These are a few...

Of my favourite things.

• Doc wearing the retro jersey tonight;
• VDub stickin' with the club and being a fan in the dugout;
• Hill liking no;
• Casey Janssen opening the wallet schedule (that folds out like 12 times) so he knows when he gets to see the team;
• the fact the Jays didn't get swept last night;
• AJ using NKOTB's "Hangin' Tough" as his warm up music for the last couple starts at home; and,
• OverFence calling AJ a dork for his song choice. Welcome to the Dork Club AJ.

I gotta say, as frustrating as AJ Burnett can be with his inconsistency on the mound, he seems like a baseball player who knows how to find the fun. Maybe a little too much sometimes, but at least he seems to be enjoying himself. From the funky Vanilla Ice style mohawk/'do to NKOTB to chilli races to pieing Doc last season (braver man than me!), I like the fact that he doesn't seem to forget that he gets payed a lot of money to play a game for a living and enjoys doing so.

That being said, I'd totally trade some of the fun for some more consistency. Last's night start wasn't too, too bad I guess.
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Doc Halladay (4-5) hits the hill against Zack Greinke (5-1). Should be a pretty good pitcher's game. Anyone else feel like Doc's record should be close to or better than Greinke's? Note to the offense...continue what you've been doing this week as far as hitting runners in from scoring position. You can quit leaving the bases loaded so much without scoring any runs, though. Check out Numbers Game in Bastian's blog.

Enjoy the series against the Royals.
Here's hoping the Jays can put a few wins together back-to-back.
With Doc on the mound, there's a good chance.
JaysGirl5

P.S. Don't worry...the team's back on the television airwaves starting tomorrow. Maybe they finally took Scott Carson's words from a few years back to heart. If you want more people to watch your team play, make them have to come out to the ballpark when the team's at home...Wonder if it worked?

Rome Wasn't Built in A Day...

And I think we should keep in mind that this early in the season, the division can't be lost in a day yet either. It's getting close to that point, but the fact that no one's run away with the AL East or Wild Card is helpful.

I'm at work right now watching the Angels take batting practice, so I thought it might as good a time as any to finally update again.

A lot's happened since I last blogged. We lost the Mactasticness, Eck, VDub and Squirrel (a.k.a. Jeremy Accardo. The nickname comes via my roomate.)

As much as last night's loss sucked (bases loaded 3 times and NO RUNS!!!), the Jays haven't faltered as much as many thought they would when Vernon went down on his wrist. Scutaro has been playing well as short in the absense of Eckstein and McDonald, so I applaud him there.

The Kevin Mench and Brad Wilkerson signings, well...I'll just leave those alone. I was having a Facebook wall post sessions with someone about the Jays. I'll summarize it for you because I think it makes sense. My comments will be in purple.

- When Vernon went down I thought if only Reed were still here. Reed doesn't do any one thing exceptionally, not enough to be an everyday player. You don't need all-stars at every position, but a nice mix of all-stars and regular joe work horses.

- Enough bargain bin shopping, and start using what you've got. Adam Lind not being called up to play in the outfield everyday (at least while Vernon's on the DL) shows a lack of direction and bad management. I blame J.P. Riccardi for the lack of depth in position players in the minors and we need to have a manager with more presence, instead of a GM.

There was more, but that sums most of it up. I know I was echoing thoughts from Jamie Campbell, but I do whole heartedly agree. If Adam Lind is supposed to be the left-fielder of the future (which pre-season signings and in season moves have set up nicely for him to be so), why not get him more service time the majors? He's proved he can play here before and not giving him the chance shows a complete lack of faith. If I were Adam Lind, even though baseball's a business and not personal, I'd have a hard time believing anything Riccardi or Gibbons say to him about him being the everyday LF in years to come.

I should get back to work. I'm trying to post most and keep on top of the things that happen between posts so I can comment on them if I feel the need. It just seems like when I have the time, there's not much to say and when I don't have the time there is.

