- The buzzword with the Jays is always "manufacturing runs," since all that home run power only translated to the seventh-most runs in the AL last season. It was hit-and-miss: crooked numbers, achieved without Dr. Longball, bracketing eight goose eggs.
- Much love for Casey Janssen's work out of the bullpen, flinging two and a third scoreless to hold off Detroit. If managers ever realized they don't need a new reliever every second batter, Janssen might be a superstar.
- So it begins: Things have changed in Jays Land. Time was, you could follow an early-season day game in peace and solitude, aware that the Jays were not "it." Now it's shades of the early '90s all over again, which means if you're home and have friends who are stuck at work and aren't near a TV or radio, they start sending MSN messages along the lines of, "As a fan, I expect only one thing: Doc to be unhittable," and "wheels are coming off" after the Tigers scored an unearned run in the third inning.
That turned out to be somewhat prescient in the context of the individual game. Roy Halladay, who lasted six innings and laboured more often than not, walked Brandon Inge and gave up a hard double to Curtis Granderson to open the Tigers fifth, and both scored, tying it 3-3.
That said, all together now: It's the first game of the season. Feel free to add a couple of swears in there. - New rule: The Jays must have every Opening Day at Comerica Park. Baseball owes us one after hornswoggling the Jays out of any weekend dates this year against the Yankees and Red Sox, so grant us the treat of watching the first game in an open-air park with bright green grass against a traditional rival. Starting at the season at the Cable Box just isn't the same. Besides, after the Tigers completely come back to earth, Southern Ontario fans will be able to snap up tickets.
- Lyle Overbay doubled in a run and walked in his first two PAs as the No. 2 hitter, he also factored in the winning rally by singling to set the table for Troy Glaus' game-winning hit. Effin' A.
- As for Doc's high pitch count: Tigers hitters probably had it hammered into them all spring about exercising more patience, spoiling more pitches, et cetera. It's too soon for them to regress to their free-swinging ways.
He had only one vintage Doc inning, the kind where you pop off to use the bathroom, or pack a lunch, and then look up and wonder why the TV broadcast is in a commercial. - Someone should start a pool on when Jeremy Bonderman lands on the disabled list. He looked about as comfortable as a Grade 9 kid at his first high-school dance before settling in in the Toronto third. He looked like he was worried about something.
Off to work. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.
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1 comment:
Ugh baseball . American cousin to cricket. Both boring. Synchronized swimming: there is a real spectator sport that is more exciting than baseball.
You mentioned that law enforcement types are often Yankee fans. I would observe that small c concservative types tend to be Yamkee fans. They like Seinfield too because George was a Yankee and Steinbrenner was portrayed. Matbe it is Steinbrenner that the cons admire.
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