Restless at Rogers Centre

“If this all-out experiment flops, I see an end to this franchise coming.”

I think it’s pretty clear the natives are restless in Blue Jay land. Pissed off might be a better word and if the post above is any indication, they’re in a state of panic as well.

But we’re only though one-eighteenth of a long season and the poster’s handle is Fullofit, so maybe it’s a little early to write this team off. But damn! The bloom came off this rose in a hurry, didn’t it?

Of the Jay’s four major off season acquisitions, only Jose Reyes, with a .400-plus batting average, is playing up to expectations. The three prize pitchers picked up this summer with so much fanfare – R.A. Dickey, Mark Buehrle and Josh Johnson – have been awful.

The collective starting staff of the Jays has pitched just 42 2/3 innings and have put up an embarrassing 7.59 ERA, by far the worst in the American League. The team is dead last in the majors hitting with runners in scoring position and they’re striking out at an alarming rate. Defence – especially in the middle of the infield – has been godawful and the bullpen has been almost as bad as the starting pitching.

More worrisome has been the breakdown in fundamentals. Routine balls are misplayed, cutoff men are missed, fly balls are dropped. And don’t get me started on the base running gaffes.

(Deep breath)

There’s loads of time to right the ship, of course. We’re just nine games in.

Joey Bats is back and Brett Lawrie will be soon. The hitting will come around – it’s too good of a lineup for it not to – and I have to believe the bullpen will start registering some key outs in short order or Alex Anthopoulos will be looking at finding some pitchers who can.

As for the errors – both literal and mental – it’s a safe bet manager John Gibbons is working on improving that side of the game. He’d better, because a problem with fundamentals has to reflect on him more than a bit.

That leaves the starting pitching as an area of concern. There’s an adjustment for National League pitchers adapting to the A.L. way of things, so I have faith Johnson and Buehrle will get their groove back. As for Dickey, we can do little more than hold our breath that he will regain mastery of his mysterious (even to him) knuckleball.

Dickey, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, took the city by storm when he arrived in Toronto. Not every ballplayer climbs Kilimanjaro, reads C.S. Lewis novels and raises money and awareness for global charities and Torontonians fell in love with him very quickly.

But his earned run average is 8.44, his last outing was a short one and he was booed as he left the field. So if Dickey wants to feel that love return, he’s going to have to start winning some games, beginning with his next start tomorrow night.

I have faith, but I’m not sure everyone does. I was at Chapters the other day and I saw Dickey’s autobiography, Wherever I Wind Up: My Quest for Truth, Authenticity and the Perfect Knuckleball, prominently displayed near the front of the store.

With a 20 per cent off sticker.

I asked the clerk if that was a promotion, or was the book on sale because in his first two starts as a Jay he has sucked. She said “the first thing” but I’m not sure I believe her.