Always Thinking About the Jays... and Mike McCoy

Turf of Dreams is very busy studying for exams so posts have been scarce.

Quick recap: Home Opener on Monday was... meh; Romero pitched a gem on Tuesday, taking a no-hitter into the 8th; Brandon Morrow and the rest of the team took a night off on Wednesday; Dana Eveland opened some eyes on Thursday with his second great start of this young season. Today is Friday: the Jays open a weekend series against the Angels at home.

While everyone's been talking about Ricky Romero (obviously), Vernon Wells (boo ya!), Travis Snider (monster homer last night), Lyle Overbay (hitting .077) and Aaron Hill (pulled a hammy), Jhonny Walker Red has been talking about Mike McCoy! He wrote a little player profile on our new version of Joe Inglett. Here it is for your reading pleasure:


The career farm league player is a bit of an enigma in baseball. There are a lot more than we know and they all have the same aspirations of making the big show. Some eventually make it, some get a taste and never make it back and some never make it at all. It seems like a fleeting dream but it’s hard not to admire, at least a little bit, a 29 year old who still hasn’t given up on his boyhood dreams. It takes an immense amount of self confidence and self belief to think that after more than a decade of pursuing your dream you're going to make it. In no other career in life would somebody continue to follow, seemingly, wayward dreams.

Mike McCoy was drafted in the 34th round in 2002 by the St Louis Cardinals. He spent 6 seasons in the Cardinals farm system before being traded to Orioles. After a brief stint in Baltimore he was then traded to Colorado. Throughout his career he has gone through the ups and downs that come with being a career minor league player. His low point: being asked to be the bullpen catcher after the backup catcher went down with an injury. Most people would be long gone by that point; McCoy kept waiting for his opportunity. He finally got it, last season in the stretch run for the Rockies push to the playoffs he got his first taste of Major League Baseball. He appeared in 12 games, 5 total plate appearances and no hits. Pretty scarce statistics, but after 7 years in the minors he had finally made it. Now he was too close to give up.
In November the Blue Jays claimed him off waivers from the Colorado Rockies. McCoy was going to have his first real shot at making an opening day roster. The Blue Jays were a perfect situation for him, a rebuilding franchise looking anywhere and everywhere for players. He’s a versatile player, capable of playing 6 positions and he can add some much needed speed to a slow Jays lineup. In all likelihood he will yoyo between Toronto and Las Vegas a few times this season, but for now he is on a major league roster.
On Thursday, Mike McCoy replaced Aaron Hill, a late scratch, and he delivered. He came up with two hits and an RBI, which were the first of his career. He contributed to a 3-1 Jays win over the Texas Rangers. For most, McCoy didn’t really produce more than a blip on the radar, but for him they were milestones that he has spent a lifetime trying to achieve.

Mike McCoy may never be more than a utility player, the 25th man on a 25 man roster, but for one day at least his lifelong dream came to fruition.


Thanks again to Jhonny Walker Red for picking up the slack while Turf of Dreams is slumping. Happy Exam Season to all students!

The New Turf

Here's a picture of the new turf at Rogers Centre, courtesy of new Jays blogger Megan Robinson.

Happy Home Opener Jays Fans!

Jays Sweep the Orioles!

The Jays completed a sweep of the Orioles with a 5-2 win this afternoon at Camden Yards. Some more late-inning heroics from Blue Jay hitting. This time, it was Jose Bautista hitting a two-run homer after Johnny Mac reached on an error (all with two outs).

The Blue Jays are now 5-1, which is exactly what their record was a year ago to date.

Shaun Marcum had another great start and Scott Downs remains perfect through 3.1 innings. Kevin Gregg got the job done in the 9th.

It was the replaceable parts providing the offense for the Jays today: all the Jays runs were scored on home runs from Alex Gonzalez (2), Jose Bautista, and Edwin Encarnacion.

Vernon Wells came back down to earth in Baltimore after ripping it up in Arlington. One single and a couple of walks was the extent of his offensive contribution in 3 games against the Orioles after carrying the bats in the previous series. Let's hope he gets back on track at home where he should get a nice enough welcome from the fans. You know what's really discouraging? I've read in several places that the Jays should hope that he puts up all-star numbers so that they can move him and his contract at some point this season. That's very reasonable and I can understand why it would benefit the Jays to do that, but it is really depressing as a fan: you're cheering for someone to do well so that he can get the hell out. Humbug.

Tomorrow is the home opener. All I have to say is: "WHO GIVES A FOCK?!" Right, Alex? That guy is going to get the shit booed out of him. It's funny how Jays fans are pretty quiet when it comes to showing appreciation for good players not named Roy Halladay, but they're some of the best booers in the league. That was quite a number we did on A.J., let's try to match that with Rios tomorrow. It doesn't take much to get inside his head.

Opening Day Running Diary

The Jays rallied in the 9th to score 3 runs off of Frank Francisco. Vernon hit his 4th (4th!!!!!) home run of the season to ensure the blown save. This one was damn clutch. Ricky Romero pitched seven unreal innings and deserved better than a no-decision.

Now that we're all feeling good about the Jays winning their first series of the season, let's re-visit Opening Day (who cares if it's a little bit of a buzz-kill?).

Turf of Dreams has its first guest blogger: Jhonny Walker Red!
Some fans watch the game while drinking, some watch the game while taking notes... he does both. Here's his running diary of the opener:

BLUE JAYS 2010 OPENING DAY RUNNING DIARY

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. With that said, here is a Bill Simmons inspired running diary.

1:31 PM- I’m setting the over/under of Roy Halladay references in this broadcast at 8.5

1:34 PM- Alex Anthopoulos seems to be saying all the right things.

1:35 PM- The Roy Halladay count is already at 3. It appears that Jamie Campbell took the over.

1:43 PM- It appears as though Aaron Hill’s hairline is afraid of the front of his head.

1:45 PM- Watching Jamie Campbell introduce Buck Martinez, in his old position, seems kind of cruel. Much like watching a Jamie Campbell broadcast.

1:48 PM- A nice replay of David Eckstein’s only relevant contribution in a Jays uniform. Too bad it was him knocking Aaron Hill out for the majority of the 2008 season.

1:50 PM- Not only are we inundated with constant Halladay references, we get to see highlights of him in his first Phillies start. It seems like Rogers is having a hard time letting him go.

1:54 PM- Ron Washington is the type of manager the Jays should target once the Cito Gaston farewell tour is over.

1:55 PM- Halladay reference count is up to 7. This is the Blue Jays season preview right?

2:02 PM- I already like the Buck Martinez and Pat Tabler combination. Now we need to come up with an appropriate nickname for these two.

2:07 PM- With 1 at bat under his belt, Jose Bautista has made it clear he will frustrate me all year long.

2:11 PM- Nice start to the season for Vernon. Lind set the table and Vernon did the dishes. Jays 2, Rangers 0.

