Brett Lawrie at Spring Training, 2011

Many anticipated the eventual call-up of wonderboy Brett Lawrie. But I doubt few could have predicted the kind of impact he’d make on the Jays during the first week of his arrival.

In just 5 games, Lawrie is 7 for 18, with 2 home runs, a double, and 6 RBI. He’s batting .389 over this span.

But more than numbers, Lawrie’s impact has been an emotional one. He’s brought an uncontainable excitement to this often reserved team. He shows unbridled enthusiasm for the game; never more so than during the dugout celebration after last night’s grand slam home run.

Lawrie’s twitter account (@blawrie13) may be full of typos and misspellings, but it’s impossible to ignore the energy he shows, even in 140 characters or less.

I’ll be watching closely over the next while, to see if this energy will keep up, to see if Lawrie will continue to feel like a dynamic center to the team, an explosive counterpart to Bautista’s intelligent leadership.

This afternoon, the Jays meet Oakland for an afternoon rubber match. A win would take Toronto 3 games over .500. Can the Jays improve their dismal record for day games? Can they build on last night’s enthusiasm, in good preparation for the weekend series against the Angels, a contending team?

We’ll find out shortly. Game on!

Brandon Morrow’s post-game tweet just about says it all. After going 5 flawless innings – just 51 pitches to retire 15 straight batters – it all fell apart at the top of the 6th.

First to go? The perfect game. On a 3-1 count, Nolan Reimold singled on a line drive to center field.

After another out and a second single, a fielding error by – surprisingly – Yunel Escobar allowed the Orioles to score. Say goodbye to the shutout, Brandon.

The Jays were still in line for the win. Up by 1, Morrow got the second out of the inning. But two were still on. On the second pitch, Adam Jones knocked one out of the park, bringing in the two baserunners, and putting the Orioles ahead, 4 to 2.

It’s easy to accept that a perfect game – in a virtual rainstorm – couldn’t possibly last forever. The ground was soaked. It’s tough to keep a good hold on the ball with wet hands. And the weight of a wet uniform can throw things off.

But you just knew, looking at Brandon Morrow’s in the dugout after he left the game in the 8th, that this was far from what he’d wanted.

Would things have been different, had Yunel successfully completed the force out attempt? Probably. At least for that inning. A force out at 2nd would have put the frame at 2 outs for the next batter, and kept the Orioles from scoring on that play. It certainly would have helped Morrow’s composure going into the next play. The Jays might have kept the lead. They might have won.

Might.

The thing about baseball? You never know. Losses rarely come down to a single play. Even had the 6th ended with the Orioles scoreless, the seventh may have changed everything.

Brandon Morrow didn’t get his perfect game last night. He didn’t get his shutout. And he didn’t get the win. But no one can say he didn’t pitch outstandingly.

Morrow will get his perfect game.

This was just a preview.

Brett Lawrie - Toronto's Lucky Number 13?

We knew it was coming.

Definitely before September.

Some time in the summer, for sure.

But maybe earlier? Maybe June?

It’s hard to feel like Brett Lawrie’s arrival today won’t change things in a big way. This is why fans have been chomping at the bit, eager for his call-up.

You look at Lawrie, and see a player who showcases the coveted trio of power, speed, and average. Defensively, he learns fast; transitioning from second to third over a matter of weeks.

And the timing couldn’t be better.

Earlier in the season, the rotating door of 3rd base has passed through Encarnacion, Nix, McCoy, McDonald and even Chris Woodward. The 3B position was underperforming in both offense and defense.

The controversial decision to shift Jose Bautista semi-permanently into the hot corner was a definite upgrade. Bautista’s arm and accuracy immediately contributed to the defense. In 25 starts, Bautista grabbed just 2 errors in the position. In 25 starts, Edwin Encarnacion netted 8.

Still, Bautista’s made it clear that his home is in right field, and I’m not one to argue. The best place for Bautista? Where Bautista feels comfortable.

Although this decision could have come weeks earlier, the team has given Lawrie ample opportunity to return to form in Las Vegas. And he has. Post-injury, he’s held his season batting average to .353, with a .415 on base percentage.

Lawrie brings with him the promise of another strong offensive presence in the field. And while he will need to continue to work out his throwing accuracy, particularly when on the move, he’s proven an ability to learn.

To make room for Lawrie, Travis Snider was optioned to AAA. Snider can’t be happy about the move – twice this season – but nor should he be surprised. With the addition of Colby Rasmus, the outfield became a very crowded place. And with Bautista making a move back to right, it’s become even more crowded.

Despite Snider’s initially flashy return to play in July, his stats have failed to improve far enough above .200. At the plate? He’s been striking out a whopping 27.7% of the time. (I maybe should mention that JP is currently sitting at over 28%. Eek.)

