April 2008

I Hate You Mickey...

Here we sit in the bottom of the division.  Four and a half games back of Boston. I'm trying not to let my frustration get the best of me but it's difficult.
 
I have really no explanation of what has happened over the last couple of days... I'm hoping that the whole Frank Thomas fiasco has nothing to do with it.  Doesn't help also when Alex Rios and Lyle Overbay sit out some games.
 
Thanks to Matt Stairs yesterday for the homeruns...it's just too bad that absolutely nobody else helped out.  Poor Roy.
 
As I have said before...we can be buried quickly in this division.  I'm hoping that the team can turn it around real quick. Ugh I'm starting to sound like a broken record...
 
Anyways some good news...Scott Rolen is suppose to make his Jays debut at Fenway Park next week. Lets hope this is a boost to the team.
 
And finally I will be able to watch the game tonight.  A bit of it at least.  Lets hope Dusty can get it down....actually it's not even the pitchers fault lately, we just haven't been able to score runs.  Come on team...ugh
 
-Stanton X

What The Hell...Four Game Series...?

 The other day I said that I hope the Jays would take two out of three games against the Tigers over the weekend. I just found out this afternoon that there was a fourth game...
 
And we lost. I hope the recent issues with Frank Thomas had nothing to do with it. But they may have...If so lets hope that the Jays can now get past it and continue towards October.
 
Didn't get to watch the game (again) but saw that Greg Zaun got a home run in the bottom of the ninth but obviously it was too late. Heard that Shawn Marcum had pitched another good game, but I guess the offence wasn't there. Oh well he had to get his first lost of the year sometime...
 
Anyways the Jays start a road trip that sees them go down to Florida to take on the Rays. Haven't read any details but it seems that they are not playing at Tropicana Field but at Champion Stadium. (?)

Looks Nice...But Someone Explain...

Whatever the case Jesse Litsch looks to get his third win of the season...which surprisingly will make him the team leader in wins. I'm trying to ignore what I said about him early on in the season, but I still have doubts on his ability to be consistent for a whole season.
 
Please Prove Me Wrong...

School is almost done so hopefully that means getting to watch a few more games. But probably not...
 
Well lets hope the Jays will dominate Tampa and get back into the swing of things soon. Also lets hope Scott Rolen will be able to make his Toronto debut very soon. I get the feeling he could be the missing piece.
 
-Stanton X

It Was Fun Frank...

Yes the Jays won today. It was an ok game. Thank you to David Eckstein for the home run. I was still a bit nervous when Jeremy Accardo came in for the save but he got the job done. And that's what matters right?
 
Today's post though has really little to do with the game. If you don't know by now Frank Thomas has been released. On Saturday it was announced that he had been benched. I didn't really know why and didn't find out all day. But it came as a shock to find out the next day that he had been let go.
 
Unfortunately I am going to have to go with the management on this one.
 
Sports are a business. Baseball is no exception. Whether they admit it or not this was a financial decision. Thomas had a bonus deal that if he was to have 1000 plate appearances he would gain an extra $1 million next year. That's pretty sweet...except why pay him that when he is not doing well. When the Jays offered that deal I'm sure they were thinking that he was going to be this awesome power hitter like he usually is. But he is getting older and I don't think he has it in him anymore. Also next year he would have been making around $10 million for the season. This was a good way to free up some cash and maybe sign a big all star in the off-season or something.
 
Anyways the story goes that Thomas didn't appreciate being benched and didn't like the idea of playing a couple times a week. J.P. Ricciardi has said though that the team can't wait for Thomas to pick things up. And lets be honest he hasn't been playing like he should. When the team released him he had 3 home runs, 11 rbis, and was batting .167. He seemed to be on a nice little streak about a week and a half ago so where did that go?
 
This all sounds like I'm hating on the guy. I like Thomas. or the Big Hurt...whatever you want to call him. I had the lucky chance of seeing him hit (if I remember correctly) his 496th or 497th homerun last year against the Twins. That is a memory I will have with me forever.

                                             What A Nice Guy...Good Luck...
But in this division teams like us, the O's and the Rays, can be destroyed and out of the playoffs early on. Why keep Thomas batting at fifth if he really isn't doing anything. Sure he might get a hit here or there but is it worth it? The best part about this is that the Jays will more then likely bring up Adam Lind. I'm sure Thomas will find work somewhere else within the league and do ok. So all the best to him.


