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.

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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.

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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.

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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

Blue Birds Fly West to play Boys in Blue

There was a time I would watch Dodger games when they were on because Shawn Green was playing in blue, but now that he's back on the East Coast, I don't really follow the Dodgers anymore. I do like their simple logo, but that's beside the point.

A lot has been made about Inter-League play. I loved it when the Expos would come to town around Canada Day and there would be a big celebration. I loved it last year when on my grad night, Carlos Delgado made his return to Toronto. I sometimes enjoy seeing the pitchers take a hack, but otherwise Inter-League play has lost it's lustre. Even the Subway series isn't interesting anymore and neither really is the Chicago showdown. I realise other fans still love it, but as a die-hard of an AL team, it really sucks that my team is at a disadvantage for quite a few games of the season because the pitchers do have to bat and there's no DH.

I don't think MLB is going to get rid of Inter-League any time soon, but I think it would be cool if they 1) lessened the games against the NL, and increased them in the AL, and 2) switched it so that AL rules apply in NL parks, and NL rules apply in AL parks. Essentially, this would give fans who only have an AL team to watch a chance to see NL style ball first hand and vice-versa. Personally, if those two changes were made, I'd be more interested.

I gotta say, even though Burnett struck out 13 yesterday (how many times has he done that this season?), you can't always count Tampa out. Especially not the way they were hitting Jays pitching in the first 2 games. Just more proof that The Devil Wears Tampa .

Buh-bye Ohka, hello Towers. I like Josh Towers. Yes, he's not the hardest thrower, but I'm a total fan of as much diversity in the starting rotation as possible. Plus, I can't not like a guy who took responsiblity for his very poor performance last year and worked his way back to the majors. Also, he's a huge Halladay fan and until recently wore his socks up. What's not to like?

I've been stewing over the thought of Casey Janssen as a starter or as a reliever. I'll probably blog about it in the next few days, but it does have some food for thought. I don't know what it is, but there's something about his delivery that's just a lot of fun to watch. Especially since he always has a surprised look on his face when he releases the ball. I offer photo proof below.

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Dustin McGowan takes the hill in LA against Brad Penny. McGowan is 0-2 with 1 strikeout in his only hitting appearance in the bigs. Should be interesting to see. One way or another someone's losing streak is gonna end, as the Jays have lost their last 2 and the Dodgers their last 3. Personally...I'm hoping it's the Jays.

Congrats Joe Torre on your 2000th career win.

Enjoy the Boys in Blue showdown tonight, although the Jays are more of a turquoisy-blue colour on their road grays.

Until tomorrow...

JaysGirl5

A surprised Casey Janssen. What, is he surprised his pitch crossed the plate? And believe me, I have more pics of his delivery where he ends with this look on his face. This is just the best one.

That Little Thiggie Went To First Base

Okay, so I guess Curtis Thigpen really isn't *that* little, but at 5'11 he is one of the shorter people on the team. Only 3 guys are shorter than him on the 25-man roster, 4 if you count Reed Johnson. BUT he does make his major league debut tonight at 1st base, and for some reason I couldn't get that blog title out of my head since last night.

On to the BIG news. The Jays won, after going into the bottom of the 9th trailing 11-6. When I got home from baseball (we won 12-9) and saw it was 8-1 in the 4th with Brian Wolfe pitching, I started freaking. They wouldn't say what happened to Doc. Well, he kinda imploded. Pat Tabler and Jamie Campbell talked about whether Doc might be tipping his pitches or something. Doc seems to think it's mechanics. All I know is, no one will be working harder at anything than Doc trying to figure this out. I know he will.

I won't go too much into the details of last night because it's been all covered extensively.
I will say:
- Rock on Aaron Hill for not pressing and walking twice in the 9th to start and end things;
- Rock on Jason Phillips for your double. Sorry I've been saying you weren't memorable for the
past week. You helped out great last night.
- Rock on Jason Frasor. You're doin' good small guy. Keep it up.

I remember watching the last and only time the Jays came back with 6 runs to win in the bottom of the 9th. It was against Kansas City in 2003, and I just remember completely freaking. It was so uplifting to see them come back like that. Just like it was last night.

Three quotes I want to point out from last night after the game...

