Batter's Box Interactive Magazine

the mick - Wednesday, July 27 2005 @ 10:16 PM EDT (#123974) #

A walk off wild pitch. I'll take it. The Jays looked iffy early but really settled in. Great D makes a great difference. I know he's been the subject of trade rumors, but I hope the O-Dog is a fixture at second for many years to come. The number of runs he saves...crazy.

Justin (T-Birds) - Wednesday, July 27 2005 @ 10:18 PM EDT (#123975) #

Wow, what a game! That ranks up there with the Doc/Big Unit match-up earlier this year as the most exciting games of the season.

The whole team contributed at some point, with some great plays cancelling out a couple of early miscues.

Also of note is that J.P. indicated that there are two options to start on Saturday in place of Lilly (who's likely headed to the DL), one of whom is McGowan. This seems premature to me, but I also have a tough time of picking out a better internal option. As much as Gibbons likes to have Walker in the pen, isn't he a better starting option than rushing McGowan at this point?

Chill - Wednesday, July 27 2005 @ 10:19 PM EDT (#123976) #

What a game!

The ending of this game was very similar to the ending of a Jays/Angels game last May. IIRC Chris Gomez dashed home to score the winning run. Am I right?

Mylegacy - Wednesday, July 27 2005 @ 10:24 PM EDT (#123977) #

Do you believe! Do you believe!

Even if YOU don't, it's beginning to look like our team does.

What a game.

Before their injuries JP figured Rosario and McGowan would be mainstays with the club by now. With Rosario regressing and McGowan close to ready I say , BRING THE KID UP!

westcoast dude - Wednesday, July 27 2005 @ 10:25 PM EDT (#123978) #

Magpie, you called it. Aaron wins it! I had to find things to do to handle the pressure: make dinner for my 18 year old son, take a water sample in Nootka Sound, then come back to find Miguel had the bases loaded (a brilliant psychological intimidation--standard procedure, no sweat). Hill's single was huge. What a way to end a slump!

grum - Wednesday, July 27 2005 @ 10:29 PM EDT (#123980) #

I know he's been the subject of trade rumors, but I hope the O-Dog is a fixture at second for many years to come. The number of runs he saves...crazy.

I think O-Dog was more excited about that winning run than Adams himself! He almost beat him to the plate to congratulate him.

I was originally okay with the idea of trading Hudson, but he's become too much of a fan favourite. The backlash would be too big at this point. He'd have to have an absolutely horrific slump for the fans to dislike him now.

Dave501 - Wednesday, July 27 2005 @ 10:35 PM EDT (#123981) #

I agree, Save Orlando!!!!!

On another note, Rotoworld has reported that Dustin McGowan is a potential call up for Saturday's start.

Makes sense, one outing couldn't hurt, and he's already on the 40.

uglyone - Wednesday, July 27 2005 @ 10:37 PM EDT (#123982) #

a one run win!

great for the win loss column....but that does precious little for the all important run differential column.

King Ryan - Wednesday, July 27 2005 @ 10:54 PM EDT (#123983) #

The other thing with Hudson is that he's now hitting too!. After a disappointing start to the season, he's put up a ridiculous 1.142 OPS in July, bringing his overall numbers up to his career numbers:

Career BA/OBP/SLG: .271/.331/.421
2005 BA/OBP/SLG: .273/.327/.420

CeeBee - Wednesday, July 27 2005 @ 11:01 PM EDT (#123984) #

Great game other than having to listen to Rod Black for an extra inning. The best one was his refernece to Adams error an inning later as Russ was batting as best as I recall. "Adams made a costly error, luckily the angels didn't score because of it"
Rather costly I'd say, wasn't it. :/

Sherrystar - Wednesday, July 27 2005 @ 11:08 PM EDT (#123985) #

It's July 28th and the Jays are still in it... amazing!

And I agree we should keep the O-Dog. Wasn't he hoping to get a long term offer from the Jays?

Also, with respct to this Sunday, although JP has said he won't trade for prospects, I hope that if he was offered a "superstar" prospect for a Batista/Hillenbrand he wouldn't turn it down as that would make the future even better!