What the future holds for Travis is unclear. I’m rooting for him to find his mojo again. He’s got power. He’s got surprising speed. But something isn’t clicking.

Tonight, Lawrie should see his first big league play. After waiting so long, I’d find it hard to imagine that the team would expect us – and expect Lawrie – to wait much longer. Will he make the start at 3B? He could. With the (brutal) day game yesterday, the team should be able to have a good workout today and see how the upgraded Jays come together.

But I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts, like many of our rookies, as tonight’s DH, using Monday’s off day to begin Bautista’s transition back to the outfield.

Welcome to the big time, Brett Lawrie. I’m excited to see how much impact you can have.

For the first time in months, the Blue Jays are in sight of 3rd place in the AL East.

We’re number… three?

It’s not a pipe dream for the Toronto Blue Jays after last night’s win over the formidable David Price and Tampa. Just a half game behind the Rays, a win tonight and tomorrow would put the Jays, even for a short time, in 3rd place in the AL East.

It may not sound like a lofty goal. But in the tough division, 3rd is an important milestone on the way to the Wild Card race. After all, last year at this time, the Blue Jays had virtually the same record (and same overall position in the division), but were a whopping 5 games out of third place.

Although it would take a miracle to somehow maneuver into contention for 2011, his tightening up of the races is a good sign for Toronto.

Despite the series of injuries that plagued almost the entire active roster for the first half of the season, despite a young and inexperienced rotation, marked by inconsistencies and outright failures, and an insane turnover rate, the Jays are hanging in there.

It just makes a girl wonder what the team is capable of in 2012.

Last night’s win was an important one, not just because of the standings. The Jays have never beat David Price. Ever. Their record was a shutout 0-8 against Price. That all changed with Bautista’s 32nd home run last night.

The more the team has these key victories, the more they have to believe they’re close to having what it takes.

After all, the lineup has been solidly healthy for a good month now. We’ve recently welcomed center fielder Colby Rasmus to the team. As he continues to settle in, he’ll begin to contribute more and more. Soon, the long-awaited Brett Lawrie will come to stay.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m under no illusions that Rasmus, or Lawrie, or any other single player is enough to put this young team in sight of the Wild Card. We’re still dealing with a young rotation that’s going to go through major ups and downs for awhile longer. The bullpen’s been recently depleted. We still lack a solid closer. And second base? Hill, I love ya defensively, but you’re not hitting for average, you’re not hitting for power, and you’re not even drawing walks.

Despite what we lack, I’m in absolute love with what we have to build on. And I’m excited to see what happens next.

Can we take third place tonight? Shields is another tough cookie. But I think this team is up to the task.

St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Colby Rasmus (28). Photo by Keith Allison.

Last night, the Blue Jays took to the field 4 players short of their active roster.

With Ricky Romero pitching a shut-out, the depleted bullpen didn’t so much matter; only Rauch had to come in for the final two outs of the game.

The “New Jays” began arriving last night and may see playing time as soon as tonight’s final match against Baltimore.

So, who are these guys? And what have they been up to so far this season?

Fellow Aerys Sports Reporters Christine Coleman and Cheryl Norman share the low-down on the “New Jays” and what Toronto fans may expect to see.

» Continue reading “The New Jays: What Rasmus, Teahen, Miller, Walters and Tallet Bring to the Table”

As expected, the Jays weren’t done dealing yet.

To sum up, the Jays sent Jason Frasor and Zach Stewart to the Chicago White Sox for Edwin Jackson and Mark Teahen.

A second deal should be finalized shortly that sends the very-recently-acquired Jackson to St. Louis, along with Marc Rzepczynski, Octavio Dotel, and Corey Patterson.

In exchange, the Jays get the former top prospect Colby Rasmus and three relievers; Brian Tallett, Trevor Miller, and PJ Walters. Trevor Miller will be flipped to the White Sox.

Having Rasmus join the team in Center Field is a definite upgrade. The eventual outfield will look like Snider (LF), Rasmus (CF), and Bautista (RF); a powerful combination.

In terms of the bullpen, though, one has to wonder how things will continue to shake out for Toronto.

Gone?

1. Jason Frasor
2. Marc Rzepczynski (whose name I will actually miss spelling)
3. Octavio Dotel

Frasor and Rzep are going to leave average-sized holes behind. I liked both of them, and neither made me groan when coming in late in a game.

One of the slots will be filled by Brad Mills, making his way here from Vegas to join the bullpen. But what about the others? Luis Perez is a natural call-up. And… who else?

Of the new relievers, it’s been announced that Miller will be making his way to the White Sox as part of the Jackson/Teahen/Stewart/Frasor deal. Brian Tallett is on the DL. That leaves PJ Walters, a young rightie with 4 innings of relief pitched in the majors this year.

