BASEBALL

Okay game two didn't go so well for us.

Game 1: Tribe 4 - Tigers 2
Game 2: Tribe 4 - Tigers 8

I see the Jays lost again, by four, what the heck is this a freaky thing or what? So that puts them back 6.5 games, and us back 7.5, because the twins lost to CWS (who is first and second). Oh well I am glad I just enjoy the game and remember that each new day brings a new game and new surprises. what I am allowed to lie to myself occassionally.

GO TRIBE & JAYS!!!

 

Yeah, poor Jake just comes off the DL has one outting and goes out for the season, they figure he should be back no later then the second have of next season. Hafner is swinging the bat now and rehabbing and should be around for the next series after this one, with the twins. How they will work this with Dellucci is beyond me as he is the DH against Righties. Fausto is playing catch and they say he should be back by no later then the end of this month (he had the hip strain). But in Jakes place at least for today they have Jeremy Sowers back up from Buffalo. So until we know different our rotation goes... Sabathia, Lee, Byrd, Laffey, Sowers.

At least wedge didn't throw Betancourt under the bus, he gave up a grandslam, I love his response (both actually) "Never in my life have I been through this," said Betancourt, who didn't allow a run to the Tigers in 13 2/3 innings against them last season. "It's not fun. I have to find out what's wrong, because this is embarrassing." - "He's throwing hard," said Wedge. "He just having trouble getting the ball down."
Wedge criticized Betancourt on May 28 for not pitching inside against Chicago catcher A.J. Pierzynski. Betancourt is 0-1 with a blown save and a 13.50 ERA (eight runs in 5 1/3 innings) in his five appearances since Wedge called him out.
"That's in the past," said Betancourt. "I don't like to think too much when I go out there. I have no explanation for what's going on."
Said Wedge: "It's not just throwing inside. It's about throwing the ball where he wants to. If he can hit the glove, then he can take the next step and work in and out." -- Wedge was particularly disappointed with Betancourt, whose ERA rose to 7.27. “That’s a guy we need—we have to get him going somehow,” he said. “We know what he is capable of doing—we saw it last year, and we need to help him find his way back.

This is the same guy who was almost put on the DL because of the fact that he a stiff back, which he said got better.

Game 1: Tribe 4 - Tigers 2
Game 2: Tribe 4 - Tigers 8
Game 3: Tribe 2 - Tigers 5

GO TRIBE!! .. Go JAYS!!!

 

Game 1: Tribe 4 - Tigers 2
Game 2: Tribe 4 - Tigers 8
Game 3: Tribe 2 - Tigers 5
Game 4: Tribe 8 - Tigers 2

Okay today is the start of a three game series with the Twins. Then a three day :scream: interleague series with SD, then they get a day off.

But I am RELLLLLY happy. Asdrubal (the unassisted (with help) triple play guy) Cabrera, who was hitting a whole .184 was optioned back to Triple A Buffalo. They then brought up Josh Barfield to play Second Base. See last year for the first have Josh played 2nd and he went into a little slump, instead of letting him work through it like everyone else, they brought up Cabrera and Josh became a pitch hitter or runner when needed (not often on the hitting). Then after the ALCS and ALDS they optioned him [Barfield] to Triple A Buffalo to work on his swing.

They admit the only reason they kept Cabrera this long is because of his defense which started to wane a bit. Now Josh started yesterday and he mostly flew out and was caught, but I mark it up to just getting to Michigan, being tossed (no pun) into the game and being a bit excited and probably nervous. But he did one better then Cabrera at least he HIT the ball. :guffaw:

OMG I heard the Jays had the bases loaded and Seattle got out of it on a double play and a fly out? :wtf: :scream:

GO T & J !!!!

 

We got Dontrelle "out of control pitching" Willis yesterday, walked two, and Garko hit a homer, then walked two more and Kelly Shoppach got a homer, then his reliever Bautista on bases loaded hit Garko (who lives for getting HBP) and that walked in a run, then Jhonny hit a ball up the center off a bad pitch and scored another, then Shoo sent a long fly ball that scored another run. Now Willis has been optioned down to class A. OUCH!

