In this "Happy, happy, joy, joy" week...

Okay, so maybe the last week of the season as a Jays' fan isn't exactly as the subject line suggests...because, well, they're not in the playoffs. But I think we're finally getting a look at the very bright future the Jays have to look forward to. Yes, a lot of everyday guys are gone right now...which makes the fact they played the way they have in the last week even better.

Granted, this past weekend in NY (except for Monday) was almost an abomination. Read here for more on this topic, by the wonderful Scott Carson. I agree whole-heartedly, and for more reasons than Scotty mentions in his column.

Two "Rock On"s to distribute today:

• Jesse Litsch for making a great spot start on Monday; and,
• Aaron Hill for tying Roberto Alomar's 17 homerun mark for a Jays' second baseman.

I should mention here that math and I are not friends. In my last post, I said there were 7 surgeries this year, but listed 9 names who've gone under the knife. Yeah...I can't count. But it doesn't matter because the surgery total has gone up again. It's now at 11 surgeries during the season, and 12 during the 2007 calendar year for the Jays.

To review, the following Jays have had or will have surgery by the end of the 2007 regular season: Johnson, Ryan, Zaun, Overbay, Halladay, Glaus, Chacin, Wells, Overbay again, Marcum, Fasano. You can add Johnny Mac to that list to make it an even dozen before 2007 is through, as he'll be having surgery to repair a sports hernia.

As my sadness settles in because there's only 5 games left (2 of which I'm attending against the Rays), I start to think back to something I wrote about in July which makes me very excited for next season. This last little while, even though it's been mainly pride on the line, I think everything has been coming together enough for the Jays that we're really starting to get a look at the what this team will be able to do. I realise they've been playing with quite a few rookies and 2nd stringers, but look what they're done. They swept Boston, held their own in an incredibly long weekend in the Bronx, and convincingly beat the Os last night. I see good things on the horizon of next season for the Jays.

Also, consider this: even with all the injuries and man games lost, the Jays record for this season won't be that much worse than last year. And in case you forgot, they managed to beat Boston for 2nd place in the AL East last year. The first time they've been higher than 3rd since 1993. Maybe it was a fluke, maybe it wasn't. Heck, they had only won 3 more games by this date last year than they have this year.

All in all, it was a great season. And of course, I would say that about any season...'cause I got to see my Jays play. Win or lose, I'm not going anywhere. But I'm getting a funny/happy feeling that things will be even brighter next year. I can't wait!

Hey, just for kicks...head on over to the Jays site and vote for your fave Jays moment from this year. I had a hard time picking 'cause they're all pretty fricken great.
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Doc makes his last start of the year in Baltimore tonight against Victor Zambrano. I'm quite sad Doc's start isn't in Toronto, but that' s just how the cookie crumbles. Look for Frank Thomas to continue his quest for 100 RBIs (he's only 6 away). Hopefully the Jays can wrap up the series win tonight.

I was just thinking, maybe I shouldn't have said anything about crumbling where the Jays are concerned.
JaysGirl5

Over the past Fortnight...

I went to 3 games. I saw my Jays beat the Yanks in the bottom of the 9th to avoid a sweep, look lackluster in the opener against Baltimore, then watched them sweep Boston out of town on their way to NY for a 4 game set. All in all, not a bad 3 games.

More injury stuff, and the surgeries just keep climbing. At last count, I believe it's at about 7 surgeries on the year...Johnson, Ryan, Zaun, Overbay, Halladay, Glaus, Overbay again, Wells, Chacin. Plus, not to mention Scott Downs might have a case out gout? Gout, seriously? I remmeber a clip of VDub from JaysConnected talking about how it's just a comedy hour with everyone dropping like flies. I think at this point, you can't do anything but shake your head and chuckle about all the injuries.

"Rock On" to...

• Matt Stairs for becoming #2 on the Most-Games-Played-by-a Canadian list;
• Roy Halladay for being all-around awesome (more on this in a sec);
• Russ Adams for making it back to the big leagues and showing everyone you can still play here. I'm sure your hubby Aaron is proud; and,
• John McDonald for being Mactastic, re-signing so us Jays fans get to witness your Mactasticness for another year, and even though you won't qualify for the fielding% title, you'll always be the most exciting shortstop I've seen play in a Jays uni.

Speaking of unis...this is a pretty cool idea. I would be all for it.

As for Roy Halladay, this just warms my heart and is just another showing of why I adore and respect him so much. He really is one of the only Jays I could never see playing for another team.

The only thing really left up in the air for me at this point is when Matt Stairs will sign with the Jays again. I'm about...85% sure he will, but we'll see how things pan out. You never know in baseball, you can never really know.

Three and 1/2 more things I enjoyed this week, and one of them is not baseball relately:

1. Scott Carson's latest column, down near the end all about Russ Adams and Jordan Bastian's Russ write-up.
2. Scott Carson's take on a tradition, and
3. Mike Toth's take on "Football and Faith".

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Doc's on the mound to start the 4 game set with the Yanks against Chien-Ming Wang. Here's hoping Doc can get complete game #8. Too bad he didn't win even 1 or 2 more games so far this season, 'cause my money would have been on him for the Cy Young. I still wouldn't be surprised if he's in the top 5 voting for it. Hopefully the Jays will continue to play spoiler, and take at least 2 of 4, if not 3, from the Yanks. As much as I'd like to see the Jays atop the AL East, if I have to pick NY or Beantown...I'll wear red all the way.

Enjoy the game, and the series.
Try not go get too down that the regular season is almost over. I know I'm not.
So far, so good on that venture.
JaysGirl5

I think I suck at resolutions...

Because I'm doing a great job keeping up with posting...

Truth be told, things got a little hectic in the last weeks leading to September, but now they've somewhat calmed down.

Again, though, it seems I'm feeling there isn't much to be said about the Jays that isn't already being discussed. There are 1 or 2 things, and I'll elude to those later.

"Rock On"s go to...

• Gregg Zaun for playing in career game 1000;
• Mike Timlin for becoming only the 13th pitcher in MLB history to appear in over 1000 games. (I think those stat numbers are right. He's been around long enough.);
• Clay Buckholz for becoming the first RSox rookie to throw a no-hitter; and
• Pedro Martinez for getting career strikeout #3000 in his return to the Mets last week.

I must say, I don't dislike Pedro as much as I used to. Probably has something to do with the fact that he's with the Mets, and not the RSox anymore.

I will admit what Roger Clemens has done over his career is incredible. I have very certain feelings about him being a baseball mercenary, but those aren't the point here. A few days ago, I heard that Clemens might now make his next start because of pain in his elbow...and blisters on his right foot. Maybe the media outlet was trying to make a subtle joke of Clemens. I can understand not pitching with elbow pain or with blisters on your pitching hand. But blisters on your foot? There are ways to treat those and make them pain free, you know. But, he's only making around $18 million for four months of work. What's a little time off for blister healing...

By no means do I think the Jays are dead in the playoffs. They're still hungry. Even though they lost last night, I think coming back from a 10-1 deficit, instead of throwing in the towel, shows they want to compete. Zaun's unassisted put out in the 5th at home showed that they're not ready to fall asleep for the rest of the season. It's nice to see the offense finally waking up.

For everyone who thought the Jays should just write off their season, I'd just like to point out that as off September 1, the Jays had the exact same record they did last year at that time (69-66). I don't think I need to remind people that the Jays ended up 2nd in their division at the end of the season last year, and finished with a final record of 87-75. Considering all the injuries this season and all the man games lost, I think if the Jays can get close to that record...I'd be incredibly proud. Their schedule won't be the easiest, as the rest of September could be called the East Showdown month. Six games against the RSox, 7 against the Yanks, 6 against the Os, and 6 against the Rays. There is one game against Detroit on the 10th to make up for a previously postposed game. But still...a total of 14 games against teams ahead of them in the schedule...

Which, leaves me to a very special "Rock On" before I head out...

To whoever the hell made the schedule for this season,

Either you've been syphoning off Seeer skills from the Trelawney's or you just got lucky, but you've done an incredibly job with the schedule and playoff showdowns. Rock On, annonymous scheduler, Rock On.
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Contrary to last night's game, tonight's match-up between Josh Beckett and Roy Halladay should be lacking a little more in the hits department. Hopefully Doc can get his 15th win, after pitching 2 complete games, and not getting a thing.


I think that's it for today.
Enjoy the game tonight.
JaysGirl5

And before I forget again...

3 "Rock On"s to give out...

1. VDub for surpassing Joe Carter as 5th all-time on the Jays hits list, with 1058 career hits as a Jay;
2. Roy Halladay for becoming the 5th Jays pitcher to reach 1500 innings while playing for the Blue Birds; and,
3. Russ Moore Adams for making it back to the bigs. After the debacles last year, I think your performance in the minors showed you can be a good utility guy. Sorry I missed your debut at 3rd on Sat. However, I'm sure hubby Aaron is glad you guys don't have to do the long distance thing anymore.

JaysGirl5

So, it's kinda like that New Year's Resolution...

You know the one...you promise yourself you're gonna do it, and you never really do?

Well, that's me with updating more frequently. Honestly, I've just been enjoying watching the guys to much, playing with my baseball team and a little busy to update.

That stops now. There's only a month and a 1/2 left of the season. I'm starting to freak a little. That's right...I'm starting to freak. Once baseball season is done (whenever the Jays' season ends and then the World Series) I have to live through hockey season. At least I'm trying to plan to go to Spring Training again. I'm already working on my mom to go...wish me luck.

