4 seamer

 

""I'm a completely different pitcher than I was for the first 23 and a half years of my life," says Stroman, who must have started pitching at a very tender age. "I was a four-seam guy who had trouble getting to the sixth, seventh, eighth innings. It would be five, six innings, high strikeouts, homers, fly-ball guy. And now I'm the complete opposite."

 

Now he aims to pitch to contact, and the sinker, when it's working, often induces weak contact. Indeed, in the seven regular-season starts since he came back from knee surgery last September, he has averaged 12 ground-ball outs. In his first start this year, he had 15."

[ValiantJaysFan]

Carrera in the lineup today. With Price on the mound.

 

Gibbons you continue to impress

[Governator]

Barney is going to destroy Price.

[John_Havok]

Stroman's love for the sinker:

https://sports.vice.com/ca/article/how-discovering-a-sinker-changed-everything-for-marcus-stroman

 

now we know why he ditched the 4 seamer

 

""I'm a completely different pitcher than I was for the first 23 and a half years of my life," says Stroman, who must have started pitching at a very tender age. "I was a four-seam guy who had trouble getting to the sixth, seventh, eighth innings. It would be five, six innings, high strikeouts, homers, fly-ball guy. And now I'm the complete opposite."

 

Now he aims to pitch to contact, and the sinker, when it's working, often induces weak contact. Indeed, in the seven regular-season starts since he came back from knee surgery last September, he has averaged 12 ground-ball outs. In his first start this year, he had 15."

 

It's a great way of thinking, but he should still keep the 4 seamer handy just to give them another look

[Laika]

It's a great way of thinking, but he should still keep the 4 seamer handy just to give them another look

 

Yeah. Sinkers early for strikes, four seamers with 2 strikes for punchies.

 

He was the best he's ever been in 2014, when he was a four seam guy (2.84 FIP!). So there's that.

[KingKat]

If anyone needs a laugh today.

 

http://www.thestar.com/sports/bluejays/2013/05/16/blue_jays_catcher_jp_arencibia_needs_postseason_to_elevate_profile_griffin.html

 

Holy s***! I only just saw that now. Amazing. I just learned that JPA is Posey minus the rings.

[KingKat]

Not sure why this is seen as such a good thing. Strikeouts are good and efficient. The present Stroman isn't really better than the 2014 one.

 

If the trade off is lower pitch counts and going deeper into games, that can work out especially with the kind of run support he's likely to get.

[baseballsss]

Not sure why this is seen as such a good thing. Strikeouts are good and efficient. The present Stroman isn't really better than the 2014 one.

 

It'll prob end up being something like Halladay. Can get the strikeout if needed and eventually in his career be getting 6-8 K's a game anyways

[BTS]

Not sure why this is seen as such a good thing. Strikeouts are good and efficient. The present Stroman isn't really better than the 2014 one.

 

Present Stroman has been pretty ineffective. 4.22 ERA and 3.94 xFIP. It's great that he's going 7+ IP per start, but when they're Cosart level innings with 5 K/9 I'll take 5-6 innings of 2014 Stroman every time.