- "In the back of your mind, you've been going through this for six years, naturally you think, 'Is this going to happen again?' You don't want to think that but you've been through it so much you naturally think about it a little bit." - Carl Crawford.

I think this just kinda shows what I was talking about yesterday. The Rays have some good pieces, but they've never been good as a whole. I applaud the guys who's stuck around for a long time, because it must be very trying and draining to live through that all the time.

- "Anytime your ace struggles, you want to do what you can to erase that loss. Doc's bailed us out of so many situations, for us to be able to do it for him is huge." - Vernon Wells

- "It just shows a lot of heart. When the guys come back, and do what they did tonight...It means a lot to me that they feel that way, but it was a great comeback for our team." - Roy Halladay

All the Jays will be quick to point out that Doc's gotten them out of trouble. For me, it's just another example of how Roy Halladay just really cares about the win for his team at the end of the day. True, he might want to put his perfomance behind him and just get to work fixing the problem.

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Tomo Ohka takes the mound for the Jays against Scott Kazmir for the Rays. After winning last night, the Jays gained a game on the Red Sox. They're 9 games back now. They are now 4 games back in the Wild Card, tied with Minnesota, behind (in order) Detroit, Seattle, and Oakland.

I['m not sure who to root to lose between Boston or Oakland 'cause either way the Jays won't move up in one of the races if they win. Oh well, who am I kidding. I usually always want Boston to lose.

Good luck in your debut Thiggie.
Until post-game tomorrow,
JaysGirl5

Catch Up

So I was wrong on all accounts with my predictions yesterday. I kinda discounted Curtis Thigpen, who the Jays have called up. I guess I wasn't really thinking they'd carry 3 catchers, but I guess if Stairs and Phillips split time at 1st, then it's kinda like 2 catchers. John Thompson was moved to the 60-day DL to make room for Thigpen on the 40-man roster.

I saw Thigpen in Spring Training. He'd come in later in the game, and was neither great nor memorable for me. Much the same Phillips has been the last week or so. But I guess this is a good way to see what the kid's made of. Riccardi was quoted talking about moving Thigpen around in the infield, away from homeplate because he's so athletic. So I guess he could even play some games at 1st. Or, to piggyback on a theory on The Tao of Stieb, you could maybe move Glaus over to first (since he played an inning there in the All-Star game last year) so he doesn't have to tax his legs as much later in the game, and try Thigpen out at 3rd like they were going to in the minors. I highly doubt the Jays will do that at the major league level, but it is a thought. Anything's possible I guess.

However, it remains to be seen what will happen when Zaun rejoins the club this weekend out west. I guess my predictions could still come true in parts. I'm kinda excited to see.

Also, in one of my first posts, I couldn't remember the last name of the ex-Jays' pitcher who was covered in tattoos. Well, it's Justin Miller and he's appeared in 8 games for the Marlins this season with a 4.70 E.R.A. Still not sure if it was him or possibly Justin Speier who got the other's name tattooed on their behind for I think $1000.

Either way, still a funny story.

Enjoy the game tonight. I have baseball, so if it's as fast as Doc's last start I won't really get to see any of it.

Here's hoping I don't freeze on the diamond...
JaysGirl5

The Devil Wears Tampa

Okay, I'll admit it. Cheesy title.

It also could have been "The Devil wears Blue Jays when Tampa's Around". What I mean is that somehow doesn't it seem like the Jays and Rays have played a lot of games in the past few years that really, without being too biased here, should have been won by the Jays?

I don't really know what it was with previous teams, but it almost felt like the Jays played down against the Devil Rays. They went in expecting to win everytime. I don't think any player would admit to this because you never know in baseball (even when it is the Rays), but it's an unconscious thing. Yes, for all intense purposes, the Rays suck. Their team has a lot of young kids, some with a lot of that sometimes curse/curseword potential, but it doesn't change that they're still not very good as a whole. Yet. (See below for further details.)

Now, having said that, I completely love them as spoilers. Near the end of the season in the last couple of years when there was a battle between NY and Boston, knowing that they'd have to play the Rays was always interesting.

I'll admit I got a ticket to see Rocco Baldelli play when he first came up. Did he live up to the hype? Speed wise, yes. Batting and defense? Never really saw enough in person to know. Then he went and tore his ACL playing wiffle ball. I've never played it myself, but I'm still a little perplexed how he managed that one. Note: He's on the 15-day DL again dating back to May 17th. He's had about as much luck personally with the injury bug in his short career, as the Jays have this season so far.

