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THE Toronto Blue Jays - MLB 11: The Show

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Post  B-Dizzle Sat Mar 26, 2011 11:26 pm

So, since my FIFA campaign garnered so much attention and interest, I thought I might try to do follow a similar template for my Toronto Blue Jays franchise journey. Since I am already about 10 games into my season, I figured I would just quickly give you up to speed to the point where I am, and then perhaps do a series by series update. I'll start off by giving you my roster, some brief analysis of the season to date, then we'll get into the series by series analysis! So I hope I am able to captivate your interest as you follow me on my during on a return to the playoffs for us Blue Jay fans! So buckle up, it's going to be a wild ride.

Give this a watch

Starting lineup:
THE Toronto Blue Jays - MLB 11: The Show Ph_450317 Catcher - #9: JP Arencibia
With John Buck gone, the University of Tennessee product will get a shot at winning the starting job behind the plate in Toronto out of Spring Training. Most feel he'll hit, at least for power: He slugged .626 last season in Triple-A and has a .507 career SLG in the Minors. How much playing time the 25-year-old gets might be based on how well he handles the rigors of the defensive side of the game.

THE Toronto Blue Jays - MLB 11: The Show Ph_452252 1B - #26: Adam Lind
Following a huge breakout year in 2009, Lind took a giant leap backward last season, hitting just .237 with a .287 on-base percentage. The 27-year-old struck out 144 times and hit only .213 on the road, not to mention a microscopic .117 mark against left-handers. Lind still has plenty of power and should hit at least 20 homers for the third straight season, but his ability to make contact will dictate his ceiling.

THE Toronto Blue Jays - MLB 11: The Show Ph_431094 2B - #2: Aaron Hill
One of baseball's biggest surprises with 36 homers and a .286 average in 2009, Hill was unable to duplicate that success in '10. The second baseman never found his groove after returning from an April hamstring injury, but stable strikeout and walk rates suggest that his problems may have been caused more by injury and swing mechanics than any deterioration in skills. Hill is unlikely to hit 36 homers again, but his average and corresponding run and RBI totals should rebound in '11.

THE Toronto Blue Jays - MLB 11: The Show Ph_488862 SS - #5: Yunel Escobar
After a rough first half to the 2010 season, it was evident that Escobar needed a change of scenery. Although his power remained absent after a trade to Toronto, the former second-round pick boosted his average nearly 40 points to .275 and scored 32 runs in 60 games with the Blue Jays. Escobar is a career .289 hitter and still only 28 years old, so a return to form is plausible this season.

THE Toronto Blue Jays - MLB 11: The Show Ph_430832 3B - #19: Jose Bautista
OK, did anyone see that season coming? Bautista went from versatile backup to home run champion in 2010, leading the Majors by a wide margin with 54 long balls. It would be easy to dismiss that number as a fluke, but the 30-year-old has always displayed solid pop and been willing to work the count. In other words, last season's production, while eye-opening, didn't entirely come by accident. Bautista will probably come back to earth to some degree in '11, but he's fully capable of topping 30 blasts once again.

THE Toronto Blue Jays - MLB 11: The Show Ph_325392 LF - #30: Scott Podsednik
Podsednik reemerged as a quality catalyst with two consecutive 30-steal campaigns, but he missed the final three weeks of 2010 with a foot injury and will be 35 at the start of this season. Despite the age and injury concerns, Pods has a decent shot at having an impact on the Jays' roster this season.

THE Toronto Blue Jays - MLB 11: The Show Ph_434658 CF - #11: Rajai Davis
Davis came to the Blue Jays in a November trade and figures to start in center field and bat leadoff. The 30-year-old stole 50 bases last year with the A's, but his speed stats could take a hit in Toronto's homer-happy lineup.

THE Toronto Blue Jays - MLB 11: The Show Ph_501983 RF - #45: Travis Snider
Snider closed out last season by going 18-for-51 (.353) with five homers and eight RBIs over his final 12 games. That should give fans a glimpse of what they can expect from the young slugger in years to come. The Blue Jays selected Snider in the first round of the 2006 Draft and are expecting him to make good on his potential this year.

THE Toronto Blue Jays - MLB 11: The Show Ph_434626 DH - #36 :Ryan Shealy
We assume he'll get an invite to spring training. Shealy, 31, had seven plate appearances with the Red Sox last season, but has spent the majority of the past two seasons at the Triple-A level. He'll likely thrive in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast league.

THE Toronto Blue Jays - MLB 11: The Show Ph_460069 SP - #24: Ricky Romero
Romero made some major headway in his sophomore season, flirting with a no-hitter in April and rounding into the ace of a burgeoning young Toronto staff. The 26-year-old isn't going to blow most hitters away, but he can throw all of his five pitches for strikes and keeps the ball in the yard. He is expected to be the Ace for Toronto.

Bench
OF Juan Riveira
OF Corey Patterson
SS John McDonald
C Jose Molina

SP Brandon Morrow
SP Kyle Drabek
SP Jesse Litsch
SP Carlos Villanueva
RP Shawn Camp
RP Jesse Carlson
RP Jason Frasor
RP Octavio Dotel
RP Casey Janssen
RP Bret Cecil
CP Frank Francsico


Last edited by B-Dizzle on Sun Mar 27, 2011 3:10 am; edited 2 times in total
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Post  B-Dizzle Sat Mar 26, 2011 11:41 pm

Your beloved Blue Jays are current 5-7 having played series against the Twins, A's, Angels, and Mariners. I'm just gonna run through some team leading stats to catch you up.

Batting avg. --> Yunel Escobar .364
Home Runs --> Aaron Hill with 4, while last's year's home run king is sitting at 3
RBI --> Jose Bausista with 7
Stolen Bases--> Rajai Davis is putting his speed to use and already has 5 stolen bases, and having been caught only once.


