Blue Jays Discussion: The "So, How About Them Blue Jays?" Edition. [1.5 Games ahead of Yankees]

[sparxx87]

Not sure if this has been posted.

1) Watching the home runs is mesmerizing!
2) Watching the pitcher delivery is mesmerizing!
3) Watching the pitch placement is mesmerizing!

Wow, I watched that a few times and never watched the pitch tracker until you mentioned it. A lot of very good pitch locations still taken deep.

And the previous fan death at Turner Field was deemed a suicide by authorities. So very difficult to do anything unless you plan on taking out 500s completely. Normally ushers stand with back to the railing in the aisles to help with that kind of stuff. But nothing can help an idiot leaning over...was A-rod gonna hear him better by leaning in an extra foot or two?

No, I agree with you in a sense that it's difficult, I just hate hearing about this stuff. While it's certainly a tragedy, as you said, it's stupidity to lean over the rail. I'm thinking more of Cameron Maybin's son, the likely dozens of witnesses, and the boy who watched his dad in Texas a few years back. These type of things have lasting effects on the witnesses just as much the family.

 

[Joel Ward]

Revere leading off today is interesting. Tulo at number 5 is what I expected when we traded for him.

 

[Drew311]

Just looking at team stats for this year a couple things stand out. We're 3rd in MLB in stolen base %...yet I don't think they steal as much as they should considering we have some great base stealers. Another number that stands out...lowest number of intentional walks in the majors. You'd think we would lead that category with our lineup but teams want to keep pitching to us for some reason.

Doesn't really make sense to intentionally walk Donaldson and pitch to Bautista with another runner on base, or walk Bautista and have to face Edwin.

Intentional walks are largely situational, so that may have played a factor.

 

[Drew311]

Revere leading off today is interesting. Tulo at number 5 is what I expected when we traded for him.

Hard to argue with considering Revere's OBP the past week.

Hoping Tulo settles into the 5 hole, would be a comfortable spot for him. Until he gets his bat going consistently he shouldn't be leading off. Revere and Tulo can always rotate based on who's hot.

 

[PJJ]

Sure or have Tulo leadoff when theyre facing a lefty

 

[Nasty Nazem]

Disappointed to see Tulo out of the leadoff spot. If it was in place of a good hitter, I'd be fine with it but Revere is like the 3rd worst hitter on the team (2nd worst if Travis is healthy). You shouldn't be giving the most at-bats to one of the worst hitters on the team.

 

[p.l.f.]

i dont think gibbons realized how good revere is offensively at first
hitting 300 and stealing bases - reyes was no better
and reyes batting first was always a given

 

[mikebel111*]

I dont get this decision too have Revere lead off. This team does great with Tulo leading off. Why remove something thats working. It will be kind of funny if we lose games. I ofcourse hope we dont but this decision to have Revere could come back to hurt us in late game situations when Revere bats instead of Tulo. We will see I guess but I dont like it

 

[Suntouchable13]

I dont get this decision too have Revere lead off. This team does great with Tulo leading off. Why remove something thats working. It will be kind of funny if we lose games. I ofcourse hope we dont but this decision to have Revere could come back to hurt us in late game situations when Revere bats instead of Tulo. We will see I guess but I dont like it

What? Revere is hitting like .500 lately. He is more likely to get a hit in a big situation than Tulo RIGHT NOW.

 

[sparxx87]

i dont think gibbons realized how good revere is offensively at first
hitting 300 and stealing bases - reyes was no better
and reyes batting first was always a given

That was my thinking. I'm on the fence with this though. If anything Revere is better or at least equal to Reyes. He strikes out less which means ball in play more, and he's already beat out a few ground balls.

That said, Tulo has over 100 at bats as a Jay, and a lot of those with runners on base. If he wasn't slumping I don't know if I change it. I'm starting to get on board with stacking the top of the order... Curious decision after a 15 run output though, but I guess that was mostly Edwin.

 

[Suntouchable13]

That was my thinking. I'm on the fence, kind of getting on board with stacking the top of the lineup vs conventional method... If anything Revere is better or at least equal to Reyes. He strikes out less which means ball in play more, and he's already beat out a few ground balls.

That said, Tulo has over 100 at bats as a Jay, and a lot of those with runners on base. If he wasn't slumping I don't know if I change it. I'm starting to get on board with stacking the top of the order... Curious decision after a 15 run output though, but I guess that was mostly Edwin.

Well, you can't score 15 runs without guys getting on base, so I would say it wasn't mostly Edwin.