But now, back to my Boys of Summer.

I don't think a somewhat long homestand could have come at a better time. Sure, they've only gone 4-2 (should be 5-1, stupid errors on Sat.), but it's still good. They're still above .500 and not completely out of it in the Wild Card.

As much as this season might be a disapointment to some, there are some really awesome things that I will forever cherish. I'll touch on them more as the season wears down (tear!), but I will say...Shaun Marcum, Casey Janssen, Jeremy Accardo, and John McDonald especially have been incredible surprises. It's to the point that you don't want to expect them to perform that way all the time, but you can't help it. They've all now set a new norm to be expected. Here's hoping the Jays do sign Mactastic Johnny back.

Props for Johnny for admitting he's a baseball dork. You know VDub only said it out of love. But Johnny...aren't we all? Aren't we all...

Last point before I go...how awesome was it that Frank Thomas (for all intensive-purposes) had a sac bunt yesterday? Yeah...pretty frickin' awesome.
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The Jays start the last series of their homestand against the Athletics tonight. Having gone 2-1 in Oakland last month, I'm expecting the Jays do to at least that, if not sweep, this time around. Shaun Marcum takes to the mound against Joe Blanton. Look for Marcum to try his best Doc impersonation again, after admitting he tried to emmulate Doc in his last start. He's a smart man, that Shaun Marcum.

Enjoy the game, and try to stay dry.
JaysGirl5

P.S. Check out Jamie Campbell's blog about our home/favourite place. You never know who might stop by and leave a comment.

"Johnny Mac you are AMAZING!"

Looks like everyone's hoppin' on the Mactastic train...

And they just keep coming.


Not that I'm minding the company.
JaysGirl5

Félicitation!

This past week was a great one for professional baseball accomplishments, and I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations, as well as "Rock On", to the following:

1. Tom Glavine, for career win #300;
2. Barry Bonds, for homeruns 756 and 757 and becoming the new homerun king;
3. Alex Rodriguez, for hitting career homerun #500;
4. Hideki Matsui, for hitting career homerun #100, and becoming the first Japanese player to do so in the MLB; and,
5. Joba Chamberlain, for becoming the first Native American to play in the MLB (as far as I remember hearing this week).

"Rock On"s also go to the Jays for scoring 15 runs without a homerun, and tieing a franchise record with 9 doubles in 1 game.

As for what happened between the Jays and Yanks this week, personally I think it's over. Yeah, Clemens hit Rios, but he got tossed along with Torre. I know it's not forgotten, but I think it's over.

I really enjoyed the interview "The Best Damn Sports Show" showed with Barry Bonds last night. It's wasn't surly Barry, it was just Barry. I wasn't alive to watch Barry's dad, Bobby Bonds, play. However, I've heard that he and the media didn't have the most amicable of relationships. Apparently Barry is a little...bitter (for lack of a better word) towards the media for that. I don't know. I'll be honest when I say that I'm not really on the fence anymore when it comes to Barry...and the show last night helped.

There was a good interview with Johnny Mac on the FAN 590 on Wednesday morning. He talks at the end about playing/wanting to play everyday. Take a listen, if you think Johnny Mac is as Mactastic as I do. Just scroll down 'til you find it.

Last night was my first game in over a month. I'll admit I was so excited I had trouble falling asleep and had a big grin on my face as I left work to head to the game. It had been too long, and I can't say as I could have asked for a better outcome. Especially because I'm pretty sure with career win #108, Doc has surpassed another fave Jays pitcher of mine (Pat Hentgen) on the all-time Jays wins list. Congrats Doc.

Here's hoping a 15-4 wint can send the Jays off to KC in winning style. It's only 4 games on the road, but with how dismal they've played away from Rogers Centre, any away games are too many.

Enjoy the off day. I'm going to try to update more often.
JaysGirl5

The Devil Wears Tampa Pt. 2?

So...The Jays are off to Tampa. Their record against the Rays this year is...3-3. Not surprising, considering the Rays are a team the Jays "should" beat, but usually end up being even with.

However, since almost getting swept in 4 games in NY, the Jays have gone 7-3. Their pitching has been stellar, their defense consistent, and finally, FINALLY the offense has shown some life. Sure, over the weekend in Chicago it seemed to go take a kip, getting up a little on Sunday afternoon. But it's nice to see what this lineup can do...and it gives me high hopes for next year when they have a full season to gel together.

It was also nice for Shaun Marcum to get a win after pitching a stellar game. How many incredibly pitched games by Shaun this year has he not gotten the credit for because the offense couldn't score a run while he was on the bump. Imagine what his record could be...

To celebrate Shaun's success a little more...in the AL, he's 14th with a 3.67 ERA, 6th with a .244 opponent avg., and 10th with a 1.11 WHIP. Go Shaun Go. I think his emergence as a quality starter is one of the brightest silver linings to all the injuries.

Speaking of starters...Chacin is down in Triple-A for more rehab. I guess Chacin really doesn't smell like victory after all...at least not right now. AJ is set to make his first rehab start. It's up in the air how many he'll make, but I would like to see him go at least 2. Three might be overkill, but the guy hasn't pitched in a month...2 seems like a nice round number, especially because he's making his first start in the Gulf Coast League.

I've decided to not read the comments Josh Towers made about his team after Friday night's game. Partially, 'cause I don't like hearing team members bash each other. And partially from what I've heard, there are times I agree. Still, take care of it internally. Don't air dirty laundry in public. Just sayin'...

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It's the Rays/Jays showdown pt.3 for the season. Dustin "Chops" McGowan looks to win 3 starts in a row for the first time in his career. Going up against Andy Sonnanstine (1-6), it might not be the hardest matchup Chops has faced. But don't think I'm counting out the Rays. Like I said before...sometimes the Devil really does wear Tampa.

Enjoy the game!
JaysGirl5

The True Meaning

A part of this post was originally part of my last post, but I decided to make it a stand-alone.

Disclaimer: I may get a little ranty again. I can't promise anything. I've always thought about this, and I kinda feel like sharing. Also, I realise this might now just apply to Toronto, but it's the only city/area I can talk about.

Maybe sports fans in Toronto have become so conditioned to losing thanks to the Leafs, that they're too sceptical to support anything that might be better than mediocre. Maybe they've become so cynical to winning that they can't innocently support it. That now instead of being supportive, they sit back and wait. They hold out their support to see how the team will actually do. When they win, they're all over it. They walk the walk and talk the talk of someone who's been a fan from the start. But as soon as the team falters a little or stops winning/being impressive, they're gone. Their support completely forgotten, and in most cases they'll start talking about how all along they alone knew that the team wasn't going to do any good.

I realise I just described bandwaggoners. I don't consider them fans, but sadly without them...fan bases in Toronto might realistically be ever so tiny.

It's possible things weren't like this 40 years ago when the Leafs weren't so far removed from a Stanley Cup win. I don't know. I've only ever lived in a Toronto sports world where the Leafs dissapoint every year, and that gloom seems to become a cloud over any other sports success no matter how good. In this instance, and only in this one instance, I absolutely loathe that Canada is hockey country, and that my favourite team and I live in Leaf country.

This is not to say that I don't cheer for other Toronto teams to win. I think it sucks when they lose, and rocks when they win. But I do my best not to bandwaggon. I pay attention to sports, I love them, but everyone knows plain and clear the Jays are my passion, followed by sports in general. I don't really like hockey, but have enough Canadian pride that I want a Canadian team to win. I have enough Torontonian sports pride to want a Toronto team to win when there isn't another Canadian team. I don't think that's bandwaggonning, just being a hometown/country sports fan.

It's great to win, but in the end if you love a sport and/or a team, shouldn't you just love to watch them...no matter how painless or painful? Maybe I'm a naive sports fan. Maybe having become a Jays die-hard during their *ahem* not so good seasons after the World Series has conditioned me to love my team no matter what. I realise being a die-hard Jays fan and baseball fan in general first and foremost makes me a minority in Canada. I'm okay with that. I came to terms with that a long time ago. Personally I think I'm incredibly spoiled to love a team that won the championship twice early in both of our lives, and I that I fell in love with them not because they won, but indifferent to it*.

I just think...if you're a fan, you're a fan. Bandwaggoning, no. Questioning and being critical of your team, yes. Saying you're a fan, but never enjoying, embracing or celebrating your team even in the bad times, no.

At the end of the game, day, and season...having a smile on your face and in your heart because you just got to watch your favourite sport/team play win or lose, championship or not, yes.

That is the true meaning of being a fan.

JaysGirl5


*Note: To clear up, I am the biggest sports fan in my family and didn't really start enjoying following major league sports until my teens, after my Jays die-hardedness had started. So that really meant that being under 10 when the Jays won the World Series and no one else in my family following sports, I wasn't really aware. Frankly, I fell in love with being in Rogers Centre (SkyDome) in '93 and watching Joe Carter, Carlos Delgado and Shawn Green play in the mid-'90s. Yes, I'm defending being a Jays die-hard. I really didn't become one because of the World Series. At the time, I didn't really know it was going on. I just really loved watching them play, win or lose.

And on the 8th Day...

I will be honest. Lately I have been finding it hard to blog the Jays. Yes, I'm incredbily happy that the lineup they wanted to have coming out of Spring Training is back, minus BJ Ryan. Other than that, well...

