Rios Gaffe Un-Bleeping-Believable

In 15 seasons of covering the Jays I have never seen a bigger, more unforgivable gaffe than Rios pulled off in the eighth inning of tonight's game. Bases-loaded, one out, Rios on third, trailing 3-2, Marco Scutaro lined a ball into the alley in left-centre tracked down by Raul Ibanez. Out No. 2. Tie game, right?

No. Rios inexplicably came down the third base line about 25 feet and had to retreat to the bag after the catch. Ibanez dumped the ball quickly back to the infield and Rios could not score. That is inexcusable.

Even if Nick Leyva the third base coach had a brain cramp and was yelling and waving for him to score that can't happen. From the time baseball players are 10-years-old they are taught to retreat to the third-base bag with less than two out on a ball in the air with any depth. What was Rios thinking? Obviously nothing. Maybe he thought his limo was waiting outside the clubhouse. Dumb, dumb, dumb.

A team that has lost four in a row needs its star players to play like stars and to be ready to respond with the right play at the right time in late innings. Then Rios comes up with the bases loaded and takes a close pitch at 0-2 that just missed for ball one. Then he takes another pitch and this time gets punched out for a K. You know you're not going to get a close call in that situation. Swing the damn bat.

I honestly thought the stupid autograph incident had changed Rios for the better. Obviously I was wrong. If the Jays had tied the game in the eighth, it doesn't mean they would have won it, but that's not the point. Your leaders have to lead. The Jays tied it in the ninth, but that doesn't mean the same situation with Lind coming up with the bases loaded and drawing a walk would have happened. But again, that's not the point. The Rios play happening as it did, when it did, it's unforgivable.

    
 

Comments

[ThirdBase/DH#5]

Rios seems constantly to be out-to-lunch on the diamond. Whether he's taking close pitches with two strikes, or bobbling balls in the outfield, or not tagging when the opportunity arises. This guy doesn't have the instinct to be a star/clutch player. Not yet anyway, and probably never while he's with the Jays.

The Jays should trade him and give him a new start and give us fans someone who can deliver.

I'm sick of watching him come to bat looking pleasant enough, the sort of guy you'd trust buying a corn dog from, but overall just looking clueless. Maybe Rios is a nice guy, but like Christian Bale ranted, "nice don't cut it, when you're bull@#$% and f@#$%ng around like this" on the diamond.

[cwakes]

R-Griff, I would be interested to hear what you would do with Rios if you were JP.

I think this guy is a bum and is hurting the team.

[fletchlives]

wow, what a gaffe by Rios! Although that's why we have 3rd base coaches too? Unless there's video of Leyva yelling his head off to get Rios to tag up, they're both equally guilty aren't they?

Did Cito have anything to say about the mistake after the game?

[Johnny Bravo]

This guy is getting embarrasing. He seems to have all the talent in the world and not give a crap...I continue to be amazed with how well this team has performed while getting nothing out of Wells and constant screwups by Rios. Were the Jays out of bench players and couldn't pinch hit for Downs or what? Otherwise having him hit with a 5 run lead is inexplicable. (I admit I turned the TV off after that pathetic 8th inning)

[Matt]

Leyva's screwup (if real) notwithstanding, Griff is right on the money here. Who cares about the mixup - this has to be one of the most basic plays in baseball. If Rios goes so far as to claim Leyva crossed him up, it's equivalent to saying, "Well, I didn't run to first base after I hit the ball, because no one in the dugout yelled at me to go!"

All the stock excuses of "when it rains it pours" and "you just have to play through a slump" only go so far. If this doesn't prove that the guy just...plain...simply...doesn't care...I don't know what will.

He's being paid millions of dollars to perform. Athletes can't perform 100% of the time. Granted. But at the very least, he's being paid not to screw up this badly. I wish he'd get his head in the game, or get his body out of Toronto.

[Anne]

He's Just. Not. That. Bright. Certainly he's a gifted athlete, but all his problems stem from between his ears. You look at him compared to a guy like Scott Rolen, whose body has aged, and who probably never had the inherent talent Rios does. But Rolen's smarts help him every day of the week - in the field, on the base paths and at the plate.

It looks like Vernon Wells and Rios are pretty close friends. I wonder how, given that Wells actually seems like a bright guy. The only thing I can come up with is that it's more of a mentorship thing, with Wells trying to help Rios make up for the fact that he is terminally stupid.

I hope the club punishes Rios for this one, I really do.

[Adam C]

I'm betting Leyva was more concerned with the runner on second. Why would he even look at what Rios was doing - any ballplayer with half a brain would have been tagging up.

And it's a constant problem with Rios. Even when he's batting well and hitting home runs, he's making stupid mistakes on the basepaths and sometimes even in the outfield. He's got no focus.

