Tuesday, May 31, 2016

2016 Game 54 - Jays vs Yanks


And the joy continues.

Sabbathia vs Happ. The initials rematch!

A trip to RAB


With apologies to Joanna, whose trips to SOSH I'm blatantly ripping off because it's 1:30 in the morning, I just got home an hour ago, I have no brain, and I need to write something.

Monday, May 30, 2016

2016 Game 53 - Jays vs Yanks


Didn't we just see these guys?

Nova vs Estrada. Rooting for bad Nova!

#TorontoVsEveryone


This pic is only tangentially connected to this post but I wanted to post it because all these guys are totally badasses.

Sunday, May 29, 2016

2016 Game 52 - Jays vs Sux


That was pretty epic yesterday, wasn't it? #longmayitcontinue.

Price vs Dickey. Battle of the Cy and the return of the much-loved Price. The crowd will probably give Price a warm welcome and they should.

After that, let's pound him! He's a lefty, after all. Remember when we used to eat those for lunch?

Saturday, May 28, 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 51 - Jays vs Sux


Bets on how often we're going to hear Buck, Tabby, and Jerry wax poetic about the Sux?

Porcello vs Stroman. Porcello sucks, remember? Offence use to eat him for lunch? I also have faith in Stro. #thisisteam

Friday, May 27, 2016

2016 Game 50 - Jays vs Sux


These assholes again?

Yup, it's the team that Buck and Dan and Jerry could not shut up about.

Kelly vs Sanchez. Sanchez was held back specifically for this lineup so hopefully we'll see some slicing and dicing. Maybe the batters will remember Kelly sucks?

Fuck Boston


You would be excused if you thought yesterday was a Red Sox game. Our broadcasters, whether on tv or on radio just couldn't shut up about them.

Thursday, May 26, 2016

2016 Game 49 - Jays vs Yanks


Now that was more like it! #LongMayItLast

A stupid 4pm start to completely mess up today's posting schedule. Thanks for nothing, NY.

Happ vs Sabathia. Sanchez is getting pushed back to take advantage of Fenway and keep him away from the lefty-heavy Yankee lineup. And of course, Happ is a lefty. Go get 'em!

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

2016 Game 48 - Jays vs Yanks


Well, that sucked last night, didn't it? We get another night in Ye Old Bandbox. That short porch is right there!

Estrada vs Nova. Nova's good hittin'. Seriously offence, let's go!

Plus ca change...


Not feeling motivated so I decided to try and find a bit about past Jays/Yankee history. I ran across this article from 1985 about a game in late September.

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

2016 Game 47 - Jays vs Yanks


On Saturday, the Yankees crawled out of the basement and put us there. Time to send them back.

Dickey vs Eovaldi. Eovaldi can be had. Let's go, bats! It's the bandbox!

Baseball and magic

Thanks for the gif, Warren.

I'm working on a magic show so I thought to look into any connection between the worlds of baseball and magic. I ran into a lot of "baseball is magic" writing but no interaction between the two.

However I did run into a sociology paper titled Baseball Magic by George Gmelch.

Sunday, May 22, 2016

2016 Game 46 - Jays vs Twins


Bye bye Target Field! It's been fun. We''ll just forget about that kick in the gut yesterday, kay?

Stroman vs Hughes.Time for an old fashion Hughes beatdown!

Saturday, May 21, 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 45 - Jays vs Twins


Target Field continues to give. May the magic continue to work in the sunlight.

Happ vs Dean. Hope Happ's last outing was just a blip.

Friday, May 20, 2016

2016 Game 44 - Jays vs Twins


We won! May Target Field continue to be kind.

Sanchez vs Duffey. Will Sanchez shave off that horrible face hair?

Shakeup!


So last night's radical lineup produced a win. I know a lot of people had wanted to see Jose lead off.

Thursday, May 19, 2016

2016 Game 43 - Jays vs Twins


Target Field has been very kind to our hitters in the past. May it help them find their mojo now.

Estrada vs Santana. Estrada was really good last year at stopping losing streaks. Hopefully he can spread some of that magic around tonight.

Art of Heartbreak


I was about to go to sleep last night then thought "Oh shit! I need to write a post."

Then this song came to me:

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

2016 Game 42 - Jays vs Rays


The good news is that we don't see this damn team again until September.

Odorizzi vs Dickey. We've got good Dickey right now. Get him some runs!

Best baseball nicknames


So we need to have some fun. Fowl suggested a post on the best baseball nicknames. Lunchbox added: The Penguin, Le Grand Orange, The Capital Punisher, The Mad Hungarian and The Human Rain Delay.

What are yours?

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

2016 Game 41 - Jays vs Rays


Time to get the taste of last night's disaster and today's suspensions out of our mouth.

It's the battle of the coolest young pitchers in baseball. Archer vs Stroman.

Let's win, dammit!

40 games in the desert


When the team got off to a bad start, Mark Shapiro said he'd wait 40 games before making any major changes because it takes that long to determine what you have.

Monday, May 16, 2016

2016 Game 40 - Jays vs Rays


After yesterday's excitement, it's time to get back to business.

Smyly vs Happ. Offence, get JA some runs already!

Strongly recommend reading the piece that Stacey May Fowles wrote about JA.

Fuck Texas


Where should one begin?

Sunday, May 15, 2016

2016 Game 39 - Jays vs Rangers


Adios Rangers! See you next year. Because I sure as hell don't want to see you in the playoffs.

Sanchez vs Ramos. Can we rough up Ramos this time please?

Saturday, May 14, 2016

2016 Game 38 - Jays vs Rangers


A night game, which is a good thing considering how hot Texas is right now. Can you send that heat this way?

