Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Celebrate. Good Times.

So Aaron Hill drives in his 100th run of the year to lead the Jays to a walkoff win against the Orioles. More importantly, the Jays' win clinches fourth place in the AL East. No basement dwelling for this Blue Jays team!

The Jays now have two 30-100 guys for the first time in years, and we're just doing backflips and handsprings and hooting and wooting it up.

Sometimes, you've just got to savour the small victories.

35 comments:

Unknown said...

Sometimes you've just go to sit back and acknowledge the good this season has brought.

Voodoo Matt said...

I really like it when they beat the hell out of the guy who gets the walk-off hit. That picture is golden.

Anonymous said...

Those numbers coming from an excellent fielding 2B are certainly nothing at which to sniff.

(Grammar police, arrest this man.)

Anonymous said...

According to Matt Stairs, there is no better feeling than when all the guys are hammering his ass. I'm sure Aaron Hill feels the same way.

Navin Vaswani (@eyebleaf) said...

Thank you, Aaron.

QJays said...

Anything that brings a smile this season is a big deal -- that pic is awesome.

drjohnnyfever said...

NBC Sports has Carlos Delgado as their 40th best free agent:

"Delgado was hitting .298/.393/.521 in 26 games to begin this season, but was hobbled by a sore hip all along and he opted for surgery in mid-May and now it appears that his season is over. Because of the injury, he can't expect more than a one-year contract this winter, which makes him a much better investment than he would have been coming off another 30-HR, 100-RBI season."

Anyone think he'd be a good fit for the Jays in 2010 playing the role of the aging DH with a 1-year incentive laden contract?

I think he'd worth some money just for the nostalgia for, and the goodwill towards, the fans to see him have a chance to return to his original team for a farewell tour.

Anonymous said...

I'm done with falling for the nostalgia horseshit (I got roped in one last time by Cito, but his decisions on Millar and others have killed my support), but just from a wins and losses and "bang for the buck" perspective, I think Delgado would be a crafty addition if he can prove he's healthy...he's still a 30-100 guy, who can likely be had cheap, and I don't think he carries any ill will toward T.O., and might even prefer it as a destination...but I would put him at 1B - people are being WAY too cavalier about movning Lind to 1B...he is pretty terrible defensively, so why are people assuming he can handle 1B?

Anyway, a core (for 2010) of Hill, Lind, Delgado, The Franchise, and Scoots, along with Free Agent RF X and Free Agent 3B X works for me...resign Rod the Bod at a reasonable price...still stuck with "The Contract", but you can't have everything...

Tao of Stieb said...

I said that I thought Delgado would be a good signing months ago. I haven't changed my mind.

And if I saw Travis Snider running towards me after a game winning hit, I'd just boot it out through the outfield fence and run to the subway in my cleats and uniform.

Snider's like Lenny in Of Mice and Men: "I just wanted to pet the second baseman, George!"

The Ack said...

I still need to be talked into Delgado. It just seems if we're pining for that level of signing to be a key component of "THE PLAN" (tm), then we're in trouble.

drjohnnyfever said...

I completely agree... Delgado shouldn't be the "key", but rather that piece that moves the team from being a 'maybe' for the playoffs to 'sure thing'.

I'm probably hoping too much he'd be like Tony Fernandez... every time he came back to Toronto, he'd raise his OPS by 100 points.

Tao of Stieb said...

Ack: While I'm talking you into Delgado, can I convince you to do posts tomorrow and Friday?

Torgen said...

"[H]e is pretty terrible defensively, so why are people assuming he can handle 1B?"
Because 1B is way easier than LF, and sucking defensively at 1B has far less potential for hurting your team than sucking at LF.

drjohnnyfever said...

This may sound paranoid, but IF Delgado gets Hall of Fame consideration I'd like the peace of mind knowing that he finished in Toronto and therefore will be enshrined as a Blue Jay.

I know he should go as a Jay regardless of where he signs this offseason... but.... you know... this would sorta clinch it.

Tao of Stieb said...

You're right, Fever. It does sound paranoid.

Anonymous said...

Stedron here chiming in with some signing in issues: Any concern at being too lefty heavy if Carlos comes back? Even if they move Overbay, that leaves 3 of your 4 heart-of-the-lineup hitters as left-handed, with Hill as the only righty.

drjohnnyfever said...

Tao... you sound like my therapist. I'll take-off my tinfoil hat...

As for the lefty issue, I always feel that if you have to be lopsided it should be with lefties since most pitchers are righties (correct me if I'm wrong). Lind is hitting .279/.322/.467 vs. lefties and getting better, so maybe it wouldn't be too horrible.

All that said, I would hate to see the Jays sign Delgado AND another fading player to platoon against lefties. Although... isn't Glaus available :)

Anonymous said...

@Anyone who knows: Why is 1B considered easier than 3B?

drjohnnyfever said...

... More righties than lefties, meaning more balls hit to 3b.

... TONS more long throws from 3b to 1b than the reverse.

... Involved in stolen base and outfield assists.

I play SS, and even I wouldn't trade with the guy playing 3b!

Anonymous said...

Thanks, that all makes sense. I looked it up the three hardest, according to Bill James, are SS, catcher and pitcher. I assume they include the difficulty in actually pitching in Sabermetrics.

