Gildenbeschreibung » ll at Dunedin in 1997 and 1998 as a starter and impres

TORONTO - They thought Marcus Stroman could be really good. The young man, never lacking confidence, thought he could be really good. But there were issues the young pitcher needed to work out. Would Stroman be able to stay on top of his four-seam fastball often enough to prevent it from riding up in the zone, which had been a repeated issue for a pitcher of his diminutive size? Did his stuff, a plus fastball and a nasty curveball/slider combination, translate better to late-game relief or would he be a starter? Since his second recall and insertion into the starting rotation, Stroman hasnt been really good. Hes been great. And he isnt the pitcher they thought he would be. He isnt the pitcher he thought he would be. Whats changed? Stroman has developed a sinking fastball which, for the 23-year-old Long Islander, is a game-changer. "That pitch has allowed me to be so much more efficient," said Stroman. "Whereas everyone used to say he cant go deep into games, go deep into games, hes too whatever, whatever, whatever, its really allowed me to go deep into games because its a pitch that I can rely on to keep on the ground. I get big double plays when I need them with that pitch and I get a lot of early outs. I dont have to be as fine with that pitch when Im throwing it." Exhibit A of the new, efficient, Stroman is his most recent start, a 93-pitch, three-hit shutout of the Chicago Cubs on Monday night. He recorded 15 groundball outs (14 groundballs, one of which was a double play) and other than a first inning comeback line drive which almost beheaded Stroman, nary a ball was hit hard. You get the sense Stroman is surprising even himself. "I would have never gone 93 pitches, nine innings ever the way I used to pitch," said Stroman. "It wasnt realistic. I was a four-seam guy; I was a strikeout guy. I always had pretty good control but I always used to have to worry about really locating my heater." The metamorphosis began in the most innocent of ways. It was around the All-Star Break when Stroman, coming off a trying start against the Angels in Anaheim, was sitting in his apartments living room with a baseball in hand. He was, as he said he often does, messing around with different grips. He came across something that "felt right" in his hand. Stroman decided he would take the grip into his next bullpen session. He liked what he saw. He didnt change his release point. The ball naturally sank. Confident he could execute the pitch in major league game action, Stroman experimented in his first post-All-Star Break start, which featured seven innings of shutout ball in a Blue Jays 4-1 win over Texas on July 19. Stroman knew he had something when he froze Shin-Soo Choo with a full count sinker. "He just took it and walked back because Id never thrown it," said Stroman. "That might have been the first one I threw in that game, the second one I threw in that game and after I threw that pitch and I had that movement on it and I saw his take, thats when it started to take off." Stroman has trouble describing how he grips the pitch. "Its not your conventional two-seam by any means," said Stroman. "Thats what I used to try and throw and I had no success with it. I hold all my pitches pretty weird. I kind of just threw my spin and torque the ball in my hand like I do a lot of my pitches with the two-seam and felt really comfortable." Stroman was a high strikeout, high flyball minor league pitcher. Now, hes working a 55-percent groundball rate. The punch outs still will be there but they wont be as frequent. Stromans struck out 20.7-percent of big league hitters hes faced. He fanned 30.8-percent of hitters at Triple-A Buffalo but that was back when he was a different pitcher. Last year, at Double-A New Hampshire, his strikeout rate was 28.1-percent. Some of the strikeout regression is, no doubt, the result of facing big league hitters. But the new approach factors in, too. Stroman still has the plus four-seam fastball. Hes still got his filthy curveball and slider. The sinker gives him yet another look, another way to get hitters out. He can never have too many options. "Im still throwing all the pitches, it just gives me another pitch to rely on too," said Stroman. "Im always going to throw all my pitches. Im not necessarily going to take pitches out but having a sinker definitely helps, especially since Im a starter and the whole goal of being a starter is to keep your team in the game, late into games." Vontae Davis Jersey . The team announced the defensive coordinator will not be offered a contract extension. Russell Bodine Bills Jersey . It was a loss. But it was also a learning experience. Deron Williams and Joe Johnson had 24 points each to lift Brooklyn to a 94-87 win over the Raptors, making their first playoff appearance since 08. "I thought we played a little bit as expected as it is our first playoff game," Toronto coach Dwane Casey said. http://www.authenticbillsfanaticfootball.com/customized/ . Not to be outdone, Atletico Madrid bettered its title rivals by demolishing 10-man Getafe 7-0 with Diego Costa returning from injury to score with a brilliant bicycle kick. "It was an almost perfect night," Atletico coach Diego Simeone said. Star Lotulelei Jersey .com) - Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer were among the third-round winners Friday at the French Open. Tremaine Edmunds Bills Jersey . Now he can be had by any team willing to pay his salary. According to a report from ESPN, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are shopping the veteran CB and plan on releasing him Wednesday if they cant find a trade partner.The Blue Jays bullpen is going to have a distinctly different look in 2015 after the drop off the group experienced this year. GM Alex Anthopoulos fingered the pen as a significant factor in the club missing the post-season by five games. He said if the relievers had just performed at the Major League average, the Jays likely would have beaten out Oakland for that second Wild Card position. Its almost a guarantee that Casey Janssen wont be back as the closer next season. After all, he is a free agent and the Jays so far have shown no inclination to re-sign him. Casey never was the prototypical closer. He got by more on stealth and pinpoint control than power. But over the past three seasons, he racked up 81 of his 90 career saves, good for fourth all-time on the Jays list. It was only a year ago he had his best season, saving 34 of 36 chances. But closers can be great and lose it just like that as Oakland found out with Jim Johnson this year and Tampa Bay learned with Grant Balfour, two free agent signings that didnt exactly work out. Aaron Sanchez, who was so effective down the stretch in a set-up role with a couple of saves thrown in, could emerge as the closer next spring. However, its a better bet that he winds up in the starting rotation. Before Janssen, the last home grown starter I can remember who morphed into a closer was Billy Koch. They drafted the flame-throwing righthander in the first round of the June draft fourth overall in 1996. He pitched in A ball at Dunedin in 1997 and 1998 as a starter and impressed with his velocity but struggled at times with his control and his composure on the mound. After making five starts at Syracuse in 1999, Koch was called up to the Blue Jays and immediately thrust into the role of closer, largely because of his ability to hit 100 miles per hour on the gun. Koch had a solid three-year run as the Blue Jays bullpen stopper, racking up 100 saves in 117 chances, good for the third spot on the Jays list. After the 2001 season, incoming GM J.P. Ricciardi dealt him to Oakland for 3rd baseman and now Cubs coach Eric Hinske, who would go on to be the American League Rookie of the Year in 2002. The As benefited from that deal as well. Koch racked up 44 saves in 2002 for the playoff-bound As and put up an (11-4) record. Unfortunately, that season proved to be his unddoing.dddddddddddd Koch was burnt out by the playoffs and gave up a decisive home run to the Twins A.J Pierzynski in the deciding game of that series with Minnesota. Koch was never the same and bounced around from the As to the White Sox and then the Marlins before finally being released by the Blue Jays in spring training of 2005 after just four Grapefruit League appearances. He didnt pitch in another Major League game after 2004 at age 30. The point being of course, the Blue Jays want a longer career out of Sanchez, not just the sort of flame-out career that often becomes the lot of a closer. If the Blue Jays are going to look for an experienced veteran closer, there are a couple of interesting names who are going to be on the market shortly as free agents, including Jason Motte of the Cardinals and Sergio Romo of the Giants. Motte, whos 32, has now saved 42 games for the Cardinals when they won the World Series. Then the following year, he underwent Tommy John surgery on his elbow. Motte made $7.5 million this season and the Cards let him walk since they seem to have settled on Trevor Rosenthal as their closer. Romo, whos 31, has dropped off a bit this season, but still has 75 of his career 78 saves in the past three years. He made 5.5 million this season and, like Motte, is a free agent. He also has a wicked slider as an out pitch. If the Jays go the internal route, lefty Brett Cecil might be the best bet. Division Series Picks After lucking out in the Wild Card games and going 2 for 2, I might as well give you my picks for the Division Series. In the American, though Id love to see Kansas City win, Im picking the Angels in four games. In the other series Baltimore in five over Detroit. In the National League, the Dodgers over St. Louis in four and Washington to beat the Giants in four. Id still love to see San Francisco win though, just to see them play the Dodgers in a seven-game series for the first time ever. Jays Streak A strange and unusual Blue Jays streak that I had totally forgotten about: over a stretch of 614 games starting on October 4th of 1980, the Blue Jays did not get a single victory from a lefthanded starting pitcher. Jimmy Key finally ended the streak on May 1st of 1985. This season, southpaws Mark Buehrle and J.A. Happ won 24 between them. Go figure. Cheap Warriors Jerseys Authentic Cavaliers Jerseys Cheap Spurs Store Celtics Jerseys Online Cheap Bulls Jerseys Cheap Nets Jerseys Cheap Thunder Jerseys Cheap 76ers Jerseys Cheap Knicks Jerseys Wholesale Raptors Jerseys Cyber Monday Pistons Jerseys Wholesale Team USA Basketball Jerseys Cheap Celtics Jerseys Cheap Nets Jerseys Cheap Knicks Jerseys Cheap 76ers Jerseys Raptors Jerseys From China Cheap Bulls Jerseys Cavaliers Jerseys From China Wholesale Pistons Jerseys Bucks Jerseys From China Pacers Jerseys Outlet Authentic Hawks Jerseys Cheap Hornets Jerseys Cheap Heat Jerseys Cheap Magic Jerseys Authentic Wizards Jerseys Cheap Nuggets Jerseys Timberwolves Jerseys Outlet Wholesale Thunder Jerseys Cheap Blazers Jerseys Cheap Jazz Jerseys Discount Warriors Jerseys Wholesale Clippers Jerseys Wholesale Lakers Jerseys Cheap Suns Jerseys Cheap Kings Jerseys Discount Mavericks Jerseys Authentic Rockets Jerseys Discount Grizzlies Jerseys Cheap Pelicans Jerseys Spurs Jerseys From China ' ' '