Hey, Would You Look at That!

While one internet haunt of mine winds down and another gears up, the home base keeps on keeping on. As it turns out, today is the third anniversary of Ghostrunner on First.

Three years! Not bad for a no-account scumbag. Lots of fun in the past, plenty of work to do in the future.

Thanks again to all the readers, linkers, lurkers, commenters, and anybody else who takes a few moments of their day to give a damn. I couldn't go on without the love and affection shown here and all around the Great Interweb Plains. For that I thank you all.

In the coming year you can expect...more of the same. What do you want from me? I'm only one man!

Thanks again y'all!

Playing to the Base (Let's Talk About Feelings)

This should be a happy time for Jays fans. It is a happy time. Roberto Alomar, local folk hero, enshrined in the Hall of Fame! The first to go in as a Blue Jay! Excitement!

Unfortunately the scrutiny maelstrom surrounding Hall of Fame inductions may have shot a few holes into the Roberto Alomar mystique. Calling his defense track record into question and the like. Long suffering Jays fans howl in disbelief, unable to fathom the great second base deity might not be as transcendent as they remember.

It was nearly 20 years ago, after all. People jumping out of their skin to decry the faulty metrics based on observations they made when they were 12. Just like Parkes said in the comment section of his post on the matter, you can't toss aside defensive metrics and meaningless awards when Jeter wins them but use them as to back your Robbie the GBOAT case.

But Robbie Alomar isn't a rational buy for Jays fans of a certain age, he's an emotional one. The iconic home run, taking rueful hot dog Dennis Eckersley deep against all odds, is etched in the minds of those old enough to remember.

Does it matter that Candy Maldonado actually contributed more, in terms of WPA, on that fateful day? Nope, it does not matter one bit. We remember it how we remember it, and we associate so many of those fuzzy feelings with Robbie. Rightfully so.

Robbie clearly has an affinity for Toronto, too. The most deeply cynical among us (hi!) might suggest his loud lobbying to go in as a Blue Jay seeks to exploit that affinity, that he recognizes the value in being "Blue Jays Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar" when it comes to appearances and signings.

Or he just valued his time in Toronto as the best of his career. His ongoing relationship with the team suggests as much. Being heralded as a hero will do that.

What about players who aren't thought of as heroes? As anyone familiar with the self-deprecating stylings of Dirk Hayhurst knows professional athletes — especially those on the talent margins — must cast off the constant fear and self doubt associated with professional inadequacy.

Blogoncé herself wondered "aloud" if I didn't want to @-reply Jesse Litsch on Twitter with a link to the post I wrote earlier this week, expressing my belief that Litsch is unfit for the rotation. I can honestly say I did not.

There is no part of me that wants to put Jesse Litsch on blast, attempting to draw his attention to the uninformed opinion of a no-account blogger like me. Not that he'd put any stock in it in the first place. Either way, the thought of Litsch bristling at the thought that some clown in his parent's basement doesn't think he has what it takes makes me uneasy.

Seriously, who am I to tell Litsch he isn't good enough? In any professional baseball player's eyes, I'm nobody. Could my insignificant words penetrate the iron-clad shell of pro athlete confidence? Hopefully not. But it is surely part of the din.

It's all in the game though. Jesse Litsch knew what he was getting into long ago. A product of the RBI program, he's overcome more than his share of adversity. Here's hoping he stays strong and overcomes a little more, in spite of what clowns like me believe.

Make it a Ghostrunner Xmas Once Again

As always, the red hatted & white bearded Man for All Seasons wishes you and yours a safe and work-free holiday. Because that's what Christmas is all about: not going to work.

Let us rub our grubby mitts together and wish for goodies we didn't earn and don't deserve:

• Ichiro in a Blue Jays uniform.
  
• The ongoing success of the San Francisco Giants.
  
• Dustin Pedroia coming down with polio
  
• Carlos Delgado taking a baby-shaking, hand-kissing role in the Jays FO
  
• An adamantium infusion which keeps Scott Rolen playing forever
  
• Roy Halladay winning 30 games
  
• Mariano Rivera continuing about his business
  
• A walkoff walk a week for life.

Have a good weekend, y'all!

Re-borrowed Image courtesy of Gothamist

Hide Your Kids, Hide Your Wife

There are few things in life more satisfying than taking two out of three from the California Angels. While the soft underbelly of my fandom is frequently exposed by all manner of benign American league foes, the Angels are one of the few clubs that still feel my rancor.

