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?

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.

(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.

Required Reading...

Doug Glanville

Doug Glanville is a former Major League Baseball player. He's also an Ivy League graduate, with a degree in systems engineering from Penn. Needless to say, he's one smart cat.

Glanville has, for the past year or so, been writing a guest Op-Ed for The New York Times. It's dope. You really ought to check out the layout. He sheds light on his time in "the show," and his take on the Alex "Douchebag" Rodriguez clusterfuck was a fantastic read.

I know. A smart and articulate baseball player. Who can read and write. It's weird. But trust me, he's in the Times, so he's the real deal.

I love The New York Times.

Puck Huffers

I stumbled upon Puck Huffers thanks to my good friend Wrap Around Curl. It's arguably been the best thing that's happened to me in the last two months. Yeah, I know, I live a fascinating existence. Fuck off.

Anyway, the blog is run by two sassy ladies - Kimberlass and debrisslide - and they write about the trials and tribulations of their beloved Pittsburgh Penguins, who, somehow, are fighting for their playoff lives. They've only got nine more points than the Leafs, that's how dire the situation is down there.

The game recaps over at Puck Huffers are incredible. As is the "Michel Therrien Radar." The ladies' faith in their shitty team never fades. In a way, they remind me of, well, me. In the younger, more optimistic, never-say-die days of my youth.

Seriously, check 'em out. You can thank me later.

Between Hockey, Football, and Stiletto Shoes and Puck Huffers, I may or may not be becoming a Pittsburgh Penguins fan...

The Humming Giraffe

If you're like me, you've been keeping tabs on Mats Sundin. He's gone, but certainly not forgotten. 

I've been getting my Canucks blogging fix over at The Humming Giraffe, where Alix is falling in love with Mats right in front of our very eyes. Let me tell you, it's a beautiful thing.

It's funny how all that talk about Sundin looking slow out there, and being the root cause of all the Canucks' problems, has come to a screeching halt. With 10 points in twelve games, Mats is looking fine, thank you very much. Training camp? Fuck a training camp.

I'm happy for my boy. I'm not the jealous ex who wants to see his sloppy seconds struggle. No sir, not me. I want to see him fall in love again. I want him to be happy. I want him to win the Stanley Cup.

I want a Canucks jersey.

Pension Plan Puppets

I mentioned Wrap Around Curl above. Well, the rookie Leafs fan has joined the team over at Pension Plan Puppets. Recession? Economic downturn? None of that shit exists over at triple-P. The site continues to grow at alarming, housing bubble-like rates. Good on you, guys. And now, gal. An excellent addition to the team, if I must say so myself.

PPP, ruthless dictator of the website, also joined Stephen Amell on a podcast over at Searching for '93. Have a listen. PPP brings the heat, especially when it comes to the Toronto media.

I'm Keith Hernandez

What do you get when you combine Seinfeld and sports bloggage? I'm Keith Hernandez. If you're addicted to Seinfeld much like I am, there's no way you're not going to enjoy this blog. Check out this post on Kevin Millar, who's now officially a Toronto Blue Jay.

"Cowboy up!"

Oh, God. I just threw up in my mouth.

Ok, that's it. Happy reading. Remember the words of one Billy Madison:

Billy: "Sheesh, what's up her butt?"

Veronica Vaughn: "What was that, Billy?"

Billy: "I said 'Reading is...good!'"

Podcast, Please

Are you excited about Toronto Blue Jays baseball yet? You should be. I am. So much so that I woke up early Wednesday morning, did some homework, and talked baseball with Stephen Amell over at Searching for '93.

My good friend Stephen was looking for some reasons to justify renewing his Jays' season ticket package, and graciously invited me to join him on his second podcast (his first podcast featured Toronto's favourite sports writer, Dave Feschuk). 

Now, I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I'm pretty sure I delivered. I mean, it's what I do.

Here's another link to the podcast. We're talking Blue Jays baseball, the origins of "eyebleaf" and Sports And The City, and some Toronto Maple Leafs hockey, or whatever it is the Leafs play these days. Have a listen. I'd love to know your thoughts. My segment gets going around the 35:00 mark.

And make sure you spend some time over at Searching for '93. Stephen's relatively new to the Toronto blogging scene, but he's already making his mark. He sheds a lot of light on the Toronto Raptors, whom I've managed to completely and disrespectfully ignore for the past month or so. He hates Jamario Moon, is coming around on my man Andrea Bargnani, and loves to get under the skin of RaptorBlog's Scott Carefoot. 

He's also working on lining up some huge guests for his podcasts. Obviously, he's going to have a tough go at getting a bigger guest than yours truly.

Yeah, right.