Estrada vs Lewis. Can we rough up Lewis this time please?

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.

Friday, May 13, 2016

2016 Game 37 - Jays vs Rangers


So Texas, we meet again. And again we miss Cole Hamels. Baseball hates me.

Dickey vs Perez. Will the extra day's rest help Dickey? Can we rough up Perez this time please?

Guide to the Texas Rangers blogosphere


Since ya'll liked the SF post so much I've doing it for other teams we face this year excepting the AL East teams. (Familiarity does breed contempt.) Sadly, unlike the SF blogs, there aren't any cool post titles or webcomics. There is some good writing though.

Thursday, May 12, 2016

The doom and gloom of the Toronto sports fan


It may seem weird to be writing this after a glorious win in Raptor-land last night but we all know it's a temporary blip. Happiness never seems to last long.

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

2016 Game 36 - Jays vs Giants


The matchup everyone's been waiting for. Stroman vs Bumgarner. Stro's been itching to hit. Mad Bum's a threat at the plate. This should be fun!

See you in 6 years, San Fran!

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

2016 Game 35 - Jays vs Giants


Happ vs Cain. Giants fans are terrified of Cain facing us. Show them they were right to fear!

Interleague: Nay or Yay?


Since it was a late night, easy post today. Suggested by no cramps - are you in favour of interleague or not?

Monday, May 9, 2016

2016 Game 34 - Jays vs Giants


Here it is, the return every six years to AT&T Park!

Sanchez vs Peavy. Peavy's been struggling. It's time to take advantage!

Guide to the SF Giants blogosphere


So we're going into San Fran for 3. We know the Giants for their annoying tendency to win the WS in an even year. And guess what this is?

Turns out that they have quite the robust online communities. Here's a guide to the best:

Sunday, May 8, 2016

2016 Game 33 - Jays vs Dodgers


Last game of the series. Over already? See you in 6 years, Dodgers.

Stripling vs Estrada. Things look promising for us with this match up.

Saturday, May 7, 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 32 - Jays vs Dodgers


This is the game everyone's been waiting for. Kershaw. Dickey's going to have his hands full.

Should be fun. Not every day you have 2 Cy Young winners going up against each other.

Friday, May 6, 2016

2016 Game 31 - Jays vs Dodgers


Well, here it is. Probably the most anticipated series around these parts. The Dodgers are in town!

Maeda (pronounced "may-dah"according to Joe McD) vs Stroman. This should be fun.

Just Turn Left - The Art of Running the Bases



The Jays have been struggling offensively this year, of that there is no argument. They are averaging ten K's a game, the power is way down and the team batting average is woeful. If you average 180 in darts then there's a train of English ladies that will be lining up to sample your spotted dick. Average 180 in baseball and you're getting dangerously close to getting sold to the Yomiuri Giants.

Thursday, May 5, 2016

2016 Game 30 - Jays vs Rangers


Finally, the end of this damn series. They won't be darkening our doorstep for a while. Wouldn't it be nice to win it?

Holland vs Happ. Didn't we used to beat up on Holland? Would be good to see an old fashioned blow out.

Catch da taste - en français!


Andrew wrote yesterday in Toronto Life that Retroontario had found the original 1993 version of the famous "Catch da taste" Alomar commercial. Somehow he forgot to mention that they had also uploaded the French version. And since I need content, here it is:

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

2016 Game 29 - Jays vs Rangers


Again with Texas. It' keeps going, folks.

Lewis vs Sanchez. It's time to start roughing Lewis up again, don't cha think?

Images of 1977


This is not the exact ticket but my dad has one of these.

In the ultimate mailing it in post, here are images I remember from the Blue Jays' first season.

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

2016 Game 28 - Jays vs Rangers


Game 2 of the best of ... wait, wrong Rangers series.

Perez vs Estrada (I think the ACE thing was creating bad mojo). He's had an extra day of rest so hopefully all the freaking out about him rubbing his shoulder will disappear.

Baseball Book Quote



Chapter 9: Trying to Regain Favour

Heroism is often a transient state of being. There are heroes of the moment, heroes of a season and heroes of an era. Only very rarely, and it usually requires that you also be very dead, can a mere mortal be a hero for all eternity. Even then, with revisionist historians sifting through the bones of one's legacy, the skeletons are apt to come clattering out of the closet. 
We love our heroes. But many is the time that we build them up only to tear them down. This is called empowerment of the people. Our admiration is on loan and can be recalled at any time. We extend to individuals all the perqs of idolatry, elevate them to dizzying heights, mount them on plinths of devotion. But woe betide the man or woman who is untrue to our expectations, who lets us down. Or maybe just starts to believe his own press clippings. 
The public can be remorseless in its disdain of those who have betrayed our trust.
For athletes who fall down to earth, the shock of it can be overwhelming. It can happen in the blink of an eye or the slip of a tongue; it can occur slowly, in excruciating increments over the course of a season from hell. A handful, those with insight and a willingness for self-examination, can perhaps make sense of it all. But most, raised from their first childish flashes of brilliance in the comforting knowledge that they are better than all the rest, are ill-equipped to deal with failure - even in a sport like baseball, which is more about striking out than hitting home runs.Some, unfit to handle the whims of public sentiment, will become inconsolable. Others grow hard and niggardly with their feelings, distancing themselves from the disapprobation of the crowd. They will hurt you as you have hurt them. And some just keep stumbling and bumbling along, trying to regain your favour.


This chapter talks about Kelly Gruber but in the wake of so many players struggling and Colabello's PED ban, this quote feels really relevant to me. Discuss.