I hate the Angels. I strongly dislike Mike Scioscia and his Mike Scioscia face. I don't like Erick Aybar or anything named Izturis. I like Mike Napoli mostly because Scioscia clearly doesn't. First K-Rod and now Fuentes. Hate.

Which makes it all the most satisfying when Ricky Romero strolls into his home park, mere hours after doing right by his parents, and shuts their sorry asses down. It's great stuff.

Just like the great stuff Marc Rzepcynzki had on Friday night. As per a request in the comment section, I'm going to take a closer look at what made R-Zep so awesome that night. Hopefully in time for his next start.

If I could veer off-topic for a brief moment, I just want to take the opportunity to say how proud I am of the comments and commenters who frequent Ghostrunner on First. From the amazing insight added by radar in the previous post to the "support" shown when a rare hater wandered into our midst. It is pretty rare that the like minds who congregate around here get to have our fun pretty much by un-interrupted by trolls. There might be some changes afoot but I have faith that nothing will change in that department.

I just want to give a big thank you to everyone who comments and contributes to this site. From the long-time guys like Ian, Navin, Joanna, and The Ack; to the Mattts and Gils and Tys and everybody else. Thank you. It means a lot.

AP image of the loud-mouthed boob from Daylife.

Say What You Like About the Tenets of Citocity, At Least it's An Ethos

or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Bomb.

Last night's three solo home run outburst cinched it. The 2010 Blue Jays are a one trick pony who are going to have a hard time staying out of their own way. But you know what? That's okay.

I used to write a lot about style on this page, even though style and baseball are slightly dissonant ideas. This 2010 Blue Jays team, it has style. It's brash and obnoxious and its own worst enemy, but damn if it isn't fun to watch. The numbers are clear - this cannot sustain a ballclub over 162 games. But who cares?

"Plan your work, work your plan" an oft-repeated cliche. Clarence hardly planned this, claiming in a doddering moment this spring that the team would create offense and move runners around and all that good shit. This ran in direct opposition to a later (truer) claim that a bunch of guys could possibly knock a truckful of dingers.

The cruelest irony of the Jays free swinging ways, the greatest victim in the great paradigm shift of 2010: Aaron Hill.

So often chided for being a free-swinger, Bizarro Hill is now the most patient hitter on the team. The worst hitter, but the most patient. After we all wailed about his inability to talk a walk, he's now seeing next to nothing in the strike zone. The result? Sky-high walk totals and rock bottom line drive rates.

I wonder what this says about our desire to stretch players across all five tools? Did Aaron Hill hear the whispers of his impatience and change his entire approach? Is he now pressing; mad worse by the dearth of quality pitches he's offered to hit? It is a troubling time for Aaron Hill, for the most part. He is the streakiest man alive, so we have that to hang onto.

But these 2010 Jays, they are throw-your-hands-in-the-air-in-disbelief awesome. Bang-your-head-off-a-table-in-anger awesome. This-can't-possibly-work awesome. They are the bad movie you quickly realize is one of your all-time favorites. They are a bad team playing well. They are ours.

Summer Sun

There is no way I can possible finish the woe-is-me post I've labored over across multiple nights this week. Look outside, the weather is amazing and we're coming into a long weekend.

Who cares that the Jays run of success is utterly unsustainable? Worse yet, it doesn't matter if they DO somehow sustain it, they STILL won't topple the Rays and Yankees while holding off the Red Sox.

Honestly, I need to let it go. Enjoy walkoffs and cardiac kids and silly podcasts to wile away long hours in traffic.

Enjoy National League beatdowns that actually detrimental to a team like the Jays playoffs hopes, win or lose. Just enjoy it. Enjoy Fred Lewis doing his Southern Fried Ichiro and Alex Gonzalez hurtling to Earth at the speed of sound going for broke. Admire the incredible starting pitching and smile at thought of it continuing into the foreseeable future.

Just have fun. Don't become a fart-sniffing cynic like me. Watch the highlights of the Reds collapse in Atlanta the other day and remember none of it would have happened if Scott Rolen's in the game. Watch Franklin Gutierrez cause Death to Flying Things. Drink a beer and take a run at a girl out of your league. It all happens pretty fast, like Ferris said.

