Brownie19

This joke looks stupid after there have been 92 pitchers go down with arm injuries this year. Kirby was also just showing confidence in his bullpen.

100% - not sure anyone else on the team scores from 2nd on that Springer line drive. I know people HATE Varsho, but f*** me - he's the type of blue collar player that Blue Jay fans typically LOVE. The guy plays great defense and is a + baserunner (something this team desperately needs). He has some pop. If he's just a 105-110 wRC+ batter moving forward, I think fans could really get behind him - like they did Kevin Pillar.

To be fair to Biggio, since May 1st, 2023 - Biggio's been a 119 wRC+ bat (322 PAs). The guy has made some real adjustments to his offensive game and deserves some credit. I for one love to root for Biggio and hope this isn't a mirage. If he returns to 2019/2020 at the plate, he's a really solid player for this team.

I assume a barrel requires an exit velo > 100 MPH? I mean, OK, but he seemed to hit that double down the line and the pinch hit RBI single in the comeback effort v. the Yankees both hard. You also can't just remove 1 whole game!

IKF and Biggio are tied for 2nd on the team in WAR man But honestly, I think Biggio's looked great to start the year. My gut says Clement plays over IKF.

You don't know that though. The computer might have told Schneider to pull Berrios even earlier in the WC game last year. Or maybe it didn't. I bet you it told him to pull Berrios earlier than he did last night. It may also have told him to sit Davis Schneider v. Castillo last night. The computer may have told him to use Pearson after Berrios last night up 4-0, but Schneider knew he didn't want to take any chances in the home opener, so he went to Garcia and Green. Maybe this is a sign that JS is improving? That said, you may be correct. The Jays org may say that in very important and/or critical games, the amount of "feel" JS is allowed to use is 0 - or is very small, say 0-10%. Good teams like Tampa or the LA Dodgers may use the same strategy, while really s***** teams may use too much feel - who knows? The problem with "feel" is that it can just be 100% wrong too. Did JS use "feel" when he put Tapia in the 2022 WC game? I can't imagine any computer said that was the right move. Last night, "feel" probably would have put Clement in the game instead of IKF, yet IKF goes 2-4 with an RBI. Analytics exist because it's really f***ing hard to get "feels" right on a consistent basis. There's no doubt you need to try and use ALL the information you have at your finger tips. The analytics are AND SHOULD be a major component, but you also need to use the other things like what your eyes tell you, gut feelings, etc. to some extent.

You can't expect every fan to enjoy the game the same way. That's stupid.

um....someone literally asked this question like 2 days ago.

Biggio is off to a great start this year.

Just to note, but Moreno is hitting .161 with a 55 wRC+ and 0 WAR on the year. Maybe everyone lost that trade

I still have no idea how you know or believe that's true. You're suggesting their strategies to pull starters after the 2nd time through the lineup, or to utilize an opener has absolutely nothing to do with their success? You think if they just run that starter back out there a 3rd time through the lineup every game, they'll win the exact same number of games? You think all their predictive modelling is bogus? You think other teams, that have copied some of their approaches are all morons? As far as reproducible evidence - I believe there are lots of stats suggesting that implementing shifts was very successful v. a traditional configuration. That's why EVERY team in baseball did it. There predictive modelling is based on TONS of stats suggesting a certain way of managing will result in more wins. If you want to use more traditional methods - just look at TB. They never have a great roster. They bat guys like Harold Ramirez 3rd, Ji Man Choi (our Voggy) cleanup and they lose tons of great players and pitchers to injury and free agency - yet they always seem to field a competitive team. Suggesting their in-game strategies and managerial approach has NOTHING to do with their success seems insane to me.