I'm not going to say this season was a loss or is lost yet, but I don't think it's gone any way anyone thought it would, even once they got everyone back. Well, except for maybe the fans who say they're fans, but just talk bad about the team no matter what happens. (Someone will have to show me the definition of "fan" that includes people like that.)

These past 7 games against the Yankees and the RSox have been a little tough to watch/listen to, but watch/listen I have. I still get itchy if I'm not watching/listening to the game, but there hasn't been much to say about the team that hasn't already been said, you know?

Except this...

I realise the season is a marathon, not a sprint, and a sign of a good team is how they hang in when things don't go as planned. In that measure, I think the Jays did admirably.

The injuries the Jays suffered this year aren't little ones like pulled hamstrings, to paraphrase Gregg Zaun on JaysConnected. They've been major, resulting in 5 surgeries and over 500 man-games lost (at least). Not to mention, not having anywhere near the team that was built to compete everyday.

In 162 games, it's bound to happen that the everyday squad an organization puts together can't be on the field everyday. Whether it's because a player becomes day-to-day, needs a day off, or has a small injury. That understandable. That's expected, but not what the Jays have suffered. Yes, everyone suffers injuries, but how many other teams this season haven't been able to put their everyday squad on the field until after the all-star break? Some will mention the Yankees. Yes, their starting rotation was decimated by injuries. Sure, they're on their 3rd or 4th 1st baseman. But they got their team back together a lot sooner than the Jays. It's not close to what the Jays suffered.

I'm not trying to downplay the contributions of the guys who filled in for the Jays. Casey Janssen, Jeremy Accardo (balk aside), Shaun Marcum, Adam Lind, and Matt Stairs had break out contributions for the Jays and did way more than was expected of them before the injuries. Not to mention the great contributions of dependable guys like John McDonald and Howie Clark.

But at the end of the day (or the season), there's still a reason the everyday lineup is the everyday lineup. And the truth of the matter is, we have yet to see what this everyday lineup can do.


To prevent myself from blogging forever, here's my best attempt to condense my point.

I get the arguments people are making that the Jays should just call it quits or they're not good enough to win, but I don't agree. We haven't been able to see this team* in action. I don't understand how the Jays can have been expected to make great leaps and bounds in at least the Wild Card in 10 games since getting their everyday squad back, when other teams haven't been able to do it all season with pretty much their every day team.

Is it because: they spend more money now; they're always compared to the Yankees and RSox; for whatever reason, people* in/around Toronto don't want them to succeed?

Who knows. I sure don't, and it's frustrating as hell.

End of rant. There's more I wish to say, but I think this gets my point across.
JaysGirl5



Notes: When I say team, I mean the everyday lineup the Jays originally designed. When I say people, I also GREATLY include the Toronto media that covers the Jays.

1 Down, 1 Up, 1 Back...1 Real Fake Marriage?

It's 7:43pm, the Jays are down 4-1 in the top of the 2nd. Aaron Hill just hit an infield single. Yes, Hill is in the game. Needless to say, a large majority of the rest of this post is false. However, I leave it for 2 reasons: 1) To remind myself never to believe anything Jays related until it's released by the Jays, and 2) 'Cause the joke about a fake marriage is kinda funny. So read on...if you want.


Looks like the soreness won out. The National Post, Toronto Star, and now Sportsnet.ca are reporting that Aaron Hill will indeed be starting the 2nd half on the DL. The move is retroactive to the 8th, so he's eligible to come off on the 22nd. I realise the Jays haven't release anything officially on this yet, but I think it's only a matter of time. More than likly by game-time tonight, it'll be up on the website. Get better Hilly.

So...it appears with Hill going on the DL, Russ Adams gets his chance with the big club again. Personally, I hope he does a lot better than last season, but nothing's really going to lose Aaron his job at second. If anything, Russ could prove he's either a really good backup or something that could maybe be offered in a future trade. I think Johhny Mac and Howie Clark have proven themselves as excellent utility guys...so I don't know if Russ would take one of their spots. Only time will tell, but good luck Russ Adams. My mom will be happy you're back.

Lyle Overbay also makes his return to the lineup this weekend. More than likely it's going to be tonight, but you never know. As glad as I am that Lyle and Reed are back, it does mean getting to see Matt Stairs on the field a little less. I know this will make him happy, as he's said many times he'd rather be on the bench and everyone healthy, than playing because of injuries.

Lastly...It would seem the fake wedding teamates threw for Aaron Hill and Russ Adams sometime in '05 actually did unite something for real: their careers. Since the momentous, catered (apparently) occasion...the two good friends haven't been able to be successful for that long together on the field.

Hill and Adams were looked to be the double play combo for the Jays for the next couple of years. Russ starts having fielding problems at short, leading to confidence problems, and eventually problems at the plate. He goes down to Triple A. Aaron meanwhile continues to get better at second, but with Russ's departure, is flip flopped back between short and second. Russ is moved to second in the minors, and eventually works his way back to Toronto. So now it's still tag team Hill and Adams up the middle, but the positions are reversed. Russ continutes to have problems at second, and is eventually sent down pretty much for good. Hill is moved back over to second base where, up until his DL stint, he was making plays, turning heads, and marking his Gold Glove territory left, right, backhand, deep in the hole, and centre.

Needless to say...their marriage has been anything but smooth. At least with Russ coming up, it won't be a long distance relationship for awhile.

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Doc goes for #11 against Tim Wakefield for Boston. This season against the Knucleballer, Clayton leads the team with a .333 AVG. in 9 at-bats. Vernon Wells is next at .275, followed by Johnny Mac with .263. The Jays might have caught a break against Boston as David Ortiz might not be playing tonight. He has to get an MRI done on his knee. It's up in the air if he'll play in the series, probably depending on the results. I'm not saying I like guys being injured, but I'll take all the breaks I can get when we play the RSox.

Enjoy the beginning of what should be an interesting (hopefully great for the Jays) 8 game road trip.
Until tomorrow,
JaysGirl5


Note: I've always thought the fake wedding story hilariously awesome, and always wanted a chance to talk about it in a blog. Hence, the possibly going a little overboard with the joke.

Say It Ain't So(re)!

This little tidbit from Scott Carson's latest doesn't shock me, saddens me a little, but doesn't shock me...

"That's why the whispers that Aaron Hill will be put on the DL to start the second half with a sore knee just makes you shake your head."

Sportnet first mentioned the sore knee in the wrap-up article about the Jays win over the Indians on Sunday. I mentioned it in My Pre-"All-Star Break" Break.

One of the greatest things about being a diehard is that when you watch them every game (or almost every game)...you learn their idiosyncracies. As I've now found out, it can also be a sucky thing 'cause you can tell when something's not on (i.e. Hilly's knee.) Here's hoping he can avoid his first DL trip, but I have to wonder what's caused the soreness.

However, in happy Hill news, I have to agree with Jays beat writer Jordan Bastian with this prediction:

"Toronto second baseman Aaron Hill didn't garner much attention in terms of All-Star votes, but his steady glove work has turned heads throughout the first half. When the season's all said and done, the young infielder will have a Gold Glove Award to add to his mantel."

Keep your fingers crossed.
JaysGirl5

Ri"Ohs Canada"

So, okay...I didn't watch the All-Star game last night. I wanted to, but considering the game actually didn't start until almost 9pm, and I had midnight movie plans...it just didn't happen.

Rock on to Ichiro for getting the first ever inside-the-parker in All-Star history. I'm really not that surprised it was him who did it first.

I did get to see some of the pre-game ceremony with Willie Mays. Very classy...and I loved that he was throwing balls into the stands while being driven around. Imagine growing up watching him, then catching a ball he threw out. How cool would that be.

I'll admit that although I respect Willie Mays, I don't revere him because I never saw him play. But it got me thinking about who my Willie Mays is, or my Mickey Mantle...my Babe Ruth. You know, the player that is more than just a player, more than a memory, more than an athlete you enjoy watching. The player that for inexplicable and intricate reasons is so wrapped up in your love of the game, that it's somehow gotten bigger than you and them.

It doesn't take me long to come up with the answer, a very short list. Carlos Delgado, Roy Halladay, Joe Carter; in that order. I won't bore you with the details, but those three players for me are bigger than the game especially King Carlos. Joe Carter will forever be the strongest memory I have of my first major league baseball game.

My roomate recently asked me why I didn't get the players to sign the bat I have displayed in my room. It's one of the silver bats the Jays gave out at the '05 home opener to commemorate King Carlos blasting 4 homeruns in a game in his last season with the Jays. I'm saving it. I might be saving it in vain...but alas, I'm still saving it in hopes that one day I can get Carlos to sign it. I got his autograph on his last day in Toronto...and it meant a lot to me.

Anyhoo...inumerable "Rock On"s to Alexis Rios. I got so tired of the announcers talking about how no one knew who he was during the homerun derby because he plays in Canada. You know what? So what. Jays fans know him, love him and appreciate him. I get really tired some times of the media surrounding baseball (usually coming from the States) making it seem like playing in Canada is a bad thing, a negative, a con. Personally, I think it's a bonus, a positive, a pro. Where else would you get people screaming for hockey highlights during the World Juniors at a baseball game. As much as I begrudge my countrypeople sometimes for their hockey obsession, we still approach baseball with a hockey mentality. Where else to you get that?

So, congratulations Alexis Rios on your coming out party. People know who you are now, and Jays fans still love you. You represented us incredibly. I can't say as you're my fave Jay, but I've always been impressed how you quietly go about your business. Never overly flashy in the field, nice compact easy swing. But I appreciate you all the same.

