Saturday, April 30, 2016

2016 Game 25 - Jays vs Rays


Once more into the House of Horrors, dear friends! Once more!

Happ vs Archer. Hopefully Archer hasn't found his groove yet.

Friday, April 29, 2016

2016 Game 24 - Jays vs Rays


Back to the House of Horrors. Maybe it's a good thing getting it out of the way early?

Sanchez vs Smyly. What are the odds we can fuck Smyly up again? We could sure use it.

From the comfy chair


Well, it's been a rough week in Jays Land, hasn't it? Hope you got all your frustration out in yesterday's misery thread. Feel free to return there if you've still got that dark cloud hanging over your head.

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Panic!!!


So it's 2am and there's nothing to post for noon. I'm out of ideas. The Jays have just been swept by the Chi Sox: offence leaving a small village on base, starters staying in just a little too long, bullpen giving up inherited runners.

For many, the sky is falling.

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

2016 Game 23 - Jays vs Chi Sox


The final game of this series. Hate that we only get to see out-of-division teams once a year.

Quintana vs ACEstrada. Hopefully this is a better outing for Mr. CHIPS. I'm going to be there so hoping for a Jays win.

Ode to getting to the park early


I'm going to be at the game tonight, an early birthday present from a friend. A friend who didn't get his act together enough to get the ticket to me in advance. (Why it couldn't be emailed to be I have no idea.) I am to meet him at Gate 11 at 6:50 pm (!).

That sucks, because I'm the person who loves to get there early.

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

2016 Game 22 - Jays vs Chi Sox


Last night was a bit of a gut punch, wasn't it? Moving on, we're getting Chris Sale vs RA Dickey. This should be very interesting.

Who is your favourite rival player?


During our sojourn to Athletics Nation, Karen noticed a thread and suggested it would be fun here. Who are your guilty pleasure players?

Monday, April 25, 2016

2016 Game 21 - Jays vs Chi Sox


Well, the last couple of days have felt more like it, haven't they? May the bats continue to kick ass.

So they seem to be a little scared of us. Sale has been pushed to tomorrow (something about not wanting us to face three leftys) so it's our old buddy Miguel Gonzalez (formerly of the Shitbirds), called-up from AAA, vs Stroman.

Time to say hello to old friends. Welcome back Melky, Red Bull, and Dinner.

Tools of Ignorance

The following is my personal view and experiences on Catching, but no Statistics, Analytics or pie charts were harmed or consulted in the making of this post.


Sunday, April 24, 2016

2016 Game 20 - Jays vs A's


It's the return of Drew Hutchinson! Nice to see you, son.

Surkamp vs Hutch. Hadn't heard of Surkamp so I did a bit of research. He's pitched mostly in the minor leagues and is pitching for the A's now in place of the injured Felix Dubront. The A's fans consider him a fringe lefty and are terrified of him facing our lineup. Hopefully he's good hittin'!

Saturday, April 23, 2016

Party weekend!


Every weekend is an open thread to shoot the shit. There will be a challenge each week but don't feel confined by it.

2016 Game 19 - Jays vs A's


It's a sunny day,if cool. Will the dome be open?

Bassitt vs Happ. Both pitchers have looked strong in the early going so this should be a good matchup.

Friday, April 22, 2016

2016 Game 18 - Jays vs A's


Coming home, coming home, tell the world I'm coming home...

Yeah, I'm sick of that song but it is true we're back in the comfy confines of the dome (it might even be open!) with our first chance to play out-of-division teams. This series we'll get to be reunited with some old friends.

Gray vs Sanchez. This should be a fun one.

From the Comfy Chair


Let's talk about community building.

Thursday, April 21, 2016

2016 Game 17 - Jays vs OriLOLes


Last crack at the Trashbirds until June. Then we finally get a break from the AL East.

ACEstrada vs Tillman. May Tillman continue to give us goferballs.

Baseball Book Quote


In these days of complaining about Angel Hernandez and Cowboy Joe West, I'm reminded of the original ump show, Ron Luciano. The big difference with Luciano was while he obviously enjoyed the spotlight, he actually was a good game caller. I don't remember a lot of complaints about his strike zone (except from Earl Weaver - they were legendary enemies) but people sure didn't like his flamboyant way of calling a game. He was the original bat flip.

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

2016 Game 16 - Jays vs OriLOLes


Time for a beatdown of the Trashbirds.

Dickey vs Jimenez. Why do I feel this is going to be a high scoring game?

There's no nap time in baseball


I'm a stay at home dad. Part of the daily routine for me and my young daughter is to sit down and set my fantasy line-up for the day. It's a low-pressure pool with some friends and family. We do it every year. I always run it, and I never win.

So we sit down in the early afternoon, just after she's had lunch, and we make our choices. Today, I first head over to the probable starters list for the week. Sensing an opportunity, I decide to run a little experiment.

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

2016 Game 15 - Jays vs OriLOLes


We finally face the Trashbirds. Time to knock that ridiculous win percentage of theirs down.

Stroman vs Wright. What is it with pitchers named Wright? This one doesn't throw a nuckleball.

