GDT: 1/3 Toronto Blue Jays (8-5) at Houston Astros (6-6)

[BigCecil]

The bullpen as a whole looks much better than a year ago

 

Pen was very good early last year too. I did a thread fapping Chatwood to my ever living shame. But I agree the toolshed is better stocked. I don't even know what to say about that game. Heart attack salad with Romano whose V is back. Great D. Thornton. Zimmer & Espy. Strip wasn't bad. Vlad driving around the base on clutch Chappy hit. Contributions from the unexpected = Pure baseball. I still feel like this whole team has an extra gear we have yet to see.

[THANOS]

Pen was very good early last year too. I did a thread fapping Chatwood to my ever living shame. But I agree the toolshed is better stocked. I don't even know what to say about that game. Heart attack salad with Romano whose V is back. Great D. Thornton. Zimmer & Espy. Strip wasn't bad. Vlad driving around the base on clutch Chappy hit. Contributions from the unexpected = Pure baseball. I still feel like this whole team has an extra gear we have yet to see.

 

I guess we can blame the velo dip on the Boston weather maybe?

[Virgil_Hiltz]

Pen was very good early last year too. I did a thread fapping Chatwood to my ever living shame. But I agree the toolshed is better stocked. I don't even know what to say about that game. Heart attack salad with Romano whose V is back. Great D. Thornton. Zimmer & Espy. Strip wasn't bad. Vlad driving around the base on clutch Chappy hit. Contributions from the unexpected = Pure baseball. I still feel like this whole team has an extra gear we have yet to see.

Bo, Teoscar, Kirk hasn't started hitting yet, Jansen is hurt and Springer has been ok. Would be nice ro get them going to ease the late innings bullpen by Mayza and Romano.

But struggling with an underperforming lineup and winning games you probably shouldn't has been a trademark for rhe Jays opponents (namely Tampa and Boston last yr).

[saskjayfan]

I guess we can blame the velo dip on the Boston weather maybe?

 

Could have been a factor, but I think a bigger factor was just shortened spring training. Players didn't get the work needed to build their arm strength up. Romano needed all this work early in the season. It's nice to see that 98 and 99.

[Deadpool]

Bo, Teoscar, Kirk hasn't started hitting yet, Jansen is hurt and Springer has been ok. Would be nice ro get them going to ease the late innings bullpen by Mayza and Romano.

But struggling with an underperforming lineup and winning games you probably shouldn't has been a trademark for rhe Jays opponents (namely Tampa and Boston last yr).

 

Point of clarity: Teo was hitting a f***TONNE when he got hurt. 191 wRC+ and 0.6 WAR in only 6 games. He's on pace for 16.2 WAR over a full season!

[max silver]

This was a very fun game overall. Both teams played great defence, I can see why Houston was willing to let Correa leave because Pena is an absolute stud. Huge props to Espinal, he made several great plays and got the team going offensively with the big homerun. He might just be in the midst of a massive offensive breakout as his expected stats are pretty crazy right now. He already has produced 3 barrels in his first 48 plate appearances, he had only produced 4 barrels in his previous 312 plate appearances. His WOBA is a staggering 99 points behind his xWOBA, once his .242 BABIP begins to stabilize his numbers are going to take off.

 

The team's pitching staff is doing a great job keeping them in games right now, since the end of the Rangers series where the pitchers were rocked several times the staff has put up a 2.63 ERA/2.94 FIP. The bullpen in particular has been stellar during this timeframe with a 1.85 ERA/2.42 FIP. Once some injured bodies start returning to the lineup and the bats get going this team should really go on a tear.

[Virgil_Hiltz]

Point of clarity: Teo was hitting a f***TONNE when he got hurt. 191 wRC+ and 0.6 WAR in only 6 games. He's on pace for 16.2 WAR over a full season!

 

Yeah...should have has him in with Jansen. Point still stands...it's nice to be playing well with the supposed strength not firing on all cylinders.

[Laika]

 

Love it when the joke stadium screws over the home team

[Virgil_Hiltz]

Love it when the joke stadium screws over the home team

 

But the quirkiness sure beats the cookie cutter ball parks.

[John_Havok]

But the quirkiness sure beats the cookie cutter ball parks.

 

That's open to debate.

 

I think its fine to have quirks, as long as you confrim the most basic rules sets of how far the fences need to be at the corners, and in CF.

 

hell, Make the OF wall a weird shaped waveform all the way around that changes in height from 5 feet to 40 for all I care, as long as its 325 Feet down each line and 400 in CF minimum.

 

This notion that the only way to have a quirky OF is to bring the walls in is lazy. Besides, they dont get to play with the other dimensions of anything else? Wouldnt it be quirky is the pitching mound at RC was only 55 feet? What a quirk! Basepath from home to first is 90 feet, but 1st to second and second to 3rd is only 75, then 90 home again. OMG how quirky!

 

And please understand im not meaning to go off on YOu specifically, but field dimension stuff is one of those things that really set me off for some reason.