I don't know how you call everything that TB is doing "********". Would you rather they just take the traditional approach and simply be a broken, bottom feeding franchise? Does TB value pitchers and make efforts to protect them and lock them up long term? No they don't, but they also aren't exactly a team that only values velocity. In the past, they've built pitching staffs with all different types of pitchers. Guys who throw from different angles, different speeds, different pitches. Guys like Ryan Yarbough and Ryan Thompson. They take chances on pitchers who've been hurt before - but that's because they can get them cheaper than established guys. I'm never going to hate on a team that's innovative and thinking outside the box to compete. MLB doesn't need more teams like the Colorado Rockies FFS. We don't need the 1970's White Sox where the Owner focused on promotions to draw in fans because they were broke and the team was so s***** (watch The Saint of Second Chances!!!!). Baseball will adjust, it always does. And it's certainly not a new strategy to avoid building your team around young pitching. We've all see teams who've tried this and had it blow up in their faces (Mets). We watched the Cubs prioritize drafting position players and buying/trading for veteran pitchers. The velo training is also 2 fold. There are TONS of pitchers who would have never reached the majors if they kept trying to paint the corners with their 4 pitch mix, while throwing 91. They would have road the buses forever. There are so many pitchers who re-invented themselves and are now either in the majors, or at least got a legit shot in the majors because they got in the lab and trained to throw 97 with a slider. If you go ask those guys if the risk of blowing out your elbow is worth it - I bet almost all of them will say it is to pitch in the majors. Most of the pitchers who speak out about this are old, great (or previously great) guys making millions of dollars who never had to face the decision to either give up on baseball, ride the buses for another few years or reinvent themselves.

Unfortunately, it's difficult to know how much feel they are implementing into these decisions already. To fans, it probably looks like there is 0 feel being used, but in reality, they may already be using "feel" in their decisions. To what extent, we don't know. What % of each decision should be left to "feel" - especially if it goes against what the analytics say? 25%? 50%? Interesting topic/debate.

I agree with this....It's odd that you still find large groups of fans who think pitching has declined, simply because they don't throw 91 and paint corners anymore. They are correct that the "art of pitching" has declined, but that's not because pitchers got worse - that's happened because you get better results throwing 95+ with a dirty slider.....whether you can paint a corner or not. Velocity seems to be the one weapon that hitters haven't solved yet - and "cutting down your swing to make contact" simply isn't the answer, unless you've got elite bat to ball skills.

I heard on the radio this morning that they wanted to install traditional foul pole at the RC, but T.Swift nixed it as they need it to be portable so trucks and such can be brought in for concerts. Initial reports of the new lower level seem positive though. I really hate the advertising ******** they show on TV though.

I disagree. As recently as 2017-2019, there was a huge narrative about how the teams with higher contact rates and lower K%'s have more success in the playoffs. I think that developed from those f***ing Royal teams, but the Astros (and Dodgers?) had a ton of playoff success with rosters that didn't strikeout as much.

Not a chance. I'm pretty sure you have to be a facebook or sportsnet commentor to attend opening day.

3 people? I better sell my Rogers stock!

100%. I'm just getting into this now with my oldest son and the Prep Baseball Ontario profiles. He's just 13, but teammates and other kids he plays against have already gone to these training events to get their exit velo, barrel %, LA, infield velo, outfield velo and then all the pitching stats recorded and such. Lots of the kids from the U15 elite team his U14 AAA team practices with are doing the same thing. I looked it up the other day to see what it cost and f*** ME - it's $299 for 1 position and another $99 for a second position - and that's in USD's! Almost every coach out there is telling kids to chase velocity. They'll teach you control after that, but without velo, you're not worth developing.

No idea how you form a firm opinion like this.

Unfair man. Manoah had a terrible upbringing with a father who's in jail. The kid has been though a lot. You may not like his personality, based on what little you see, but it's really stupid to suggest all of this. Don't be a POS.

Everyone should be somewhat concerned about Gausman. I did hear today he had a similar start last year (oddly enough, it was also his 2nd start) where his velo was way down in KC, but velo was his issue in spring training. He couldn't hit 90. Genesis was non-tendered for a reason last year.

They probably didn't know he threw a changeup.

Gausman for the April 17th game? is that correct? I'm taking the family and my son wants to see Gausman pitch. I simply want to booooo Vlad.

You sound like Buck Martinez. That old school mentality is no longer accurate.