The largest variable determining how many runs a team will score is how many times they get their leadoff man on.
 - Bill James, 1988 Baseball Abstract

While there's only one leadoff hitter in the starting lineup, in the course of the game lots of players get a chance. Here's how the Jays' hitters have done (through Saturday's games) when leading off the inning:

Brandon Morrow gets the start today in the rubber match.  This will be his first start back in Safeco since he was traded, hopefully the mound is to his liking.  Morrow looks to pitch better than Brad Mills last night.  The Jays comeback in that game helped obscure Mills inability to hold a six run lead.

Yeah, its been awhile so here is a thread for all things going on in the majors. From Brett Lawrie's first game in Canada, to Uggla reaching 30 for his hitting streak.

No news? I guess that's good news.

There's a lot of symmetry going around.

It’s Hall of Fame Induction weekend and today will see Roberto Alomar, Bert Blyleven and Pat Gillick gain induction to Cooperstown. Dave Van Horne received the Ford C. Frick award yesterday.

The Jays are in texas for three games in the Texas heat before coming home to face Baltimore and Texas.  It's also hall of fame weekend for Canadian connected Robbie Alomar, Pat Gillick and Dave Van Horne.

All games are 8pm eastern starts.

Casey Janssen is back, and Luis Perez has been sent to Las Vegas.

Hey, it's the details that I love...

Okay, how does the Home Run Derby play out tonight? Tell us who's going to win, and if you're feeling frisky, rank the entrants from 1-8, like I have done here.

For the record, the "voting" about who will win being done on MLB.com has the Jays' own Jose Bautista running second to ... wait for it ... Robinson Cano. (But it's very close -- go vote if you have a moment!)

I personally think the final standings will look approximately like this ...

If it's true that you can never have enough pitching, it's probably also true that you can never have enough money.

Time for a new thread. Change the luck.

Besides there are issues to address.

Ricky Romero had on off-night and the Red Sox are a bad team to have an off night against.  Hopefully JP Arencibia's wrist will be OK.  Jonathan Papelboob does a lot of damage through hitting Jays batsmen, doesn't he?

Forgetting about the game, lets consider some questions:

Do the Jays have a chance?

What does the future hold for JP Arencibia?

You are the GM, where would you upgrade the team?

Do the Pirates have a chance?

Details below.

Yes, yes. We're quite impressed. It is a very cool play, ending the game with an outfielder throwing the tying run out at home plate.

But seeing as how the Blue Jays seem to have decided to experiment with forsaking all manner of outstanding defensive plays by outfielders, at least for the foreseeable future, it's a good thing that there's an even better baseball play.

Now that All-Star rosters have been announced, it's time for the annual griping. No one has incited more All-Star-based griping over the last few years than Derek Jeter, as he is continually voted in despite sometimes being nowhere near deserving, this year in particular.

Of course, performance isn't the only valid basis for selection to the game, and that's a whole other can of worms. I want to focus, though, on one particular argument that is often used to defend selections like Jeter.