By Matt Antaya
The AL East is a dogfight. It’s probably the most competitive division in all of baseball. You know that, we know that, heck, even our mom knows that (no joke; she sat through so many little league games she had little choice but to adopt a love for the game. Thanks, mom.) But nobody could have predicted what we’ve seen so far this year. The AL East standings are currently more wound up than a tween at a One Direction concert. It’s a regular traffic jam with all five teams separated by less than three games. At one point this week, two teams were tied for first place while the remaining three teams were all tied for second. The good news is that means the Jays haven’t been in last place for a while.
The Jays offense has really come alive in the last week. First baseman Edwin Encarnacion has hit a ridiculous four homeruns in the last three games. And his threatening presence in the lineup will serve to protect power-hitter Jose Bautista, who bats right ahead of him. They won’t pitch around Bautista if it only means having to deal with Edwin instead. This ripple effect should serve the rest of the Jays’ batters as well. Up and down the lineup, everyone is hitting the ball hard.
On another note, if you find a baseball game while flipping through the channels on Sunday, you may notice the players wearing pink on their uniforms or swinging bright pink bats. And if you’re unsure why that is, there’s a pretty good chance your mom is waiting by the phone. So don’t forget to call her – after the game, of course.
Insider Stuff
Another name you should add to your lexicon is Juan Francisco. The 26-year old slugger was released by the Milwaukee Brewers this spring and signed to a minor league contract by the Buffalo Bisons (the Blue Jays AAA affiliate). When the Blue Jays’ Adam Lind was injured three weeks ago, Francisco was called up to stand in. We’d enjoy painting you a romantic picture, but this was just the case of the Jays needing a body (any body) to fill a hole in the line-up until the ‘real guy’ could return. Francisco had been shrugged off by Milwaukee in the spring and would likely be cast off by Toronto as soon as Lind returned. But Francisco saw things differently, making everything out of the opportunity. He proved he could be yet another big bat in this Jays’ lineup and he’s played solid defense at third base, giving Brett Lawrie time off to nurse a tight hamstring. The Jays were forced to take notice and on Thursday, when Adam Lind was reactivated, Francisco was not at risk of losing his spot. With a batting lineup this dangerous, opposing pitchers may have no clue what to throw at them.
Buzzword of the Week: “Manager’s Challenge”
Oh boy, this is a biggie. The 2014 season has introduced a proverbial grocery list of rule changes to a game that otherwise prides itself on being the same old pastime from yesteryear and the Manager’s Challenge is perhaps the most divisive change already.
According to the new rules in 2014, video replay can be used to review most plays on the field – though some scenarios, such as disputing balls and strikes, are off-limits. MLB’s goal was to minimize the number of incorrect calls. However, in order to avoid an excessive number of reviews, a manager only has one “challenge” he can use in the first six innings of the game. If the challenge proves correct (meaning the manager was right in challenging a bad call), then he retains his right to challenge one more time. After that, he’s out.
Beginning in the 7th inning, the manager can request an unlimited number of reviews, but the umpire is free to refuse if he feels it’s unwarranted. MLB’s strategy here is to allow the umpires the flexibility to use replay as often as they choose in the final three innings of the game in hopes that the most significant and/or game-deciding calls will be as accurate as possible.
Once a challenge is issued, the review is turned over to a crew of umpires at the MLB offices in New York City. These guys are equipped to review the video from up to 12 different camera angles, and a decision is issued in less than 1-2 minutes. The umpires at the game no longer have any say in the matter, and serve only to communicate the ruling from the crew in NYC.
Early criticism of the new challenge system points to the lack of formality with which a manager issues his challenge. The manager must interrupt the game before play continues otherwise the previous call may no longer be challenged. However, a manager does not automatically use his challenge by delaying the game. Most often, a manager will enter the field to discuss with the umpire while one of the team’s coaches reviews the video privately. If the coach decides a challenge is unjustified (meaning the call was likely correct), he signals to the manager who returns to the dugout with his challenge intact. Tricky stuff. The overall result is repeated delays throughout the game… so basically the opposite of what MLB had in mind.
So what have you learned?
The Jays are in the middle of the pileup that is the AL East. Edwin Encarnacion is swinging a big bat, as is newcomer Juan Francisco, which should provide the rest of the lineup an opportunity to be dangerous. Under the new video replay rules, Manager John Gibbons has only one challenge to use before the 7th inning, but that won’t stop him from repeatedly chatting up the umps like they’re on a first date. And you should tell your mom all about everything you’ve just learned this weekend and invite her to join us here next Friday for more love and appreciation of the best damn (and only) ball club north of the border.
#LYNL | (Live Your Notable Life)
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