To be honest I have not being paying much attention to the baseball season as of yet this year. My focus has been on hockey and besides my thoughts are that the baseball season does not even start to get interesting until after July 1^st.

Anyway Riccardi was hired on November 14 2001 and had a five year plan. Well I guess the 5 year plan became the seven year plan now. Ever year he has been at the helm of the Jays they have finished no better than 3^rd in the division. I know it is a tough division to play in with both the Yankee's and Red Sox in it but come on, when do you get this team over the hump. Ted Rogers has given him a bigger budget every year but we are still waiting for some results.

A quick look at the standings tells it all. The Tampa Rays have improved greatly so far in the young season and sit second in the division, nipping at the heels of the Red Sox. The Blue Jays are in last place one game below 500. That's just not acceptable and someone has to be held accountable. The Jays just can't put it all together. Their starting pitching has been doing the job and have got them into the 7^th inning or better on 33 occasions this year, that's tops in the whole league. You can't ask for better than that. No the problem has been the guy's at the plate, supplying the offence or lack of it. The team as a whole has hit like a bunch of old women, playing Bingo on a Saturday night and it must frustrate the life out of a guy like Doc Holiday who gave up something like 5 runs in 3 straight complete games and did not win one of them.

Reed Johnson was back with his new team, the Chicago Cubs, last weekend and made is former team pay dearly for getting rid of him. Who made that decision? He is not good enough to play in Toronto but can play for the Cubs, who happen to be the best team in Baseball the last time I looked.

No it is time Riccardi was held accountable for the ball club, his B.S. is wearing thin and it is time for him and the Jays to part ways. But then again he is the smartest man in baseball. Just ask him, he will tell you so. I bet the Boston Red Sox are very glad today that they did not take him off Toronto's hands a few years back. Chances are if they did they would never have been World Series Champions.

"No Guts No Glory"

Walt Webb

The Jays are sitting at 500 but at least the Red Socks are still in sight. I still believe in the Jay's and there pitching staff. I have been busy with hockey so I have not paid much attention to Baseball yet. After all they have not even reached the "Dog Days" yet. Lots of games left.

The Red Sox are a team that will not let games get away to often so you better stay close. Good to see the Yankee's having their pitching problems. Yeah how about those Rays. Could Tampa finally have something to cheer about in the baseball world.

"No Guts No Glory"

Walt Webb

http://allsportsontheweb.com

Well it has been a while since I wrote about baseball. What with all the hockey on the tube every night I must admit I have not been keeping up on much baseball lately. So tonight I decided to put on the Jays and D'Rays game and watch some. The Jays were cruising along and leading 3-0 in the 5^th inning and looked to be ok. Then of course I got called away to pick up and be the taxi (you other parents out there know all about it I am sure). So I get back and I missed it. The game was over and the Blue Jays had lost 5-3. They must have fallen apart in the late innings. To quote Yogi Berra "it's never over till it's over".

That's what makes baseball different, there is no clock counting down and the game is not over until 27 outs are recorded and in the books.

The Jays are now sitting in the basement in the AL East, with a 10-12 record. When they are hitting there is poor pitching and when they get good pitching, they could not hit a beach ball. But hey that is the game.

Boston is off to another good start and leads the division with a 15-8 record. The Jays can't fall to far back or they will never catch a good consistent team like the Red Sox.

On a side note The Blue Jay's and Frank Thomas parted ways a couple of days ago. Frank was not swinging the bat real well and the Jays felt that one of their young players needed a chance and could give them a bit more. Thomas is a notorious slow starter and usually does not find his groove until the end of May at the earliest. I hope they don't miss his production in the dog days of summer.

Anyway that's enough for now and I apologize for missing the later part of the game.

"No Guts No Glory"

Walt Webb

What a difference a few days make. Here I was saying how improved the Jay's looked in a weekend sweep at home of the Boston Red Sox and low and behold just a few short days later, I am writing about Oakland coming into Toronto and sweeping the Blue Jay's three straight. It just goes to prove what a finicky mistress baseball is.

After pounding on the Red Sox relievers last weekend, the Blue Jays could hardly push any runs across against Oakland. Well scratch that they put runs across, it was just that they let Oakland push across more in each game. The Blue Jays could not seem to get a hit when they needed one and Oakland would get one when it was needed usually a clutch hit with two outs.
 
Oakland also started two rookie pitchers in the series and the Blue Jays made them look like the reincarnation of Cy Young. Both got their first major league wins at the Blue Jays expense.

The contrast of the two series is just reinforcement as to why they play 162 games in a season.
All I can say is the Blue Jays better get some extra batting practice in, maybe some situational hitting as well.
"No Guts No Glory"

 Walt Webb

http://allsportsontheweb.com

The Blue Jays opened up the Boston Red Sox eyes here and served notice to the rest of the AL east that they could be a team to be reckoned with this year.
The jays swept the World Series champs, Boston Red Sox in the 3 game series to open the jay's home schedule.
Frank Thomas was a one man wrecking crew in the series, driving in 8 runs and recording 2 home runs. The Bosox relievers were blasted for 11 runs on 11 hits in 8 1/3 innings is the series and must have Terry Francona worried.
The Blue Jays pitching staff is as good as anyone's in the league and if they can stay healthy, with the bats they have, they might just make it to the dance this fall.

"No Guts No Glory"

 Walt Webb

http://allsportsontheweb.com