Leading off, as always (or usual), it’s today’s edition of the Getting Blanked Podcast– which for the duration of the season will be coming at you daily! We’re not double posting this year, but I’ll be sure to include the link in the fir...
Leading off, as always (or usual), it’s today’s edition of the Getting Blanked Podcast– which for the duration of the season will be coming at you daily! We’re not double posting this year, but I’ll be sure to include the link in the first Daily Duce or Game Threat that follows the post going up over at Getting Blanked. Otherwise, you can find the podcast at Getting Blanked on iTunes, get it via the RSS feed we have setup, or like Getting Blanked on Facebook in order to get each day’s podcast straight into your news feed (if we bother to post it). While you’re at it, go ahead and like DJF on Facebook, too.
Sad news for the Jays and their extended family, as word from the Dominican Republic came today that legendary scout Epy Guerrero passed away at the age of 71. Shi Davidi has a put together a piece on it at Sportsnet, and while the man who was so instrumental in bringing so many terrific young Dominican players to the Jays certainly deserves a remembrance in full over here, it goes to show, I think, just how unsung scouts are that I don’t know enough about him, beyond the vaunted reputation and the names of the many excellent players he was the first to take notice of, to say a whole lot. Our condolences and sympathies go out to his family and friends.
Guerrero visited the Jays facility in Dunedin back in March, prompting an excellent profile from Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun, which serves as a fitting tribute, I think.
Shi Davidi tweets that John Gibbons has confirmed that Sean Nolin will start tomorrow for the Jays. Chad Jenkins will go on Sunday, he says, taking Ramon Ortiz’s spot. A corresponding roster move will come following tonight’s game, which you have to assume is the D’ing FA of Ortiz.
In the Toronto Star, Brendan Kennedy talks to scouts, comparing young third basemen Brett Lawrie and Orioles phenom Manny Machado. “They’re both terrific players, any club would die to have them,” a rival scout told him. “Emotionally, it looks like they’re wired differently and right now that seems to be helping Machado more than Lawrie.” Uh… you think?
Elsewhere in the Star, Richard Griffin’s latest Bullpen post looks at Anthony Gose, and much, much more.
More from Shi Davidi at Sportsnet, who looks at two high profile prospects about to be sent out to a short-season affiliate: last year’s draftees D.J. Davis and Anthony Alford, both of whom may end up with the Vancouver Canadians, we’re told. “Davis and Alford, both from Mississippi, are said to be close and the Blue Jays like the idea of keeping them together,” Davidi writes, which may explain why Alford, who played just five games in the Gulf Coast league last year before turning his attention to football, may be getting a more advanced assignment than you might suspect.
Interesting stuff from the Globe and Mail, where Jeff Blair tells us about how Roberto Alomar is making his presence felt around this Jays club.
As part of a notebook post at BlueJays.com, Evan Peaslee speaks to Chad Mottola about the club’s hitting approach, including his efforts to get hitters to be ready for a pitch early, and to disrupt elite opponents in the early innings, before they find their groove.
Jays Journal notes that the worst (qualified) K:BB ratio ever posted for a single season was by Juan Encarnacion in 1999, with 114 strikeouts to 14 walks, for a ratio of 8-to-1. At his current pace, J.P. Arencibia would smash that record, though, having struck out 27 times for every walk he’s earned so far in 2013.
Elsewhere at Jays Journal, it’s a bunch of stuff about Casey Janssen struggling in non-save situations, which– don’tcha know– closers often do. I’d wager that’s the case because they’re usually coming into those situations just to get work after a layoff, rather than any lack-of-adrenaline bullshit, but hey… that’s me.
Minor League Ball makes ton