To move aimlessly from place to place

Monday. You know how it arrives.

I haven't written in about a week. So effected was I by Mark McGwire's bombshell announcement. Steroids. Who knew? ...

1. Inspired by the fine folks at Silver Seven Sens, who donated $0.05 for every comment in Saturday's game day thread to the Canadian Red Cross's Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund, I've donated Sports And The City's January ad revenue (up to the 17th) to the same cause. I'll be topping up the donation at the end of the month. The pictures of dead bodies in the streets of Port-Au-Prince are difficult and downright disturbing to look at. The poor country can't catch a break. The donation isn't much, but it's something. Thanks for reading.

2. On to more distracting things ... The last time the Edmonton Oilers won a game, it was 2009. December 30th, actually, at home against -- you guessed it!!1 -- Toronto. As bad as the Maple Leafs are, the Oilers are worse. Poor Pat Quinn. I'm worried about his physical and mental well being.

3. I'm high on Phil Kessel, but at least Oilers fans have their first round draft pick to look forward to.

4. The immediate years post-Mats Sundin (last season, this season, and probably the next two) will do wonders for #13's legacy. With Phil Kessel the only true offensive threat the Maple Leafs boast, people will eventually marvel at just how consistent, and just how good, Sundin truly was in Toronto. Don't get me wrong, Kessel's good. He's got the potential to be great. But as a sniper, I'm not sure he possesses the acumen to become a guaranteed 30-goal scorer, and point-per-game player, like Sundin was only three seasons into his career.

5. You're Boston Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli. Would you trade Toronto's 2010 first round pick, David Krejci, and Blake Wheeler for Ilya Kovalchuk?

6. I recently began reading mc79hockey.com - "Where we're welcoming the local and national media to the news that the Oilers suck" - and it's fantastic. Check it out. Last week, an excellent post was written about Ethan Moreau's propensity to take more penalties than he draws. In conclusion: since 2007/2008, five-on-five, Moreau has "generated 20.5 more power plays for the opposition in the course of a given season than would a forward who takes and draws penalties at average rates." Interesting stuff. There's a chart and everything. Fourteenth on the list: Toronto's Jamal Mayers, at 14.4. Mayers hasn't done much in Toronto. Other than take a lot of penalties, clearly. While he's simply trying to fit in, it's probably safe to say the trade to acquire Mayers is a wash. As I'm sure you remember, Florida's third round pick in the 2008 draft, acquired by Toronto for Chad Kilger, was sent to St. Louis for Mayers. The Blues drafted James Livingston 70th overall with the pick. Livingston's playing out his final year in the OHL and has 14 goals, and 26 points, in 38 games. Knowing nothing about Livingston but his numbers, I'm going to go ahead and conclude he will not be an impact player in the NHL.

7. I try to watch Tyler Bozak's first career NHL goal on YouTube at least twice a day.

8. Since being traded by the Montreal Canadiens, Guillaume Latendresse has become a rather prolific goal scorer. In 24 games with Minnesota, he's lit the lamp 13 times. Latendresse is now only one goal off his career high of 16 and, as a Leafs fan suffering through yet another bullshit season, this pleases me.

9. There was irony in watching Jacques Martin lose to the Ottawa Senators's next young hope in the crease, Mike Brodeur, Saturday night. The carousel of goaltenders in Ottawa also pleases me.

10. In his last three games, Andrea Bargnani has pulled down 35 rebounds - 17, 12, and 6, respectively. With half the season officially in the books, Bargnani has posted seven double-digit rebounding efforts. Last season, he managed the feat six times. In 2007/2008: once. In 2006/2007, Il Mago's rookie year: twice. It's happening, folks. Bargnani is learning how to rebound. The patience is paying off.

11. For good measure, Bargnani is putting up the best shooting numbers of his young career as well: 47.2% from the floor, and 17.2 points a game.

12. I'm not sure what the "That's Vernon Wells type money" vote means in the new poll on whether Chris Bosh is worth $130 million. It's either a shot at Bosh, a shot at Wells, or a shot at both of them. I'm assuming its connotation is negative. But it's good to see the most number of votes, so far, are in the "Yes" category. Bosh and Bargnani, with Bargnani at his peak? I'd like to see that.