• Jon Lester for pitching a no-hitter.
• Rod Barajas for driving 5 runs in one game via the long ball; and,
• Doc and Jesse for coming in an pitching some great relief over the weekend. Too bad only people with Sportsnet East got to watch you, Doc. Stupid hockey.

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Shaun Marcum takes the mound against Jon Garland. This should be a pretty good pitching match up. Both pitchers come in with 4 wins, but Garland has 3 losses to Shaun's 2. By far, Shaun's 2.50 ERA blasts Garland's (4.32) out of the ballpark.

Enjoy the game, even though it's not on TV. Try not to freeze or get soaked in the crappy weather in S. Ont tonight.
JaysGirl5

P.S. I've just gotta say...I finally figured out the sentiment I was trying to capture about Yankee fans last year. It's the same mentality that Canadians seem to have about hockey. Entitlement.

So to all the Canadians out there, just 'cause hockey's our sport doesn't mean we're entitled to anything. Yankee fans, same deal different sport. Just 'cause your team has one of the most documented franchises and largest fan bases, doesn't mean you're entitled to squat. You're a baseball team just like the rest of us.

May is a new month...

And THANK the baseball gods for it. April sure brought showers...showers of crapiness.

I think this is the first time I might be able to slightly understand why Leaf fans get so frustrated the years their team has the talent to win. To watch the Jays as much as I do and to see them not win the way they have...it really is heartbreaking. At least last year you could explain the lack of production on the injuries and playing time to those who might not have been the best to help up the teams offensive numbers. Scott Carson says it much better than I here. I will say that I agree about the Mickey Brantley move. Not that I dislike Denbo, but hey...dude...if you're M.O. isn't working, try something else. I do have a sort of funny experience with the new job, Denbo and some of the Jays...I might get to it later in this post, but I'll share it eventually.

I will say that I've been happy with the Jays playing more small ball this season so far. True, this might be because they have to try and get something going more to score runs, but hey...I'm just hoping that if somehow they do start hitting for more extra bases and/or power, they don't forget how to use their speed. With Rios now hitting at the top of the order, there's more speed up top to be used. I've been liking Hill in the 2 hole, but it does seem like he starts to press when he's in that slot for too long. I think changing him out of the 2 for lower in the order, and putting Eck up in the 2 could be a nice (small) tweak to the lineup to keep everyone on their toes. At this point, I don't think anyone's done enough offensively (except maybe Rolen) to be guaranteed a certain spot in the lineup.

Rock ons...

• to the return of Mactasticness in the top of the 5th inning tonight. On Johnny...how I've missed your pretty skills;
• Shaun Marcum for 4 out of 5 quality starts this season, which I think it being 5 of 6 after tonight's game;
• Shaun Marcum for being a strikeout pitcher (2 outings with 8 strikeouts this year, tonight's with 9); and,
• Roy Hallaway for having 32 complete games in the last few years. More so that some whole pitching staffs in the MLB.

As much as Eckstein can be entertaining to watch and all...anyone else see an argument being made for Mactastic to get more playing/starting time? Considering all the low and close scoring games the Jays have played so far, you can't really take the defensive hit at short for the offensive boost (HAHA!) in the lineup. Yeah, really...what offensive boost. Both guys that were brought in to lead off...one's hardly seeing any action except from the bench and the other's been demoted in the lineup for someone the Jays already had. Anyone else missing Reed?...At least the Cubbies have kept up the tradition of being nice to ex-Jays.

The one thing I've been really happy with since my last post is the return of Lindy (Hop). Yeah, yeah...stupid nickname for Adam, but deal with it. I always figured that he would come up in September, and would take over LF from Stairs next season and Stairs would move (pretty much) into full-time DH mode once Thomas left. Stewart's only here a year, so he wouldn't be in the mix. I'm proud to say...it seems like the Jays have just moved up the plan I forsaw them following. I've always liked Lind. His defense was lacking when he first came up in Sept. a few seasons ago, but he's worked on it and he's gotten a lot better. Sure...he might never be as good as Toronto's favourite billy goat, but still...he has a really nice,natural swing, and is another left handed bat in a pretty right-handed heavy 25 man roster.

