In this week’s edition of Blue Jays Central: Ask the Insiders, they are asked about why the Los Angeles Dodgers have caught fire these last few months and why the Blue Jays don’t close the roof when R.A. Dickey pitches.
Annie asks: The Dodgers are in the midst of an incredible stretch of winning baseball. Don Mattingly was seemingly days away from being fired a few months ago and now they’re running on all cylinders. Who or what gets credit for the turnaround?
Pat Tabler: Annie, the Dodgers really played some bad baseball early in the season and it looked like Don Mattingly was going to get fired. Suddenly they took off. What happened?? Well, I spoke to the Dodgers and to a man they told me that they finally got healthy. Hanley Ramirez and Zack Greinke are two of the players that missed a lot of time. Another thing that went right for the Dodgers is that they brought up Yasiel Puig from the minor leagues. He has been on FIRE. That youth and excitement can really get a team on a roll. The Dodgers look like a winner to me!
Mike Wilner: Annie, you know what I’m going to say to that one. It’s the players! Yasiel Puig came along and provided a huge boost in the absence of Matt Kemp, but that group is currently playing at an exceedingly high level. Imagine if Mattingly had been fired and been replaced by, say, you. You would be getting all the credit right know if the exact same result had occurred!
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Jamie Campbell: Annie, when the Dodgers came to town, I asked a few of them that same question. There were a few answers, but the majority of them said the energy and play injected by Yasiel Puig had a huge impact. Also, good teams have to have an ace, and Clayton Kershaw is one of the best in the business.
John asks: If I understand correctly, all coaches are on one year contracts. If renewing contracts are entirely the decision of Alex Anthopoulos and John Gibbons (i.e. barring offers from other teams), which coaches do you think will come back for 2014 and where do you think a change might be warranted?
Buck Martinez: John this is a tough question and one that only John Gibbons can really answer. He works with them every day and has the best prospective to make that call. These coaches work very hard and put in long hours trying to help the players succeed. I would like to see the coach’s salaries increase across the board in baseball. No one puts in more time at the ball park than the coaches and they should at least make the same Major League minimum as the players. Unfortunately, the average salary for a major league coach doesn’t come close the what a rookie makes when he is called to the Big Leagues.
Cathie Chapin: If R.A. Dickey’s numbers at the Rogers Centre are better with the roof closed, why wouldn’t the team keep it closed on the days he pitches?
Pat Tabler: Cathie, I would like to see the roof closed when Dickey pitches but I do not think it is up to the Blue Jays to decide. I’ve watched R.A. pitch 2 brilliant games in Tampa Bay in a domed stadium and think it has a chance to help him. No wind (with a domed closed) seems to help him out a bit. His ball was running all over the place and he seemed to be able to control it a little better. I’m just not sure if it is up to the Jays to decide though. I’ll look into this a little more and let you know what I find out.
Mike Wilner: Cathie, there’s not as much evidence to suggest that Dickey has a huge issue with the Rogers Centre roof as many seem to think. He hasn’t pitched enough games with the roof closed to establish a strong pattern. Remember, too, he’s pitched well in a bunch of outdoor games this season and he did win the Cy Young last year pitching outdoors almost every game.
Jamie Campbell: Cathie, I haven’t asked, but I will guess the Jays are prohibited from using the roof to their competitive advantage. I think there is probably an agreement in place with Major League Baseball that requires them to have it open when the weather is perfect. And lately, it has been!
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Patricia Irving asks: I noticed in a game this week that a baserunner was called out for going off the bag by a fraction of an inch; however, when there is a double play it looks like second base is not touched but the runner is called out. What is the difference between these two plays?
Mike Wilner: Patricia, the difference is plain and simple, lazy umpiring. You describe the “neighbourhood play” on which a middle infielder will get an out call on a double-play turn as long as he’s in the vicinity of second base, whether he touches it or not. Somehow, maybe to lessen the risk of injury, those outs became acceptable to call and sometimes they still are. It’s wrong.
Jamie Campbell: Patricia, I’ve noticed players almost always touch second when turning double-plays now. In the old days, the umpires used to call runners out frequently when the infielder was “in the area” of the bag. There should be no difference. If you’re off the bag and tagged, you’re out.
Kiki Kendik: What does it mean when you characterize a pitcher’s fastball as “heavy?” Which pitchers are the best example of this? Thanks!
Pat Tabler: KiKi, a “heavy” baseball thrown by a pitcher is just a pitch that runs in on your hands and is very hard to square up and hit properly. It doesn’t weigh any more but when you hit it, it feels like the ball is heavier and you can’t really do anything with the pitch. One of the best that I ever saw or played with was Duane Ward. Wow… I felt sorry at times for the batters. He would run that ball in on their hands and would break many bats.
Rob asks: Earlier this week Rays manager Joe Maddon had a 20 foot python brought into the team’s clubhouse to “provide a little bit of motivation.” Sounds awesome and the pictures were amazing. Just wondering what the craziest/strangest attempt to motivate players you’ve ever heard of or been a part of?
Mike Wilner: Rob, I remember a team putting up a life-size picture of its owner and ripping off a piece of her clothing every time they won a game, and I also remember a bucket of chicken being sacrificed to Jobu. Those are the best I’ve heard of.