shortstop

pisses me off reading his comments...either stand by your guys, especially only less than a month into the season and especially in the case of Goins where he spent most of the off-season glorifying him or don't say anything in the off-season to anoint Goins & then complain about the lack of offensive production...

I don't think anyone expected McGowan to have a 60 pitch limit (it seems) at this point...perhaps 80 but no 60... at the time, after the Santana fiasco, Happy injury/suckage in spring training, imo, McGowan was the best of the bunch in the fight for the 5th spot...expected 80 pitches or 5 innings for a month/month & a half, and then by end of May/into June he'd be at the 90-100 pitch count... I don't think anyone, including McGowan, expected him to have stamina issues at this point.

something off with Cabrera, maybe just needs more time to settle in. as for the mariners, perhaps Felix can pitch on 3 days rest the entire season

at some point, he will need to produce something at the plate...right now, he's not even at the minimum of what we're looking for and expectations have been set realistically low... he'll be given additional time, perhaps another month, but after 100-130 abs, if not much has changed, I do not see how they can justify Goins sticking around... the plan was great defence, minimum amount of respectability at the plate...so far, imo, the latter half of the plan isn't working out

you'd think he'd learn after last years disaster & swing less/take more pitches/walk more...

ugh, 0 RBI's after 48 at bats and a .146 avg & .196 oba... can see the situation where 2nd is manned by Kawasaki & Diaz from some point in May & forward...

and he's been doing all this since he was 20/21...remarkable...hopefully will get his 200th career win later this year... who knows, maybe he'll pitch until he's 40/41 like Glavine....

I get Gibby - he's a coach players like to play for & he's hoping the karma will come back around... but imo, it's April, first few outings, if a guy is off, he's off...and if whoever is disrespected, they're disrespected... then again, if it's july and a guys off, he's off... make the decision that helps the team win that game...it's very possible this and last game he wanted to give him the hook earlier but didn't want to face a pissed off Dickie

I don't agree with gibby letting him stay in - last outing and this outing - when imo he's showing definitive signs he needs to be removed...didn't see the game but 3-4 guys in a row + 4 shaky innings before that is enough for me... I get the respect thing but when Dickey's off, he's off and can get derailed quickly

maybe it's Thole

so whose the closer for 2015? pick up Santos for $6M? let Santos go for $750k? Sign Janssen for a reasonable sum? both? none? who knows, probably depends on how each does this year...

panic until 8pm and if they win tonight, all is right with the world joking aside, hopefully dickey is just having his april blues. Didn't see the game but perhaps Gibson deserves some credit.

yeah, he's one of my fav hitters on the team since last year - grinds out at bats, walks, pitcher is forced to throw a # of pitches, 2 strike approach is great, can bunt properly (i'm still amazed players at that level cannot lay down a good bunt consistently) and move guys over/put the ball in the air to drive someone in... i'd prefer him on this team full time

Exactly. And the issue I have had with Happ for sometime is that it's not only does he feel he belongs in the starting 5, but that he's earned the right to automatically be in the starting 5, notwithstanding being out with an injury for some or inconsistency, etc. He's imo a lighter version of Ted Lilly and Lilly felt he deserved/earned respect to be slotted in as a starter and imo, Lilly wanted as much $$'s on his next free agent contract (then signed with the cubs for 4 years, $41M). With Lilly, it was about the $$'s and a starter generally speaking gets more years/$$'s. http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/happja01.shtml http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lillyte01.shtml Lilly of course was 31 going into his 1st season with the cubs in 2007 whereas Happ will be 33 by the start of next season. Happ's in this for the $$'s imo. I don't blame him - the man wants to get paid as much as possible before calling it a career. But he'd do better in his next contract imo if he just pitched well, whether out of the pen or as a starter. Teams understand the situation Toronto is in & why Happ is in the bullpen. Just pitch well & he'll get a decent contract. Of course, if he was a starter & pitched well the rest of the season, would likely get that much more on the open market. Not necessarily but probably. But was never a fan of Lilly's me first attitude & not a fan of Lilly light. Problem imo is while jays may in fact want to trade him, the uncertainty of the rotation/possible injuries and/or possible playoff push provides value in keeping him in the bullpen. hopefully he shuts up & pitches well, for his own benefit as well as the jays.

I think goins, with a few recent hits, has bought himself some more time. And I think sending him down now not even a month in sends a terrible message to him after placing him on the pedestal this off-season. Based on AA's past, i'd guess Wagner goes down. But he's been terrific & Gibby loves him as well. So I'd guess Diaz or Kawasaki and with Diaz a right handed bat and the fact he was on the team right off the get go, my guess is Kawasaki goes down.

no way imo jays give him another contract...he's either traded this season or that's it...

and to not always swing for the fences, even with 2 strikes, 0-2 counter or whatever the situation...

well, what he said is the truth, if he's called, he'll come in & try to get guys out...everyone understands he wants to be a starter... but I don't like the negativity and his me first attitude...as a comparison, Rogers is inconsistent but he states flat out he'll do whatever the coach/team wants him to do & he'll do the best he can... different situations b/w the two...Rogers was just happy to make the team & stay in the big leagues...but the words negativity and entitlement definitely come to my mind when it comes to Happ...

"The trouble is not that players have sex the night before a game. It's that they stay out all night looking for it." — Casey Stengel

"Baseball hasn't forgotten me. I go to a lot of old-timers games and I haven't lost a thing. I sit in the bullpen and let people throw things at me. Just like old times." — Bob Uecker

"Why does everyone stand up and sing Take Me Out to the Ball Game when they're already there?"-Larry Anderson

With his team behind 11-2 in the late innings, a batter stepped out of box, and carefully studied the 3rd base coach. NBC announcer, Tony Kubek, drolly remarked, "He's getting the 'hit the ball hard' sign."

"In a lengthy extra-inning game against the ChiSox (June 10, 1992), Angel pitcher Mark Langston was forced to hit. He wound up batting twice against Donn Pall, each time with two men on base, and each time striking out badly on a succession of nasty forkballs. After the game, Langston was interviewed. "I'd never seen a forkball before," he lamented. Added ChiSox announcer Ed Farmer: "He still hasn't."

"I managed a team that was so bad we considered a 2-0 count on the batter a rally." - Rich Donnelly

that was special to see Buehrle stare in awe & not even turn to look at first...I gotta admit I am a huge fan of Lawrie's defence at 3rd...keeps getting better & more consistent