... is two million people in North Texas simultaneously saying "holy crap!"

Rangers win ... Rangers win!
Wait ... Rangers win? Rangers win???

The only team in the history of major league baseball to have never won a post-season series has ... well, won a post-season series. A series in which the home team posted an inglorious 0-5 record.

As a North Texan, I have nothing further to say. There are no words. Justin Smoak can become a 14-time All-Star in Seattle, and the Cliff Lee trade is still worth it.

P.S. I'm not sure yet, but I think I'll still be rooting for the Yankees in the next round. Shhhh. Don't tell my wife!

Doug Davis, the Blue Jays Minor League Field Coordinator was in Toronto recently for the Webster Award presentation.  Batters Box managed to get some time from Doug to discuss the 2010 season.

Doc vs. The Freak

In my humble opinion, they're the two best pitchers in major league baseball right now. Given a choice between the two of them to start a pitching staff, factoring in age, current cost, etc. -- hell, I don't have a single clue which one I'd go with.

The 2010 National League Championship Series (NLCS) looks to start with a matchup of Tim "The Freak" Lincecum for the San Francisco Giants facing off with Roy "Doc" Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies. Could there possibly be a more exciting starting pitching matchup in this year's post-season? (Sorry, Cliff Lee, apologies Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels).What do you foresee in this year's NLCS, Bauxites?

Long-time (and original) Bauxite Mike Green recently posted thus,
Jimmy McMath passed away recently.  Short career, but great name, and what town would have a high school named "Druid"?

Putting aside the second part of his post (for now, anyway), I was of course struck by the phrase "but great name" -- and indeed it was. It made me wonder, from a Hall of Names perspective -- and I got nothin' here, really -- have there been enough players with names that sound like high school core courses to fill out a whole schedule, or even a whole roster?

I'll be thinking that over in Kelly Shoppach class. Surely you can be more creative than that, Bauxites ... whatchagot?

So the other day I was watching the Braves and Giants and listening to the announcers wax poetic about wonderful Rookie of the Year co-favorites Jason Heyward and Buster Posey. And suddenly, in a Hall of Names dither, I found myself wondering, "Is Posey the first 'Buster' in major league history?" I couldn't think of any others, but (continuing and perpetual) thanks to our friends at BaseballReference.com, I discovered I was quite wrong about that.

In fact, there have been no less than 19 major league Busters in the history of the great game, one of whom even managed for a brief spell. (It's true, there hasn't been even one before Posey since 1958, and most were far earlier in the game's canon.) Now, 19 ain't near enough to fill a full roster, but let's see if we can't at least work through a full lineup card and sort out some pitching options; let's meet the team that will bear the name (sorry about this) ...

Alex Gonzalez and the Atlanta Braves saved us from the prospect of three sweeps in the first round of the playoffs.  It was an improbable win for the Braves in many respects.  They were down 4-1 with Brian Wilson, San Francisco's closer, on the mound and Atlanta's offense is one of the weakest in the playoffs.  Once the Braves tied it Billy Wagner has to leave with an injury and their fate rests with Kyle Farnsworth on the mound, the Farnsworth who not known as a big game pitcher.  That view looked to be confirmed when he hit Freddy Sanchez.  The Braves options looked bleaker when Buster Posey was up with the bases loaded and one out.  Posey grounded the ball to Troy Glaus, who has not played much third this season, and Glaus passed up on the play at home and went around the horn for an inning ending double play.

The Top 30 prospects series demonstrated the strength of the Blue Jays minor league system compared to the past couple of seasons. Several prospects were left off the Top 30 list who would have been comfortable inclusions a year or two ago. Given the depth of the system, the Minor League Crew decided to profile some additional prospects worth keeping an eye during the offseason and coming year. This list is in alphabetical order and shouldn't necessarily be considered the next 9 best prospects in the system. Rather, these are names that we highlighted, some familiar and some not so familiar, who are some of the players who could move onto the Top 30 list at the end of the 2011 season.

The 2010 off-season for the Blue Jays has begun with infielder Jarrett Hoffpauir being claimed on waivers by the San Diego Padres.  The POTD captures the Mississippi native against his former team, the St. Louis Cardinals, during interleague play at the Rogers Centre earlier this season.

Today we wrap up our 2010 Blue Jays Top Prospects 30 with numbers 10-1. For 30-21 click here. For 20-11 click here.

... is pretty good.

Welcome to Doctober!

Today we look at the prospects rated at 20 though 11. For prospects 30-21 click here.

Here's an all-purpose thread for day 1 of the Phil Cuzzi-free 2010 Division Series.

The 2010 Playoffs start tomorrow day, and though the Jays are not participating for the 16th time in 17 years (we will have to count the strike year as a moral victory), 8 other teams are! So Bauxites, who's going to, you know, win it all.

Welcome once again to the annual installment of Batter's Box's Top 30 Blue Jays prospects. This list is never an easy one to assemble but it was even tougher this year as the organization has infused a great deal of talent this season through a strong draft, various trades, and a growing international presence. The Top 30 list was compiled and written by eight Batter's Box contributors.

It is my custom to examine some odds and ends at the conclusion of the regular season, once the final game is in the books and I've had a chance to update my Big Honking Database. I like to play Snakes and Ladders, I like to check in with Pythagoras...