Gaston: Top four in batting order set

Manager Cito Gaston on the first day of pitchers and catchers has changed his mind about moving his two most productive hitters Aaron Hill and Adam Lind to third and fourth in the batting order. Instead, he will leave them batting 2-3 and try to open the season with Vernon Wells in the cleanup spot. In addition, the frontrunner to be the leadoff man is right fielder Jose Bautista who hit there when Marco Scutaro was injured near the end of the 2009 season.

As far as Gaston is concerned, it's all about comfort.

"I've preached it a lot and I've lived by it too, I like to keep people comfortable," Gaston said on Monday. "I played this game and if you're not comfortable where you are, sometimes you don't perform.

"Even though I said I would try it in spring training, then I'm messing with their minds. Hill would do it in a second, but he's just going to put more pressure on himself. I want him to be himself. When Lind gets here I'll make sure I talk to him."

Lind has been here for a couple of weeks already.

Comments

[Dave]

It kind of sounds like Rich is trying to make Cito look bad - by ending with comments like 'Lind has been here for two weeks already.' I doubt that is what he meant - obviously he knows his star pupil is there.

Other comments like mixing up Janssen and Accardo on fan night are smug. Those two have yet to prove their worth here in 2010 wether or not they are miss-handled by management (referring to Accardo on that one).

I thought when John Gibbons was let go and Cito was named successor, Richard Griffin was the biggest supporter.

Please stop being so pompous and just let us know what is really happening down in Florida.

I look forward to hearing about how Kyle Drabek and Brent Wallace are doing, and not if Cito slips up in a meaningless exchange of words on his way too or from the jon. He’s has a ton on his plate so I’d let that one slide.

On a side note, gripes about great Blue Jay players like Steib, Ward, etc, are unnecessary - just because they didn't grant you the appreciation that you were looking for.

Looking forward to a response,

Dave

P.S. I'm not all negative. I enjoyed your Hentgen article talking about the difference between him and Clemans. I agree, Hentgen is all class.

[bohonos]

Here's something I've heard my daughter say on occasion and I find myself using it now.

Not happy.

I think it's quite clear Vernon Wells has been really consistent in NOT performing the past couple of years and that's poker folks.

Cito Gaston's quote from above "I played this game and if you're not comfortable where you are, sometimes you don't perform."

It's clear Vernon's not performing at a high level ... maybe he's not comfortable batting clean up? I think Cito should pay close attention to his own pearl of wisdom and let Vernon flourish/flounder down in the lineup.

If he does happen to have a spectacular spring then it might make sense to move him back into the cleanup spot at that point but then again by doing that you might upset his comfort level and we know what sometimes happens in that case.

[AJ]

I like Vernon Wells, but the amount of times last season that he left men stranded on base during crucial moments was unacceptable for a cleanup hitter... it was very frustrating!

[Chris Jones]

I am tired of people saying that Wells has had two poor seasons in a row. He actually had a pretty good offensive season in 2008.

[MATT PELLAR]

Everyone knows that Wells should not be hitting in the top 4 of the line until he cleans up his act. Everyone Everyone Everyone. So why are we watching the season go down the toilet before its already started. If this is an example of the kinds of decisions we'll see all season, we are screwed.

[EWA]

Am I the only person who thinks Vernon might actually have a comeback year? I might be. I don't think his solid seasons from the past were flukes. I think a combination of injuries and Wells putting too much pressure on himself combined to wreak havoc on his statline. In 2010, with the Jays expected to finish at or near the bottom of the AL East, VW should be relaxed enough to perform well.

[Charles]

if a guy cannot perform under pressure, then he cannot help a team win championships, and he does not deserve a big, huge, fat contract.

[Hazel and Fred Densham]

I would like to give Cito Gaston a vote of Thanks for the wonderful job he has made intaking the'Jays ' to the heights they have achieved.

He has done a wonderful job and I am sorry that I will not be able to attend his celebration at the Rogers Center.

Many thank for hours of entertainment and sometimes frustration.

Fred and Hazel Densham