Joe Inglett IS Reed Johnson

Why? Can someone please tell me why Toronto Blue Jays fans are still complaining about the release of Reed Johnson? It was six months ago. Please, for the love of all things holy, get over it.

Just yesterday an acquaintance of mine, who happens to follow the blue birds loosely, was whining about how J.P. Ricciardi made the worst decision in the history of baseball when he released Johnson back in March.

Look, I get it. Choosing Shannon Stewart over Reed was a mistake. I'm sure Ricciardi himself would admit that. OK, you're right, he wouldn't, but still. My point is, mistakes happen. Ricciardi isn't the first general manager to err, and he surely won't be the last.

I loved Reed Johnson in a Blue Jays uniform as much as the next guy. He was a gamer. One gritty mother fucker. Socks up, played the game the right way, all that good stuff. And how could you not appreciate that facial hair? Believe me, I missed him this past season. He was gone, yet not forgotten.

But if you think Reed Johnson was one of the main reasons behind the Jays' struggles in 2008, you need an Ari Gold style bitch slap. 

Even if Johnson had played out 2008 with Toronto, he would surely have departed as a free agent over the winter. He wants to play everyday, and the opportunity to do so in Toronto simply doesn't exist, thanks to guys like Adam Lind, Vernon Wells, Alex Rios and uber rookie Travis Snider. For you math aficionados out there, that's four outfielders to fill three spots.

Enough about Reed Johnson. Please. Instead of always focusing on the negative and bashing J.P. Ricciardi, how about looking at the positives? A novel idea, ain't it? Instead of bitching and moaning about the release of Johnson, why don't you give Ricciardi some props for finding the middle infielding clone of Reed Johnson: the one and only Mighty Joe Inglett.

Last I checked, Johnson can't play second base. And last I checked, Inglett played a pretty significant role for the Jays this year. He filled in admirably for the fallen warrior Aaron Hill (whom I miss terribly).

How do Inglett and Johnson compare? Check out the layout:

                G       AB  R   H    2B  3B   HR  RBI   BB   K   SB  CS   AVG   OBP   SLG   OPS+

Inglett    109    344   45  102  15   7     3    39    28  43  9   2   .297  .355  .407   102

Johnson  109    333   52  101  21  0     6    50    19  68  5   6   .303  .358  .420   101

They played the exact same number of games. Johnson's average was only six points higher, and let's call their on-base and slugging percentages a push. Yes, Johnson scored and drove in more runs, but Inglett was tied for fifth in the American League with seven triples, he walked more, struck out less, and was more successful in the base thievery department. The final statistic, OPS+, says it all; they're the same fucking player! When it comes to Joe Inglett and Reed Johnson, as my main man Jerry Seinfeld so eloquently put it, "the difference is negligible."

They compare. That's my point. Sure, we lost Reed Johnson, and it sucked. Yeah, we had to put up with the likes of a clearly finished Shannon Stewart, and Mencherson, because of it, and we're all certainly better people for having had to watch that shit show (we endured). But in the end the release of Johnson, the incredible mediocrity of Stewart and Mencherson, and the insight of the Gastonian one, led us to Adam Lind, and Travis Snider. Things worked out, n'est pas?

Instead of beating the same dead horse - that would be the "I hate J.P. Ricciardi, he is the worst general manager in the world, what happened to the five year plan?" dead horse - focus on the positives.

Focus on Joey Inglett.

Free Adam Lind

I suspect the talk about Adam Lind and his toilage in the minor leagues will reach a fever pitch this weekend as former Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Reed Johnson makes his return to the confines of the Rogers Centre.

Many, especially the gents at The Southpaw and The Mockingbird, have for quite some time been making the case for Lind as the Jays' left fielder not of the future, but of today. I may not have been on board before, but I certainly am now.

Lind is ripping - ripping! - it in AAA ball. In 46 games down on the farm he's batting .337 with 17 doubles, five home runs, and 46 RsBI. He's sporting a tidy .392 on base percentage and a dirty .935 OPS. Concerns about his defense are overstated, in my opinion. Dude's only made one error all season. Clearly, Lind's got nothing left to prove down in Syracuse.

So, umm, JP, pardon my language, but why the fuck isn't Lind up with the big club? I'm going to have to plead ignorance because, well, I just don't get it. I've said it before and I'll say it again: we're a .500 ball club as we go into action tonight, and I'd much rather be a .500 ball club with Adam Lind patrolling left field than any one of Brad Wilkerson, Shannon Stewart, or Kevin Mench.

I. Don't. Get. It.

I think all of us Toronto Blue Jays fans need to go on a hunger strike, you know, in order to force JP to summon Lind from the minors. I must confess, I'm currently reading Gandhi's autobiography, hence the idea. Gandhi was one eccentric cat, but his non-violent and civil disobedience ways certainly worked out well for the motherland.

