The 2012 Toronto Blue Jays Season End Review
With 8 games left in the Toronto Blue Jays 2012 season I’m choosing to write my season end review… and that’s because the season is really over.
In fact, it’s been over for a while and I just didn’t have the heart to finish the version of this post that I started writing a few weeks ago.
So, what happened? The answer, what didn’t happen!
Everybody Was Hurt!
Here’s a list of Blue Jays that have spent time, or are currently spending time on the disabled list:
- J.P. Arencibia
- Brett Lawrie
- Adam Lind
- Kyle Drabek
- J.A. Happ
- Drew Hutchison
- Jesse Litsch
- Dustin McGowan
- Luis Perez
- Sergio Santos
- David Cooper
- Jason Frasor
- Brandon Morrow
- Ben Francisco
- Robert Coello
- Joel Carreno
- Jose Bautista
Did I miss someone? It’s quite possible!
That’s 17 players to hit at least the 15 Day DL. Right now there are 8 on the 60 Day Disabled List and that DOESN’T include Jose Bautista who injured his wrist on July 16th, played 2 games on August 24th and 25th and then had season ending wrist surgery on September 4th.
Now, I’m not willing (even as a Blue Jays fan) to say that all of the 2012 struggles are as a result of those injuries. Sure it sucks that we lost starting pitchers on 3 consecutive days (WTF?!) but you’ve got to play on man!
Take a look at some of these numbers…
Run Differential: -62 last in the AL East and 3rd from the bottom in the American League
Winning Percentage: .438 last in the AL East and 3rd from the bottom in the American League
Road Record: 31-48 last in the AL East and 2nd from the bottom in the American League
Runs Against: 741 2nd worst in the AL East and 3rd from the bottom in the American League
(all stats as of September 25)
These aren’t good results at all mes amis.
Then there’s Ricky.
Note: I love Ricky Romero. I own a Ricky t-shirt. I picked Ricky as my favourite Blue Jay before the start of the 2010 season. I want to see Ricky succeed.
However, 9 wins against 14 losses isn’t good. And a 5.76 ERA isn’t good. And a 1.74/1 strikeout to walk ratio isn’t good. And 21 home runs given up isn’t good. The only good thing about Ricky’s 2012 season is that he has taken his lumps like a man and gone out there for 31 starts (so far) and put in 178 innings.
On June 22nd he won a game in Miami against the (awful) Marlins and on September 24th he won a game in Baltimore. Between those 2 dates he didn’t win any games. That’s 93 days, 15 starts and 13 losses between wins. Yikes.
Ricky pitched pretty well in some of those games but didn’t get any run support… another 2012 downer for the Blue Jays.
They Didn’t Hit!
Jose Bautista played 2 games after mid-July and is still 2nd on the team in home runs with 27. The lack of “clutch” hits to bring in runs late in games or in tight situations has been pretty damn terrible all season. In all honesty, Ricky should have won at least 5 times in his dry spell… but he didn’t because hits bats couldn’t score for him. Sucky.
I expected more in the home run department from Brett Lawrie (9), Adam Lind (10), Arencibia (17) and the leftfield position (a mess).
However, there is a bright spot and his name is Edwin Encarnacion!
Note: Dear Edwin, there was a time when I did a happy dance in my office when you were sent to Oakland. Also, I may have groaned or scratched my head or something when you were brought back. And I admit that I called you E5 when you played 3rd base on a regular basis. But sir, I am convinced that you have found a home and place on this team where you belong. I am happy to have you at 1st base and in the DH role. I hope that you don’t have to be stretched out to third base or leftfield because that’s not fair to you and your skills. I wish you nothing but success during your new 3 year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Edwin (as I write this post) has 41 home runs, 105 rbi, 90 runs scored, 81 walks, 23 doubles, a .282 average and 13 stolen bases! Those numbers far surpass anything that anyone expected this season. And if they try to tell you otherwise you should call the fire department because their pants are most certainly on fire.
The 2012 Blue Jays have had a terrible combination of bad luck and poor execution. What you need to win 95 games and make the playoffs is good luck and good execution.
As we start to look ahead to the 2013 season (because that’s what disappointed sports fans do) there are better days coming. We have a talented young core group of players. We have guys who will come back from injury and bounce back from down seasons. We have (I hope) some money and ambition to spend in the free agent market. And we have a shrewd GM who isn’t scared to pull the trigger on any deal (see: Snider, Travis) that he feels will make his team better.
The 2012 season has been bad. And I won’t hit my goal of 20 games attended (it looks like 18 at most) as it once looked like I would. But next year I will. And next year we’ll be winners.
Go Jays Go!
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