Ananas

It's six seasons until arbitration ends. My question is does that mean six seasons from their rookie year, which would mean an appearance like this less than 45 days and 130 at-bats wouldn't cost us a year, or does it mean six years from MLB debut, which would?

St. Travis called up to the big league roster! Wait. Why? One less year of arbitration control so we can get a look at him while we've slipped so far back in the playoff race that we'd have to go on a Colorado Rockies-like run to even have a shot at post-season baseball? Is JP really that desperate to get people interested in watching the team? And for that matter, if that's what this is about then why not call the kid up after the Yankees series so he can make the debut at home? (Also, Matt Stairs got traded. )

I'm more interested in how Sorkin ends up tying this to the war in Iraq and the religious right.

Vernon Wells, in 14 games since being reactivated from the DL: 5 HR, 18 RBI, .339/.387/.661 If he stays hot, the Jays just might have a 20 HR hitter this year, and the scary thing is that with his injuries he hasn't even played half a season yet. Fuck the V-Dub haters, the guy's putting up numbers and making $3.6 mil this year. Edit: To those suggesting that the crowds in Tampa were good this year, they drew 13,000 last night. To a late August game. Against a divisional rival. With Roy Halladay on the mound. And they're leading the division. The Jays meanwhile, who haven't made the playoffs in 15 years and who are well behind, haven't dipped below 20,000 since a 19,000 game in May. In fact, we've dipped below 25k all of twice in August. I just think that's kind of funny, considering this from Offbeat Bareass: and this from Livid: So the Marlins, who build for three year bursts and have won two World Series in the past 10 years, are last in average attendance. And the division leading Rays? 26th. Rehashing, yes, but this all just struck me while watching the game last night.

What Chase said, 100%. September 12th can't come fast enough.

Honestly, this crowd was great. I don't understand why the wave happened considering how great the game went, but it was an electric atmosphere and for the first time since opening day there really was a feeling of excitement and unity amongst the Jays faithful. And unlike nights like, oh, tonight, there were actually about 30,000 strong Jays fans (as opposed to the 50/50 split between Jays/Sox tonight where it sounded even worse because the Jays fans sat on their hands while the Sox fans screamed their throats horse). Doesn't hurt that they won 14-3 though, as opposed to this stinker. Ah well, at least tonight's crowd got to see the hotly anticipated debut of Jose "Sub-Mendoza Since June" Bautista. I'm sure Scutaro's shaking in his boots.

Actually the thing that struck me about this series over the past three games has been the overwhelming amount of Jays fans to turn out. The Yanks do bring their numbers, but for a mid-week series it was definitely overwhelmingly pro-Jays. I'm interested to see if this trend continues on the weekend with the Red Sox, as they usually outnumber Jays fans at the Rogers Centre. I think Scott Rolen is far too expensive to ride the bench, so Cito or whoever coaches next year will definitely give him plenty of chances to keep his job. He's got a bum shoulder right now, so I suppose we can hope that he'll get some of that pop back in his bat next year. I mean, he's had injury problems in the past, but they haven't usually hindered his power to this degree. If Alex Rios, Vernon Wells, Matt Stairs or Scott Rolen are hitting for power, nobody's even talking about replacing Overbay. He's solid in the field and is leading the team in On Base Percentage. The problem is that yes, everything else is down. I think the plan with Overbay is that when Snyder's ready to go, either he or Lind moves to first and Overbay's contract will expire after next year. I don't see them panicking and making a move to replace him in the offseason, although I'm sure if there's a decent offer in on him (prospects plus getting the 7 million he's going to make next year off the books) they'll consider it. Jesse Litsch has better stuff than Casey Janssen. Better control, better movement, more endurance. Litsch also has a massive pitch repertoire and recently added a Four-Seamer which he threw to great effect in his 7 innings of shutout, 4 hit ball against the Tigers last Thursday. Right now your 2008 rotation looks like this: Halladay, Marcum, McGowan (who will probably miss the first month of the year), Litsch and then a big TBD. David Purcey is an option, although at this point he'd have to improve just to be a consistent #5. Casey Janssen is an option, although he had a good deal more success coming out of the bullpen and coming off a missed season is still a big if. My guess is that they drop 2-3 mil on a #5 starter and give Janssen an opportunity to win the pre-McGowan #5 slot from Purcey in spring training.

