Goodbye 2016

So here it is. The final post of 2016.

Nine months ago this site came into being . Since then there's been so much that's happened, mostly good. (All communities have their bumpy times and we've weathered those quite well.) I didn't know what would become of this when I started. I only knew that I wanted to have a place for the community to hang out when our site for all intents and purposes disappeared.

It turned out to be a wonderful gamble.

I am so grateful for all of you and for your contributions that make this such a great place to hang out (even you, lurkers!).

Happy new year! May 2017 be even better.

Transaction Fridays?

Ross Atkins being a sexy beast

So, an end-of-year present maybe?

In Memoriam

So there's been a lot of celebrity deaths this year. There will probably be more before Sunday. But since the last few days have had a lot and there's nothing baseball-related to talk about, share the losses that rocked you the most and why. It can be from anytime this year.

Hump Day chat

Until people start stepping up, you're stuck with chat posts. Remember, politics is verboten.

Prospect Porn

I wanted this to be a series but no one was interested in writing it. So share below the stories of the prospects in the system you are most excited about.

Christmas Hangover

So how did Santa treat you?

The Night Before JITHmas

nocramps posted this in last weekend's Party Weekend thread but it really needs to be immortalized so I share it for all of you. Have a happy and safe holiday!

Last minute Chistmas gifts for the baseball fan.

Ho fucking ho.
You procrastinated again this year. You're permanently hung over from being festive too many times and way too hard. Tis the season.
What's a person to do? Start shopping for the baseball friends you know and I'm here to help.

I remember.

The baseball off season is a time of angst and speculation. Worry about roster construction, payroll parameters, budgets, who is out of options, depth signings, organizational changes is enough to drive a fan to the point of drink,drank,drunk.So while we get concerned over the current state of affairs, as we consider the future of our beloved Blue Jays, let's remember what happened last off season leading up to opening day. It's about to happen all over again.
Remember.

Hump Day chat

It's 5 days until Christmas and the middle of the work week if you're a 9 to 5er. Feel free to chat about anything but politics.

Revisiting the pace of game rule changes

(I tried finding a photo with the timer in the shot but it was a no-go.)

The other big rule change in 2016 was pace of game. As this article explains:

Revisiting the neighbourhood play rule change

Back in March, Smasher talked about how the new sliding rule could be beneficial:

With the new rule in place, middle infielders like Tulo and Goins will have more time and space to turn the majestic DP's that we all know, love, and have become accustomed to. Happ, Dickey and Estrada were all among the top 77 pitchers in baseball in inducing ground-balls. Double plays aside, this bodes well when your team is one of the most talented defensively up the middle in all of baseball. Factor in the new dirt infield that will slow up ground balls that much more, thus increasing the range of Tulo/Goins and you can see why I am excited about the prospect of an improved team defense.

Who stands to benefit the most? Well arguably that would be your team Ace Marcus Stroman who pitched to a cool 4.17 Ground ball to Fly ball rate. Now obviously his 2015 is a small sample size but we can all agree that he's the best pitcher on the staff. So add in that he seems to be getting more ground ball outs, now has a slower dirt infield and the team has improved the defense of its middle infielders? It seems to bode well for the Blue Jays.

Well, it certainly wasn't at first. We were screwed a few times by it. But did we benefit as well? Discuss.

Party weekend!

Every weekend is an open thread to shoot the shit. There will be a challenge each week but don't feel confined by it.

Transaction Friday?

Yeah, I got nothin'.

So let's talk about the National League

Let's shake things up a bit. What do you think the National League is going to look like next year? Who are going to be the teams to beat? Will the Diamondbacks be relevant again? Will the Rockies finally be competitive again? Will the Padres be relevant?

Hump Day chat

It's the dog days of the off-season. There's no news. So here's an open thread to talk about everything but politics. (None of us really want to go there, right?)

The 2006 Blue Jays

Suggested by the wiener (6 months ago!) who said it was the best team of the Riccardi era. Better than 2008?  What are your thoughts?

Travelling to other ballparks

With it being cold and snowy across most of the country, I think it's time to bring up this idea suggested by Warren with additions from Karen. Warren suggested talking about the experiences of travelling to see the Jays in other ballparks (something I don't get to do because I'm a girl). Karen expanded the idea to wondering about your favourite stadium and best/ worst road experience.

Food, beer, fanbases!

Party weekend!

Every weekend is an open thread to shoot the shit. There will be a challenge each week but don't feel confined by it.

Transaction Fridays! (Maybe)

It's the day after the Winter Meetings so things likely won't happen. But who knows?

Yet More Winter Meetings Mayhem

So no big Jays signings yesterday. Chi Sox get the Nats prospects anyway by trading Adam Eaton. Royals trade pain in the ass Wade Davis to the Cubs. Yankees get domestic abuser Chapman back. Lots of speculation around what's going to happen with JB and EE.