2:13 PM- I know I am not the only one hoping that Overbay rakes everything this year so AA has an easier time flipping him and getting Wallace some at bats.

2:17 PM- If Guerrero can return to his old form, this Texas Rangers lineup will be scary good. We have also had our first in game Halladay reference.

2:20 PM- Marcum is looking sharp early. Good news for Jays fans.

2:25 PM- They have put an end to the fireworks display at the end of Jays wins at the Rogers Centre, out of respect to Encarnacion.

2:33 PM- I have never understood why most baseball experts don’t see Snider as a fit in the outfield. He seems like he is more than competent out there.

2:39 PM- Feldman seems to have some jitters early on, and the Jays need to capitalize.

2:43 PM- I guess the new contract suits Lind just fine as he hits a solo shot in his second at bat of the season.

2:49 PM- Marcum is really proving why he earned the number 1 spot on this young staff.

2:52 PM- Jays 3, Rangers 0 as Marcum finishes the 3rd off by striking out Andrus.

2:57 PM- Encarnacion provides the first Greg Zaun of the year as he hurls his bat into the first row. Good distance.

2:59 PM- Alex Gonzalez would look more comfortable at the dish with his glove.

3:06 PM- After Encarnacion and Overbay boot a ball around the infield, Wells makes a nice sliding catch in the outfield. This defense is going to fun to watch for better or for worse.

3:09 PM- Snider looks a lot more comfortable at the plate this year. He’s being a lot more selective and not just hacking away.

3:10 PM- Of course he then watches a called 3rd strike sail right down the heart of the plate.

3:19 PM- Shaun Marcum works a quick 5th and the Jays continue to lead by 3.

3:22 PM- Lind starts the season 3 for 3 as he lines another single into right field.

3:27 PM- Marcum’s being efficient as he has only thrown 54 pitches through 5. He’s keeping his changeup low and he continues to nibble on the corners.

3:33 PM- Marcum has quietly racked up 6 K’s through 6.

3:40 PM- The bottom part of the Jays lineup looks very tame. Hopefully Snider can add a much needed spark in the 9 hole.

3:46 PM- First real blemish of the day for Marcum as he walks Hamilton with 1 out in the 7th.

3:47 PM- The first hit of the day for the Rangers Guerrero lines a pitch into right field. Now Marcum needs to bear down.

3:50 PM- Just like that it’s tied. Nelson Cruz lifts, what appears to be a lazy fly ball over the right center field wall.

3:53 PM- Jays 3, Rangers 3 through 7. Tough going for Marcum, he deserves better.

3:55 PM- That’s it for Feldman as the Rangers bring in Neftali Feliz. Feldman did a good job of limiting the Jays to just three runs while he didn’t really have his best stuff.

3:58 PM- Let’s see if somebody other then Lind and Wells can get something going today.

4:00 PM- Naturally Bautista draws a walk and Hill rips a double into the left field corner. 2nd and 3rd with Lind and Wells coming up.

4:02 PM- The Rangers make the smart decision and walk Lind. Let’s see if Wells can deliver in the clutch and earn some or that contract.

4:04 PM- Wells come through in the clutch. Let’s hope we can say that at least a couple more times this year, because we certainly didn’t get to say it last season. Jays 4, Rangers 3.

4:10 PM- Overbay and Buck keep there perfect starts going with a K and a Vernon Wells special (Infield fly).

4:13 PM- Marcum is done, we have the first Scott Downs sighting of the season.

4:14 PM- Buck Martinez has just referred to the bullpen as the strength of the team. That does not sound optimistic.

4:16 PM- Downs works a clean eight inning. The same can’t be said about his hair. Call me nervous anticipating Jason Frasor in the 9th.

4:20 PM- Frank Francisco into the game for the Rangers. He comes in to face the murderer’s row of Encarnacion, Gonzalez and Snider

4:25 PM- With Gonzalez at first, Snider strikes out for the third time today. At least he’s working the count.

4:27 PM- Bautista whiffs on a breaking ball. I guess Texas read the scouting reports. Let the Jason Frasor era begin.

4:31 PM- Michael Young continues to haunt the Jays, quickly doubling to lead off the 9th.

4:34 PM- Frasor catches Hamilton looking and he is only 2 outs away from salvation.

4:37 PM- Hill saves a run by knocking the ball down and holding Guerrero to an infield single. He really is underrated as a defender.

4:38 PM- Before the ink was dry, Frasor coughs up a double to Cruz and we are in full blown mayday mode. Paging Billy Koch.

4:43 PM- Saltalamacchia ends it before I can read his name. There goes the perfect season. 161 to go. Final score Rangers 5, Jays 4.

4:44 PM- Nice start for Marcum he was a little unlucky.


Thanks to Jhonny Walker Red!

Opening Up About Opening Day

So Opening Day has come and gone.

In case you missed it, Shaun Marcum no-hit the Rangers through six innings as the Jays jumped out to a 3-0 lead. Vernon Wells and Adam Lind each had a home run to provide the offense.

The no-no was eventually broken up by a Vladdy Guerrero single, which came right after Marcum had walked Josh Hamilton. The next batter was Nelson Cruz, who belted a three-run homer to right-center. He hit a pitch that was low and away off the end of the bat, which floated out with a little help from the swirling winds at Rangers Ballpark. Tie game.

The Blue Jays would battle right back in the top of the 8th: a walk issued to Jose Bautista and a double from Aaron Hill put runners at 2nd and 3rd for Adam Lind. The Rangers elected to intentionally walk Lind, which brought up Vernon Wells with the bases loaded and one out. Vernon came through with RISP, smacking an RBI single that plated Bautista. 4-3 Blue Jays. Unfortunately, that would be all the damage done, as Lyle Overbay struck out and John Buck flied out to end the inning.

Scott Downs pitched a perfect 8th, and Jason Frasor was brought in to close it out in the 9th.

An Opening Day victory for the Jays was not to be, as Michael Young led-off with a double to right-center, followed by a single, a double, an intentional-walk, and a game-winning single from Jarrod Saltalamacchia. The Rangers won 5-4 in dramatic fashion.

A heartbreaking way to start the season, but once the disappointment faded I started to think about all of the positives.

Shaun Marcum, in his first major league start since 2008, pitched a stellar game. Although he gave up those three runs, he was not hit all that hard. A fantastic start to the season for our new number 1 starter.

Adam Lind went 3 for 3 with a home run just a few days after his new contract extension. He is such a crucial component of this team's offense.

No less crucial is Vernon Wells, who went 3 for 4 and homered in his first at-bat of the season. The Vernon Wells Hatred Advisory System is still stuck at "ELEVATED", but I can sense some optimism brewing amongst the fans. Keep it up V-Dub!