Game 1: Tribe 1 - Twins 0

Sabathia threw a shutout in 106 pitches 77 Strikes, 29 Balls, I believe it was said that he struck out the last 17 players he faced. The game lasted 2 hr and 6 mins.

Sad news, Josh was pulled from the game, his defense was awesome, he still a little shakey at the plate, but on a check swing in the fourth you could see he did something, it turned out he sprained his middle left finger and is day to day, though Wedge did say that they will see how he is tomorrow. Poor guy second day back in the bigs and what happens... Hopefully he will be in either tomorrow or the next.

They put Jamey Carroll in his place, the only problem with that is, Jhonny Peralta has to take at least one day off a week (a rule for all the players no straight 7 days if it can be avoided) and Jamey is the utility infielder. I am not sure but if they had to I think they could put Marte in at third, Carroll to either short or second, and Blake to either short or second. Since Blake while he is an everday third basemen, he is also a utility in and out field guy when needed (sort of emergency). Just like if Martinez got hurt and Shoppach to, then they have Garko if they need him since he was a catcher in college who was converted to first in the minors, but still practices if they need him.

They Jays won! Double Victories.

Go T & J !!!!!

 

Game 1: Tribe 01 - Twins 00
Game 2: Tribe 05 - Twins 08
Game 3: Tribe 12 - Twins 02

Now time to host the Padre's for 3 and a day off.

Okay DL UPDATE:
Jake Westbrook had Surgery Thursday and it was successful. he will be out about 10-12 Months.
Fausto Carmona is doing great he will begin throwing 50 bullpen pitches Saturday.
Travis Hafner is coming along doing dry bat swings, then in a week or so start rehab.

New to the DL is Victor Martinez and Josh Barfield.
Victor will have surgery on his elbow arthoscopic surgery, to remove bone chips (this explains the lack of power) Friday (the 13th ouch). Vic will be out about 6-8 wks. in that time they hope that his hamstring injury will finish healing.
Josh has a left finger sprain, on the check bat swing he somehow roled the tendon at the end of his finger out of its grove, he will got to Baltimore to have it evaluated to see if he needs just Rest and Rehab or surgery.

Okay thats all I have other then I don't know who that offense we had tonight was but if they come back every night I wouldn't object. :lol:

Go T & J

 

Keeping Jacquie updated.

Game 1: Tribe 9 - SD: 5
Game 2: Tribe 3 - SD: 8


Game 1: Jays: 3 - Chc: 2
Game 2: Jays: 2 - Chc: 6

Victor's surgery was successful and they cleaned it all up. Also I will be past my edit time, so I will post the scores from tomorrows game in a new thread.


Go T & J !!! :thumbsup:

 

Keeping Jacquie updated.

Game 1: Tribe 9 - SD: 5
Game 2: Tribe 3 - SD: 8
Game 3: Tribe 7 - SD: 3

Game 1: Jays: 3 - Chc: 2
Game 2: Jays: 2 - Chc: 6
Game 3: Jays: 4 - Chc: 7

Tomorrow we have the day off and then head to COL for 3.
Tomorrow the Jays have off and then head to MIL for 3.

GO T & J !!! :thumbsup:

 

Game 1: Tribe 02 - COL 10 :scream: :scream:



Game 1: Jays 0 - MIL 7 :scream: :scream:


I hate interleague, we were doing so good, then you have to goof with the lineups by adding in the pitcher, and our pitchers get about a week to practice at bats. Though I suspect a couple of them go to off field batting cages. But the NL is use to the pitchers hitting, so honestly win or lose I think its unfair to the AL going in, if the NL comes in to play in the AL they go by the AL's rules, which for them in NL it gives them a break with the pitcher by getting a DH.

Okay to move on, Hafner is getting a second opinion on his shoulder. Victor is doing his strengthening and such after the surgery.
Carmona threw fifty pitch session but had soreness afterward
Barfield had surgery on his finger monday will be out 6-8 weeks.