Edited April 23, 2022 by John_Havok

[Virgil_Hiltz]

^

Loved the centrefield in old Forbes Field, Green Monster (not so much Pensky Pole) Just dont give me the 70's style of Riverfront and Three Rivers and the such. If walls are closer than usually then add height or something along those lines. Of course all parks gets approval from MLB so nothing would be too far fetched.

[Jimcanuck]

^ not close what I meant by quirkiness.

Loved the centrefield in old Forbes Field, Green Monster (not so much Pensky Pole) Just dont give me the 70's style of Riverfront and Three Rivers and the such.

 

Oh ya those 70's mausoleums were the pits. At least the BigO had some character (a removable roof that never worked).

 

Would like to hear Spats on his favourite parks from his tours.

[John_Havok]

^ not close what I meant by quirkiness.

Loved the centrefield in old Forbes Field, Green Monster (not so much Pensky Pole) Just dont give me the 70's style of Riverfront and Three Rivers and the such.

 

I agree for the cookie cutter outfields that all have the exact same shape and curve from pole to pole, that's boring. My point is if the only way stadium designers (and fans) can accept something as quirky and interesting is to completely break the dimension rules, then ... there's not much actual thoguht going into it.

 

On the flip side, Marlins stadium is very quirky - and an eyesore from the 7th circle of hell

[Signal]

MVP of the night Santiago Espinal

 

Have to agree. Espinal made some incredible plays in the field. And a HR against Verlander doesn't hurt.

 

Infield D is really playing well. And it appears the Jays are winning games this year that they would have lost last year.

 

But to be real, going into the game, I did not think they had a chance. Playing Houston on the road, Stripling filling in for an injured Ryu, Hernandez out, Springer out, AND up against one of the best pitchers in baseball who has been dealing. No, this was definitely one of those games where the Jays bucked all the odds and I do think it was their defense and some timely pitching that saved their asses. That said, Chapman was clutch.

[Laika]

But the quirkiness sure beats the cookie cutter ball parks.

 

Disagree

 

They can make the dimensions slightly different without these stupid goofy outliers like Houston and Boston and New York

[John_Havok]

Point of clarity: Teo was hitting a f***TONNE when he got hurt. 191 wRC+ and 0.6 WAR in only 6 games. He's on pace for 16.2 WAR over a full season!

 

Look at Jansen, he had 0.5 WAR over 8 PA in 3 games. He was on pace for like 20 WAR. INSANITY! WRC+ of 535 with positive baserunning and defense. MVP form

[max silver]

Look at Jansen, he had 0.5 WAR over 8 PA in 3 games. He was on pace for like 20 WAR. INSANITY! WRC+ of 535 with positive baserunning and defense. MVP form

 

Super amazing short sample size MVP level performance. Going back to when he came off of the injured list in July of last year his numbers are crazy, with a 224 WRC+. This is in only over 91 plate appearances but given how he's maintained this level of offence despite several injury related starts and stops I'd really like to see he could accomplish if he managed to stay healthy.

[John_Havok]

Super amazing short sample size MVP level performance. Going back to when he came off of the injured list in July of last year his numbers are crazy, with a 224 WRC+. This is in only over 91 plate appearances but given how he's maintained this level of offence despite several injury related starts and stops I'd really like to see he could accomplish if he managed to stay healthy.

 

I know, just hyperbole with a hint of sarcasm.

[Brownie19]

Oh ya those 70's mausoleums were the pits. At least the BigO had some character (a removable roof that never worked).

 

Would like to hear Spats on his favourite parks from his tours.

 

I think we'd all just love to hear more from Spats period. He should do a Q&A or something. That guy is the Adrian Beltre of the board.

[Deadpool]

That's open to debate.

 

I think its fine to have quirks, as long as you confrim the most basic rules sets of how far the fences need to be at the corners, and in CF.

 

hell, Make the OF wall a weird shaped waveform all the way around that changes in height from 5 feet to 40 for all I care, as long as its 325 Feet down each line and 400 in CF minimum.

 

This notion that the only way to have a quirky OF is to bring the walls in is lazy. Besides, they dont get to play with the other dimensions of anything else? Wouldnt it be quirky is the pitching mound at RC was only 55 feet? What a quirk! Basepath from home to first is 90 feet, but 1st to second and second to 3rd is only 75, then 90 home again. OMG how quirky!

 

And please understand im not meaning to go off on YOu specifically, but field dimension stuff is one of those things that really set me off for some reason.

 

I was always of the opinion that since home teams get to flout the rules with their ballparks, and since the SkyDome was the first retractable roof stadium (well, the first one that wasn't just so, so awful) they should have employed retractable fences too. 20' in when the Jays are batting 20' farther back for the opposing team. How's that for a "quirk"?

[Deadpool]

Look at Jansen, he had 0.5 WAR over 8 PA in 3 games. He was on pace for like 20 WAR. INSANITY! WRC+ of 535 with positive baserunning and defense. MVP form

 

This is the greatest team of all time! Sample sizes be damned!

[John Balkabella]

And Espinal for MVP!l

 

Just sayin...