Travis Snider did not have a good day at the plate, getting struck out three times in an 0 for 4 afternoon. However, he's really surprising a lot of people with the quality of his defensive play. He looks slimmer and generally more athletic. A nice diving grab out in left field was the highlight of his day.

I've been reading some of the post-game commentary, and it seems like a lot of people are already sipping the Cito "haterade". I've read criticism of the decision to leave Marcum in after the no-hitter was broken up, and letting Overbay/Buck hit with the bases loaded. The only one that I agree with is not having Randy Ruiz pinch hit for Buck in the 8th with the bases loaded and 2 outs. The Jays needed to tack on some runs, and while Ruiz at first in place of Overbay hurts the defense, letting Jose Molina come into the game to catch does not. If Cito isn't going to use Ruiz in that situation, I don't know when he will.

Overall, not the greatest Opening Day for the Jays, but let's cool out. Patience is a virtue that Jays fans will need to learn if they haven't already. There were glimmers of brilliance in defeat. Hopefully, they bounce back with a solid game on Wednesday. Brian Tallet goes for the Jays... in the name of positivity, no comment. Go Jays!

Don't Leave Adam Lind Hanging!

The Jays have inked Adam Lind to a 4-year deal worth $18 million! Coming off a break-out year, Lind had a big payday coming to him.

In other news, the Jays play their final spring training game against the Astros at Minute Maid Park. Brandon Morrow will start, trying to make a case for his inclusion in the opening day rotation. He's battled some arm fatigue during the latter part of the spring so the Jays will be evaluating his progress. If he's good to go, he will slot in behind Ricky Romero into the number 4 spot.

I'm still waiting for Cito to jump out and yell, "APRIL FOOLS! DID YOU REALLY THINK BRIAN TALLET WOULD BE OUR NUMBER 2??". Of course, April Fools has already passed, which would make him the fool. That's never been more true.

Your 2010 Toronto Blue Jays

This is how the roster will look on opening day (courtesy of Jordan Bastian):

Starting Rotation

1. Shaun Marcum
2. Brian Tallet
3. Ricky Romero
4. Brandon Morrow
5. Dana Eveland

Bullpen

1. Jason Frasor
2. Kevin Gregg
3. Scott Downs
4. Shawn Camp
5. Casey Janssen
6. Jeremy Accardo
7. Merkin Valdez

Lineup

1. Jose Bautista, RF
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
3. Adam Lind, DH
4. Vernon Wells, CF
5. Lyle Overbay, 1B
6. Edwin Encarnacion, 3B
7. John Buck, C
8. Travis Snider, LF
9. Alex Gonzalez, SS

Bench

1. John McDonald, SS
2. Randy Ruiz, 1B/DH
3. Jose Molina, C
4. Mike McCoy, UTIL

A few surprises here. Dana Eveland over Brett Cecil... damn. Although Eveland had a really solid spring so congrats to him. Also, Merkin Valdez won the last-spot-in-the-bullpen sweepstakes. He beat out Josh Roenicke and David Purcey and several others vying for the spot. We already knew that Jose Molina was in and Raul Chavez was out. Another surprise is that Mike McCoy made it! He's the all-purpose man.

Some final thoughts: I just copied this roster posting from MLBastian, so I am not sure if I should look into the ordering. First off, having Tallet as the number two starter to open the season would be... very frustrating to say the least. In order to express how I truly feel about that, I'd have to break apart my computer*. But then I couldn't finish this post. I do suspect that the batting lineup will be as posted, with Travis Snider hitting 8th. I guess that's alright, as long as he gets moved up in a hurry. As in by the end of the first week if he's killing it.

OPENING DAY IS 4 DAYS AWAY!


*Seems like I may have gotten worked-up for nothing. There's a day off after the season opener, so Tallet would be skipped and Romero would start the second game of the season. Also, following this schedule, Romero would be in line to pitch the home-opener. Let's hope that's the plan.

Scrabble and Other News

I'm ready for opening day; Mark Rzepczynski is not. He tried to bare-hand a ball hit up the middle by Ramiro Pena and fractured the middle finger on his pitching hand. According to Cito, he'll be out for up to six weeks.

One man's misfortune is another man's fortune: this injury will shake up the opening day starting rotation. Who will be the beneficiary? My bet is Brett Cecil, who's had a good spring after recovering from a kitchen-knife accident. Dana Eveland has also been mentioned as a possible replacement, but Cecil has more upside and that's what this year is all about, right? Here's my projected opening day starting rotation:

1. Shaun Marcum
2. Ricky Romero
3. Brandon Morrow (I think he'll be ready)
4. Brett Cecil
5. Brian Tallet

Maybe the Jays are just getting all of their bad karma out of the way now before the season starts.

Another piece of interesting news: Raul Chavez has been sent down to the minors, which means that we will have a new catcher and back-up catcher to open the season. The back-up will be one of the Molinas (Jose I believe).

Also, today was an important day considering that it's still spring training. The Jays had their first encounter with Roy Halladay... in the opponents' dugout. Seems like they remembered some of his tricks, tagging him for 4 earned runs over 3 IP. Aaron Hill hit a two run homer! This man is having a great spring.


5 DAYS UNTIL OPENING DAY!

Notes from Today's Games

Two games to recap today: some of the team made the trip to Fort Myers for a match-up against the Red Sox, while the others stuck around Dunedin to host the Rays.

Blue Jays 2, Red Sox 3

Brett Cecil had a great outing today going 5 innings, allowing only 2 hits, no earned runs. He also racked up 4 strikeouts. He faced a lineup that featured Marco Scutaro, Mike Lowell, Youkilis, Ortiz and J.D. Drew so a lot of regulars in there.

Edwin Encarnacion, in his second game of the spring (he missed the first few weeks with a sore wrist), went 0 for 2 with a walk and a strikeout.

Vernon Wells and Travis Snider both went 0 for 3.


Blue Jays 10, Rays 14

Well, as you can tell from the score, not a very well-pitched game. Shaun Marcum got lit up for 9 earned runs (WHAA??) over 5 innings. He gave up two-run homers to Evan “Don’t Call Me Eva” Longoria and B.J. Upton. Maybe it’s good that he got this meltdown out of his system before the real games start…

On the positive side, Aaron Hill continued to swing a hot bat going 3 for 4 with a double and a stolen base. He’s now batting .417 this spring. I know spring training games don’t mean anything, but is everyone still sure that he won’t repeat his 2010 numbers? ZiPS projection at fangraphs has Aaron hitting .275, 19 HR, 73 RBI in 2010. Hmm… I guess we’ll see, but Aaron’s had a great spring.

Michael McDade, fresh off a game-tying and game-winning hit a few days ago, went 3 for 5.

J Bau went 0 for 4 against right handed pitching today. We’re going to see a lot of that this season.


