Ricciardi's One-Man Defence Team

A "P.R. Campaign Against [Roy] Halladay"? Painting Doc as the "bad guy"? Fuck off. Look, J.P.'s got bigger issues to deal with. Like, I don't know, securing the best possible package in return for Roy Halladay. By next week.

Think about it for a second; everyone but me hates Ricciardi. He knows that. Why would he bother trying to sully the reputation of one of the finest men to ever wear a Toronto Blue Jays uniform, in a city where not many - not enough - give a shit about the Blue Jays to begin with? He wouldn't. He's got more important shit to do, like field calls about Jason Frasor, Marco Scutaro, Rod Barajas, and Scott Rolen.

Ricciardi and the Blue Jays aren't worried about the casual fan, because the casual fan isn't worried about them; the casual fan's been apathetic for years. It's the nature of this city's relationship with baseball. When the Blue Jays, eventually, become a winning team again (one day), the casual fans will be at the Rogers Centre, filling the seats. Not at home, sulking about how the Jays supposedly wronged Halladay during his final days with the team.

Nothing's changed. We've known for some time now that Doc was going to test the market. Here's what Ricciardi was quoted as saying on July 8, in the New York Post:

"We have kept him from free agency twice and I don't think we have the resources to keep him from free agency a third time, so I have to investigate what is out there ..."

- J.P. Ricciardi

There's more. In the same blog post, Joel Sherman wrote that the organization and Doc had talked teams:

"Ricciardi said that Halladay has provided a long list of places he would not be willing to play, but the Toronto GM would not say if either New York club was on that list."

- Joel Sherman

So when Ricciardi tells the scribes that Doc's going to test the market, can we all try to not lose our shit? Please? Don't fall into the media's trap; we all know, without a doubt, that Doc isn't the bad guy.

We also know that public relations isn't Ricciardi's forte. The world would be a better place if he'd just keep his mouth shut for one God damn day. But stop and think about the situation before you want to tear Ricciardi a new one. You don't think Ricciardi wanted Burnett to stay in his rotation? You don't think he wanted to add a bat like Bobby Abreu's to the lineup? He simply didn't have the cash. And now we're here, at the potential end of an era for the franchise, because Doc is going to become a free agent after the 2010 season. And that means he must be moved. Now, in the winter, or next July. He must be traded. Deal with it.

Fortunately, there are some people out there who do get it.

Here's Mike Wilner; he and I are on the exact same page:

"The other big piece of news was the revelation that Roy Halladay has told the Jays that he won’t sign an extension with the team before testing the free agent market after next season. ... Good for Roy Halladay. Were I him, no matter how much I loved it here, I wouldn’t re-sign without at least dipping a toe in the free agent waters. ... As I’ve said many times, there are 27 teams that have a better chance of making the playoffs than the Blue Jays do - every year. Halladay wants to win, and he’d prefer to win in Toronto, but he knows what he’s up against in the A.L. East until the Jays commit to competing financially with the big boys."

- Wilnerology (reference h/t: Ghostrunner on First)

Odds and Ends:

Yes, the Jays did lose yesterday afternoon, for those of you that still care. Kevin Millar, batting cleanup, was of course the Jays' top performer on the day. The Tribe ended up taking two of three from Toronto, on the road. Yeah, that's about right ... After Jo-Bau's 0-for-4 performance, in which he left four runners on base, and costly error at third base, The Bautista Appreciation Society is looking for new members ... Goodbye David Dellucci. You left us, well, not too soon. You should have never been here in the first place ... I'll be live blogging Friday's Chicago White Sox vs Detroit Tigers 1:07 PM matchup over at The Score. I have a feeling it will be a touch less climactic than Thursday's White Sox game. What a mind-blasting catch. It's officially impossible to not like Mark Buehrle ... Doc's on the mound tonight, so I'll be at the game. If you're not there, I trust you have a good excuse. I'll tell Doc you said thanks ...

UPDATE: Go and read The Tao of Stieb's takedown of Griffin's bullshit blog post. It's spot fucking on. And it's no longer a one-man Ricciardi defence team. I'm The Tao's assistant; secondary legel counsel, yo.

The Wager

Remember the Blue Jays bet I made with Stephen Amell from Searching For '93, back in March? You know; eight categories, over/under, seven worth one point, wins worth two points, highest total score wins.

