nextyear

That is tough. I feel bad for you, I couldn't work while the game is on. I have to go to work but can arrange my hours so I am home by 4:07 (first pitch). I will leave work at 4:00 and can be home in almost exactly 7 minutes. My only problem is in trying to accomplish something at work while being preoccupied thinking about the game. However, I just remembered to set my PVR so I won't miss one pitch.

First pitch is 4:07 pm.

I have to go to work tomorrow. That will be tough. I will only be thinking about the 4 o'clock game.

For the sake of us who don't follow the minor league prospects closely - http://m.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article/146748296/rowdy-tellez-named-to-arizona-fall-league

I wonder why this thread is called "What's up with Price". I keep thinking that I am going to read posts about David Price . Maybe it means that nothing is up with David Price.

AA has come to realize that it isn't just talent that is important, although the Blue Jays have lots of talent; character is also very important in players. Edwin seems like a legitimately good person who wants to stay in Toronto. When he is out of the lineup the team suffers. Why would people want to trade such a player as Edwin when he is still productive. I say NO, don't break this team up anymore than is necessary (it might not be possible to resign Price though).

I think this is the real reason. Another reason not to start Price in game 5 - so history won't repeat itself. In 2010 the Texas Rangers beat Tampa Bay in games 1 and 2 in Tampa Bay, Tampa Bay then came back to win games 4 and 5 in Arlington, Texas, however Texas won the 5th game in Tampa Bay. The starting pitcher in both Tampa Bay losses (games 1 and 5) was David Price - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_American_League_Division_Series . The 2010 ALDS sounds frighteningly similar to the current ALDS between Toronto and Texas, except with Toronto replacing Tampa. However, Gibbons broke the pattern by starting Stroman in Game 5 instead of David Price (perhaps Gibbons is much craftier than people give him credit for). However, I think Gibbons craftily burnt David Price in game 4 so that there would be no possibility of him pitching long in game 5.

I think Bautista might lose a bit of speed in RF, but he has years of experience playing in RF and when healthy he still has a strong throwing arm. I think Jose Bautista will be fine in RF for another 4 seasons or more; he is physically very fit, he doesn't have a flabby physique that is suddenly going to decline. I would like to see Jose Bautista chill out a bit though. I want Bautista to stay in Toronto.

The truth is, I am far more nervous about this game than games 3 and 4. In games 3 and 4, the chances of the Blue Jays going on to the ALCS seemed to be slim, but now if the Blue Jays win they will get to play in the ALCS. It will be a very big disappointment if they lose.

I feel good about the Blue Jays chances. PROS: 1) They have arguably their best pitcher in Stroman, who is also the most composed starting pitcher on their team. 2) The Blue Jay hitters in the two games in Texas went back to being patient at the plate. 3) They have now played 4 full games in the ALDS and should be over the jitters they showed in the first 2 games. 4) Russel Martin has only played in one game since Saturday and should be rested. 5) David Price could probably come in from the bullpen for 20 pitches or so to face a couple of lefties. CONS 1) Can't think of any, except that Texas was in this situation before in 2010. They won the first 2 games in Tampa, lost 2 in Arlington at home, and won game 5 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_American_League_Division_Series. The interesting thing about that series is that Cliff Lee faced David Price in game 1 in Tampa and Cliff Lee won, and then again in game 5 Cliff Lee beat David Price at home in Tampa. David Price lost 2 of the 3 games that Tampa lost. This makes me wonder if Gibbons is aware of this series and did everything he could to ensure that the same thing won't happen again in Toronto (David Price pitching and losing games 1 and 5 at home). The thing I feel best about is that history can't repeat itself - there is no chance of David Price starting and losing games 1 and 5 at home, as he did previously against this same team (Texas). But I am a big David Price fan.

That might be the explanation, as Gibbons has stated, but Price didn't pitch very well and Gibbons kept him in for 50 pitches.

Agreed. If Price is really so emotionally sensitive then he probably is not a good fit anyway. But in reality, that isn't the case, Rosenthal must have too much time to kill by writing nonsensical articles.

Was I stating the obvious?

I think John Gibbons' reasons for the way he used David Price in game 4 were just a smoke screen. David Price hasn't been hot in the playoffs and Gibbons wanted an excuse not to start him in game 5 (Gibbons wanted to start Stroman). Putting Price in in the 5th inning provide a somewhat plausible explanation for using him. If Gibbons waited until the 6th inning, the Blue Jays might have already completely blown the game open (the way they were hitting); at that point, Gibbons couldn't even pretend to have a reason for using Price. In short, Gibbons didn't want to have to tell Price that he preferred having Stroman start in game 5 with Price pitching out of the bullpen. David Price had a sheepish grin on his face when he came into the game after 4 2/3, probably because he realized that it made no sense and knew why Gibbons was really doing it. This is just my feeble attempt to explain something that seems almost completely unexplainable.

David Price hasn't looked very dominant in the playoffs, so maybe signing a pitcher to ~30 million a year for multiple years isn't such a good idea. There might be good pitchers available in the 15 - 20 million a year range.

Game 5 is still a toss-up since the Blue Jays didn't play well in the first two games at home. Before the series began I felt that the Blue Jays might win 3 - 0 or at worse 3 - 1. I didn't expect it to go to the 5th game. Even though the Blue Jays appear to have the momentum, this is baseball and an error here and an error there plus a couple bloop hits could give Texas the win. I won't be confident of a Blue Jays' ALDS victory until game 5 ends in a victory (hopefully).

Gibbons made the right move. Dickey pitched better today than Price did in relief. I had faith in Dickey and he didn't disappoint Blue Jays fans.

I don't want to think about it because assuming that the Blue Jays will make it to the ALCS will lead to more disappointment if they don't win the ALDS in game 5.

This is all so puzzling. Maybe Gibbons got Price in after 4 2/3 because he feared that the Blue Jays might score a bunch of runs in the top of the sixth and then it would make no sense to put Price in. It seems obvious to me that Gibbons just wanted to make Price unavailable for game 5.

Gibbons is not playing this very well. Gibbons played Price to the point of exhaustion, for what reason?

Gibbons needs to get Price out so he can pitch out of the bullpen in game 5. The TV broadcasters gave an alarming fact (if true) that in game 5 of the ALDS the home team is 11-15 (which I assume means 11 wins and 15 losses?). I don't know why the visiting team would have such an advantage other then in the playoffs home field is not much of an advantage (especially if the teams are so evenly matched as to go to a game 5).

I don't like this at all. Dickey has pitched 4 2/3 innings giving up only one run and now can't win the game.

Why bring David Price in? Maybe Gibbons wants an excuse to start game 5? At this point, it is a bad move in my mind.

Good "fluid mechanics" reference regarding Dickey's knuckleball.

I should have known better. Kansas City came back. Hopefully the Astros can regroup for game 5.