Other News:

Lyle Overbay suffered what is being described as a “left knee contusion”. Jordan Bastian tweeted that he’s day-to-day. Love the way Drunk Jays Fans reported it: “Lyle Overbay Injured, Retards Rejoice”. They’re right: even if you’re a zealous Randy Ruiz supporter, the Jays will probably be looking to trade Overbay at some point in the season, and the better he plays, the higher his trade value. Plus, Overbay has quietly been one of the Jays’ steadiest producers at the plate (.372 OBP in 2009).

Brandon Morrow said he “felt good” after his bullpen session today. He claims he’ll be ready to start the season as a member of the rotation and not the disabled list. He’s slated to pitch a minor league game on Monday, followed by a five inning spring training start 8 days from now (April 3rd).

The news is not as good for Dustin McGowan. He hasn’t shown much improvement since getting shutdown for a week due to “dead arm”, so they’re giving him some more time to rest. Cito announced today that he will get two more weeks off before starting to throw again. I’m trying to stay positive, but … damn. I really hope we see him pitch at an elite level this season; it would be a great story considering all of the set-backs and obstacles he’s faced in the last two years.


OPENING DAY IS 10 DAYS AWAY!

Vernon Wells or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Our Center Fielder

For me, it all started to unravel on May 31, 2006. Just a day before I had witnessed from my seat at the Skydome a three home run performance and an 8-5 win for the Blue Jays over the Red Sox. Man, Vernon Wells could hit.

Since then, he's had some great games. Later that year, I watched him hit a walk-off homer against Mariano Rivera. There have been several other positive memories along the way. Yet, my level of devotion and adoration has never reached the same heights as it did during that game in May. I can accept that.

When he was signed to a gargantuan 7 year $126 million contract during the 2006 off-season, people quickly began debating whether or not he was worth it. Some were saying that he was the face of the franchise and it would be bad publicity for the Jays to let him walk. Also, he had just turned 29 so many were predicting that his 2006 numbers were just a platform to build on. Here are some reactions from baseball analysts just after the contract was announced.

Peter Gammons, ESPN: "If you're going to give $18 million to somebody, you want them to be as diligent and as reliable as Vernon. If he went out in the market next year, with Andruw Jones, and Ichiro, and Torii Hunter, I really believe that at his age he might be #1."

Jeff Blair, Globe and Mail: "The dollars involved in Wells's extension are an accurate reading of a system flush with cash because of new media riches, labour peace and solid attendance in big markets. Wells would have received $20-million a year as a free agent next year without breaking a sweat. His on-field production - a Gold Glove, .300 batting average, 30 home runs and 100 runs batted in - would not be replaced in time to compete this year in the hypercompetitive American League East."

On the other side, there were some skeptics.

Keith Law, ESPN: "By deferring most of the payments due, Ricciardi keeps more payroll in the 2007-10 years available to pay other players, even if it means killing the team's financial flexibility in 2011 and beyond."

Three seasons later, The Contract is widely derided as the worst in baseball. There's still a debate as to whether it was J.P. Ricciardi's call or if it was pushed through by former Jays' President Paul Godfrey. Some members of the media haven't given J.P. the benefit of the doubt. Joe Posnanski of Sports Illustrated is so enthusiastically critical of our former GM that he's decided to start referring to bad baseball contracts as "Ricciardis". Of the Wells' contract, he proclaims, "This isn't a baseball contract. This is a testament to the power of mankind to do the impossible". He later adds, "This is the most untradable contract in the history of the world".

Nevertheless, amidst all of this hysteria, I'm not that concerned. You know why? I'm not the one paying the bill. If Vernon's annual salary is astronomically above market value, who cares? This only worries me if it hinders the Blue Jays' ability to improve the club over the next few seasons and I'm not certain that it does.

If one takes Paul Beeston and Alex Anthopoulos at their word, then one must believe that Rogers is, in fact, willing to raise payroll if it "makes sense". If the Jays had re-signed Roy Halladay and Marco Scutaro, and brought in John Lackey and Jason Bay, they still wouldn't win the AL East. So I can understand why they're pumping money into other areas, such as scouting. I remain optimistic that Rogers isn't going to bail on this team and will foot the bill of a contender when the time is right.

Suppose the opposite is true and Rogers ends up screwing over the fans by refusing to invest in better on-field personnel. Then I don't think Vernon's contract is the real problem. The real problem would be having awful ownership that has no intention of building a winner. Any good business wouldn't let one mistake dictate their evaluation of their entire business plan. All businesses, even very profitable ones, have to absorb losses at some point. If Rogers isn't going to be flexible with payroll while Vernon's contract is on the books, then they shouldn't own a baseball team. I think they're smarter than that.

Overall, I'm indifferent to the Vernon Wells contract. I can't blame him for taking the money and I believe he does try as hard as he can. I won't pretend that I'm immune to the occasional fit of frustration when he pops one up in the infield, but it's not a very rational reaction. Let's all stop worrying: just enjoy the game, cheer for the guy, and hope he turns it around. All the booing certainly doesn't encourage him to do better. Either way, it's really out of our hands. Relax.

Measuring Success

The big question circulating around the blogosphere right now is how one can measure the Jays' success this season if, in all likelihood, they will not be going to the dance in October. There have been many answers to this question: Jordan Bastian and the roundtable panel at Mop Up Duty have taken a crack at it.

As expected, the key theme in all the answers was "DEVELOPMENT".

The Jays need to see some very substantial progress in its young pitching staff. Shaun Marcum, Ricky Romero, Brandon Morrow, Scrabble, Brett Cecil, David Purcey, and Dustin McGowan (fingers crossed) will all get the ball at the big league level. Thus far, they've had their moments of brilliance but haven't shown consistency. Will they realize their potential?

The Fisher Cats and 51's will also play an important role when evaluating the 2010 campaign: Kyle Drabek, Zach Stewart, Robert Ray, Brad Mills, and others will be scrutinized at AA New Hampshire and AAA Las Vegas (plus Chad Jenkins at Single-A Dunedin). Will they thrive or dive in the minors? Will they pitch their way into a call-up at some point in the season? Some of these guys need to emerge as solid major league candidates.

As for position players, Brett Wallace will be discussed a lot throughout 2010 and beyond. He's the Jays' first baseman of the future and he's projected to occupy an important spot in the heart of the lineup. He will probably spend most of the season in AAA, but a Lyle Overbay trade, combined with some strong play in the minors, could send him up to Toronto. J.P. Arencibia did not have a good season in Vegas last year. He finished batting .236, 21 HR, 75 RBI, 0.23 BB/K rate, .728 OPS. Many were no longer getting their hopes up over him, but after showing some power this spring (3 HR's) he's starting to create a buzz again. It would be great if he were able to bounce back, considering that the only other solid catching prospect we have is Travis d'Arnaud, and he's still years away from making an impact. Also, it would be great if we struck "oro" with our new Latin Lover, Adeiny Hechavarria.

Another popular notion was how we need to avoid "REGRESSING".

