Gibbons on lineup decisions: ‘I’ll take the heat’
People outside the Blue Jay ballclub have been obsessing over what they see as the Jays’ cavalier attitude toward finishing with the best record overall in the American League.
They point to manager John Gibbons’ usage of a spring training-type lineup in the second game of the doubleheader in Baltimore after they had clinched the AL East title in the first game. Those same people were outraged that the Jays’ lineup for a 12 o’clock start the next day in questionable weather was exactly the same as the night before.
In both cases, Gibbons was protecting his starters after they had completed their mission of winning the AL East title. The risk-reward for finishing first overall took a back seat to the needed rest for a team that had been pushing hard for the last six weeks.
Because of the rainout on Tuesday in Baltimore, both Marcus Stroman and R.A. Dickey had to pitch Wednesday, leaving a hole in the rotation for Sunday’s game.
“That doesn’t surprise me,” said
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