-Stanton X

That Consistent Feeling Of Inconsistency...

Let me sum up the season so far...
 
Started off the year losing two games and winning one against the Yankees.  This sucked but with the momentum of the final opening day series at Old Yankee Stadium this was a tough hurdle to jump.
 
Then swept the defending World Series Champions in front of the home crowd.  Great boost.
 
...then got swept by a team that most critics had written off for any playoff chance. ugh. 4-5 so far.
 
Then went down to Texas and did the same thing to the Rangers! Woo! Back over 500!
 
Split a series between the O's who are showing some actual talent this season.
 
Back to T.O against the Rangers in a tiny two game set...and got swept...what...the...hell?
 
So here we sit with a record of 8-8 and fourth in the division.  Coming up tonight the "kind of" struggling Tigers come into town.  This should have been ok with A.J. Burnett pitching but he's not.  If any of you recall he came in to pitch in the 14th inning on Wednesday and cost us the game.(even though I blame Greg Zaun for not blocking that ball) So he is taking the day off and in comes David Purcey. Don't know anything about the guy except that it is his major league debut.
 
So all the best to him and the team and I hope they can take at least two games out of this weekend series.  Of course once again I will be working but I'll try and catch some on my break.
 
-Stanton X

Who The Hell Is Carlson...

Yes it was a tough loss last night but I am pretty sure I predicted it...sorry about that.  It didn't really help our cause when we use every single relief pitcher we have.  So I don't blame the game on A.J. Burnett just because of that wild pitch in the 14th. Even though I think it was ruled as a passed ball. O well.  The Jays will bounce back tonight with Roy Halladay on the mound and will snap their four game losing streak at home.
 
Anyways about today's blog....I always enjoy seeing new faces for the team....except obviously when the player is useless or just plain bad.  So I welcome newcomer Jesse Carlson, who I think is going to be one of the break out guys of the season.  Carlson pitched three extra innings last night and only allowed one hit. Yes I know it was against the Rangers but that is still pretty impressive for a rookie. I'm excited to see where his season/career will be going if he keeps this up.
 
I am slowly starting to dislike Marco Scuturo.  I don't really have any reason behind this, except for some horrible fielding choices, it's just that I always seem to have a player on the team whom I hate.  For the longest time it was Eric Hinske.  Now I think I have turned my hatred over to Scutaro. Don't ask me why. and yes he made an awesome throw to home in yesterday's game to stop a run...he still sucks.
 
I am going to be able to watch the game tonight finally. Not just pieces of a game or my buddy Mike texting updates whenever someone scores a run. It's going to be a nice lazy Thursday night.
 
-Stanton X

What A Nice Trip...

4-1...Pretty good road trip. Had that little hiccup on Monday but other then that the trip was pretty successful if I don't say so myself. And even in that Monday game Alex Rios got his first home run so it wasn't even that bad.
 
That being said the Jays are back in T.O. tomorrow to start a little set against the Rangers. But it is the Friday game against the Tigers I am most looking forward to. The big event? Pat Hentgen is honoured.  Hentgen was my favourite pitcher as a kid so it's nice to see him get recognized.
 
Back to tonight's game...I have noticed in the past that when the Jays have a really good blowout (11-3 against the O's tonight) that they seem to lose the following game.  I hope they prove me wrong.
 
I have mentioned it before and I will mention it again but I like Shawn Marcum so much better the McGowan.  He pitched another solid game tonight and I think he should have been placed as the third starter.  Also a quick thing on Roy Halladay...not sure where i read it but a saw an article that was saying how Roy should go back to pitching every fourth game.  I like this idea, this would more then likely improve our chances greatly. Unless of course he blew out his arm or something...but I remember that they had tried this a couple of years ago and it seemed to work really well.  Something to look at...
 
Not quite sure but I don't think I am going to get to watch Wednesday's game or the next.  School is wrapping up and I am working a bunch so we will see. Jesse Litsch is looking for his third win so all the best to him.
 
-Stanton X

What's With All The Sweeping...

