Jays Lineup:
Menechino 6
Berg 7
Johnson 8
Hinske 5
Zaun DH
Hudson 4
Gomez 3
Rios 9
Cash 2

With Woodward, Phelps, Cat, and Clark on the bench.

alright! Cash is playing!! Lets see some DOA TB base runners.

alright! Cash is playing!! Lets see some DOA TB base runners.

woops. Error me on the double post.

Phelps sitting vs. a LHP doesn't scream out "in our plans for this year".

Glad to see Cash in.. wondering about playing Zaun at 1st with a 2 catcher roster... I guess he's assuming the odds of an injury are pretty low...

I mean, Zaun at DH... I knew that, brain cramp

Radio feed?

oh dear. Bit of a bases loaded crisis for Theodore. Common Mr.President!

Awwww cripes.....

2-0 bad guys in the first.

DAMNIT!!!

3 - 0 bad guys on a balk call.

Lugo steals third!? What the hell's going on!? Common Jays, get it together!

That wasn't a particularly good pitch by Lilly on the 0-2 pitch to Lugo. Fastball caught too much of the plate inside and Lugo whacked it into right center.

Game over with this joke of an offense.

RV, I respectfully disagree with your assessment.

Ricky, do you have any purpose here other than to complain? If you don't like the team, don't watch. You're not bringing anything to the table here, though.

Finally Rey Sanchez flies out to stop the inning of pain and suffering....

Its time for this AAAA offence to start playing over their head if we are to get four runs this game.

Halama can't be unstoppable... can he???

I complain when my teams looks like garbage and I have every right. Being from Philly, I was raised to boo when my teams sucks so that's what I do. If you don't like it, too bad!!

yea, you're right, I don't like it
but I don't have to listen to it

First two men aboard... I'm thinking that the AAAA jays are looking to jack up 15 on this day... :)

REED!!!!! Ohhh how I love that guy!!! Fantastic!!!

Maybe Berg just sucks in the utility role and has to play everyday-as he whacks a single the other way. Yeah Reed!! 3-1, still no one out and runners on 2nd and 3rd.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

Mr. Clutch with the ground rule double to bring home mighty mouse and put Berg on third, no out!

He is the REAL Mr. Clutch isn't he???

http://www.thegamelive.com/baseballmlb.html#tor
Anyone looking for radio, try www.fan590.com -- I just tested it and it works. If it doesn't, click on my name for more stations.

As I've said many times before, Yankees fan gave that title to Jeter with no real evidence, so I just took it and gave it too a more deserving guy... with no real evidence.

But he sure is proving it these last two days. Any of you stats wizards can find a Sparky/Jeter hits in game demanding situations statistic?

TY Rob, Radio is doing me quite nicely

I complain when my teams looks like garbage and I have every right

You're not complaining, you're proclaiming the game over. We're all here to enjoy the game and the possibility of a win, so to have someone off the top say "Hah, they can't win" is a real pain. It serves no purpose, and you are not starting a dialogue of any kind. You're just saying "Ha ha, the rest of you are stupid for wanting this team to win".

So, surprise! We're annoyed when you taunt us!

Hinske working an 8 pitch (so far) full count.... at the least, he's tiring out the starter.

Is jerry goin solo tonight???

is the game still over? or are we going to bother sending Zaun up to the plate with the bases loaded?

Matt: Sort of. Tom Cheek is still on the DL, but Mike Wilner is there providing some colour.

And he ends the AB 9 pitches later by getting plunked. Atta boy Eric. Bases loaded, no out for....

GOING GOING ZAUN..........

Oh dude, its totally over... We should all break open our trusty bottles of booze to drown our jay sorrows all away...

yes, I'm that guy who thought starting Halama on my BBFL team today would be a good idea.

I'm not an intellectual baseball fan so I don't "start dialogue". I am one of those obnoxious, beer drinking, rowdy fans that most people hate to be around at games (except in Philly where it's the norm). That's who I am and that's how I have fun, so that's the way I'll be.

They said that Tom was in the booth earlier, but he didn't say anything over the air.

That's a good sign.

C'mon, O-Dog.

Lemme hear it: OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Argh, I think Berg was safe. The Rays announcers said right before that "Zaun hasn't had a groundball out yet this series, it's about time he gets one."