It's pretty absurd to let Lind tear up minor league pitching while the big club struggles for its life to plate runs. And remember, Stewart, Wilkerson and Mench all joined the Jays in April or later, and are not part of the future of this ball club.

I don't fucking get it. Free Adam Lind.

Oh, and if you were at the game tonight, I hope you showed Reed Johnson some love. He was, and continues to be, a rudey.

I Miss You

Reed Johnson may be gone, but he is certainly not forgotten...

Unbelievable-catch-by-Reed-Johnson - Hosted by Putfile.com

Everything Man

Toronto Blue Jays broadcaster Jamie Campbell hit the nail right on the head with this one: "Where would the Toronto Blue Jays be this season without Matt Stairs?"

His signing was an afterthought. It came in December, the middle of the off-season, to no fanfare and certainly no press conference. In fact, it was only a minor league contract worth $850,000.

Yet here we are in September, with the Toronto Blue Jays wrapping up another season, and Matt Stairs has hit two fewer home runs than Frank Thomas, the $10 million dollar man and the Jays' big-ticket signing of the off-season.

Stairs has done everything and more for the Jays this season. He's been phenomenal. At 39 years old, he's hitting a career high .311 with 19 home runs and 55 runs batted in. It's his best statistical output since he clubbed 27 home runs and batted .294 with the Oakland A's back in 1998. It's official, Matt Stairs has found the fountain of youth.

Not bad for a journeyman outfielder who was only supposed to see limited action this season with Toronto. He's actually appeared in over 100 games now, and I'll tell you where the Jays would be without him, Jamie Campbell - in third place in the AL East division. Oh, wait, they are in third place, never mind. In all seriousness, they'd be in a whole lot of trouble without the clutch-hitting Matt Stairs. He and Alex Rios have been the only two sluggers to hit consistently on a team that was supposed to score a lot of runs.

When Reed Johnson had back surgery, Stairs took over in left field. When Lyle Overbay went down with a broken hand, Stairs took over at first base. When Frank Thomas was swinging his bat like a 12-year-old school girl, Stairs gave him the night off. When the Jays needed a pinch hit, Stairs stepped up and delivered.

He's a Canadian boy who always dreamt of playing at home, and he's made the most of his opportunity. He leads the Jays in batting average (.311), on-base percentage (.384), slugging (.611), and OPS (an out of this world .995). I like to think of Stairs as a Frank Catalanotto type hitter, only with power. A "professional hitter." But he's also got a mean streak - and I love a good mean streak. When the Jays and Yankees cleared benches last month, Stairs looked like he was going to bust a cap in A-Rod's $25 million dollar behind. He's fiery, and I dig that.

With the Jays sitting six and a half games out of the wild card, and dreams of the post-season hanging by the thinnest of threads, it's getting harder to support the JP Ricciardi regime. I keep trying to stay positive, and envision a playoff spot, like in "The Secret." If I think about it long enough, it will happen, or so the logic goes, right?

I'll take the positives out of this season, Matt Stairs being one of them, and I know a lot of teams are going to go hard after him when this season is said and done, but Ricciardi better bring back Stairs next year, otherwise he's going to have a lot of 'splainin to do.

Talib Kweli, the world's greatest rapper, has got a track off his new album Eardrum called "Everything Man." I hope my man Matt Stairs gives it a listen.

Give it up for Matt Stairs - in a season full of struggles, he's one of the few guys who deserves it.

Doc's Back

Welcome back, Harry.

The Doctor returned to the Jays lineup last night, and cut up the Chicago White Sox with surgeon-like proficiency.

It’s good to have him back. Shout out to the Jays pitching staff though, for holding down the fort while Harry was gone for three weeks. Toronto went 11-7 and the pitching was off the hook. This is coming from the guy who said the Jays have no pitching. What can I say, I’m an idiot. But I’m enjoying being proven wrong. It’s the bats that are hurting the Jays this season.

If every baseball game was as quick as last night’s, I think there would be a lot more baseball fans out there. The game lasted less than two hours. Mark Buehrle pitched a heck of a ball game. Ace Ventura, the Pet Detective, taught me an important life lesson when I was a youngster – “In every case, there must be, a loser. LOOO-HOOO-ZUH-HER!” Buehrle gave up only two hits, but they were of the long-ball variety, and they were the only two hits the Jays would need. Two-nil was the final, with my favourite relievers Casey Janssen and Jeremy Accardo finishing up for Harry Halladay.

It was Halladay’s 100th career victory, in his 200th career start. He’s been a pleasure to watch. He spoils us, he really does. Congratulations Doc, here’s to 100 more.

Doc Halladay’s cutter was so nasty last night that Darin Erstad hurt himself just swinging at it. He rolled his ankle, was in considerable pain, and it wasn’t pretty. That’s the first time I’ve seen a pitcher injure a batter without actually hitting him with the ball. Now that’s the definition of a nasty cutter.