And, of course, $100 and a videotaped autograph with Mike Wilner on the line.

Well, I joined SA on a podcast for an update. Thanks to some fine handicapping by Mr. Amell, the score is tight, and it should be fun to see how it plays out over the summer months.

Have a listen. As SA put it: "Along the way, we may or may not talk about Twitter, Jeff Blair, the Raptors, Reggie Evans, Bryan Colangelo, the Stanley Cup Finals and, um, other stuff. It's a great conversation."

Enjoy. If you get through the whole thing, you're a trooper, and I'd love to know your thoughts.

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A Simple Decision

What to do on a Friday night: head down to the Rogers Centre and watch Roy Halladay abuse the Florida Marlins? Or head to a local establishment to watch game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Red Wings and Penguins? (Win that shit, Hossa.)

In all honesty, it's a no-brainer. Doc only starts 15-to-17 home games a year.

Big Bad Wolfe

I don't know about you, but I don't ever want to see Brian Wolfe - even a blurry Brian Wolfe - again.

FREE JEREMY ACCARDO.

I agree with Mike Wilner, Accardo's no "white knight." Not by any means. But surely he's better than Wolfe. And regardless of the role Accardo would play in the bullpen, I want the best arms coming out of left field ...

A 14-15 May is in the books. June will see the Jays play 17 of 27 at home, and finish up interleague play (until the World Series). In July and August, the schedule gets AL East heavy; 71% of games in July, and 77% of games in August, will be against divisional opponents.

June just might be where this race is won. Who better to kick it off than Roy Halladay?

It's going to be a marvelous summer.

(Another) Podcast, Please

My good friend and yours, Stephen Amell, from Searching for '93, had me join him on another podcast to talk some more Toronto Blue Jays baseball. This time, we were betting on the Blue Jays. Well, I was betting on the Jays. Stephen was busy betting against them.

Here's a link to the mp3. Have a listen. I guarantee you will enjoy the song off the top. Anyway, we lay down our bets, talk some hockey, where I admit to the world that I am a New York Islanders dynasty denier, and, brace yourselves, even talk about the weather. In Canadian Celsius of course, my American friends. You know who you are. But, yes, exciting shit.

No, I'm not going to tell you what we bet on. You have to listen to the podcast, silly.

Alright. Fine.

There's eight categories, each being an over/under, and each worth one point, with the exception of the first category; wins. It's worth two points. Whoever accumulates the most points at the end of the season is the victor. Scientific, I know.

Categories:

1. Blue Jays O/U wins: 80.5

2. Vernon Wells O/U games played: 125.5

3. Home opener O/U number of fans: 49,500

4. Roy Halladay O/U wins: 17.5

5. Lyle Overbay & Scott Rolen O/U combined home runs: 35.5

6. Alex Rios O/U home runs: 22.5

7. B.J. Ryan O/U saves: 31.5

8. Total attendance O/U for the season: 2,000,000

I took the over. On all of them. If that surprises you, you're an idiot. I'm nothing if not a fatally optimistic homer. And I probably wouldn't be too good at The Price Is Right.

Logic? You want logic? Look, no Blue Jays team led by the Gastonian one is winning fewer than 81 games. Especially not this one ... Am I worried about Vernon's health? Sure I am. But the way I see it, with his bum hamstring, he's getting the injury over with now ... Will the home opener be a sellout? It better be, Toronto ... Barring injury, Doc's winning 18 games. Actually, more ... Can Overbay and Rolen combine for 36 home runs? Let's just say that's probably the stupidest over I went with, but that doesn't mean it's not going to happen ... Alex Rios is going to be frighteningly good this season. Frighteningly. Good ... If The Beej can save 32 games 10 months post-Tommy John, he can do it again in '09 ... As for total attendance, when the Jays are well on their way to winning the pennant, people will be rushing to the Rogers Centre SkyDome. Daily.

So, there you have it. A cool, crisp $100 is on the line. And I'm sure Stephen and I will update you as to who's closer to glory over the summer. We've also decided that the loser (Stephen, eventually) has to be videotaped getting an autograph from the one and only Mike Wilner. In a perfect world, the loser (Stephen, eventually) will pay me via one of those massive cheques, which will then be presented to me by the one and only Monsieur Wilner. (Let us know, Mike.)

