"The only constant factor to be found in my thinking over the years has been opposition to accepted opinions."
  -  Pierre Trudeau

Bill James, who hasn't had much to say about the subject over the years, offered up some provocative thoughts about how the Steroid Era will look down the road.

Lansing put on a clinic, playing one of the best games of the Jays' minor league season, a couple top prospects had good games, and a rehabber had a not so good game.

After a rough night on Friday the affiliates fought back with five wins. I witnessed the Fisher Cats win 5-2 over Connecticut.

Notes from New Hampshire

* There were over ten scouts at the game, including the Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, Giants, Angels, Reds and Brewers.
* Most scouts who saw Marcum's start on Thursday were impressed although his fastball was at 85-87.  Pitchers coming back from TJ surgery take a while to get their velocity back
* Scouts were impressed with Casey Janssen, they said he was throwing well at 92 mph and was pitching down around the knees.  Janssen is scheduled to pitch again Sunday.
* Kyle Ginley has had elbow surgery to re-route a nerve
* Zach Dials had gone to Dunedin with shoulder fatigue and was kept there until his arm regained full strength
* The scouts had two questions for me, (1) will Halladay be traded?, and  (2) Will JP be fired?

Robert of Dudek returned to action the other day, and in the course of the ensuing discussion he noted:

91 mph is a below average MLB fastball now (for a righthander). Richmond is a serviceable starter, but it is very unlikely to become an ace.

Now he's probably right about that second sentence, but later for that. It's the notion of an average major league fastball that has caught my attention. Oh look! It's a  Bright and Shiny Object - and away I go. I'm gonna need a Data Table....

Interesting listening on the radio here in Texas recently ... I was tuning in to one of Dallas/Fort Worth's three all-sports radio options, and the discussion turned, as it almost always does, to the Cowboys. (The four sports seasons here are football, playoffs, draft and training camp.)

Then the question came up -- no, it wasn't really a question, it was more of a pronouncement -- that  the typical North Texas sports fan, if given a choice between a Rangers World Series championship and a Cowboys Super Bowl appearance (not even a guaranteed win), would almost unanimously and virtually without hesitation take the latter. Throw in a Mavericks title and a Stars cup to the Rangers' fictional rings, and the Cowboys would still come out on top said some of the most conservative and consistent sports journalists in Texas.

That got me thinking about Toronto ...

The Blue Jays' attempt to build a contending team has failed.

When you log on to ESPN.com and the top story listed is Blue Jays GM: We'll listen to Halladay offers, well, naturally that grabs your attention. Go read the story yourself -- not actively shopping, blah blah, have to consider our options, etc. etc. You've seen this story before -- just insert the names "Santana" and "Twins" where you see "Halladay" and "Jays" and it should ring more than one bell.

So, a whole bevy of questions for loyal Bauxites ... is this an early white flag? Should the team even consider trading the good Doctor? What if it's the Yankees or Red Sox who make the best offer? And -- get creative, kids -- what realistic package would you like to see coming Toronto's way if this were to actually happen?

P.S. We can all agree (can't we?) that the best answer to "who should the Jays trade Roy Halladay for?" Is "Nobody. Ever."

The Jays took that sentiment to heart, ending the Rays' 7-game winning streak.

I paid my second ever visit to Manchester to catch the opener of a series between the New Hampshire Fisher Cats and the Erie Sea Wolves in AA action.  Timing in life is everything.  I missed a walk off win by the F-Cats the night before and this one was decided in the late going as well. 

Another depressing night on the farm as the affiliates went 1-3 after blowing two big leads and narrowly avoiding a third.

Every autumn, there are arguments about what the "Most Valuable Player" award means, or should mean, and all the familiar arguments about winning teams, lineup protection and hitters vs. pitchers are trotted out ... among so many others. So let's settle this -- okay, at least set up the argument -- in June, rather than waiting to see if anyone wins 25 games or knocks in 150 runs or whatever ...

Here's the question: Who is the most valuable player in the game today, right now? And here are the parameters: If every player in the game was a free agent entered into a common draft, and you had the first pick, who would you take?

Some things to consider ... Age, salary, general health. So for instance, is Albert Pujols, age 29 and making $14M, worth more than David Wright, age 27 and making $5M? Or do you actually gamble on a rookie-wage youngster? Or ... do you prefer to fill a "tougher" position like catcher with Victor Martinez (Late edit: OK, OK, I should have written "Joe Mauer." Would you believe it was  typo?) or shortstop with Hanley Ramirez?

Make your pick. And defend it!

Las Vegas and New Hampshire won, Lansing lost, Auburn were washed-out.  The FSL had their all-star game and Moises Sierra had three hits, Tim Collins pitched a shutout inning.  Randy Ruiz and Brian Dopirak wielded the lumber for their teams with three hits each.  Ruiz had two home runs, Dopirak one.

So... where exactly does the Blue Jays pitching stand at the moment? Why don't we investigate.

I was saving this for tomorrow, but with the prospect of three pitchers hitting the DL all at once, it seems best to add this information to the discussion.

John Feinstein wrote a book titled "Next Man Up" a few years ago.  The book followed the Baltimore Ravens for a season and the title of the book comes from the theme that football is a game of injuries.  Football is a tough, vicious, injury-causing game and teams are always looking for the next man up to replace someone who has to leave the game due to injury.  The Blue Jays current theme is Next Man Up.