Ichiro goes deep in Blue Jay double-digit disaster with Escobar’s return on deck,
Shortstop’s future in doubt; Hechavarria likely to play more
NEW YORK— The Blue Jays intend to meet with Yunel Escobar Friday in Tampa, prior to his return to the lineup from a three-game suspension for writing a homophobic slur on his eyeblack.
“I will sit down with him — and I can tell you it’s not the first time I’ve sat down with him on baseball issues — and we will discuss (his return),” Jays manager John Farrell said Thursday before the Jays’ 10-7 loss to the Yankees, who completed a three-game sweep.
Farrell said the plan “for now” is to start Escobar at shortstop Friday, but the manager hinted at more playing time for rookie Adeiny Hechavarria, which may be the precursor to a changing of the guard at the position.
Farrell said Escobar, suspended by the Jays and Major League Baseball on Tuesday, has been working out in Florida during the sentence.
“I think he knows he screwed up, to put it lightly,” Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos said.
“He’s not the first player to go through this. Baseball has had two or three instances of this type of behaviour recently and that is part of the territory. Things are being set up with groups and Yunel will participate with You Can Play and other groups, but that doesn’t change what he has to go through here.”
Escobar will play the last seven games of the season at home.
“You’d have to have your head in the sand if you think it won’t be a story on the first day back in Toronto,” the GM said, adding the league is looking at banning the writing of messages on eyeblack stickers.
Escobar may have only seven more days in Toronto. Players normally head home immediately after the season, and that could limit Escobar’s participation in educational initiatives, including a meeting with Patrick Burke of You Can Play. “It’s not going to be seven days and it ends there,” Anthopoulos said. “The league, our organization, are looking at what more we can do. My eyes have been opened in terms of players and what we can do. We’ve never done training like this before and there’s still a lot to do going forward.” Anthopoulos didn’t downplay the potential for more heated reaction to Escobar in Toronto when the Jays return next week. Former Jays catcher Gregg Zaun, an analyst on Rogers Sportsnet’s Blue Jays coverage, blasted Anthopoulos and Farrell in an interview on The FAN 590 radio Thursday, calling the GM a “sabermetric bean counter” who never played the game, and saying there are “no consequences” for Jays stepping out of line. “That’s someone’s opinion and I’m not going to get into a war of words in the media,” said Anthopoulos. “Lots of managers and GMs are in this game and weren’t players . . . and I’m pretty comfortable from where I’m standing.” The Jays’ trip to New York, which was sidetracked by the Escobar controversy, fell completely off the rails with a battering by the Yankees Thursday. The loss was compounded by more poor baserunning, meek at-bats and problematic outfield defence that has the franchise facing a possible 90-loss season and open to criticism. Ichiro Suzuki, who went 7-for-8 in a doubleheader Wednesday, slammed a solo homer and a tworun double Thursday to lead the Yankees barrage. Nick Swisher cranked out a grand slam in a seven-run fourth inning that laid waste to pitchers Aaron Laffey and Brad Lincoln. For the Jays, Moises Sierra was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in a run, and added a two-run homer in the fifth. Kelly Johnson had a solo homer in the eighth.