We swept the Red Sox. Then got swept by Oakland. And now we just swept a team that always seems to have our number in the past. 23 years to be exact. 1985 is that last time the Jays swept the Texas Ranges in Texas.
 
Wow. I wasn't even born yet.
 
None the less good series and it's nice to see the Jays back on top.
 
Plus side to this weekend? Vernon Wells has really stepped up. Which is obviously a really good thing. He now leads the team with rbis with 12, so it's nice to see him playing like he did in '06. That shoulder problem or whatever it was seems to have disappeared. Also the first save of the season for B.J. Ryan is always great. Too bad though that Brandon League got sent back down to AAA. O well. Hopefully he can work out some kinks and come right back.
 
Down side so far to the season? (other then our familiar inconsistency) Alex Rios is only batting .273 with no home runs and only 5 rbis. Plus he leads the team in strike outs with 14...but also leads in stolen bases with 4. So I guess he just has to read the pitches a bit better and things should snap back in place. He may be a bit distracted with the recent contract negotiations...but hey Hill ain't doing to bad...
 
So I was hoping that between the A's and Rangers the team would go 4-2. We got the next best thing and went 3-3. So not so bad. Next is the Baltimore Orioles who we are tied with for first place in the A.L. East division. Just two quick games...neither of which I will get to watch fully...o well. Gotta make money somehow.
 
-Stanton X

Don't Get Me Wrong...


Not going to watch the game today. Not because I'm upset or anything but because I have to work. That's a good reason right?

Of course I still love this team and yes they are only 4-5. They can easily bounce back from this sweep. I just get so frustrated with the team and get so down. But I have to carry on with my head held high.
 
Quick note though...if these types of games continue to happen and the season starts to get (somehow) worse, then the Jays really need to rethink the coaching and managing staff. All the pieces for the team are in place and I really think are big issues might lie within management. John Gibbons and J.P. Ricciardi have done reasonably well over the last couple of seasons. Ricciardi has brought in some players that have really boosted this team and have given them a fighting chance. But lately I am on the fence with Gibbons. I like the guy but I think his meter is running out here in Toronto. It has been shown in the past that he has not gotten along with certain players...so who knows what his relationship is with the current team. Do the players respect him? Do they to him for advice and such? Personally I would prefer Ernie Whitt as the boss...but that's just me.

I Dub Ye Coach Whitt...

...So good luck tonight to Jesse Litsch and the Jays. And I will post a much longer and more in-depth blog later on tonight or tomorrow afternoon.


-Stanton X

Everyone Give Them A Round Of Applause...

Clap. Clap. Clap.
 
Well somehow the Jays managed to be swept by the Oakland A's.  The worst part is that I can only name two players in their starting lineup...Jack Cust and Bobby Crosby.  The rest are  just a bunch of no names. How did we mess this up? It seemed like only days ago when I was cheering how sweet it was that we swept Boston.  Oh wait...it was only days ago...
 
Well I am going to keep this short due to frustration and lack of sleep.  I don't know what else to say.  I don't if there is anything else to say.  But things better change quick.  I had the feeling that after the 9-8 lost on Tuesday, that the offence would keep it up and the pitching would shut it down.  Well for the most part the pitching did their job with little bloops here and there.
 
But the offence? ugh. I have a head ache so I am going to end this. I'll leave with this...We better dominate the Rangers.  And I mean Dominate.
 
-Stanton X

Oh Scutaro...

This was tough....I mean really tough. This game seemed like a shoe in from the beginning. Oakland had some newbie pitching his first MLB game and the Jays were looking to keep the runs rolling and bouncing back from the loss the previous night.
As you may know...they lost.
 
And this time I will point fingers. Before I have been nice and have said that it wasn't certain players but the team as a whole. This time it was just one player.
 
Marco Scutaro.
 
He could have gone for the inning ending double play...at least tried for it...but he decided to maybe play hero and throw the pitch home. Even though he completely threw it away. The A's scored two more and the Jays never came back.

 Scuty...Don't Be A Hero...

 

The best part of this loss and the others this season (best part?) is that they have never been any blow outs so far. There was Hill's fumble in the first loss, Down's deja vu fumble in the second, and now Jeremy Accardo pretty much blowing the last two. Both in the ninth. The team somehow needs to work under pressure and just get the job done. Yes I know it is easy for me to say, as I am just a fan from the stands. We are keeping it close, it just seems that one more thing needs to click and who knows what will happen then.

