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Okay, it's that weird time of year, late-ish (but not overly late, almost--overish) in a season that's gone pretty well for the home team (.514 with 22 games left), not really in the race (12.5 out) but not yet eliminated (magic number is NYY+8) ... frankly, it's getting harder to pay attention, with football, basketball and hockey just around the bend(s).

So let's have a good old-fashioned bar brawl over a question basic to this site's existence: who is the single greatest all-time Blue Jay? Define that however you want -- players, managers, front office, mascots (!), single-season, career, one freaking amazing game, pitchers, everyday players, native Canadians only, serious candidates,  tongue-in-cheek eye-rollers or simply personal favourites -- you make your own rules and put up your dukes to defend your choice(s).

A winner will be declared only when the last drop of blood has fallen. Oh, and you get bizarrely random extra credit points if you phrase your argument in the form of a senryu/haiku (details and example within) ... but that is not required. (If this goes well, later slams will call for limericks or couplets or other forms of doggerel.)

State your preferred beverage, order up and stake your claim .. the greatest Blue Jay ever is/was ...



... the team's first manager. In this case, per haiku (poetic form of three lines consisting of five, seven and five syllables, respectively, no rhyme required), but not senryu, which is haiku but using nature metaphors to drive the verse:

Best Blue Jay ever?
Cap-tip to chief number one
Roy Hartsfield, he ROCKS

Top THAT, fellow Bauxites. Can you Haikuify Doug Ault? George Bell? Pat Borders? Spike Lundberg? Bring it on!

Poetry Slam I: Greatest Blue Jay? | 56 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
Mick Doherty - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 12:40 AM EDT (#222162) #
Oh, and I'll take a Sam Adams Cherry Wheat, and keep 'em coming, barkeep!
sduguid - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 12:45 AM EDT (#222163) #
Roy Halladay is
simply the best Jay ever.
End of argument!

TamRa - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 01:07 AM EDT (#222166) #
The Leather Geinus
You could not keep him away
Tony Fernandez!


Magpie - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 01:20 AM EDT (#222167) #
No pitcher at all
And better hitters we've seen
It's still Alomar
timsevs - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 02:05 AM EDT (#222170) #

R. B. I.'s are best

'Touch them all'  Mr Joe Carter

Heart of the order

TamRa - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 02:12 AM EDT (#222171) #
Unheralded One
Tomorrow He'll Be Perfect
Forever, Dave Stieb

Magpie - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 05:17 AM EDT (#222173) #
So many have tried
But there can be only one!
Terminator Tom
Ishai - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 07:52 AM EDT (#222177) #
Brad Fullmer's ripples.
Ten percent spandex unis.
The ball had no chance.
AWeb - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 08:26 AM EDT (#222180) #
Carlos Delgado
Sharp crack, ball hurtles away
Joyous hit, big smile

Matthew E - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 08:31 AM EDT (#222182) #
Mick, do you perhaps mean Roy Hartsfield?
DJR - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 08:55 AM EDT (#222184) #

Our only  M.V.P

This Bell tolls for me and you

Can kiss his purple

budgell - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 09:02 AM EDT (#222185) #

Gazelle like strides

Face-first to the wall

Triple play denied

 

Loved to watch Devo play centre-field.

ayjackson - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 09:37 AM EDT (#222192) #

Our only  M.V.P

This Bell tolls for me and you

Can kiss his purple

Haiku fail (6-7-5).

Mick Doherty - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 09:42 AM EDT (#222193) #

Matthew, uh, what? That's how it reads! (And has always read!) [Thanks!]

Bauxites, these are GREAT so far. Keep 'em coming!

Mick Doherty - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 09:44 AM EDT (#222194) #

ayj, except for the minor syllable miscount, that was genius. Maybe instead of
Our only  M.V.P
try
Sole Jay  M.V.P
??

whiterasta80 - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 09:51 AM EDT (#222196) #

No players, no coaches thanks

Two voices the choice for me

Thanks Tom, Thanks Jerry

 

whiterasta80 - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 09:52 AM EDT (#222197) #
And send a Mill Street Tankhouse this way.
Chuck - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 09:53 AM EDT (#222198) #
The future is now
Make room for me outfielders
Sil Campusano
Kasi - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 09:55 AM EDT (#222199) #
It could be :

Our one M.V.P

This Bell tolls for me and you

Can kiss his purple



mathesond - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 09:55 AM EDT (#222200) #
Rick Bosetti roamed
centre field like a gazelle
to nine year old eyes

----------------------------

John Mayberry smacked
3 dingers vs Jays while
member of Royals

I was overjoyed when
he donned the Toronto togs
our first scary bat!
Mike Green - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 10:42 AM EDT (#222204) #
O-Dog was my dog
flashing spikes or talking trash
no fragile flower

Mick Doherty - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 10:53 AM EDT (#222206) #

"no fragile flower"??? :-)

Going for the senryu, Greenie?

Mike Green - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 10:59 AM EDT (#222208) #
In the spirit of Orlando's musings, I like to keep things ambiguous...
christaylor - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 10:59 AM EDT (#222209) #
There once was a hurler named Roy
with his right arm he did often destroy
many opponents with bats
and other colored caps
for the many fine Drunk Jays fans to enjoy.


Hm. That's not a haiku, but it works, I believe...
Mick Doherty - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 11:16 AM EDT (#222215) #

christaylor, fine work, but you'll note above that we even mentioned limericks as a future form for a future Poetry Slam here on Da Box. So you are hereby disqualified and fined one cuttlefish. Please post your fine here in this thread by COB today.

So there.

ayjackson - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 11:19 AM EDT (#222216) #
I'm saving up for Limerick Day too.  Any Jays from Exeter?
christaylor - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 11:42 AM EDT (#222219) #
Cuttlefish is my fine
Halladay is my greatest Jay
refrigerator

--
All apologies for jumping the gun... I hope this pays my fine and I'm taking medicine in Haiku form.

Before someone else points it out, the last line above references this t-shirt:

http://www.threadless.com/product/623/Haikus_are_easy_but
ayjackson - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 11:59 AM EDT (#222222) #

6-8-4

Fail.

christaylor - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 12:26 PM EDT (#222223) #
I'll give you the 6 and 8 (I don't know how to count Cuttlefish or Halladay) but the 4 is just wrong on your part.
ayjackson - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 12:55 PM EDT (#222227) #

Haiku police have been called out.

vw_fan17 - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 02:28 PM EDT (#222234) #
The un-greatest Jay
Terrible trade, a brief stay
He shall not be named

Mick Doherty - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 02:31 PM EDT (#222235) #

Oh, un-greatest Jay
Oh, Esteban Loiaza
Why can't we name you?

 

Chuck - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 02:35 PM EDT (#222238) #
Mulligan, he begged
Making an Ash of himself
Michael Young, come back
timsevs - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 02:37 PM EDT (#222239) #

At first we marvelled

Now we wonder what powered

The Rocket's engine

 

 

timsevs - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 02:46 PM EDT (#222240) #
Oh runner's beware! In right field he prowls, Jesse gun one down for me!
timsevs - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 02:48 PM EDT (#222241) #

ahhh, try again!

 

Oh runner's beware!

In right field he prowls, Jesse

gun one down for me!

Dave Till - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 05:56 PM EDT (#222265) #
Bell, Moseby, Barfield
Greatest Jays outfield ever
We were all young then

I understood why
They picked Ward over Henke
But my heart said no

ayjackson - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 06:11 PM EDT (#222267) #

Though brief was his stay

Greatest Blue Jay of All Time

Rockin' Scott Rolen

Alex Obal - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 06:23 PM EDT (#222268) #
Wasdin, Service, Bowles
Politte, Acevedo, Creek
Reichert, Tam and Sturtze
TamRa - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 07:12 PM EDT (#222271) #
He dressed like a pimp
and got far too much hatred
but he talked too much

earlweaverfan - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 07:20 PM EDT (#222273) #
Great guy MoliTOR
Got hits at a TORrid pace
He loved TORonto



earlweaverfan - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 07:31 PM EDT (#222275) #
Not a flamethrower
Let alone a skilled fireman
JOEY fanned the flames


Mike Green - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 09:29 PM EDT (#222280) #
Wasdin, Service, Bowles
Politte, Acevedo, Creek
Reichert, Tam and Sturtze

Freaking law firm can't do anything right.  The receptionist answers the phone "Wasdin at your service" and laughs.  When you don't laugh, it continues: "What, it doesn't Bowles you over"?


Timlin to Carter
Blue Jays World Series champions
what we waited for
Mike Green - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 09:31 PM EDT (#222281) #
Forget it, it would have to be "World Series champeens", and that would be disrespectful of Tom Cheek.
Dewey - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 09:31 PM EDT (#222282) #
All my troubles seemed so far away
now it looks like they're here to stay
oh I believe in Halladay


So . . . who's counting?

[apologies to Paul, et al]

budgell - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 09:42 PM EDT (#222283) #
Great Blue Jays comeback Have to "watch" it on Gameday G*d D**n Sportsnet One
budgell - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 09:45 PM EDT (#222284) #

Ooops, in better haiku form

 

Great Blue Jays comeback

Have to "watch" it on Gameday

G*d D**n Sportsnet One

smcs - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 10:08 PM EDT (#222286) #
Came out of nowhere

So the question must be asked

Jose Bautista

ayjackson - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 11:09 PM EDT (#222289) #

Argue with success?

No time for the gifted kids.

Manager Gaston.

Mick Doherty - Friday, September 10 2010 @ 11:20 PM EDT (#222291) #

Forget it, it would have to be "World Series champeens",

Nah.

"Blue Jays are World Series champs"

or

"Toronto Blue Jays, World Champs."

You can make it work!

ayjackson - Saturday, September 11 2010 @ 01:33 AM EDT (#222294) #

High fly to right field

Jesse at the track, tagging

Carew out at third!!

clark - Saturday, September 11 2010 @ 08:34 AM EDT (#222299) #

Eckersley homer,

Gold gloves, great bat and two rings,

Come on, Catch The Taste!!!

electric carrot - Saturday, September 11 2010 @ 11:44 AM EDT (#222310) #
toes in box eyes ball
tony's slow wind starts, half cat
half praying mantis

earlweaverfan - Sunday, September 12 2010 @ 10:47 PM EDT (#222348) #
Mick, may I recommend a different poetic form for a subsequent round - The Clerihew?

When you are ready to call this round closed, and then, when the limerick-lovers have had their due, why not give the Clerihew a try?

For those not familiar, it is named after its Englishman founder, Edmund Clerihew Bentley. He wrote scads of silly, four-line biographical poems, where the rhyme is AA, BB, but where the paired lines not only don't have to have the same number of syllables, often, they are very different in length.

The most often quoted:

Sir Christopher Wren
Said, "I'm going out to dine with some men
If anybody calls
Say I'm designing St. Paul's"

He did much better:

The people of Spain think Cervantes
Equal to half a dozen Dantes
An opinion resented most bitterly
By the people of Italy

OR to make the Italians happier:

Dante Alighieri
Seldom troubled a dairy
He wrote The Inferno
On a bottle of Pernod

Seeing what they did with the haiku, most Bauxites could outdo the following:

Though we question the choices of Cito
At least he's no tyrant like Tito
Let's hope he'll be somewhat the wiser
On becoming Front Office Advisor


zeppelinkm - Monday, September 20 2010 @ 12:56 PM EDT (#222775) #

Many guns to use

Now gone, so summer time blues

He wore thirty-two

 

Mick Doherty - Monday, September 20 2010 @ 02:24 PM EDT (#222779) #

Zep, put down the gun
He's gone but not forgotten
Others stepping up

Poetry Slam I: Greatest Blue Jay? | 56 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.