Time to start a brand new Trivia Challenge, as the other thread was getting rather long.

As before, the rules are simple. A question is asked; the first person to get the correct answer (once the original questioner or another party confirms the correct answer) then gets to ask the next question.

The honour system is in effect. That means NO looking the answer up via any internet sources (or Lee Sinins' Encyclopedia!), and you are asked on your honour to abide by that. The extensive use of skull sweat and old-fashioned paper books is allowed.

The 2005 SABR (Society for American Baseball Research) convention will be held in Toronto August 4-7 at the Holiday Inn on King at 370 King Street West. The Yankees are in town August 5-7, so we should have a real party. Mark your calendars, everyone!

Da Box's own minor league guru, Gerry McDonald, reminds us that Wednesday of this week brings Baseball America's Top 10 Blue Jay Prospects list. So let's get out ahead of the curve for the next couple of days and tackle this ...

Question of the Day: Who should be on this list? Who will be on it but probably shouldn't? Let's see if we can reach a Batter's Box Consensus Projected Top 10 before it's actually posted Wednesday.

Curious about the best bullpen arms in Japan? Well I was, so I decided to try to find out who they were. I examine some good arms that could be appearing in the majors in the next few years, and I also quickly look at Denny Tomori, who was rumoured to be linked to the Jays a few weeks ago.

TSN reports that the Jays have claimed former top pitching prospect Seung Song off waivers from the Expos.

Jim Thome probably advanced his Hall of Fame case more than any first baseman this year. He did not have a great year by his own standards, but he put up another solid year at age 33, going .279/.396/.581 with 42 homers. He has now hit 423 homers in his career. Two to three more seasons like this, and there will be little question.

We'll get things started for the week with yesterday's Saguaro's boxscore. It turns out that Rosario may not be spent after all; he threw 4 shutout innings, allowing 2 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4.

Dry wash is a nice oxymoron. In the desert, a wash is a riverbed that is normally dry, but will fill during rainy periods.

If you would lose it'd be a cryin' shame

The BBWAA appears to have gotten it right this time, with Johan Santana overwhelmingly carrying the A.L. Cy Young Award voting, announced yesterday. That leads to today's...

The Batter's Box Trivia Challenge works very simply. A question is asked; the first person to get the correct answer (once the original questioner confirms the correct answer) then gets to ask the next question.

The honour system is in effect. That means NO looking the answer up via any internet sources, and you are asked on your honour to abide by that. The extensive use of skull sweat and old-fashioned paper books, I'll allow.

On to the opening question...

We continue a Battersbox tradition with a story.

The final installment of the roundtable takes a look at the team going forward:

So, you've probably heard that Bernie Williams seems cool with the idea of Carlos Beltran joining the Yankees; he probably figures he held off former All-Star Kenny Lofton in '04, why not Beltran in '05? But let's face it ... Bernie's "Most Similar By Age" comps at at BaseballReference.com have slipped in recent years from Tony Oliva, Dave Parker and Fred Lynn to Ellis Burks, Roy White and Von Hayes -- and now are at the level of Frank Welch and Rick Sofield.

Sometimes the decline, even while in progress, sneaks up on the public (an the player) "all of a sudden." Which leads to today's ...

Question of the Day: What current star or stars is going to step off the cliff into the world of mediocrity in 2005? Alternately, who's already made that step but the general baseball public won't recognize that fact until sometime next season?

Another "Trivia Challenge" thread. The rules are the same as in the other trivia challenge thread... the first to get the correct answer (once confirmed by the questioner, or by a third party) gets to ask the next question.

I'll go first...

Having fallen off the front page, the previous Hijack Central isn't accessable to us any more. Welcome to Hijack Central: Another New Beginning.

Oh, and you're allowed to be extra-clever in identifying today's quote, since it's extra-easy.

More roundtable, this time looking at some of the season's disappointments: