For the seventh year in a row, I am once again asking for hardcore baseball fans to participate in the annual Scouting Report project, in which you evaluate the fielding characteristics of players on your team. If you have a few minutes, please drop by and evaluate your team.
http://www.tangotiger.net/scout/

If it wasn't for the second game in a GCL double-header, the affiliates would have scored progressively fewer runs as you descend the minor league ladder. So what I'm saying is, stop reading after Dunedin.

Okay, so I'm way off the monthly schedule. Still: never say die!

Hey, gotta take the positive wherever you can these days!

Honestly, this was depressing to read and write about.  Absolutely nothing of note went on for the affiliates as they picked up one win in five tries.  I'm just writing out the string at this point.

Two wins, two losses, and two rain outs.  It's all sussed out below.

The 51s held on for the win after a nail-biting ninth. Beyond that, more bleakness... and don't even look at the New Hampshire game report if you have a weak stomach.

Many reports have come out that the Jay pitchers are hitting their inning limit.  Lets look at the kids and see where they are against their recent past.  Speculation on who should/will come up to fill in is welcome.

Two wins in seven games. It seems relatively typical for the way things are going right now with this organization. One of the wins came in Las Vegas behind David Purcey and the other came behind a big night at the plate for Lansing. Tim Collins took a rare loss in New Hampshire and Dunedin lost a twin bill. Meanwhile, Auburn suffered another loss and the GCL Blue Jays fell apart in extra innings.

Three wins in four tries.  Ryan Schimpf went 4-4 with a home run to lead Auburn to victory.  TJ Beam pitched well as Las Vegas won.  And the GCL Jays won a slugfest 12-11, Michael Crouse is heating up and he added four more hits in this game.  New Hampshire took the only loss for the affiliates as a two out error in the ninth proved costly.  Brad Emaus however hit a home run and had three RBI's.  Dunedin and Lansing did not play.

It wasn't a good night for the Ricky in Toronto or Davis in Las Vegas but it was a good one for New Hampshire and the boys on the Gulf Coast.  Also, an Auburn Doubleday was representin' at the New York Penn League All-Star Game, yo!  Read on, my peeps!

We may have very different thoughts on this draft in five years if Jenkins reaches the majors quickly and pitches well and Paxton struggles after being drafted next year and flounders in the low minors. However, at this point in time, due to an unprecedented failure to sign their top picks, there is no grade to give the Jays other than an F (or perhaps a generous D-).

The Dallas Morning News is reporting that the Texas Rangers completed a trade Tuesday morning with Houston, re-acquiring (after a seven-season absence) catcher Ivan Rodriguez for two minor-leaguers. (Yes, yes, Friend of Batter's Box Jamey Newberg broke the story well before the DMN did ... we love the Internets!)

The Jarrod Saltalamacchia injury made some sort of deal inevitable, and Pudge will likely back up Taylor Teagarden. What would be the Toronto equivalent of this "golly-gosh, he's back home for a pennant race" North Texas story? Jays re-sign Alomar?

Jordan Bastian of bluejays.com has twittered that Travis Snider is rejoining the big club while Joe Inglett gets to say hello to Cosmo once again by heading back down to Las Vegas.  A tip of the ball cap to Bauxite "razor" ramone for alerting us in an earlier thread about Snider returning in a story from the Las Vegas Review Journal.

The Jays' affiliates need help! Too bad they won't be getting it from three of their top 4 picks, as James Paxton, Jake Eliopolous, and Jake Barrett failed to sign on draft deadline day.