DeWayne Wise Rant

Posted Sep 10 2011 by Early in , , , with 22 Comments

DeWayne Wise

A DeWayne Wise strikeout on a bunt attempt in exrta innings symbolises everything that went wrong this season.

Even though the Jays are hovering around .500, the number of set backs has reached his height in Dewayne Wise’s at bat in the bottom of the 10th inning on Monday afternoon when he bunts foul on a third strike in a scoreless games.

With all due respect to Dewayne Wise, he plays his role and knows what he is.  Maybe it is a combination of John Farrell small-ball in a season that has been low-lighted by missed signals, way too many strikeouts and an offensive that, since the All-Star Break can only be called simply apathetic.  

Dewayne Wise symbolises the failure of the Jays minor leaguers to be able to step up and fill a spot.  While the team is very different than the start of the season, only Bautista ( and he was supposed to start at third), there has to be something that AA has done wrong in developing, adding depth or hiring a coaching staff that the 27,000 odd persons watch Dewayne Wise strike-out bunting.

 

The scrap heap that we got used to under Ricciardi seems to have resurfaced as the Jays cannot find a young budding every day outfielder.  Snider has had troubles, Mastroianni is probably still a little bit off and Anthony Gose is probably a couple of years out.  So, we get Juan Rivera starting 4 for 45, Rajai Davis swinging at everything, journeymen Corey Patterson and the even worse Dewayne Wise.  There has to be something in the system better than this now.

The Blue Jays season has to be considered a failure if this is what it has come to.  Maybe it is a Ricciardi hangover but everything from the failure of the starting pitchers, the use and failure of the bullpen, “small-ball,” Arencibia hitting .220.  The failure of Hill and Snider and Adam Lind failing to return to 2009 production can all be wrapped up in the Dewayne Wise strikeout bunt in a scoreless extra inning game.

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EarlySemi-Retired MopUpDuty.com author 'Early' has written over 100 posts dating back to 2006. To see more click the 'view all posts by Early' button below.View all posts by Early →

  • Buck Bokai

    Is this article a joke? Has the writer forgotten that Colby Rasmus is supposed to be the every day center fielder and is on the DL, the entirely acceptable performance of Eric Thames, and the solid debut of Brett Lawrie? Arencibia has 22 homers, his average will increase once he acclimates better. Davis will be a pinch-running specialist and bench player next year. Wise is here just to keep a spot warm with players being injured.
    Poor trolling.

    • Tight_PP

      I think the issue us, if the Jays have ‘packed it in’ why are they still using these old duds? Why is Mccoy in CF over Gose, Mastroani, etc. Why is Wise bunting in extras over Hechavaria.

      • http://mopupduty.com/index.php/about-mop-up-duty/authors_callum_hughson/ Callum Hughson

        Gose is not ready. Mastroianni is shit. Hechavarria can’t travel to Canada until he establishes permanent US residency.

  • Early

    If dwayne wise is going to bunt in extra innings may as have Gose or Mastrionni do that

    I know that Wise is a place holder for the rest of the year. Doesn’t mean that I agree he should be getting starts in CF and I adamently disagree with him bunting out in extra innings.

    • http://mopupduty.com/index.php/about-mop-up-duty/authors_callum_hughson/ Callum Hughson

      There’s more to it than just bringing up a player because you want to see what he looks like.

      Starting arbitration clocks, burning options… all of these factors have to be taken into consideration when managing a roster. Wise is a solid replacement-level player who is expendable. True, bunting out sucks… but playing baseball is a difficult thing to do.

  • daperman

    Nothing against McCoy but I paid premium money to see him play in center field against Boston while a call up Adam Lowen is sitting on the bench. Dont tell me Lowen is not a center fielder because he is playing center field today.

    We are being told that the stiffs wont be around when the real Blue Jays are winning, but to spend my time watching on TV and spend premium money to go to games and see McCoy and Wise play in September when the call ups are available………….

