art_vandelay275

I know this is from a different era but the one guy that made a huge impression on me as a kid watching Jays game was Tony Kubek. This was back in the late 80's. Talk about a Canadian bias - There was no MLB TV, no ESPN coverage. But Kubek just had a way of calling the game that made it felt like you were watching it with your dad or older brother who knew a lot more about baseball than you did. For me personally, Kubek sets the bar. In those days, I also enjoyed Gammons only for the fact that he gave love to the Jays when everyone else outside of TO didn't know who they were. The funny thing is that for some reason, I just remember him keep harping on a Jays prospect that was going to be big - Sil Campusano. In the end, he never amounted much to anything really but I just loved the fact that Gammons kept putting the Jays in the national spotlight

Agreed. I was thinking whether Gibby was thinking at the time that he was really managing "out of the box" for keeping Cecil in the 9th Same for leaving Estrada in to face Hardy in the 8th...

Important thing is that you got it up and running for potentially the biggest game in recent history tomorrow. it'd would have been spooky to be watching tomorrow's game with the forum being down... wouldn't know if someone somewhere is trying to tell us something

Always jumped to the discussion threads and skipped this one ... used paypal; hopefully it gone through. if you don't see it, ping me again appreciate all the work you guys do

I considered Griff but I had to go with Davis - There would be interviews that I want to hear but because he was doing it, I had to turn it off; case in point was the JD interview after the game today. there are numerous others i used to like Griff - an old baseball guy, has good stories of the Expos days, etc. It seemed ever since he was inducted into some HoF, his writing has just sucked. He just takes some historical stuff and extrapolates to the future. I distinctly remembered some article he wrote last summer where he said the Jays will make the playoffs just purely based on some historical win/loss %. Completely non-value add. I've mostly stopped reading his articles though I sometimes participate in his chats which is a little bit hard with the time zone here in the west coast... though an interesting guy to have a beer with

I tend to agree with it given the kind of guy he is (and also what he said after the game about the playoff rotation). I think this is more of a Gibby thing more than anything else - He's said that he doesn't want the streak to end on his watch. Hate him or love him, that's Gibby for ya

There were several write-up of him in the LA Times while he was with the Dodgers. The rep on him was that he would go out drinking and clubbing after the game and that wore on his game the following day. Back in those days, it seemed he was quite the wild child...

I couldn't have said it much better BigCecil. Yanks, unlike the 'stros are a veteran team that has proven again and again that they can handle adversity and can and will bounce back. (e.g. after they were swept by the Jays in NY). Ironically the only exception seems to be against the Jays. For a variety of reasons, we've matched up well against them this year. We seem to be the one team that can take their punches and always come back with an answer - at least so far into the season. There are some that think that we have this thing locked up because of what happened this last series. To me, that's just being caught up in the emotional high yesterday and the lingering hangover today. The Yanks will scrap and fight to the end. The guys on their team have been around for too long to give up. They don't know anything but to fight to the end. We have 6 games against the Rays, a team that historically we haven't matched up well against. We need to take care of our own business - make this into a 10 game season and win as many as possible. Everything else will fall into place

i was watching this game in Singapore on a taxi cab; i can't imagine what my data rate would be but who cares!!! WHAT A GAME!!!

AA probably feels bad for not giving Beane enough for the JD trade and is making up for it i'm joking ... at least I think I am

It's funny that I see your post here and also your GDT. And you mention the Leafs. For some reason, I am ok with talking about this but during the game often times, you are putting into words what is going on in the back of head as I see scenarios unfolding during a game. And the weird thing is that I attribute it more to the Leafs than the Jays. Early in the season when the BP was blowing leads, every time we had a lead going into 6th or 7th, it was a "sign" that we were going to loose ... and it always came back down to mapping that situation with the Jays to how so many years ago, Leafs had done something similar. It's just weird ...

I agree about not tendering Estrada. IMO, $16M is not fair market price for where he slots into the rotation. Even if we non-tender, I still think there is a chance he'll re-sign if he believes a big part of his success is tied to this team (offense and game calling) although his buddy Navvy will probably be somewhere else As for Dickey, I would separate out the business and baseball pieces. His option is makes good economical sense so we should pick it up. Baseball wise, it's really a pain to have a knuckleballer in the rotation. It's the unpredictability and all that but then he needs his own catcher, at least some of the time or else you are killing your big investment in Martin. So you have Thole as backup? It's just screws the whole roster up. I'd rather hope that because he has a "team friendly" terms and can "eat innings', some other teams will take the plunge...

What I am saying is that the manager has to put the bat and ball into the right guys' hands. To win or loose is primarily on the players. What I am saying is that Gibbons is not doing that

Looking at the last couple of series, I am coming to the conclusion that Gibbons is managing scared. In past seasons, if he messes up, there was always some holes in the team (e.g. bullpen last year) that he could always hide behind. This year, there are basically no excuses and it's like "just don't screw it up". His quick hook, IMO, worked well in the Yankees series, especially the 2nd game on Sat. I have to admit that he piecemealed that quite nicely given the options (or lack thereof) that he had. His quick hook on Buehrle, playing Zeke instead of Pompey, etc - I chalk it up to managing scared. You couple this with him being old-school (ignoring data like splits last night, under and over managing in close games) and this is what you get. I agree with the posts before - If I have to put up with Gibbons in order for me to keep AA, I'll take it - assuming he can restock the farm system and "fix" the starting rotation one way or another next year.

I agree that letting Sanchez go a 2nd inning is his call - he gets paid to manage the team, no one else does so he has the prerogative My issue is one of intent - With 1 out, men on 2nd and 3rd with Simmons up, Bourn on deck, Gibbons as the guy who is paid to do the job - what is he trying to accomplish? GB? K? IBB? etc. If it was a GB, then Sanchez is the "right" guy though I wholeheartedly disagree with going after a GB given who was at the plate. If his intent was to get a K, then he had the wrong guy in there. Personally, I am not going to question him leaving Sanchez in there for 2. My doubt and question is what was he trying to accomplish given the situation he was in

This too is the problem I have with the game and how it's much harder to stomach. I get that you can't win them all and that sometimes your bat goes cold, yes even against a team that has lost 12 straight at home, against pitcher like Teheran (or Morgan). I get that it's all part of baseball. But the fundamental thing that as a manager you have to do is to put your players in the position to succeed. Unless Gibbons said that he wanted a GB over a K, I have no ideas what he was thinking when he left Sanchez in. Bourn was up next and he's hard to double up, etc. So all in all, GB/DP is hard to pull off If he brought Osuna in and he couldn't hold it, it'll be easier for me to stomach - Chalk it up to it's baseball, Yanks loose, have a couple of more cold ones, call it a night and let's get 'em tomorrow. But in this case here, Gibbons took the game away from their players and it sucks!! And then to hear his PG comments giving credit to the Braves - No moron, you mismanaged the game and took the ball out of your players' hands

so for Gibby, same lineup as tonight

No he wasn't; we have a better chance with a K with Osuna then a GB with Sanchez; it was the manager not putting his player in the best position to succeed

at least we didn't loose ground but what gibby did tonight staring with the line-up is unforgivable... Blame AA for this - if we weren't for him, Gibby would be managing indie league

ackley looks weird wo the beard

i'll wax them too if i can run like him

someone post what gibby has to say in the pg interview; i don't have to patience or the desire to see his sorry face

kiermaier has wheels man...

pillar doesn't look like he's tracking the ball

what is swish looking at just when the pitcher is about to deliver the ball?