Inside Baseball with Jesse Barfield

As the old baseball proverb says, “the more you win early, the less you have to win late.”

Where would the Jays be if they had not got off to a good start? A win is a win and now that the Jays are 11-15 and in last place in the American League East. They have to be thinking about getting back on the winning track.

How did they slide so quickly? It’s easy to get to the root of it, late-inning clutch hitting, or the lack there of.

As the old baseball proverb says, “the more you win early, the less you have to win late.”

Where would the Jays be if they had not got off to a good start? A win is a win and now that the Jays are 11-15 and in last place in the American League East. They have to be thinking about getting back on the winning track.

How did they slide so quickly? It’s easy to get to the root of it, late-inning clutch hitting, or the lack there of.

The numbers don’t lie and it’s disappointing to see that they are last in the American League with runners in scoring position with a .215 batting average. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (whatever happened to just simply the California Angels) are leading the way with a .309 batting average with RISP. So it’s not surprising that they are leading the West.

Short-term fix not good enough

Just yesterday manager John Gibbons decided it was time to do something to change the Jays’ fortune by DRAMTICALLY shaking up the lineup. But this is only a short-term fix unless they get to the root of the problem, which is not hitting to opposite field and driving in clutch runs.

Hitting the ball the other way helps you see the ball longer and is easier to get your hits sacrifice flies and stay away from the roll-overs with the infield in. The other night against Kansas City Royals, the Jays did a good job getting on base and an even better job getting the guy over to third base with less than two outs, but that is where the runner was stranded. The Royals’ pitcher was looking to get a ground ball out and the Jays hitters were trying to pull the ball, and that is why they are not getting the job done.

Some Uncle Jesse advice

I’m not going to get on the negative bandwagon and bash the Jays’ offence, but I will talk about what they need to do to fix the problem. I was a batting coach once - and NO I do not want the Toronto batting coach’s job (I love what I do, thank you) - and I’m not trying to undermine his job, but I do want to lend some Uncle Jesse advice. After all, it can’t hurt.

Now back to what I was saying, in K.C. the other night, the Jays had a couple of situations in back-to-back innings where they stranded runners on third. They need to remember that opposite field is where the money is and it’s where you get your tough hits, especially late in the game and with the game on the line.

Go back to the beginning of the season and you can see that the Jays hitters were doing just that. Getting away from that game plan is the reason they are in this funk. However, time is still on their side, so come on guys let’s get back in the groove, be smart at the plate, and get the job done.

Brush back baloney

**What is with all these brush back pitches lately? Oh yeah, they are breaking balls that just got away from the pitcher. Right. Come on now, how many of you really believe that?

It’s a new tactic used by a lot of pitchers now so that they don’t get a warning or get ejected and have to pay a stiff fine. So now they hide behind the breaking ball, especially the slider because it’s a hard breaking ball. That way, when they give an interview later, they just can say, “that was a breaking ball that got away from me.” Got away from you at someone’s head? And then the same pitcher goes back to mound and paints the corners with pinpoint accuracy.

They are not fooling me.

Study, study, study

**Some of the younger players haven’t watched the game of baseball like we did growing up. We would study the game and learn how to play it like our heroes (mine being Ernie Banks). It surprises me how the younger generation only know the game of baseball from a video game!

One of my son’s friends is playing baseball on a college scholarship and is a very good player, but told me at the dinner table one night that he doesn’t watch live baseball games. I was shocked because his goal is to play Major League Baseball! We talked about how the game of baseball is different at the Major League level from college or high school. Well, he has come back to let me know he now watches games on a regular basis and has learned a lot. He is now a student of the game.

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The game of baseball sure has changed.

It’s not everyday that you release the guy that lead your team in homers and RBIs the season before, but the Jays did. I guess it’s like the old Janet Jackson song, “What have you done for me lately?”

It’s a shocker for me. Why?

The game of baseball sure has changed.

It’s not everyday that you release the guy that lead your team in homers and RBIs the season before, but the Jays did. I guess it’s like the old Janet Jackson song, “What have you done for me lately?”

It’s a shocker for me. Why?

Everybody knows Frank Thomas is going to get hot and put up stronger numbers month by month. He has usually been a slow starter, but it will be hard to replace those numbers when it’s all said and done. I know some of the decision was due to his salary, but you can’t put a price on the leadership of a veteran player like “The Big Hurt.”