When reviewing the 2009 season, the only reason it was not deemed a complete failure was because Adam Lind and Aaron Hill ascended to Silver-Sluggerdom. They will need to show that they can do it again. Most of the analysts are pretty positive on Lind and negative on Hill. We need them both.

There's one player who is in a category of his own: Vernon Wells.

We've all been hearing a lot of trumpets blaring from Dunedin proclaiming that Vernon is on the brink of a rebound season. He's "finally healthy" and "assuming a leadership role". I fear that I will be obsessing about his stats for the next few months. Obviously, a return to his 2006 form would be ideal, but just some improvement in plate discipline and fielding would be encouraging enough.

Many mentioned "killing the draft". The Jays have the 11th, 34th, 38th, 41st, 61st, 69th, 80th, 93rd, 113th, and 126th overall picks in the 2010 draft (plus more later round selections). Alex Anthopoulos' first test was the Roy Halladay trade; his second test will be whether or not all that extra money spent on scouting yields results at the draft. Furthermore, the ability to sign the picks (have fun on ESPN J.P.) will be huge.

Pushing Cito Gently Out the Door

Blue Bird Banter: "Most importantly Cito has to actually retire at the end of (the season) and not decide ‘hey this was fun, I’m staying’."

Yeah, I'm very sad to say that I agree.


Lastly, I think a huge piece of off-field success would be if fans don't abandon the team by June. It would be great for these young players to have some fan support at the ballpark. People, COME OUT TO THE ROGERS CENTRE! The boys need us.

Dreams of Turf and What it All Means

It's been a little over a week since this blog was "built" and I'm still hoping "he will come".

Who is he? Who am I referring to? I dont actually know; it's a very abstract and personal thought. In my quest to understand the meaning of this, I looked up "Turf of Dreams" in a dream interpreter. Here's what I discovered:

Turf in a Dream: What does it mean when I dream about turf?

To dream of a racing turf, signifies that you will have pleasure and wealth at your command, but your morals will be questioned by your most intimate friends. To see a green turf, indicates that interesting affairs will hold your attention.

I think that makes sense. Not the racing turf part (although pleasure and wealth at my command sounds pretty sweet), but the green turf part. "Interesting affairs will hold my attention". The Blue Jays interest me so I started a blog about them. He is me! Easy enough.

But wait, Turf of Dreams doesn't mean a dream about turf. It's actually, as most of you already know, a reference to the classic baseball movie Field of Dreams. I went back to the source, hoping that I would find some hidden revelations.

"If you build it, he will come" is just one of the voices that Kevin Costner hears while he's farming in the movie. He also hears "ease his pain", which is then interpreted as a mission to take James Earl Jones to Fenway Park.

No, that definitely can't be it. I would never take anyone to Fenway Park. I wouldn't do that to him. But Kevin Costner also realizes that he is mistaken, and then decides it actually means that he must take 'Moonlight' Graham back to the Field of Dreams so that he can get a sacrifice fly. Hmm... I'm not actually building real playing turf, so maybe the idea of the sacrifice fly is more figurative. I am "sacrificing" (writing the blog) for the sake of "the team" (Jays fans). So he is any Toronto Blue Jays fan.

That's a little presumptuous though. To the best of my knowledge, only people I know personally read this. I can't say that I'm providing some sort of noble service.

I'm really confused now.

I'm over-thinking this. It's really about the Blue Jays themselves! It's been 16 years since we reached the promised land. He is a championship!

I'm somewhat skeptical of this idea: if I "build" the blog, then the Jays will win the World Series? That's a lot of pressure on a bunch of html script. Plus, I'd be treating my blog like a voodoo doll.

So, I guess I haven't figured it out. All I know is that he hasn't come yet. Until then, I'll keep blogging and I hope you keep reading.

Sports Hate 2010 Edition

Sports Hate
- verb
"An underrated part of fandom. Everyone has guys they don't like, and more importantly, guys they enjoy not liking. The reasons are unique to us. There doesn't have to be anything rational about it. Sports hate can be triggered by one incident, one slight, one game gone wrong, anything."

- Bill Simmons


As optimistic as I am about this season, I know that the Jays probably won't be hosting any games in October. Of course, that doesn't mean that I will stop watching baseball. I've prepared for a postseason without the Blue Jays by compiling a ranking of all the teams in ascending order of my hatred for them.

To begin, I've divided the teams into two categories.

Group A: The Toronto Blue Jays
Group B: Not The Toronto Blue Jays

Now, I have to pick from Group B. I'm grading my hatred based on these criteria:
a) Rivalry with the Blue Jays (are you one of the Jays' rivals? Then I probably hate you)
b) Jealousy (have you won a World Series lately? Then I probably hate you)
c) Payroll (do you spend three times as much money on players as the Blue Jays? Then I probably hate you)
d) Douche-Bag Players (do you have a player on your team that's a douche-bag? Then I probably hate you)
e) Do you have a reason for me not to hate you?

Here's the list:

1. Toronto Blue Jays

2. Montreal Expos (awarded posthumously)

3. Los Angeles Dodgers
My grandfather is a Dodgers fan from when they were in Brooklyn (some people are really old). He took me to Dodgers Stadium when I was young and ever since I've been very sympathetic. I don't hate you.

4. Philadelphia Phillies
Normally, these guys would be near the bottom of the list (does anyone remember a little series called the 1993 World Series?Also, see criterion b) ). However, we're all honorary Phillies fans now. Go Roy!

5. Seattle Mariners
Ken Griffey Jr. (also he was the only player not juicing in my lifetime)

6. New York Mets
Every time I meet someone from New York I always assume the worst: Yankees fan (see bottom of the list). I'm always pleasantly surprised if they say they're a Mets fan. You could have made the easy choice, but you chose to be masochistic. For that you're number six.

7. Pittsburgh Pirates
Having their mediocrity in the league is like having a little brother that's a drug addict. Thanks Pittsburgh.

8. Los Angeles Angels
Anyone remember "Angels in the Outfield"? I do, and I love that movie. If Tony Danza were still their number one pitcher they'd move up a few spots. Unfortunately, he's not. And Matthew McConaughey is not their center fielder.

9. Cleveland Indians
Watched a lot of the Drew Carey Show when I was young. Of course, he was wrong: Cleveland does not rock. Cleveland doesn't even sway with grace. Ninth place for effort (plus cool but slightly racist logo).

10. Minnesota Twins
Justin Morneau... Joe Mauer is cool, I guess. Jack Morris... he played for us... we like him, right? Also, we're going to be glad we have the Rogers Centre when we see Twins fans sitting outside at their new outdoor stadium in early April.

11. Cincinnati Reds
I really don't like you very much but you have Joey Votto. Someone has to be ranked number eleven.

12. Kansas City Royals
Kaufmann Stadium is really beautiful. I can't think of anything else positive to say about you.

13. Milwaukee Brewers
Love the old cap logo and you're named after beer: I couldn't rank you in the bottom half. I spent 2007 hoping that one day Prince Fielder would follow his father and become a Blue Jay. Unfortunately, he hates his father.

