By Matt Antaya / @selfcynic
If we thought the math looked bad last week, then this week’s outlook is downright depressing.
Objectively, the Jays need to win 22 of their remaining 29 games before they can even dream of a playoff spot. In baseball, the so-called impossible does occasionally happen, but our boys are going to need a better effort than they gave this past week – losing 2 of 3 games to the last place Boston Red Sox.
Tuesday saw the recall of outfielder Kevin Pillar from AAA-Buffalo. If you remember, an uncharacteristic outburst in the dugout back in June earned him a demotion. Most suggested that Gibbons and management chose to make an example of the rookie to inform other would-be-offenders. Undeterred however, Pillar worked hard enough to be named Buffalo’s Most Valuable Player. Coincidently, he was recalled to the Jays the very day he would have accepted the award at the Bison’s last home game. Though given the choice, we assume he’d rather be in Toronto.
That same Tuesday saw the undoing of Sergio Santos. The reliever, who seemed destined to become the team’s closer, has endured an awful season. Santos has spent the past month in AAA-Buffalo working on his control. Recalled to the Jays on Sunday, Santos had time enough for two miserable appearances before once again being designated for assignment (DFA’d). Given his generous salary, it’s unlikely another team will choose to claim him on waivers. But given his recent undoing, it’s also unlikely we’ll see his return this season.
On a positive note, the Jays’ offense is showing some signs of life. Recent acquisition Danny Valencia is doing what we were told he could do – no more, no less. And team captain, Jose Bautista, also appears to be getting hot – that is, when he’s not getting hot at the umpires. Bautista was highly criticized for being ejected from Sunday’s game for arguing balls and strikes. Though the window of opportunity has not yet closed, the team needs to find its groove – and fast.
The New York Yankees roll into Toronto this weekend, having also lost 2 of their last 3 games while in Detroit. The Jays will send starters Mark Buehrle, Drew Hutchison, and JA Happ to the mound against the Bronx Bombers. As we near the end of the season, fans can expect to see an increase in giveaways and this Sunday is no exception – the first 20,000 will receive a long-sleeve Blue Jays baseball shirt. The Yankees are one of a handful of teams fighting for the second wild card, so the Jays need to ‘carpe diem’ all over those pinstripes – if you know what we mean.
Insider Stuff
As the chances of a playoff birth dwindle, Toronto fans must settle instead for seeing some young prospects in their first big league appearance this September when the MLB expands to their 40-man rosters. Two individuals worth noting are pitcher Daniel Norris and outfielder Dalton Pompey.
The left-handed Norris is a 21-year old from Tennessee who began the year with Single-A Dunedin. This breakout season has seen Norris promoted first to Double-A New Hampshire and, more recently, to Triple-A Buffalo. The starting pitcher is a likely candidate to join the Jays bullpen, much like the Jays have already done with Aaron Sanchez. If all goes to plan over the next year or two, Norris will join youngsters Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez in the starting rotation, giving the Jays some of the best young arms in all of baseball.
Meanwhile, Dalton Pompey is a 21-year old center fielder from Mississauga, Ontario. Originally drafted in the 16th round in 2010, Pompey has worked hard to climb to Toronto’s list of top young prospects. Adding power hitting and defensive skill to his already above-average running speed, the Canadian exceeded his initial goal for this season of being promoted to Double-A New Hampshire – Pompey finished the season with a strong performance at Triple-A Buffalo. If the Jays choose not to promote him as part of their September call-ups, he’ll likely go to the Arizona Fall League – a prestigious fall league where each team sends no more than 7 prospects to continue training and development.
For those of us that still believe in the Jays’ playoff hopes, we’d like to see these guys serving a bigger purpose – something beyond a simple showcase.
Buzzword of the Week: Going Yard
The term “going yard” is slang for hitting a homerun. As a well-hit ball is travelling through the air, announcers might say, “That ball is going yard”. Slightly modified, someone might also say, “This team has only two players that can go yard”.
The origins of the term are debated, but the common sense explanation states that a common term for a ballpark is a ‘yard’. Hence, when the ball leaves the yard, it’s said to have ‘gone yard’.
Another popular explanation dates back to the 1910s. Adjacent to old Comiskey Park in Chicago was an area known as the Union Stockyards. When a homerun ball was hit over the fence, newspaper journalists would exaggerate that ‘that ball was headed for the stockyards’ – giving birth to the term ‘going yard’.
The Blue Jays are a team that is built to ‘go yard’. Additionally, the Rogers Centre is a ballpark that favours the type of hitter that can ‘go yard’. Unfortunately, the only thing missing recently are the actual homeruns.
So what have you learned?
Now is the time, and the time is now.
The Jays need to put it together, starting with the Yankees this weekend. Look for young prospects, like Daniel Norris, to help that effort starting September 1st when the roster expands. Sergio Santos’ season may be over, but the Jays aren’t quite there yet. Let’s hope our sluggers continue to go yard at the homerun-friendly Rogers Centre and we’ll be back next Friday with a swing and a long drive on the best damn (and only) ball club north of the border.
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