Wakamatsu the matter with you?

Even though it has been months since the Toronto Blue Jays have reasonably had a chance to get into the post season (or is that decades?), losses like the one last night never cease to annoy me.  We all know the season is over, but as fans, we hate to see our team lose due to boneheaded decision making on behalf of the manager, or poor performance of the players.

With the Jays down 4-3 headed into the top of the 9^th inning, and much maligned reliever Kevin Gregg coming in to try to shut things down, Jays fans had to know there was at least a 50% chance of coming back against the woeful Gregg.  And that’s exactly what happened: a base hit by Arencibia, a walk, and a double steal later, and the Jays had two runners in scoring position with nobody out.  An incredible diving catch by Nick Markakis in right field accounted for the first out of the inning, with pinch runner Dewayne Wise scoring on the sac fly.  Unfortunately the Jays couldn’t cash in the go ahead run from third base with less than two outs after Thames popped out and Edwin Encarnacion (what happened to him??) tapped out softly to end the treat.

Nevertheless, the Jays ended up taking the lead in the top of the 10^th after a Kelly Johnson triple with nobody out scored on a wild pitch.  Thank goodness that was not left in the hands of Mike McCoy who has absolutely no upside and has no business being on the roster right now.  On this night I saw one good play from McCoy; tagging up and going to third base in the ninth inning.  I also saw him lose a pop up in the lights, strike out twice (once swinging after the ball was already past him, with two guys on base and none out), tap out softly into a fielders choice in extra innings, then get thrown out by a mile trying to steal to end the threat, when the throw wasn’t even nearly on target.  This guy sucks and we have no young top prospects in the minors who could fill center field for a week to give them a taste of the majors?  Hint, hint?  Honestly McCoy has no upside and no future here – give someone else a chance.

Anyhow, the worst part of the evening was still to come.  With the Jays suddenly up 5-4 entering the do-or-die bottom of the 10^th inning, for some reason the decision was made to bring in Brian Tallet, who on his best day is a poor to marginal left handed specialist only.  For some reason they trot him out to face a bunch of right handed hitters, and (surprise, surprise) the soft throwing lefty with no stuff gets lit up and the Jays lose the game before you can say “Come back Farrell!”  I don’t know the Jays bullpen situation but come on surely they could have trotted out a better option than Brian Tallet to try and get three outs to win the game.  Could former starter Casey Janssen not come out for a second inning after a quick and painless bottom of the 9^th?  Don Wakamatsu made a bad decision bringing Tallet in here.  It boggles my mind. 

If the Jays are looking for a player to fill in with no upside, and no future with the team, I will play for free.  Put me in center field and I’m perfectly capable of losing fly balls in the lights, swinging and missing balls that are already in the catcher’s glove, and getting thrown out by a country mile trying to steal.  Also if you want to bring me on in extra innings in a save situation I am perfectly capable of walking a couple guys and serving up a warning track blast to straight away center to a 150 pound rookie in his first week in the majors.  Give me a call Wakamatsu.  I’ll be ready, just give me two or three warm up pitches.