Part of the solution . . . or the problem?
The Blue Jays’ season comes to an end Wednesday and right away the thinking around the team turns to next year.
Yes, most everyone will want to forget this injury-plagued, losing campaign right away.
But the current roster, the one that bears the disappointment, is expected to undergo significant change.
Trades and free-agent signings are expected to add much-needed veteran presence to the lineup and lessen the need to rush prospects to the big league level. The Jays should field a vastly more experienced lineup in 2013 as the organization shifts into serious contender mode.
Blue Jays pitcher Ricky Romero didn’t want to come out of Saturday’s game against the Yankees when he injured his left leg, but he realized his exit was part of the “big picture” for himself and the Jays.
That picture — learning from a season that went drastically wrong — is something the team is trying to instill in its players for 2013.
“It’s just inflamed, a tendon flared up and it was more precaution for me coming out,” said Romero, who exited in the third inning and went for testing that revealed inflammation in the tendon at the attachment above his left knee.
“It’s not worth keeping (in the game). And it’s the last games of the season so you don’t want to get hurt going into the off-season. I begged John (manager Farrell) to stay in but in the end we made the right decision.” Romero acknowledged taking
“It’s unfortunate what happened this year. . . . We did the best we could, but it didn’t happen for us.”
RICKY ROMERO
several lessons from his personally disappointing season. Mostly, he realizes he must curtail his enthusiasm for preparation and his ten- dency to be too hard on himself when things go wrong. “As you grow older, you start listening to your body,” said the 27year-old lefty, who dropped to 9-14 this season after going 15-11 with a 2.92 ERA a year ago. “I’m a guy who likes to run a lot. I like to run on pavement and the trainers say that can take a toll. You have to look at everything now.” Romero, like every other Jay, tried to finish the season on a positive note. But the off-season will be a time for serious reflection for the entire organization, which is on the verge of a 90-loss season. “It’s unfortunate what happened this year,” Romero said. “We had a lot of young guys step in and we all did the best we could, but it didn’t happen for us. And the year I had personally didn’t help much either. “For me, it’s relax, go home and enjoy my family, then get back to training.” Romero also said he’d heed the advice of teammates and try not to be so self-critical. “I talked to Omar (Vizquel) . . . and he said take the wins as they come. I remember Brandon (Morrow) saying the same thing too, just take the wins, no matter how they come. And they were right,” said Romero. “I was 8-1 at one time and I was being hard on myself, I was thinking I wasn’t pitching good enough. The wins were coming, and then (the season went bad). . . . I’m sitting here hoping for a win. “Yes, I was kind of hard on myself and I think all players go through that and they learn from those things.”