Okay, I'm sorry but this is absurd. If Phelps doesn't play against lefties, when does he play?

Gomez vs. Lefties: .254/.380/.305
Phelps vs. Lefties: .278/.320/.422

this radio webcast is on a wicked delay... MLB gameday is beating it on the calls by a longshot...

Ahh... Zaun grounds out. Bases still loaded, one out. Lets go OOOOOOOOOO-dog.

Is Phelps nursing an injury? That's the only reason I can see why he'd be sitting... yarrrgh.

Go OoooooooOOOoooOOoooOOoooo Dog! Infield hit!

WOOOOOOOOO!!!! O-Dog comes through with the single, SPARKY SCORES!!!

Common THOR!! We need another grand slam!!

I'd like to point out that The incredible hulk and thor play on the same team....

somewhere up there... bill bixby is smiling...

Base Hit!!!!! 4 - 3 Lead!!!

THOR DOUBLES!!!! THOR DOUBLES!!!!

4 - 3 FIGHTING JAYS!!!!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Yeah, this game is over with our terrible offense. What's the score now? Oh, right.

Sweeeet, now this is how I like to see a starter knocked out of the game.

Perhaps Gomez has good numbers off Halama-he showed it right there with the sacs loaded double. Keep pourin' it on Jays!

I'm not an intellectual baseball fan so I don't "start dialogue".

Start dialogue is a fancy way of saying "have an argument that has points". It's not about intelligence, it's about backing up what you say. If you're saying that you just say things for no reason with no justification, well, I believe you.

I am one of those obnoxious, beer drinking, rowdy fans that most people hate to be around at games (except in Philly where it's the norm). That's who I am and that's how I have fun, so that's the way I'll be.

So in Philly if the game starts out badly, everyone packs up and goes home? Is that what you're saying? Because I don't see a connection with drinking beer and being rowdy and the way you're acting.

Because I'll tell you, with the Jays up 4-3 you just look like an idiot.

Is Chris Gomez Thor? I like it, but I don't get it. Could somebody please explain? Thanks!

I think we'll soon see the end of halama...

damn... Ya know I seem to remember the game being over...

What happened?????

Come on Rios - add some RBIs to that 1!!

Could this be a sign that the Jays are finally waking up? I sure hope so!! Let's hope Lilly settles down and pitches like has been the last few weeks.

Go Jays Go!!

Come on Cash!

Gomez picked up the nickname Thor when he hit that grand slam.

C'mon, Cash, I want to see Menechino again!

Halama's pulling a Gaudin, hopefully this ends with better results this time :)

Snappy, Gomex became Thor when NFH dubbed him that after hitting a grand slam off Curt Schilling. Thus THE HAMMER was created in his honour.

I think NFH could elaborate more with my crummy memory.

Alright, time for the most over used pun on Da Box.... CASH in those runs!

Oh Rob Bell will be needed Jerry... Mark the words of the alimighty THOR!!!!! With his surging hammer glimmering!!!1

GLIMMERING!!!!!

According tio CBS sportsline, Bell is up in the pen

Actually, I kinda dubbed him Jobu... :) Just so we're straight on things...

Thanks for the Thor update, much fun!

Damn.... Cash cant buy a hit.

Oh well, we got the LEAD back. This should really fire up Lilly after a rocky start. Wish I was there today.

T'wasn't me that named him. I just made The Hammer.

Sorry Matt, my bad. Like I said, crummy memory.

yes that sounds about right... :)

Another Theodore up on the wall. Nice goin', Ted.

RE: Sparky/Jeter "Mr Clutch"

Three Year Splits, ESPN.com

RISP
Sparky: .326/.360/.416 (89 AB)
Jeter: .325/.418/.420 (338 AB)

Close and Late
Sparky: .188/.273/.271 (48 AB)
Jeter: .236/.340/.341 (229 AB)

ohhhhh.... the currrrvvvveeee.....

Mr. President puts another K on the board to start the 2nd. This is more like it.

What did Rios do?

It's nice to see him hitting better, but I hope he starts coming through in the RBI situations. It's hard to believe he only has 1 so far.

I watched him a lot in New Haven last year and he was unbelievable in the clutch. He came through every time the Ravens needed a big hit. It was amazing!