[LOCKSTOCK93]

Maybe he's not that smart. I did see the video with him looking towards the base and being directed(yelling and wild gestures) towards home before the ball fell. They were both at fault. I wondered about Leyva's eyesight. He's made mistakes like this a few times in my memory and they do seem to relate often to judging the flight/position of the ball.

[Bill]

You're also taught at a young age to listen to the base coach. Rios is hardly the only one at fault. Only you would find a way to trash Rios on a night where he reaches base four times. As for being an "unforgivable mistake", I've already forgiven him, maybe you could step off your pedestal and do the same.

[Josh]

Leyva thought the ball was in the gap and was waving his arms for Inglett (on 2nd) to get moving, not for Rios to go home. Any little leaguer worth his salt knows to tag up from 3rd with less than two out, even if it looks like a sure base hit.

[R-Griff]

I coach a team of elite 16 year olds and even if I'm yelling at one of them to score on a play like that, even if I had that much of a brain cramp at the time, I would expect any of them to defy my illogical rant and tag up on their own on a deep ball in the alley. Leyva cannot be blamed. Besides, he's getting old too. As much as Rios is frustrating, he is also a major talent. Maybe when Travis Snider is ready to become a major-league star, I would consider moving Rios in a true baseball deal, talent for talent, but I would never give him away out of frustration. This guy has the potential to be a 30-30-30 guy (HR-SB-Baseball-IQ)

[Ace Bailey]

Dude should've tagged but (and we'll never know) I think he got all flustered with Leyva gesticulating wildly. Levya shouldve nailed his foot to the bag because Rios is prone to bonehead moves.

[focusing on the positive]

Richard the most negative view of all Toronto Sports writers, I can't stand to read your blog. If Rios did not make the biggest running mistake of the Blue Jays season. The Jays would have not cashed in any runs last night, because of his fatal error. We actually got to see the Blus jays break the game wide open in the 10th. Some focus on the positve would help.

[Eric]

If I were JP, I'd hop in my time machine, go back to last season and trade Rios for Matt Cain.

[markeymark]

Inexcusable...unforgiving....I was angry and stunned at what I saw. I could forgive him if there were two outs and he ran without tagging(honest mistake) but one out...tie game....little leaguer's learn that when they are 5 years old.

[Wayne Death]

Granted it was very dumb and should not have happened.. but it did. I could tell the guy felt like crap though and it no doubt impacted on his next at bat. Maybe it will be a wake up call for him. Rios is basically a talented player.

[shender]

I'm glad you've mentioned Rios' 9th inning at bat. I was appalled by it. Body language speaks volumes, and as the Jays were mounting a solid comeback, everyone else entering the batter's box looked aggressive and into it. Rios seemed so matter of fact and uninterested- 9th inning, bases loaded, one run ball game, isn't this the kind of situation these guys are supposed to thrive on? When people were ganging up on Rios early in the season (the way they seem to be turning on Wells now) I thought 'give the guy a chance, he can still turn it around'. Now, I don't see it happening.

[2nd Guess]

It's one thing after another with Rios. Walking off second base after the ump called him safe, firing off obscenities at autogragh seekers (although we could stand to see more of that intensity), an ill-advised -- and unsuccessful -- attempted steal of third, and now failing to tag up on a bomb into the alley. That constant deer-in-the-headlights look of his may reveal a lot more than just outward appearance.

[Christopher]

Mental errors, mental errors & more mental errors, they have become so common with Rios. What's happened with this guy? Not tagging up in that situation is a brutal error.

[mrcanada]

to markeymark:
"I could forgive him if there were two outs and he ran without tagging(honest mistake)"

From the above quote, you obviously no very little about baseball. You can't tag-up with two outs on a fly ball...with two outs you run on contact in case it's dropped...if it's caught then the inning is over!

[Neil]

Griffin is bang on here. This is so rudimentary a play that after watching it [and despite Levya's brain cramp contribution], I actually believe we need to consider the idea that Rios is actively trying to not win - YES, yes, I know the accusation is horrible but I have NEVER seen such a pathetic base running mistake by a high schooler, never mind a professional. This event combined with previous base-running gaffes and his unworldly ability to strike out in key situations, including a 5 SO performance recently lead me to suspect that Rios could be motivated by other goals than winning. It feels almost unreal to even suggest this but perhaps Rios is betting on the games or taking money for throwing his performance.

[terkir]

Rios is always asleepon the bases.

[Andy]

Focusing on the positive!?

Are you serious? Honestly, are you serious? We are a .500 ball club because our 'best' players are idiots. Wells can't hit, and Rios falls asleep while playing baseball.

Remember when he beat the throw to second on a double play and came off the bag, assuming he was out. He had a few of the same running gaffes last year too.

But yeah, focus on the postive...all the way to another 3rd place finish.

[Andy]

He just did it again! Seriously, what is wrong with this guy?

[Kevin]

maybe rios is playing the manny card and trying to gaffe his way out of town. ironically, when there was talk of rios for lincecum before last year i was aghast at that possibility. now...