Plus of the day? Our batters walking nine times. I just wish we could have done something when we had loaded the bases a couple of times. Still though good eyes guys...keep it up.

Down side?...I don't have to tell you...

We swept the defending World Series Champions and we can't even beat the A's. I had predicted that we would go 4-2 against the A's and Rangers in these two series. Well so far we have gone 0-2. So here's to a four game streak!

Shawn Marcum is up for us tomorrow and personally I like him better then Dustin McGowan. Don't get me wrong I like ol' Dusty, I just think Marcum is more of a complete pitcher. Dusty pitched well today but obviously it wasn't enough.

One last thought...my grandfather is quite sick in the hospital and it is not looking well. I wish I could be there with him but he lives a fair distance away. He is the main reason I ever started liking the Jays. Without him who knows what I would like. He is in my thoughts and my heart and I wish for a speedy recovery.

-Stanton X

Welcome Fellow Baseball Bloggers...

I started this blog a couple of weeks ago on a different site. But obviously I wanted a bit more exposure so I have moved all of my older entries into here.

From now on I will be updating regularly on MLBlogs.com so thanks for checking it out. Feedback whether it be positive or negative is always welcomed.

-Stanton X

First Of Many Forgettable Days...

I awoke this morning feeling like absolute crap. My head was thumping and my throat was extremely sore. I decided to skip school and just rest up. The little lady came over to comfort me which cheered me up for a bit...until it was time to go to work. ugh...

So off to work I went. Only to discover that there was very few people I actually enjoyed working with...working. What a crappy day thus far. After an hour my manager came up to me to tell the Jays were already down 3-0.

Crap.

As you may or may not know...the Jays lost. It seemed to be a constant struggle all game. They would give up the lead then tie it ...only to give it up again. Until finally the A's kept the lead by scoring a run in the top of the ninth. Plus side? Frank Thomas, Aaron Hill, and Vernon Wells all getting home runs. This really shows that our bats are swinging.

Down side? The bullpen continually giving up runs. Yes it's one game so hopefully this doesn't continue for the whole season. These types of games are to be expected.

The thing that bothers me the most...is how we sweep the defending World Series Champions...then lose to Oakland. Our next five games are against the A's and the Rangers so we better take advantage of these "weaker" teams and go at least 4-1.

Other note....the NHL playoffs are about to start and I could care less. The playoffs go on for way to long for me. My buddy Mike wants to watch the first game between the Penguins and the Sens. But obviously I want to watch McGowan and the Jays.

We'll see what happens.

-Stanton X

Accardo and The Brooms...

Now you may be wondering why this post is entitled Accardo and not say...Thomas. Even though Thomas dominated the Red Sox this past weekend.
I want to bring up the situation for the closing role. Jeremy Accardo has done well this season so far going 3 for 3 in save opportunities. He was also very reliable last season filling in for B.J. Ryan, which is what he is doing this season.

Unlike last year Ryan is only suppose to be out for a short period of time, rather then the whole season. My question is...What happens when he comes back? Of course more then likely Accardo will be the setup guy maybe even sharing the role with Brandon League. But what I don't want to happen is for the coaches to play Ryan just for the sake of playing because he is our main closer on paper.

History has proven that pitchers coming back from Tommy John surgery usually are never the same again. (I'm looking at you Eric Gagne) If Ryan is not performing well I would hope the Jays will notice this and put Accardo in more often. And if he never comes back to full form maybe even deal him at the deadline.

Just a shame...


Gasp!!! Get rid of Ryan? How dare you say that!! Ryan is one of the key parts to this organization....Blah Blah Blah.

Accardo has shown us that he can be very reliable in the position and I have no reason to doubt that he will only get better. Especially if he is shutting down teams such as the Yankees and the Red Sox. We could get a lot of good players if we traded Ryan.

But I am sounding too negative so here's hoping that when he comes back we see the Ryan of old.

-Stanton X

This Is What We Have Been Waiting For...

10-2...

Thank the baseball gods...

This is what I have been expecting since the season started. Let's keep this train rolling for today and the rest of the year. Everything seems to be clicking right now....we are getting quality pitching....offence will hopefully continue to explode....what the? we are stealing more?....crazy....and fielding is doing awesome as well.