Internal Affairs

There's been a lot of talk recently surrounding the issue of booing and hating on players. I feel like my position on this is quite clear, no need to rehash it again today. The other side of this coin is the blind faith and/or limitless rope phenomenon - player X is a "valued contributor" that merely needs time to get on track. I don't exactly subscribe to this school of thought either.

As I see it, building a team/contender/profitable on-field commodity is a never-ending process. Those in charge must constantly consider and reconsider if the man they're paying to do a job is the best choice at in that role. It started this winter, when the "Scott Rolen is overpaid" chorus grew loudest. After I made my impassioned case that Scott Rolen earned his paycheck and more, wundercommenter Torgen pointed out that not only is Scott Rolen great, there isn't an immediate option that would step in to that role even remotely as well.

Stoeten of Drunk Jays Fans today brought up a very interesting point regarding Brian Tallet's tenuous spot in the rotation. (A point I was bouncing around my head on the subway ride to work. Damn you speedy Dutch bastards!) He may not last long there for two reasons: there is another role he can fill better than the current placeholder while there are plenty of people behind him that can do his job nearly as well.

Jesse Carlon's pitched exceptionally well for the Jays these last two seasons though he's run into a rough patch of late. For the season the defense has propped him up a little, shaving a full run off his ERA. Here in May however, his ERA and FIP are nearly identical, sitting right on 6.00. Carlson's a fly ball pitcher who's strikeouts are down, contact is up and whiffy swings are down. His BABIP is still too low though his strand rate is coming back to the norm. In other words, he's becoming a regular, run-of-the-mill bullpen arm rather than a Blue Jays penbot from beyond the moon.

I don't come to bury Jesse Carlson, but if the Jays are to continue their success; they must make tough decisions like this. We as fans--especially as it relates to joyless roles such as spot starter or lefty specialist--can only hope the organization makes the right one that will ensure continuous improvement. Keeping Scott Rolen made sense as he's a gift from god, one not easily replaced internally, externally, or galactically. Jesse Carlson is easily replaceable, as are Brian Tallet's starts. For the good of the club we should be willing to consider it.

Other Stuff Quickly

• The psychopaths at Fangraphs have done it again. Now freely available for your perusal: pitch type linear weights! What this tells us: basically how good many runs a given pitch provides compared to average. As usually, I have no idea where they derive these numbers but they're sure fun to look at! Roy Halladay saves 3 runs per 100 snaps of his mighty curveball for example. His fastball's been his worst pitch this year according to these findings. Same with Scott Richmond: excellent results with his slider are often given right back with his fastball. Wanna know why Brett Cecil's here to stay? Positive results with all four of his pitches, most notably his curveball. His sample size is tiny but I surely don't care.
  
• Lesley Visser hates fun and shrimp.
  
• Beyond the Box Score tracks UZR by age. Just a quick reminder that Alex Rios is 28 and Vernon Wells is 30. Their best defensive days are behind them. So much for moving Rios to centerfield. Dammit.
  
• On the Walkoff Walk Furious Five podcast this week we discussed Steve Phillips inane comments regarding Carlos Beltran. I may be of the opinion that Carlos Beltran is amazing. The playoff probability added post from the weekend featured THREE Mets in the top 5 in the NL. The Mets have an unbelievable core surrounded by shitty, replacement level players. That doesn't mean they aren't fun to watch though! In fact, I'll be live blogging their game against the mighty Dodgers tonight for the Score. Come by and say demeaning things about Juan Pierre. It's good for the soul.

Make it a Ghostrunner Xmas

What do you mean that's not Santa? Red hat, white beard. Same fucking guy right? I enjoyed The Life Aquatic more than 1000 Christmases anyway. Why you may ask? Because Christmas can go get fucked. No matter the circumstance, I'm ready and willing to celebrate the blessed event of time away from work. Paid days off are the real Messiah.

I'm not one to turn down free shit, so in the honor of the season of consumerism, I've thrown together a simple wishlist all my own.

• Yankee Comeuppance. Even though their free spending ways haven't been as bad as I think, my hate has been reborn in surprising and refreshing ways.
  
• The World Baseball Classic to not be a trainwreck. I need more baseball in my life.
  
• To be on the radio. Seriously, somebody put me on the radio. I will keep the "like" count under 50.
  
