It's easy to forget, as real baseball begins its second half, that our league is about to pass the two-thirds point of the regular season. There's only eight weeks until the playoffs. Actually, it's more like seven and a half, with the MLB All-Star break making this "week" a mere four days, in which anything can happen. In fact, six teams (including the Jays) have Thursday off, so many of our fantasy wins and losses will be determined by just three games. Luck is a huge factor in Head-to-Head play at the best of times, even more so in Week 15.

Birds beware, expect me up there
me and air are feeling light today
jets should hide, I'll fly alongisde
me and pride are bolted tight today

It certainly seems that in every second thread the conversation invariably turns to whether or not Carlos Delgado and Miguel Batista will be traded. This is my attempt to keep all the discussion in one place.

Here's my thoughts. Everything that follows is 100% speculation; I have absolutely no idea what the Jays will do.

Today, it's former World Series hero John Lackey against reliable pro Miguel Batista, but that's not what we're going to talk about. In honour of the Double Infinity Game (turn the 8s on their sides), we're going to look yonder into the future and predict: how many of the Blue Jays on today's 25-man roster will still be with the club on Opening Day 2005? (That's next April, for those scoring at home). The correct guess will be awarded nothing, since I'll probably have forgotten all about this contest by next spring.

Closing in on me
I'm packing up and running away
To where nobody picks on me

A long afternoon for the Jays as Kelvim Escobar defeats his former team with nine strikeouts and plenty of offensive support. Ted Lilly's ERA jumps to 4.27 in advance of his first All-Star appearance and Kerry Ligtenberg's ERA begins to resemble Orson Wells in Touch of Evil.

Oh, what a Saturday. We welcomed Tom Cheek back to the radio booth, and enjoyed meeting Rob Bradford at Alice Fazooli's to chat about his fine new book Chasing Steinbrenner. While the big boys couldn't contribute a win to help us with our celebrations, the farm affiliates went 4-2 to inspire us to keep the faith.

It was supposed to be an opportunity to meet the author of the new book about the Jays' 2003 season and talk a little baseball. Rob Bradford, nearing the end of a long road trip of promotional appearances, with a solo drive home to Massachusetts ahead of him, had graciously agreed to join about 20 Bauxites for lunch at Alice Fazooli's. Few authors are willing to upstage themselves at a book signing, but Rob had arranged a very special treat for us — a guest appearance by J.P. Ricciardi.

It's okay, today's game is still a 4:05 pm start -- I just need to post the thread now before heading out for the afternoon. Today is Chasing Steinbrenner Day, starting at Tom Cheek's favourite hangout Alice Fazooli's, then moving on to Section 518 at the Dome, as author Rob Bradford shows up to answer questions, sign books, and join Bauxites at what should be a bang-up ballgame with the Cheer Club. This is a red-letter occasion, and if you still haven't signed up, don't let yourself miss this once-a-year opportunity: click on the home page link and get your last-minute RSVP into Coach right now!

And I tell this truth to you
Not out of spite or anger
But simply because it's true.

Roy Halladay allowed twelve hits and a walk to the 29 batters he faced. After the second inning, Toronto managed just a single, a solo shot by Hinske, and a walk.

A twinbill sweep, another Doubledays victory, and a very welcome debut by a player who was a Batter’s Box favourite even before he suited up in his first game.

Well, three great games in a row! And now it's our buddies from Anaheim, who surely will remember the trouble the Cheer Club gave them last time.

A couple of the minor league teams also played late inning heroics last night. Charleston were on the right side, while Dunedin were the victims. Check the Auburn section for a great Chip Cannon story.

When you need to feel that you're good enough,
All you pretty people who've been taken over.
Had better start looking for your own answers.

The Doctor is in, and if Roy Halladay has anything to say about it, the Blue Jays' modest but intriguing winning streak will continue tonight. Matched up against huge (in many ways) free-agent bust Bartolo Colon, Doc faces an Anaheim lineup that, as Mike D points out in his absolutely-must-read Advance Scout tonight, can bat around with the best of them but has had terrible problems in the rotation. If the suddenly-hot Jays get to Colon early, this could be a very fun night in Toronto.

Fresh off the exciting sweep of Seattle, the Jays next welcome another struggling AL West club. Anaheim enters today's play firmly in playoff contention, if not exactly knocking on the door of playoff position. Although Mike Scioscia has bemoaned the club's lack of timely hitting, the truth is that disappointing starting pitching has unquestionably been at the root of the Angels' recent mediocrity.

This week, three anticipated pitching matchups add colour to what should be an exciting three-game set. Of particular interest to Bauxites will be a certain Mr. Escobar, who makes his return to the familiar SkyDome mound on Batter's Box Book Day this Saturday. If Jays pitchers can throw strikes and hold runners close, there's a good deal of hope from the home side, even allowing for some inevitable production by the Halos' fine heart of the order.

This edition of the Scout is one of the most information-packed yet. Check out the tales of some A-list sluggers, a super sub made good, the pounding of a would-be ace and a name-change controversy that is brewing very seriously -- and we're not talking about a new corporate sponsor for Angels Stadium.

On to the Advance Scout!