raptorsfan29
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« on: February 20, 2006, 09:08:18 pm » |
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another article that you can read to pass the time, enjoy
The early book on new season: Great expectations
Healthy Lilly just one among many predicting that this year will be different
LARRY MILLSON
BASEBALL REPORTER
DUNEDIN, FLA. -- The Toronto Blue Jays no longer talk about trying to fly under the radar. A busy off-season has put them on everybody's radar as potential contenders in the American League East.
There is a feeling of anticipation at the Blue Jays' camp, which began this weekend at the Bobby Mattick Training Center with pitchers and catchers taking part in their first official workouts. Most of the position players, who are not required to be here for a few more days, have also been working out.
Eric Hinske, for instance, is moving from first base to right field and has been working at that. At first, Hinske was to play left field but it was decided to keep Frank Catalanotto in left, where he has played most in recent seasons.
But generally, Blue Jays manager John Gibbons believes the players feel a sense of anticipation after off-season moves that added the likes of Troy Glaus, Bengie Molina, Lyle Overbay, A. J. Burnett and B. J. Ryan.
"I think they're all excited about it, knowing we've got a pretty good ball club," Gibbons said yesterday. "Everybody recognizes that. There's more focus on us."
Gibbons said he isn't going to change his approach, although he admits there is a difference when a team is expected to do well.
"It's easy to play when you're not expected to win," Gibbons said.
Former Blue Jays pitcher Pat Hentgen, a guest
coach at the camp, talked about the "inner confidence" possessed by the teams he was on in 1992 and 1993, which won the World Series. The only other team he has been on that had the same feeling, he said, was the St. Louis Cardinals, who were a playoff team in 2000 when he pitched for them.
It's a little early to know whether this year's Blue Jays will develop that inner confidence. There is also the reality that the Blue Jays play in the AL East with the strong New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, teams they must challenge. But this is spring training and optimism is allowed.
"I think that there's expectations that this team goes out there and wins," said Blue Jays left-hander Ted Lilly, who has played with the Yankees and Oakland Athletics in years when they made postseason. "We're probably going to be talking about all the expectations and what-not for a while during spring training these next couple of weeks and probably throughout spring training, but when the season starts . . . it comes down to performance."
Lilly came to spring training in good physical form for the first time as a Blue Jay. In his two previous spring trainings with the team, he has been slowed by off-season injuries. Two years ago he had a sore wrist from moving a television set and last year he had a shoulder strain from working with weights.
He also notices the change in the team to one that expects to contend from one that hoped to do so.
"There's a big difference," he said. "In the past two years that I've been on this team, I think there's been more hope. On this club here, there's a feeling of expectations and we need to go out there and perform like we're capable of performing. We, like the Yankees and Boston, believe that we can win this division. It's going to be fun."
The shoulder and then biceps tendinitis developed in midseason limited Lilly to 25 starts last season. He was 10-11 with a 5.56 earned-run average when he was expected to be a solid No. 2 starter behind Roy Halladay, who had his season ended in July by a broken leg. Lilly can become a free agent after this season.
"One thing I did a little bit differently, because I threw such a limited amount of innings [126 1/3 last season]. I started throwing a little bit sooner [in the off-season] trying to get myself a little bit ahead from a throwing standpoint and being prepared to come into camp and be ready to go," Lilly said. "I don't want to have to play catch-up in spring training again. I definitely was more conscious of making sure I didn't take any chances of doing something that would set me back. I think the last two springs were kind of fluke-ish and kind of a weird thing and bad timing. . . . I didn't lift weights a whole lot, I was a lot more careful with that."
He said he did more throwing and "baseball-specific work." He isn't blaming his limited spring training last year for his problems.
"I don't know if that was the case or not or it was just a year where I [went] out there and didn't make successful adjustments," he said. "I would think that's more the case than trying to use spring training entirely as an excuse or a reason or whatever someone might want to call it.
"No question it was a trying year, mentally it was the toughest year of my career. I've always felt like I could find a way to pitch my way out of a hole and last year I don't really feel like I ever did that and never got on any kind of a roll."
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