13. To be a fly on the wall at -- if it happens -- Jeremy Accardo's arbitration hearing.

14. Jason Frasor made only $1.45 million last year, and is in line for a nice raise. What is The Sausage King of the Bullpen worth to you in 2010 - $2.5 million? $3 million?

15. With only two weeks left to vote, it's all but certain that Aaron Hill will replace Roy Halladay in the Sports And The City banner. Which means he likely won't be a Toronto Blue Jay for much longer.

16. There's nothing -- absolutely nothing -- like a devastating block in football. Kurt Warner surely agrees.

17. My boy 40's a New York Jets fan. I'm happy for him.

"Something, perhaps, from above ..."

The baseball Gods were most definitely in the house that dirty Yankee money built on Monday afternoon. How else to explain John McDonald's home run? And three missed calls by the umpires in favour of the Blue Jays?

It was the baseball Gods' way of making up for some their recent douchebaggery, in respect to Toronto's injured arms. Try as the healthy arms might to blow a 7-1 lead, and Brandon League, Jeremy Accardo, and Jason "The Sausage King" Frasor really gave it their all, the Jays weren't leaving New York without a win.

While it certainly doesn't even the score, the efforts from above were certainly appreciated. With Marc Rzepczynski taking the ball tomorrow (who?), hopefully there's more where that came from.

Keeping with the appreciation vibe, I'm very thankful for Scott Rolen. Now at 23 games, I hope his hitting streak can outlast Shawn Green's team record of 28. After only a year and a half in Toronto, Rolen is already well-deserving of having some Jays history attached to his name. He's that fucking good. (GBOAT!!1)

Also: Ricky Romero. Sweet, sweet Ricky Romero. Believe that he could win Rookie of the Year.

UPDATE: It's rare, but sometimes the "Monkey Army" at Drunk Jays Fans is actually good for something. Case in point: one of them pointed out that Shaun Marcum took the hill for the Dunedin Blue Jays Monday night. Three innings pitched, two hits allowed, and one strikeout. In typical fashion, he retired six via groundout, and two via flyout. North of fucking Steeles! I can definitely drink to that.

Rock 'N Rolen

There have been many a lame post titles at Sports And The City over the years, and this one might be the weakest of them all. Yet I love it.

Seriously, though. How does one boo Scott Rolen? It's unfathomable.

Clearly, Philadelphia Phillies fans aren't reading enough Ghostrunner on First, where the Rolen love-in - rightfully - continues ...

On a day when three and a half arms - Roy Halladay (1.5 arms), Scott Downs (fucking National League) and Casey Janssen (who's been rather Purcey-like) - hit the disabled list, Scott Richmond went out and threw the game of his life. Like a good Canadian boy would ...

The Sausage King's our new closer. And that's fine by me. (Albeit late, an anonymous commenter came through with one other helluva nickname for Jason Frasor: Jason "Mongolion Destructor" Frasor, as the only difference between Frasor and Ghengis Khan is the horse.) ...

Jeremy Accardo has been emancipated. Here's to him, and to Brad Mills' debut. Looking forward to it. (Afternoon baseball, woo!) ...

Aaron Hill > Dustin Pedroia ...

Marco Scutaro's defence is otherworldly. Only one error so far this season, and how about that double play he started in last night's 4th inning? Instead of a three-run home run, Jayson Worth ran the bases all by his lonesome. Scoots can't possibly get enough credit for what he's brought to the table this season. What a Venezuelan hero ...

The Vernon Wells Hatred Advisory System remains at SEVERE. You tell me, am I being too hard on him? (Not you, Stephen Amell.) ...

Alex Rios is nothing if not wildly entertaining. My boy 40's right; Rios said it best (especially when the Blue Jays are winning, in Interleague play, on the road): "who gives a fuck!?"

