"BOWTISTA"

More proof that Toronto is indeed home to the finest women on the planet. And, yes, those ladies are card-carrying members of the Bautista Appreciation Society.

Fifty-one, and 52. What is there left to say? Hlja vzmnv qieourois lkfdjakf nghfyidt Jose Bautista lklkjadoue vcndml lkncxoue lkadnfnq iern Bautista. The man has officially left me speechless. Without speech, yo.

Sit back, and enjoy the show. With nine games left, that's all there is to do. And, like the ladies above, Bow to Bau.

Wait, there is someone who isn't mailing in posts, and who hasn't been left speechless by Jose Bautista. Read this, from The Southpaw. It's a brilliant example of how ridiculous it is that Bautista is not a part of the American League MVP discussion. I'll tell you this much: if Robinson Cano garners more AL MVP votes than Bautista ... shit, I don't know what I'll do. I need to think about it. I'll get back to you.

Image courtesy of -- who else, man? -- Reuters via daylife. 

A New Method to the Madness

If someone tells you J.P. Ricciardi "completely fucked up the 2009 draft," as happened to me yesterday, please smack your friend upside his or her head, regardless of his or her - clearly - limited mental capacity.

Sea change. That's probably the best way to describe the 2009 draft for the Toronto Blue Jays. Yes, they failed to land the autographs of three of their first five picks on to contracts, but it's not all doom and gloom. (Is it ever, over here? Playoffs!1)

Some have called the happenings "another black hole" for the organization. You know I disagree. As The Southpaw points out, Toronto "went FAR over slot on three players." That's huge; "a substantial shift in philosophy."

Look, I get that the fan base, collectively, is rather pissed off. It's got a right to be. Sixteen years sans playoffs will do that. But, for the first time, the Jays drafted the best players available, regardless of their signability. And that's what they should be doing - taking the best guy. Period. Even if he is, as was the case with James Paxton, a Scott Boras client.

The Toronto Blue Jays have simply not done it this way before. Instead of drafting and signing their first five picks, all decent prospects but not the best ones available, as they have in the past, Toronto finally rolled the dice. The old strategy hasn't exactly worked. (This is where that whole "no playoffs in 16 years" thing comes into play.) I'm all for, as Will Hill wrote on what is essentially his blog over at TSN, "swinging for the fences." Go big or go home. Draft the high risk, high reward guys; the ones with higher ceilings. Even if you may not eventually get your hands on them. The old method, while it has brought results (see Hill, Aaron, and Lind, Adam), hasn't led the team to where it needs to be. (Playoffs!1)

I don't wish ill upon the three guys that got away - James Paxton, Jake Eliopoulos, and Jake Barrett. (I'll leave that to The Tao.) Supplemental draft picks are on their way. We're all good. I only hope the three are drafted again, that the baseball market continues to collapse, and that they're forced to sign for less money than they turned down (Costanza Negotiation 101). Especially the "good Canadian boys."

Chad Jenkins and Jake Marisnick, I'm all about you two. Welcome to the Toronto Blue Jays.

And welcome back, Travis Snider.

Really, I can't say enough about Sniderman. An opposite field home run, and a tribute to the departed Alex Rios in the form of a dropped fly ball in right field. That's respect. Snider gets it. He is the truth.

UPDATE: The fine folks at Batter's Box have graded the 2009 draft an immense failure. While I certainly don't subscribe to that type of negativity, they make some good points. But, in the end, drafts can't be graded until at least five years down the road. Remember when Ricky Romero was a bust?

UPDATE #2: Read this: "'I think [Paxton] wanted to sign and it was just a number that we could not bring ourselves to pay,' Beeston said earlier today. Beeston said the Jays offered money above the slot that is recommended by Major League Baseball. Beeston personally handled the negotiations with Paxton, the top Canadian selected in the draft and his agent is Scott Boras."

Tommy. Fucking. John.

Our worst fears have been realized: Shaun Marcum needs Tommy John surgery. He'll miss the entire 2009 season. It goes without saying, so I'm going to say it anyway: this is a huge blow.

The devastating news dropped late yesterday afternoon, and undoubtedly ruined Friday night for Jays fans across the city, country, and the world, myself included.

Dr. James Andrews, the "Ligament Pimp of Birmingham," will perform the surgery. He's the same cat who gave B.J. Ryan his new elbow. I'm quite certain Andrews is now officially on the Blue Jays' payroll.

From here on out, uncertainty abounds. If A.J. Burnett departs, only Roy Halladay and Jesse Litsch from this year's rotation will open spring training 2009. Dustin McGowan is coming off labrum surgery and won't be ready until May at the earliest, and who knows what we'll be getting when he returns. McGowan might also still have rotator cuff issues, but, well, I don't even want to go there right now.

It looks like David Purcey's spot in the rotation is all but assured now, and the pressure's on J.P. Ricciardi to see if he can convince A.J. to stay. As everyone and their mother is reporting, the Jays are willing to top up A.J.'s contract, but only at a reasonable price. What's "reasonable" these days for a starting pitcher of Burnett's ilk? $15 million. All I know is that Halladay is scheduled to make $14.25 million next year, and there's no way Burnett should be taking home more than Doc.

However, when I read stuff like this, I get optimistic that it'll be harder than we think for A.J. to leave us. As much as we've taken to him this season, I think he's taken to us just the same. Love is there, A.J., love is there.

As The Ack over at The Tao of Stieb so astutely points out, we've had our fair share of arm trouble this season. Marcum is the fourth man to drop, behind Casey Janssen, Jeremy Accardo, and McGowan. It's actually pretty remarkable what the Jays have been able to do this year in light of their injury issues. That's right, Ricciardi deserves some serious props. Give it up. 

Janssen, Accardo, and McGowan will be back next season. If Accardo can return to form, he's another dynamite arm in an already fantabulous bullpen. I'm not sure what the plan is regarding Janssen but considering he's coming off a torn labrum, I can't imagine him being thrown into the rotation. These arms are valuable - Janssen is 27 years old, Accardo and McGowan 26 - and we must tread carefully.

Are the kids - Brett Cecil and Ricky Romero - ready for prime time? I'm thinking not. That's why A.J.'s gotta stay, even though it's a dangerous proposition, considering he's never pitched as many innings as he has this season (over 213). Burnett is bound for a trip to the disabled list. He's practically overdue. But, and it's a big "but," we need him. We need him now more than ever. Tough decisions, and they're Ricciardi's to make. That's why he gets paid the big bucks.  

I know it's pre-Marcum's injury, but check out the "State of the rotation" from Twitchy over at The Southpaw. It's good shit.

When speaking to the media yesterday evening about how he won't be in spring training next April, Shauny Marcum was on the verge of tears. The guy's a warrior. He wants nothing more than to help this team. He will be sorely, sorely missed next year. But we'll be waiting for him when he comes back.

Marcum, like many other courageous men before him, proved that it's really the stronger men who show their tears. That's why I'm not ashamed to say that I cried myself to sleep last night.

We shall overcome. At least I hope we shall.

Thank You Johnny Damon

I would like to take this opportunity to thank New York Yankees douchebag outfielder Johnny Damon for his shocking inability to catch routine fly balls at the Major League level.

Thank you, Johnny Damon. Thank you for sucking so incredibly.

Damon made sure A.J. Burnett got his 16th win last night. I was at the ball game and, trust me, Burnett deserved it. It might have been his finest performance in a Blue Jays uniform; five hits scattered over eight strong innings, one walk, and 13 punch outs. A.J. struck out Damon, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi a combined 10 times. That's domination, folks, plain and simple.

Burnett's now third in all of baseball in wins and strikeouts. He could win 20 games and, boy, wouldn't that be something? It's a damn shame every year can't be a contract year.

Props out to Adam Lind for his game-tying home run in the 7th inning off Yankees starter Darrel Rasner, who was bitch slapping the Jays up until that point. For the record, I prophetically called the Lind home run. And I've got a witness. It might have been the beer talking but, hey, you can call me Navstradamus from here on out.

Do you want to know how sick Adam Lind is? No, do you really want to know? Check this out, jack, from the charming fellas over at The Southpaw.

Props out to Lyle Overbay and B.J. Ryan as well. Overbay made a helluva play on A-Rod in the 9th, gunning him down at second as he tried to stretch a bloop single into a double. Overbay's been a disappointment at the plate (who hasn't?), but I've still got man-love for Lyle. And The Beej picked up his 24th save on the year, getting A-Rod, Giambi and Xavier Nady in the 9th.

I figured the Jays would struggle to put runs on the board last night, coming off that ridiculous 15-run explosion at Fenway Park on Sunday, and they did. But thanks to Damon's misadventures out in centre field, we got the 2-1 win, and that's all that matters.

The series, and one huge week of baseball, continues tonight. Make me proud, David Purcey.

Marcum's Back, Bitches

It was his fourth start since coming off the disabled list a couple of weeks ago, but Shaun Marcum, the real Shaun Marcum, returned last night. It was a pleasure to see him on the mound dominating the opposition once again.

Marcum was lights out against the pathetic Oakland A's, who've dropped nine in a row and are finally playing like the craptacular team most of us thought they were.

North of Steeles was hit hard in his previous three starts. He'd given up 16 earned runs, as well as a disturbing six home runs, in 14.2 innings of work. I'll admit it, I was beginning to grow a little concerned. Marcum had been so lights out up until his injury (a 2.65 ERA in over 98 innings pitched), and we need him more than ever if we have any hopes of making something out of the rest of this season.

Well, Shaun took the ball last night and quelled my fears. He shut down the A's over seven innings, giving up only three hits, walking two, and striking out seven. Oakland's only run did come via the long ball but, hey, I'm not complaining after a pitching performance of that calibre.

The Jays hitters didn't exactly light up Gio Gonzalez in his first big league start (shocking!), but Rowdy Rod Barajas hit a three run dinger in the first inning, and it was all the Jays would need. Now, I'm not sure how many three run bombs the Jays have hit this year and I'm too lazy to actually check, but I would think that they haven't hit more than seven (let's not kid ourselves, I'm probably wrong). So, it's always fun and special when it happens.

Our beloved birds, winners of three in a row and four of their past five (including a come from behind walk-off!), once again continue the severe cock-teasage of their most loyal fans. With a record of 58-56, and trailing the Boston Red Sox by 7.5 games in the race for the wild card, yes, it certainly is going to take a miracle.

As my man WillRain points out over at The Southpaw, the Blue Jays are one of the hottest teams in the game since June 22nd, playing over .600 baseball. In all effectiveness, two brutal 14 game stretches have ruined Toronto's season and have made the playoffs the longest of long shots.

To everyone out there who bitches and moans that the baseball season is too long, read the above-linked-to post over at The Southpaw and let it sink in. Every game, every single God damn mother fucking game, whether it's number one or number 162, matters.

Of course, there will be no throwing in the towel from this corner. Not yet, at least. The Blue Jays still control their own destiny. With a rotation that features the zen-like Roy Halladay, a healthy A.J. Burnett, and the Shaun Marcum who chucked last night, I'll take, and actually like, our chances.

Believe. Really, what do you have to lose?