I'm also going to try to head down to Texas IF Jays get to face them. The New England Patriots are in town next Sunday to face the Cowboys as well. Could be a good sports trip if you guys are interested in both NFL and MLB. Hopefully the football game early and baseball game at night. We will see though. I just know Game 3 at Texas is a good possibility at this moment. and game 4 (if necessary) on Monday.
I don't think he put enough thought into how he wanted to handle things the day they clinched the division in Baltimore and things spun out of control on him pretty quickly. Didn't make any sense to give the regulars the second game of that double header off even if they won and clinched in the first game. The plan was not to have a dressing room celebration until after the second game anyway so he could have sent the message to the team to go hard in both games and the reward would have been a party at the end of the night and a game off for the regulars the next morning. Essentially forfeiting two straight games when they still mean something in the standings was a head scratcher for me. They can say whatever they want about resting guys or the division was the goal or whatever they want but I don't buy it. Gibbons had no choice but to play the B team on Thursday morning after that celebration. He did have a choice in the second game on Wednesday and he made the wrong one. I understand the only way it comes back to bite them is if they play KC in the seventh game of the ALCS. That's not out of the realm of possibility though and it could have been avoided.Beyond exited for thursday.
Still a bit odd to me that Gibbons seemed to have no desire to win the AL. why not start Price Friday or yesterday. Strange, but whatever. Good chance we are going to play Texas.
I don't think he put enough thought into how he wanted to handle things the day they clinched the division in Baltimore and things spun out of control on him pretty quickly. Didn't make any sense to give the regulars the second game of that double header off even if they won and clinched in the first game. The plan was not to have a dressing room celebration until after the second game anyway so he could have sent the message to the team to go hard in both games and the reward would have been a party at the end of the night and a game off for the regulars the next morning. Essentially forfeiting two straight games when they still mean something in the standings was a head scratcher for me. They can say whatever they want about resting guys or the division was the goal or whatever they want but I don't buy it. Gibbons had no choice but to play the B team on Thursday morning after that celebration. He did have a choice in the second game on Wednesday and he made the wrong one. I understand the only way it comes back to bite them is if they play KC in the seventh game of the ALCS. That's not out of the realm of possibility though and it could have been avoided.
Buerhrle gets the start today because he needs 2 more innings to get to 200. I'm mostly okay with that but I think they should have let him stay in the game Friday night to get them. He was pitching well, had a four run lead and was only at 103 pitches. What I'm most curios about today is who comes out for the third inning? Will that be Stroman? If it isn't then he could be pitching his next game on 8 or 9 days rest too. Risky for me and unnecessary too.Ya, I agree. I mean it makes sense to rest guys when you have clinched, even with the AL up for grabs. But he went over board. Not starting Price still makes no sense. you DO NOT want to over rest a pitcher. I mean it is like going back to spring training again, you want Price to pitch on his regular days.
Any way, small chance it bites them, but, enough of a chance. I still don't get it. Play most of the regulars the 2nd game of the double header (sure if some one sore let them rest) and start Price again. Also why isn't Stroman pitching today? so odd, I mean he needs to pitch, they guy is still warming up. I hope this doesn't all come back to bit them. Historically pitchers get worse with to much rest, not better.
Buerhrle gets the start today because he needs 2 more innings to get to 200. I'm mostly okay with that but I think they should have let him stay in the game Friday night to get them. He was pitching well, had a four run lead and was only at 103 pitches. What I'm most curios about today is who comes out for the third inning? Will that be Stroman? If it isn't then he could be pitching his next game on 8 or 9 days rest too. Risky for me and unnecessary too.
Home field advantage was lost when they forfeited the two games to Baltimore. Lots of questionable decisions made since Wednesday. I hope it's just a case of them wanting these five games over as fast as possible and move on to the post season. Makes me wonder what we'll see when they announce the post season roster. If Ezeckial Carrera is on it I'm going to puke.Gibbons starting Buerle on 1 day rest blew up in their faces
ouch
bye bye home-field throughout the postseason
Gibbons starting Buerle on 1 day rest blew up in their faces
ouch
bye bye home-field throughout the postseason
It was the right move in my mind. I am just really disappointed it did not play out for him.
I got tickets to games 1 and 2 in Toronto, very excited.
That being said, I can't help but feel winning their division was too much of a celebration for them. I hope they didn't get too comfortable. I would have liked them to rest guys in more of a staggered fashion rather that play a total B squad twice. Why couldn't they have left 3/4 regulars in the line-up each game.
starting Buehrle today was a classy move that I have no problem with under normal circumstances, but, like the last few games, it adds to the belief that gaining home field advantage throughout the post-season wasn't their priority.
I hope they get their hunger back real soon.
I don't see it being the right move, if he really wanted 200 IP so bad they should have left him in on Friday. Besides now one should be chasing numbers, never works out.
I have faith they will pull it together, but don't like the mentality that the team has already won all it wants to win.
This is not just some meaningless number. It was a feat that required 15 years of exceptional effort. Something which only 4 other players in the history of the game had accomplished. I would bet that every single member of the team would choose Buehrle over a win today given what he has meant to the team. Even so, if Goins does not make the error the Jays finish the inning with no runs against. If the ump gives Buehrle the call on a pitch that was well into the strike zone there is no Grand Slam and the move looks fine. This was simply a series of unfortunate occurrences.
The Jays get home field in all but the ALCS, and then they only lose it if KC wins their series. But the ALCS is 2-3-2. In the old days when the NHL used that format I always thought it favoured the team starting on the road. So what are you really winning?
Where the Jays blew it is not so much with the home field but having to play Texas instead of the Yankees or Astros.
The Rangers are playing as well as anybody in the American League, have a legit ace to deal with and a lineup that can mash with the Jays. It's a toss up series IMO whereas the Jays would have been a heavy favorite against the Yanks or Astros.
Gibbons screwed up by playing the AAA lineup in the last game of the Baltimore series. There was no reason why he had to rest the entire lineup in that game.
Where the Jays blew it is not so much with the home field but having to play Texas instead of the Yankees or Astros.
The Rangers are playing as well as anybody in the American League, have a legit ace to deal with and a lineup that can mash with the Jays. It's a toss up series IMO whereas the Jays would have been a heavy favorite against the Yanks or Astros.
Gibbons screwed up by playing the AAA lineup in the last game of the Baltimore series. There was no reason why he had to rest the entire lineup in that game.
This is not just some meaningless number. It was a feat that required 15 years of exceptional effort. Something which only 4 other players in the history of the game had accomplished. I would bet that every single member of the team would choose Buehrle over a win today given what he has meant to the team. Even so, if Goins does not make the error the Jays finish the inning with no runs against. If the ump gives Buehrle the call on a pitch that was well into the strike zone there is no Grand Slam and the move looks fine. This was simply a series of unfortunate occurrences.
The Jays get home field in all but the ALCS, and then they only lose it if KC wins their series. But the ALCS is 2-3-2. In the old days when the NHL used that format I always thought it favoured the team starting on the road. So what are you really winning?