I dont know what those "splits" mean, but it looks like Jeter does have the sight edge (if I go by the bigger numbers). No matter, I still give the title to Sparky :)

Dear Mr. Vaughn,

"Game Over" belongs to Eric Gagne, not the Jays. That said, if Ricky wants to do an about face and use his favourite phrase when Frasor comes into the game, that'd be cool.

How about it, Ricky? I hereby invite you to post "game over" when Frasor enters to shut the door in the later innings of this afternoon's game. Should you accept this invitation, Da Box will have been successful in having converted a nay-sayer into a Jay-sayer.

Leigh Sprague
Batter's Box: Opting For Content Over Malcontent Since 2002

I am one of those obnoxious, beer drinking, rowdy fans that most people hate to be around at games (except in Philly where it's the norm). That's who I am and that's how I have fun, so that's the way I'll be.

Wow thats a hell of defence, fella.

The good news is Halama has thrown 40 pitches in the first inning. He should be done by the 5th at the latest.

Bah... do not like seeing that evil huff come up to the plate... it's a nice story about how he had his single widowed mother buy him the batters cage... does that qualify him the title of working class hero???

Having Lilly doesn't look like it will help my win WHIP this week. A hit and a walk in the 2nd, but a strikeout and a few ground balls to Hudson and it remains 4-3.

Dave Berg is getting some love here on the broadcast...

infield hit!

I am one of those obnoxious, beer drinking, rowdy fans that most people hate to be around at games (except in Philly where it's the norm). That's who I am and that's how I have fun, so that's the way I'll be.

If I lived in Philly, I'd be really offended with you RV..

Hey!, I just found this really cool feature at Sportsline.
During the inning breaks you get this little pop-up "commercial", with an [X] marked "Close"....

If you click the [X], all your Explorers windows smash to a halt and you get a "Dr Watson" message box followed by a free re-boot...

Did it twice, worked both times...

I dont know what those "splits" mean

Sorry, Jobu. I should have explained that.

Three Year Splits
A player's stats from 2001, 2002, 2003 seasons. The last three complete years.
RISP - How he hits with runners in Scoring Position (man on 2nd or 3rd or both)
Stats are batting average, on-base average, and slugging percentage.
Sparky: .326/.360/.416 (89 AB)
Jeter: .325/.418/.420 (338 AB)

but it looks like Jeter does have the sight edge (if I go by the bigger numbers).

Yes, bigger numbers are better, and Jeter has the slight edge.

No matter, I still give the title to Sparky :)

No argument here.

How about "Clutch Hits / $Million"??

Sparky again huh?

http://me.woot.net
Daryn:

Sounds like IE being its usual joyous self. Might I suggest you


(Sorry, guys. I couldn't resist!)

I got ya'll all worked up now. It's nice to see some life in the Jays fans because from what I've seen, the fans in Toronto show no emotion. Keep it up!!

How about "Clutch Hits / $Million"??

Heh, call it Clutch Hits to Sportscars ratio.

Hey!, I just found this really cool feature at Sportsline.

Ahhh, thank you for reminding me of why I use Mozilla, Daryn. :)

Note Ricky's complete disregard of all questions posed to him.

Anyone else remember Tosca saying "Phelps hits better as a DH"?

Well...check this out:

2001-2003, Josh Phelps
.317 GPA (27 AB when playing first)
.286 GPA (630 AB when DH'ing)

Small sample size, of course, but how does he know Phelps isn't a good hitter when playing first if he keeps playing Gomez/Clark/Berg there?

Again, to explain my stats, just think of GPA as a refined batting average -- .200 is bad, .300 is good, .400 is Ted Williams-like.

It will be interesting to see who lasts longer in this organization...Phelps or Tosca?

I'm glad that we all learned today that fans from Philadelphia give up in the first inning.

and learning... is fun!!!

Batter's Box: Opting For Content Over Malcontent Since 2002

Leigh, brilliant juxtaposition. (Definition: "Garry Templeton was juxtaposition player, not a pitcher.") I'd like to see The Cabal adopt that phrase into the official header of Da Box.

Great job with the clutch hits to millions of dollars ratio guys! Now I feel even more vindicated.

And Rob thanks for finding the info and then dumbing it down for me, for that you get a picture of Judge Reinhold

Rob, where are you getting that data?

Espn has Phelps with a .154/.195/.256 line at 1B for a .152 GPA

nice over the shoulder catch by Rios.