This just thought...maybe Reed Johnson will be the goat that brings the Cubs to the Series, instead of keeping them from it. Here's hopin' for them...

I think that's about all for me tonight. I'm at a retreat and I want to get back to actually watching the game. I'm going to be working the whole Tampa series so it should be interesting.

Mactasticness AGAIN tonight as Johnny grabs the ball deflected by Rollie's glove and gets the out in the top of the 8th. Dude...you're Mactastic. No other word covers it.

Enjoy the rest of the series against the Sox. I'm not sure how much I'll actually get to watch, but it should be good.

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Jesse Listch goes tomorrow against John Danks. Good luck Pinky...getting your 4th win. Keep the score down, let your d go to work like we know it can...and you just might get it.

Stay dry this weekend, and keep hoping the Jays can win as much in May as they lost in April. So far...so good, I guess?

JaysGirl5

P.S. I'll tell the Denbo story next chance I get.

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

The game that never was...

It’s easy to wax poetic about Opening Day, or…the makeup game because Opening Day was rained out. There really is nothing like knowing that after weeks of games that don’t mean anything, that it’s time for meaningful baseball again. For one day of the season, every team and every player is perfect.

That’s not to say that to die-hards players and teams aren’t perfect in their own way throughout the season, but at least on opening day they don’t have the baseball world and stats telling them otherwise.

All of the baseball previews I’ve seen have ranked the Jays 3rd in the AL. Nothing new. So what. I think other than roster changes, two of the biggest things to hit this team this season are attitude adjustments.

A lot has been said about Doc speaking out not quite as vaguely as usual. Aaron Hill said it right on Jays Connected/The Season: ’08 Jays this past Sunday…Doc leads by example. He’s not very vocal, so when he does say something, you listen.

I don’t think it takes a rocket scientist to see that last year (and even years before) the Jays didn’t always take all their opposition seriously. Sure, the Yanks and Sox they had to beat. Those games are must win every time. What about the other 120ish games you have to play? That’s where the other attitude change comes in.

Scott Rolen got it right* when he said it’s not just about beating the Yankees and the Red Sox, it’s about winning enough games to make it to the post-season.

My take on it…if they happen to be 2 of the teams you have to play a lot to play in October, okay, but you still have to win enough games to get there (somewhere higher than mid-80s). True, as a Jays fan, any time you can stick it to the Yanks and Sox it’s great, but that doesn’t win you the division or the wild card. At the end of the season when other teams are staying warm in the autumn air still playing baseball, memories and gloat-worthy victories don’t really keep you warm.

The Jays have the talent to win the majority of the games they play. Is that being cocky? I don’t think so. Biased? Don’t think that, either. I don’t think every game is going to be a blowout or a sure win (since there really isn’t such a thing), but that doesn’t change the fact that the scale might be slightly tipped their way going in. True, there might be some chinks in the roster, but what team doesn’t have some? But you look around at the lineup and pitching staff, and you know they can do it. (Okay, so that last sentence might be a teensy bit biased. I love my team, so kill me!)

Still, in the end it doesn’t really matter to me what happens. I’m just glad they’re back. I’m looking for Doc to have another great year. It’s kinda cool to see Stew back, even though Reed had to go to Chicago. Shannon was a part of the Fab 5 Jays when I was younger and I have fond memories of watching them play. The Windy City was good to another Fab 5er (Gonzo), so here’s hoping they’ll be great to Reed.
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Doc faces off against Chein-Ming Wang tonight at 7:05. The actual game probably won't start closer to half past, since this is the last Season Opener at the current Yankee Stadium. Reports are that Stairs won't be in the lineup today and might land on the DL. Bad things happen in 3s and Stairsy would be Jay #3 on the 15-Day DL this year (if it happens).

Enjoy the game!
I'm SO Glad the baseball in BACK!
JaysGirl5

*Another quote from JaysConnected this past Sunday. I really do love that show.