So I did a little looking through the box scores of the last three or
four days to try to figure out why Jeff Baisley hasn’t played since
Saturday night, and things are starting to get a little weird.

First off, Baisley isn’t injured, according to C’s staff. He’s got no
niggling knocks and pains, so he’s been sat for ‘other reasons’. Now,
I’m not sure what those other reasons could be other than:

A) He’s tired.
B) He’s considered not the best option at #4.
C) He’s having disciplinary issues.

B and C seem unlikely, mainly because the replacement for Baisley at
3rd base has been catcher Shawn Callahan, who has done a decent job
there, don’t get me wrong, but is no Jeff Baisley. C is unlikely
because Baisley is one of the quieter guys on the roster - I can’t
imagine he’s been staying at The Roxy until 4am.

So it’s a mystery… but the mystery gets deeper the more you peruse the box scores.

I wondered why Callahan was Bailsey’s replacement at 3rd when there
are a few extra infielders lying around. Wouldn’t Zeke Parraz be a
better option at 3rd?

But then it dawned on me… Zeke Parraz hasn’t played in three days. He
missed the entire Everett series, which is astonishing when you
consider Parraz has been the bottom of the line-up go-to guy many times
this year. In fact, for a while there he was tried at lead-off. So why
is Parraz not playing?

And, for that matter, why is Isaac Omura not playing? He hasn’t been
sighted in a C’s uniform for four days now, at a time when infield help
is desperately needed. What gives?

The Canadians press office doesn’t have any answers for me, it seems.
They’re as baffled by all this as I am, and the C’s trainers aren’t
coming forward with much info beyond the absence of injury.

Did Omura, Parraz and Baisley get themselves in trouble somehow? Or is
Manager Juan Navarrete simply making a point by sitting guys who are in
iffy form, no matter how relied upon they are, and giving a run to his
entire catching staff?

Whatever the reasoning, these decisions could come back to haunt the
C’s, if they haven’t already. This is Go Time, the run-in to the
playoffs, and over the last month we’ve seen our lead shrink from eight
games to just one. If the 2005 Vancouver Canadians
are going to be remembered as they started this season - the best C’s
team ever - they need to start believing in themselves and believing in
their teammates, and that just isn’t going to happen with a
cobbled-together team of people playing in the wrong spots, while in
the midst of slumps.

What this C’s team needs is rookie call-ups, and they need them now.
Two outfielders, one infielder, and maybe a bullpen pitcher would do
the trick, not to mention light a fire under the butts of the players
who have been getting lazy, thinking their spot is secure.

Bottom line: We, the fans, need to know what’s going on. We’re owed at least that much for our ticket money.