Rios flubs a flyball so badly that Toby Hall advanced all the way to third by the time Rios changed directions and made a circus catch. The throw into the infield allows them to double off Hall. Part of the Rios grand plan all along I'm sure.

whats up with the first name 'judge'? The heck???

Wow... Bertuzzi got charged... nuts...

Aw crap...didn't see where you wrote 2001-2003, Rob. Nevermind.

Still, his numbers this year at 1B are dismal.

Holy crap. Bertuzzi charged with assault.

Not good for Canuck fans ... like me.

Leigh, brilliant juxtaposition.

Thanks, Mick. It is original Leigh wit, which is rare (normally I am either witty or original, but almost never both simultaneously).

I wouldn't think that Gaudin is going to get rewarded with the call from the pen after those four walks in one inning...

60 pitches through three innings for Lilly, perhaps we will see Peterson in the game today... what with extra innings last night and few people getting used up. I would def'n prefer to see Peterson over Spiers or Nakamura, even in a close game.

Rios hits a lot of tailor made double play balls. He was the same way in the minors. He makes decent contact and has a groundball swing. I don't know if that's something that needs tinkering with but I think they would prefer he approach the ball more like Wells and get it into the air more often so he can start leveraging his thus far hidden power.

I was about to say "2001-2003" but you caught it.

And yes, his 2004 1B numbers are dismal, like his 2004 DH numbers, his 2004 vs RH numbers, etc.

What I'm trying to say is Tosca can't say Phelps is a better hitter as DH to justify Clark/Gomez/Berg at first over him. I understand Zaun as DH today (at least Cash is in there) but Gomez at first base? Why?

In Jobu's terms: ;)
Gomez at first = bad
Phelps at first = good.

Bye bye Tedrick Lilly. Let's see if Bob can deliver a file to spring the Jays from the prison of run allowance.

Bah... Lilly is getting the can already??? Humbug... Humbug...

Holy crap. Bertuzzi charged with assault.

Maybe now the neanderthals that run hockey will begin to realize how out of whack on-ice behaviour has become with what we deem acceptable in society.

While hockey needs a good enema, I'm sure this is too much to hope for.

I believe it's "Tedward" Lilly, but let's see if Bob can File these runners under "stranded."

Damn, not the outing Lily was hoping for. Strap on your comeback shoes again Blue Jay fans.

The answer to that Rob is no.

Bob is filing away the Jays hopes in this game. He should try not throwing hittable fastballs on the first pitch.

Sorry to state the obvious but that was not a very good start by Lilly.

At this rate it will be 10 - 4 by the end of the inning

Bah! I forgot it was an early game.
File doesn't seem to be fooling anybody.

Maybe File thinks it is batting practice time?

Geez.
File's not fooling anyone. Let's hope the rest of the bullpen can hold the fort, although 8 runs may be a bit much to hope for with the current lineup.

Lets see.....bases loaded, 1 out and File is throwing batting practice....grand slam off him maybe?

I kind of question the decision to bring File into this situation. I mean you're not going to bring in Chulk or Frasor but it's a one run game (at the time) and you're still very much in it. I wouldn't bring in a guy like File who put up a decent ERA this year but has far from dominated. As I say this File has given up his fourth hit in five batters.

Well this is a buzzkill after that first inning comeback....

Looks like a good game to bring Peterson into.

we just need a repeat of the bottom of the 1sr

I'd like to see The Cabal adopt that phrase into the official header of Da Box.

There is no content or malcontent Cabal.

I guess the only person File fooled, was Tosca

CASH!

Cash Money

Ack!

I wonder how much Cash calling his first game in a while has to do with the struggles of a lot of pitchers today. Reaching maybe but I never thought much about Cash's game calling.

Gregg Zaun has an awful mugshot on Gameday

Rios hits a lot of tailor made double play balls. [...] I don't know if that's something that needs tinkering with but I think they would prefer he approach the ball more like Wells and get it into the air more often so he can start leveraging his thus far hidden power.

Hideki Matsui's G/F ratio has gone north this season (2.17 to 1.19) and the results are evident in his stats. Whether this was due to tinkering or not, I cannot say.

It it were tinkering, perhaps the same can be done for Rios and, hopefully, Phelps (his G/F ratios from 2002-04: 0.97, 1.37, 2.04).

