Playoff Banter

 I like the last few days of the regular season because there was intrigue, drama, unlike the post season where seemingly predictable series should wind up shortly.

Rangers beat Rays, and their depth and there rested pitching staff was integral, plus a 1-9 hitting line up rivaled by the Yanks. Rays had little left in the tank, and will likely face another off season of concern. Home crowds were some of the worst attendance numbers in 30 years.  Rumors swirl that Shields , due to collect $ 7 million then higher in 2013, 14, will be next.  Is even David Price safe to buy in Tampa ?

 The Tigers will regret not taking AJ Burnett to the wood shed, as the Yankees are expected to advance to play Texas for the pennant. So a repeat of last year, advantage Rangers, even with no Cliff Lee.

The D Backs have done yeoman work, but winning is another thing, the Brewers and Phillies will survive scares and advance so that series will be a much better one than the AL version.

I see the Phils winning based on rotation depth, and experience and 2 starts from Doc. 

Lot's of Theo Epstein and Francona rumours at least until the Cubs name a successor, plus open jobs with the White Sox, and possibly Seattle, or the Mets. Expect to hear the name Bobby Valentine repeatedly, but there is no great fit for the BIG EGO that is Valentine.

If you listen carefully, Taps is playing in Boston and Atlanta

A Shakespearian tragedy has played out in two cities where baseball is played , and the locals are worshipped, while in the racous downtowns of St. Louis and Tampa Bay, they celebrate like it's Mardi Gras.

Tragedy is nothing new to Red Sox Nation, watching Scott Brosius and Aaron Boone and Bucky "Freakin" Dent. Somewhere Ben Affleck just used a swear word and RAys fans woke up saying " we can buy playoff tickets ? ", and then they won't.

Atlanta is not a stranger to Greek tragedy themselves, but for their lone World Series over Cleveland, they have had hearts broken as many times as the Buffalo Bills.

In Massechusetts, rabid fanatics are asking for sharp objects to be locked up, as Celts are very inactive, and beloved Sox went 7-22 in a meltdown rivalling 3 Mile Island. Maybe the Patties losing to the Bills is another omen, that this ain't your year Boston.

Sitting alone in his office deep in the bowels of Fenway, manager Terry Francona sits at his desk, with a bottle of Wild Turkey, and the record player on , with the strains of a Patsy Cline song "Crazy" playing in the background. 

Terry will not be canned, there are too many guilty faces in the locker room, Adrian Gonzalez, Daniel Bard, Josh Beckett and others had swoons at the worst time. We may hear about bogus injuries to help these guys save some face, but in the end, this not anything new in Boston.

Flags now flying at half mast in Boston.

How the mighty have fallen

Good God, I first must apololgise for the lack of content lately, damn bosses, too many projects, no support, and the damn new dog keeps needing to get up in the night to pee.

Guys shoes I don't want to be in right now,

Terry Francona - he will keep his job, I don't think that Theo Epstein is going to make rash moves, just blow up the pitching staff is all.
I think any rotation dependant on John Lackey, Dice K, and even Tim Wakefield was doomed to start with, and add in oft injured Eric Bedard, and that is a recipe for disaster.

Over in the National League, the Bravos are having their own issues, and I see hundreds of candles lit outside Turner Field, and hosannas were heard after the Astros dealt the Saint Louie's a near fatal blow. Cards are still only 1 back, so there's hope and the Phils are just sending out Lee, Oswalt, I mean Atlanta must think, give us Blanton, give us a raw rookie, but nooooo, the Phillies are playing this right the end, getting their major league leading 100 the victory.

Oh and the rumours are now true, The Oz is out on the south side of Chicago, and his new address is Miami Beach, to manage the 2012 Marlins.

Prayer never worked in Chicago Oz, you better have a plan for managing a low budget crew.

Second last game for the home squad, and with injuries, and surgeries, and new borns, it has been hard to field a decent line up .

My 83 game prediction is now toast, but according to Paul Beeston we have most of the building blocks in place, just asfew tweaks...and hold on a second..a few tweaks...we got holes at second, maybe centre field, 3 fifths of the rotation, the entire bullpen except Janssen, and left field is still a question mark. But that is what the off season is for, optimism.

Upcoming blog will be my review of Moneyball.

Fridays Feathers Flying

So a call to arms as the end of August arrives, and the pennant races heat up, and the Jays are poised to battle Tampa, possible to unseat them as the 3rd place team in the AL East.


Actually there are only 2 races left to discuss, as the
Yanks and or Boston will be division and or Wild Carder, and the Central is almost settled.


In the NL, the Phils are home and cleared, the brave have the Wild Card, and the Brew Crew have the Central sown up.


It's just the 2 western division were there is still battles raging on, at least for now. The Giants are chasing Arizona and the Angels are trailing the Rangers, and that , as they say, is that.