Well Ramirez or Lind to DH, either way. I think I'd be hesitant to move Lind there at such a young age considering he's fine in the field as it is, but at the same time Manny is temperamental and that's the price you sometimes pay for a big bopper. As for Inglett, I like the suggestion of Hill back to short and Inglett to second. Hill has ridiculous range and would be just fine at SS, Inglett is ridiculously clutch and you love a guy like that in the lineup (think: a poor man's Pedroia with less upside but still fun to watch). You solve the middle infield issue cheaply like that and gives you more money to bring back Barajas/sign a DH/bring in a 5th starter to replace Burnett. Of course this is all contingent on Aaron Hill recovering. Oh, how I hate David Eckstein. On another note, how bonerific was last night? 14-3 in front of 37,000 rowdy (seriously, rowdy. In Toronto, no less!) Jays fans chanting "Yankees suck!" And Scutaro with a 4-6 night including a "Fuck Jose Bautista" 3 run jack in the 5th! Hopefully Bautista only ends up as a DH option considering how Matt Stairs has finally gotten old over the past 2 months and how incredibly sad it is that David Eckstein is our other DH.

Womens' Beach Volleyball: Spoiler: Click here to viewWell that was a humbling. There have been some dominant performances at this Olympic games, and May and Walsh rank among those. They really are just a perfect team.

Spoiler: Click here to viewDid he at least run it out this time?

I don't. He opts out, signs somewhere else for obscene money, we get two first round level prospects and whoever signs him ends up dramatically overpaying for a guy who just had the best season he'll ever have while we can handle the loss from a pitching standpoint and have the money to chase Man-Ram/some other big bopper DH.

Men's Triathalon: Spoiler: Click here to viewSimon Whitfield! And here I was convinced this was another athlete we were asking for too much from.

Womens' Beach Volleyball: Spoiler: Click here to viewNow that Phelps' quest for 8 is over, Kerri Walsh becomes my favorite Olympian. She's so fucking dominant.

Yes, because a silver is something to be truly ashamed of.

4x100m Medley Spoiler: Click here to viewSo... predictions as to who's carrying America's flag at the closing ceremony?

Spoiler: Click here to viewWell, if Tunisia had actually abided by the rules, he shouldn't have been there in the first place. However, if he's clean, all credit to him on a great race. He took the risk to go ahead and it paid off. However, if he isn't, well fuck him for robbing Hackett of that last gold. Spoiler: Click here to viewHe tested out of competition for a banned substance that isn't performance enhancing. Don't you think it would be the strict enforcement of that rule that would cheapen what would have been Hackett's win moreso than a modified penalty for someone who clearly wasn't trying to cheat would cheapen Mellouli's? And if he's not clean? Hackett will get the gold anyway.

1500m Freestyle Spoiler: Click here to viewHe tested positive for adderall. He was a college student, and students often take it to help them study for exams. It's not performance enhancing from a physical standpoint. Why use that as an excuse for the fact that Hackett got beat by a guy that swam the race of his life?

1500m Freestyle: Spoiler: Click here to viewYay for Ryan Cochrane! 1st swimming medal for Canada since Sydney!

What? You don't think the Jays getting Ibanez would be a blockbuster? EDIT: Also, the Pirates wanted St Travis and Shaun Marcum. Even JP's smart enough not to go for that.

Rosenthal is reporting the deal is dead.

According to Jayson Stark, the Jays have entered the mix for J-Bay. I was kind of intrigued until I saw this: Oh FUCK OFF JP. His legacy of drafting over the last 7 years has been sketchy enough, he's going to fucking trade away the best of his prospects?! This team isn't making the playoffs. If you needed proof, look no further than the absolute stinker performances they put in against the Rays this week. Plus the three prospects they want? Considering how shitty the farm system is right now, one would assume that the other two would involve either Brett Cecil or JP Arencibia. One is stupid because this team has a complete fucking absence of top starter prospects, and the other is stupid because catching is the weakest position in baseball right now and Arencibia is having a great year in New Hampshire. I'd like to see Jason Bay in a Jays uniform, but not at the expense of the team's future. We may not be that far off, but this is not the year.

For anyone who hasn't seen "Dr Horrible" yet and wants to see it, it's back on Hulu with limited ad interruption (a 30 second ad in between Acts).

There was a Deadpool movie starring Ryan Reynolds in development for years (which would have been directed by Batman Begins and Blade writer David Goyer), but nothing ever substantiated. I'm sure they've discussed using this film as a launchboard for a Deadpool flick if Ryan Reynolds tests well in this one though.

Zach Whedon is someone to watch. In addition to being a protégé of David Milch (who gave Whedon the task of writing the finale to "John from Cincinnati") he has a screenplay currently circulating that made last year's "Black List", that is the list of screenplays not currently in development that in the opinion of Hollywood's executives and high level assistants are the best. It's called "Back East", and got two mentions on the list. On another note, how awesome is Jed? He wrote "Dr Horrible's" kick-ass score.

Cliche or not, one of the three were going to have to die. At least the character they chose made the final coda awesome. And come on it's a musical; what musical isn't rife with cliches? It's part of what makes them familiar and comfortable.