I don't know about Rios' background, but in Matsui's case, you figure he must have been a flyball hitter in Japan to put up those big homerun seasons. Perhaps any tinkering that he did came naturally.

It's funny, you often hear how teams try to get speedy guys with warning track power to slash the ball more and drive up their G/F ratio. You don't often hear the opposite.

It's funny, you often hear how teams try to get speedy guys with warning track power to slash the ball more and drive up their G/F ratio. You don't often hear the opposite.

Not really.

The fast guys can beat out some of those groundballs. When they hit it in the air, they hit flyball outs.

The slow guys can't beat out those grounders. But some of the flyballs they hit fly over the fence.

Makes sense to me :)

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Yayyyy Hudson and Gomez.

Five runs.

Now would be a good time for Rios' first career homer.

Or not.

I too am happy that Rios is hitting the ball now, but I thought we'd see a little more power. That'll come though I guess.

The fast guys can beat out some of those groundballs. When they hit it in the air, they hit flyball outs.

The slow guys can't beat out those grounders. But some of the flyballs they hit fly over the fence.

Makes sense to me :)

I wasn't saying that it didn't make sense. It most certainly does.

I was just saying that you don't hear about trying to get guys like Phelps to lift the ball as often as you hear about trying to get guys like Juan Pierre to stop lifting it.

Peterson! Peterson! Peterson!

And the game's not on TV.

Adam Peterson's coming in. The Rays lead this one 10-5 so this is pretty much as safe a situation as any for a debut.

Wuh-oh...

I was just saying that you don't hear about trying to get guys like Phelps to lift the ball as often as you hear about trying to get guys like Juan Pierre to stop lifting it.

True, true.

Though I did hear some grumblings from KC fans about big Ken Harvey finshing second in G/F ratio in 2003.

jc

Not a great start for Adam Peterson. Heh.

Welcome to the big leagues Adam. Yikes.

Not too friendly a reception for Adam Peterson. I don't know what it is about the Dome giving up homeruns so easily with the roof open. But it didn't look like either Howarth or Crawford expected that ball to be out of the park.

Peterson's ERA is 81.00

Most likely it'll get better... so we can look for improvement...

With one pitch, he has shaved 40.50 off his ERA.

Wow. Who knew our friend from Philadelphia was right all along? I'm off to watch England/Portugal. I'll check later tonight to see if the Rays can get a few more touchdowns.

England is already winning 1-0. Owens scored 3 minutes in!

Take some good from Peterson's debut...at least he knows what you can't get away with at this level...the jump from AA is a big one...his next outing will be key, if Tosca doesn't send him out again...

What a mess. It's just not our year.

This has gotten so ugly that I honestly have no idea what inning we're in.

At least Tosca has the All-Star game to look forward to!

Ugh, I thought this was a 2:30 start for whatever reason - just as well, I guess.

It's little consolation, but it is only one game...

Ya, at least Li'l Napoleon gets to hang with the Great Torre for a few days bfeore the Jays get torched after the break by the Yankees.

And there's something to take from this game!

Kenneth...what's the frequency? ;))

I too am happy that Rios is hitting the ball now, but I thought we'd see a little more power.

Rios's last AB was the last one I caught before I left the park to come back to the office (stopped for a haircut on the way). He did what he's been doing; trying to hit a single, he was all wrists and no hips, and hit a dolly fly as a result.

Rios is doing that a lot; I think it's admirable that he's trying to use the opposite field, I just wish he was trying to hit the ball hard more often instead of just making contact and pushing it over the infielders. It should come with time.

Great day with Mike, Hannah, Coach, Robert and Mikolaj... I wish it had lasted longer, but it was as good a two-hour lunch as a man could ask for, unless I had remembered to ask for a win.

I have noticed that a lot (by no means all) of the recently-arrived naysayers around here are all talk and no ideas. Your schtick is getting old, gentlemen. We like to talk baseball around here; this is a batting cage, not a manicurist's. If you want to bitch, please find a bitch session and crash that instead.

I've got all the time in the world for doom, gloom and negativity provided you do a little work.

I've got all the time in the world for doom, gloom and negativity provided you do a little work.

But Ricky says people from Philadelphia are not intellectual and give up if their team is trailing in the first inning!

