Blue Jays Dominate Orioles, Split with Cleveland
Note: This title has been borrowed from the Globe and Mail's Michael Grange, for my money the best beat writer the Raptors have, and by far the most insightful. Too many blogs by burgeoning sports writers such as myself merely repeat things they hear on the raido or TV or read in the newspapers. The best blogs, the best columns, try to find the little nuances we sometimes miss as fans. Michael Grange is terrific at it, and this blog is my own humble attempt at the same.
1. Sweeping the Orioles: This was probably a more important series than people realize. Coming off the first series loss of the year in KC, there was concern that the Jays would 'settle down' to 'who they really are'. Building a winning team has a lot to do with attitude, and the transition years can be very tough. Last year, there was a sense the club was not mentally tough, as exemplified in those categories, such as hitting with runners in scoring position, come from behind wins, and batting average with RISP and two outs. The blown save in late spring last year to the Angels was the catalyst, and the Blue Jays never recovered. Baseball and golf are very similar in that they are both uniquely skilled sports that place a high value on the mentality of those who play them. In other words, they're "head" sports. Basketball and football and hockey require less in that fashion, and athleticism is generally more important than the inner psyche.
2. Rios is coming around. This is obvious, but from all the postings, please stop talking about Rios, his swing is coming around and he's been seeing the ball much better. The same is true of Wells. Better at bats. Better pitch selection. Better focus. The same can't be said for Overbay.
3. The lineup will probably hit well all year. I wasn't convinced of this in April, but to have a great hitting team means you need about six or seven of your hitters going at once. Not all nine. This never happens. Besides, when the Jays' get their arms back we will probably forget they survived the first two months on hitting. When healthy, this is a deep and well stacked pitching staff.
4. The importance of their start can not be overstated. For people who think 19-10 is no big deal, let me explain it this way: The Blue Jays could lose their next nine, three-game series, win only one game in each series, and be a .500 ball club in the middle of June. This is their best start since 1992, the year they won the World Series. My prediction: if they have the same winning percentage in May that they had in April (which would work out to about 18-11), their record would be 33-20 going into June, and they will be a playoff team.
5. My MVP's so far for this club, in order:
1. Roy Halladay - (5-1) The stud on which the whole thing hangs.
2. Adam Lind - 29 RBI's. More clutch hits than anyone on the team. Vital, especially during the struggles of Wells and Rios.
3. Mitch Richmond - (4-0)AL Rookie of the Month for April. Righties are hitting the now No.2 starter to the tune of .111. Completely unexpected.
4. Scott Downs - Simply "the man" in the bullpen.
5. Aaron Hill & Marco Scutaro - Setting the table at the top of the order. Scutaro leads the league in walks, and Hill has been the driving force of the offence.
Note: Send me your top MVP's so far this year, and I will post them on the site.
-Steve
Note: This title has been borrowed from the Globe and Mail's Michael Grange, for my money the best beat writer the Raptors have, and by far the most insightful. Too many blogs by burgeoning sports writers such as myself merely repeat things they hear on the raido or TV or read in the newspapers. The best blogs, the best columns, try to find the little nuances we sometimes miss as fans. Michael Grange is terrific at it, and this blog is my own humble attempt at the same.
1. Sweeping the Orioles: This was probably a more important series than people realize. Coming off the first series loss of the year in KC, there was concern that the Jays would 'settle down' to 'who they really are'. Building a winning team has a lot to do with attitude, and the transition years can be very tough. Last year, there was a sense the club was not mentally tough, as exemplified in those categories, such as hitting with runners in scoring position, come from behind wins, and batting average with RISP and two outs. The blown save in late spring last year to the Angels was the catalyst, and the Blue Jays never recovered. Baseball and golf are very similar in that they are both uniquely skilled sports that place a high value on the mentality of those who play them. In other words, they're "head" sports. Basketball and football and hockey require less in that fashion, and athleticism is generally more important than the inner psyche.
2. Rios is coming around. This is obvious, but from all the postings, please stop talking about Rios, his swing is coming around and he's been seeing the ball much better. The same is true of Wells. Better at bats. Better pitch selection. Better focus. The same can't be said for Overbay.
3. The lineup will probably hit well all year. I wasn't convinced of this in April, but to have a great hitting team means you need about six or seven of your hitters going at once. Not all nine. This never happens. Besides, when the Jays' get their arms back we will probably forget they survived the first two months on hitting. When healthy, this is a deep and well stacked pitching staff.
4. The importance of their start can not be overstated. For people who think 19-10 is no big deal, let me explain it this way: The Blue Jays could lose their next nine, three-game series, win only one game in each series, and be a .500 ball club in the middle of June. This is their best start since 1992, the year they won the World Series. My prediction: if they have the same winning percentage in May that they had in April (which would work out to about 18-11), their record would be 33-20 going into June, and they will be a playoff team.
5. My MVP's so far for this club, in order:
1. Roy Halladay - (5-1) The stud on which the whole thing hangs.
2. Adam Lind - 29 RBI's. More clutch hits than anyone on the team. Vital, especially during the struggles of Wells and Rios.
3. Mitch Richmond - (4-0)AL Rookie of the Month for April. Righties are hitting the now No.2 starter to the tune of .111. Completely unexpected.
4. Scott Downs - Simply "the man" in the bullpen.
5. Aaron Hill & Marco Scutaro - Setting the table at the top of the order. Scutaro leads the league in walks, and Hill has been the driving force of the offence.
Note: Send me your top MVP's so far this year, and I will post them on the site.
-Steve
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