I can’t help but think that now that the Jays have their positions in a bit better shape, they need to focus a bit on pitching. Our starters have shown promise, but so many have struggled; Drabek, Litsch, Cecil, Reyes. And Villaneuva? Doing well, but the bullpen probably misses his ability to go the distance as a middle reliever.

By the way, in case you’re confused, the Jays kind of got an awesome deal today. And the deal is entirely about Colby Rasmus. The relievers don’t so much matter.

Zach Stewart Pitches in Toronto

The Blue Jays have traded reliever Jason Frasor and Starting Pitcher Zach Stewart to the Chicago White Sox, in exchange for SP Edwin Jackson and 3B/OF Mark Teahen.

More soon, because I’m willing to bet you like a trillion dollars that this ‘done deal’ is only part of the deal for the Jays.

Will Edwin Jackson be going to the St. Louis Cardinals? And what are the Jays going to do with yet ANOTHER third baseman?

The ‘mill has it that the Jays are looking for CF Colby Rasmus in return from the Cards. It’s just a question of when, and what else we’ll be giving up in exchange.

Look for updates when I’ve got ‘em….

With Jo-Jo Reyes DFAd last week, a question remains; who will be taking his place on the Blue Jays Rotation?

The prime candidates, as mentioned by the team last week, are three familiar names; Zach Stewart, Jesse Litsch, and Brad Mills. But as of this morning, there’s another rumour in the mix; Chicago White Sox Starter Edwin Jackson.

And even more interesting, the rumour mill is now focusing on just two of those names; Brad Mills and Edwin Jackson.

Which one has the best shot of strenghtening the rotation?

Leftie Brad Mills is the de facto ace of the Lace Vegas 51s this season. With over 130 innings pitched, he’s dramatically improved his walk to strikeout ratio from previous years, a decent ERA (3.99), and a winning record (9-7). Mills is relatively consistent when throwing to lefties vs righties and does well when the bases are empty. In bases loaded or scoring position situations? Not so much. (Although as you and I both know, the PCL is hitter-friendly, but still, his ERA this season is over 7.5 in the clutch.)

Jays fans had a chance to see Mills make 3 starts in the bigs last season. He did ok – 1 win, a 5.64 ERA, and a few innings of relief.

The rumour this morning? Mills is making his way from Vegas to Toronto… but will be working in the bullpen when he arrives.

This adds fuel to the fire that someone in the ‘pen may be on the way out.

The big unknown in this whole thing is Edwin Jackson. Rumours started flying just this morning, and like many Jays-related speculations, there’s a fair chance they’re far from the mark.

On the other hand, Rosenthal has a decent track record with such things.

Edwin Jackson (27) is set to become a free agent after this year, and would probably net a Type B draft pick – just like Jason Frasor, the presumed trade.

Appealing; Jackson has only pitched fewer than 5 innings twice this season; both times in April. In June and July, he’s gone for 6 or more, including a complete game shutout.

If this trade happens, does Jackson pitch on Saturday? Sure! His last start was on Sunday.

However. And this is a big however. Jesse Litsch, despite his struggles in the PCL, was really only send down to Vegas because the Jays had enough options on him to do so. Now that Jo-Jo Reyes has been DFAd, it’s assumed that Litsch would be first back to join the team.

I guess all we can do now is wait for word, one way or the other!

Stitch and Pitch; A New Baseball Tradition

For one night every summer, my two worlds collide.

“Stitch and Pitch“; when knitters flock, en masse, to the ballpark.

You may think of knitting and crochet as a hobby for grandmothers, for nerds. And you’re right! Some of my favorite knitters are grannies, and almost all of them are yarn nerds. But about a decade ago, these centuries-old yarn crafts underwent some serious transformations.

Although you’ll still find acrylic crocheted afghans and houseslippers knit with Phentex, you’ll also find pure cashmere scarves, merino cardigans, and patterns for garments you’d be happy to buy off the rack. In my other life, I design these kinds of knitting patterns, and travel to teach workshops across North America. The popularity has also exploded. Knitters and crocheters, both male and female, are drawn to the tactile creativity of making an object from scratch, and appreciate the often medatative qualities of repetitious handiwork. It’s a huge market; in 2009, yarn-related crafts accounted for over a billion dollars of sales in North America alone, with knitters spending well over $700,000,000.

One thing hasn’t changed, though.

The concept of the “Stitch ‘n Bitch”, a few hours where crafters can gather to chat and work on projects, is just as alive and strong as it was a century ago. Groups meet in coffee shops, in yarn shops, in houses. Groups gather to share in other hobbies and pasttimes, fingers flying while working through a new project.

So perhaps an obvious leap was to create a “Stitch ‘n PITCH”.

The event started a few years back, organized by The National NeedleArts Association, a professional organization for retailers, wholesalers, publishers and designers.

Volunteers organize local events, such as the one at tonight’s Blue Jays game, and hundreds of happy crafters attend to cheer on the local team.

