The JoeLong

  On this blog Ihave accumulated loads of baseball thoughts, jokes and a mishmash of whatever. at this time I am choosing to put a hold to writing about baseball on this blog.
 
  I know my posts were few and far between but with the season upcoming I have ample optimism that I can take some time to write a qualitative quantity of content for its own blog!

at this time I would like to announce my new blog “The Pitchers and Catchers Report” I have already made a brief post about my biases I have toward baseball.
  So if you are following this blog for it’s baseball content don’t be afraid to unfollow it and follow thepitchersandcatchersreport.tumblr.com and heck pass it along to your friends and family members!

  Although I am pleased that some under-qualified players did not make it into the hall of fame, you have done a great disservice to baseball failing to elect Barry Bond, Roger Clemens and Craig Biggio.
  I know  there are questions to the validity of their service to baseball but they are just questions that yo have answered incorrectly.

I am greatly disappointed.
signed
Joe Long 

So… last night, while I was having supper with my wife and was restricted from cell phone usage, the Toronto Blue Jays made a deal with the Miami Marlins (which is still league and medical pending). Lets get the player details out of the way:

To Toronto                                                                                                          

Josh Johnson
Jose Reyes
Mark Buehrle
Emilio Bonifacio
John Buck
$4m                                                                                                             

 
 To Miami
Yunel Escobar
Adieny Hechavarria
Jeff Mathis
Henderson Alvarez
 Justin Nicolino
Anthony Desclafani

  Contractually this means the jays have added approximately $150m of salary through 2017, while the Fish have dumped that amount of money and picked up approximately $20m till 2015 (assuming all the options are picked up). Putting the Blue Jays pre arbitration payout at approximately $98m. People are estimating that their total payroll will end up around $120m.
    For the future this means the Jays give up some great prospects (Hechavarria, Marisnick, Nicolino and to a lesser extent Desclafani) and the Marlins have some great potential for the years upcoming. On the closer-to-home side the blue jays maintained depth in their system. They’ve kept some outfield depth and maintain most of their pitching depth. in 2017 we may be looking at some of the guys that the Jays gave up jealously, but the Blue Jays kept some potential stars who are closer to the big leagues now.
  For 2013 the jays have received 2 front of the line starters, a great utility player/ outfielder and a back-up/starter-for-the-now catcher. The Marlins roped in a shortstop and a back-up catcher. MIami gave up the present. Toronto put themselves in a potentially playoff contention type spot.

   I dont want to do a line-up analysis quite yet (I will wait till after the Winter meetings to do that), but as a brief over-view the Jays have a much more intimidating starting 9.

Over-all the Jays gave up lots of potential, of which they still have a surplus. but received a good return of sure things and gives them starting pitching and line-up depth. 

Be sure to look through the links to enrich your reading experience! 

Could’ve used that Strasburg chap huh?

 I think right now is a great time to be a fan of baseball and better yet to be a fan of baseball movies.

  Last September was the first time I had ever gone to a movie alone; it was to see Moneyball. Moneyball was an excellent movie, well shot, well acted and well adapted.
This movie opened up many people to baseball, mostly because Brad Pitt is hot and Jonah Hill is funny, or quirky, or whatever, but baseball was looked at by people who had looked away from it for so long. Especially in Canada where the 1994 Strike killed a thriving fan base. Moneyball recaptured some of that imagination.
  I feel like this was the start of a run of movies that will hit theatres in the next couple of years much like in the late 80’s and early 90’s with Bull Durham, Field of Dreams, Major League and The Sandlot.
   This weekend a movie opens titled “Trouble with the Curve”, a Clint Eastwood picture Starring Eastwood, Amy Adams and Justin Timberlake, that tells a story of a Father and Daughter through the lens of baseball scouting. Where last years Oscar nomination went to the new era of the baseball front office this years baseball flick looks to the older way of compiling teams, an excellent contrast.

Watch a trailer for “Trouble with the Curve” HERE

   This weekend also premiered a trailer for an exciting movie that will be in theatres April of 2013. This film will tell the story of Jackie Robinson, the first African-American man to play in Major League Baseball. The trailer gives me chills. I suggest looking into the story of Jackie Robinson and also checking out the trailer. This movie is titled “42” which is the number that Jackie Robinson wore and in 1997 his number was universally retired in baseball, not only because of Jackie’s outstanding play but because of his contributions to Baseball and to society.

Watch the trailer for “42” HERE

I hope everyone enjoys baseball’s playoff season and if you are a Jays fan like me. Happy Sulking until oh… Winter Meetings time or so. 

THIS IS AWESOME
oldtimefamilybaseball:

Why wait the requisite five years or read boooooooring scouting reports when you can determine this year’s winners and losers based solely on the strength of the name? We live in a fast paced world and we gotta keep up dammit. 

First number is round, second number is pick. 

Heavyweights Division: 

1st, #7: Max Fried, Padres

3rd, #111: Brett Monneyham, Nationals

12th, #390: Max Foody, Cardinals

21st, #654: Austin Chubb, Nationals

28th, #863: Joshua Pigg, Indians 

80s Action Stars:

1st, #26: Stryker Trahan, Diamondbacks

8th, #252: Torsten Boss, Orioles

9th, #281: Jamodrick McGruder, Mariners

14th, #440: Chris Flexen, Mets

23rd, #706: Lance Breedlove, Pirates

25th, #771: Storm Throne, White Sox

27th, #827: Goose Kallunki, Padres

26th, #816: Austen Thrailkill, Rangers

36th, #1094: Sly Edwards, Cubs

Space Heroes:

4th, #151: Ty Buttrey, Red Sox (I assume that’s pronounced Butt-ray.) 