Despite his rough intial outing I am very excited to see Peterson and very soon David Bush up here in Toronto. Oh I found out where Elliot gets his info, Ken Rosenthal of the Sporting News had a column where he mentions that the Rangers are very interested in Batista. I like Batista as our #2 but if Texas would give up Teixeira hey I would do that deal in a heartbeat.:)Of course none of this will happen!

Guys like Ricky are run of the mill trolls. Replying to him is just a waste of our time.

I've never understood trolls; seriously, is their life so void of any sort of stimulation that they have to go out of their way to annoy people? Sad existense if you ask me; worthy of pitty actually.

CASH is MONEY! Only 11 more to go!

Speaking of Batista, is he pitching tomorrow or is it Towers?

Whoever it is, he better be on his game, cause there isn't gonna be much bullpen left after this game.

There's "glass half-full" optimism, and there's "hey, I have a glass of water!" optimism. This situation requires the latter.

Woo, nice job Cash!

Man, 7 runs is really damn good for this lineup. Too bad they've allowed 18, heh.

Im with Craig, lets look at the positives. With all the injuries we need to look at more then wins and losses. Rios and Cash are getting acclimated to the majors, Peterson, Frasor, and hopefully soon Bush will get a chance to contribute, Batista looks like a great signing, Russ Adams being named to play in the Futures Games. Our team has a great future and we cant judge the Jays with their current lineup.

Its Towers tomorrow. So whose going to pride day tomorrow... not that I'd extract any conclusions from that.... ;)

How many times are they going to give up 18 runs? Not many. The pitching staff has been great this season (the starters, anyway). I'm still looking forward to good thing THIS season, in particular a better than .500 record. The sluggers will be back to bolster a line-up that managed to put 7 on the board today. And if Hinske isn't just teasing...*sigh*

I think that we can take 2 of 3 from the Expos. Who's with me? Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbour? Hell no!

Sometimes in my quieter moments, I like to sit back and dream of last years offence with this years pitching and defence..... oh what a world...

Witha ll the noise the crowd is making, I'm guessing there are 6 K's?

Heh.

Terry Adams is the living, breathing embodiment of this tragic season. The jays should rip up his contract. LOL

Its Towers tomorrow. So whose going to pride day tomorrow...

This summer, I'm living down on Church and Wellesley, so it seems I will be in the thick of the action. I've only seen the festivities on the news, so it should be an interesting weekend.

Not only did I miss an exciting game, but I also missed an afternoon of Moffatt too. Well, I'll be there on Friday! Hopefully we can get a bunch of people down to see les Expos. C'mon Cheer Clubbers, who's in?

Rally caps, gents. No? OK.

There's "glass half-full" optimism, and there's "hey, I have a glass of water!" optimism. This situation requires the latter.

Unfortunately, I think the glass was dropped on the floor and has shattered into a dozen jagged shards, so we're looking at the "at least I wasn't too hideously deformed by all that flying glass" kind of optimism.

Actually, I think there's a time and place for moaning and groaning without support. Like when Adams gave up the grand slam against LeCroy. Or... any time Adams comes in... I'm surprised he didn't give up #20. What a clutch DP there. (/sarcasm)

But not in the first inning down 3-0. This team just needs to get healthy. I think we can want Phelps in there but right now, there's really not much to do except hope the pitching continues as it has (except for today) and the offense does enough.

Firing the manager probably wouldn't make a significant difference either. We can hope and but at the beginning of the season, we needed a healthy squad for the best-case scenario. Luck plays a big part in any successful season and the Jays have only had bad luck this season.

Damn, these caps work...

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-Dog!

9 more to go!

O-Dog!!!

Man, it's nice to see the offense come alive. I don't care about anything else. :P

The lower minors are playing well, stocked with J.P.'s draft picks. If they develop as J.P. plans, the Jays will be good for a long, long time. But those guys are a few years away, so as hard as it is, we'll have to be patient. I do trust J.P. so I'm willing to back him and hope his plan works out.

Good the see the offense continuing to battle. That's impressive.

What do you think about that? ;)

Berg?

Berg baby, love your work.

Hahahaha! What the hell is going on?

OK, who's wearing Berg's uniform?

Sign that Berg kid to a contract!

(We'll send him to Pulaski. I like his moxie.)

That was unexpected. Way to go Berg.

Rally cap is on at Box HQ, by the way.

