Mike McDade is part of the outstanding New Hampshire Fisher Cats squad.  McDade is playing very well for a 22 year old in AA, he has 36 extra base hits, including 11 home runs, and his defense is reportedly the best of any first baseman within the Jays system.  I spoke with McDade a week ago in Erie.

Brett Cecil is back! Accordingly, Zach Stewart has been optioned back to New Hampshire.

The full-season affiliates didn't win a game, but a couple short-season clubs scored a bunch of runs to somewhat salvage the night for the farm.

Not a challenge, but certainly trivia. Just in case there's one person out there who ever wondered about this. (I mean, I wondered about it, and I'm not that weird.)

Pete Walker is the pitching coach for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.  Walker pitched for the Blue Jays from 2002 through 2006, primarily in relief.  The Jays had claimed Walker on waivers from the New York Mets.  A couple of years ago one of Walker's daughter's had a a form of bone cancer in her leg at a young age.  Walker told me that the doctors initially recommended amputation but they eventually found a doctor who removed part of the leg bone and inserted an artifical bone that can extend as the child grows.  Eventually, when she is fully grown, the girl will need another operation to remove this artificial bone and replace it with a permanent one.  Walker hopes to raise awareness of this soon through a website. 

With the Pirates in town for the first time since 2003, here are some shots of the Bucs from May 2010 with a dash of Cub and a pinch of former Blue Jay in the POTD recipe.

Lastings Milledge (not on the left) and the Pirate Parrot (opposite of right) bump together in mid-air.  Milledge is now in the Chicago White Sox organization.

We all love AA around here, right? Okay, maybe not all of us love him enough to write a tribute song. But some of us do. Hope you enjoy!

And I won't let you choke
On the noose around your neck.

The Jays finish their 10 game road trip tonight in Dee-troit, a 6.05 start, making up for an earlier rain out. The Jays then get 6 at home (Pirates, Halladay's) and 7 on the road (Red Sox, Cleveland's) before the All-Star Break. Let's ruminate.

Can you name all four players in these filtered photos?

It wasn't so long ago that four celebrated veteran managers walked off into the sunset, shaking all cares and business from their age and conferring them on younger strengths, so that they, unburdened... okay, enough with the King Lear.

Pitching prospects dominated on a night that saw the affiliates go 3-3.

Sal Fasano is in his second year as a manager.  His first year, last season, was in Lansing, this year he has moved up to AA New Hampshire.  I talked with Fasano last week in Erie.

Lansing and Bluefield had different results in their 10-inning affairs. New Hampshire won, while Dunedin lost. Vancouver was victorious in a high-scoring affair, while Las Vegas lost a blowout.

Some bright flashes on offence, but some heavy K action from the mound (except for Las Vegas) put the night in the win column for Toronto’s farm club teams.  Drabek stumbled mightily in a short-lived appearance.

Las Vegas lost a squeaker in the late innings in a game that received top billing on MILB.com thanks to Brett Cecil squaring off against the Reno Aces. The rest of the affiliates went 2-4.