The Jays have been shut down by the veteran Cuban Orlando Hernandez this year - to the tune of 17 IP, 9 hits, 6 walks, 20 strikeouts and no runs allowed in 3 starts. El Duque is undefeated in 13 starts with 8 wins to his credit this season overall. He might be the Yankees' best starting pitcher right now.

And look how far we’ve come
So far from where we used to be
But not so far that we’ve forgotten
How it was before
-- Neil Diamond, "September Morn"

That's right, it's that time again ... with absolutely no apologies whatsoever to Neil Diamond (after all, he never apologized for that "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" duet with Barbra Streisand) , we're pleased to introduce the Batter's Box All-September team …

Most people in these parts are assuming that Carlos Delgado will be elsewhere in 2005. While I haven't given up hope yet, I'm pretty much assuming that too. This leads to the next question: where will he go?

To try to answer this question, I took a look at what the other teams have at first base, and their contract status, and then estimated the probability of their trying to pursue Delgado.

And they ran through the brambles
And they ran through the bushes where a rabbit couldn't go
They ran so fast that the hounds couldn't catch 'em
On down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico

The word is that Doc will be limited to about 65 pitches, so getting through 4 innings against the patient Bronx Bombers will be considered a success. That means the bullpen will be front and centre today. Will we see Brandon League's major league debut tonight?

We're down to the final two weeks of the season and there is still no clear favourite for the NL wildcard. One thing that has changed is that the Giants have crept up on the Dodgers (2.5 games behind) and with 6 games remaining against their natural enemies, Bonds, Schmidt & Associates have a decent shot at catching the Depodestas.

I ... love ... Johan on the mound
Torii coverin' ground ... the Twins!
I ... love ... rookies like Morneau
The way Joe Nathan throws ... and ... and ... the ... Twins!

As you may have already heard, the Minnesota Twins (nee Washington Senators v.1.0) have clinched their third consecutive American League Central crown.

To honor the Twinkie threepeat (tm), the three propositions before you are thus:

1. The Minnesota Twins will/will not win the 2004 World Series.
2. The 2005 Toronto Blue Jays will/will not be better than the 2005 Minnesota Twins.
3. True or false -- Twins:Good :: Yankees: Evil? (define your terms)

Discuss. Best answer (defined as "whatever the hell I think is the best answer") to each question wins a prize.

Just watching the show
Over and over again
Knew it was time
He'd made up his mind
To leave his dead life behind

It’s come down to this — Lars Kvale’s AGF will meet my Toronto Walrus in two weeks of Head-to-Head combat. At stake is the Alomar Division championship and a place in league history beside last year’s inaugural winner Scott Lucas. No trophy, only a replica jersey, which I hope will be Jays home black, extra large.

Due to scheduling changes caused by hurricane, today's sceduled off-day has been moved to Thursday. It seems that TSN, which was to broadcast the 3-game set in New York, will not pick up tonight's game. My Extra Innings package lists the game as being available - let's hope that holds up.

Gustavo Chacin, the lefthander who tore up the Eastern League in the second half and thus did more than any other Blue Jays farmhand to improve his stock since mid-season, will get the difficult starting assignment.

The Jays pay their last visit to the Bronx this week, and should bring a stiff challenge to a Yankees club playing great baseball, but possibly a tad hungover from their rousing series win against their hated Boston rivals.

Above all, it's the pitching matchups that make this series compelling. Tonight, fresh after sipping some Eastern League championship champagne, Gustavo Chacin gets the ball against an obviously power-packed Yankee lineup, but one that will be missing Gary Sheffield (see the Scout for details.) Wednesday, Ted Lilly and Orlando Hernandez will reprise their masterful duel from late July. And tomorrow, in about as unambiguous of a "Good vs. Evil" matchup you'll ever see, the reigning Cy Young winner will return in a Blue Jays uniform, squaring off against none other than E-----n L----a in pinstripes.

This week's Scout features a sizzling left side of the New York infield, a record-breaking Canadian, and a slugger who not only is playing like a shell of his former self, but likely feeling like one, too.

On to the Advance Scout!

Time after time
I've done my sentence
But committed no crime
And bad mistakes
I've made a few
I've had my share of sand
Kicked in my face
But I've come through
And I need to go on and on and on and on

The Fisher Cats defeated Altoona 2-0 to sweep their best-of-five Eastern League Championship series.

One up, one down for Miller.

Now everybody is on the run
Tell me now it's untrue.
What did her daddy do?
He jacked a little bitty baby
The man has got to be insane
They say the spell that he was under the lightning and the
thunder knew that someone had to stop the rain