TORONTO - Bobby Mattick, the architect of the Blue Jays, used to ask young coaches the secret of being a good hitter.
“Timing,” he would answer and, quickly moving on, would ask: “And what is the secret to success as a pitcher?”
Usually the 30-something would shrug or start to answer and Mattick would yell: “Messing up hitters’ timing.”
The Jays hitters are not messed up. Yet they are also not where they were two months into last season.
After 55 games a year ago, the Jays had scored 283 runs — 33 more than the Texas Rangers.