Meeting Roy Halladay


I'm shamelessly cribbing a lot of this from a post I wrote for my theatre blog, dated September 28, 2007. From what I wrote then:

Monday, April 18, 2016

Betting on Baseball: A Love Story

Or, A Dummies Guide to Losing Your Money and Having Fun Doing It!

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/B1P8CAWI7X8/maxresdefault.jpg
Man I loved those Pro-line ads... 

It’s been nearly 25 years since the OLG began taking sports bets in Ontario. That’s 25 glorious years of cursing, cheering, bad breaks, getting screwed over last minute, victory dances and ruined tickets. Many of us have made Pro-line a major part of our Blue Jays daily ritual. Case of beer? Check. Ten bucks on the Jays to win, Yankees and Red Sox to win $86.40? Check. Personally I like to play Pro-line for at least 80-100 Jays games a year, and I’ve never heard anyone talk about it on the blogs, so I thought I’d write a post on  two of my favourite topics: baseball and gambling!

***I would love to hear some of your stories about huge wins, bad beats, strategies… Please share in the comments!***

2016 Game 14 - Jays vs Sux



Look at it this way. We won't have to see these fuckers for a month now.

Happ vs Buchholz. Time to sent Clay to AAA.

Sunday, April 17, 2016

2016 Game 13 - Jays vs Sux



And this damn series just keeps going. On the plus side, Angel Hernandez won't be behind the plate so the game calling has to be better, right?

Sanchez vs Wright. Remember to let the knuckleball come to you, batters!

Saturday, April 16, 2016

Party weekend!




Every weekend is an open thread to shoot the shit. There will be a challenge each week but don't feel confined by it.

2016 Game 12 - Jays vs Sux


4pm start today. I could make a joke about delayed satisfaction but I'm more interested in what you guys come up with.

AceStrada vs Price. Should be fun. Over/under on comments about shadows?

Friday, April 15, 2016

2016 Game 11 - Jays vs Sux


Wasn't that long ago we saw this goddamn team, was it?

Dickey vs Porcello. Time for a different outcome. Time for revenge.

Fact or Fiction



In this bit I'll share stories (some NSFW), stats and quotes about your Toronto Blue Jays.
Your job is to separate fact from fiction, the answer key is at the end of the post.

Thursday, April 14, 2016

2016 Game 10 - Jays vs Yanks


Now that was more like it!  And now it's the last time we see these bastards for a month.

Eovaldi vs Stroman. Let's hope Stro's command makes an appearance and the bats remember what the 8th inning was like.

For lineups and scuttlebutt, go to Blue Jays Nation.

If you hear Tabby refer to a player's appearance, feel free to add it to the Tablerism speadsheet.

If you're here for the first time, welcome! Please refer to the commenting guidelines and community information on the sidebar to find out about this place.

How to Be a Good Fan at a Jays Game


Below are some guidelines that will improve the experience for you and your fellow fans when you attend a Blue Jays Baseball Game:

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

2016 Game 9 - Jays vs Yanks


Here we go again. Pineda vs Happ.

For lineups and scuttlebutt, go to Blue Jays Nation.

If you hear Tabby refer to a player's appearance, feel free to add it to the Tablerism speadsheet.

If you're here for the first time, welcome! Please refer to the commenting guidelines and community information on the sidebar to find out about this place.

10 Potential 2017 Free Agent Targets for the Blue Jays



As I mentioned in my post from yesterday, the Blue Jays have a lot of their core group of players in place for the 2017 season. Aside from R.A. Dickey, Brett Cecil, Jesse Chavez, and Drew Storen, the majority of the team’s arms are under club control. The big loss after this year is in the middle of their line-up, with long time Blue Jays Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion looking to test free agency this summer. This post is not meant to build a case against the club re-signing them, simply listing some options that are slated to hit the market.

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

2016 Game 8 - Jays vs Yanks


Time to build on Sunday's game. Tanaka vs Sanchez. Yes, the Yankees are back in town.

For lineups and scuttlebutt, go to Blue Jays Nation.

If you hear Tabby refer to a player's appearance, feel free to add it to the Tablerism speadsheet.

If you're here for the first time, welcome! Please refer to the commenting guidelines and community information on the sidebar to find out about this place.

Looking Ahead: Your 2017 Toronto Blue Jays



In my first series of posts at Jays In The House, I’ll move past the excitement (or disappointment) of the current season and take a look at the upcoming free agent class of 2017, spinning it from a Jays perspective. In part one, I will break down the Blue Jays committed contracts and arbitration-eligible players under contract for 2017, and in the second part I will look ahead to the free agent class of next summer. When analyzing the free agent market I’ll be working under the assumption that the Jays have signed none of their impending free agents as I feel like there will be plenty of articles focusing on these players and their contract situations.

Monday, April 11, 2016

Kevin Pillar: The obvious choice to bat leadoff.



The general consensus is that Manager John Gibbons has gone " full Ned Yost ", by batting Kevin Pillar in the leadoff position. Everybody knows, a manager should never go " full Ned Yost ". Yost, considered by some, the worst manager in baseball, manager of the 2015 World Champion Kansas City Royals,insisted his team won more games with Alcides Escobar batting lead off, he of the .293 OBP. Curious, when Yost had an excellent alternative in Alex Gordon ( .377 OBP). Even KC's fan base thinks Yost has made the wrong decision. By picking Pillar as his lead off batter, has Gibbons gone " full Ned Yost "and ignored common sense?