Gameday is reporting a 'defensive switch from DH to DH for Fred McGriff'. Good to know.

Is it wrong that I'm giddy over this loss? 13 runs, 15 hits and no errors!

What am I saying - this win

Well, who else is enjoying the Buccaneers-Argos game?

Tampa Bay 301 406 041  19 24 2
Toronto   400 010 116  13 15 0

Ugly. Those two field goals in the sixth ended up making the difference.

This is silly given the situation, but I kinda hoped Phelps would PH to face Miller.

At least we got the rouge points in the 1st, 5th, 7th, and 8th.

(Americans, talk amongst yourselves)

Sorry, but, boy, Speier and Adams really do stink, don't they?

Actually, I think there's a time and place for moaning and groaning without support

Oh, sure. There are always times for that. Today was a time for that, too. Let me make no mistake... we welcome experssions of hopelessness and despair.

But if that's all a person is doing, they're adding negative value. That's all I'm saying.

A glance at the top Jays hitting performances and worst pitching performances tells me that today's game was the second highest-scoring in Blue Jays' history.

The list of best hitting perfomances includes all games where the Jays scored at least 16. The list of worst pitching performances includes all where the opponent scored at least 17. So, to match today's 32 runs and not be on the best hitting performances list, the opponent would had to have scored at least 17 (because the Jays would have scored 15 or less). So, any game with a higher total than 32 would necessarily show up on one of those lists. How convenient. I checked both lists, and found only one game that matched or surpassed today's total:

June 26, 1978
Toronto 24
Baltimore 10

The Jays lit up Mike Flanagan, chasing him in the second inning after having scored six. It was death by 1,000 cuts (or rather, 24 hits) as the Jays only managed two homeruns, both courtesy of John Mayberry. Orioles' DH Lee May also hit two homers, albeit in a losing cause.

The Good News: The Jays scored more runs today than in the past 5 games combined.

The Bad News: They still lost by six runs.

Take from that what you will.

Craig B - agreed. I started a meeting when it was 5-4 Tampa. When I came back and saw the score was 14-5, I screamed, "WHAT THE...?" The guy in the next office saw me and asked what was wrong. An all-too common experience this year unfortunately. Seeing the offensive spurt at the end was nice. Hopefully it will carry over into the series against Montreal.

Blue Jays 2004 Summary:
When their hitting is good, their pitching is bad.
When their pitching is good, their hitting is bad.
When their pitching and hitting are good, the world explodes.

Any questions?

What's up with J.P.? Why hasn't he signed David Purcey, Zach Jackson, Thigpin, Patton, etc?? Why is he waiting too long? He should sign them ASAP because these players might opt out for next year's draft. The two lefties are one of the best in U.S.A., and Thigpin is currently on a roll. Thigpin is an excellent hitter whereas Patton is a good two way outfielder. These guys will pay dividends for us because of Toronto's scouting, but J.P. will disappoint fans if the organization don't sign the above players. What do you guys think???

john paul, it is curious that you'd mention JP in light of your name.:)

Thigpen is presently occupied at the College World Series, and I imagine that efforts will be made to sign him after that's over. As for the others, I am quite sure that negotiations have commenced, but not all players simply accept "scale", and sometimes negotiations get tied up in minor details, so I'd counsel patience. 25 draft picks have been signed, and that's a pretty impressive number.

When the O-Dog hit his three-run homer, I had a big smile on my face. And when everybody's favourite whipping boy Dave Berg followed up, I couldn't stop laughing. What a fantastic ending to a terrible ballgame.

If Berg's jack wasnt enough to prove this years Jays are the bizzaro-Jays, nothing will.

I don't see it as that weird. Even Dave Berg is bound to hit them out once in a while.

I don't see it as that weird. Even Dave Berg is bound to hit them out once in a while.

He's gotta maintain that .200 avg somehow ;-)

My take on this game: At least nobody got hurt.

Nobody got hurt, right?

