Good Bye BJ Ryan

We measure success in hitting when a player hits safely 3 times out of 10, so 70 % of the time, he fails. When a pitcher fails 70 % of the time, he's not helping your team, and Ryan had exceeded the 70 % rule and that made the decision easier to release him, but painful nonetheless.
Whether it cost the Jays runs, innings or games, the costs on the field and the feelings in the bullpen and clubhouse were that BJ's time had run it's course, and he was no longer able to be a useful piece of the Jays pitching staff.
He was for the first 2 years quite a dominant force, and one of the better closers in the game.

Then fate dealt BJ the blow, and a need for surgery, and a year was gone, and then year 4 and he just never got on back to his same control or arm strength, and the results were obvious and hitters sat on his 88 mph or less fastball and he just was not able to make any adjustments.
I always liked the big guy, he was larger than life and when he was going good, he made the rest of the bullpen follow along.



BJ worked as hard as anyone else, rehabbed, spent endless hours in the gym, but it's never a 100% thing, some guys return from Tommy John surgery, and have success, but for every one that makes a triumphant return, the road is littered with pitchers who could not recover. The surgery allowed BJ Ryan to make an attempt, and maybe some day he will climb back on the hill somewhere else. I hope he does return, the game needs his character, and experience, plus like I have been saying, left handed and breathing, who knows.

So long BJ, welcome back Scott Downs, through baseball's revolving door.

Enjoy !