Especially Marco Scuturo. He has made two great plays in the last two games. Rolen better keep up that pace when he returns.

Another amazing is coming our way in about seven minutes as it is Roy Halladay versus Josh Beckett. The Jays better score some runs this time.

Speaking of run scoring the Jays have only allowed 13 runs in five games. And they have the best era in the American League at 2.72.

Here's hoping to continuing that domination.

-Stanton X

Didn't We Arleady Lose Like This....

The Jays lost the opening game due to a misplayed ball on Aaron Hill's part. And they lost the exact same way on Thursday, just instead of Hill it was Scott Downs this time. But really this was a serious case of deja vu. Jays had the lead and lost it. Another strong outing from one of our pitchers and we blew it for him.

And before we all go and point fingers...we shouldn't. Yes the Jays did lose due to the Downs play. But it's not like he blew a 10-10 tie in the bottom of the ninth. The highlight of the game? Seeing another Jays starter have a decent start. But of course it was spoiled by one small error...ugh this better not start a trend...

Not His Fault Either....


All I wanted was the Jays to win this opening series. Whether it be a sweep or two out of three. But I guess you can't get'em all. I really hope we don't see this same inconsistency all season. I want our offence to show up everyday.

Much like the season opener I will be missing the home opener against the Red Sox tonight. I will try and watch it whenever I can at work but it won't be the same just watching it at home on my couch.

O well I will get to see the weekend games.

-Stanton X

Cue Victory Theme....

Yes. First win of the season. Never feels better. Solid game by everyone involved, except for that one A-Rod homerun. Good to see Accardo come in and shut it down.

But the highlight?...Vernon Wells blasting a three run bomb. I was slightly worried the day before when he 0-4 while leaving four runners on base. But he quickly seemed to turn it around this second game going 3-4 with a homerun and 3 R.B.I.s. Good job buddy. Also it was nice to see Rod Barajas get his first couple of hits with the Jays and also throwing a Yankee out. Another good outing by Prince Rios as well. 

Of course I will be watching the game tonight and hopefully Dusty is feeling better.

-Stanton X

So It Begins...

The point of this blog is for me to vent or rant or cheer about the Toronto Blue Jays. If they win or lose I will have some sort of comment to post. Now you have to understand what kind of fan I am. I'm the kind of fan who goes crazy when someone gets a hit or goes cursing mad when someone fumbles the ball. Jays get a home run...I am jumping for joy...literally I am out of my seat. Jays walk the bases loaded...well you can see where that is going.

This is really all leading up to my thoughts for last night's opening game.

But lets start with how it all began....

Some of you may know that I had to work and would miss the first half of the game. I was quite down that I was missing this historic event but what can ya do? Anyways during short breaks at work I would check the game to see the score. At first I was quite displeased as all they were showing were some not so amazing highlights from the Yankees centre fielder Milky Cabrera. But the box score popped up to show that the game was tied at 1-1. "Dang I'm missing a pitching duel", is really the only thing I could think of.

Luckily work was dead so I was able to sneak out early. Called my buddy Mike (who I'm sure I will mention numerous times in the coming months) and headed on over to his place to watch the rest. He told me that the Jays were up by a run. Oh the excitement.

Once there we sat down to enjoy the rest of the game. Or tried to.....

Not much happened except aforementioned Cabrera tied the game with a solo blast. It's ok the game is just tied. The Jays can take the lead again. Fast forward to the bottom of the seventh. Halladay is still pitching great but runs into a little bit of a snag. Then black. Literally. The screen went black. There was still audio but no video. Whatever they will have this fixed in no time.

They didn't. Not right away at least.

The game went to commercials so they could fix the problem. And of course the ads seemed to take forever. Once the feed came back on though we saw what was not a very pleasant sight.

