Results tagged ‘ Fred Lewis ’
‘Graphing the Jays’ power
During last night’s 11th inning win over the Tigers, the Jays got home runs from Jose Bautista (who else?) and Adam Lind. Right now, there are eight guys on the team who’ve hit at least 10 home runs this season, and two guys stuck at eight. This team has a real shot at getting 10 guys with double digits in home runs, which is amazing.
Here’s how I’ve done in getting autographs of these guys:
1. Jose Bautista (42): I sent to him during Spring Training, and haven’t received anything back yet. Here’s hoping!
2. Vernon Wells (23): Doesn’t sign TTM, as I found out back in the summer of 2006 when I first started this hobby. But I have a handful of certified auto’d cards of him.
3. Aaron Hill (19): I have four cards signed TTM from him. Two back in 2006 and two in 2008. I’ve got another couple out to him now, and hope to get them back this fall.
4. Adam Lind (18): Doesn’t sign TTM, but before he made it to the Bigs, I loaded up with a dozen or so of his certified autograph cards.
5. Alex Gonzalez (17): No longer with the team. I don’t have anything of his.
6. Lyle Overbay (16): After a horrendous start to the season, Overbay has been one of the club’s best hitters. I’ve got him three times over the years — once on a ball, once on a Topps card and this year on an 08 Ginter card.
7. John Buck (14): I don’t have anything of his.
8. Edwin Encarnacion (13): In addition to being unable to hit, he’s also unable to sign. He hasn’t responded to two TTM requests in the last two years.
9. Fred Lewis (8): I finally found a card of his (a rookie card, when he was with SF) and sent it off a couple weeks ago. He’s shown to be a good signer to other collectors, so I hope I get it back. He’s become one of my favourite Jays this season, and also one of the most exciting to watch.
10. Travis Snider (8): Snider goes through stages in which he signs, then goes a stretch without signing. I have one of his certified autos, but sent to him TTM a few weeks back on a Topps rookie card.
Blue Jays 10, Athletics 2
The Blue Jays showed off their good friend the long ball yet again, this time going yard three times in a 10-2 win over Oakland. Alex Gonzalez, who is the biggest positive surprise of the early season for Toronto, hit a pair of long shots to give him seven on the year, while Vernon Wells went deep for his eighth. Brandon Morrow pitched well in a six inning outing, fanning nine batters and allowing just two earned runs.
The Good:
Alex Gonzalez: Drove in four runs, hit two home runs and scored twice. He’s back from his slump.
Vernon Wells: Three hits, two RBI, one home run and two runs scored to boost his average to .337.
The Bad:
Fred Lewis: Went 0-for-5 and left four runners on. When you consider there was no one on base the first time he came up, that’s four runners LOB in as many plate appearances. His average is now down to .200.
Cito Gaston: I’m a Gaston guy, but his calls have been sketchy this season. With A-Gonz swinging a hot bat, Gaston elected to pinch hit John McDonald … who promptly hit into a double play.
Buck Watch: Yikes. Buck was in fine form during this one:
Pat Tabler: “Did I read somewhere that [Oakland starter] Cahill was a shortstop?”
Buck: “A lot of these guys are athletic and were shortstops, yeah.”
Way to just give an answer that means nothing. But that wasn’t his best gem on the night.
Buck, after Gonzalez’ first home run: “With six home runs in the month of April, Alex Gonzalez sets Toronto’s new franchise record for home runs by a shortstop in the month of April, breaking the previous record of five set by Marco Scutaro in 2003.”
Scutaro, of course, was in the New York Mets system in 2003, playing just 48 Big League games and spending the rest of the campaign in the minors. His big home run season was last year with Toronto.
Royals 4, Blue Jays 3
The Blue Jays failed to sweep their home series against Kansas City yesterday, with a 4-3 loss in 10 innings. After trailing until the eighth inning, the Jays tied the score at three to push for extras. But Scott Downs gave up a two-out, solo home run to Royals third baseman Alex Gordon in the 10th and the Jays failed to equal things in the home half of the inning. All in all, it was a sub-.500 homestand, but not bad considering the absence of Aaron Hill and Edwin Encarnacion.
Hill will rejoin the club tomorrow in Tampa, while Encarnacion and Brian Tallet were added to the 15 day DL yesterday, retroactive back to the day after their last games.
The Good:
Fred Lewis: The speedy fielder had perhaps his best game as a Jay, with a hit, and RBI, a steal and a run scored.
Alex Gonzalez: After cooling off a bit, the shortstop swung a hot bat again in the loss, hitting his fifth home run of the season in the fourth inning (a two-run shot).
Shaun Marcum: He’s still looking for that elusive first win, but in seven innings of work, was strong with six hits allowed and only three runs against, while fanning six batters and only walking one.
The Bad:
Lyle Overbay: Went 0-for-4 again, with three strikeouts.
Vernon Wells: See Overbay’s line.
Buck Watch: N/A. This one wasn’t on TV, so I caught a wonderful radio broadcast by Jerry Howarth and Alan Ashby. You can’t beat baseball on the radio!
malcolmmacmillan
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