Report card and series preview

Series Preview Toronto v Tampa. July 18,2008.

Another big one for Jays but aren’t they all now? This one big for several reasons.
One it is the Rays and on a seven game losing streak, time to put the boot in here and get them whilst they are down.
Two Jays are coming off 5-1 homestand and on a roll without either Alex of Vernon although Alex will be back.
Three Burnett pitching after the great outing last weekend on only three days rest.

AJ would love another great outing here, to shut the critics up, he is already at 10 wins for the season And any more is his personal best with Jays. The downside is of course the better he is the more likely he will be traded by the 31st. Right now I don’t think Jays can afford to lose him but July 31st may be a different time plus big plus AJ will be prime target for several teams now that Harden and Sabathia are gone. His price or rather JP’s asking price will be rising each day.
But I think most Jays fans would prefer a great July similar to May when they went 20-10 and get right back into this especially beating up on their own division.

Report card on the Jays going into the second half is not good. There are few A’s in this class.

Pitching: Halladay of course AA and the rest with a couple of exceptions definitely an A half season. BJ Ryan has exceeded expectations after his surgery and definitely an A.
The exceptions in my book are Frasor and League. Both with great stuff but underachieving in the first half.

Hitting: The gold starts go to Joe Inglett and Adam Lind. Both of them earning their spots on the team with their great hitting. Lind in particular more recently under Cito.
Vernon and Alex both a C. Team expected much more from them and although Alex appeared to be coming out of it before last week he is way overdue. The good point is that Alex has been a half season star for the last two seasons. Perhaps this is the half that he breaks out. Vernon who knows. Perhaps the enforced break with injury will get him more relaxed when he returns and both he and Alex can get it going.
Rolen and Overbay B’s. Both need to break out in second half. Rolen’s glove has made up for some unhappiness with his bat and Overbay appears to be more consistent at least in the alst hoemstand.
Scutaro definitely an A for his first half and has been one of the great highlights for the first half and a great acquisition by JP.
Zaun a C a terrible first half, and Barajas and B. Barajas’s bat has been a pleasant addition of power in a power shortage first half.
Wilkerson and Mench have also disappointed and get a C although Mench looked very good in the last game before the break and on his return from AAA.
D definitely for the team hitting with runners in scoring position.

E for the double play balls. League leading 100 plus at the All-Star break. The new coaching staff have to do something here. Vernon and Matt Stairs have been huge culprits here.

Fielding: Rolen AA. Johnny Mc his usual AA when he gets in there. Eckstein an A, Scutaro would have had AA apart from the one error for Jesse Litsch which cost them the Yankees game.
The catchers ratio of throwing out base stealers has been huge improvement although I might eat my words this weekend against one of the best running teams in the majors.
Base stealing has been huge improvement especially Alex, let us hope he continues on this tear this half.

New coaching staff including Cito, the jury is out for me here. If Cito can lead this group to a better or even equal month like May at 20-10 then he will win me over, but until then, room for improvement.
AND here is wishing Aaron Hill a return this season to playing time.