Veteran insight invaluable

What veteran players bring to the table is experience and know-how and Thomas had both. Just look at his numbers, they speak for themselves. When a young player is around a veteran like Thomas, they can talk to him about different situations, like how to solve a certain pitcher that is tough for them to hit against. The veteran can give insight on that pitcher because he has faced him several times and can pass on something he has picked up about that pitcher. That is invaluable and can make your team better, especially in the clutch.

I remember for the “Drive of ’85” Pat Gillick brought in Al Oliver, a proven veteran clutch hitter. One of the first things “Scoop” - as we called him - did was to have the team over to his home in Arlington, Texas. He wanted to get to know us and for us to know him, so he rented two buses and had a big dinner party. He made his way around to every player and talked hitting and winning that night. It set the tone for the rest of the season. We went on to win the American League East and Scoop was a huge part of that drive.

That’s one reason why I was surprised to hear manager Jim Leyland of the Detroit Tigers say that “chemistry is overrated, winning is the important thing.” Well, his team is not winning right now, so maybe he needs to rethink that philosophy.

Tigers need their own “Scoop”

What they need is an “Al Oliver” to come in and take the bull by the horn. The atmosphere has to be changed so that they can start winning and winning can create better chemistry.

After being in a club house with both good and bad chemistry, and I can tell you, good chemistry, along with talent, will take you a long way. It makes for a miserable season when the club house is negative. In that respect, I do understand why J.P. [Ricciardi] pulled the plug on Thomas because he knew he wasn’t going to be happy in that role of a part-time player.

Speaking of part-time players, Cliff Johnson was one of Major League Baseball’s best pinch hitters, so when some of us young players were struggling with pinch hitting, C.J. pulled us to the side and shared some insight and his tips were huge and helped us tremendously, especially with our platoon system at the time.

‘We are here to pass on our knowledge’

Do I see value in having veterans around? You bet I do! As a father, I have seen veterans like Mike Cameron take out a group of rookies to dinner and talk about the game, the city they were in, the ballpark and how it played, etc. I remember giving former Astro and Cardinal pitcher Daryl Kyle his first leather jacket when we were on a caravan when I coached for Houston. When he suddenly died, his wife told me how he still had that jacket and he would always take the young players out and mentor them because of what I did.

See, we are to pass on what we know to the next generation of players, that is what it’s all about. (OK, I got that out of my system, I can go on).

Lind looking sharp

As I was watching the Buffalo Bisons play I saw Adam Lind and he looked good at the plate. I was impressed with his aggressiveness and his ability to drive the ball to all fields. This young kid should have a bright future, but hopefully the pressure to put up Frank Thomas numbers won’t hinder him. Adam should just go out there and be himself.

Little big man

Great job by the little man who swings a big bat in the clutch. Mr. David Eckstein nailed a three-run shot to left in the Jays 5-3 victory over the Tigers. Just goes to show you, it’s not always the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog.

Posted by Signa Butler at 08:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

Managers, players, and umpires have a love-hate relationship. It’s almost like being married and having an argument, you yell, you scream, and you make up.

Well, last week Ozzie Guillen, the manager of the Chicago White Sox, and umpire Phil Cuzzi had a heated argument during a game in which Ozzie was ejected … not anything new about that. But speaking his mind this time cost Ozzie quite a bit of dough.

How sweet it is to see the Jays at the top of the American League East! Yeah, I know they are tied with the Orioles and some of you may even be thinking, “it’s early.” Well, tell that to the Tiger fans because they would love to be in the Jays’ shoes right now.

Now is the time to come out and show your support for getting off to a great start. Fans sometimes don’t realize that players do appreciate seeing the seats fill up, especially when their team is playing so well.

A big welcome back to B.J. Ryan. He did a great job picking up his first save and pumping his fist after the victory. B.J. was attacking the zone and looked intimidating on the mound, which is a big part of his game. Batters could see in both his body language and eyes that he meant business. The results speak for themselves.

Guillen's wallet much lighter

Managers, players, and umpires have a love-hate relationship. It’s almost like being married and having an argument, you yell, you scream, and you make up.

Well, last week Ozzie Guillen, the manager of the Chicago White Sox, and umpire Phil Cuzzi had a heated argument during a game in which Ozzie was ejected … not anything new about that. But speaking his mind this time cost Ozzie quite a bit of dough. The league fined him an “undisclosed amount” of money. When you see “undisclosed amount” it means it’s A LOT of money. So much so, rumour has it, he was purchasing some property in Venezuela but had to hold off on it due to the fine! Dude, it’s time for some inner monologue. It will cost less.