Chill - Wednesday, July 27 2005 @ 11:24 PM EDT (#123986) #

I was just checking out the highlights again on Citypulse, and I guess I didn't notice at the end of the game that Donnelly got into the Jays pile and said something, I guess to Adams. I wonder what he had to say?

HippyGilmore - Wednesday, July 27 2005 @ 11:29 PM EDT (#123987) #

"You got lucky this time, Rook."

sweat - Wednesday, July 27 2005 @ 11:31 PM EDT (#123988) #

I thought he was talking to O-dog. If he was:
"Relax, it ain't the world series."

jsut - Wednesday, July 27 2005 @ 11:39 PM EDT (#123989) #

how many 10 hit games in a row have they had now?

Named For Hank - Wednesday, July 27 2005 @ 11:52 PM EDT (#123990) #

J.P. said on Wednesdays with J.P. that Orlando Hudson is not going anywhere, because he saves the team a ton of runs and they have him for three more years.

Basically, any rumors about him going places are rumors of the no-basis-in-fact kind.

Mike Green - Wednesday, July 27 2005 @ 11:54 PM EDT (#123991) #

It was a great night at the ballpark. Perfect weather, excellent company and lots of laughs. Guest appearances from out-of-town from Jordan and Pistol made it truly special. The 10th inning will not be forgotten by all who were there, and I'll let Jordan tell the tale in tomorrow's Game Report.

Vernon Wells was the story of today's game for me. He was focused, and battled Colon, who was throwing BBs, very well, as well as making a couple of fine plays in the field.

Named For Hank - Wednesday, July 27 2005 @ 11:55 PM EDT (#123992) #

Oh yeah, and Magpie and Moffatt, you guys picked a killer game to bail on -- first of all, the chow-chat session pre-game was a lot of fun (and Theo somehow got pureed sweet potato in both ears while I wasn't looking), and then there was the game itself.

I think the highlight of the night was Burley's magnificently obscure heckle. It was so far beyond my understanding that I can't even remember what it was, but it was funny. He's probably at the post-game deconstruction at the Loose Moose right now, so he'll have to fill us in later.

VBF - Thursday, July 28 2005 @ 12:04 AM EDT (#123993) #

The ending of this game was very similar to the ending of a Jays/Angels game last May. IIRC Chris Gomez dashed home to score the winning run. Am I right?

That's exactly what I thought from the moment we went to extras.

In fact, there were two excellent games that series last year which seemed to combine to form this game. In the first one, Chris Gomez scored on a Simon Pond single that just got past a diving Jeff Davanon at first (was it Davanon?).

The next game of that series, after an off day, had somebody else scoring off a David Eckstein(?)/Tim Salmon(?) error, after they Angels had already brought in the extra fielder as they did tonight.

This game was sort of a combination of both. The Jeff Davanon Syndrome lives on, apparantly, the crowd was quite loud.

The crowds are better this year, but my patience with Torontonians is wearing a little thin. Three things wrong with this game not team related:

1) Wave in the top of the ninth with two out?

2) Some guy running on the field with bases loaded in the top of the tenth *and* the crowd cheering him on.

3) The crowd *booing*! when he was apprehended and the game resumed.

Am I going mad?

Lefty - Thursday, July 28 2005 @ 12:09 AM EDT (#123994) #

OK, what was the pregame stunt at the Bullpen shop?

Joe - Thursday, July 28 2005 @ 12:18 AM EDT (#123995) #

I can't stand the crowd cheering at guys running on the field either, but it's pretty clear that the crowd was booing the police officer, who (it seemed) waited for the guy to be caught, then walked from his chair to right field. The delay, in other words.

JayWay - Thursday, July 28 2005 @ 12:20 AM EDT (#123996) #

VBF,

Agree 100% on all three of your points. Especially the wave... I mean, is the incredibly competitive and tense game going on in front of them not enough to hold their attention? I hate the wave at the best of times (and the fact that at every game there's always that one group who's only purpose for being at the Dome seems to be to start the wave), but tonight was just absurd.

And yeah, the timing of the field intruder couldn't have been worse. I was positive that the pause in play was going to break Miggy's groove and lead to him blowing the game.

JayWay - Thursday, July 28 2005 @ 12:20 AM EDT (#123997) #

P.S

That cop didn't help *walking* across the field after the fact. Get out of the way!

VBF - Thursday, July 28 2005 @ 12:23 AM EDT (#123998) #

I can't stand the crowd cheering at guys running on the field either, but it's pretty clear that the crowd was booing the police officer, who (it seemed) waited for the guy to be caught, then walked from his chair to right field. The delay, in other words.

Ah, thanks, they're somewhat excused then.

Haha, Jayway, that's quite true. And more often than not, that group isn't even from Toronto and pay no attention to the game.

King Ryan - Thursday, July 28 2005 @ 12:25 AM EDT (#123999) #

Chalk me up as another one who hates the wave. I remember when I was at the Jays game in Seattle, and just as a pitch was being thrown, the idiots in front of me stood up to "wave" and I missed the hit. I was annoyed.

VBF - Thursday, July 28 2005 @ 12:31 AM EDT (#124000) #

Yea, that's not as bad. I take some comfort in knowing that there are idiot fans in other cities as well.

It's just the timing and game situation that matters. And the ninth is no time for a wave.

The_Game - Thursday, July 28 2005 @ 12:38 AM EDT (#124001) #

Just watched the highlights of this game on Baseball Tonight, it seemed like one of the top games of the year thus far, but one quick question. On the quick highlight reel, I noticed their CF Steve Finley was playing in the infield, obviously coming in to try and cut off any holes in the infield to stop the run from scoring. Am I missing something? Why wouldn't Anaheim bring their left fielder Garret Anderson in, and leave Finley in center? Does Koskie hit the ball less to CF than he does to LF? Is that why Anaheim did what they did?

Last night, I watched a great Colorado victory, although it wasn't the same tonight.

Thomas - Thursday, July 28 2005 @ 12:48 AM EDT (#124003) #

Yes, it was a fantastic game, with an excellent outcome. The only downside were those three things that VBF mentioned, which I have to agree with. Why the idiot fan ran on the field at that moment, and why Toronto crowds continue to cheer those fools on is beyond me.

Also, there was a Bauxite reader sitting directly in front of the Roster during the game. In all the commotion of a bunch of us introducing ourselves to one another in person or catching up with people we hadn't seen in months, we completely forgot to get this fellow's name. If that anonymous Bauxite wants to let us know who he is that'd be great, because it'd be good to put another face to a name.

gv27 - Thursday, July 28 2005 @ 12:55 AM EDT (#124004) #

Hey VBF. We could easily hear the cowbell from where I was sitting. Nice work.

One wonders why anyone would want to immediately subject themselves to an arrest and hefty fine, while at the same time looking foolish and stupid. The only dashers I'll ever have any respect for were the two guys who chased Hank Aaron to third after he hit 715. At least they had a sense of history.

Can't help but think the rest of the team saw Koskie get rug-burn on Figgins' foul ball, and decided it was time to go out and win the darn thing...

VBF - Thursday, July 28 2005 @ 01:02 AM EDT (#124005) #

Thanks, gv. Yea, about that cowbell, it actually broke tonight. The welding had suffered multiple beatings and it just decided to break. Ho hum.

Anyone see the "WE LOVE CUZZI" sign? That would be the work of Alex Obal, and not I. Apparantly he's made good calls this year deserving of our respects, but I still refuse to forget the incidents of 2003.

Pistol - Thursday, July 28 2005 @ 01:17 AM EDT (#124006) #

Great game, and a fun time tonight in infamous section 518. Well worth the 508 mile drive to the RC! (albeit over 2 days).

I'm looking forward to the game report. I think an in person viewing by Jordan ended the Furlong Jinx.

Jefftown - Thursday, July 28 2005 @ 02:58 AM EDT (#124008) #

I hate the wave too. It's should be confined to lesser sports like football or basketball. The beauty of the baseball stadium is that through its asymmetry and section discontinuity it tends to break up waves.

I was also impressed with Vernon Wells. The rare times I've seen him hit the ball to right this year have been Texas Leaguers or weak grounders. It was good to see him adjust to Colon's approach and line it sharply to right for his triple.

Regarding attendance and fan spirit, give me the days of SkyDome sellouts and "4,000,000".

How much more before the Jays finally start getting the attention they deserve in the media? They're now tied for 3rd place.

Paul S - Thursday, July 28 2005 @ 03:32 AM EDT (#124009) #

I always get a kick out of your signs in 518. I especially loved the "SS vs LHB" counter during the Sunday game with Tampa.

Funny story: I was at both wins against Anaheim... er Los Angeles that ended with mad dashes to home. The one last year was on Victoria Day, and a la the Jack Cust play, no one was covering home. I just looked it up on Retrosheet and they took out Shields for Ben Weber?? Yikes. The Jays had already got to K-Rod, so it doesn't matter who was brought in, really. Also, they REALLY did not want to use Percival in non-save situations. Anyway, here's the deciding play as quoted from Retrosheet's PBP:

Pond singled to first [Gomez scored, Hinske to second]; the ball bounced off Kotchman's glove to Kennedy, who threw home; Molina ran Gomez back towards 3B, threw to Amezaga and no one covered home so Gomez ran home

I'm pretty sure the fans were booing the cop. That sure was one lesuirely stroll out to the Angels' bullpen.

Maybe I should buy some seats for additional games in 518 on top of my Flex Pack seats. I doubt you'd appreciate me being up there for Boston games, however. I caught grief for buying a freaking World Series pennant after the game! Sheesh!

Named For Hank - Thursday, July 28 2005 @ 06:57 AM EDT (#124010) #

The pre-game stunt didn't happen, due to a misunderstanding of scheduling on my part. It has been moved to the Yankees homestand.

Dave Till - Thursday, July 28 2005 @ 07:15 AM EDT (#124011) #

Great game, and what a catch by Koskie. Whoa. I was worried that he'd hurt himself again.

Good to get a chance to actually meet many of y'all.

Gerry - Thursday, July 28 2005 @ 08:04 AM EDT (#124012) #

Things we might never see again.....

Three hits to right field by Vernon Wells and a diving catch by Vernon, all in the same game.

It was a fun night at the park.

Dr. Zarco - Thursday, July 28 2005 @ 08:22 AM EDT (#124013) #

I knew the Jays were going to win before the game even started. That's cause the Red Sox had already won yesterday. Amazingly, for the last fourteen days (dating back to the Halladay game in Texas) in which the Sox and Jays have played on the same day, they've had the exact same result-both won or both lost. The Jays have gained a full game in the standings due to the Sox losing two on Blue Jay off days. Quite an impressive streak they have going. The Sox have the day off today...

Craig B - Thursday, July 28 2005 @ 09:24 AM EDT (#124015) #

I didn't notice at the end of the game that Donnelly got into the Jays pile and said something, I guess to Adams. I wonder what he had to say?

"I hear footsteps, Russ. Do you hear footsteps? Is it the A's? It's the A's, isn't it? They do this every year. Do you hear footsteps? Can you look over my shoulder for me? Is Oakland there? I'm scared to look."

Craig B - Thursday, July 28 2005 @ 09:26 AM EDT (#124016) #

I think the highlight of the night was Burley's magnificently obscure heckle.

"Oklahoma's better!"

songdog - Thursday, July 28 2005 @ 10:46 AM EDT (#124017) #

Says Donnelly...

"They were hugging, celebrating and one of them had my jersey in the middle and I couldn't get away," Donnelly said. "I didn't want to celebrate with them."

Funny he wasn't up for the party!

rtcaino - Thursday, July 28 2005 @ 12:44 PM EDT (#124026) #

How can you possibly hate the Wave?? I mean perhaps in certain situations... But hating it all together?? Get a grip. Perhaps a private box, or the TV would be a less annoying venue for a ball game. That way you wouldn't actually have to subject yourself to the idiocy that is fanaticism. Especially Jefftown. The days of 4,000,000 were the days of the wave. It would go around in double digits!

I love a rowdy crowd. Trust me. There will be a direct correlation to the Blue Jays� success and the amount of waves occurring at Jay games.