How cool would it have been had Matt Holliday and Alexis squared off in the final round of the derby. The two guys from teams that aren't that well covered outside their markets. And, who when they were announced, most people scratched their heads and asked "who?". I'm not sure how long ago, but I've been hearing about Matt Holliday for a few years, and was always impressed. I always thought it was weird since he played in Colorado (kinda far from Ontario), but I always knew who he was.

Anyhoo...that's it for today. Enjoy the rare Wednesday offday. I can't wait for the Jays to get back into action tomorrow, and I'm betting Lyle Overbay is thinking along the same lines.

Until tomorrow,
JaysGirl5

Continuance of the Mactasticness

Just an observation...

How many bloop/clutch hits has John McDonald had for the Jays this season...especially with the bases loaded?

Just sayin'...
Love you Johnny Mac!
JaysGirl5

My Pre-"All Star Break" Break

So...I decided to take a little time off this week to recoup, but now I'm back.

And so is the highly effective Josh Towers. I didn't get a chance to watch the first part of the game today, but when I turned it on in the 6th inning to learn Josh had a no-hitter, I was pleasantly surprised. It shows he's getting back to his '05 self.

It's too bad that the Jays couldn't sweep the Tribe to be at .500 for the break, and that Shaun Marcum had such a bad outing. It's much the same thing as Casey Janssen's bad outing in June. It was bound to happen sometime. Personally, and I don't think I'm alone here, I prefer it was yesterday instead of his next start against Boston or later in the 2nd half. I think the win today is a great way for the Jays to head into the break, as well as having won their last 2 series.

Welcome back Reed Johnson! How you have been missed. I'm sure any Jays fan knows the numerous reasons why it's great to have him back (especially if you watched Friday's game.) Click here to watch Reed greatfully and gracefully receive his post-game Gatorade shower.

As happy as I am to have Reed "Scrappy" Johnson back...I will say a fond farewell to Adam Lind. His defense greatly improved, and barring no more injuries, we'll see him again in September. Curtis Thigpen's fate is going to be much the same (more than likely) when Lyle Overbay comes back in Boston after the break. Both guys are just too good in their development and too young to not be playing everyday, or almost everyday.

"Rock On"s...

• Matt Stairs for your triple on Friday;
• Casey Janssen for your beautiful cartwheel on Friday night;
• Travis Snider (Jays #1 pick last year) for hitting for the cycle for the Lansing Lugnuts;
• Roberto Alomar for being at the game today;
• Jeremy Accardo for striking out Jhonny Peralta with the bases loaded to end the top of the 9th; and
• Reed Johnson for saving Jeremy Accardo's ass on Friday night with an amazing Reed-like grab.

Congrats to Alex Rios for being asked to participate in the homerun derby tomorrow night.

Two things before I part for the evening...

Aaron Hill sat out today with a sore knee. When I went to last game in the Rockies series, Aaron was on 2nd and was shaking out his right knee quite a bit. I realise that was 2 weeks ago, but I still hope the break will be enough rest for the soreness. I don't know if the two things were related...I just thought it odd.

As per J.P. Riccardi's comments about AJ Burnett, I get the point he was trying to make. I think it was very classy of AJ to stand up and say he's not offended and understand's where JP's coming from. When something bad happens to your body, like an injury or illness, you're always kind of hyper-sensitive to signs of it happening again. I know I am. I'm not AJ Burnett, but I wouldn't be surprised if he does have that a little bit especially considering his livelihood and career depend on him being healthy and his body performing to the best of its abilities. It's a fine line before crossing over to the "player-cried-pain" area, but I'm all for erring on the side of caution.

I think the biggest thing that bothers me about the situation with AJ back on the DL is all the people coming out and screaming about how the Jays shouldn't have let him pitch so much. When Doc went down AJ stepped up and became the ace of the staff. He pitched incredibly for the team, and at the time no one said anyting. Nothing about that it wasn't a good idea. Nothing about being cautious because of his history of injuries. Maybe privately people questioned, but there was nothing in the media about it that I read. Then he lands on the DL the first time, and everyone and their brother start saying the Jays shouldn't have let him pitch so much, blah, blah, blah.

To those who thought it was great AJ pitched the way he did, then say he shouldn't have...
You can't have your cake and eat it, too. But I guess hindsight can be 20/20.

Enjoy the All-Star break.
If you're a HP fan, enjoy the movie release.
Talk to you soon,
JaysGirl5

Whoever Said Big Guys Can't Run...

...Well, they just might be right.

Troy Glaus getting thrown out at 2nd last night on Frank Thomas' deep fly ball to centre wasn't pretty. I was really surprised that he was running, but that doesn't mean I don't agree with it.

Yes, Troy was running from 1st to 2nd. Yes, he's a big guy with a bone spur and not the healthiest legs. But, he forced the throw. Sure, he got out. What if he had been safe? He would have been in scoring position in a game the Jays were trailing 2-1 in the late innings. At some point, and I think they might be getting there soon (considering Alexis stole a base last night), the Jays are going to have to start forcing the issue instead of relying on the homerun. As Gibbons said on the Jays website,

'"Troy's a smart player," said Toronto manager John Gibbons, defending Glaus' decision to run. "I didn't mind that. It's a big ballpark and it took a perfect throw, and that's what they got. He was just trying to make something happen. We weren't scoring."

He's right. It takes a perfect throw to get him out, and that one time there just happened to be one. Not every throw is perfect, nor is every tag. Forcing the other team to make the plays and putting pressure on them that way is a way to score runs and win games. The rest of the AL has been applying that philosophy against the Jays this year, it's about time they start pushing back.

For me, it's in the same family as striking out swinging and striking out with the bat on your shoulder. Yeah, they show up the same in the box score, but you can't put the ball in play with the bat on your shoulder. That's not to say you should swing at everything when you're up there, but why not take a hack when you think you're gonna get a good pitch? There is a point where you can be too selective. It's that fine balance of "agressive/patient" the Jays displayed on Monday, but lacked last night.

My point? You never know what will happen when you put the ball in play or when you force the defense to make a play.

Dustin "Chops" McGowan performed kinda like I expected him to last Friday. He went from really bad (against LA), to incredible (against Colorado), to okay (against Seattle). Like Doc Halladay once said, 1 out of 5 starts you're not going to have your best stuff. Okay, that's cool. I'm still waiting for Dustin to be a little more consistent. If he can minimalize the "really bad" and "okay" outings, and average somewhere in between "incredible" and "okay"...Well, I think that's all I'd ever ask for, and really...what I expect from him now.


Refreshing...
"I was getting kind of antsy, because you're at the ballpark, where these guys are getting ready to go to battle and you're kind of like, 'Good luck. I'm worthless right now.'" -- Overbay

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Chops goes for win #5 today against Joe Kennedy. The Jays scored 4 in the top of the 1st on a bases loaded walk by Hill, a double by Stairs, and a sac fly by Zaun. McGowan went 3 up-3 down in the bottom of the 1st. So far...so good.

Enjoy the game, although it's not on TV.
Thank god the Jays are home again this weekend. Four 10pm games in 5 days is a lot.
JaysGirl5

Sinking Ship Pt. 2?

I know I'm a little late commenting on this, but...

Shea Hillenbrand has again parted ways with a team after not getting enough playing time. At some point, wouldn't you start thinking that maybe you just might be overestimating your own ability, or not doing what's best for the team?

Maybe the messages in the Jays' Clubhouse last year before he was traded were more the thinking he perscribes to all the time, instead of a reaction to a certain situation? We'll never know, but a little part of me is more inclined to believe the former.

Still, when I walk around Rogers Centre and see pictures of him up, I take solace in the fact that him leaving Toronto got us Jeremy Accardo . The Angels got nothin'. Sorry Anaheim.

JaysGirl5

July, Oh My.

I decided to take the Canada Day Weekend off to relax. Let's just say the Jays being swept in Seattle didn't help with that effort.

For the first time all season, I found myself able to get up and walk away from watching the game...just 'cause. I didn't have anything to do, I just...didn't feel like watching it anymore. They seemed lifeless, and in those small moments where they showed life...they still fell flat.

I will forever love my Jays, but I don't disagree with Scott Carson 100%.

Where do you put the blame this season? It's not as easy as pinning it to John Gibbons or J.P. Riccardi. Are they blameless? Maybe, maybe not. I'm going to explore this issue with the off day on Thursday.

Congrats to Alex(is)* Rios for making the All-Star team again this year, and if all goes well...he'll acutally get to play. I think, though, even if he doesn't...the fact that he's not coming off a staph infection is still a leg up from last year. No pun intended.

Do my man Doc a favour, and vote him in to the All-Star team. Head on over to any MLB site and vote in the "Final Candidate Vote". Yes, his team's played pretty crappy...but I think considering that, him missing 3 wks, and being 9-3...he deserves to be there.

Yes, Seattle was hard to watch. However, how nice it is for Mike Hargrove to go out a winning manager, with his team getting the sweep. Regardless of what some people in the media are saying, I'm taking Mike Hargrove at his word ("lack of passion) for the reason he's retiring. Classy all the way.

As nice as it is that the Jays won last night and the bats came alive again, I'm getting a little tired of it. They were agressive in the good way last night, and patient when they needed to be. For some reason, they can't seem to keep this mentality or game plan going for that long, or in consecutive games. It's frustrating.

Oh, AJ Burnett going on the DL again in frustrating, too. Some times I get the feeling that guys with a lot of talent and *potential* (gah!) aren't always destined to reach it or be able to use all of it....either because they just can't harness it...or their bodies just weren't meant to take it.