    When Callum says that the up and comers are not ready, it tells me that the Blue Jays wont be ready.. brace yourselves until 2014 or 2015 at the earliest…..

    And dont you just love the number of three and four hit games the Jays have managed since the start of the Oakland series in mid August. Tells me there is a lot of good pitching out there in the American League. Where would the Jays pitching rank in a team by team comparison

    • http://mopupduty.com/index.php/about-mop-up-duty/authors_callum_hughson/ Callum Hughson

      I said Gose isn’t ready. Not the “up and comers” or the entire farm system for that matter.

      CF isn’t an issue for the Jays going forward anyway. If Rasmus isn’t on the DL are we having this discussion?

    • http://mopupduty.com/index.php/about-mop-up-duty/authors_callum_hughson/ Callum Hughson

      Something else to consider is the fact that the AL East/Wild Card race has not been decided yet. Out of respect for the integrity of the playoff race, Farrell played a seasoned veteran in DeWayne Wise vs. Boston over a guy like Loewen or Mastroianni who might pee their pants when they face Jon Lester for the first time in their careers.

  • daperman

    Nothing to consider. All the Jays pee their pants when they face Lester. And wont that same rookier pee his pants when he fadces Lester in mid season.

    Blue Jays owe nothing to any of the other teams in Wild Card Pennant races. They owe only to improving themselves.

    Every other teams had 140 games to put themselves in a position where they didnt have to worry about out of contention teams not fielding veteran rosters. And if it is a consideration chances are they will get to play the call up laden team as well.

    This might not be an argument if Colby wasnt injured, but to do the recyling bit with McCoy and Wise ? Rookies can put up .118 batting averages just as Wise can.

    Not a consideration at all

    • http://mopupduty.com/index.php/about-mop-up-duty/authors_callum_hughson/ Callum Hughson

      No, they don’t owe anything to other teams. They owe it to the game of baseball itself.

      Because of the parity in the game today, 140 games isn’t enough for a team to put itself in a position where they don’t have to worry about out of contention teams not fielding veteran rosters. That’s why the season is 162 games long.

      Another thing to consider is the impact that a Mastroianni or Loewen in CF has on the young arms that are called up. It doesn’t do them any favours to have Loewen/Mastroianni trip over their own shoelaces in the outfield to misplay flyballs when Wise can be out there making web gem catches.

      Rookies can put up .118 averages like Wise can, but they can’t make the inning-ending run-saving plays in the OF that he can.

      There’s more than the offensive side of the game to consider. Can you consider that?

  • daperman

    You put yourself in the postion that you have to depend on other teams you get whatever you deserve. Your fate is in your hands for the vast majority of the season. Then you go and cry boo hoo when your fate is now in the hand of a second tier team who now has to start looking to next year. You hear it all the time that its good experience for young teams to be a factor in a pennant race even as spoilers. Young players dont get that sitting on the bench.

    The rookies have to learn sometimes. So is it better to learn at the start of the season when a loss as the cliche goes is just as important as at the end of the season.

    No sympathy for teams having to depend on other teams. win your own games.

  • Bombtastic

    Worst blog post ever.

  • Informed fan

    This article is so poorly written and misinformed. I can’t believe your complaining about DeWayne Wise playing right now. Rasmus is a few games from coming back from his injury, Mastroainni seriously sucks, anyone pining for him to be on the big league club is just looking for things to complain about…And yeah lets burn an option on one of our best prospects so we can bring him up for 3-4 games at the end of a meaningless season…seriously ridiculous

    • early

      They called Mastrioni up for one game. Loewen is here now. He is playing centrefield and he hasn’t struckout on a bunt yet. Why not call him up a week earlier instead of playing Dwayne Wise.

  • daperman

    So let me get this straight. Contending teams somewhere during the season start a rookie use a worn out veteran leave a Mariano or Papelbon in too long lose a few games that puts their post season in jeopardy and then the also rans who have to, try to unseat these teams, have to field their “veterans or so called best lineups” so that the Bostons and New Yorks can have a “fair” attempt at a playoff run.