• Hell, while I'm getting all pie in the sky; season tickets. That would be awesome, hidden wealthy benefactors.
  
• A walkoff walk every night for the entire season. That shrimp should look like Usain Bolt by next October.

One last thing:

Have a good few days off people. Make it happen Zissou!

Jays Unable to Sign Key Free Agent

No, not Manny. Not A.J. either. Not Milton Bradley, nor Adam Dunn. There isn't a single free agent, nobody that Tao's wondering eye has found, that could swoop in and throw the Jays over the back of his white horse and lead them to playoffs. The only thing that will get them there: luck.

Not even that much. The Blue Jays, as currently constituted without A.J. Burnett's three wins above replacement, are a good team. Good enough to win 86 games, good enough for a three digit positive run differential, good enough for between 90 and 92 third order/Pythagorean wins. Not good enough to make the playoffs. Why is that?

Simple: luck. The Yankees spent lots of cash, but got unlucky with free agent signings (both sound and ill-advised) and haven't won the World Series in 8 years. The Dodgers payroll was $120 million before they added Manny and he lead them to the promised land. The Tigers spent $140 million bucks and finished behind the Royals.

All 30 teams need some luck to get to the post season. The Rockies got red hot in September 2007 on the backs of young stars like Troy Tulowitzki, Jeff Francis, Manny Corpas and Ubaldo Jimenez only to see 2008 complete fall apart through injuries and generally shitty play from those very same players. The San Diego Padres were one blown call away from knocking said Rockies out of the one game playoff, and they lost 99 games in 2008. These teams are among the 25 Major League teams that don't require the mountain of luck in order to overcome the two biggest payrolls in baseball

Yes, the Rays performed this Herculean feat in 2008, but let's consider their case.

• They outperformed all their expected records. It was only one run, but the Jays had a greater run differential than the Rays. The difference in the standings? 11 games.
• They got huge numbers from two non-roster invitees. In successive years, Carlos Pena and Eric Hinkse came to Rays camp looking for jobs and ended up hitting 46 and 20 home runs respectively. Carlos Pena is an obviously talented player that just couldn't get it right previously, but ERIC FUCKING HINSKE CAME OUT OF NOWHERE TO HIT 20 HOME RUNS. That, more than anything in the world, is luck.
• They got career years out of 80% of their bullpen. In a very similar fashion to the 2005 Chicago White Sox, they built a bullpen out of decent guys, deployed them well and got career numbers out of them. Will any of these guys repeat these numbers? Perhaps, but if the World Series taught us anything, old K/BB rates die hard.

I'm not here to bury the Rays, I praise the excellent core they built through trades, the draft, and a few shrewd free agent signings. A few bad bounces though, and they're still the same old Rays.

The Jays should obviously look to improve their club, both for 2009 and the future. But one guy ain't going to do it on his own. No matter what kind of bat they bring to town, it will take more than one player with a 1.000 OPS for the Jays to play October baseball. And that is alright. That is what makes the ride that much more enjoyable, that is the beauty of a 162 game schedule. Round bat, round ball, George Will, sepia toned whatever.

Best. Season. Ever.

86 times I sat down and tried to think of dick jokes to accompany a Blue Jays win. 32 times (league high!) I had to think of dicks jokes that could relate to a one run loss. For me, that doesn't describe disappointment, or failure, or anything but a good time.

Did John MacDonald perform feats previously unseen? Yes. Did Scott Rolen boggle the mind? Yup. Was Roy Halladay off his ass from April 'til October? Cy think so. Were there walkoffs? King Dong walkoffs even! Did Jesse Litsch make The Face and convert the skeptical? That he did. As far as I'm concerned, this season was a rousing success. The team won more than they lost; and were a little bit of good luck away from being right in the thick of the pennant chase.

Ah, ever elusive luck. The Jays underperformed their Pythag right from the start and never recovered. They also got unlucky with some flyers they took on cheap free agents. What if Wilkerson and Hinske flip results? For what it's worth, Hinske was coming off a 87 OPS+ season, Wilkerson 104. What if Grant Balfour pitched more like Aramando Benitez instead of Joe Nathan? I don't mean to sound bitter, but those critical of JP should remember found money works both ways. Sometimes you find a dime, sometimes you pick up an ancient doubloon.