Bases loaded....one out. The game was on TSN with Rod Black announcing. He informed they were going to show us what we had just missed. This should be good. For anyone who knows Halladay as a pitcher you show know that he induces lots of ground balls. Which is good for this situation because they could easily get a double play. Well there was that chance but somehow the Jays managed to screw it up. Now they only showed us the highlight once but from what we saw was a ground ball which was fielded by David Eckstein. He was in perfect position to tag the runner and throw to first for a DP. But for some reason he doesn't tag the runner. Which lead to just the first out. Like I said they only showed us the replay once so it was hard to judge what had happened. I don't remember how it happened but the Jays then loaded up the bases. But wait whats this? Another ground ball! Yes the Jays will get out of this jam and move on into the eighth. But wait what??? Aaron Hill fumbles the ball and only gets the runner at second which lets in the go ahead run.

Yankees go on to win 3-2.

And you probably know the rest we were irate with Hill for screwing up. But when I look back now it was not his fault for them losing the game. How about only six hits when this team should have an explosive offence. The Jays could have lost 8-7 or even 12-11 and you can't really blame Hill for messing up. Looking back on the play now, he had to kind of back hand awkwardly so maybe it was difficult to field. Not to mention, but Vernon Wells went 0-4 with a strikeout and left four men stranded. How do these things happen?

Not His Fault


I just feel bad how the Jays always blow a great start for Halladay. When he gets a loss it's rarely his fault.

Yes I know it's just game one. But this could be a very good example of how the rest of the season is going to turn out.

And one last thought...I hate Joba Chamberlain.

-Stanton X

Who Really Tapes Anymore?

I'm going to miss the game tonight. All winter I have been waiting for this. Had I known months ago that the game would be played today I would have booked off work. Of course this didn't happen but I'm hoping to get out of work early and catch the last couple of innings.

But Stanton X what if they are losing...badly?

Who cares? I miss watching games and who knows maybe there will be some crazy comeback. But of course hopefully they won't be losing and we won't have to worry about comebacks and such.

I mentioned yesterday how I watched the Royals versus the Tigers. And I said that this was odd because really it's two random teams that are not even in our division. But I said that the game was more entertaining then I thought. The game went into extras with the Royals winning. I like cheering for the underdog because I'm pretty sure everyone had pegged the Tigers to win.

You have to know something about me though. I really don't watch much sports besides Jays and Raptors games. I seem to get bored easily (Thanks A.D.D.) and find myself watching something else and occasionally tuning back to the game. But for some odd reason I found myself watching this one. I have always enjoyed baseball but have never really got into watching just some game where the Jays aren't playing. What was weirder is that I also watched the last inning of the Pirates and Braves game. These teams are not even in the same league!

Something I think sparked this winter and I seem to have this new fascination with the rest of baseball. I just don't care how the Jays do I care how other teams are doing.

Of course I will never love another team as much as I do the Jays. Those our my boys for life. I think it's great that I have this new appreciation for other clubs. Don't you?

This is going to be a great season, hopefully for the Jays and all of baseball.

I hope you all enjoy the game tonight. O yeah...I thought about taping it but really come on...when would I watch it?

-Stanton X

Rain Rain Go Away Come Again Some Other Opening Day...

The day started like any other day. Got up. Went to school. Wrote a test. Had some lunch.....and then sat slowly waiting in anticipation for the first pitch of the season. I had called a buddy over to come share the experience. It's not often you get to see the final opening day game at Yankee Stadium. We both sat patiently...waiting for the intro to the season. Things started a touch different, Sportsnet had created a new opening intro which was neat. Then the familiar voice of Jaime Campbell welcomed us to the new year. All was going swell until we finally saw a shot of New York City. This is when things turned slightly sour. The sky was overcast and pretty much every civilian was wearing some sort of rain protection. Campbell informed us that the game would start a bit late, as the officials were waiting for the skies to clear up a bit.

Now up until this point, I had been wondering if Sportsnet was going to bring back another edition of "The Season". Anyone who watches the Jays regularly knows of this show. For those who don't let me quickly explain. It's basically a weekly documentary on the Jays as they progress through the season. I enjoyed last year's shows but was mildly concerned thinking that they were not going to be bringing it back.

This was put to rest as Campbell announced that as filler for the "short rain delay", they would be showing the new season of "The Season". (I think the official title is something like "The Season: '08 Jays"...or something like that.)

So being disappointed that we may have to wait a couple of minutes for things to get rolling we didn't mind watching this. This episode showcased B.J. Ryan's recovery and a short profile on Alex Rios. Which in this episode he was named Prince Rios. I'll announce right here...that is now his official title. The episode was decent...pretty much what you would expect from the show.

