Long Time Coming...

Needless to say, posts have been few and far between lately. It's not for a lack of wanting to post...mainly a lack of time to do so.

See...this lucky girl started a part time job for MLBAM this season. Dream come true, get to be in my fave place every home game, etc., etc....but let's just say that dream job + regular day job = hardly enough time to sleep. It doesn't help that it's year end time at the reg. job...so it's pretty hectic. Things will quiet down soon, so I hope to be posting on a more regular basis.

As for the season so far...

I can't say 100% that I'm completely convinced the '08 Jays have gotten rid of all the ghost of '07. Sure, no massive exodus to the DL or anything like that...but does anyone else see the inconsistency of play that the Jays have showcased, not just last season, but season's past? I don't think it can be just me. A lot has been said about not playing down to teams and such, but a big part of that (and maybe the whole part) is just being consistent. No 11 runs one game and 1 run two games later kind of thing.

Okay...the small concession I'll make on that last point is that if one night you need 11 to win and the next 1's all you can get (to win) in a great pitcher's duel...that happens. But I have a hard time not believing that if the Jays could manage to be more even-keeled over the course of the season, October baseball would come north again. Sweeps are nice and all, but I'm more concerned with winning series.

I can't get past the look on Doc's face tonight after the loss...I wanna say it was a "what more can I do?" look...because you know Doc's thinking it, but it's not true. In none of the losses the Jays have had this season can you pinpoint it on one person. Last night's 14 inning showcase of the Jays inconsistent play is a perfect example. I commend and respect Zaunie and AJ all the more for both taking the blame for the loss, but I think I put the blame on the offence. Had they managed to score even 1 run in the multitude of chances they had up until AJ's wild pitch, that situation would have never happened. Sure if Zaunie hadn't let that ball go by, the Rangers might not have scored. But...then we still might be playing the game...so...

What I will say about the '08 Jays is that there are a few pleasantries so far. I've always loved watching Eckstein play, even though he was a pain in the collective Blue Jays ass before be became a Jay. I think he's fitting in nicely so far and starting things at the top of the order. Also, one of the perks of the part-time gig is that I get to watch batting practice every day (sometimes even a little on the field) and I think it's awesome that Eck wears a helmet even during BP, then uses it as a basket to gather balls with when his BP group's session is done. Yeah, small and weird fact, but oh well.

As for the pitching, I will say that I've been quite impressed with Jesse Carlson. I must say that striking out the side with the bases loaded was awesome and he seems to have a good idea what he's doing. I want to say I'm surprised by Shaun Marcum, but I don't really think I can. Last season I saw in him a good example of the even-keeledness (is that a word?) that I wish the team as a whole could have. He seems to have a good ability to stay within himself on the mound, and seems to slot in really nicely in the back end of the rotation. My only concern with him last year was endurance, as he never had pitched that many innings in a season before. It seems that might not be an issue this year as he worked hard on conditioning in the offseason, but it's early days yet.

Just some random thoughts before I catch some sleep...
- Yay for Doc making it out of Texas without some kind of freak accident and with a win!
- I really am enjoying the powder blues the guys will be doning on Friday night.
- It was pretty cool when I walked into work today and saw Pat Hentgen hanging out in the media area at the Dome. It was also pretty cool when I almost bumped into him on the way to the washroom. I seem to do that a lot, as I almost completely ran into J.P. Riccardi on my second day as I was exiting the ladies. _______________________________________________________________________
Kenny Rogers (0-3) and his Tigers come to town to face David Purcey, who is making his major league debut. Detroit comes to town with a 5-11 record, the second worst record in the majors (Washington is last at 4-12). Hopefully the Jays can get back to winning ways against the Gambler. Good luck David on your debut!

That's it for me. Tomorrow's my first night on the baseball gig by myself. Wish me luck, and enjoy the game.
JaysGirls5