Wells, wells, wells ...

Wait, what?

Michael Kay is in the booth!

WhaWhaWha???

I believe with every ounce of my being that Wells is going to turn very ugly before the end of the season. That said, I am loving how wrong he's made me look so far.

Hey ... Nune5 did something smart in the field ... for once ...

[3] Why? He has made serious adjustments. He talked about them over the winter, and has been getting results since Day 1 of Spring training.

He isn't that old. His terrible performance over the last few years APPEAR to be based on a poor approach, as opposed to to steep decline in skills.

Now I don't expect a .900+ OPS from him, but .800 is certainly not out of the question.

[2] I think he broke his cherry last year and finally did games in Toronto.

[5] Why? Seriously? Every year a washed up player claims to come into spring training in the best shape ever, with a new approach, etc. etc. I trust historical performance and trends more than claims by players on the wrong side of thirty that they've found the magic bullet solution to declining performance. Wells OPS+ since 2007: 85, 123, 86, 125, 84, 91, and this season 161 (!!).

Moreover, for his whole career he has been pretty flaky, putting up a few excellent campaigns among several average or worse than average seasons. he's a career .789 OPS/106 OPS+ hitter.

I'd be stunned if he puts up .800 OPS for an entire season. Happy, but stunned.

In case anyone has been wondering: Sterling began the season using "Wells' bells!" for VW's homers, but now he says "The Bronx is Vernon!"

I'm beginning to wonder if Ben Francisco is truly the lefty killer Joe thinks he is

The thing I think works in favor of the Vernon Wells Revival is the fact that he's playing in NYS.

From what I've read, his off-season epiphany involved realizing he was trying to pull every pitch and then adjusting his approach to let the ball travel further and go the other way.

If there's any park that rewards a RHB for driving the ball the other way, it's NYS.

I'll believe this start at the end of the season, but make of that what you will ...

[8] Thanks for the update. I missed that, not surprisingly, since I haven't listened to a Yankees radio broadcast in about three years.

Pretty liner right up the middle by Robbie.

[10] He struck the ball well, no? Hard line drive, Rasmus had to go back for it.
I like what I see so far, more than I expected to.

Get on the bag, Robbie! Yikes! He was clueless.

Sorry, that was supposed to be about [9], not about [10].

Now boo, dummies. Boo that.

That pitch is even fucking close to a strike.

[10] Is he really going the other way more? I didn't see his HR today, but his other four have been dead pull jobs according to hit tracker. Unfortunately, I couldn't find an updated hit chart for him this year.

[18] Hell if I know ...

Nice story though, if you like those sorts of things, right?

Stealing a hit from his old buddy. Rob is such a meanie.

Great story, even better if proves to be real!

That was a weird looking double by Gardner. I guess they were playing pretty shallow.

It's okay to swing, Ben.

For fuck's sake, swing the bat.

Or, just watch. You paid your admission, you can feel free to stand there and watch.

Yeah, even I don't hate this IBB.
But, the Greek God of Walks with the bases loaded, that could work out...

That'll do. Pyouk!

Yooooooouuuuuuuuk!

Blue Jays just aren't that good defensively, are they.

No way that's a hit. E5 all the way says me. : )

Yewcoulis!!!

This Blue Jays team does not seem good at defence. Or defense, as they say it up here.

"Single"

Heh.

[29] [32] True. I wonder if they really do stink, or we've just seen a bad streak.

OK, he went the other way that time.

My God! Wells must be in the best shape of his life!

They said, "If only Frankie could but get a whack at that..."

Wells, that hit was to the opposite field!

SSS FTW!!!

Ohhhh, Frankie.

All 5 of Wells HRs this year have been pulled, with an average distance around 380'

Colby Rasmus is my wife's new favorite player, now that Marco Scutaro has shipped out from the AL East.

Man!.... that Wells can really fly!

It's time for Joe to put his arm around Nuney again.

Nuñez looks hopeless at bat this year.

Down goes Youk. Uh-oh.

It's sweet of Girardi to put Overbay in so all the ex-Blue Jays can get in the game!

Pastadivingnuñez

mm, pasta.

Robinson Cano is the Best 2B in all of baseball. That is all.

Excellent! Pitcher's best friend. And one pitch, too.

[49] The Jays' announcers are giving him love for the pivot and throw.

[51] Poetry in motion. And Melky keeps trying to sneak one by him. lol...

So.... if we are playing the Blue Jays....
WE MUST BE IN THE WORLD SERIES!

Yes Michael, give hitting advice to Wade Boggs.

Dang. Both of those called balls were in the zone.

Got him anyway.

Hiroki! Hiroki! Hiroki!

Hiroki Badass.
Great pitching, just great.

Celtics draw first blood...

Knicks taking control now.

I <3 Hiroki Kuroda

ALABAMA HAMMA TIME!!!

I haven't watched a single bball game this season. I am more into hockey. But I'll have to start checking in for the last 2 minutes of these playoff games. What a gem by Kuroda. Damn, just toying with the Jays.

Hammer time.

Nailed.

Hm. That last one looked pretty good to me.
Okay, Dave, this is the big one. Hammer him.

Meh.

Dammit.

Okay, that annoys me.

shit

Shutout goes poof. Rats. Let's so, Dave.

No problem. Dave gets Melky, then Mo will wrap it up.

Modammit!

Fuck.

Ugh
Not classic Hammer, for sure.

What a fucking waste of Kuroda game. FUCK.

Goddam it. Fuck.

Meanwhile, the Celtics take the lead on a 1st Q buzzer-beater.

I'll say that I can sort of live with blowing the game with Robertson over Joba or MATCHUPS.

[78] So some good news.

AAAAARGH.

Sometimes you're the hammer, sometimes you're the nail.

Sure, now.

Atta boy, Nuney. Nice start. Ugh.

Thanks for getting that over with quickly, Eduardo.

This game sure turned around fast.
But so has the Knick game -- Celtics took a 6 point lead, but then the Knicks made three threes, unanswered.

Joba? Hold onto your hats.

[83] The funny thing about Nunez is that his defense has improved somewhat, but he just isn't hitting a lick

Oh.
Interesting choice. Joba. Hm.

Huh.

I just don't even have the energy for Joba.

[87] It's maddening. Maybe he needs to botch a few routine plays to get his hitting groove back.

Jason Kidd kind of looks like Raul Ibañez.

Match ups! Hurray!

Melo getting in the groove...

Wow, nice job, Boone-Joba.

So, if we don't score, you bring Boone back out, right? Or right to Mo either way?

Ben Francisco, who doesn't hit lefties, is now 2-16 with two walks against them this year.

But he's right handed.

Both hits are singles, by the way.

Ben Francisco's at bats are can't miss events.

Melo has cooled, Jeff Green heats up.

Chess.