No sense causing a fuss or a riot, September is going to be a rather quiet month of playing out the string, packing up, and reaching personal stat goals to get incentive bonuses, and prop up bad years going into free agency.

Unless MLB changes their minds, and adds a second wild card team, races could be over in week or two, and where's the drama, why go watch 19 yr old kids fight for playing time. That's why we have spring training !

I have a hard time watching the Jays scuffle against Oaklnad and Kansas City, they just look like they are sleepwalking through these games against weaker opponents. Never progress until they develop a killer instinct.

Maybe they need a can of RAID.

So, onto some truly weird stuff.

Matt Holliday - aka Moth Man

I have seen a lot of bug infestations, Jacobs Field, Joba vs the gnats, but Matt had the luck of having one fly into his ear.
They used a flashlight, and bugger woulkd not come out.

Finally they used a pair of tweezers to extracate the moth.

B ug Off

Posada, aka Billy the Exterminator

Jays looking for brighter feathers

News on the Toronto Star this morning reports that as early as next season, the Jays will have yet another redesigned uniform, as Rogers seeks to bleed the customers with a patriotic red and white, with a sprinkling of blue. I mean, aren't Jays blue ?

Please feel free to colour this blank slate as you see fit.  Making this public allows Rogers to use their fan base to provide ideas, or better yet, market feedback on what most fans want. Presumably if 20,000 core fans like a retro style, 20,000 fans will buy it.


I can only hope it means the end of Mikey DC's fave black jersey, my personal opinion is I am tired of teams wearing black, it does not make them look tougher, or more imposing.

I sense it is yet again time for Rogers to try and sell us more sizzle when they have no steak.
 Oh and the village idiot just called me, says even he sees through this sham.

Of course I asked a few Ardent Jays followers, the ones that bleed blue by it, hook, line and sinker, the skeptics see it as I do, it's the art of misdirection at work.  Like watching Christian Bale in The Prestige.

Now these are not the best new ideas , but I hear this design is high on the dart board of potential new uniforms.

One advantage would be if the wings actually worked, it could allow us an unfair advantage on balls destined for the seats.

However I think the creative folks are looking for more Maple Leaf / Patriotic garb, so maybe stitch the flag across their backs. 

If this new uniform does not work, may have to sell space on uniforms to corporations, like Nascar and Formula One.  Now that needs MLB approval, and the Yankees and Red Sox won't do it, so likely that one dies on the vine as well.  Can we just find us some bullpen, another 2 starters will experience, a 2nd baseman that can hit, and promote Travis D'Araud , and perhaps we can win more games, be a real contender, and sell them as a winning franchise, instead of gimmickry, bobble heads, and bringing your dog to the park, which I am sure the grounds crew and stadium cleaners just love afterwards.

My idea, scarp the black, use the Red and White ( July 1st Canada Day ) as home jersey, but add more blue, and use good sense adding talent to augment what you have. Spend your time and cash on giving the fans better players in the uniforms than new uniforms on poor performers.

Play your cards right

 Arod has potentially dealt himself a body blow, depending on how Bud Selig sees the severity of playing or even sitting watching these high stakes poker games.


Alex says he will co-operate, because he is scared shitless of what this can mean, especialy after his self confessed PED involvement. While not being totally illegal, it is highly immoral.



What reaction is there out there in the baseball community ?


Does this make Arod someone that could have serious  gambling ties, or could he be in to the sharks, or worse, the mob ?  We all know he has multi millions so the gambling losses do not mean much, but it's potentially a target for extortion, blackmail, who knows ?

Here's a shot of ARod, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, and Ben Affleck playing some high stakes poker.

I know, they're dogs and they're playing poker, easy Homer....

I can  see the humour in all  this, I just hope MLB does too.

I give him 3-1 odds he gets a 5 game suspension, if there is enough oroof, and it's just to make sure all the other players hear the words from Selig's mouth.

"baseball and gambling do not mix "

Waivers

 Players are now popping up on waivers like prairie dogs, here and there, and all around. Some receive shock from from fans, some fans say, please someone make a deal for this loser. Generally it is performance based, but many times there is a cheaper alternative in the wings, and the heavy contracts would love to be dumped.


George King III of the The New York Post recently reported that AJ Burnett, Rafael Soriano and long time Yankee Jorge  Posada were placed on waivers. Gee, they all make lots of money, are struggling, andf have cheaper replacements waiting.  No suprtise to me, but this is what happens on a regular basis, testing the waters, see who you can lure in, who will block possible deals.

In 1992, the Blue Jays placed a waiver claim on David Cone of the Mets, a late night heist when seemingly no one was looking, or were supposing that some one is going to put in a claim, and didn't.

I mean some players are used to this, and some get very offended, and some get vocal, and who know,
Wonder if any come to tears, cause there's no crying in baseball......