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Jesse Litsch gets the start tonight in place of AJ Brunett. Joe Blanton is on the mound for the As. Here's hoping the Jays can prove me wrong, and have the "agressive/patient" approach to the plate as a whole team again tonight.

JaysGirl5


*Note: I realise he goes by Alex now, but for whatever reason (probably from when he first came up and impressed me), Alex Rios will forever be Alexis.

3000 Hits To Cooperstown

I did forget there was one other "Rock On" to distribute.

Congrats Craig Biggio for becoming the 27th player to reach 3000 hits, after getting hits 3000 and 3001 in the 'stros win over the Rockies last night. Hit on, Biggio. Hit on.

JaysGirl5

500 at .500

I don't know why, but I had a feeling the Jays were going to split the series with the Twins. Was it because I knew Justin Morneau was going to come back or AJ would only go 4 innings? I dunno.

What I did know was the Twins were going to be hard pressed not to give up #500 to Frank Thomas. They had the right idea...pitching him away, but he's Frank Thomas, and he's not the "Big Hurt" for nothing.

Congratulations Frank Thomas. You've hit your way into history, the Hall of Fame (in my opinion), and showed the poetic, full-circle beauty that is baseball.

Don't believe it's poetically full-curcle and beautiful? Well...after over 17 big league season, 7578 career at-bats, 3 different teams, an ankle injury he though might end his career, and 499 homeruns later...Frank Thomas reaches 500 homeruns where he hit his very first one in 1990. The only way this could have been better would have been if the schedule had taken the Jays to Chicago to play the WSox, and Frank hit #500 there.

Check out clips of Frank's post-game press conference.

Moving on...

Yesterday's lost sucked, but I think AJ pitched pretty well until the 4th. According to Justin Morneau, he was throwing 110mph, or at least it seemed that way to him. It was a good sign that AJ struck out 6 and threw 75 pitches, I think, after being taken out after only throwing 82 in San Fran. I would have liked to see him get the win along with the Jays, but again I commend him for taking ownership and stating that "the loss is my fault."

I must say, I'm incredibly impressed with the way all the Jays have been open to talking about their mistakes/lack of performance. I've heard it said before that you would be hard pressed not to like Josh Towers if you met him. After watching JaysConnected last weekend where they talked to Josh, I have a very high respect for him about coming clean/owning up to his failures. He shoots straight with honesty, and I like that. It's refreshing.

No "Rock On"s to distribute today, as I think Frank Thomas takes the cake.

___________________________________
Dustin McGowan (4-3) takes the mound against the Mariners for his first start since his 1 hit gem last Sunday. Watch for Jarrod Washburn (6-6) to take the mound for Seattle. The Jays are again at .500, but at least they're still ahead of the Yankees for 2nd place in the East and the Wildcard. It's too bad Lyle Overbay is still on the DL for this season's only trip to his home state. It was great both times last year seeing all the "O"s in the crowd.

Enjoy the weekend.
If I don't post before then, have a great Jour du Canada! The festivities for Canada's 140th should be pretty cool in Seattle.
JaysGirl5

A Dozen Doesn't End In A Win

Even though last night was a loss, I think it's one of the best pitched games I've seen in the last couple of years. Both the Minnesota and Toronto starters were fantastic, as were the bullpens. Major props to the Twinkies for striking out 15 Jays. Twelve innings of edge-of-your-seat-baseball. Gotta love it. (So...how many starts is that now that Shaun Marcum has been hitless for the first 3 or 4 innings?...He's pitching so well.)

Yes, it's hard to see the winning streak end at 4 for the Jays, but it would be worse it last night was a blow out. Last night's final play, when a diving Vernon Wells narrowly missed Jeff Cirrilo's bloop single, proved more than anything that baseball really is a game of inches. It's debatable whether VDub pulled up a little 'cause he saw Royce Clayton coming on, but oh well. Time to start the next winning streak, and work on winning the series.

I forgot to post this yesterday, but I love this Player Perspectives that Roy Halladay did on career win #100. Check it out, even if you're not a Doc lover like me.

Check this out for more reasons why I love Gregg Zaun and Matt Stairs. Love Zaunie's approach to base stealers, and Matt's ribbing of fellow canuck Justin Morneau.

It was great to see Lyle Overbay taking grounders this week. If anything, at least he didn't break his throwing hand like Zaunie did. It's not much of a silver-lining, but it might mean he could come back a day or two sooner than Zaun 'cause he doesn't have to work up his throwing strength. Maybe.

____________________________________________
Josh Towers tries for win #3 as the Jays face Boof Bonser (5-3) for the Twins. Boof has to have one of the best names in baseball. It'll be interesting to see how the lineup shakes up, but don't be surprised if VDub's leading off. Wonder if Royce Clayton or Johnny Mac will get the start tonight. I guess we'll find out.

Enjoy game 3 of 4.
I'l looking forward to AJ's return tomorrow, as I'm sure he and the Jays are too.
JaysGirl5

Small Ball, Long Ball, Wacky Ball

Add the 3 things in the title together, you get last nights game. Not necessarily in that order, but still.

It has always seemed to me that the Minnesota Twins have always been there. Not necessarily first, but not necessarily last and you can never discount them when you play them. They do all the little things, and they always stay within themselves and their ability as a team. I commend them for that. They were playing some great small ball last night and some great defense.

The Jays obviously played the long ball last night, and it's nice to see Vernon Wells getting his stroke together. Maybe batting leadoff was a good idea afterall...and I'm thinking since he's been there for all 4 games in the winning streak, he might stay there for awhile.

There are two things the Jays did last night that I have to give HUGE "Rock On"s and props to:
VDub for going from 2nd to 3rd on the pop-out to foul territory, even though you didn't score and Johnny Mac for getting to 2nd on a strikeout in 3rd.

Regular "Rock On"s:

• Vernon for hitting career homerun 150;
• Matt Stairs for hitting the game winning homerun. What would we do without you;
• Shawn Green for hitting a walk-off homerun for the Mets against the Cards; and
• Roy Halladay for looking really pissed off last night.

On the last "Rock On", it was very unusual to see Doc like that. It was like his frustration/anger/annoyance/whatever it was, was just radiating from him. I think it's safe to say he was pissed at himself for giving up the lead twice. If you don't believe me...just check out Halladay's Strong Outing under the More Sights and Sounds part of the Jays website. Just watch Doc bowl over Nick Punto in the 7th. It doesn't show the look on his face after the play, but yeah...a little scary.

What can I say about Matt Stairs. He's playing great right now, possibly on track to a career year. And the only thing I think about everytime he does something great...how in no uncertain terms he'd rather be riding the bench than playing because of injuries. Class act all the way. Plus, his comments about Canada are always lovely.

I forgot to mention yesterday how cool it was to watch a game on CBC again on Saturday, and games on TSN this week. I love Sportsnet, but it takes me back to when I was younger spending my summer holidays watching the Jays play on CBC, TSN, and CTV. I think I still have broadcast schedules from TSN and CTV. The stuff I keep...

The Jays are now 1 game over .500, 1 game ahead of the Yanks, thanks to Seattle they're only 10 games behind Boston, and 6 back of Cleveland in the Wild Card. They secured their first 4 game win-streak since last September, and I couldn't be prouder.

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Shaun Marcum (4-2) takes the hill against Scott Baker (2-2). Baker pitched against the Jays in May, but didn't get the win. Marcum has been impeccable since only last 3 innings against the WSox on June 3rd. He's 2 for 3 in wins, and has averaged per game over that time: 6.4 IP, 1.3 ERs, 2 BBs, 5 Ks, and 4.3 Hs per game. I've included a chart with his full stats from each start during that time at the end of this entry.

Go Shaun. I believe you can get us straight win #5.

I will be sweating buckets playing ball tonight, but will catch all the Jays game since they're in Minnesota, and it doesn't start 'til 8.
Enjoy the game, and try not to die in the heat if you're in S. Ontario.
JaysGirl5

Jays Bring Out Firebolts* to Head to Minnesota

It was an incredible day at Rogers Centre yesterday. Even considering the sunburn on my shoulders, it was worth it.

As Jamie Campbell wrote in his blog over the weekend, every Jays fan one time or another has probably written Dustin McGowan off. I, truthfully, never have. It was more of an impatience for him to finally reach is *potential*. Well, after yesteday's 1 hit performance, I don't think anyone will doubt his ability again. Especially considering the start he bounced back from earlier in the week (which I was at as well.) I'm interested to see how his next start in Seattle will go on Friday.

It's was an incredible thing to witness, and I just kept remember watching Doc with one out to go on the last day of the '98 season, in his 2nd career start, giving up a hit to end his almost perfect game. Click here for more.

I will admit, I was a little mad at the guys in front of me talking about the no-hitter before it was over. That's a complete no-no. But how awesome was it that Gregg Zaun seemed to be a little more veklempt after the game about the single in the 9th than Dustin was. I love Zaunie.

Frank Thomas hit a towering shot into the 2nd deck that almost went foul. I was sitting right down in the leftfield corner, so I had a really good view of the ball going out. I stood up and just kept saying "Holy S***! Holy S***!". It was so high and didn't even really sound like a homerun when he hit it. I remember seeing Josh Phelps hit a homerun into the 500 level, and almost thought Frank had done it as well. (Anyone else remember when they would have different colour seats for where homeruns were hit in the 5oo level, or am I just dreaming?)