14. Chicago Cubs
101 years and counting. Every time a Leafs fan thinks about throwing himself off a bridge, he should remind himself that it can get worse.

15. Texas Rangers
Pretty much indifferent.

16. San Diego Padres
Ditto.

17. Florida Marlins
2003 World Series Champions. I really can't rank a team that won the World Series in the 2000's in the top half. Unless they have Roy Halladay, or they have a Disney movie. Sorry Florida.

18. Colorado Rockies
Your stadium is a joke. Probably the reason ballpark-adjusted stats were invented. Troy Tulowitzki? Nah, give me Ricky Romero.

19. Arizona Diamondbacks
They won a World Series in the 2000's. See criterion b).

20. Detroit Tigers
Geographic proximity: corollary of criterion a). Also used to be a great AL East rival before the creation of the wildcard. Johnny Damon adds some criterion d) consideration.

21. Baltimore
AL East Rival (criterion a) )... you're lucky to be as high as twenty-one. Some credit for being the only team in the league that is in the same boat as the Jays. That doesn't mean I don't want to throw you out of the boat and watch you sink though.

22. St. Louis Cardinals
2006 World Series Champions.

23. Chicago White Sox
Instead of watching Superman, I used to watch the 1993 ALCS tapes when I was young. The White Sox are my Lex Luther.

24. Atlanta Braves
Some love for Bobby Cox. None for Eric Hinske (see criterion d) ). Maybe that's a little unfair to Hinske, but I just love to sports hate him. I watched the 1992 World Series tapes even more than I watched the 1993 ALCS tapes so I can't possibly rank the Braves above the White Sox.

25. Houston Astros
Any team that had Roger Clemens (besides the Blue Jays of course) has some lingering stink on them. Clemens is definitely top-three in all-time criterion d) players.

26. Oakland Athletics
1989 and 1992 ALCS (definitely historical criterion a) ). Eckersley said this about giving up the home run to Roberto Alomar:

"That's the one that hurts the most. I got in the car with my wife afterward and cried like a baby. I hadn't cried that way since I was in Little League. Sometimes the most wonderful thing about this game is that it stunts your growth."

Catch de taste of defeat.

27. San Francisco Giants
I actually like the Dodgers enough to dislike their fiercest rival. Add Barry Bonds residue and you've got number 27.

28. Washington Nationals
I hate you because I wish you were never born.

29. Tampa Bay Rays
You were much easier to like when you sucked.

30. New York Yankees
Criterion a)
Criterion b)
Criterion c)
Criterion d)

31. Boston Red Sox
They have all of the Yankees' flaws. Plus:

- JONATHAN PAPELBON
- FEVER PITCH (even Bill Simmons hates this movie and he's a Red Sox fan)
- A ballpark that gives them a crazy advantage (note: the Yankees score high in this category as well)
- Obnoxious fans

Let's not freak out, but...

BRANDON MORROW GOT SCRATCHED FROM HIS SPRING TRAINING START TODAY.

According to bluejays.com, it's just precautionary. Nevertheless, watching Jays pitching get decimated by injuries over the past few seasons (see Shaun Marcum, Dustin McGowan, Jesse Litsch, Casey Janssen, Scott Downs, B.J. Ryan, and even Roy with that appendicitis) has made me dread the worst. Not only, but Morrow has battled some arm problems in the past. Right now, it's just being labelled a sore shoulder.

Travis Snider Hit Some Dingers

So Travis Snider is beginning to awake from his early spring training slumber. Even Cito can't help but notice that he's hit three home runs in the past two games. Today he hit two, going 2-for-3 in a 13-3 pounding of the Orioles. The Jays' blogosphere is overwhelmingly against Cito, to the point where they now refer to him as "The Manager" or "Clarence Gaston". But according to Jordan Bastian, who actually gets to speak with Cito:

Asked if there was any way Snider would not make the team, Cito said, "I wouldn't think so, but it's still early."

Hahaha, I don't think that's going to quell the anti-Cito movement. In a way, I'm starting to think that Jays fans are more frustrated with Cito now than they were with John Gibbons and his lineup roulette. I'm very conflicted, because I love Cito circa 1992-1993 but I still can't understand why Kevin Millar was always creeping his way into games. Urg, I don't want to relive that.

Still no official confirmation on the Adeiny (Adeinis?) Hechevarria signing. The more I read about him, the more I realize that no one knows anything about him. Many have compared him to Jose Iglesias. He's the Cuban shortstop that was signed by the Red Sox in 2009 to an $8.2 million contract. I guess they're still ironing out the details on this one, but everyone's saying it's a done deal (pending a physical and blah blah blah).

In other news, Aaron Hill hit his first home run of the spring. It really seems like no one is giving Aaron a chance of repeating his 2009 numbers. Here's a blurb about him from si.com's fantasy sports projections:

"...I admire the Blue Jays' long-term focus. But with long-term planning comes short-term misery - which is why Hill has zero chance of amassing 36 HRs, 108 RBIs or 103 runs in 2010. Of course, I'd be a tad less pessimistic if he had more than nine total homers in the years 2005, 2006 and '08."

It's true that the power surge we saw last year was unexpected and unprecedented. But to say he has "zero chance"? I think he'll have a tough time getting 36 home runs, and 108 RBI's won't be easy now that Marco Scutaro isn't hitting in front of him. I think the key this year for Aaron Hill, and also Adam Lind, will be how they adjust to increased scouting. There's no doubt that they will be pitched differently this year. However, I think they both gave us reason to be optimistic last year. I heard a caller on the latest Jays Talk (Fan 590) declare that he wouldn't be surprised if the Jays won 90 games this year - not that optimistic. Let's not lose our heads, but a little "irrational exuberance" is part of the fan experience.

Blue Jays close to signing Adeinis Hechavarria

According to MLB Trade Rumors, the Cuban shortstop's deal with the Yankees may have fallen through, because of a likely contract extension for Derek Jeter. As a result, it seems Toronto is now the front-runner to land him. The deal is reported to be close to $10 million. Like many Cuban defectors, his age is unclear. Initially purported to be 19, now some are saying he may in fact be 21 or older. Is it possible that the Jays have found their shortstop of the future? Actually, they found their shortstop of the future years ago, but traded him for Esteban Loaiza. Still pissed about that.

More details can be found at the Jays' official website.

Sounds from My Childhood

Since I was so young when the Blue Jays won the World Series in 1993, my memory of it is very fragmented. Some of my most vivid recollections of that night are auditory. The cheering, the screaming, the phone ringing off the hook, these were all part of the victory celebration that was occurring in our living room. It pains me to admit but it wasn't until years later that I heard Tom Cheek's immortal call of Joe Carter's home run; that night, I remember hearing Sean McDonough's call on CBS:

"Well-hit down the left field line, way back and gone! Joe Carter, with a three-run homer! The winners and still World Champions, the Toronto Blue Jays!"

