Blue Jays (Gausman) vs Rays (Rasmussen): 5/5/26, 6:40pm

[Brock Beauchamp]

The Jays just can't get any momentum going, can they? It feels like the moment they get on the gas, they falter again. I thought for sure they'd handily beat the Twins, and now the Rays are a much tougher task.

	THU	FRI	SAT	SUN	MON	TOT
Tyler Rogers	0	9	0	0	0	9
Tommy Nance	18	0	0	14	13	45
Spencer Miles	0	0	15	0	27	42
Mason Fluharty	27	0	12	0	6	45
Louis Varland	0	27	0	0	0	27
Joe Mantiply	5	0	0	14	17	36
Jeff Hoffman	0	16	0	12	0	28
Braydon Fisher	0	9	0	18	0	27

[Stangstag]

At least the good arms are ready to go today

[RA Whiffleball]

Jays are 52-104 at the Graveyard since 2008.

Reminds me of how bad we were at Milwaukee's County Stadium, where we were 52-78 all-time. Believe it or not, we are actually worse at Progressive Field (47-73).

If there is expansion, Shapiro needs to petition MLB to move the Rays to the NL.

 

[RA Whiffleball]

1 hour ago, Stangstag said:

At least the good arms are ready to go today

Won't matter if the offence continues to sputter. 

[max silver]

32 minutes ago, RA Whiffleball said:

Won't matter if the offence continues to sputter. 

I think there's a big chance that Addison Barger injects some much needed thump into the lineup once he returns. Barger has shown that he can be a game changer when he's locked in at the plate and all the eludes him from star status is a touch of added consistency at the plate.

[RA Whiffleball]

23 minutes ago, max silver said:

I think there's a big chance that Addison Barger injects some much needed thump into the lineup once he returns. Barger has shown that he can be a game changer when he's locked in at the plate and all the eludes him from star status is a touch of added consistency at the plate.

This is more wishful thinking from the fanbase.

Barger had a good 135 games last season - we have to remember, he has never been an everyday player in his fledgling career.

Yes, there is potential, but he is not yet a proven player, so let's wait and see. 

[Spanky__99]

HOLY "WET BLANKET" BATMAN!!!

[max silver]

14 minutes ago, RA Whiffleball said:

This is more wishful thinking from the fanbase.

Barger had a good 135 games last season - we have to remember, he has never been an everyday player in his fledgling career.

Yes, there is potential, but he is not yet a proven player, so let's wait and see. 

Well look at you Mr. Sour Pants. Instead of choosing to look on the bright side after your team nearly won a world series it's still continuous doom and gloom instead. Addison Barger was a massive difference maker when he was locked in at the plate and this includes a very impressive 188 wRC+ in the post season against very high quality pitching staffs.

[RA Whiffleball]

7 minutes ago, max silver said:

Well look at you Mr. Sour Pants. Instead of choosing to look on the bright side after your team nearly won a world series it's still continuous doom and gloom instead. Addison Barger was a massive difference maker when he was locked in at the plate and this includes a very impressive 188 wRC+ in the post season against very high quality pitching staffs.

It's called realism. 

I agree that Barger was huge for us last year, but like I said, he's not a proven player, yet. Hopefully, he slots in and hits his stride, but to think he is the saviour at this point is madness,

[max silver]

19 minutes ago, RA Whiffleball said:

It's called realism. 

I agree that Barger was huge for us last year, but like I said, he's not a proven player, yet. Hopefully, he slots in and hits his stride, but to think he is the saviour at this point is madness,

Are you being this obtuse intentionally? I am suggesting that Barger is a potential star in the making, and the key factor in him determining this be whether or not he finds more consistency at the plate. I never once suggested that he's somehow proven in any of my posts so you are presenting an argument against a case that I never once tried to make. I never said he's a guaranteed saviour either so stop trying to place words into my mouth.

Go back and look at the original post I made towards Barger.

Quote

I think there's a big chance that Addison Barger injects some much needed thump into the lineup once he returns. Barger has shown that he can be a game changer when he's locked in at the plate and all the eludes him from star status is a touch of added consistency at the plate.

At no point did I ever say he was an established star, guaranteed saviour or anything of the sort. I stated that he is a very high ceiling player and if he locks in at the plate as he's capable of he'll be a massive difference maker. If you make an honest attempt at measured conversation vs trying to pick fights based on false premises you'll start to earn a little respect around here. A good starting point for you would be some actual good faith discussion as opposed to the garbage that you are posting here presently.

[RA Whiffleball]

53 minutes ago, max silver said:

Are you being this obtuse intentionally? I am suggesting that Barger is a potential star in the making, and the key factor in him determining this be whether or not he finds more consistency at the plate. I never once suggested that he's somehow proven in any of my posts so you are presenting an argument against a case that I never once tried to make. I never said he's a guaranteed saviour either so stop trying to place words into my mouth.

