Rob Bradford's inside look at the 2003 Blue Jays and Red Sox provides an engaging read that entertains. It has great portraits of many of the Jays and Sox players, as well as the two central characters, J.P. Ricciardi and Theo Epstein. Don't look for a magnum opus... this is a lively baseball book, and it delivers on that promise.
Like most Jays fans, I'm eagerly looking forward to reading
Chasing Steinbrenner: Pursuing the Pennant in Boston and Toronto by Rob Bradford. Just in case you haven't heard, it's an account of the 2003 season, from the perspectives of Theo Epstein and J.P. Ricciardi. We've already published an
excerpt, and an
interview with the author. You'll also want to check out Craig Burley's
review. Now we're delighted to announce a very special event for next Saturday, July 10.
Please join us at Tom Cheek's favourite establishment, Alice Fazooli's (294 Adelaide St. W. near John St.) for lunch at 1:30, followed by a Q & A and book signing with Rob. Then, it's off to the Dome for the Jays-Angels game at 4:00, which just might feature Kelvim Escobar on the mound. We have a large block of tickets reserved up in Cheer Club country, but we need to confirm numbers in advance with Group Sales and the restaurant, so RSVP ASAP.
Jamie Vermilyea. That’s the executive summary of this update. Jamie Perfect Game Vermilyea!
Okay, now we know about the months of preparation that went into this draft, the countless hours of scouting and meeting and analysis. So it's time to find out some more about exactly who the Blue Jays acquired in the 2004 draft. No waiting -- let's get to it!
Go ahead, take a spoon and try
I can tell you it's a herculean task
Go ahead, it's okay to cry
What you're chewing on's the truth
And that's the hardest thing
To wash down with a glass of lemonade
The Jays are finding out that the Rays are a tougher nut to crack than they might have thought at the beginning of the season. I don't believe Tampa Bay is a .500 club and 90 losses by the end of the season is what I expect to happen. But right now, with the players available to the Jays, there's no doubt which of the two is the better team.
I'm trying a new kind of trade analysis out today. Yesterday, the White Sox sent Miguel Olivo, Jeremy Reed and Mike Morse to the Mariners for Freddy Garcia and Ben Davis, plus an undisclosed amount of cash.
The Jays' recent rash of injuries (is that the proper collective noun) have led me to wondering: is this the worst the Jays have ever had?
(Warning: this is not an exceptionally scientific study. Amendments cheerfully welcomed.)
In a large conference room at Skydome on June 7, 2004, a number of men are gathered. Toronto Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi is there, along with Director of Player Personnel Tony LaCava, Assistant GM Keith Law, and Scouting Coordinators Andrew Tinnish and Alex Anthopoulous, as well as a number of Blue Jay area scouts. It’s Draft Day in major-league baseball.
The minor league teams were 7-0, what do you think about that! David Bush looks to be ready for prime time and there were numerous candidates for the stars of the day.
There's a wild finish ahead. With ten weeks left in our regular season, no team is a cinch to make the championship playoff round, not even my Toronto Walrus, still the front-runner after a narrow 6-5 decision over second-place AGF. Baird Brain, by defeating Jick's Rays 7-4, moved into a third place tie with Moscow Rats, who split 6-6 with hannibal's cannibals. Mebion Glyndwr edged Billie's Bashers 6-5, so they remain in fifth and sixth. Five other teams are bunched within five games of playing for the jersey.
it's just business, cattle prods and the I.M.F.
I trust I can rely on your vote.
The two staff aces - Doc Halladay and Victor Zambrano - duel in what is expected to be another tight, low-scoring game along the lines of last Wednesday's clash. That contest saw the Jays claw back and win 2-1 on a Reed Johnson single, breaking up the Rays' 12 game winning streak. Zambrano struck out only 2, against 4 walks and threw 128 pitches, while Doc held Tampa Bay to 1 run through 7, striking out 8.
My Halladay bobble-head will be paying close attention.
Maybe we all should have known -- even as early as January -- that the 2004 Blue Jays would suffer through a cursed season. After all, the schedule maker did not exactly give Jays fans across Canada a rush of anticipation when he scheduled their July 1 matinee extravaganza to be...*sigh* in Tampa Bay. Not only is it a road game, but it's in drab Tropicana Field, home of the Devil Rays -- simply the most frustrating, get-every-bounce opponent the Jays have faced in recent years. Call them the "Brewers For A New Generation," in honour of those inferior Milwaukee clubs who always seemed to bring their A-game against Toronto.
That said, St. Petersburg fans are breathing new life into the former "ThunderDome," thanks to a surprisingly resurgent home side. They're hitting, running, pitching and getting a little lucky -- and their completely unexpected 15-2 run has actually vaulted the team to the fringes of the wild card race. After shutting down Tampa Bay last week, Doc endeavours to do the same tonight. Let's see if the Jays can begin to restore the Rays to their rightful place at the bottom of the division; the pitching matchups suggest that three of four is a definite possibility.
On to the Advance Scout!
With the Jays winning big in the late afternoon, the stage was set for a good night for the organization. The affiliates did not disappoint, going 4-2, with the big news being the end of Syracuse's slump and John-Ford Griffin's blast to cap a Fisher Cat comeback.