Although we may not agree with umpires all the time, they are usually correct with the calls (now, that is hard for a player to admit). The thing players and managers looks for in an umpire is consistency.

Positioning key for umps

Larry Barnett, who umped 32 years in the big leagues, was one of the best. Why? Larry would always get into a good position to make the call. He didn’t rush his call, he took a second to think about the call and get it right. Some of the umpires don’t get into a good position to see the play, so they end up guessing and getting the call wrong.

Now, I’m not just saying that because I am a former player, I am a former coach too, so I know where an umpire should be on plays. Jim Evans, a former American League umpire, has an umpiring school that teaches angle distance, which means getting far enough back from the play and at the proper angle so you can see it better.

Here’s a prime example. Jose Reyes of the New York Mets was trying to stretch a single into a double the other day, and the umpire called him out because he didn’t see the shortstop drop the ball. Mets manager Willie Randolph ran out to argue the play and asked the umpire to get some help. He did, the umpires met and reversed the call. That’s where umpires can help each other out because they have another set of eyes on the play.

Batter's vision key

Speaking of eyes, I just had Lasik surgery a few weeks back and guess what? I walk into the doctor’s office and one of the doctors is Canadian. (You guys are everywhere!) Dr. Sairah Malik and Dr. Manrique (I think he is related to a former teammate) did a great job, so now I can see the movement of a ball from 90 feet. I may try a comeback! OK, that’s a little overboard, but it got me to thinking about how important good vision is to a player.

There are ballparks that some guys just can’t see in because of poor hitting backdrops. A hitting backdrop is also called the batter’s eye - in simple terms, it’s the dark-coloured area behind the pitcher.

In Seattle, when the new ball park was built, Safeco Field, the batter’s eye was too shiny so it was tough to see during day games until it was repainted with a matte, dull finish. Then the hitters stopped complaining and we laid out some ropes. (In other words, the guys started hitting.)

By the way, I did notice all the surfer boy beads around some of the players’ necks. What ever happened to gold, silver, or platinum?

Now let’s get all the Jays healthy and keep making a run at the East!

Posted by Signa Butler at 05:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

After being ridiculed for most of last season by just about everybody, I want to tip my hat to the Jays hitters. They have really worked hard and stepped it up.

But what ever happened to the fashion police in baseball? Have you guys seen these uniforms some of these guys are wearing today?

After being ridiculed for most of last season by just about everybody, I want to tip my hat to the Jays hitters. They have really worked hard and stepped it up.

From the first series against the New York Yankees, you could see how there was a different approach at the plate. David Eckstien's at-bat against Mike Mussina was a great example of working the count, laying off of tough pitches and showing the rest of the offence what Mussina was trying to do; Alex Rios fouled off several pitches and eventually drew a walk that set the stage for Big Frank's dramatic grand slam against the world champion Boston Red Sox.

But what was just as impressive as the grand slam was that, the last time Frank faced Manny Delcarmen, a reliever for Boston, he sat on a change-up, got it and crushed it. So when he faced him again on Sunday, he was looking for the heater (i.e. fast ball), he got it first pitch and deposited it into the left-centerfield stands. What a great approach.

No love for Manny's glove

There was a lot of confusion about why Manny Ramirez had to change his glove the other day. Does it make a difference having a longer glove than the rules allow in the outfield, which is 13 inches? That rule has to be enforced because it's an unfair advantage for the outfielder who has the "unauthorized" glove. Why you might ask? Well, because he can possibly go over the wall and bring back a home run that he normally wouldn't be able to get to, or catch a sinking liner in the gap, or a ball over his head. You see, every inch counts! And they call this the game of inches, don't they?

I remember having a teammate when I was with the Yankees: he was a bit short in stature, let's just leave it at that, but his glove was made for Yao Ming! That glove went down to his ankle. During a day game in Anaheim, when they were still the California Angels, my teammate made a spectacular diving catch in the left-centerfield gap and the Angels manager complained so much that the umpires came out and measured his glove during the game. Needless to say, he had to get another glove to finish the game.

Fashion tips from the Style Master

What ever happened to the fashion police in baseball? Have you guys seen these uniforms some of these guys are wearing today? Some of them look like the old Negro League uniforms. My uncle played for the Cincinnati Clowns and I have photos of his team. Those were some ugly, baggy uniforms. So, have we gone retro? Listen, can you believe that some of the guys have their uniform pants made like their street jeans? Come on now! Let's get out of
the music videos and on to the field.

