Griffin: Jays notes Game 1

The Jays began the Grapefruit League season with an impressive 7-1 victory over the Pirates at Dunedin Stadium. The hitting hero was third baseman Brett Lawrie with two doubles and four runs-batted in. Left fielder Eric Thames homered in the fifth inning. The pitching was solid, as nine Jays hurlers combined to three-hit the Bucs, led by Brett Cecil, Kyle Drabek, Scott Richmond, Luis Perez and Joel Carreno. 

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Jays' batting coach Dwayne Murphy has been absent from the team for the past 10 days, given permission by the club to fly home to take care of a family issue. It was believed to be a death in the family. Manager John Farrell indicated that Murphy will re-join the team on Monday. In his absence, Triple-A coach Chad Mottola has been running the hitting program. Mottola travelled with the Jays in the month of September, last year, so Farrell is confident the hitters have been receiving the same message.

Several teams have already gone to two hitting coaches during the regular season to take care of all the extra batting practice at home and on the road on a daily basis. Farrell admitted that the Jays have talked about twin coaches as an option, but have not acted on it. Among those major-league teams that have worked with an associate batting coach are the Rangers and Cards, last season's two World Series participants.

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The Jays on Saturday announced a couple of pitching changes that had significant impact in the immediate future of some of the kids. The first move was with Monday's announced starter. Rookie Drew Hutchison would have been pitching at Joker Marchant Stadium in his home town of Lakeland. Instead, his first assignment has been moved back to Wednesday in Bradenton vs. the Pirates. Hutchison will pitch in relief of Kyle Drabek in a split squad game vs. the Pirates because Farrell wants to piggyback the two young hurlers that will be competing against one another in the overall eight or none man organizational rotation at camp. The second decision was to shift Henderson Alvarez from his Sunday assignment to Monday in Lakeland aganst the Tigers. That gives him an extra day, but that will be compensated for when he starts on his fourth day the next time through.  

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Former manager Cito Gaston made his first appearance at Jays' camp this spring. He was seen visiting with his former coach and good friend, Nick Leyva, currently third-base coach for Saturday's visitors, the Pirates. Gaston is still a member of the Jays' front office.

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A touching moment came after the Jays' 7-1 win when Jays' manager John Farrell crossed the field to speak with Pirates' prospect Jeremy Farrell, who had made the trip to Dunedin and played third base the last four innings.

"It's always nice to see your son in uniform on the other side of the field," Farrell said, simply. "He's on his own career path and has overcome a lot."

Farrell, the younger, pinch hit in the fifth inning and walked with a runner on third base, then struck out later in the game against Luis Perez. Jeremy's brother Luke, 21, a sophomore at Northwestern, is the son that underwent radiation treatment this past winter in Boston. John and Sue Farrell have three sons.