A certain Roster member requested photos of Nick Johnson while I was down in the camera bay for Jays vs. Nationals on the weekend, so here's the first of many, conveniently desktop-sized:

Show me the way to go home
I'm tired and I want to go to bed

Ever have one of those days where you just don't feel like doing much? Welcome to today's "No Hustle" Minor League Update.

Our own Gitz warned us that Lilly would break our hearts. (He also said, with reference to 2004, that "At worst, the Jays will do what they did [in 2003]." But it's well-established that Gitz is a far better writer than he is a psychic.) Lilly certain did that in the early going, missing almost all of spring training (like last season) and then really stinking up the joint for the first few games (the joint was only slightly malodourous in the early going last season). Just when everyone was ready to write him off, he goes and figures it out, reeling off 6 innings of 5-hit, 1-run ball against the Nationals, and then 6 2/3 innings of 4-hit, 1-run ball against the Bloody Foot Garments.

I guess the lesson is "Never say never." Or maybe it's "Lilly will break your heart." Either way.

While we're waiting for the real Game Report, I have bowed to popular demand and clipped and pasted highlights from the dueling fans in Boston and Toronto.

And Jonny taught me how to do the colour coding (he inserted it himself last time). I like to practise the HTML, ya know...

Boomer didn't last night; will Arroyo ... be un-Roy like? (uh..)

In a word... not like Roy.

It sounds awful, but the Lugnuts behind late homers from DP combo Peralta and Klosterman rallied from a 4 run deficit to an extra-inning victory. The farm affiliates were a perfect 3-0.

Frank Catalanotto is one of the nicest people i've ever come across. Here he is getting a jump on Tony Armas at the Rogers Centre this past weekend:

If you've been paying attention to draft coverage you're probably familiar with hitters the Jays could potentially take in Round 1 - Gordon, Tulowitzki, Zimmerman, Braun and Clement (although the first three are likely to be taken prior to the Jays pick).

But after that pick when the Jays select in the early to mid-rounds, beginning with their 3rd round pick somewhere around pick 88 (depending on whether Drew and Weaver sign prior to the draft) and every 30 picks thereafter, who might they be interested in?

Is there a better thing in this life than to crush your enemies? To hear the sweet music of their cries and lamentations, the wailing of their women?

Conan like tonight's game. Plenty good.

Well, the recent All-Z team didn't turn out too badly (and if you're wondering, yes, this is leading up to something -- a Batter's Box Challenge, in fact -- this coming off-season). But as we work our way (backwards for now, though we'll probably jump around a bit as we proceed) through the alphabet, we ask ourselves the eternal question, "Y Not?"

That is, what kind of Hall of Names team can be built using only the 93 men to have reached the MLB level whose last/family name begins with the letter "Y"? And unlike our previous Z-team, we actually have a Hall of Famer -- actually, four of them! -- to start with.

Reed Johnson shows off his man strength with 2 HRs tonight, including a walk off HR to win the game 9-6.

The defending champs come into town for their second three-game set at the Rogers Centre, which means that this is officially no longer the Early Part Of The Season. And if you told the Jays' brass that on May 24, they'd be tied with the Yankees and just 2 1/2 games back of the Red Sox, they'd obviously be beside themselves. Notwithstanding the fine start by the Orioles, they'll still take it, and the Jays have to realize that this is a legitimately big series and a chance to make some local fans take notice. Unsurprisingly, Doc will take advantage of yesterday's holiday to leapfrog Ted Lilly in the rotation, thus ensuring an opportunity to inflict his mastery on the mighty Bosox.

The press in Boston, at least, has taken notice. Noted Boston Globe curmudgeon Bob Ryan recently praised the competitiveness of the O's and Jays in print, observing that "[f]inally, we'll have division games other than the ones with You-Know-Who we can savour."

This week's Scout features a slumping shortstop, a mashing catcher and a struggling world champion far, far from home.

On to the Advance Scout!

Well, here it is: the first Photo of the Day from this past weekend against the Nationals. I figured I'd start off with the new guy getting his pants dirty as he slides into third base:

Alone behind locked doors
And have scrambled eggs for breakfast
And sit and read the box scores

One win for the Toronto farm, and woulda, coulda, shoulda.

The Rogers Centre may get a little more crowded than usuual for this mid-week set as Boston comes to town, likely accompanied by a sizable contigent of Boston fans making the trip for the series. There probably won't be as many as there usually is for a weekend series, but there will still be a good number of loud Bostonians in the stadium.