Now Carl Crawford...that guy can run. I'll go see my Jays play anyone, and if it just happens to be the Rays, I won't be sad because it's great seeing Crawford. I like stolen bases, bunts, small ball stuff. If he happens to steal a base or two a series against the Jays, I'm okay with that. As long as he doesn't score because of it. (Note: I'd like to see what Fasano could do with Crawford on the bases. Just sayin'.)

It's always nice to see a guy who could one day be a bonafide Ace, like Scott Kazmir could be. On the Rays he's the Ace. Other teams, he'd maybe be a #2 or #3, but I think someday he could the solid anchor at the start of someone's rotation. Let's hope that if it is the Rays, they get better so that his career numbers represent his stuff and, if he reaches it, his full *gasp* potential.


Yet...

Just to throw it out there, I think someday the Rays will become a little bit more of a formidable opponent. Yes, their payroll is super low and they don't always have luck with their draft picks, but I think eventually things will start to come together. Somehow. Baseball ebbs and flows like everything. As the season goes on, it looks more and more like the Yankee's reign atop the AL East might be ending. The Central is taking over as the tightest (and possibly toughest) division. Will the Rays win the Division in say, the next...5 years? Probably not, but their position as spoilers will become more prominent and I don't think teams will even be subconsciously playing down to them.

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The Jays and Rays kick off their 3 game set tonight as both teams come in having won their last 2. Roy Halladay tries to make it 2-0 sans appendix as Andy Sonnanstine makes his big club debut. I definitely think it would be cool to make your debut against Doc, but that's just me. The Rays have some work on their hands as they've only won 4 of their last 12 games played at Rogers Centre. The Jays lead the season series so for 4-2.

Until tomorrow...
JaysGirl5

Another One Bites the DL

So the big news over the weekend is that yet another Blue Jay is headed for the DL.

Lyle Overbay will be making his first ever stint on the DL after taking a pitch off the right hand, that broke a bone. I've gotta say...broken bones in the hand always kinda freak me out when it comes to ball players. I always remember Eric Hinske never really recovering from the broken bone in his hand in 2003. Although considering both Overbay and Zaun got their hands checked out much sooner than Hinske...I'm not as concerned. At least Jason Phillips didn't break something when he took a foul tip off his hand yesterday.

Props to Adam Lind for making up for leaving 2nd base early. Gotta love 3rd base coach/infield instructor Brian Butterfield being right that Lind was going to win the game for the Jays.


With the day off today, I'm going to tackle some "vs." that I've been thinking about lately.

Halladay vs. Burnett

Halladay is just nasty. I think he is the epitome of what a #1 should be. You hear what players on other teams say about him, and you know it's true. He goes about his business, he never really makes a fuss. I have never heard one bad thing about him. He chose to stay in Toronto. Even with his 2 ugly starts this year, every time he's on the mound you expect the Jays to win.

Allan James Burnett is a little bit of a different story. Everyone has heard how his stuff is good enough for him to win every time out. But his 64-63 career record shows otherwise. Props to him for coming to Toronto (although he was given 55 million reasons), and for having the same first and middle initials as me. When Doc went down, he stepped up because he had to, and now that pressure just needs to be maintained so that he can finally meet his *gasp* potential.

In the end, I don't really think you can compare the two. They have different styles. Doc is...reserved, where Burnett is still a little wild and always kinda will be. As AJ continues to mature, he'll only get better, but he'll always be a little wild because of his incredible right arm. Burnett is more exciting to watch because his stuff is electric. You never really know what's going to happen. The energy is entirely different when watching Burnett and Doc pitch. Doc is by comparison...quiet. He never gets too ruffled. He gets the ball, he throws it. From what I can tell, their pitching styles somewhat match their personalities.

I'll take them as my 1-2 punch anyday.

Fasano vs. Phillips

This is a little bit of a moot point now that Overbay is on the DL, but I'm going to put this out there anyway.

I am totally a Sal's Pal. Got a look at him in Spring Training, and although he didn't hit much he seemed cool. I've also met Jason Phillips, and although he's a nice guy I've gotta say Sal wins this battle for me.