On a personal level, this season was more rewarding than any World Series championship. I learned more, laughed more, and argued more about baseball than I ever thought possible. Without the support of everyone that linked, commented, and read; that wouldn't have been possible. I want to thank and offer my sincere appreciation to all the good people that helped make this season a success for me: first and foremost the Reverend, Jesse BoBD and El Leal for their invaluable contributions, visible and otherwise. Rob & Kris for reaching across the aisle and the border, the Drunks, JW & the Southpaw, the incomparable Tao, Hale, Mohawk Chalk, Ian the hunter, the beleafers, 35th Street Andrew and all the good people that keep the databases full and the amazing Blue Jays content fresh, hilarious, and relevant. The Jays blogosphere is the best and most varied in baseball. Period.

Don't think this sappiness is the end of the line, not by a long shot. Ghostrunner on First will still be home to all the baseball detritus you've come to know and tolerate. All winter long! Winter meetings, GM meetings, playdowns, and anything else remotely Blue Jay related. Best season ever! Playoffs!

Jays Lefty Mashers Mash A's Lefty

As I stated during DJF's jovial live blog: Jesse Litsch has a 16 inning scoreless streak, the Blue Jays scored a dozen AND totaled 7 extra base hits, with a home run among them! I'll begin hoarding canned goods and bottled water. Note: The Jays moved to an absurd 14-1 in day games, meaning the team and I will be allies during the zombie apocalypse. Together we will take back the night and feast on the molting flesh of the undead.

Aaron Hill had a Gary Carter hat trick with a hit, a walk and a teammate's elbow to the face. The Hustling Weasel David Eckstein grittily ran over Hill in dogged pursuit of a lazy popup in a 10-0 game. Perhaps Davey is sensing that he is slipping into the Mariana Trench end of the SS depth chart. Lefty Masher Kevin Mench added a cool 60 points to his average and hit is first extra base hit of the year. Lefty Month of May Masher Rod Barajas contributed three doubles(!) while catching both ends of the dreaded "night game before a day game" kneecap softener. Scott Rolen came out after the 7th inning to bask in his own magnificence. I encourage you to do the same.

A quick note to those considering giving the Jays up for dead. This is the type of team the Blue Jays can be. In fact, this is the kind of team the Jays are. Jesse Litsch will give up runs, and eventually, (gasp) lose games. But their pitching staff from top to bottom is the TRUTH. They won't score 12 every night, or knock 7 extra-base hits, but they can expect production and offense from 1-9 on any given night. They managed all this with one of their "best" hitters going 0-6 and the other playing WiiFit with his hyperactive kids. This is a team that NOBODY will want to play. One with a great deal of meaningful baseball in the not-so-distant future.

Silver Lining

Much is made of the MSM's fear and loathing of blogs, and the vitriol and invective that spew forth from the blogosphere. I will concede that this space is guilty of plenty of hate, and a substantial amount negativity. In honour of Jesus cheating death a three day weekend, I will instead focus on 10 things that make it great to be a Jay fan.

1. The Rogers Centre's retractable roof. The stadium may have some warts and publicly funded skeletons in the closet, and the roof is a little dated compared to other fully retractable stadiums around the league. Jay fans still don't have to dress for the weather, nor will we have to deal with snowy ugliness ever again. But once humidity takes over as the dominant weather force, nothing beats sitting in the sun watching a game. We literally get the best of both worlds. We also get the added bonus of not paying through the nose for the privilege of staring directly into the setting sun for three innings, while sitting in a seat that faces the left field corner. Or sitting directly beside a giant garbage bin.
   
   
2. Roy Halladay. The sublime pleasure that I derive from watching Roy Halladay pitch every fifth day is difficult to qualify. Sometimes I think he is playing a completely different game. His heady approach combined with his ridiculous work ethic makes any Halladay start one worth watching. Add his no-nonsense, quick working style to the mix and I'm a happy boy, out buying beer at a much more reasonable price after a proper 150 minute game.
   
   
3. The Quality of Jays Coverage. It starts at the top. The nation's most venerable paper employs a most entertaining and enlightened voice in the form of Snarlin' Jeff Blair. Mike Wilner on the radio brings brutal honesty, informed opinions and a genuine love of the game. Jays blogs run the gamete; from statistical know-how, dry theologian wit, left-handed analysis, newfie charm, to the inane babblings of a madman. Let us not forget the drunken pied pipers themselves.
   
