Inside Baseball with Jesse Barfield

In the last week it has been discussed whether or not to use instant replay in Major League Baseball. Hey, are we serious? We are talking Major League Baseball here.

Why are we going to reinvent the wheel? Progress, I guess. But I have some questions and concerns about the subject.

Because there were so many controversies in the post-seasons of 2003, 2004 and 2007, the league's general managers have been studying this situation for a while now. So in November, at the general managers’ meeting, what they proposed is that the replays will be used on foul-pole plays and foul or fair balls (because of all of the quirky new parks being built with lower fences, fans can sometimes reach over and interfere with the play).

In the last week it has been discussed whether or not to use instant replay in Major League Baseball. Hey, are we serious? We are talking Major League Baseball here.

Why are we going to reinvent the wheel? Progress, I guess. But I have some questions and concerns about the subject.

Because there were so many controversies in the post-seasons of 2003, 2004 and 2007, the league's general managers have been studying this situation for a while now. So in November, at the general managers’ meeting, what they proposed is that the replays will be used on foul-pole plays and foul or fair balls (because of all of the quirky new parks being built with lower fences, fans can sometimes reach over and interfere with the play).

Three decades ago, with all the cookie cutter stadiums that had higher walls, we didn't have this problem, but we do now and it's a big problem that can be resolved with instant replay.

This is one of the reasons the Cubs put that basket net atop of the outfield wall at Wrigley Field, to keep fans from reaching over. It works, but boy is it ugly when the ivy isn't in full bloom because you can see it.

Where will it stop?

Although Major League Baseball is discussing using instant replay only on home run calls, where will it stop? The home run is not the only play that can decide a ballgame’s outcome.

What about all those plays in the outfield where the umps don't know if the ball was caught or trapped? Just ask Lloyd Moseby in the 1985 playoffs! He made a great shoestring catch in the Old Exhibition Stadium against Kansas City and even with extra umpires for the playoffs, they got the call wrong! Where was instant replay then?

But let's be real here, we are all human and if we take out the human element, will it change the game? Earl Weaver, Baltimore's Orioles manager, back in the day once said to an ump, "Are you going to get any better or is this it?" None of the umpires are perfect, but they do a great job.

Oh yeah, Matt Holliday better be very glad they didn't have it last October in a game against the Padres to go the playoffs, because he still hasn't touched home plate and it's May!

Jays Rolen on

Let me start off by giving some dap (old school for props) to the Jays for the way they are coming together as a team and have stepped it up a notch in every phase of the game. Like the old saying, "You win with pitching and
defence." But let me add, some timely hitting doesn't hurt either!

Shannon Stewart's clutch hitting at the top of the line up has added a needed spark for the Jays. As for Alex Rios, he can beat you even if you shut him down offensively. He can beat you with his speed, his defence, his arm, and he has one of the quickest releases of any outfielder, especially with him being so tall. It was nice to see Rios get the job done Sunday against the Royals.

What an athlete!

Scott Rolen really showed me that the team has made some adjustments by driving in the first run of the game on a 2-1 breaking ball, in a hitters count. Usually you look for a fastball in that count, but he sat back nicely and drove the ball to left-centre. Rod Barajas continues to anchor the bottom of the lineup with his consistent at bats.

Pitching comes alive

A balanced lineup is also what helps a team win. But then to see Dustin McGowan pitch seven strong innings on Sunday, that was awesome! He was dominating, striking out seven with only one walk and giving up just one run. His stuff was simply nasty. Both Roy Halladay and Jesse Listch also came through with complete game victories.

What has really impressed me is that these pitchers have harnessed the movement on all of their pitches.

Their breaking balls have a lot of bite (by that I mean downward movement) and their fastballs have late movement on it. This keeps the batters from hitting the ball on the "sweet spot" or good part of the bat. It is either on their hands or off the end of the bat. So, now you know why they are so dominating.

Posted by Signa Butler at 07:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

Interleague baseball is back and man has it been amazing so far.

What an exciting weekend in Philadelphia as the Jays took two-of-three from the Phillies in front of a packed house. Even with all the injuries that the ball club is going through, the Jays are at .500 and only four games back heading into Monday.

How? Pitching and defence. And oh yeah, some clutch hitting too - starting with former Phillie catcher, Rod Barajas, who had a weekend to remember.

He got booed by the Phillies’ fans unmercifully at every at bat, but it fired him up. He went 2-for-3 on Saturday night and then on Sunday drove in the game-winning run as the Jays came from behind to beat the Phillies again.

Interleague baseball is back and man has it been amazing so far.

What an exciting weekend in Philadelphia as the Jays took two-of-three from the Phillies in front of a packed house. Even with all the injuries that the ball club is going through, the Jays are at .500 and only four games back heading into Monday.

How? Pitching and defence. And oh yeah, some clutch hitting too - starting with former Phillie catcher, Rod Barajas, who had a weekend to remember.

He got booed by the Phillies’ fans unmercifully at every at bat, but it fired him up. He went 2-for-3 on Saturday night and then on Sunday drove in the game-winning run as the Jays came from behind to beat the Phillies again.