It was a good start to the weekend series with the White Sox, who look nothing like the team that captured the 2005 World Series.

Last night’s victory came on the heels of a series win against the Bronx Bombers – if you can still call them that. Folks round these parts are still talking about the exploits of one Alex Rodriguez, both on and off the field.

One thing is clear - $25 million a year certainly doesn’t buy you class, or sportsmanship, because A-Rod has got neither.

Heading over to Brass Rail, a prominent Toronto strip club, while his wife and young child are at home in New York. Nice. Stay classy, A-Rod.

As for his on-field antics, he picked his spot. He clearly yelled something as he ran past Howie Clark, the Jays third baseman who’s up from Triple-A. Clark claims A-Rod shouted “Mine!” It should have been called interference by the umpires, because anything done by the batting team that causes confusion is interference by the rule book. The umpires let the play stand, and the Jays should have taken things into their own hands at that point.

I love reading and respect the opinions of Dave Perkins and Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star, and Jeff Blair of The Globe and Mail. All three said that the Jays should have plunked Jason Giambi, the next batter, and then given A-Fraud a few shots once the benches cleared. I’m always down for a brawl, and it’s silly that the Jays, who were clearly pissed off, didn’t do anything about the situation. The next time the Jays and Yankees face each other is in July, but I’m hopeful the Jays will remember A-Rod’s antics. I know I will. A-Rod has a history of making bush-league plays, and that’s exactly what his play was Wednesday night. Bush-league. There’s no way Rodriguez pulls a stunt like that with Troy Glaus at third base. Like I said, he picked his spot.

You know what, I like saying bush-league.

On a side note, it’s nice to see the Yankees battling it out for last place in the AL East with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The Devil Rays payroll is a whopping $27 million, while the Yankees check in at $195 million. Good times.

The Jays are treading water. Reed Johnson and Greg Zaun should be back in a few weeks, and going into tonight the Jays sit five games out of the Wild Card. The playoffs are by no means out of the realm of possibility for this team. All the injuries and all the drama have helped this team build character, and I really enjoy watching this team. They are my Jays, after all.

How great has Rios been this year? He’s blossoming into a star in front of our eyes, just like Tomas Kaberle did with the Leafs, and Chris Bosh did with the Raptors. It’s just fantastic to watch. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I’m like a proud parent, just gushing with pride when talking about Alex Rios.

It’s a shame the Jays best hitter is batting leadoff, though. Rios should be in the three-hole, currently occupied by Vernon Wells. Rios is hitting too many home runs and driving in too many runs to be at the top of the line up right now. I’m afraid he’ll stay there, though, until Reed Johnson comes back.

A.J. Burnett takes the mound tonight, and the Jays should be able to take three out of four from the struggling White Sox. It would be a great step towards getting back to .500.

Here are some random thoughts as we head into the weekend:

- How about that Lebron James fellow. King James, indeed. Game five on the road in Detroit – a tough place to play, to say the least – and the game goes into double overtime. James scored every Cavalier point in the overtime sessions, and got his team the win. Forty-eight points on the night, including 29 of Cleveland’s final 30 points. Ridiculous. Lebron is unconscious. He’s always been destined for greatness, but who knew it would come so soon.

The legend of Lebron James was born last night. He is, without question, the best player in the NBA. And he’s only 22 years old. There have been a lot of guys to come out of high school and dominate and play well, but none has taken the franchise on his back the way Lebron has. For my entire existence on this earth, the Cleveland Cavaliers have sucked. I’ve never known them to be anything but a laughingstock. Lebron changed an entire team, an entire organization, and an entire city. In the process, he’s changing the game. The NBA desperately needs something other than a Detroit/San Antonio final, and now the Cleveland Cavaliers are a game away from the final. All thanks to one man. Lebron James was simply born to play basketball.

- Mats Sundin is on the verge of signing a two year, $11 million dollar contract with the Leafs. It will save the Leafs about $2 million in cap space. I never expected Mats to go anywhere, so news that he is staying with the team is no surprise. I was, however, hoping the two year deal would come in at around $9 million. I think $4.5 million per season for Sundin is justified. A contract at that figure would also give the Leafs the money they need to sign free agents and get better. It would also prove Sundin’s desire to win a bloody Stanley Cup with the Leafs. I know Mats wants to win, but I’m starting to believe he doesn’t want to win as badly as I once thought he did. And that hurts…

- I like Sal Fasano’s moustache.

- I hope all the Ottawa Senators fans out there enjoyed the ride, because it’s all over. There’s no way in hell they are going to beat the Ducks four out of the next five games to win the Cup. The Cup is going to Southern California for the first time. As good as the Sens have been this post-season, Anaheim’s been better, and I don’t see them choking on their two-nothing series lead. Choking, it’s what the Senators do best!

- Kobe Bryant apparently wants out of L.A. The Lakers should grant him his wish and trade him to Denver. Wouldn’t that be something?