5th, #165: Mallex Smith, Padres

11th, #343: Zebulon Sneed, Royals

12th, #378: Correlle Prime, Rockies

26th, #804: Skye Bolt, Nationals

37th, #1148: Daniel Starwalt, Phillies

Childish Giggles:

9th, #286: DJ Crumlich, Pirates

20th, #622: BrockDykxhoorn, Reds

29th, #897: John Bushyhead, Angels

Sounds Like Things That Happen In Baseball:

Read More

It was my birthday yesterday, Huzzah!
One of my Favourite presents came when Brett Lawrie Struck out in the 9th inning, creating the second out.

I know having one of the Blue Jays strike out is bad, but it was the way he did it.
Maybe this would work better (look specifically at pitches 5 and 6)

  The Blue Jays 2012 season has been fun to watch, a roller coaster of emotion. There have been so many pleasant surprises. Kelly Johnson, Edwin Encarnacion and Eric Thames have been hitting the ball well. Brett Lawrie and J.P. Arencibia have been great defensively  and Jeff Mathis when playing has not been getting out (I hope we all know this won’t continue forever). 

   The 2012 Blue Jays have also had some disappointments; their bullpen has been abysmal blowing saves like a machine, Jose Bautista has been off to a terrible start at the plate (.172/.310/.323 4HR 12RBI). Adam Lind has continued the downward spiral that he has been on since 2009, which I think is an important talking point.

  In 83 at bats in 2012, Adam lind has an OPS of .581, which is ranked 40th of the 51 people who are considered 1st basemen. Although there are some notable names behind him (Albert Pujols, Justin Smoak) there are MANY names ahead of him. 1st base is a position a contending team needs to get production from, I think the blue jays need to take a long look at what is going on and maybe look into some changes, or at the very least stop batting Lind immediately behind the struggling Bautista. There are infinite possibilities of how this will work out for the rest of the season, heck Lind could pull a 180 and continue where he left off in 2009. I personally do not see this happening.
 
    My suggestion to answer the Lind/line up conundrum lies in AAA Las Vegas, not at the 1st base position but in the Outfield, Travis Snider. I would DFA Ben Francisco (a pointless off season move in my opinion) and field a line-up that would look as such:

R Yunel Escobar (SS)
L Kelly Johnson (2B)
R Jose Bautista (RF)
R Edwin Encarnacion (1B)
L Eric Thames (DH)
R Brett Lawrie (3B)
L Travis Snider (LF)
R J.P. Arencibia (C)
L Colby Rasmus  (CF)

  This would improve the jays defence as well as creating a better bench for the jays. Adam Lind would be able (with defensive changes around him) to replace any outfielder, corner infielder or DH. *Note: I am not suggesting Lind can play 3B, CF or RF and it would be in a pinch for him to play LF but there could be defensive changes that would make the Defence significantly weaker that could happen for Lind to replace those people pinch hitting or if an injury occurs in a game.
 
  I aware that these changes will not happen but in my perfect brain it would be an ideal situation. I would also like to note that I may have it in for Adam Lind because my wife has a crush on him for some reason.

Salutations Males and Females

It is every Baseball fans favourite day of the year. OPENING DAY! The day when all the offseason speculation starts to become a reality.

If you are reading this you will know that I am a Blue Jays fan and I would like to share with you their Opening Day line-up 

Batting First & Playing Short Stop: Yunel Escobar
Batting Second & Manning Second Base: Kelly Johnson
Batting Third & Guarding Right Field: Jose Bautista
Batting Fourth & Covering First Base: Adam Lind
Batting Fifth & being Designated only to Hit: Edwin Encarnacion
Batting Sixth in the line up, number 1 in our hearts and playing Third Base- Brett Lawrie
Batting Seventh & Watching over Left Field : Eric Thames
Batting Eighth & Catching what the Pitcher Tosses: J.P. Arencibia
Batting Ninth only because someone has to & Roaming Centre Field: Colby Rasmus

Lets play some Baseball! 

elsapels:

‘I believe in Christ like I believe in the sun - not because I can see it, but by it I can see everything else. ’ - C.S. Lewis

Dearest Blue Jays Fans, or Drunk Bros hanging out at Rogers Centre on April 9th 2012

   As the 2012 regular season was started off with an early rise to watch two terrible teams play bad baseball  bang, it excites me to talk about baseball, and more specifically going to watch baseball. The first game I will be catching will be the Blue Jays home opener against the Boston Red Sox. I am excited for the hype surrounding this team and the fan fare that usually surrounds the home opener, but as the Drunk Jays Fans home opener guides are buried in their archives there are a few things that should be said:

 1. The Massholes
  Everyones least favourite team is coming to Toronto on April 9th and along with them come everyones least favourite people: The Massholes or  as they refer to them selves “Red Sox nation”. These people suck, there is no way around saying it, but you have to give them credit where credit is due, the come out to games in hoards. There will probably be a large Red Sox crowd at the game they will be cheering and they will be idiots.

2. YOUUUUUUK 
   This is for the casual fan, when Kevin Youkilis comes up to bat the aforementioned Massholes cheer “YOUK” which to the untrained ear sounds an awful lot like a boo. Please don’t join in with a boo, I suggest hissing or gnashing of teeth or yelling profanities.

3. The Rally Towels 
  Within a small group of my friends these towels developed a much more funny name.  Don’t be a dick and throw them on the field, as funny as it is to watch the ball boys run after them, it slows down the game and delays the inevitable street meating that will happen after the game.

4. Don’t try to seat jump
 It is the home opener, its sold out, I don’t care that you couldn’t scalp in next to your bros. The crack staff at the rogers centre will be onto you and I won’t get to sit down… and I am fat and my legs will get sore and I will block many peoples view of the game.

 All things considered enjoy the game. Drink lots of beers. Eat some peanuts or Cracker Jack and root for the Jays.