Post-mortem on half dead corpse

Vancouver Jay’s comments re Rios and Overbay… Thank you.

I realize that Rios and Overbay did have excuses, BUT my point that I have been trying to make since Spring training is that this team has NO intensity or passion to rival the Rays and others. There really is no need to give young guys like Rios and Wells days off in April. They are the big bats, multi-million fat cat contracts and should be busting their guts to play and hustle everyday both in the field and at bat.
Rios will never run into the wall and has never done so, it is obviously not in his makeup, he is no Barfield or Mondesi in right field. He can throw and he can run which makes him above average in RF. Now he has more than $60 million excuses not to run into the wall.

A twisted ankle and Rios flu like symptoms ?? after a day off ? No I don’t buy that they could not pinch hit in the ninth in Wednesday’s game still only two run difference.
Remember last season when the Jays scored six in the ninth to win???? I was at that game and you KNEW they were going to do it, you could feel it. This season you KNOW they are not. I sometimes think Gibbons knows this also it explains some of his decisions. Using Diaz in the 9th, leaving good bats on the bench in later innings, using all his closers before end of game. He knows they don’t have that killer instinct that Boston has. How many games has Boston come from behind to win in the last couple of weeks ? This team so far shows no sign of being able to put their feet on opponents neck.
No one ever forgets Kirk Gibson standing on one leg hitting his home run, that is what I am talking about guts and glory. Sorry Alex, Sorry Vernon, Sorry Lyle I don’t see this in you. I don’t see you slamming bats in dugout when Gibbons gives you a day off? Sure this is early season BUT it is the overall “wait until September”, “it’s a marathon”,” it’s a long season” pithy aphorisms that drive me nuts. Excuse after excuse.

Question is what role can a Manager play ? I look no further than Joe Maddon. He has given those Rays a cockiness and swagger from the first inning on Day one in Spring training. The Crawford- Pena double steal will define the Rays season for me and the major difference between Rays and Jays. No one had ever done that in Spring training before. The confidence that Maddon gave to this young team gave them a great record in spring training and this has carried over which is what he had hoped for. Maybe it will not last the season but he has given the young players a taste of what can and will be.

The Jays, now what ? Rolen back tonight, maybe Lind soon to take pressure of left field woes. Wells and Rios ? very difficult to predict. Rios has never given a full season. Last year he disappeared after the All-Star break and the hundred home runs he hit in the derby, remember he had 21 before the break and then sank out of sight with lack of power. Season before, great first half and then infected leg. Noone knows what he can do in a full healthy season but right now he is not earning his millions by any stroke of imagination. I want to see him hustle his butt off in the field and at bat and show me that the $ I along with other fans are paying him are worth it. Vernon, who knows… Slow starter ( ooops isn’t that what Frank said also ?) Last season it was his shoulder, this season ???? Come on Vernon you are the leader of this team.

So on to the yellow brick road to Kansas…. A team struggling right now…. Should be an interesting series. But remember the Jays have to win six to have a decent road trip now. Even if they sweep Kansas and Rays lose three the best they can hope for is tied with Rays for bottom place…. Tough hole Jays… and Mr Gibbons, please,please don’t kill the only positives that you have right now, your bullpen by using them all everyday. Forget your percentage game it is obviously not working in terms of winning games. I shudder to think the state of bullpen if Halladay had not thrown three complete games.