Rock On...

• Jays for your awesome defense yesterday. Especially Howie Clark for your diving grab;
• Vernon Wells for trying to get the crowd on their feet and applauding Dustin in the outfield;
• Dustin McGowan for pitching a 1 hitter;
• Frank Thomas for hitting homerun #499;
• Thomas and Matt Stairs, at a combined age of 78, for leading the team in Saturday's win;
• the Jays for FINALLY reaching .500 again; and
• the Jays for sweeping a team for the first time since the Orioles, May 14-16.

It's nice to finally see Thomas getting things together at the plate. After hitting a homerun in each of the games against the Rockies, I have a hard time believing that he'll leave Minnesota without reaching 500, if not more, homeruns. It just sucks it won't happen in Toronto. It was great yesterday when he came up to the plate haveing hit #499 the previous at-bat. Before the first pitch was thrown, I already kinda knew he probably wasn't going to get anything to hit again, but it would have been amazing if he had.

_________________________________________
Roy Halladay (8-2) is on the mound as the Jays try to win 4 straight for the first time all season. Kevin Slowey (2-0) is on the mound for Minnesota, as the Jays and Twins start a 4 game set. If there's anyone I'd want on the mound to continue the winning streak, it's Roy. The Jays are in 2nd place 11 games behind Boston, 6 games behind Cleveland (in the Wild Card), and 1/2 game up on NY. The Yanks have the night off tonight, so the Jays have the opportunity to be up a complete game on the Pinstripes.

Enjoy the game tonight.
Until tomorrow,
JaysGirl5

P.S. Another year goes by, and I don't win anything on the scratch'n'win tickets given out during the series against the Rockies. I guess there's always next year...

*Note: For those non-Harry Potter fans out there, "Firebolts" are just a fancy type of broom.

Mactastic!

I love Johnny Mac. Not just because he won the game last night, but just 'cause he is fantastic.

There's a Facebook group for Aaron Hill and John Mcdonald as the two most underated middle infielders in the majors. I think as a combo, that's true...although I think Hill's starting to get more recognition.

I think after Thursday's game where the lead was given up late, it was great for the team to win a back-and-forther. (Is that even a word?). And I must say, as much as Janssen's meltdown on Thursday sucked, I'm not too surprised. It was bound to happen in at least 1 outing this year where he wasn't as effective as the Jays have come to expect him to be. Now that it's out of the way...I'm looking forward to great relief from him for the rest of the year. Like Gibby apparently told him when he took him out, he shouldn't listen to the "boos" because he's pitched great this year.

As for last night, anyone else notice that it was 2 weeks ago that Jeremy Accardo had given up another 2 run homerun for the lead? Yeah...just a little weird. Otherwise the bullpen pitched incredibly, after Towers couldn't make it to the 5th. At least Colorado had to go to their bullpen early, too. Plus, until they got the 2 run homer, I'm thinking 6 runs for how many baserunners they seemed to have was pretty good.

Rock On:

• Vernon Wells for getting your 1000th career hit;
• the Jays pitchers last night for striking out a combined 15 Rockies;
• AJ Burnett for winning the Chili race again on Thursday; and
• Casey Janssen for owning up to sucking on Thursday, and looking/sounding like you might cry in the post-game video.

Further on the owning of sucking point, I commend the Jays for that this year. Not one of them seems to shy away from taking the fault if they screw up. I think that's highly commendable, because you know there would be teams in their situation that would just blame sucking on all the injuries, etc. Not my Jays.

John Thompson was picked up by the Royals on Friday. That should be interesting.

Cecil Fielder was at the game last night, and talked about his son Prince Fielder who's tearing it up in the National League. It's kinda sad that they apparently don't talk or have a good relationship, but you could hear Cecil's pride in his son when he talked about him during the game. That was pretty cool.

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Ty Taubenheim takes the mound against Aaron Cook. Taubenheim makes the start in place of AJ Burnett, who's will most likely make his start in Minnesota on the 28th (the day he's eligible to come off the DL). Here's hoping the Jays can sweep the Rockies out of Toronto, the way the Rockies swept the Jays out of Colorado last year. Perhaps, just not as ugly.

Enjoy the sunshine.
If you make your way to a game this weekend, here's hoping you win an autographed jersey from the scratchcards their handing out. I'm at the game tomorrow, and didn't win anything last year. I think this year's my year.
JaysGirl5

"What A Difference A Day Made...

...twenty four little hours."

Well, I don't know exactly what the Jays offense did in the 24 hrs between being slammed by LA and slamming the Dodgers right back. Whatever it was...keep at it!

I flipped channels for about an inning or so after the 8-0 total, and it was ten nothing. In a matter of minutes. Same thing when I flipped back to see it was 12-0. No, I did not want to stop watching the game, but sometimes I must compromise with my roomate and flip to the game during commercials of other shows.

As sad as it is to think, maybe we should've been booing Frank Thomas a lot sooner. The day after the home crowd booed him off the field in the 9th, he comes back with a 7 pitch at-bat that ends in a grand slam. I'll take that any day. As Pat Tabler mentioned on Sportsnet during the game, though...Thomas did just miss 2 balls on Tues. Granted, that doesn't mean much to fans when the team needs runners on base to score runs, but it does show that the Big Hurt might finally be coming around.

Rock On...

• Sammy Sosa for career homerun #600
• Doc for getting career strikeout #1000 and season win #8
• Gregg Zaun for going 3 for 3. Click here for some classic Zaunie.

Two quick things on Doc:

1. He's now 5th all time on the Jays strikeout list. He's behind DaveStieb ( 1631), Jum Clancy (1237), Juan Guzman (1030), and Pat Hentgen (1028). I wouldn't be surprised if he moves up to at least 2nd by the end of his career, if not first.
2. He's only 2 back for the lead in wins in the AL and NL. That's with missing 3 weeks because of his appendix. I think that's pretty impressive.

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Shaun Marcum goes for win #5 against Chad Billingsley for the Dodgers. Billingsley's making his first start of the season, after Dodgers starter Jason Schmidt's season ended in surgery. Marcum was impressive in his June 9th start against the Blue Boys, going 6 2/3 with 7 hits, no walks, 3 strikeouts and no earned runs. Expect a performance close to that. At least I know I will while I'm sitting with the ladies for Ladies Night.

Enjoy the series closer.
Hopefully the Jays come out on top, and the game's somewhere between Tue and Wed.
JaysGirl5

Meet Sleeping Ugly

Bet you never knew Sleeping Beauty had a twin sister, named Sleeping Ugly. Why yes, she exists...and she made a small appearance at the Rogers Centre last night. She seems to be a reoccurring companion of the Jays lineup this season.

To be fair however, it wasn't the Jays offense that put them in a 6-0 hole before the end of the 2nd inning. But the inability to get more than 1 run, 6 hits and striking out 8 times is Sleeping Ugly rearing her, well, ugly head. It's frustrating to look at the lineup and know the *caugh* potential, and just not see it come to fruition. I'm just counting down the days 'til Reed "Dirt Bag/Sparkplug" Johnson comes back. (I realise those might not be his *official* team nicknames, but they're fitting.)

Tomo Ohka has been picked up by the Cards after being given his unconditional release on Monday. John Thompson has suffered the same fate having been given his release today. At least Thompson never went 2-5 for the Jays, or maybe it's better that he didn't.

Roster Moves

Lee Gronkiewicz has been sent back down to Syracuse after making his major league debut last night and giving up a run. It only took a week for him to get his big league cup of coffee.

Ty Taubenheim was called up to fill AJ Burnett's spot on the roster, as AJ's on the DL retroactive to June 13th (the day he came out during the 5th inning.) He's eligible to come off the DL on the 28th.

Brian Wolfe has been called back up to the big club after the Jays sent Gronk down.

Not going to lie...after last night's loss, I'm a little down today. However, this cheered me up immensely. Yes, I will be bringing my "Z-Game" from now on and am a proud member of the Zaunbie Nation.

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Doc Halladay is on the mound tonight for win #8 against Hong-Chih Kuo for the Dodgers. Here's hoping Doc stops the Jays from losing 3 in a row, and they can take a step closer to .500. At least they're only 2 1/2 games back of the Yankees...who are 9 games back of the RSox.

'Til tomorrow...

JaysGirl5

Blue vs. Blue on a Blue Day

As the rain falls in Southern Ontario, I'm reminded why I love baseball at the Rogers Centre so much. Yes, the concrete convertible might not be the prettiest thing to look at to some (not me!) and not possess real grass, but it does have a retractible roof. Jays fans get the best of both worlds. When it's beautiful out, we're outdoors. When it's crappy out like today, we still get to play baseball and remain dry, while not having to worry about rain delays. (Although I do remember getting rained on in '04 I believe when they couldn't get the Dome closed fast enough.)

But happily the game goes on tonight between the Boys in Blue and the Blue Jays.

I started thinking about the comments I made about A.H.H. yesterday (Alomar, Hudson, Hill) in regards to the impact they made in the infield. The below table shows a comparison of some of the guys' stats.Unfortunately my sources didn't have Alomar's innings played with the Jays so I couldn't figure out his range factor. The first line of stats for Hill is for his time at 2nd, the second line is his career numbers, which include time at 3rd and short. All in all, I think this just proves we can all breathe a sigh of relief at 2nd base. Don't worry, I think I'll give the comparion charts a break for a while.