Ross still needs sleep.

Shapiro is stuck having to talk to the troll on the right.

Hazel has yet another dress I covet.

It's the final day of the Winter Meetings!

Even More Winter Meeting Mayhem

Lots of stories coming out of the winter meetings and for those of you who haven't read through the previous thread. Some highlights because I'm too lazy to compose coherent sentences.

Winter Meeting Mayhem!

So, it's been busy so far, huh?

Ross certainly looks tired. (Wish I could embed this video and this video.)

Discuss.

News and views in Blue Jay Land

Editor's note: RADAR wrote this for Friday but I deferred it to today. Any dated info is my fault.


It seems that there was a meeting, between the brain trust of the Blue Jays and the local media. Which provided some insights into the direction the Jays may be taking in the future. Scheduled ahead of the winter meetings and shortened by an MLB conference call to update Shapiro and Atkins on the new CBA.

Party weekend!

Every weekend is an open thread to shoot the shit. There will be a challenge each week but don't feel confined by it.

Transaction Friday!

With the new CBA settled, today should see some things happen. Fingers crossed for a fun day!

Praise Hallelujah, there's a new CBA

Details are still coming in but a tentative agreement was reached last night. Highlights (thanks to CBC and TSN):

iambic pentameter day

By 98 LB baseball BOSS' request, this is the day nocramps has been waiting for. Iambic Pentameter baseball poetry, the style favoured by Shakespeare and friends.

The 2017 BBWAA HoF Ballot

The 2017 BBWAA HoF ballot has been released, and once again it's pretty crowded. There are 34 players on this year's ballot, which can be seen (just the names, along with the 2016 vote tally if there was one, and how many years the player has been on the ballot) here. There's also one with a bit more info at the website of the National Baseball Hall of Fame here. Finally, there's one at Baseball-Reference, which has some stats and stuff beside the player's names. For some reason, it hasn't been updated though, and if you want to use it you have to knock off Danys Baez, Julio Lugo, Aaron Rowand, and Javier Vazquez, as they were not put on the ballot by the BBWAA, and you have to add Casey Blake and Matt Stairs, who were put on the ballot. More after the jump.

David Andrew Stieb and the HoF (Part II: Top o' the Mountain to ya!: 1982 - 1985)

From 1977 through 1981, the Jays had stumbled through five seasons of mostly bad baseball. How long could .359 baseball (270 - 482) bring fans out to the ballpark? How long could you sell them on coming to see the stars of the American League, with very little hope for the home nine ever getting their act together? To be fair, they were assembling quite a lot of young talent, but that hadn't translated into wins yet, and let's face it, wins are what bring fans out to the ballpark in droves. The novelty of big league baseball in Toronto and seeing all the different stars on the opposing teams was starting to wear thin with the fans, and it showed. In 1981, they had their worst ranking for attendance in the history of the franchise. They finished 11th in the 14 team American League in attendance. Something needed to change.

Party weekend!

Every weekend is an open thread to shoot the shit. There will be a challenge each week but don't feel confined by it.

Transaction Friday!

It's transaction Friday! What do you think is going to be announced today?

Hello from PitchTalks Toronto. November 17, 2016 Edition

Prologue

So I'm sitting on the couch, pondering my navel, (I'm considering umbilicoplasty, I want to look younger and you gotta start somewhere ),when a friend calls and says we should go to PitchTalks, drink beer and shmoose with the celebrities. The navel thing is stressing me out and I need a break Tickets are purchased.

The 2017 TBJ Over/Under

Future Superstar Dalton Pompey

14/1. That's the Vegas odds on our Toronto Blue Jays to win the 2017 World Series. That sounds lofty but it's actually 8th overall. Out of 30 teams? And only Boston and Cleveland are ahead in early Vegas prediction on who will win the AL Championship. That's not so shabby!

My guess for the over/under is 87.5 (2017 Over/Under official numbers have yet to be released).Over should be very close to a wild card spot. What do you think?

Stake your claim. Claim victory. Call it now. Over or under? Make a stance. How many games will your Toronto Blue Jays win in 2017?

Predict wildly!

Pete Rose never bet against his own team. 

Your Favorite Jays Photos of the Past Year

Post your favorite photos from the past season.

Feel free to add reasoning, descriptions, captions or anything else.

Here's just a few of mine, wanted to leave it mostly wide open for you folks.

David Andrew Stieb and the HoF (Part I: The Early Years: 1979 - 1981)

Yeah, that's right, I put the words "Dave Stieb" and "HoF" in the same title. Am I out of my mind (hint: highly probable)? After all 176 Wins, a 3.44 ERA, a shade over 1,500 K in fewer than 3,000 IP doesn't exactly scream "Cooperstown!" as a body of work does it? The surface numbers just aren't there.