Clutch contributors

Lyle Overbay showed me a couple of things the other day when he came in and hit a pinch-hit, three-run homer in the fifth to tie the game against the Phillies.

My first thought was his hand is 100 per cent now because he didn't cheat and open up his front side too early. He was closed and he exploded on a 90 mile-an-hour cut fastball up and in on him, which he crushed into the second deck! It was a thing of beauty!

I was also glad to see the Jays get some timely hitting from Shannon Stewart as well. He hit a clutch two-run double to right centre. It was a 95 mile an hour fastball down and in and he kept his hands inside the ball and drove it the other way. Hey, these guys are starting to use the whole field now. As a hitter, good things happen when you do that.

Leadership on the mound

On Sunday, there was not only one rain delay but two! Because of the long rain delays, both it forced both starters to leave the game early. But Roy Halladay came to the rescue when he told manager John Gibbons that he would be ready if they wanted to use him in relief.

I'm no manager, but I did coach, and I know that is a tough call for a skipper to make because it messes up your pitching rotation. But the Jays needed to win this game, so when the call for Halladay was made, he rewarded the team with a great relief performance. Now, that is what I call LEADERSHIP. You lead by example. I tip my hat to you, Roy.

Usually an everyday position player is one of the team leaders, but can a closer also be a leader? Absolutely! He just like an everyday player, he is out there on the mound a lot and has a huge impact on the game.

Just take a look at the Boston Red Sox without Jonathan Papelbon, or the Yankees without Mariano Rivera and their leadership in the clubhouse and on the field. These guys know how to take the pressure off the younger players by first of all doing their job and when things go wrong - and they will - they are the ones who stand up and talk to the media, not the young players.

Try an inner celebration

The way some these younger pitchers pump their fists after striking out hitters is crazy to me because all it does is fire the batter up for the next time he faces him. What is that all about? I even see that in my younger son’s junior college games.

Here is a five-foot-six pitcher who strikes out a six-foot-five hitter on a curve ball and he pumps his fist as if he blew him away on a 95 mile-an-hour fastball! Well, the next time up, that 510-foot homer stopped all of that. Revenge is so sweet. Listen, if you are a pitcher, just pitch and act like it's not the last time you are going to get someone out.

Sorry, that is just the hitter in me.

Arm apparent?

Some of you fans asked me about Alex Rios' throwing arm and it reminds you of mine. I appreciate the compliment because I realize you appreciate a strong arm and he defiantly has one.

The reason his throws sail to the right is because he doesn't consistently get on top of the ball when he makes his throws, which makes him drop his elbow. When that happens, the ball is going to tail on you instead of staying straight.

He's young and this is an easy thing to fix. So have patience while Alex adjusts to his new role in the three hole, he'll be fine.

Posted by Signa Butler at 07:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

As I was watching the Jays game against Cleveland the other day, my heart just sunk when I saw Vernon Wells grab his left wrist after making a spectacular catch to rob Franklin Gutierrez of a hit in shallow right centre-field.

I was hoping that maybe he just jammed it and would get up and shake it off, like I know many of you were. But when I saw the replay, I knew he was in trouble by the painful look on his face as he left the field.

Boy, did that bring back memories and I think my own left wrist - which is the injury that ended my career - felt a bit of a sympathy pain for Vernon.

As I was watching the Jays game against Cleveland the other day, my heart just sunk when I saw Vernon Wells grab his left wrist after making a spectacular catch to rob Franklin Gutierrez of a hit in shallow right centre-field.

I was hoping that maybe he just jammed it and would get up and shake it off, like I know many of you were. But when I saw the replay, I knew he was in trouble by the painful look on his face as he left the field.

Boy, did that bring back memories and I think my own left wrist - which is the injury that ended my career - felt a bit of a sympathy pain for Vernon.

The Jays are saying he could miss six to eight weeks, hopefully not more, but wrists can be tricky, trust me I know. The reason I am a little more concerned is because it is his pull-through hand when he swings the bat and it sustains a lot of torque. But medicine has come along way from when I had my injury so I hope everything works out for him and that he doesn't have any problems down the road.

Not only will this be tough on Wells, but the Jays are going to have a difficult time as well replacing his offence and his Gold Glove defence. Get healthy Vernon and we’ll see you back on the field soon.

Shortstop shortage

Also on the injury front, how about losing your starting and backup shortstop in the same game? Has that ever happened? David Eckstein is still bothered by a strained right hip flexor. Did you ever wonder what a hip flexor stain felt like? It's a stabbing pain that just doesn't go away easily. Any quick movement feels like someone is playing darts with your hip as the target. So, if you think these guys that go down with that type of injury are kinda soft, think again.

John McDonald sprained his ankle after catching a cleat on the turf making a play. Since he is still on crutches who knows how long he will be out. Man.

Rios in right spot

I simply love moving Alex Rios into the three-hole in the Blue Jay batting order because he is more suited for this spot. Let me explain.

A three-hole hitter is a run producer that doesn't have to take too many pitches like some leadoff hitters tend to do. Rios can be more aggressive in this spot of the lineup and drive in more runs, which the Jays could sure use to kick start their offence.