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Dustin McGowan takes the bump to start the series against Brad Penny and the Dodgers. McGowan went 7 innings and gave up 2 earned runs in his start against the Dodgers in LA, but lost when Accardo blew his 2nd save of the season. That same night, Penny went 7.2 innings and gave up 1 earned run, but wasn't credited with the win.


Enjoy the game and stay dry wherever you are.
I certainly will be trying to.
JaysGirl5

Ahhh! Return of the Master Zaunbie!

Okay, other than Doc's return this year, I'm the happiest to finally see Gregg Zaun back behind the plate. More than anything I missed his presence. I wouldn't call him a sparkplug in the same way Reed Johnson is (how much longer 'til he comes back?), but I do think he has a great way about him behind the plate. He catches a great game and always feels to me to be a solid rock anchoring the infield behind the plate. There's also the familiarity that Doc comments on here.

And the "Rock On"s go to...

• Vernon Wells for hitting his first homerun since May 20th;
• Frank Thomas for becoming the all-time leader in DH homeruns, and 4 away from 500;
• Shaun Marcum for striking out 11 (career high), although he's not a strikeout pitcher; and
• Aaron Hill for coming out of nowhere to throw out Austin Kearns in the top of the 6th yesterday. Anyone else think that was destined to be a hit? Yeah, I thought so. Orlando who? Check out Hill's Diving Stop. (It's on the right, under Multimedia.)

The guys have the day off today, and start a series against the Dodgers tomorrow. Somehow I ended up with tickets to 2 games against the Boys in Blue, but Thursday is Ladies Night which is always a good time. It should be interesting to see who from the team shows up. If I was a betting person, I would say Curtis Thigpen might make an appearance this season depending on how long he's up with the team.

To date, the Jays that have appeared at Baseball 101 this season are:
- Shaun Marcum
- Jeremy Accardo
- Aaron Hill
- John McDonald
- Casey Janssen
- Adam Lind


Things to Ponder

Ken Griffey is only 20 homeruns away from 600. Frank Thomas is 4 away from 500. For some reason, it feels to me those milestones should be reversed. Comparing some numbers...

I dunno. Just seemed...oddly cool.

I don't think anyone would argue that during their respective reigns at 2nd base, Roberto Alomar, Orlando Hudson and Aaron Hill afforded the Jays a high level of defensive comfort. Or, that in the last 17 years (possibly club history?) they've had the some of the biggest impact in the infield for the Jays. Ever notice that together their last names become "A.H.H."? Yeah...I definitely make that sound as I sigh with relief when they were (is, in Hill's case) at the 4 hole.

Lastly, will a month go by where someone doesn't go on the DL? Here's hoping AJ Burnett makes a quick recovery, and that his shoulder is just fatigued. It's unclear who will be coming up from the minors as is being reported will happen, but we could possibly see the lucky #13th debut of a Jays call-up.

Enjoy the day off.

'Til tomorrow...

JaysGirl5

Casey At The Plate...well, on the mound...or in the 'pen...

Happy Friday! I decided to take a day off yesterday along with the team, but back to business.

I forgot to send out a "Rock On" to Justin Verlander for his no hitter the other day...so Rock On Justin.

There was a short, but funny story by the Toronto Star on Howie Clark coming back up with the Jays and everyone saying hello. Apparently AJ Burnett commented about being the only guy on the team that didn't know him already. It was cute.

I realise it's getting to the halfway point of the season soonish, but am I the only one that thought Eddie Murray being fired by the Dodgers was just odd timing? They had just swept the Mets...I dunno.

MLB is going to be opening a possibly nasty and very combustible can of worms if they try to suspend Jason Giambi for comments he made a month or so ago that possibly eluded to him using steroids. I'm not going to comment on whether he should be suspended or not...but it doesn't change the fact that if MLB tries...it could get a little ugly. And to think...things have been going relatively bump-free between MLB and the MLBPA since the latest collective barganing agreement was signed. Oh well...hopefully the situation doesn't reach its full bloody potential.


Casey Janssen: Starter or Reliever

So, I've been thinking about this since Casey was put in the bullpen at the beginning of the season.

I have loved watching Casey pitch since he came up last year in April. He was the first drop and drive pitcher I ever saw...and I just love the look of the delivery. Plus, when watch the camera angle from centerfield, sometimes it looks like he gets upward motion on the ball. I can not work out physics for the life of me, but I know it's possible to get upward movement on a ball because they do in fastball. I'm just not sure if Casey actually does or if it's just an illusion. Either way, it looks cool to watch and I would imagine could be very deceiving.

When you look at the numbers, you might lean towards him being a reliever. But you do have to take into consideration that his 6-10 record last year as a starter was his rookie year. I'm not saying that's an excuse, but there is a little bit of a learning curve as a pitcher when you come up to the majors. I'll use Jesse Litsch as an example.

Jesse makes his debut and wins. He wins 2-1 over the Orioles and pitches 8 1/3 innings. The Os only manage 5 hits off him.

Fast forward to his next start against the Phillies. He loses 5-3, giving up 10 hits and lasting only 4 innings. By this time, advance scouting and video has circulated through the majors, even if it is in limited supply from his first start.

His next (and last) start this season took him to Minnesota where again he gave up 10 hits, lasted 4 1/3 innings this time, and lost 4-3. After two starts there's more video, more advance prep for the opposition in comparison to his first start where there's just not really that much.

Now, my example is not flawless I know. You have to take into account the offence and defence behind Litsch in these games, which were all pretty close scoring. Also consider that Litsch came up from Double A. (Casey came up from Syracuse.)

But I think it at least shows the possibility that with only 5 days between Litsch's first 2 starts, and 10 between his first and last...major league hitters can quickly get your number. There just too many resources at the hands of batters now to even the playing field even a little against a pitcher they've never seen before.

How does this relate to my point? Well, I'm no Elias Sports Bureau and god knows I haven't seen 1/2 as much baseball as there is out there to see or learn about, but I'm not sure if a rookie pitcher has ever gone unbeaten in his rookie year. Sure, not every loss is actually the pitchers fault, but some things you can only learn from experience. Coming up and having the advantage over hitters because they've never seen you in this day and age of baseball I think will only get you through 1 start, if that. I don't think it's unprecendented to think the next start or two might be a little rocky, maybe the next three, before guys really start grasping how to pitch to big league hitters. This doesn't apply to everyone, but I think it's a fair assumption.

So, how does this relate to Casey as a starter or a reliever? I wanted to point out that his record last year doesn't necessarily mean he doesn't have what it takes to be a starter at the major league level. Having seen him as a reliever this year, I like him there. Casey has said many times that he does want to be a starter someday, but I think it's a little telling that the Jays haven't given him a shot in their starting rotation yet this season, and I think there has been an oppotunity or two. Granted, at first he was part of the bullpen punch and the best long reliever the Jays had (and needed.) With Brian "Wolvering" Tallet's more recent success in late innings, and the bullpen getting better everyday...Janssen might become a little more expendable to the rotation if need be. But I'm thinking the Jays like him where he is right now.

As I've said before, I'm a big proponent for as much diversity in the rotation as possible. Whether it be what arm pitchers throw with, their arm angle, speed, deliver, whatever. I think the more differences you can throw at a team over a 2-4 game series, the better. Look around the majors, and especially the AL and the AL East (who see the Jays the most), is there anyone else who pitches with the drop and drive? I guess the only question is if that different look is better suited as a change of scenery from the starter the day before or the guy on the mound the batter before.

I'm not a major league hitter (hahaha!) or a coach so I can't make that call. But I tip my hat to Casey for his effectiveness out of the 'pen when he wasn't even slated to make the trip north. And, I will forever hold a special place in my heart for him because like me, he doesn't care who wins the Stanley Cup and just thinks hockey's on T.V. a lot up here. (Okay, I'll admit...I'd like the Leafs to win sometime in my life so I don't have to keep hearing about them not winning every year, and it would be a great party only beaten by a Jays World Series win. But it still doesn't mean I really care.)

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Doc goes for lucky #7 tonight as the Jays start their first at-home inter-league series of the season against the Nationals. (Oh how I wish they were still the Expos. Scott Carson makes a good point in his column this week.) Mike Bacsik goes for the Nationals. Look for Gregg Zaun to (hopefully) make his return behind the plate tonight and Frank Thomas' return to the lineup.

As much as I love baseball, the Harry Potter fan in me is in overdrive because of the upcoming book and movie release. Proof? When I first looked at Bacsik's name on the Jays' site...I had to do a double take to make sure it didn't say "Basilisk".

Enjoy the game, Flashback Friday with Tom Henke and the rest of the weekend.
JaysGirl5

Sally Baby, heard you got sent down by the team...

Note: Again, sing the title...along to "Santa Baby". I like music, okay?

So...where to begin.

Last night sucked. 'Cause the Jays lost, but more so 'cause they lost AJ Burnett during the game. Knew something had to be up when he double over after pitching to Ryan Klesko. First you think it's in his side or something, maybe his groin or something. That seems to be what everyone thought.

Only a few pitches later he did what I'll call the "one-shoulder forward shrug". You know what I mean when you see it. It's always the tell-tale sign that something's wrong with a pitcher, ESPECIALLY when they do it with their pitching shoulder. I knew it wasn't the hand or forearm, or even the elbow 'cause normally pitchers will shake it out. No, it was the shoulder.

AJ had an MRI today, but the results aren't immediately available to quote Bastian. Not sure what's going to happen, but hopefully he won't miss more than 1 start. Josh Towers will start Sunday in place of AJ, which means the starter is T.B.A. for Towers next scheduled start on the 23rd, depending on how long AJ's out.