Oh, and I've decided: when Roy Halladay is pitching at home this season, I'm heading downtown. A little walk-up ticket action, please. He's worth the price of admission, every time. And like I said in the podcast, he won't be around forever.

Remember to regularly check out Searching for '93. Stephen's got a new layout, and is doing his thing. Follow him on Twitter (follow me, as well), get him up in your RSS reader, and subscribe to his podcast. He's good people. While it will pain me to take his hard-earned money, it's something I must do.

And if you're interested in getting in on some of the monetary action, I'm still taking bets on the Jays winning more than 80.5 games. If you're foolishly thinking under, holla at ya boy, along with how much you're willing to lose. Want to shit on the Jays? (PPP, I'm looking at you.) Put your money where your mouth is.

For the last fucking time: Blue Jays baseball ... you gotta believe.

UPDATE: PPP is taking the under on wins. $50 on the line. I'm going to be fucking rich come September.

Who Said Playing Spoiler Isn't Fun?

The Blue Jays are relishing the role of spoiler. They completed a sweep of the Minnesota Twins last night, giving the Twinkies' playoff aspirations a big "fuck you" in the process.

It was a most entertaining series. On Tuesday, the Jays rallied from behind, erased a 5-1 deficit and won the game 7-5. And you know how they did it? By hitting home runs. Three of them. In the same game. Back-to-back jacks from Alex Rios and Jose Bautista (his was a two-run shot), and a two-run bomb from Lyle Overbay. As the cherry on top of my home run sundae, B.J. Ryan pitched a 1-2-3 9th inning for the save. Unbelievable, I know. When I woke up on Wednesday, I kid you not, it felt like Christmas morning. It just felt great to be alive.

On Wednesday night, A.J. Burnett pitched well enough to win, but the bullpen couldn't hold the 3-0 lead. In a 3-3 game in the 9th inning, The Beej allowed the Twins to plate their fourth run. Once again, however, the Jays refused to go quietly into the night. And they were led by the young phenom - the savior, the franchise - Travis Snider. Snider tied up the game in the bottom of the 9th with a clutch base hit, his third of the game, off uber closer Joe Nathan, who entered the game with a nasty 1.11 ERA and 36 saves. It was an inspiring plate appearance from the 20-year-old, especially considering he fell behind in the count.

In the 11th inning, John McDonald provided the dramatics, walk-off style, and the Jays were once again victorious. The Tao of Stieb put it best: "Oh, and don't forget Johnny McDonald driving in the winning run. That's always good for the soul." You're damn right it is, Tao.

Last night, Jesse Litsch was unhittable, going the distance on a four-hitter. Whatever Litsch worked on when he was sent down to the 'Cuse, it's working. In 28 and 2/3 innings since his recall, he's allowed only 3 earned runs. That's pretty damn impressive. Hopefully my boy Shaun Marcum can parlay his demotion into similar results.

I mentioned Travis Snider's performance on Wednesday, but he was even better yesterday. He clocked his first career big league home run, to deep centre field no less, and finished 3-for-3 on the night with 2 RsBI and a walk. I know, it's only been four games, but the kid is batting .467. If he's not causing your cock to stir a little bit in your pants, you might need one of those blue pills.

Some housekeeping:

Vernon Wells hit home run number 16 last night, in game number 86. He hit 16 home runs in 149 games in 2007. I think it's safe to say that his shoulder really was fucked up last season, hence the dramatic drop in power. It's looking more and more likely that he will reach the 20 home run mark this season, and that's impressive because of all the time he's missed. It will also help me to sleep better at night, knowing that at least one Blue Jay finished with 20 or more jacks.

Over the long weekend, David Eckstein played his final game for the Toronto Blue Jays, as he was traded to the land of the rising sun. I never got to say goodbye, so I thought I'd take a moment. I don't think Eck got a fair shake in Toronto once The Gastonian one arrived. Not that I blame Cito, who is, like the rest of us, clearly a Johnny Mac fan. But Eckstein never complained about his diminished playing time or his role on the team. As Mike Wilner was kind enough to point out, Eck put up numbers almost idential to his career stats. He did exactly what he was supposed to do. So there's no hard feelings. He was a gamer and, by all accounts, one of the classier guys around. Cheers, Eck. Stay scrappy.

My Heart Hurts

Sigh.

I don't know if you caught yesterday's game, but all I have to say about it is this: Matt Stairs was safe. The home plate umpire blew the call in the sixth inning, and it cost the Blue Jays the game. Fuck you, Angel Campos.