Go back and look at the original post I made towards Barger.

At no point did I ever say he was an established star, guaranteed saviour or anything of the sort. I stated that he is a very high ceiling player and if he locks in at the plate as he's capable of he'll be a massive difference maker. If you make an honest attempt at measured conversation vs trying to pick fights based on false premises you'll start to earn a little respect around here. A good starting point for you would be some actual good faith discussion as opposed to the garbage that you are posting here presently.

Nobody placed words in your mouth, even though you seem to have difficulty placing them yourself.

Again, anyone dares to disagree with your happy-clapper take, and they are labelled obtuse.

Here's a tip for you: don't try to use big words if you have a limited mind.  

[Stangstag]

56 minutes ago, max silver said:

Are you being this obtuse intentionally? I am suggesting that Barger is a potential star in the making, and the key factor in him determining this be whether or not he finds more consistency at the plate. I never once suggested that he's somehow proven in any of my posts so you are presenting an argument against a case that I never once tried to make. I never said he's a guaranteed saviour either so stop trying to place words into my mouth.

Go back and look at the original post I made towards Barger.

At no point did I ever say he was an established star, guaranteed saviour or anything of the sort. I stated that he is a very high ceiling player and if he locks in at the plate as he's capable of he'll be a massive difference maker. If you make an honest attempt at measured conversation vs trying to pick fights based on false premises you'll start to earn a little respect around here. A good starting point for you would be some actual good faith discussion as opposed to the garbage that you are posting here presently.

Nope. Barger stinks, Berrios is cooked, Bieber was a waste of money, Vladdy is a slap hitter, Okamoto can’t play 3rd, Cease is a massively overpaid #3, Springer is old af, Kirk will never get the bat going if he ever returns from injury, and our “ace” Yesavage is completely unproven.

This team will be lucky to finish .500

[Stangstag]

3 minutes ago, RA Whiffleball said:

Nobody placed words in your mouth, even though you seem to have difficulty placing them yourself.

Again, anyone dares to disagree with your happy-clapper take, and they are labelled obtuse.

Here's a tip for you: don't try to use big words if you have a limited mind.  

You can choose to be optimistic about the team and see what they did last year and realize what is possible, or you can choose to point out every potential flaw, and and say all the worst case scenarios will happen. But nobody really wants to hear that s***, so you are rightfully being called out.

[max silver]

3 minutes ago, RA Whiffleball said:

Nobody placed words in your mouth, even though you seem to have difficulty placing them yourself.

Again, anyone dares to disagree with your happy-clapper take, and they are labelled obtuse.

Here's a tip for you: don't try to use big words if you have a limited mind.  

Good grief I should just do myself a favor and add you to my ignore list. You are just so deficient in being a normally functionally adult socially that it's infuriating. I have no displayed zero issues with criticism towards this team, but I have a really hard time dealing with people with below average intelligence who are too slow to be able to recognize their basic deficiencies. 

[Governator]

If we ever hosted a party, there's a select few who I can guarantee are on the do not invite list.

[RA Whiffleball]

39 minutes ago, Stangstag said:

You can choose to be optimistic about the team and see what they did last year and realize what is possible, or you can choose to point out every potential flaw, and and say all the worst case scenarios will happen. But nobody really wants to hear that s***, so you are rightfully being called out.

I believe I said I hope he slots in and hits his stride.

But I also said there's no guarantee, and it would be foolish to think one player slotting into the lineup will transform our offence.

That's called being realistic. That's called having watched baseball for over 40 years.

As for last year, none of our opponents gives a flying about what we did last year.  

Some of you can't handle any kind of constructive criticism.

[RA Whiffleball]

45 minutes ago, max silver said:

Good grief I should just do myself a favor and add you to my ignore list. You are just so deficient in being a normally functionally adult socially that it's infuriating. I have no displayed zero issues with criticism towards this team, but I have a really hard time dealing with people with below average intelligence who are too slow to be able to recognize their basic deficiencies. 

Methinks I struck a nerve...

I guess he showed me by putting me on his ignore list.  

 

[jaysblue]

I’m still a big believer in Addison Barger’s talent. He’s young, he’s athletic, he has defensive versatility, and there’s legitimate pop in the bat. When he gets a pitch he can drive, the upside is pretty obvious.

That being said, I don’t think it’s irrational to be a little cautious with expectations. Barger still has some swing-and-miss in his game, and his approach can get aggressive at times. As the league gets more of a book on him, pitchers are going to test those weaknesses more consistently. That’s usually when you find out how quickly a young hitter can adjust back.

So if he does go through a sophomore slump, I don’t think it should be viewed as some shocking development or proof that he can’t be part of the core. It would simply be part of the learning curve. Young hitters rarely develop in a straight line, especially ones with power-oriented profiles.