Ok, what about the awards? 7 All-Star selections (1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1988, and 1990), one 4th place Cy Young finish (1982), one 5th place Cy Young finish (1990), and back to back 7th place Cy Young finishes (1984, 1985). 7 All-Star games in 11 seasons is extremely impressive, but the rest of it doesn't add up either. In fact it's kind of meh for HoF consideration. So what the hell am I on about?

Party weekend!

Every weekend is an open thread to shoot the shit. There will be a challenge each week but don't feel confined by it.

Free Agent Friday!

Image from mlbtraderumors.com

It's announcement Friday!

We know Atkins loves his Friday afternoon announcements. What do you think it will be this week?

Bad Umpiring

Bad Umps. We know they're out there. (Sorry Wince, you know some guys are just. not. good.) So instead of agonizing over free agent signings, talk about the worst umpire calls of the year.

It's too early to worry about Edwin and Jose.

So I'm sitting on my couch, pondering my navel, wondering the usual things like "how much would it hold? It would make a great place to put ketchup for my fries". When a call comes in. It's a friend of mine, hyperventilating about the boys at Sportsnet and conflicting messages.

Limerick Day

By 98 LB baseball BOSS' request, since you all enjoyed the haikus so much (and because I have no content) it's make up a baseball limerick day!

The stupid Bautista steroids accusation rises again

So over the weekend I'm on a website discussing the latest Pitch episode and I run across this:

Party weekend!

Every weekend is an open thread to shoot the shit. There will be a challenge each week but don't feel confined by it.

Haiku contest

This was suggested by Travis Snider's Lunchbox a while back:

How about a haiku contest? Appoint two or three to be judges and give a virtual prize or something (worth .00003 cents). The haiku could be related to the Jays or to put down our opponents. A prize for the best Jays one and the best opponents one, perhaps?

So, who's down? What should the prize be?

Back to baseball, What's Happening.

Hint: Rerun

People are nervous and angry and scared over recent events. The Jays were eliminated in the ACLS and Cubs won the World Series. It's a tops-turvy world we live in and it's full of unsuspected surprises. Never get out of the boat, another season's just around the corner, so let's see what's happening.

Open Thread

I suspect there's not a lot of interest in talking about baseball today. Moratorium is now lifted on discussing the US election.

My only rule is GTFO if you're going to refer to HRC as a criminal, witch, paid shrill of Wall Street, or any similar invective. She's still my gal. The Bernie Bros have tons of places you can go do that if you wish. I've got enough of that shit on Facebook. I'm not going to tolerate it here.

The Search For The 2017 Backup Catcher

Odds are against Dioner returning in 2017...

Remember when the Jays brought back Navarro for the playoff run in 2016? Neither do I. He had a mere 36 AB's and 6 singles, no extra bases, good for a .182/.250/.182/.432 slash line. Thole has a higher OPS at .474... What an entirely forgettable stint!

So who might be playing backup next year for your TBJ's?

Internal Options:

Reese McGuire:  Reese who? A forgotten piece of the "shocking" trade deadline deal that sent Drew Hutchison to Pittsburgh for Franciso Liriano, rising OF prospect Harold Ramirez (currently our 35 prospect!) and this kid (22 in March),  who is the #4 catching prospect in all of baseball, mainly based on his plus D. Probably another year away, but could turn heads in Spring Training. No power but decent hitting average. Keep him on your radar.

Reese Mcguire, the #4 catching prospect in MLB

Max Pentecost: Long story short. He can hit. He was a first rounder (11th overall in 2013). He's recovering from shoulder surgeries. He did not catch at all last season. He's basically a DH at this point. Maybe they can convert him to 1B. Still a couple years away.

Buffalo has Erik Kratz (perfect .200 career Mendoza BA) and A.J. Jimenez, classic 3.5A (AAA1/2A) player, who, in a pinch could possibly fill in for a bridge year until one of the two prospects above are ready. As Stoeten always says, backup catchers don't add up to much in the W column (Thole hit .169 last year)...

External Options:

Bleacher Report just did a piece on the top 10 free agent catchers available. I love to hate that website, they do good work but racking up page views by scrolling through each player/team by page is aggravating. Most of these FA's (and some trade options) are way beyond what I think the Jays would ever want to pay a backup catcher who might play in 30-40 games. Especially since Russell is getting 20MM for the next 3 years...

Fuck Brian McCann. Weiters is a non-option (can he play 1B?). Kurt Suzuki would not be terribly expensive. Carlos Ruiz is only 4MM. Nick Hundley at 3MM?

Carlos Ruiz

My best guess is the Jays invite 5 guys I've barely heard of and keep one, and/or reanimate the corpse of Henry Blanco, who died in 2012 (*played for Jays in 2013).

Good luck sleeping tonight beaches!

Take a shot at being a hero and pick you WHO think might backup next year!