That one hurt, man. The whole series hurt. Boston strolled into town and took two out of three, in a series the Jays absolutely had to sweep win, leaving the locals eight games out of the wild card spot with only 32 games left on the schedule.

As Mike Wilner so depressingly points out, the Jays need a miracle of biblical proportions to finish with 90 wins on the year. They need to go 23-9 down the stretch, and even 90 wins won't guarantee they'll make the playoffs. For all intents and purposes, we're done, I know. But, technically, we've still got a chance. We've still got a pulse. However faint.

I went to all three games over the weekend at the Cable Box. I'm all Massholed out, for real. They were everywhere. On the subway. On the street. In front of me in line for some street meat. Massholes as far as the eye could see, all weekend long. In their Pedroia, Youkilis, Ortiz, Beckett, Dice-K, and Varitek t-shirts and jerseys. And I'll admit it, they were loud. They are a vocal and obnoxious bunch.

In terms of the team I most love to hate, the Boston Red Sox have most definitely surpassed the New York Yankees. I'll take Yankees fans any of the day of the week. Fuck the Red Sox. I don't want to see another Masshole for a long, long time.

Boston holds a one game lead over Minnesota for the wild card. While it's all but assured that the Jays will miss the post-season for the 15th consecutive year (I just threw up in my mouth), I'm looking forward to September and a month of playing spoiler. There's a good chance the wild card winner can come out of the Central Division, and I hope the Jays do everything in their power to make sure both the Yankees and Red Sox miss the playoffs. If we're going down, we might as well take the douchebags down with us.

Even though the universe may explode if the Tampa Bay Rays - the Tampa Bay fucking Devil Rays! - are the only team to qualify for the post-season out of the uber-competitive AL East division, nothing would make me happier than for both the Evil Douchebag Empires to miss the playoffs.

Go Jays. Yes, still.

North of Steeles Heading South

Before I get to the point, suck on that, Massholes.

So, Shaun Marcum's heading down to the 'Cuse. Can't say I understand this one, especially since we're trotting out borderline first-round bust David Purcey every five days. Even with his recent control problems, amongst starting pitchers Marcum's second on the team in ERA (3.60) behind Doc.

Mike Wilner, in all his blogging greatness, says it might have more to do with Marcum's attitude than his mechanics. Regardless of the reasons, John Parrish is back with the big boys and will take Marcum's spot in the rotation for the time being. Parrish over Marcum? Really? No, I can't support this move. Not right now. We're a game or two from being completely out of the race, and the paper thin back end of our rotation just got even thinner. Brutal.

Check out what my man The Ack, who handles weekend editing duties over at The Tao of Stieb, has to say on the subject. I think he's more perplexed than I am, and I can't blame him.

Anyway, should be a beauty of a rubber match this afternoon. Dice-K vs. A.J. The Jays need this one. Bad.

Guys Dig The Long Ball Too...

Eric Hinske hit the 100th home run of his career last night against Roy Halladay and the Blue Jays. I found it rather fitting that Hinske reached the milestone in Toronto, where it all began, where it all went so wrong, and where he is lustily booed.

I can't imagine Hinske gets booed at any other ball parks. Nobody other than the fans in Toronto really give a shit about him. And we don't boo him because he spurned us, talked ill of the team, or ill of the fans. We boo him because he sucks. We boo him because he's Shitske.

As I watched Hinske club home run number 100 to deep centre field, and later learned that the Jays were shut out, I reached a new personal low as a fan of the 2008 Jays. I actually wished, just for an instant, that Hinske were still around and wearing Toronto digs.

I apologize fellow Jays fans, for there really is no excuse. A moment of sincere weakness is all I can attribute it to. I feel dirty inside and out, I really do, but Hinske's got 15 home runs and 47 RsBI. I know, he's only batting .255, but it's the power that I want. The power that I miss.

I miss the long ball. The saying goes that "chicks dig the long ball," but guys like me dig the long ball too, dammit. The Jays have hit only 75 all year, good for second last in the American League. Ironically, the Minnesota Twins are last in the AL with only 73 round trippers, yet they're playing .557 baseball, and are only a half game out of the Central Division lead. Fuck me. Isn't life wonderful?