Best ERA --> Carlos Villanueva 2.93
Worst ERA --> Jesse Litsch 7.29
Toronto's ace is sitting at a 3.91 ERA

From now on I ill try to update this series by series with the assistance of some visuals, and some analysis. Next up we've got a trip to Fenway for a 4 game series with the Red Sox
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Post  B-Dizzle Sun Mar 27, 2011 3:04 am

THE Toronto Blue Jays - MLB 11: The Show Images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRtBXQwCljTV-d_RvoluqVaOI75GYlSrwU1FJlpmHUqM_8tDh-HXw @ THE Toronto Blue Jays - MLB 11: The Show Images?q=tbn:ANd9GcREsuukaGyY4-pmEIaypttGdpOs3XncmRVrbMerrTPcH0YviEWr

The Toronto Blue Jays fell to 5-11 after a dreadful road trip out to Boston losing all 4 match ups, while being outscore 21-9. The Bo-Sox definitely had their number this time around, dominating on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. The Blue Jays were only able to muster up a .197 batting average and 3 home runs in the four games while Boston put up a respectable .293 and 6 home runs. Toronto's bullpen proved to be next to useless as each of the four games began to get away from the Jays in the 7th innings, as hit after hit began pouring in off the Boston bats. The Blue Jays will need to address this issue in the bull pen if they hope to make any sort of noise in this 2011 campaign.

The Jays return home for a short 2 game series versus the Yankees which should prove to be another tough test.

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Post  B-Dizzle Sun Mar 27, 2011 7:21 pm

THE Toronto Blue Jays - MLB 11: The Show Images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRtBXQwCljTV-d_RvoluqVaOI75GYlSrwU1FJlpmHUqM_8tDh-HXw vs THE Toronto Blue Jays - MLB 11: The Show Images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRkrmfHoJBUKRX8G9ugrrpRk8M_qCGoOMXJEWsHQ_SHvOafdpIB

Another awful series saw the Jays drop both being outscored 7-1 to the Yankees. These games didn't come without any drama though. The first game saw a pitching duel between Brandon Morrow and AJ Burnett, that saw the Yankees carry a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the 9th. The Jays had the heart of the order coming up to bat. Yunel Escobar stepped up to the plate full and was sitting at a full count. A high inside fastball saw Escobar swing the bat, for what looked like a lead off single, but an amazing diving play by Jeter put up the first out of the inning. This proved to be huge as Bautista came up next and drilled a solo home run shot, making it 2-1. Burnett was able to strikeout the remaining batters preserving the 2-1 win for the Yankees.

Game 2 saw rookie Kyle Drabek take on Phil Hughes. Phil Hughes dominated on the mound as the Jays were only able to get 4 hits. The Yankees won 5-0.

The Jays need to do something different, and they need to do it fast because this season is going nowhere fast. They need to work on stringing together hits that result in runs, and stronger play from their bullpen. Next up the Tampa Bay Rays come to town for a 3 game series.



Last edited by B-Dizzle on Wed Mar 30, 2011 3:26 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Post  Maverick Mon Mar 28, 2011 4:03 pm

Could we get an updated standings in the AL East? How're the other teams managing?
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Post  B-Dizzle Mon Mar 28, 2011 7:44 pm

Maverick wrote:Could we get an updated standings in the AL East? How're the other teams managing?

Oh sure! Sorry, I can't believe I didn't think to keep you guys posted on how the league is shaping up. I will include that in my next series update!
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Post  B-Dizzle Wed Mar 30, 2011 3:52 pm

THE Toronto Blue Jays - MLB 11: The Show Images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRtBXQwCljTV-d_RvoluqVaOI75GYlSrwU1FJlpmHUqM_8tDh-HXwVSTHE Toronto Blue Jays - MLB 11: The Show Images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQpOsyOcpJPiODIfLxrPfDatUFPGM0G9ov963YK37-7mZ8WQyspxw

The Jays came into this series needing some wins desperately. The Rays were sitting near the top of the A.L. so this was going to be no easy task. But something seemed to energize the Jays in this 3 game series and they swept the Rays outscoring them 20-7. This series saw many Jays break out of their slump.

Game 1 saw a match up between Litsch and Price. The Jays took a 3-2 lead into the top of the 9th, so they brought in their closer Francisco for the save, but Francisco left a pith hanging inside the strike zone and saw the ball go back the other way for a solo home run to tie things up. It was Francisco's first blown save of the season. This game went into extra innings, and in the bottom of the 10th, Adam Lind hit a walk off home run, giving the Jays a much needed win and giving Francisco an undeserving win.

Game 2 pitted Villanueva against James Shields. Again the Jays took a slim 4-2 lead into the 9th inning, and Francisco was called on again to close things down. And yet again Francisco struggled, he allowed 1 run and left 2 men on for what could have been a second straight blown save, but he hung on for the 4-3 win.

Game 3 (Romero(0-3) vs. Hellickson (1-2)) saw the Jays bust out their bats. The Jays won this game easily by a score of 12-2. Romero pitched his first complete game of the season for his first win of the season. Jose Bautista also broke out of his recent slump going 3-5 with 2 home runs and 6 RBIs.

This could be a turning point in the Jays' season early on, but unfortunately it only averaged an attendance of 7480. Their record improved to 8-13. The Jays will now travel to Texas to face the Rangers in a 4 game series.


A.L. East Standings

Boston Red Sox 13-9
New York Yankees 12-9
Tampa Bay Rays 12-11
Baltimore Orioles 9-13
Toronto Blue Jays 8-13
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Post  Maverick Thu Mar 31, 2011 1:41 pm

8-13 is slow but steady start. Now that you are moving into the month of May, are you looking at any trades or AAA call-ups to bolster your line up?
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