Pitch speeds for Adam Peterson (#59) today (taken from Rays TVcast, 1 out and 1 on in 6th inning):

b=ball, s=swing and miss, f=foul, c=called strike

1st batter (Sanchez): 92 b, 91 (grounded down the line by Hinske for a double, inherited runner scores)

2nd batter (Bautista): 93 s, 80 b, 94 b, 90 b, 92 f, 92 b (walk) [a Rays announcer criticized Peterson for his hand going to his mouth a lot]

3rd batter (Crawford): 92 (low fastball below knees hit to left-centre for 3-run home run)

4th batter (Blum): 83 s, 96 f, 84 (liner to Hudson, 1st out for Peterson)

5th batter (Baldelli): 83 s (nice curveball swung on and missed), 85 b, 96 c, 83 b, 91 b, 81 (infield hit to shortstop)

6th batter (Huff): 89 f (fastball with good movement), 83 b, 82 s (nice changeup swung on and missed), 95 (ground single up middle)

7th batter (Cruz): 93 c, 83 (changeup grounded to Hudson for 4-3 out, ending inning)

Overall, 14 fastballs (89-96mph), 10 curves/changes (80-85mph). You can see 8 of his first 9 pitches were fastballs (including double, walk, homerun), but 9 of the remaining 15 were curves/changes (including both outs and the infield single).

Hijack - apparently Beltran is going to Houston and Dotel is going to Oakland.

apparently Beltran is going to Houston and Dotel is going to Oakland.

far out man. I think it deserves its own thread.

I just about that Beltran deal on yahoo Sports, but there was two articles there and one said the deal was completed and the other said the deal was off b/c Oakland and KC couldn't agree on a prospect in the trade

...I'm not sure which one was right

From what I'm reading at MLB.Com Oakland sent minor leaugers Mike Wood (RHP) and Mark Teahen (3rd) to KC. I dont know who those people are, but I'm sure someone from this fine site can elaborate.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=fanball-threewaydealincludin&prov=fanball&type=lgns
Just read that the trade fell through b/c KC wanted Jairo Garcia and not Wood from OAK. COMN

Sweet, never done that COMN thing before and it worked...woohoo!

Does that mean KC is "stuck" with Dotel? Must be nice to be the GM in Houston. "Meh... I dont need Wagner, I got Dotel" "Meh... I dont need Dotel, I got Lidge".... meanwhile JP would kill for one of these guys.

I think the trade is now a go with Wood in it though its not confirmed yet. Dotel should fit in quite nicely on the A's. KC did well if they get Buck, Teahen and Wood.

From Lee Sinins:

The Royals traded CF Carlos Beltran to the Astros in a 3 team trade. The A's get P Octavio Dotel from the Astros. The Royals get 3B Mark Teahen and P Mike Wood from the A's and C Joe Buck from the Astros.

And I have posted the separate thread, as suggested. Please feel free to repeat or expound upon your comments there.

I must confess that I turned my radio off when the Drays started to score in the 6th. Call me a fair-weather fan, but some days it's just too depressing to listen.

When I got home and checked the score, my first assumption was that both teams had brought outfielders in to pitch.

Thanks for replying Mike Green. You said that the blue jays have made efforts to sign Thigpin. But, i'm just curious as fan that the organization should sign the two lefties ASAP because at the moment, we don't have any legitimate left-handers in our farm system. IMO, the jays pitchers except for bush, riemers, banks are not performing well in the farm system. Therefore, the jays should make their first priority to sign the two lefties and i'm sure the two pitchers will indeed move up the ladder in the system. Look, fans are already patient with the jays and with performance, but they do not want the jays to lose the top pitchers and top hitters since the organization has spent so much of their time and effort under scouting.

Don't panic, John Paul. Remember that the Jays have almost a year left to sign these guys and I'm sure that it won't take anywhere near that long. They'll be playing for the Jays in a week or two.

IIRC, Ricciardi was surprised he was able to nab both Purcey & Jackson, so perhaps they're having to be a bit tighter with the bonuses than if they'd only signed one.

Still, I don't think the majority of first-round picks have signed yet, either. Barring pre-draft deals, there's a lot of negotiating that goes into signing a first-round pick.

The majority of the deals that have been signed so far, from me looking at the bonus numbers, are those who signed for slot money. Twelve of 30 first-rounders are signed and four of eleven supplemental picks, and five of 30 second-rounders.

Most teams are in a similar position to Toronto (in fact, most teams are behind the Jays in signing their top ten picks). Signings will probably get done very soon. At this stage in their careers, whether Purcey and Jackson (who've been worked very hard this season anyway) get signed this week, next week, or even in August doesn't matter; especially since I wouldn't count on either getting a lot of work in for the rest of the year.