The Fighting Jays head to Detroit to take on a team that themselves have shown considerable fight of late, taking two of three from mighty Boston after sweeping a doubleheader with the Royals. The Jays will have to pitch well to win this series.

Detroit's team, with so-so pitching and lefty-mashing hitting, continues to receive improved support from their realistic, but increasingly impatient, fans. The leap from awful to average sufficed last year; next year, Detroit's finicky fandom won't accept another average squad.

This week's (somewhat brief) Scout features a spate of injuries, a Johnny Mac sighting and a future Hall of Famer who may be wearing out his welcome.

On to the Advance Scout!

All I can tell them is pick a good one and sock it.
-- Babe Ruth

I'm on a camping trip this weekend (and by the time you read this, I'll already be gone), but I'll be listening to the games on my kickass new baseball radio. I'll let you know how it performs (and how it compares to my less-than-durable Grundig FR-200, which has been retired after less than one year), but in the meantime someone needs to be the voice of ridiculous optimism in my place.

Today's photograph: after a hard run to third base, here's Alex Rios taking a breather:

No game report today, but Blue Jay fans are feeling good with their team having won 7 of their last 9 contests, including 2 of 3 in their latest series with the American League West front-running Angels of Anaheim in Los Angeles, South of San Francisco, California, United States of America. The Angels were glad to see the Jays leave town after getting an up-close look at the Fighting Jay spirit, and celebrated by stomping the Boston Red Sox 13 - 4 last night. That left the Jays 6-1/2 back of the first place Sox in the American League East. The New York Yankees occupy second, 2-1/2 games up on the Jays. Toronto is only 4 back of Oakland in the American League Wild Card standings, but have 3 additional teams they must trample in their quest to wrest that Card from the A’s – Minnesota, Cleveland, and those vile Yankees.

Aaron and I made a bet on the progress of catching prospects in 2003. He took Joe Mauer and Jeff Mathis. I took Dioner Navarro and Guillermo Quiroz. We bet on which two would have the most runs created during 2005-2008. 2004 was not kind to me; 2005 has been a little better, but still...

Greeneville, featuring Koby Clemens and Eli Iorg, were defeated by Pulaski. Pulaski's starter Dennis Bigley gave up seven runs, but his ERA went down as all seven runs were unearned. Pulaski scored the winning run in the eighth without registering a hit. David Purcey and Zach Jackson win, and pitch well, while Ricky Romero misses out on the W by only pitching 4.1 innings. Five wins, with only one extra innings loss on the farm last night.

Well, it wasn't supposed to go down that way.
But they burned his brother, you know,
And they left him lying in the driveway.
They let him down with nothin'.
He tried to do his best but he could not.

I think I was the best baseball player I ever saw.
-- Willie Mays

Aaron Hill left yesterday's game after making a spectacular catch. Hopefully he's a-okay, but on the off chance that Photo of the Day Mojo would help...

Some things you wouldn't expect to see in Syracuse, surprising offense from New Hampshire, a Frank Sinatra musical mention and two boxscore lines that will make you feel even older than you already do.

Yes. Even you, Magpie.

Frantic, Alice searched her pockets. 'It must be in here somewhere,' she thought to herself. 'I placed it here not half an hour ago.' Her kitten Dinah nuzzled her ankle, but Alice kicked her away in a fit of frustration. Startled, Dinah darted under a bush, the leaves rustling after the feline in a most familiar way.

Her pocket-bound quarry forgotten, Alice called after the truant feline. 'O! I'm sorry, kitten! Please, come back! I'll put out a saucer of milk for you, and then we'll have tea, and when you grow up, you can have crumpets with me!' (Alice believed that kittens grew up to eat all manner of pastries, as she had once mis-heard her father saying 'Let cats eat cake.') 'Please, do return, Dinah!'

Career high 10 wins for Towers, and the Jays go 6 games over .500 for the first time this season. What's not to like?

In recent Hall of Names forays, we've been focused on common family names (like Davis, Lee and Miller) with occasional off-the-beaten path themes like All-Body Parts and a riff on a popular baseball song.

But now, let's return, by George (literally), to the roots of baseball's Hall of Names.

The Cape Cod League is one of the best summer baseball leagues for college players. According to the Cape Cod League website there were 197 Cape Cod veterans playing in the majors in 2004 and over 1000 that were playing professional baseball of some sort in 2004.

Too many pitchers, that's all, there are just too many pitchers. Ten or twelve on a team. Don't see how any of them get enough work.
-- Cy Young