An early and abbreviated report this week, as I am about to take my B.C.-bound son to the airport, then there's work to be done. I was surprised this morning to find my slumping Toronto Walrus still in first place, by the narrowest of margins, despite losing 6-5 to Mebion Glyndwr. AGF defeated Horse Field Hammers 6-4 to move within a mere half-game of top spot, and the Moscow Rats, after thumping the Thunderbirds 9-3, are just two games out. Baird Brain made a big move into fourth with a 9-2 rout of the Eastern Shore Birds, who remain in sixth. A dozen teams are over .500 and bunched within 13 games, as we approach the halfway point of the regular season.

The Blue Jays Minor League Cheer Club, unbeknownst to the entire Cheer Club administration, is looking into the possibility of a day trip on Sunday, August 1 to see the Syracuse SkyChiefs take on the Rochester Red Wings.

Of all the games not to be televised, this is probably the worst choice. Arizona lefthander and perfect-game hurler Randy Johnson, a first-ballot Hall of Famer and very arguably the greatest southpaw pitcher of all time, makes what will surely be his final visit to the Skydome today, in a matchup against another red-hot portsider, Ted Lilly. Get to the game or get to your radio and be part of this one. Carlos Tosca has sat every one of his lefty hitters, including the surging Eric Hinske, for this game. The Jays will be in tough, but they can at least say they battled one of the all-time very best on this day. Enjoy.

Two game-winning homers, a fine start for Josh Banks and a Fisher Cat rout were the highlights of a 3-1 Saturday for the Jay farm affiliates.

Halladay returns from the DL leading the Jays to a 15-4 victory over Arizona.

When Rob Neyer agreed to discuss his new book (co-authored with Bill James), The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers A Historical Compendium of Pitching, Pitchers and Pitches, with Batter's Box, the bottom-line question was put forth:

"Is this book-length biography of 'Pitchers, Pitches and Pitching' headed for a Hall of Fame career on the bookshelves of baseball fans, prominently displayed next to James' Abstracts and Neyer's Lineups?"

The one-word answer is ...

… well, maybe. Okay, that's two words. But this book isn't really comparable to previous issues from Neyer or James, so it's a bit like asking if Dennis Eckersley belongs in Cooperstown.

Man, I'm glad I wasn't following this game last night. The bullpen gave up 3 runs in the 9th as the Jays lost to the Snakes 3-2.

It's a rare and enjoyable occasion when I get to attend a game in person that features Blue Jays prospects, but that was the case last night as the Skychiefs visited Ottawa. So now, whenever someone sarcastically demands whether I've ever actually seen any of these prospects that I write about, I can say, "Why, of course; I saw three of them in June." Today's report focuses heavily on the AAA game here in the NCR last night; Dunedin had the night off while New Hampshire won and Charleston lost.

I haven’t seen any papers yet today (it’s 5:30am as I begin to write) but after witnessing Jason Frasor’s performance last night, a pitching outing marred more by bad luck than outright failure, I’ve no doubt that some Toronto writer is going to whine about this Blue Jays squad not having a true closer. The reality is, though, that closers are made, not born, and the few men fortunate enough to have this title for a major league team have all been made from different kinds of material.

Okay, that's a stretch. Today's Diamondbacks-Blue Jays features young Arizona starter Andrew Good versus Toronto ace Roy Halladay; if the bats can come awake again, the Jays should be able to end their brief two-game losing skid fairly easily. There may not be a more underrated double-play combo in baseball right now than middle-infield Snakes Scott Hairston and Alex Cintron. The former is hot and the latter is slumping, but they're emblematic of an Arizona team that is reinventing itself from the inside, faster than many thought they could. Howie Clark is at first base and batting second for the Gray Jays; Alex Rios is batting ninth and is overdue to break out.

It continues to amaze me how many people completely miss the fundamental premise of Moneyball. It's not just casual fans and blowhards who haven't actually read the book themselves. It's also analysts and journalists employed full-time in the baseball industry.

Don't forget that Jonah Keri of Baseball Prospectus will be in Toronto on Sunday. If you haven't been to one of the previous get-togethers with Will Carroll, you've missed some great baseball discussion and a lot of fun. This one is at Shoeless Joe's (on Eglinton just east of Avenue Rd.) starting at noon with a Q & A, followed by food and the Jays game -- some tall lefty is supposed to pitch for Arizona.

Although attendance is limited to 30, there are a few spots still available, so if you're interested, RSVP to Jonah and we'll see you there.

A split for the minor league teams last night.

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