Comments on: Springtime Storylines: Are the Blue Jays doomed by baseball’s toughest division?

By: explodet

explodet — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 18:23:38 +0000

The thing about Hill is that he had the lowest line drive percentage of any player since at least 2002.

By: homerj2112

homerj2112 — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 14:57:25 +0000

I have been a Jays fan since I was a kid and I can’t remember feeling as good about the team at the start of a season since 93. I love what Alex Anthopoulous has done be re-building with youth like the Rays yet still spending the cash on established players when warranted. I think the playoffs are in sight now, which is something I couldn’t say for years. Probably not this season but soon (I hope) Can’t wait for Friday’s opening day.

By: cshearing

cshearing — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 13:05:38 +0000

…so now the Jays have to fight through the Red Sox & Yankee juggernauts, AND a Rays team that is run incredibly well. Yeah, those stupid poor Jays comments…

You can say that all it takes is running your team better than anyone else in baseball, but it is not like that is easy. Especially when the best-run team is in your own division.

By: stew37

stew37 — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 03:35:36 +0000

The thing about Hill last year was the nagging groin injury he battled all season. Based on recent performance in the GL it looks like he’s coming into the season healthy and raking. Really impressed with Rivera, but a little worried about Encarnacion at third. He’s lost weight and shown solid power in the spring, but he played a disgusting third base last year. I think the Jays are good for 90 with Drabek and Morrow having breakout years.

By: Ari Collins

Ari Collins — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 01:38:15 +0000

That sure, huh? I’m sure you’ll be putting money on it, then.

By: frankvzappa

frankvzappa — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 01:04:36 +0000

Jays finish ahead of the yanks and rays both, no doubt about it…

By: Travis Reitsma

Travis Reitsma — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 00:46:52 +0000

Hill’s BABIP was the lowest in modern history among qualified players. When I found that out I was blown away.

By: reospeedwagon916

reospeedwagon916 — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 23:51:19 +0000

Divisions seem so unnecessary now with expanded teams and playoffs. Get rid of all the geographic divisions and just pick the top 6 teams in each league. Problem solved.

By: proudlycanadian

proudlycanadian — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 23:34:38 +0000

Since our currency is worth more than yours, I will up my best guess to 93 games.

By: missthemexpos

missthemexpos — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 23:29:26 +0000

These days the Beaver currency is kicking some serious Yankee butt. Certainly makes travelling stateside much cheaper. I will be content for the Jays to win more than they loose, and hope that proudlycanuck’s prediction of 90 wins comes true.

By: Reflex

Reflex — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 22:23:00 +0000

There was nothing ‘miraculous’ about the 08 Rays. Or the 2010 Rays. Its a well designed ballclub from the ground up, and I see no reason they won’t be routine competitors the way they are running the place. People point to thier run of top draft picks, but they ignore just how well thier down level picks have been doing. They have fantastic talant scouts and a good farm system for developing those picks.

Will losing Crawford hurt in 2011? Sure. But by 2012 he’ll be hardly missed IMO.

By: bigharold

bigharold — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 22:22:08 +0000

Yeah but that’s in Candian wins, which like the currancy usually is discounted. So in American wins it’s probably still 87 wins.

By: thinman61

thinman61 — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 21:51:07 +0000

We’ll see. That’s why they play the games.

By: proudlycanadian

proudlycanadian — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 21:41:09 +0000

You are doomed to be disappointed.

By: Ari Collins

Ari Collins — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 21:39:00 +0000

I wouldn’t call it one miracle year when the Rays have averaged 92 wins the last three years.

Agree with the other posters: if the Rays can do it, the Jays can do it, especially given how much more payroll flexibility the Jays have. They could be big movers this next offseason.

By: scatterbrian

scatterbrian — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 21:22:55 +0000

Cannot thumbs-up this enough. The “poor Blue Jays” meme is getting really tired. It’s the same stuff people were saying about the Rays a few years ago.

By: proudlycanadian

proudlycanadian — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 21:11:57 +0000

The Jays will win more than 90 games this year.

By: florida76

florida76 — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 20:59:31 +0000

Exceedingly well run teams can make a miracle run like the Rays did in 2008, but Tampa was mediocre in 2009, and the Yankees rested people in the last few games last season. How many home playoff games did the Rays win last year, and what was the overall attendance?

Tampa was only two games out of missing the playoffs last year, and they took a tremendous personnel hit in the offseason. 84 wins top, and a mediocre year like 2009 for the Rays.

By: thinman61

thinman61 — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 20:51:52 +0000

I expect the Orioles to finish higher than the Blue Jays this year. A lot of last year’s homer-happy lineup is either gone, or due for some serious regression to the mean. Toronto will be doing well if they manage to win as many as 80 games. I’m expecting more like 75.

By: shawnuel

shawnuel — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 20:30:07 +0000

Not sure how the Jays could be doomed by that division if the Rays are not. Exceedingly well run teams can win in any division. Maybe not consistently……

By: dodger88

dodger88 — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 20:30:06 +0000

The key for the Jays the next few years is their pitching. It will be near impossible for them to match the offensive fire power of the Yanks or Bosox even if Hill & Lind return to 2009 form and Bautista proves worthy of his 5 year deal. If the Jays can get great pitching from a crop of young hurlers with lots potential, they could challenge for the division perhaps as early as 2012. However, they will have virtually no room for error, much like the Rays and evetually the Orioles.