 

[Muston Atthews]

Just looking at team stats for this year a couple things stand out. We're 3rd in MLB in stolen base %...yet I don't think they steal as much as they should considering we have some great base stealers. Another number that stands out...lowest number of intentional walks in the majors. You'd think we would lead that category with our lineup but teams want to keep pitching to us for some reason.

Who would you intentionally walk? You do that and the next big bat comes up with a runner on (or 2)

 

[sparxx87]

Well, you can't score 15 runs without guys getting on base, so I would say it wasn't mostly Edwin.

Hence the laughing face, I was joking.. Although it is curious considering the output from the lineup yesterday...

I wish lineups were shuffled more often though, based on hot/cold streaks. When Tulo gets hot, put him back at the top. Right now Revere is hitting the ball all over the park, and for someone who doesn't walk, he's done a decent job of it since getting to Toronto.

 

[Suntouchable13]

Hence the laughing face, I was joking.. Although it is curious considering the output from the lineup yesterday...

I wish lineups were shuffled more often though, based on hot/cold streaks. When Tulo gets hot, put him back at the top. Right now Revere is hitting the ball all over the park, and for someone who doesn't walk, he's done a decent job of it since getting to Toronto.

That's exactly it. Revere on fire right now, so put him at the top. If Tulo gets hot from the 5th spot, I'd be hesitant to move him from there, though.

 

[sparxx87]

That's exactly it. Revere on fire right now, so put him at the top. If Tulo gets hot from the 5th spot, I'd be hesitant to move him from there, though.

I'd welcome that tough decision though, especially if Revere keeps hitting and taking some walks out of the 1 hole.

Just checked leaders, Donaldson is 1, Encarnacion and Bautista 4&5 in RBI's in the AL. I don't recall a more potent 2-3-4 in recent memory.

 

[Discoverer]

What? Revere is hitting like .500 lately. He is more likely to get a hit in a big situation than Tulo RIGHT NOW.

That's not true though. Tulo is demonstrably better than Revere, and a recent hot streak/cold streak shouldn't change your expectations going forward.

 

[tml19]

That's not true though. Tulo is demonstrably better than Revere, and a recent hot streak/cold streak shouldn't change your expectations going forward.

Did you fail to read the RIGHT NOW?

 

[sparxx87]

That's not true though. Tulo is demonstrably better than Revere, and a recent hot streak/cold streak shouldn't change your expectations going forward.

It doesn't change my expectations going forward.. But today, Revere is hitting more. I still expect Tulo to regain his form, just like Edwin did after a very mediocre stretch...

I'm more curious to see if Revere can improve some career averages. He'isn't going to keep hitting .400, but he may be more dangerous with murderers row behind him. Especially if he can show that he'll take some walks, which he's been doing. They'll be forced to throw it over, and he's a great contact hitter.

 

[Damisoph]

I'm OK with it, nothing wrong with changing the lineup around a bit.

 

[TootooTrain]

I'm OK with it, nothing wrong with changing the lineup around a bit.

I usually don't want to mess with a good thing, but lineup shifts will happen from time to time. Gibby did say (via Barry Davis) that he'd consider moving Tulo back up once he heats up again. I hope he sticks to his word.

 

[The Nemesis]

At the very least it puts an end to "tulo sucks at leading off, why not move him?" 15 jillion times during /after each game. Though if he gets himself out once today I can't guarantee I won't sarcastically moan about how bad of a leadoff hitter he is

 

[Muston Atthews]

The REAL change that actually may screw up the Jays more than you think is that they're wearing their special red and white jerseys today. They were going strictly blues for a while there because of how much they were winning

 

[Discoverer]

Did you fail to read the RIGHT NOW?

That's what I was responding to. Revere has been hitting really well, but Tulo is more likely to be a better hitter TODAY because he's a better hitter.

Put another way, Tulo is more likely to start a hot streak today than Revere is to continue his.

I should add the change doesn't really bother me because lineup construction is a pretty minor thing. I disagree with it, but it's a pretty insignificant change in the long run.

 

[Damisoph]

At the very least it puts an end to "tulo sucks at leading off, why not move him?" 15 jillion times during /after each game. Though if he gets himself out once today I can't guarantee I won't sarcastically moan about how bad of a leadoff hitter he is

You know he's going off today in the 5 hole just to chap everybody's ass

 

[bullocks]

Disappointed to see Tulo out of the leadoff spot. If it was in place of a good hitter, I'd be fine with it but Revere is like the 3rd worst hitter on the team (2nd worst if Travis is healthy). You shouldn't be giving the most at-bats to one of the worst hitters on the team.

U wot m8?