As a baseball fan, who may have never actually seen a Knitter in Real Life, you may have questions. Luckily, I’m happy to guide you through the “Do’s and Don’ts” of encountering a Knitter in the Wild.

DON’T: Assume Only Women Knit
In many cultures, historically the men were the knitters. It’s thought that early fishermen would work on socks or wool garments at night, while the women of the household cooked and tended to children. Men were also the first ‘professional’ knitters, with a 6 year apprenticeship program being necessary before obtaining ‘Master’ status. These days, men who knit often get the bonus of being surrounded by ladies, and “Oh, your gauge is so perfect” could even become a great pickup line.

I’m not aware of any baseball players who knit, but it’s a big thing in the acting world. Knitting can be put down and picked up at a moment’s notice, and helps actors like Russell Crowe not only pass the time, but stay calm, cool and collected.

I’d be more than happy to volunteer to teach our bullpen while they’re killing time in the first few innings.

DO: Ask What He or She is Knitting!
Knitters LOVE to talk about their projects. A lot of time and (often) money can go into even the smallest of projects. After all, a simple scarf may take upwards of 40 hours to complete, and yarn can cost more than $50 for a single project.

DO: Understand that Knitters are Multitaskers!
Many knitters can knit while carrying on a conversation, watching the game, and drinking a beer. In many cases, having something to do with my hands can actually help me maintain focus on what’s going on. So don’t scoff when someone brings knitting to the park; just because someone is knitting, doesn’t mean he or she isn’t paying attention.

DON’T: Fear the Needle
Knitting needles aren’t actually sharp. They aren’t actually dangerous. And they’re not a security risk. That said, I’m happy to lend mine to Jon Rauch next time he gets in an argument. Not that he needs help.

So tonight, if you happen to look to the outfield and see a huge block of knitters, you’ll have a bit more background knowledge to get what we’re all doing there.

And look for me to be participating in a big way tonight! I’m happy to represent both the Capital K Knitters and the Capital F Fans at tonight’s game. Go Jays!

Edwin Encarnacion: Back in Business

Tonight, the Jays welcome the Seattle Mariners to town. It’s just the second meeting for the teams in 2011, and much has changed since that rough road trip in early April.

Starting Pitching

In the April Series, the Mariners faced Jesse Litsch, Ricky Romero, and Kyle Drabek. Of the 3? Only Drabek netted a win, despite Ricky’s strong 8.0 inning performance in game 2. Of the 3? Only Romero remains on the active roster.

This time, the Mariners will face Romero to close out the series, with Brett Cecil and Brandon Morrow for games 1 and 2.

Offensive Upgrades

Hopefully, we’ll see Jose Bautista return to the lineup tonight. His bat was missed during the last two games against the Yankees, and it would be great to start off with as much power against Michael Pineda as possible tonight.

But even if Bautista needs a few more days of rest and rehab, the Blue Jays have a stronger lineup to face the Mariners this time around.

Gone? Juan Rivera and Jayson Nix. To be fair, Nix had gone 5 for 12 in Seattle, but his reasonable April turned into sub-Mendoza May and June.

Improved? Travis Snider. Snider’s visit to his home state netted just his 6th hit of 2011, and highlighted his struggles at the plate. The Snider we saw last week is the one we knew would be back; he’s batting .391 since his return from AAA.

A different kind of Edwin Encarnacion is in the mix as well. Eddie’s batting .327 for July, and actually played an outstanding third base last weekend.

New? Rajai Davis wasn’t in the lineup for any of the Seattle series. Look for Davis – if he can get on base – to take a few extra off of Jason Vargas tomorrow. Vargas has 10 stolen bases against him so far in 2011.

Eric Thames adds a lot of punch as well. Currently batting .308, the leftie has proven to be dangerous against RHP. How he handles Michael Pineda tonight will be interesting. Thames was thrown by Sabbathia on Saturday, and didn’t seem to recover his swing for the final game of the series. Hopefully the day off has given him some perspective.

What to Watch
After the bi-polar Yankees series this weekend, I’ve got 3 big questions that I’ll be looking to answer over the next few games.

1. Can Thames rebound? His swing looked…well… awful on Sunday. We need him back in business ASAP or the wins will keep slipping away. It’s good for him to be facing another strong pitcher in the first game tonight. Hopefully he can adjust. His stats give him a good shot against Pineda.
2. Is Snider in it for the long haul? He’s no longer on a hitting streak, but it doesn’t matter; the man with the ‘Stache looks at home at the plate in a way he hasn’t for months.
3. What about Corey Patterson? Man, this guy had a great May. .308, with judicious use of baserunning. June and July so far are sub .200. If we’re going to put up with Patterson’s free swinging ways, he needs to connect just a wee bit more often.

With any luck, the Jays will be back at .500 – or over – before they head to Texas this weekend.