On Tuesday, Alex Rios swiped two bags to become the first Jay to steal 30 in a season since Raul Mondesi had 30 and José Cruz Jr. had 32 in 2001. This is good.Last night, Rios got a slow jump on a ball in the ninth, and then tried to make a running basket catch only to drop the ball and give the Tigers an extra out with the heart of their order coming to the plate. This is not so good.
In spite of the miscue (which led to two unearned runs), the Jays went on to win 4-3. And while we don't want to pile on like so many of the chattering JaysTalk callers, Rios really needs to pull his head out of his ass.
Rios has so much talent, but these mental lapses on the basepaths and in the field are really starting to overshadow the good things that he does. We get that these are the dog days of a long season, but if Rios is feeling sleepy and goofy on the field, then he should pound back a couple of Red Bulls and wake the fuck up.
Given the title of this post, I think a new nickname for Rios should be Tootie. Tootie Rios.
ReplyDeletealso, thankfully my guy Brando League came through with his NAILS gun again. You buying him yet Tao? I know you want to.
someone should get right up in Rios' grill, slap him up side the head, and yell "HOLA ALEX" as loud as possible right into his mother fuckin ear.
ReplyDeleteBUT i knew that league was going to pick him up last night. that was a dirty, dirty strikeout pitch to inge. crazy movement. league's been sick. the whole bullpen, for that matter.
hopefully downs won't be gone for too long. he's my first, my last, my everything.
when did he have a mental lapse on the basepaths?
ReplyDeleteNot last night, but often this year. Don't ask us to find the actual game and play and moment and result.
ReplyDeleteJust close your eyes and think about Alex Rios running the bases. Like a blissfully oblivious gazelle.
yeah I was just thinking that I never really got that impression.
ReplyDeleteHow about two nights ago when he didn't slide on a close play? 8 year olds know you won't get the call on a close play if you don't slide.
ReplyDelete"Like a blissfully oblivious gazelle."
hahahaha
the pitcher wasn't positioned properly on home plate and rios would have risked injury to himself and the pitcher by sliding there.
ReplyDeleteDid anyone see the Canada-Cuba game this morning? Some Canadian hit a little nubber up the first base line, and the pitcher bends over to pick it up and BLAMMO! The Canadian ran him over and made it to first.
ReplyDeleteRios should have done the same.
Also, on that tap dance at home: it's possible that Rios was a really big Jeremy Giambi fan.
ReplyDeleteJust sayin'.
Alex, you don't play to avoid injury. In a tight game you get that run in. Fuck the pitcher's health too. Even if you want to "avoid inury", home is the safest place to slide in to. No pesky bag to get jammed on or anything. Or he could have tried a hook slide if he didn't want to knock over the pitcher. Pretty much he should have done anything but slow down and try to tiptoe in there.
ReplyDeleteTao, that is one of the reasons I love watching Canadian baseball, we're intense.
ReplyDeleteAlex, wow. First, pitchers sometimes get it in their heads that they should block the plate like their catcher buddies do. The best way to fix that is by putting some spikes in their ankles. Second, risking injury to the pitcher? It's a baseball game. Risking injury to yourself? It's a baseball game.
Everyone team has one the MEts have Reyes, the Yanks have Cano and the Jays have Rios. Each one is filled with talent but mentall full of crap. All talent , no brain and very little heart.
ReplyDelete