You know, it's not as if Hinske is ripping shit up with his 15 home runs. It's a decent amount. A middle of the road amount. But it's just that those 15 are as many as Scott Rolen and Lyle Overbay combined. With three to spare. And that hurts my soul.

It has been a difficult season for me as a Jays fan. A roller coaster ride. A frustrating experience of watching the team take a few steps forward, and then a few more steps backward. Buoyed by A.J. Burnett's efforts on Monday night, I was looking forward to Roy Halladay ensuring that the Jays would win this three game set with the Rays.

Didn't happen. Shut down by Matt Garza, and another sublime effort from Doc wasted in the process. Say what you want about the Rays, and I've poo-pooed on them for a long, long time, but they improved to 3-0 against Halladay this season. Based on that statistic alone, I'm beginning to believe they are for real. They've got one hell of a lineup, and that Evan Longoria fellow is having a bonerific rookie campaign.

I'll be the first to admit that Matt Garza has pitched well for Tampa Bay this season - he came into the game with a very respectable 3.83 ERA - but I'm still adding him to my list of pitchers who have no business dominating the Blue Jays, and who have done just that. The list is, most unfortunately, growing rather lengthy. There's no way Matt fucking Garza should be coming into our house and throwing a complete game, five-hitter, on only 106 pitches.

In order to now win the series, the Jays need a magical performance this afternoon from 28-year-old Vancouver boy Scott Richmond. Don't worry, it's only his first start in the big leagues.

The trade deadline is tomorrow afternoon, and Gregg Zaun officially wants out of Toronto. Not surprising, since he doesn't play much. It's also a little surprising that he doesn't, you know, play much. Rod Barajas' on-base percentage has dipped to .298, and that's pretty brutal. He's walked only 10 times in 226 at-bats all season.

I know Rowdy Rod is better at throwing out runners, and can hit for more power, but Zaun's sporting a tidy .349 OBP in 181 at-bats, which is good for third on the team. With Barajas lately really putting the "shit" in "shitting the bed," Zaun's right, he should have been playing more.

Anyway, J.P. Ricciardi said the whole issue with Zaun being dealt is that, uhm, nobody wants him. I think that might pose a problem. Yes, a slight problem.

For more on Zaun, Barajas' suckage, and Doc's brutal run support in games that he loses (it's 1.60 runs, and that also hurts my soul), check out Mike Wilner's most recent excellent bloggage. "Garzafied Again" indeed, Monsieur Wilner.

A. JAY Burnett

It was billed as possibly his final start in a Toronto Blue Jays uniform. If it was, he went out in style. But it won't be. The Jays have their sights set on the wild card, and A.J. Burnett's sticking around for the ride.

I must admit, I am quite enamored by these developments. I've become rather fond of good old A.J.

I took in the game last night from the ridiculously cheap 500 level at the Dome, and Burnett was well worth the $9 ticket price. He was at his filthy best. He struck out the side in the first inning and booked a free slice of pizza for the fans after only the first three frames. He finished with 10 Ks and allowed only one run. And it was unearned, to boot.

A $9, third-row seat in the upper deck, and a free slice of pizza. It doesn't get much better than that, folks.

If Burnett hasn't won you over yet, I fear he never will. The guy pitched his tail off again last night. He got into some trouble on a few occasions, and dealt with a brutal call by the third-base umpire, but he battled. He made big pitches and big plays, like picking off Eric Hinske at first base, when he needed them. A.J.'s now got as many wins - 12 - as that Roy Halladay guy. And that Halladay guy is supposedly pretty damn good.

For more on the recent exploits of Burnett, check out Mike Wilner's blog.

For the first time as a Blue Jay, Burnett's healthy, he's chucking, and he's winning. That's the bottom line. Sure, the opt-out in his contract looms large, but we can't worry about it anymore. He's not being traded. We've got a pennant race to worry about now.

Now I know we're six and a half games out, but fuck it feels good to write that.

We've got a pennant race to worry about now.

The offence didn't deliver much support last night (shocking!), but A.J., along with my main men out of the bullpen, Scott Downs and B.J. Ryan, made sure it was enough. It was a huge win against Tampa Bay and James Shields, who has dominated the Blue Jays this season, and pitched well again yesterday.

Doc's on the mound tonight. I'm thinking two out three. Definitely two out of three. Hell, maybe even a sweep. Go big or go home, right?

Right.

I'm thinking playoffs.