There’s a lot to like with Barger, but he’s still not a finished product. You can be excited about the upside while also acknowledging that some regression or growing pains would be perfectly reasonable.
 

[Slade]

 

[harvey16]

4 minutes ago, Slade said:

 

Berrios is cooked, he won't play another game in a blue Jays uniform.

[Brownie19]

8 minutes ago, jaysblue said:

I’m still a big believer in Addison Barger’s talent. He’s young, he’s athletic, he has defensive versatility, and there’s legitimate pop in the bat. When he gets a pitch he can drive, the upside is pretty obvious.

That being said, I don’t think it’s irrational to be a little cautious with expectations. Barger still has some swing-and-miss in his game, and his approach can get aggressive at times. As the league gets more of a book on him, pitchers are going to test those weaknesses more consistently. That’s usually when you find out how quickly a young hitter can adjust back.

So if he does go through a sophomore slump, I don’t think it should be viewed as some shocking development or proof that he can’t be part of the core. It would simply be part of the learning curve. Young hitters rarely develop in a straight line, especially ones with power-oriented profiles.

There’s a lot to like with Barger, but he’s still not a finished product. You can be excited about the upside while also acknowledging that some regression or growing pains would be perfectly reasonable.
 

I think it's safe to say the vast majority of people know this.  It is pretty obvious stuff.  

Someone said they thought Barger might give the team a shot in the arm and your uncle had to jump in and claim that's just wishful thinking from the fanbase.

[Jonn]

Vladdy getting a day off to reflect on how many worm families he’s already destroyed this year.

[RA Whiffleball]

1 hour ago, Slade said:

 

Must have gotten a sore neck from watching all those HR fly out of the park...

[Rynodb1]

Putting somebody on the ignore list feels like admitting a defeat in an argument. 

If you can't have a conversation with disagreements, why the hell did you join a forum?

[Rynodb1]

Anyways, I believe Gausman gives us a chance to win today. We need at least 4+ runs and I like our chances. 

[jaysblue]

1 hour ago, Brownie19 said:

I think it's safe to say the vast majority of people know this.  It is pretty obvious stuff.  

Someone said they thought Barger might give the team a shot in the arm and your uncle had to jump in and claim that's just wishful thinking from the fanbase.

Most people understand Barger is young, has upside, and could absolutely give the team a boost. Nobody is saying the opposite. But pointing out that there are still flaws in his game, or that expecting a sophomore slump is reasonable, isn’t “wishful thinking” or negativity. It’s just a realistic assessment of a young player who still has to adjust as the league adjusts to him.

Some posters seem to take any criticism of the Jays’ roster construction, development, or young players as if it’s a personal insult. That’s where these discussions go sideways. You can be optimistic about Barger and still acknowledge that there are legitimate concerns. Those two things aren’t mutually exclusive.

The problem isn’t people being excited about him. The problem is acting like any cautious or critical opinion automatically means someone is cheering against the team.

[Stangstag]

3 hours ago, RA Whiffleball said:

I believe I said I hope he slots in and hits his stride.

But I also said there's no guarantee, and it would be foolish to think one player slotting into the lineup will transform our offence.

That's called being realistic. That's called having watched baseball for over 40 years.

As for last year, none of our opponents gives a flying about what we did last year.  

Some of you can't handle any kind of constructive criticism.

There's no guarantee in anything with this sport, or in life. Im not exactly sure what your argument is here.

[Stangstag]

1 hour ago, Rynodb1 said:

Putting somebody on the ignore list feels like admitting a defeat in an argument. 

If you can't have a conversation with disagreements, why the hell did you join a forum?

We joined this forum for intelligent baseball discussion. Not for incessant btching from a bunch of whiny fans who stopped watching baseball for 10 years and think they are experts all of a sudden.

If you know the history of the main group of posters, you would understand. Unfortunately the world series run has brought out plenty of... less than desirable people who hang around now.

[Stangstag]

5 minutes ago, jaysblue said:

Most people understand Barger is young, has upside, and could absolutely give the team a boost. Nobody is saying the opposite. But pointing out that there are still flaws in his game, or that expecting a sophomore slump is reasonable, isn’t “wishful thinking” or negativity. It’s just a realistic assessment of a young player who still has to adjust as the league adjusts to him.

Some posters seem to take any criticism of the Jays’ roster construction, development, or young players as if it’s a personal insult. That’s where these discussions go sideways. You can be optimistic about Barger and still acknowledge that there are legitimate concerns. Those two things aren’t mutually exclusive.

The problem isn’t people being excited about him. The problem is acting like any cautious or critical opinion automatically means someone is cheering against the team.

You can say the same for tons of players though. Yesavage, Roman Anthony, Ben Rice, Caminero, Gunnar Henderson, etc.

So whats the point of saying it at all? 

[HomeRunHomer]

Is Okamoto the best?