    So now the second tier teams have to use their up and comers to experince thier mistakes during the start of ther next year when the games supposely mean something to every team: new seaons fresh start Learn from the experiences that should have been instilled the previous September cost them a few games that will put them behind boston and New York and make them also rans again.

    Interesting how the also rans have to pay for the inadequacies of the contenders

    Bottom line take care of your own business. Win your games and you dont have to worry about depemding on the other team.

    • http://mopupduty.com/index.php/about-mop-up-duty/authors_callum_hughson/ Callum Hughson

      Daper, Informed Fan pretty much nails it. What do you say to their comment?

  • daperman

    Burning an option is not a consideration any longer if the player is all ready here or on his way here as part of the call up. That decision has been made. AA has used option

    So if they are here play them. Until Rasmus is ready Loewen should play everyday in center. Not Wise not McCoy His option at the moment has been decided. If you are worried about options dont ever call anybody up in September. Let them learn and burn next April

    Didnt worry about burning an option or year of service with Lawrie. Team was going nowhere why not wait until September for him.

    And as for meaningless season. yes, but: Is is better for Copper, Loewen et al to face Lester, CC Price now for the first time in a meaningless game for the Jays now at the expense of an option or learn all about these pitchers in early April games when a new championship season has started. Cost them a few games in meaningful situation and quickly find the Jays headed for another meanlingless September.

    Read between the lines of what Early is saying.

    It is a rant………..

    • http://mopupduty.com/index.php/about-mop-up-duty/authors_callum_hughson/ Callum Hughson

      Ohhhh Daper.

      I’ll stop playing Devil’s Advocate and get down to brass tacks. Loewen couldn’t play CF in place of McCoy/Wise because he was called up the following day.

      Loewen is not a CF even though he played there for a game. In all his minor league games, he has played there a grand total of 15 times. Travis Snider has played in CF but he is not a CF. There is no point in putting players in to play positions ~every day~ at the big league level for which they are not acclimated (and when have no future playing there). Sure, put them in for a game or a few innings here or there to see if they have the aptitude for it (more to the point – to show other teams they have the aptitude for it).

      Or would you like to see David Cooper or Edwin Encarnacion out in CF as well…. just to decrease the chances of them bunting out in the 10th?

      That said, tell me, who is your CF?

      Moving on….

      Why do you think Lawrie was called up in August instead of April? Why did Jason Nix play so many games at 3B? Calling a player up doesn’t automatically give a player a year of service time. One day on an MLB roster = one day of service time. Arbitration eligibility is based on days of MLB service. An expendable player such as Nix kept the spot warm for Lawrie until there came a point in time where he could be called up and the team would be able to exercise an extra year of control.

      As for Cooper and Loewen facing Price & CC: Do Cooper or Loewen even figure to be in the Jays plans going forward? Is Cooper going to bump Lind? Is Loewen pushing out Bautista? No. Shielding them from 2 of the best pitchers in all of baseball isn’t going to ensure another meaningless September for the Jays next season.

      I am ~trying~ to read between the lines of what Early is saying but all I am getting is a bunch of non-sensical jibber-jabber. Yes it is a rant, and a poorly formed, lazy one at that. He is trying to say that DeWayne Wise’s failure to perform in the clutch is a microcosm of how the team performed this year, and yes, I get that. The problem with this rant is that it actually has nothing to do with the opening statement and provides no empirical evidence to support the claim.

      Your defense of it is indefensible. I’ll pick it apart to make it clear to you.

      “and an offensive that, since the All-Star Break can only be called simply apathetic.”

      The Jays are 8th out of 30 teams in runs scored since the all-star break. Hardly apathetic.

      “Dewayne Wise symbolises the failure of the Jays minor leaguers to be able to step up and fill a spot.”

      Brett Lawrie. Eric Thames. Henderson Alvarez. Luis Rivera. JP Arencibia. That’s 5 minor league players that have stepped up to fill a spot. Is that not enough?