In other news of interest, MLB fines Cooper, Gardenhire for slow game pace, so it looks like it has started. I am sorry but this is the stupidist thing I have ever heard, A game is going to take as long as it does, its not like you have control of the pace when either or both team is hitting well.

Congress finally confronts MLB on discrepancies, this is interesting to say the least gee controversy regarding the hearings, report and all things from A to Z.

GO T & J !!!

 

I know what you mean, though I am in favor of the Instant replay of HR calls, because they [the umps] really screwed over quite a few of them in a two week time.

As to managers, shoot alot of the fans are calling for the head of Manager Wedge, VP/GM Mark Shapiro not so much for the tribe losing or being streaky, though they add that to the mix, but because they hide the fact that they were playing players injured. Borowski (closer) he went through spring training and into the regular season hurt, Hafner has an arthritic elbow therefore we all blamed that, but what we didn't know is that he has an inflammed should that he was told a season or two back to have surgery on and it would not cause him more problems, he didn't, it did, they hide it and now he is paying for it. With Victor we knew about the hamstring only because 40,000 people saw it. We didn't know about the Elbow soreness because they hide that. Fausto and Josh's injuries couldn't be hidden (unless there is more they are not telling) as those that we know about were publicly seen. - According to those two Wedge and Shapiro keeping Hafner and Martinez in the lineup was done because they needed to keep the power in the lineup (hello victor has no HR's and he was a power hitter), basically they didn't want the other teams to catch on that they had injured players in two of their best, which might make them look weak as a lineup.

As to trades shoot, you should see it, see Sabathia is a free agent at the end of 2008 the only reason they haven't signed him is because when spring training came around, he [Sabathia] didn't want to deal with all of that while trying to concentrate on his games so he tabled it. Now that we are where we are, they are getting even more hyped on the talk of trading CC before the free agency. There is also hype about trading Paul Byrd and Aaron Laffey. All this to get a BATTER (I had to specify since that one team did get bats), WTH is a batter going to do? besides go into a downward spiral and hit a slump. We already are platooning so many positions I feel lucky to keep them straight.

But the one thing you don't do is toss out your starting ACE until the show is officially over (and in the AL from what I have read, never say die because just when you think stick a fork in them, their done, they popup and ask how ya doing lol) you also do not get rid of your veteran pitcher (Byrd) or your young but very talented new pitcher who is doing great. If you get rid of all the good what do you have left? CC never said he didn't want the deal that was offered, nor did he say that it wasn't enough that is speculation, what he did say is that he wanted to concentrate on his game and deal with the negotations when he doesn't have to worry about the game, that could happen during the Allstar break, or post season.

I think the problem is this year they [The AL] was hyped so much as being the strongest of the leagues that even the littlest things or one loss is magnified times 10 and from what I read NO ONE is out of contention. Heck even all but one or two teams in the NL are having troubles, it seems everyone has had extremely large hitting streaks, then losing streaks, players that were hot are lukewarm (if that) and those who were lukewarm were hot, to start in the AL but now that its into June they are starting to even out to comfortable. But the problem still remains that no matter what instead of being the hard league to beat, both leagues are scraping and clawing and at this point pre all star there is no true contenders, I am not even sure there will be shown post all star.

Fans get so rapped up in the hype of what was, that what is looks like doom and gloom and dead, when infact if you remove the magnifying glass they really aren't doing that bad, are they the same, heck no, but a new year, new challenge, new everything, adjustments are slow to be made for everyone Management to players, to fans. As to Wedge and Shapiro lets just say that they were wrong they found it out, but they also lost trust with the hidding of injuries, but so far they aren't running scared firing people, instead of throwing money at the problem they are trying to fix or stop the bleeding. I am thinking all teams are trying this. Money may help but in the end we know in real life that it doesn't cure everything.

Okay I know this is long, so if no one minds when I do the update, if no one posts after me, I will just do it in another post. :lol: