Rajai Davis is a free agent after this season. I suspect that Rajai will be running as much as he can over the next five weeks to help his free agent value.

Between the hill in center and the short left field wall, Minute Maid Park has to be the most ridiculous park in the majors.

More ridiculous than the hill in center is the friggin flag pole. I wonder if the players' union had any say about that.

Gose has had a couple of balls hit over his head tonight, is he playing too shallow?

An uphill battle for Gose, you might say.

The Jays look like a really bad team right now. Why does this seem like groundhog day?

Getting seedy for Beede?

Beede will be around for their 2nd choice in the first round.

Perhaps it's time we all moved on from Beede, who has walked 63 and had 14 WP in 101 IP this year. Law recently speculated that he would have been chosen in the back half of the first round (like last time) had he been eligible this year.

He might still turn out to be very good, but he's far from being a sure thing.

Can't this season end? This horse has no flesh left to flog. Is the season over yet, and why not?

Now Loup is on the paternity list, too? Quite the baby boom in the Blue Jay clubhouse. More proof that they did win the off-season, I guess.

It saddens me to admit that my apathy towards this ballclub has reached an all time low, even considering The Season From Hell (which really was more about anguish, horror, tragedy and why OH WHY???) A few weeks ago I had hoped a goal for this team was to finish around .500 but yeah, so much for that.

So naturally I've been choosing to watch the Reds over the Blue Jays more and I've discovered that Joey Votto truly is the exact opposite player of J.P. Arencibia. I don't just say this because Votto is one of my favourite players and Arencibia one of my least favourites, I say it because it seems true. I'll explain.

Firstly, the manner in which both men carry themselves on the field. Votto sure seems like a reserved dude: he could smack a game tying double or commit a critical error in the field and his expression will hardly change. He appears constantly lost in thought, contemplating the play at hand or the previous pitch and imagining any necessary adjustments. Arencibia does not strike me as somebody constantly lost in thought. J.P. is a reactionary player, unafraid to show his emotions or make a quick decision without hesitation. This is a guy who last night pumped his fist high in the air after hitting a home run in a meaningless game against the worst team in baseball. Two people could look at Arencibia and one will admire his passion while the other derides his headstrong mentality, just as one can respect Votto's methodical approach while another might criticize his apparent passiveness.

Secondly, both have completely different approaches as hitters. Arencibia is always in swing mode: "If it's a strike I can crush it. I will crush it." No matter the situation or the pitch, his swing is always hard, always trying to do damage. He said himself that he was a "run producer" and his mentality reflects that approach. Votto however always seems to be in "wait" mode. Joey stakes out the pitcher, rarely swinging the bat at all unless he gets the perfect pitch in the right spot or he gets to two strikes. If you look closely, you'll notice that Votto chokes up on the bat significantly on two strikes, effectively changing himself from a run producer into someone just trying to put a ball in play somewhere. Votto has an excellent idea of his strikezone, doesn't think he can hit everything and gets pitched around quite often, resulting in a LOT of walks.

We as Blue Jays fans jump all over Arencibia for his complete lack of anything resembling patience or plate discipline. We're in fact surprised when he does lay off a pitch just outside the strikezone. Interestingly, Reds fans will criticize Votto for being too patient, for letting hittable pitches go by because they're not exactly where he wants them and that he's too content to just take a walk. Two completely different players, two completely different approaches.

While two players could not be any more different than Votto and Arencibia, could the more fundamental difference between the two simply be skill rather than mien? One can distinguish strikes from balls and thus tailor an according hitting approach. The other can't and thus has no recourse but to swing hard at everything and hope for the best. I'm not sure that any other hitting approach is even an option for him.

Hard to tell if these guys are even trying anymore.

Oh, I'm sure they are. But this is a pretty discouraged looking crew.

Last night I thought, the Jays have hit rock bottom. Apparently I was wrong.

could the more fundamental difference between the two simply be skill rather than mien?

They start out with a different skill set as hitters, yes. The other thing is the position they play. It's my conviction that catchers just don't develop much as hitters. What they were when they make it to the big leagues is what they remain. Which often means that they actually go backward - hello, Geovany Soto! They're too damned busy being catchers. (As I've reported, you will see them in spring wearing shin guards while they get in some BP.) And so as the league's pitchers adjust to them, they don't quite have the same capability to adjust to the league's pitchers.

Joey Votta is an absolute freak of nature. This is an enjoyable read.

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-joey-votto-technicality/

could the more fundamental difference between the two simply be skill rather than mien?

Oh yes, it could be.  But remember, this is sports, where everything has to be turned into a question of character or personality.

All I want from this Season is:
1) Protected 1st Round Pick. Just in case, A.A. needs to do something in Free Agency this Offseason.
2) Everyone who gets called up, gets a very long look to see what their value is next year. Keep, trade, develop, or none of the before.
3) Firm decisions made now, on who to keep and who to trade, demote, waive, release, buy-out or whatever.
4) I can see a good Starter and good 2nd Baseman coming because A.A. basically said so. I can see better quality in the Bench, changes in the Bullpen, but unless Bautista's traded, I can't see Izturis, Cabrera or Arrencibia going anywhere - who would want them. Thole's got to play 2 out of five game weeks, two out of six game weeks (occasionally three), and, three out of most seven weeks.

In other news, Roy Halladay is back, starting for the Phillies this afternoon.

Looking at second half stats only, although not great Thole's numbers are better than JPA's.

How far is AJ Jimenez away? He RIPPED up A+, was average in AA, and in very small sample size has handled himself fine in AAA. I'm assuming he gets a long look in ST and starts in AAA next year while the Jays give JPA a short lease. And so far I'm only talking offensively, assuming the defensive reviews are on point Jimenez may get the nod to start the season in Toronto in 2014 along with Thole.

That was weirdly incredible. Kawasaki pinch hits for Arencibia, pretty much screaming to the world "We're going to bunt!" Yet Muni has the patience to not bunt on a pitch out of the strikezone and draws a walk. Neat.

Emilio Bonifacio is 3-3 today against Tampa Bay.

Full disclosure..his OPS for August is 655