Hating the National League

Don't you just love it when a pitcher - I don't know, say Ricky Romero, or Scott Downs - who has no business hitting, and who probably doesn't want to hit, has to bat? Me too. It's so much fun; so exciting.

I love how National League enthusiasts continuously defend the asinine decision not to employ a designated hitter with the standard "there's more strategy" rebuttal.

Sure, there's more strategy. I get that. But in most cases, it doesn't take a genius of a manager to throw around the eighth hitter in a lineup to get to the pitcher. Even Buck Martinez can do that.

At the end of the day, pitchers can't hit. Period.

Last night, thanks to bullshit Interleague play, Scott Downs was injured running out a ground ball (x-rays were negative), and Ricky Romero struck out three times, leaving eight men on base.

They're pitchers. They should exclusively pitch, much like in the progressive, forward-thinking American League. Let the hitters hit.

I'm off the National League, huge ...

With the Blue Jays down 3-2 last night, guess who kicked off the 9th inning rally to tie the game? One Vernon Wells, with an infield single to the pitcher. It was his first hit in 21 at-bats. Darrin Fletcher, the greatest colour commentator ever, said it best: that's how all slumps end. Believe ...

If you're pissed off at Alex Rios for his boneheaded baserunning gaffe in the 8th inning, you should be equally pissed off at Nick Leyva. He fucked up, too. While that type of mistake happens in baseball, it seemingly happens too often to Alex Rios. (Richard Griffin is kind of upset about it.) There can't possibly be a better nickname for Rios than The Blissfully Oblivious Gazelle ...

Speaking of nicknames, I think it's official: Jason Frasor is the Sausage King of the bullpen. While I loved some of the suggestions - Bullpen Ninja, Hightower, Fire Hydrant - Sausage King was too good to pass up ...

It wasn't exactly a great performance, and he was bailed out by the aforementioned Sausage King, but B.J. Ryan is now working on six innings of scoreless relief. Believe in The Beej ...

I'd love to know what Cito Gaston said to Ricky Romero in a visit to the mound only three batters into last night's first inning. Whatever it was, it worked. The rendezvous was, my friends, the ultimate example of The Cito Effect ...

Keeping on Romero, he continues to shine. Of the eight American League rookie starting pitchers who've made at least eight starts and thrown at least 50 innings, Rick-Ro leads the way with a 3.73 ERA. His G/F ratio of 1.14 is second to only Baltimore's Brad Bergesen. Boners.

UPDATE: Brad Mills to start for Casey Janssen on Thursday. Serious boners.

In search of a moniker ...

As I mentioned on Twitter last night, we need a nickname for Jason Frasor. A good one. And suggestions have begun to come down the pipe.

ar - Kee hit the ground running with "The Vulture." I like it. Much like a bird that feeds on the carcasses of dead animals, there is something predatory-like about the 2009 version of Frasor.

Platform Shag put forth "Razor," and The Blue Jay Hunter is on board. Unfortunately, I'm not, and I'm going to have to shoot this one down. It can't be done. Not in this town. Thanks to one Andrew Raycroft, not anymore. It would be a slap in Frasor's face for him to have the same moniker as the most atrocious goalie to suit up for the Toronto Maple Leafs in recent memory. Apologies, Pshag and Ian.

I do, however, like Searching For '93's suggestion: "Hightower." Something about it works. At 5'10 and 175 pounds, Frasor isn't a dominating physical presence on the mound. But he pitches like one. He pitches like a "Hightower." And the nickname reminds me of Officer Hightower, from Police Academy, which I always thought was based in Chicago, Frasor's hometown. Bottom line: I dig.

Last, and certainly not least, "The Bullpen Ninja," courtesy The Ack. I must admit, I'm feeling this one, too, probably the most. Frasor certainly is ninja-like. Quiet and unassuming, yet lethal. He can beat you with one mother fucker of a fastball, or his "fosh" pitch.

What do you think? Have at it in the comments, and throw in new suggestions as well. Jason Frasor, along with his 1.96 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, and .182 opponents batting average, is worth it.

UPDATE: How do we not go with Sausage King?