Sunday, April 10, 2016

2016 Game 7 - Jays vs Sux


Wright vs Estrada. The last time we see the Sux for 5 days!

Yes, it's time to beat up on their knuckleballer and salvage the series.

For lineups and scuttlebutt, go to Blue Jays Nation.

If you hear Tabby refer to a player's appearance, feel free to add it to the Tablerism speadsheet.

If you're here for the first time, welcome! Please refer to the commenting guidelines and community information on the sidebar to find out about this place.

Saturday, April 9, 2016

Party weekend



Every weekend is an open thread to shoot the shit. There will be a challenge each week but don't feel confined by it.

2016 Game 6 - Jays vs Sux



Well that got pretty ugly last night, didn't it?

So we don't get our knuckler cage match. Dickey is facing Porcello instead.

For lineups and scuttlebutt, go to Blue Jays Nation.

If you hear Tabby refer to a player's appearance, feel free to add it to the Tablerism speadsheet.

If you're here for the first time, welcome! Please refer to the commenting guidelines and community information on the sidebar to find out about this place.

Friday, April 8, 2016

2016 Home Opener - Jays vs Sux


Here it is! The home opener! Look at that gorgeous field.

Stro vs Kelly. Pomp. Circumstance. Drunks. Let's do this!

For lineups and scuttlebutt, go to Blue Jays Nation.

If you hear Tabby refer to a player's appearance, feel free to add it to the Tablerism speadsheet.

If you're here for the first time, welcome! Please refer to the commenting guidelines and community information on the sidebar to find out about this place.

From the comfy chair



Isn't it great that the season has begun? In the past week we've seen many old friends join us. It's made me so happy to see so many fun conversations. The game threats have been crazy. Ya'll talk a lot!

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

You always remember your first crush - JJ Cannon


This one's for my brother who, as a wee lad, fell in love with JJ Cannon. We all started calling him JJ (my aunt still does) which then shortened to J, which we all still use today.

So who was this guy?

2016 Game 4: Jays vs Rays


Yes, we're still at the goddamn house of horrors. The good news is that we'll only have 6 more games at this hell-hole the rest of the year. Happ vs Moore then we're blowing this popsicle stand.

For lineups and scuttlebutt, go to Blue Jays Nation.

If you hear Tabby refer to a player's appearance, feel free to add it to the Tablerism speadsheet.

If you're here for the first time, welcome! Please refer to the commenting guidelines and community information on the sidebar to find out about this place.

Are any of you going to Pitch Talks tomorrow night? I'm not attending the event itself but am planning on meeting up with Joanna afterwards. If anyone wants to buy me a drink, I'm game.

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

2016 Game 3: Jays vs Rays


Sanchez vs Odorizzi. Hope the kid does well otherwise we're going to hear a ton of whining about putting him in the bullpen.

For lineups and scuttlebutt, go to Blue Jays Nation.

If you hear Tabby refer to a player's appearance, feel free to add it to the Tablerism speadsheet.

If you're here for the first time, welcome! Please refer to the commenting guidelines and community information on the sidebar to find out about this place.

I won't be around tonight again so be nice to your mods!

Fun at DRays Bay

So it's almost 2am and I need something to go up by noon (which is about when I wake up) so I took a swing by DRays Bay. I am blatantly ripping off the concept from Joanna, whose trips to SOSH during Sux series are a highlight of her blog. Don't expect this to be as funny.

Monday, April 4, 2016

2016 Game 2: Jays vs Rays


Dickey vs Smyly. Age vs Youth. Power hitters vs nickle & dime shit. Yup, we're still at the house of horrors that is Tropicana Field.

For lineups and scuttlebutt, go to Blue Jays Nation.

Branojack has arrived and has introduced a Tablerism speadsheet. If you hear Tabby refer to a player's appearance, feel free to add it to the document.

If you're here for the first time, welcome! Please refer to the commenting guidelines and community information on the sidebar to find out about this place.

An ode to defence


During games I like to talk a lot about dps (double plays) and good D (defence) partly because it's a lot of fun to play with the double entendres but also because it's an aspect of the game that doesn't get talked about as much as offence and pitching. I find it every bit as sexy as a dinger.

Sunday, April 3, 2016

2016 Opening Day - Jays vs Rays


It's opening day! Finally, we get one of the prestigious Sunday spots. And a kick-ass matchup between Marcus Stroman and Chris Archer.

For lineups and scuttlebutt, go to Blue Jays Nation.

Saturday, April 2, 2016

Stuff I Found: Stories out of Jays/Red Sox in Montreal


For my first post around these parts, I'm doing a round up of some English and French language coverage of the Jays' trip to Montreal.

2016 Montreal Exhibition Game 2: Jays vs Red Sox


Here it is - the last fake game! This is your game threat.

For lineups and scuttlebutt, go to Blue Jays Nation.