I'll admit, this call was not as good as "Touch 'em all Joe". But of course, we can't choose our memories. My family wasn't listening to the radio that night, which is where one would have heard Tom Cheek's play-by-play.

Another sound bite from that night was the Coca-Cola commercial that was played immediately after the game. It was part of a series of Blue Jays related coke commercials that aired throughout the season.

I remember being very confused by this commercial. The Blue Jays had just won the World Series and already there was a commercial celebrating this achievement. How did Coca-Cola make this commercial so quickly? Or, even more intriguing, was it possible that the people at Coca-Cola knew beforehand that we were going to win?*



*Footnote: I think I eventually figured it out on my own. But this leads me to an interesting thought. Wouldn't it be awesome to find a vault full of commercials that were never aired because it got the result wrong? Along the same train of thought, you know those hats and t-shirts the players wear during on-field celebrations after their team has won? They explicitly say "WORLD CHAMPIONS" or something to that effect. I would love to get my hands on some of these never-released items. The one I would most want to have is a t-shirt that says "NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS - SUPERBOWL XLII CHAMPIONS!" ZING!

Turf of Dreams Presents: Ken Griffey Jr. Presents: Major League Baseball

Before I even begin describing how much I love this game, let me just point out how awesome 16 bit graphic Ken Griffey Jr. looks! Although they made his lips really huge.

The game is Ken Griffey Jr. Presents: Major League Baseball for Super Nintendo. In my humble opinion, this is the greatest baseball video game ever made. It's so simple, so elegant, and so very beautiful. I could really write a doctoral dissertation on the subject, but instead I'll just list a few things I love about it.

1. The Lineups

ALL THE PLAYERS' NAMES ARE MADE UP (no MLBPA license)! The only real name included is, not surprisingly, Ken Griffey Jr. This really elevates the game to new heights of hilarity. The players are all based on their real life alter-egos but have completely different names, so Frank Thomas is "U. Josh", Jimmy Key is "F. Whitey", David Justice is "D. Chapman", Mark McGwire is "H. Ernest" (I resent the association between Papa Hemingway and Mr. "I'm not here to talk about the past"), and so on. Some of the names have a direct relation to the player: for example, Deion Sanders is "D. Neon" and Fred McGriff is "D. Crime". Since it is of particular interest to us Jays fans, I'd like to run off the starting 9 for your 1993 Toronto Blue Jays!

J. Monie, LF (Rickey Henderson)
A. Gregory, CF (Devon White)
S. Sales, 2B (Robbie Alomar)
W. Jack, RF (Joe Carter)
K. Skeritt, 1B (John Olerud)
D. Betts, DH (Paul Molitor)
B. McGinty, 3B (Ed Sprague)
D. Bell, C (Pat Borders)
G. Lowe, SS (Tony Fernandez)

They have the dirtiest hitting in the game!

2. The Music

I'm not a good enough writer to describe the music to you, but luckily, thanks to the magic of youtube, I can show you! Who cares if it's the same 45 seconds of track looped over and over again! Personally, I think of it as early house music.

3. The Umpires

Anyone who has ever played this game knows exactly what I'm talking about.
"YER AAAOUT!!!"
"SSSSTIIIIIIIRIIIIIKE!!!"

4. Getting Struck Out

I'm very competitive when I play this game, so I obviously don't like getting called out on strikes. However, there's a little consolation prize if it does happen: the batter will either break his bat over his knee, lower his head in shame, or yell "OH COME ON!". Does it matter that he struck out swinging? Nope. Classic.

5. Hitting Mammoth Home Runs

Each home run comes with a distance measurement. It is quite common to hit home runs that travel over 500 feet. If you're really on a roll in the Home Run Derby, you can clear 600 feet. Extra points if you hit it into the B&O Warehouse at Camden Yards.

6. The Newspaper After the Game

Frequent headline: "Umpire Caught Playing Gameboy During 7th Inning Stretch". I love the self-promotion by Nintendo!

7. Insane Outfield Assists

Beware if you are playing against the Expos. Marr (a.k.a. Larry Walker) has an arm cannon in this game. You will not be getting extra bases on any ball hit to RF. Don't even try. Also applicable if you are playing against the Mariners. J. Hutt (Jay Buhner) is gonna getchya.

8. Defense Speed vs. Baserunning Speed

Player A (baserunner) gets caught in a run-down. Player B (fielder) will always run him down. Why? Because fielders run three times as fast as baserunners. Suppose later in the game the positions are reversed: Player A is fielding and Player B is baserunning. Then Player B will have magically lost the speed he demonstrated in running down Player A earlier. Now Player A is three times faster than Player B. Get it? Neither do I. But that feeling of inevitable doom when your player is caught in a run-down is hilarious.

9. You can recreate the classic Canada Day Battle: Blue Jays vs. Expos

The game uses the rosters from 1993 (World Champs Eh?). The Expos won 94 games that year, just one less than the Jays who won 95. You can't go wrong picking either team in this game. Jays have better hitting; Expos have better pitching (El Presidente!)

10. Pitches that Defy Physics

You can throw a pitch that starts in on the hands, and then comes back out over the plate. Kind of like a Roy Halladay cutter... Let's end this post before we start to cry...

Blue Jays 3, Braves 0

The Jays picked up another pre-season victory today, blanking the Braves 3-0 at Disney World.

Ricky Romero continued to impress, getting the dubya by throwing four scoreless innings.

Dana Eveland contributed three scoreless innings of his own. He's now pitched eight innings without allowing an earned run. He also picked up a walk in his only plate appearance! Good eye Dana! I wonder what his fate will be at the end of March: the starting rotation seems set in stone (Marcum, Romero, Morrow, R-Zep, Tallet) so will he take a bullpen job? He was brought in to be on the roster, so I assume that he's going to make the trip North.

Our Boy McCoy went 2 for 4 with a pair of singles and Travis Snider doubled.

Also, we saw a brief appearance from Eric "Whore of the AL East" Hinske, who went 0 for 1. It's a Small World After All. The man has more ink than a copy of Bill Simmons' latest book.

The win brings the Jays to a record of 6-3, good for third place in the Grapefruit League. Here's a question: I understand why the Arizona league is called "The Cactus League" (Arizona being a giant desert and all), but why is the Florida league called "The Grapefruit League"? Why not call it "The Orange League"? Or the "Swing-State League"? Or the "Early-Bird-Special League"?

The box score for the game can be found here.

We're going to Disney World!