In other departure news...

Sal is reportedly gone. Designated for assignment. Needless to say this Sal's Pal is sad about it. I can't say I'm 100% surprised, but I'm still saddened. I think Sal is one of the first players that I would like to sit down and talk with. About anything. If I was the type to sit back with a beer, I definitely would with him (as long as he's the type that sits back with a beer as well. You never know.)

The Jays are currently leading the Giants 3-0 in the top of the 4th. Clayton stole 2nd, and Phillips brought him in with a 3-2 single to right. McGowan's walked 3 and struck out 2.

I have one "Rock On" to give out today and it's to AJ Burnett. I look at him and for some reason I see "Big Kid" written on his forehead. I don't think part of him will ever really grow up, but I can't even begin to say how much I'm impressed with and respect the maturity he's showing this year. Look no further than the comment at the end of this article and think back to him on the DL last year at the beginning of his contract. Rock on AJ, rock on.

Since the Jays have the day off tomorrow before playing Washington on Friday, it'll give me a chance to finally get around to Casey Janssen: Starter or Reliever.

Enjoy the rest of today's game.
Until tomorrow,
JaysGirl5

Swing Barry, Barry...Swing!

With the Jays in San Fran, it's hard not to think about the whole Barry Bonds/homerun thing. Personally, I've had varying opinions on the whole matter, but I had an epiphany last night while watching Bonds hit #747.

So here goes...

I will be alive when probably the most storied record in all of professional sports is broken. I don't really care who you are or what sport you like, it's a cool feeling knowing I'll be around for it. It's not like it's going to happen a lot. The record was set, beaten and about to be beaten again. It's taken the majority of the existence of Major League Baseball for it to happen. End of story. Will someone beat the record again? Who knows. Who knows if I'll be alive for it. But I am now.

A lot has been made of Barry Bonds and steroids. Well, I think my epiphany helped me finally take off my rose coloured glasses and realise...before performance-enhancing drugs were banned, lots of guys probably used them to get a leg up. Anything to have a competitive advantage. Is that okay today? No. BUT, and this is a big but, at the time they weren't disallowed. As Leonard Koppett drives home in A Thinking Fan's Guide To Baseball you always have to consider the record/information/statistic in the context of the time.

It's an eternal struggle as a fan of "the game" that guys would chose to abuse their bodies and in my mind tarnish the ideals of fair play. (Something I think MLB has tried to promote more of in the last little while [i.e. luxury tax]). In the end though, better play and better numbers means more money. Major League sports after all, no matter how much you want to romanticize them, are still businesses.

As for surly Barry...who are we to judge? As I read an article about Ted Williams' being cryogenically frozen yesterday, his daughter made a good point. Williams' never wanted to be famous. He just wanted to be the best hitter in Major League Baseball. I can't be sure, but I'm thinking being famous might not be in the top 3 priorities for pro athletes. Not in the same way for wannabe rock stars or actors, maybe.

However, at the end of the day, the guy gets paid millions of $$$ to play a game. A game only a very select few ever get the chance to play at the level he does. That a large part of the population aren't even close to being good enough to play in the minor leagues. A game that 1/2 of the population (women) don't even have the opportunity to make a sustainable living playing. Understandably, people get surly with Barry when Barry's surly with them. Including me sometimes.

Does that make it okay? Maybe, maybe not. I'm starting to think there might be a sliding scale of surliness in relation to notoriety. The more notoriety, the higher the possibility (and maybe, sadly, probability?) of surliness. Still, that doesn't mean it is or isn't okay. It's just offereing a possibility to put the whole thing into context.

The more I think about it, the more I kinda wish San Fran was coming to Toronto so I could possibly see Barry hit one out in person. Whether it's the record breaking or record extending one, I don't care. I get to be a part of history, and I think any true baseball fan loves that feeling.

So I say "Swing Barry, Barry...Swing!" with no malice, no hate, no mal-intent. Just the love and support of a true baseball fan who finally realises how precious this moment is going to be in baseball history. I'm just glad I realised it before it was too late.

Last point though. I wish people would stop getting on Hank Aaron's back for saying he's not going to follow Barry around while he chases down the record. Would you want to? Aaron devoted 22 years to the major leagues alone. That doesn't count his years in the minors. He's given more than enough time to baseball. He's retired now. I don't blame him for not wanting to spend more time away from his family and the life he's built for himself away from baseball, just to follow a guy around who's breaking a record he set. I can't say for sure, but maybe Aaron's moved past it. Everyone else should too. Stop focusing on Aaron not being there, and start focusing on the momentous event that's probably going to happen in the next 2 wks (I'd say.)

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Game two against the Jays and Giants goes tonight. AJ Burnett (sometimes I just wanna call him "Wild Thing") goes for the Jays as the Giants counter with Noah Lowry. Maybe I jinxed the Jays yesterday since they didn't seem to be able to win 3 road games in a row. As long as they win the series. I won't even mind if Barry hits another homerun as long as it's not the game winning run. Towers didn't pitch bad, I think he starting getting fatigued. Go Jays Go.

Until tomorrow.
JaysGirl5

Visitin' The San Fran Bay...

*Note: sing the title to the chorus of "(Sitting On) The Dock Of The Bay"*

I realise it's actually McCovey's Cove beside the Giants home park, but still...it was a nice way to start off a Monday morning. Mind you, the Jays taking 2 of 3 from the Dodgers is a nice way to start a week, too.

I'll admit, I was out having a Ladies' Night of my own on Friday, and didn't get to watch all the game. I missed Accardo blowing the save, and the Jays losing in extra innings, but I'm not too sad about it 'cause honestly...who wants to see that? Especially after sitting at work the day before, watching Accardo blow the save on Gameday from the Jays website.

So, that brings us to Saturday. A much better showing I think. Yes, not many people will understand the beauty of a low scoring game like the 1-0 match on Saturday, but I think it was good for the Jays to win one with pitching and defence after losing 2 to pitching miscues in the late innings. Sure the offence is still scuffling, but it's nice to see that for the first time in a few seasons the defence and pitching are making up for the lack of the pop in the bat.

Think about it...in years before if Doc wasn't pitching and the offence was scuffling...you'd kinda cringe a little if the opposing team started scoring runs. This year, I don't really cringe anymore. I have faith in the defence and I have faith in 4 out of 5 spots in the rotation. It's the elusive consistent 5th starter that we need. Here's hoping Towers will pull it out tonight.

Now, Sunday. That was just great. Sure after the bottom of the 1st when the Dodgers got the 2 runs off Doc, you started to wonder how the rest of the start was going to go. I still have pretty close to unwaivering faith in Doc, but the man had his abdomen cut open a month ago today. You have to give him the benefit of the doubt. BUT, and this is what he was unable to do against the Rays and possibly in his other two disastrous starts...he came back out and effectively made adjustments to set down the next 11 Dodgers starting in the 2nd. Before he set to work mowing down the Boys in Blue, Doc helped himself out by getting his first ever R.B.I. with a beautiful single up the middle.

A couple "Rock On"s to distribute:
- Doc for becoming the 1st Jays pitcher with a multi hit game;
- John McDonald for going to 3rd on the throw to 1st to get into scoring position for Doc;
- John McDonald for playing his 500th career game;
- Omar Malave (Syracuse Skychief's manager) for achieving 1000 career wins; and
- Matt Stairs for just being awesome, and taking a look at the guy's pizza this weekend. (Anyone who watched the games knows what I mean.)

I know I said I was going to talk about Casey Janssen soon, and I'm going to. I'm still getting my thoughts together. Until then, just a few thoughts on 2 GREAT utility guys: Johnny Mac and Matt Stairs.

I have never questioned Johnny Mac's ability defensively and he always seem to do something little at the plate or on the base paths that help the team. I was sad to see him go to the Tigers in '05, but have never looked back since we got him back last season. I don't think Johnny or the Jays have either.

I will always love the idea of Canadians playing with the Jays' big club and I'm sure any Canadian player somewhere deep down would think it's cool, too. I'll admit I hadn't watched too much of Matt Stairs' career before he came to Toronto. I knew who he was, knew his reputation, but never really knew specifics. I can say that I was super happy when he signed with the Jays. Again, I'm thinking the Jays and Stairs are in the same boat. Yes, I've loved Stairs' bat and ability to chip in defensively with Johnson and Overbay down. I think what I've loved most though is that of all the Jays he just seems to be the most jovial and publicly goofballish. Don't forget how much I love the lighter side of baseball, and although he has a self-proclaimed "big ass and big legs", he's definitely lightened things in the clubouse, at least atmosphere-wise.

Two quotes I loved this weekend...

- "If you had nine of him, you might have an unbeatable team." -- John Gibbons, on Stairs

- "I went up to [Jays hitting coach Mickey Brantely] after his second hit and I said, 'I want to learn how to hit like Roy,'" Toronto catcher Sal Fasano said. "He made it look easy. He didn't even take BP today or anything. He just came out there raking. It was awesome."

"I'm just lucky," Halladay said with a grin. "It wasn't a product of being prepared."

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The Jays hit the San Fran/Barry Bonds Sideshow for a 3 game set. Towers is on the mound for his first start since April 27. Matt Morris is on the mound for the Giants. Let's hope the Jays can win 3 road games in the a row for the first time all season. Considering the Giants have lost their last 3, the Jays just might have a chance.

Until tomorrow...
JaysGirl5