Useless Tyler - Thursday, July 28 2005 @ 01:11 PM EDT (#124033) #

"Anyone see the "WE LOVE CUZZI" sign? That would be the work of Alex Obal, and not I."

Oh, no credit this way? For the sign made at my house, half of which constructed, and a third of which devised by me?

Horrid!

But on another note, that was without question the best game I have ever been to. For whatever reason my ridiculously repetitive jokes went over well with at least a few people.

But Aaron - your presence was sorely missed when we did the Sidney Ponson routine on Colon. Remember? "HAAAAAAAAAM!"?

Useless Tyler - Thursday, July 28 2005 @ 01:12 PM EDT (#124034) #

And since nobody got to see it - the joke was supposed to be that if the Jays were losing, or if Cuzzi made a horridly bad call, we'd take down the "love" and replace it with a backup sign that said "dislike".

Sadly enough that chance never came.

uglyone - Thursday, July 28 2005 @ 01:20 PM EDT (#124036) #

I prefer to look on the good side of things.....the wave and the fan on the field were just a result of a great, intense game causing some emotion in the all-too-dead Toronto fans.

That's a good thing.

Named For Hank - Thursday, July 28 2005 @ 01:32 PM EDT (#124039) #

But Aaron - your presence was sorely missed when we did the Sidney Ponson routine on Colon. Remember? "HAAAAAAAAAM!"?

Yep. I started shouting "POT ROAST" and then had to think for a while to remember where the joke came from.

Useless Tyler - Thursday, July 28 2005 @ 01:39 PM EDT (#124041) #

"Yep. I started shouting "POT ROAST" and then had to think for a while to remember where the joke came from."

Next Baltimore series, Aaron - ye must help us heckle Sir Sidney.

And thank GOD Nevin rejected that trade - otherwise we'd never get to taunt him again!

"I prefer to look on the good side of things.....the wave and the fan on the field were just a result of a great, intense game causing some emotion in the all-too-dead Toronto fans."

All-too-dead?

Alright, that's enough. It's time to break out the statistic that proves all Toronto-fan-naysayers wrong.

Blue Jays home games: 48
Games at which SUPER NOISE has been acheived: 48

What other teams can boast a 1.000 sn%?

King Ryan - Thursday, July 28 2005 @ 04:49 PM EDT (#124075) #

I love a rowdy crowd.

Good for you, Caino. That doesn't mean we all have to.

rtcaino - Thursday, July 28 2005 @ 06:27 PM EDT (#124083) #

Thanks.

I'm just saying, when you're surrounded by 20,000 plus at a baseball game. A wave or two is to be expected.

And when that number starts climbing, so too will the waves.

King Ryan - Thursday, July 28 2005 @ 07:26 PM EDT (#124086) #

I don't really see how the "wave" qualifies as "rowdy" anyways. Fenway park is rowdy, but I've never seen a Red Sox home game where the fans there do the "wave." It's lame.

David Paul - Thursday, July 28 2005 @ 08:02 PM EDT (#124087) #

It's official. Mcgowan starts Saturday. For or against, it's pretty darn exciting. The fantasies about Mcgowan (his potential, I mean) are starting to be realized.

Jefftown - Thursday, July 28 2005 @ 08:40 PM EDT (#124089) #

I see the wave as the opposite of being "in" the game. It tells me that the fans are too bored by the game so they have to find some other activity to amuse themselves. Maybe that's just from my experience as an usher and seeing the people who do the waves are many times drunkards or younger kids who still have too much impatience to sit through three hours of anything.

Useless Tyler - Friday, July 29 2005 @ 01:46 AM EDT (#124109) #

There's a difference, because oftentimes people who start the wave in Toronto are just trying to get the fans to stop sitting on their hands - this often works, because Toronto fans make decent noise while doing the wave, and thus remain pumped up for the rest of the inning.

It has its ups and downs. SCOTT downs.

VBF - Friday, July 29 2005 @ 02:04 AM EDT (#124112) #

I've seen the wave in Fenway, Yankee Stadium, Dodger Stadium and just about every other park in the majors, so it's not completely limited to Mickey Mouse entertainment. The diffrence is timing and game situation.