Today's game is at the Happiest Place On Earth! The Braves' spring training facility is called Champion Stadium, and it's located at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort. I only found out a few months ago that Disney is a majority owner of ESPN; it owns roughly 80%. Incredibly, according to the ESPN wikipedia article, ESPN "is probably worth more than 40% of Disney's entire value..." Whoa, considering that every person in their twenties owns a copy of the Little Mermaid/Aladdin/The Lion King, that's impressive. Long live sports media! And Let's Go Blue Jays!

Blame It On The Rain (and a few spring training thoughts)

Well, today's game never started (rained out). That's okay. Let's look at some highlights of spring training thus far. Warning: I know that spring training games are often played against B-list lineups and it's a very small sample (less than 20 at bats). So everything is to be considered with rational expectations.


Jose Bautista

It seems like everyone (myself included) was angry to hear that he was Cito's choice to start the season in right field. The popular choice was to have Travis Snider take his rightful place as Vernon's "left-hand man". However, he has really surprised everyone this spring, sporting an astronomical 2.214 OPS (just to show you how skewed small sample statistics are). 3 HR's in 14 AB's may have something to do with it.

Aaron Hill

Coming off an awesome year, which saw him hit 36 HR's and 108 RBI's, all the critics dismissed the idea of him duplicating his 2009 campaign. This was based mostly on the fact that he was overly aggressive early in counts, and was appearing like a "hit-or-miss" batter. His preseason approach seems to be much more patient: 7 BB in five games, which has translated into a .786 OBP. I wonder if this is simply because he's facing mediocre/half-assed pitching, or if he's actually laying off trash. It's hard to tell since there haven't been any telecasts of the games, but let's give him the benefit of the doubt. Keep it up A-Dog!

Mike McCoy

Whoa, honestly didn't even know who this guy was a week ago, but he's making the case for a roster spot with the big boys. Spent 2009 hanging around the Rockies' system (played 12 games in the bigs). The Jays signed Alex Gonzalez 2010 edition in the off season, and I'm sure the starting job is still his. Johnny Mac, a mainstay of the Blue Jays dugout, will presumably take his usual spot (which last year was reduced mostly to pinch running on account of Marco Scutaro's killer year). What, then, is Cito et al going to do with our boy McCoy. According to Mike "Mecca" Wilner:

McCoy is a guy who values on-base and who has great speed. He thinks that if he plays his game he could eventually work his way into the line-up at shortstop, and so do I.

Interesting... Survivor - Jays Shortstop - continues.

Vernon Wells

I'm going to have to write an entire treatise on V-Dub soon but in short, I was telling Sister Turf of Dreams that he would disappoint me if he didn't show up in great shape, ready to play. He has not disappointed me. OPS of 1.192 and a dinger. Good to see from a guy who "starts out slow".

Shaun Marcum

If you think the batting sample sizes are small, the pitching is even worse. I feel foolish trying to analyze pitching performances for 5 IP. Screw it, that's what spring training is all about. Marcum has looked good returning from Tommy John surgery: No earned runs over five innings and a WHIP of 0.40. Many blogs, including MLBastian, have noted that Marcum is slotted to be the opening day starter if they keep to the current rotation of pitchers. This pleases me.

Ricky Romero

Sister Turf of Dreams says he looks like a character from the wire. Can't remember who it was. I responded with L.L. Cool J. Either way, a man of many familiar faces, Romero has put together five strong innings, only allowing a single earned run. Pretty good WHIP at 1.20. Also, everyone's talking about his "confidence". Gotta love those intangibles.

Dustin McGowan

Since The Trade, Dustin has taken over the title of Turf of Dreams' favourite pitcher. Ever since he took a no-hitter into the 9th against Colorado on a beautiful Skydome afternoon, he's been our boy. Plus, Sister Turf of Dreams loves the mutton-chops (although they're out of commission for now). Many were openly wondering if the man would ever pitch again, but it seems like he's in the clear (*knock on wood*). He felt good after a simulated game on March 9th. Details and a look at his new "right-down-to-business" look can be seen here.

I'd also like to point out that Kyle Drabek tossed three scoreless innings yesterday, raising our hope that we may see a piece of The Trade in powder blue (or home whites or away grays) at some point this season. Nice.

Let's go Blue Jays!

Signs of Spring

Spring training has been under way for over a week, so I just started and I'm already behind. Today's tune-up game is against the Astros at the Jays' spring training facility in Dunedin, Florida. Here are the lineups courtesy of MLBastian. Go Jays!

Astros (3-4)

1. Jason Bourgeois, DH
2. Cory Sullivan, CF
3. Hunter Pence, RF
4. Geoff Blum, 1B
5. Pedro Feliz, 3B
6. Jason Michaels, LF
7. Jason Castro, C
8. Edwin Maysonet, SS
9. Oswaldo Navarro, 2B

SP: Brian Moehler


Blue Jays (5-3)

1. Jose Bautista (killing it), 3B
2. Aaron Hill (OBP machine), 2B
3. Jorge Padilla, RF
4. Lyle Overbay, 1B
5. Randy Ruiz, DH
6. Chris Lubanski, LF
7. John Buck, C
8. Alex Gonzalez (not to be confused with 1994-2001 Alex Gonzalez), SS

SP: Brian Tallet

Dreams From My Childhood

I know the exact date of my earliest childhood memory: Saturday, October 23, 1993.

The Jays jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning, for the third time in the series. Paul Molitor added his second World Series home run in the 5th. Dave Stewart held the Phillies to one run through six innings of work. Then, a five run Phillies' 7th, lead by a Lenny Dykstra three-run home run. 6-5 Phillies. A late 8th inning rally with the bottom of the order meant that Rickey Henderson would lead off the ninth for the Jays. Rickey walks, Devo lines out, and Molly drops one into shallow center. Then, it happened...

Of course I don't remember any of these details; I was only five years old at the time. What I do remember is repeatedly asking my parents, "when are the players going to jump on each other?". I was referring to the pile-up celebration that I was told occurs when a team wins the World Series. This is what truly excited me. Jumping on top of a mound of people seemed like the greatest thrill in sports. I guess I was too young to understand the abstract concept "victory".

Everyone knows what happened in 1994, but by then I was primed for fandom. The first time I went to Skydome was 1995. My parents' friends had season tickets in the 200 level along the first base line, and every few weeks my father would get a pair of seats and take me down the yellow line to what had become my favourite place in the world. The Blue Jays only won 56 games that year, but I didn't even notice. What I loved was going to the ballpark, sitting in the afternoon sun under an open roof, and watching the players that had become my heros. Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Lou Gehrig, Willie Mays, Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, I didn't know who any of these guys were. But I knew how to impersonate Paul Molitor's batting stance, pitch from the stretch like Juan Guzman, and wear a batting helmet in the field like John Olerud. When I couldn't go to the game, I was watching yesterday's Labatt's Blue Jays Baseball on tape, because I wasn't allowed to stay up and watch it live.

I am writing this blog in dedication to that inner-child in all of us, that just loves the game.