In the past week, Fasano has shown a defensive prowess that for me sometimes rivals Gregg Zaun. He's prevented at least 4 runs from scoring in the last week, and thrown out a couple more potential ones. Not to mention he started off the Jays yesterday with a bunt single. Come on...you gotta give it to a big guy who bunts his way on to start a rally. Plus, he helped Doc with his cutter, making Roy nastier.

Phillips on the other hand hasn't been as exciting to watch. There have been a couple balls I thought he maybe should have caught, but otherwise he hasn't really been that memorable for me in the last little while.

Comparing the numbers (as baseball fans are want to do), Phillips is hitting .245 to Sal's .167. In the stolen base category, Sal is throwing out 27% (3 for 11) of base stealers to Phillips' 12% ( 4 for 34).

On a team when there's already quite a bit of offensive potential, I think you can take the hit offensively to beef up the defense. Especially the way the games have been going lately with a lot of low scoring decisions and really good pitching, I think beefing up the defense would be ideal. Like I said, it is kinda a moot point since Overbay went down.


My Prediction:

When Zaun comes back this weekend, it's possible to keep Phillips and Fasano at the major league level. Both Matt Stairs and Howie Clark can play first, but by playing Stairs there you take away a member of the bench and your backup outfielder, but keep the lefty bat in the lineup. When Reed Johnson comes back, it might be a little different if there's some overlap between his return and Overbay's DL stint. At that point they could send either Phillips or Fasano down, and Adam Lind could become the backup outfielder. That way you wouldn't be losing a left handed bat off the bench if Stairs is playing first a lot, and Adam can still get some major league ABs.

This is all speculation, but it also depends on how much consistent playing time the Jays want Lind to get. 'Cause you gotta believe when Reed gets back, it's going to be Johnson-Wells-Rios in the outfield everyday, except for the occasional off day. I do like the looks of Adam Lind, and his defense has greatly improved since coming up in September last year. But at this point, he's too young and going to be too good to be a backup outfielder, and how can you not want to have Johnson-Wells-Rios trollin' the outfield as much as you possibly can. It'll be interesting to see what the Jays do with the guy responsible for yesterday's win.

The minors have to be considered as well, and who the Jays could call up. Right now, they don't have a straight 1st baseman on the 40 man roster. Kevin Barker is in Syracuse and Chip Cannon is in New Hampshire. That's not to say they couldn't bring them up. It's not also to say that the Jays couldn't call up another outfielder to take Matt's place on the bench if they have him playing 1st. But since Johnson, Rios, Wells and Lind are the outfielders on the 40 man, that would also mean having to make some changes to the roster and possibly exposing someone to waivers if they outright someone to the minors. Who do you remove from the 40 man in that case? A pitcher; Russ Adams, who has been playing better in Syracuse; or Sergio Santos who's still in Double A.

I'm partial to thinking the Jays might just fill the Overbay void from within right now, without dipping into the minors. I could be completely wrong, but with Johnson supposedly coming back around the home series vs. the Dodgers at the end of the month, it's not a huge amount of time to keep the 25 man roster pretty much the same. Plus, the team's already proven they can step up in the face of the injury bug.

Until next time...
JaysGirl5

Doc Hits the Century Mark

I remember being there in 2003 when Doc won his club record 22nd win. Rogers Centre went nuts. I can't say the place was as rocking last night when Doc got his 100th career victory (I'm not sure a lot of people realised it), but it was incredible. I have seen Doc pitch many times, but I think last night was one of my favourite games.

Consider this:
- He had his appendix out 3 wks ago today.
- He pitched 7 innings
- Struck out 7; walked none
- Gave up 6 hits

I was at the game on May 10th when Doc pitched last. It was uncharacteristic. For the first time since before he went back down to Single A, he looked uncomfortable on the mound. Except looking a little tired near the end of his 7 innings, he was typical Doc. Especially when he called Sal Fasano his MVP of the day. As John Gibbons put it "I don't know if there's anybody else out there who can do that." (see the Jays' site for more Halladay praise.)

Congratulations Harry Leroy Halladay. I will never respect a ball player more, and having heard the praise given of you by Casey Janssen at Baseball 101, my respect and admiration are well placed.