So 12:30 rolls around and Campbell and Pat Tabler come back on....And nothing has changed. Ugh...Campbell informs us again that they haven't decided on starting it yet. So we get another little show called "Jays Connected"...which I find is essentially the same thing as "The Season".

At this point we have gotten kind of frustrated. It has been almost an hour and still no Halladay...no Wells...no start to the season. To make things slightly more frustrating for my friend and I he had to leave to go back to school. I assured him that the game would start at one...it didn't. Campbell told us once again that we would have to wait a bit longer. But seeing as how they had presented us all they could for Blue Jay programs, what else could they possibly show?

How bout Royals versus Tigers....hmmm at first this seemed lame but once I saw how stacked the Tigers had become over the off-season it became a lot more entertaining.

And just a quick note...I said the other day that Chicago had picked up Dontrelle Willis...why I said this I have know idea...must have been a brain fart....gross...

Not on Chicago...


After an inning or two my good ol'pal had to take off. We joked that the moment he left the game would start. Isn't that always the way? Unfortunately the game didn't start but the complete opposite happened....

It was cancelled....

Ugh. O well. What can you do eh? And to much of my dismay the game was rescheduled for Tuesday at 6:00. Right when I'm working.

Even though I won't get to see the final opening day game at Yankee Stadium, I can at least say I tried.

Guess my first game will come on Wednesday.

-Stanton X

Less Than A Day....

Well I'm excited....Are you?

The season starts in just a little under 24 hours and I am so pumped. The winter just seemed to fly by. Which is good because I hate waiting for the next season.

Anyways not much to report today except I have some clips for ya guys. Some of you may have already seen these but I have the new videos for this years marketing campaign. There is three of them and they showcase Roy Halladay, Alex Rios, and Aaron Hill. Not the greatest commercials that the Jays have released but they are still amusing. My personnel favorite is the Rios one. Click on them below to check them out.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=4BhSeM3Qj9c - Roy Halladay
http://youtube.com/watch?v=NOUrVIK8syI - Alex Rios
http://youtube.com/watch?v=g5VtKWSd7RM - Aaron Hill

You guys better watch the game tomorrow!

Let Me Explain Myself...

The other day I mentioned how aces Johan Santana and Dontrelle Willis stared into opponent's eyes like they meant business. This seemed to be taken the wrong way. What I meant was that these two pitchers (which I was using as an example) had a glare or a face that could strike fear into batter's hearts. There are many other pitchers in the league that are like this but I just chose these two for whatever reason. Yes I could have chosen Sabathia, Martinez, or Riveria, but these were the two that popped into my head when writing the post. There was numerous complaints that Willis was not an ace nor a threat to batters. I find this very untrue. Willis is very dangerous. Last season's stats may not reflect that comment but remember he played for the Marlins. Watch out for him in Chicago. This is all going back to my point that I felt Litsch didn't seem to have that kind of power or influence on batters. Yes....he was one of the highlights of spring training this March. But will the Litsch of March show up for the season?...probably not...that is why he is the fifth starter.

Speaking of spring training...

It ended today with the Jays posting a record of 13-16. Not bad...but not great. But whatever it's spring training. Got a chance to see the game to versus the Phillies. I always enjoy watching these interleague games. It's nice to get to see many players that the Jays usually don't face.

As of this moment....

Contract talks are still under way with Alex Rios. Ricciardi reported that they will have negotiations complete by opening day. So expect my view on that tomorrow. Can't wait to see what they have cooked up....

And of course Opening Day 2008 for the Jays kicks off at 12:00 central time versus the Yankees on Monday. Still find it odd to play on a Monday afternoon. Aren't people working? Should be an awesome game win or lose as the pitching match up is between Halladay and 19 game winner Chien-Ming Wang....Actually I take that back...the Jays better upset the last opening game at the stadium that Ruth built.

Who agrees with me on that one?

Really Rolen...Mid Way Through May?

Well now it's being reported that Scott Rolen (AKA Troy Glaus) will be sidelined till the middle of May...the middle of May?!? Really?!? Come on! I know he had surgery to fix his finger, but it seems like he is not even putting in the effort to make a speedy recovery. We need his bat and his glove. Getting Rolen was another attempt to move this team further in the division and making a playoff appearance, but it just seems like the Jays are getting shafted again. This may sound crazy but by the time he comes back the season could already be decided. Now I know the fate of the team is not suppose to be rested on Rolen's shoulders, but he was suppose to be a crucial building block for this team.