SP said...

I said in the last post's thread that I think Delgado can have a Frank Thomas-like age 38 season. It's not like he'll be the marquee signing of the off-season, since they're apparently going to spend. He'd be relatively cheap and he'd bring the fans back. I want him on the Jays, period.

Jayszone93 said...

http://jayszone93.wordpress.com/2009/09/24/travis-snider-still-cruz-in/

Where does Snider fit in next year? I am a bit worried he is lacking in the the old OBP skills.... The Jays as an organization seem to lack that to be honest.... We need more Scutaro's/Lind's.

plain_g said...

i'd take matsui over delgado. he's younger, still raking, probably comes at the same price, and has mashed in the al east for years.

Ty said...

I don't know about Matsui over Delgado... don't forget, he mashed in the AL East for years too. I'd happily take either, but they've been pretty much equal in OPS for the past few years, while Delgado has hit a lot more home runs. As far as injuries go, Matsui missed significant time in '06 and '08, whereas Delgado was only hurt this year. Sure, Delgado had a bit of a down-year in 2007, but that was the only year in his ENTIRE CAREER where he had a sub-.870 OPS. And it obviously wasn't an age thing, because he put up excellent numbers the next year and was looking even better in 2009 before he got hurt.

Matsui's career numbers are also excellent and pretty much on par with Delgado's in most categories, but I'd take Carlos because he'll likely be cheaper coming off the injury year, and frankly if I'm choosing between two equally qualified players, I don't mind letting nostalgia be the deciding factor.

SP said...

Exactly Ty. Also, Delgado means instant crowds.

Woefully Irrelevant white Guy said...

If Delgado can be had for a song sign him BUT you still need a Matsui type on top of that. Matsui is so fucking clutch. I live in NYC and get the YES Network and this fucking guy rakes when the Yanks need the runs.He would be an excellent addition for a team that is contending.

Carlos on the other hand is coming off an injury. and is older. The first half of his 2008 season he sucked big time. he was great in the second half BUT the Mets fans wanted his head. Forget about the nostaglia train, let the team get someone who can get it done regardless of their Blue Jay lineage. ONce again, if Carlos can be had on a cheap contract sign 'im,if not drop it.

Navin Vaswani (@eyebleaf) said...

NOSTALGIA FTW!!!1

I'm all for Godzirra, too.

Darren Priest said...

I'm not that nostalgic about Delgado. Yes, he was a great player for the Jays and probably deserved the contract Wells got, but to me he's the face of our many years of being also-rans. I'm no more nostalgic for Carlos than I am for Jose Cruz, Raul Mondesi, or Alex Gonzalez.

I want Manny!

Anonymous said...

Can't the 69-83 Jays still lose their remaining 10 games and finish the season 69-93? Pair that with the 60-92 O's winning their 10 remaining games, finishing the season at 70-92 - doesn't that leave the Jays in last place?

Jayszone93 said...

anybody worried that the Halladay to Phillies trade talk will heat up again? If the deal is centred around JA Happ, that is NOT enough IMO! Click my name for the link to JA Happ vs our boy Romerrro!

Question Mark said...

The only trouble with signing a full-time mashing DH like Delgado or Matsui is that then you're committing Adam Lind to playing in the field every day. Whether it's in left or at first, that's still going to be a big defensive deficiency that might end up having an effect on his hitting.

Anonymous said...

Интересно написано....но многое остается непонятнымb

Anonymous said...

Интересно написано....но многое остается непонятнымb

Anonymous said...

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не могу себя заставить ходить в спортзал, просто не могу, это выше меня. :( Сделала абонемент на год, думала, что смогу себя перебороть, но нет, в те дни, когда надо идти мне хочется хныкать... Пыталась ходить на фитнес, то же самое... хочу незамедлительно заявить, что не страдаю из-за лишнего веса и что фигура у меня неплохая, но как мой благоверный говорит "нет рельефа", тело дрябленькое и попа обвисшая, и это в 26 лет и при том, что я ещё не рожала... помогите сыскать альтернативу спортзалу, мне это очень важно

Anonymous said...

[url=http://www.pi7.ru/zhenskiy-zhurnal/2027-virtualnyy-flirt-razrushaet-realnye-otnosheniya.html ]Любительские фото приколы [/url] С МЧ пошли на концерт и взяли мою подругу. Инициатива пригласить подругу на концерт была всецело моя. Уже на месте я с МЧ поссорилась и отошла от него в сторону. Инициатором ссоры были мы оба с взаимными упреками. Пока мы размышляли порознь на площадку перед сценой подошла большая толпа зрителей и мы оказались отрезаны друг от друга. Я решила просто попосмотреть концерт в своё наслаждение и не заморачиваться про ссору. Чтобы не попосмотреть в чужой затылок я забралась на бордюр и весь концерт простояла на этом бордюре. МЧ посадил к себе на шею мою подругу. Подруга 1,6 метра сообща с каблуками.
После концерта я наорала на него что он незамедлительно стал клеяться к ней. Подруга покрутила пальцем у виска и отправилась домой. МЧ заявил что я думаю только о себе, сказав что ты думаешь ей приятно было бы 2 часа попосмотреть в чужой затылок и он еще должен веселить моих гостей? Кто из нас прав?