Majors suffering from A.O.S.

Speaking of offence, have you seen the latest statistics on major league hitters so far this season? It was shocking to me.

As of Saturday, the 14 American League teams are batting a combined .257 average. Can you believe that? The National League is batting a combined .259 average and that’s with the pitchers hitting instead of the DH! That is a bad offensive year so far. It's an epidemic throughout Major League Baseball that I will diagnose as A.O.S. - Anemic Offence Syndrome. (They don't call me the Hit Doctor for nothing!).

What caused this problem? Coming out of Spring Training, pitchers are usually ahead of hitters because a lot of the hitters are not up to speed yet. Why? Well, there are so many guys in camp that the starting players don't get enough game at bats to shake off the rust.

Batters will catch up

We had more game at bats in the old days especially close to the end of Spring Training. The pitchers get their work in no matter what, whether in live or simulated games. So they go into the season with more command early and the batter’s sharpness builds up over time. So the pitchers better enjoy their success now, because when it warms up, the bats usually heat up too.

Let's just not talk about the weather factor. Can anyone tell me why early in the year games are in open stadiums in the mid-west and east coast while the stadiums on the west coast and the covered stadiums are vacant? It just doesn't make sense. I think the schedule makers are related to pitchers in Major League Baseball. Let's call for an investigation! Ha!

Let's hope the Jays can get healthy. There’s a lot of season left to make a run for the top in the East.

Posted by Dan Tavares at 10:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

How sweet to get the bats and the pitching on the same page in the same game.

Roy Halladay pitched a gem of a game on Sunday, the bats came alive when it counted, and the bullpen came in to finish the job.

It was refreshing to finally see that clutch hitting I was talking about and the Jays got it going early.

How sweet to get the bats and the pitching on the same page in the same game.

Roy Halladay pitched a gem of a game on Sunday, the bats came alive when it counted, and the bullpen came in to finish the job.

It was refreshing to finally see that clutch hitting I was talking about and the Jays got it going early. With Matt Stairs on third with one out, Lyle Overbay hit a sac fly to the opposite field in the second inning to put the Jays up, 1-0. Way to go Lyle!

It may not have seemed very important at the time, but it factored into the 4-3 victory over the White Sox. Matt Stairs also came up with a two-out, two-run run double to centre in the third inning with runners on second and third. Again this was clutch, situational hitting by the Jays. And if they are going to contend for the East crown, this is what they are going to have to do all season long.

Halladay pitches heart out - again

But let's get to the pitchers. Roy Halladay struck out the side in the first inning in the game against the top three hitters in the Sox lineup! What really impressed me though was that it was all on sharp breaking balls. Man, that pitch had teeth on it. It had bite down in the zone and the hitters were swinging over the top of it. It was a thing of beauty, well … it was if you are a Jays fan. It was great to see him get a victory after pitching his heart out with four complete games in a row so early in the season.

Although it was a gutsy move for manager John Gibbons to make the call to the bullpen for right-hander Jesse Carlson in the eighth inning with one out, I think it was the right call.

The Jays wanted to turn Nick Swisher around and make him bat right-handed, which is his weaker side. Yes, Gibbons could have left Halladay in to possibly pitch another complete game to make history, but in this case, you are darned if you do and darned if you don't.

And believe me, when Gibbons came out of the dugout, over 26,000 fans unleashed a chorus of boos that would make the average manager question his decision. But John stuck to his guns and was rewarded with a one-run victory. Whew! So, how many of you would have liked to be in his shoes at that time?

Has Zito lost his goods?

Whatever happened to Barry Zito? It use to be awesome to watch him pitch, he would just dice and slice up hitters with that nasty 12-6 curve ball. (A 12-6 curve ball is a curve ball that breaks on a downward plane from 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock). This pitch was virtually unhittable. Jimmy Key, a former Blue Jay, was a lot like that, he pitched off of his fastball and it made his off-speed pitches more effective.

Zito has lost his velocity on his fastball, it's down to 81 miles per hour now. That is crazy. Where did his arm strength go? And without a fastball to respect, the hitters are sitting all over that curve. His command is poor and he is hanging the breaking ball.

So, as we use to say in the clubhouse: "if you hang it, we bang it.” I just hope for his sake it is mechanical and not medical, so he can get his arm strength back.

The right stance

As you watch a game, you will notice that there are so many batting stances and people often ask me which one is the right one.

There are all types of styles of hitting, but all the good hitters have the right technique. What is that? Well, let me tell you because this is an area I love to talk about.

First of all, you have to have balance. If hitting a baseball is hard to do, and it is, you better have balance. Now balance is when you bend over at your waist first and then soften your knees a little. Some hitters start off more upright in their stance, such as Ken Griffey Jr., but as the pitcher delivers the ball, he goes into balance as he strides with his front foot.

All good hitters are in a balanced hitting position when that front foot lands, and that front foot lands CLOSED. That is why they can hit the ball hard to all fields.

OK fans, class is over for this week, we will take it up again next week. Until then, let's cheer those Blue Jays on to the top of the American League East.

Posted by Signa Butler at 09:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)