O well...I guess we will be seeing more of Johnny Mac's hot glove....

And as all of you should know by now...the season starts on Monday with the Jays wrapping up spring training this weekend versus Philly.

I will admit I only saw a bit of the games this March. Canada really doesn't show many spring training games with the NHL and NBA heating up towards playoffs. But I did see Reed Johnson pop up or something...I don't remember. Honestly I don't really pay attention to how the Jays are doing during this time. I never really care to how their record is. Is this bad of me? You hear all the time that pre-season games don't matter but is this really true. Frank Thomas seemed to struggle through March...will this reflect how his season turned out? Only time will tell I guess.

Anyways...I have taken the day off Monday. Which is really annoying because I shouldn't have had to. But with the game starting at 12:00 my time I guess I really had no choice. (Well I did have a choice but this is really important to me.) I'm still confused as to why they chose such an early start time for the season opener but whatever I'm still going to grab a beer and chill for the afternoon.

Should be fun...should be....

-Stanton X

Bye-Bye Chacin...Here Comes Litsch

I like Chacin...

Well I did....I'm not saying that I don't anymore. It's just that well really for the last couple of seasons he hasn't done anything. Which is too bad because when he first exploded onto to the scene a couple years ago he seemed to be the next big pitching prospect for the Jays. Of course with injuries that was all put away into the closet.

Oh Well....

On the other hand...Now we have the tag team of McGowan and Marcum. I expect nothing less of these two for the oncoming season.

But that's not really what today's post is about. Jesse Litsch. Hopefully with any luck the Jays can really develop this fine young gun into a superstar. He has a lot of potential. But I feel like there is something missing. Something to be feared. When aces such as Dontrelle Willis or Johan Santana stare into your eyes you know they mean business. But Litsch seeems to be to much of a push over.

"But Stanton X he had a no-hitter going into the seventh vs the Reds!"

Yes he did...but again this is just spring training...and it was the Reds....

Now it sounds like I am hating on the boy. This isn't true. I like Litsch. He really deserved the 5th spot on the rotation. Anyone that thought Janssen or Chacin was going to get it is crazy. I just think that in the long run Litsch is going to get eaten alive unless he shows that he can be absolutely dominate.

-Stanton X

The Grand Opening....

Well since my first entry a lot has happened...

Rumors are circulating that Alex Rios and the organization are in talks of a six year deal. Yes that is very good news. I was really nervous during the off-season when there was talks floating around that he might have been dealt to San Fran for Tim Lincecum. Another young (maybe future Cy Young winner) would have been nice, but I have faith in Marcum and McGowan. And with Halladay pretty much looking like normal except for a minor hiccup (more on that in a bit) and Burnett hopefully playing more then just .500 baseball, we have a rock solid starting lineup. So I find that we really didn't need another "supposed all-star". Let Lincecum stay in San Fran and become a star there. I'm glad to see the Jays will more then likely go through with this deal.

Also, if anyone is a fan of handle bar moustaches then...

Sal Fasano was released... Dang. This is really not a shock with the off-season signing of Rob Barajas, and fan favourite Gregg Zaun already behind the plate.

But I will miss those handle bars....

As mentioned earlier...

Roy and the Jays were pounded today by the Devi...oops... The Rays and their new logo. Jays let in 10 runs in the fifth with five errors....that's a good sign. Don't worry this is just spring training. These games really don't matter. Do they?

Shiny


O yeah welcome to my new fangled blog....

-Stanton X

Ugh...Here We Go....

All right.... the season starts in less then a week and already my stomach is turning.

Reed released...

Rolen out for a month...

Janssen gone for the season....

This is starting to give me flashbacks from last season...and we all know how that one ended...

But enough negative talk. I'm just stressing because like any die hard fan I want my team to do well. I know that Matt Stairs and Shannon Stewart will take turns at left, Johnny Mac will take over at third, and with Brandon League healthy again our pen should be fine.

As long as there is no snowball effect everything should be fine....

...for now

-Stanton X

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