Some of you may think I am joking, but I am serious. Let's keep the integrity of the game. Take it from me, I love to style - my family calls me the Style Master - but it's with taste and off the field. What's funny is you may think these guys are trying to cover up bad bodies, but they're not. Most of these guys have sculpted bodies under all that fabric. Take it from me, they better enjoy having a young, athletic body while they can because time does take it's toll.

Can the baggy uniforms be the reason that female attendance has gone down a bit? Chicks may dig the long ball, but if the uniform isn't fitting, in the baseball stands, the chicks ain't sitting.

Good deals for Rios and Hill

Man, the Tigers are in the cellar in the American League Central! That is amazing. Remember how I mentioned that it's important to stay injury-free, and on paper how things can look? Well, the Tigers may look like an almost unbeatable team going into the season, but the injuries and poor performances have tripped them up so far.

It's still early and that is why the Jays aren't getting too excited about all of this. But it sure is nice to get off to a good start and against two of baseball's better teams. It does wonders for a team's confidence and that builds momentum and takes some of the pressure off.

And I have to congratulate the Jays for rewarding Alex Rios and Aaron Hill with long term contracts. The Jays showed that they are committed to winning now and in the future. Hey fans, looks like we have brighter days ahead.

Posted by Signa Butler at 11:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Opening Day for Major League Baseball - finally, it’s here! The day I live for all winter! Yes! Play Ball!! (OK, now I have that out of my system. Whew.)

As the 2008 season kicks off and all the tweaking of mechanics for both pitchers and hitters has been completed, it's on now. These games count and from here on, every at bat, every pitch, every play, and every situation has meaning.

Opening Day for Major League Baseball - finally, it’s here! The day I live for all winter! Yes! Play Ball!! (OK, now I have that out of my system. Whew.)

As the 2008 season kicks off and all the tweaking of mechanics for both pitchers and hitters has been completed, it's on now. These games count and from here on, every at bat, every pitch, every play, and every situation has meaning. What you do as a player from this day forward can mean the difference between winning or losing a game. These games in April will have an impact in October. All the planning of the manager and coaches over the winter and throughout spring training comes together now. It’s a chess game - one team makes a move and another one counters. And in baseball it boils down to, "may the healthiest team win."

There have been a lot of videotapes studied and scouting reports read. The pitchers will be attacking each hitter’s weakness and each hitter anticipating what the pitcher will throw him at any given time after pouring over these tapes and reports. Each has to come up with a game plan that works to his advantage. For me, I loved a pitcher that had a certain pattern that he would always follow, like throwing an off-speed pitch in a fastball count, because he thought he was being tricky.

But the funny thing was, he was so predictable. I knew what was coming because I was thinking like him. Cito Gaston, when he was my batting coach with the Blue Jays, use to always tell us to "give them a taste of their own medicine, and think like a pitcher.” Boy, did that work. I still share that advice with my boys.

Expectations are high for every team and its fans, because everyone starts at ground level. And on paper, some teams look virtually unbeatable. Remember, I did say "on paper." But no one can see what's around the corner and that is why teams have beefed up their minor leagues with lots of players who can step in and do a good job to help the Big Club win in case of injury or poor performance.

A lot is said about starting pitching and the importance of the entire staff, including the middle relievers, set-up men, and especially the closers. The most important key to a pitching staff is its health. When your starting pitcher logs enough quality innings, it takes a lot of pressure off of the relievers. When the relievers don’t have to pick up too much of the slack, then they are fresh and can be more effective for the long haul. Because in this game, it’s a marathon, not a sprint.

I think the set-up man is one of the most overlooked and underrated players on the field. They have finally come up with a stat for them - they are called "holds." Holds are how many times they hold the lead and hand the game over to the closer (no extra charge for that bit of information). As for the closer, he can make or break a team. An effective closer comes in and shuts the door on the opposing team. We had a dominating one - Tom Henke, a.k.a., The Terminator. Henk made some of the best hitters in baseball look weak. I was just glad we were teammates. That’s why it’s vital for your pitching staff to stay injury-free for most of the season, and then your team has a very good chance to win.

The reason why some hitters get off to a bad start is because they are trying to do too much. Every hitter needs to understand that one of the biggest keys to being successful is to just do what the situation calls for, nothing more and nothing less. That way, you stay within yourself and do your part instead of trying to carry the entire team. That’s what usually happens when a guy gets traded to a team or signs a new contract. There is a lot of pressure to produce and show the fans that they are worth what the team paid them, so they try to do too much. If you try to do too much, you usually don’t do too much.

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