      “there has to be something that AA has done wrong in developing, adding depth or hiring a coaching staff that the 27,000 odd persons watch Dewayne Wise strike-out bunting.”

      I’d love to know what hand the coaching staff had in DeWayne Wise strike-out bunting. Maybe you can read in between the lines for me on this one Daper because I can’t make heads or tails of this point.

      “The scrap heap that we got used to under Ricciardi seems to have resurfaced as the Jays cannot find a young budding every day outfielder.”

      An outfield of Bautista, Rasmus, Thames/Davis is the scrap heap? A lot of MLB teams would love to have that starting 3.

      “So, we get Juan Rivera starting 4 for 45, Rajai Davis swinging at everything, journeymen Corey Patterson and the even worse Dewayne Wise. There has to be something in the system better than this now.”

      Where to start on this one? We get Juan Rivera so that we can offload Vernon Wells’ $20 million/year salary. Rivera gets enough slack to start 4 for 45 to see if he has any value. Turns out he does – a player to be named later. No big deal. Anthopoulos did the same with Corey Patterson and voila! He does have value! Value enough to land Colby Rasmus when combined with other bit pieces. If you’re telling me you’d rather take all of those moves back and have Vernon patrolling CF, you are a fool. Oh – by the way – what does this have to do with DeWayne Wise bunting out in the 10th inning?

      “Maybe it is a Ricciardi hangover but everything from the failure of the starting pitchers, the use and failure of the bullpen, “small-ball,” Arencibia hitting .220.”

      1) What does Ricciardi have to do with anything? No amount of between-the-lines reading is going to enlighten me on that question.

      2) Arencibia is a rookie. What were you expecting? Johnny Bench? Out of all catchers with a minimum 300 PA, Arencibia ranks 11th out of 25 in VORP and I’ll take that from a rook every day of the week.

      “The failure of Hill and Snider and Adam Lind failing to return to 2009 production can all be wrapped up in the Dewayne Wise strikeout bunt in a scoreless extra inning game.”

      ??????????

      Yes, I get that it this is a rant but I like to think that at Mop-Up Duty we bring a little more to the table than a drunken 500 level fan on a Friday night at the Dome with a poor understanding of the team, roster management, and poor articulation of his position. I’m not saying that Early is “that guy,” but I am saying that this is what the “rant” is perceived as, judging from the other comments in the section. I know we can do better than that and I know Early can do better than that. :)

  • Bluejays

    This may be the worst article I have read all year long.. Do you have any clue what your talking about? Dwayne Wise the BlueJays season? Is this a joke?

  • Worst Article. Ever.

    I have to agree with the posters who have asserted that this article does not make any sense.

    The only way that some of the comments make any sense is if “daperman” is a psydonym for “Early”.

    Improvements could begin with the usage of proper english. For example, the following “sentence” doesn’t make any sense: “Even though the Jays are hovering around .500, the number of set backs has reached his height in Dewayne Wise’s at bat in the bottom of the 10th inning on Monday afternoon when he bunts foul on a third strike in a scoreless games.”

  • Early

    Cal, can you make a sliding scale of agree/disagree or something similar to the following statement “I enjoy watching Dwayne Wise strikeout bunt in extra innings of a scoreless game”.
    And
    “I am excited about the Jays future to see Dwayne Wise get starts in CF in place of an injured Rasmus”

    • ian1432

      …and an injured Rajai Davis. Wise was picked up off waivers when TWO players were injured. He hasn’t been sitting on the bench all season, he’s a stop-gap for a few weeks. And he’s a superb defensive player.

      Broaden your perspective man. The Jays made a 3-for-1 trade to get Rasmus. A 2-for-1 trade to get Hill. A 1-for-PTBNL trade in Rivera. That’s giving up 6 players to get 2. OF COURSE THAT WILL DEPLETE YOUR ML ROSTER OVER A SEASON.

      Name me which one of those trades you’d like to undo. Otherwise, clue in and accept the Jays improved their talent this season.