   
4. Good Seats Still Available. I understand the value of selling out a building every night, but excuse me if I don't pine for a constantly packed house. The Jays have a solid fanbase and attract a consistent number between 25 and 30 thousand a night. Luckily, the dome seats 44 000. That means plenty of tickets at face value, and some below if you are willing to dip into the murky scalping waters.
   
   
5. A Sense of History and/or Nostalgia. This happenend, and nothing will ever change that.
   
   
6. Scott Rolen in exchange for Troy Glaus. Don't get me wrong, Troy Glaus is all well and good, and I harbour no ill will towards him. This isn't about Troy, this is about the pleasure of watching Scott Rolen play third base for (fingers crossed) 150 games this season.
   
   
7. Three National Television Networks Vying For your Affection. In the true spirit of capitalism, we the consumer benefit when there is competition. Our reward, 144 games in HD, both home and away. For those unable or unwilling to get to the ballpark, there is no other way to fly.
   
   
8. Win or Lose, We Still Live in Toronto. When the game is over, there is no sudden white flight from the horrors of a dilapidated inner city. Nor is it a quaint small town where baseball is the only show in town. Game is over, night has just begun.
   
   
9. A Look to the Future, A Nod To the Past. Flashback Fridays are fun. A somewhat puffy former Jay gets to walk out on the field again, to bask in the cheers of polite and tolerant fans. This years exciting and hilarious wrinkle - POWDER BLUES! While obviously driven by the desire to sell throwback jerseys, seeing Frank Thomas in blue pajamas will be its own reward. I wonder if Cliff Johnson is available for a Friday night in June.
   
   
10. A Puncher's Chance. The Jays chances this season are legit. The Yankees are a series of questions and senior citizens. The Rays are a few years away yet, the Orioles are in 100 loss territory. This is no pipe dream. I don't think this is a case of "as long as everything goes right" as much as "so long as everything doesn't go wrong." They'll be there in the end.

Hooray for Easter, and baseball on our minds.

The Winds Of Change

The life of a baseball writer is one of endless pain and suffering. Woe unto the man forced to visit Florida midwinter while his pitiless editor demands a season preview at gunpoint. Since the playoffs ended in October, that only leaves 3 1/2 months to take stock of all the trades and movement and bang out something coherent before heading off to the dogtrack. I suppose that since all most season previews are horseshit (watch for ours in the coming weeks, now with 150% more presumption!) these writers don't bother putting any thought into them whatsoever. Case in point, the New York Yankees.

Despising the Yankees is achieved with more ease than being bored in Vancouver; it simply comes with the territory. Discrediting them is more difficult, however. They have made the playoffs every year since 1995, first with a decidedly unglamorous yet wildly successful band of journeymen; then with a big-budget, Michael Bayseball cacophony of hate. They were a force of nature, and it brought us all to tears.

Things are different now. They still write huge checks, and if that goes south they write an even bigger check to compensate. But they come into this spring looking nothing short of vulnerable. Question marks now precede dollar signs when I think of the Yankees. But that doesn't seem to matter to most prognosticators, who just pencil the Yankees into 2nd place and go back to their Warcraft guild, where experience points make them important, not jaded.
Note: nothing about Warcraft is important.

Let's change the setting, just a for a moment. A team (the Iowa Wheatchiefs, let's say) have a lineup that, while potent, features 1 guy under the age of 32. The rotation features two washed up guys, two kids that are complete unknowns, and one "top of the rotation" guy that isn't even considered the ace by the man who signs the paychecks! The team is visibly old and deeply mired in the Witchell Rehunt and associated scandals. Almost all their major contributors have missed time in each of the last few seasons, and they are laughable thin at all positions. They play in the same division as the defending World Series champions, everyones' (well the same people that default the Yankees to 90 wins) darkhorse/sexy pick Tampa, and a Jay team with 4 top line starters and an emergent offense. Do you give this team of hoary bastards 90 wins without a second thought?

Does this seem like a team you can pencil in for 88-90 wins just like that? What kind of confidence does Phil Hughes instill that Dustin McGowan does not? Who the fuck is Ian Kennedy? When in his entire life has Mike Mussina ever won anything? When did Chein-Mein Wang become better than Roy fucking Halladay?

Some of the zzzzzzZiPS projections floating around put the Yankees on or around 93 wins. I call shenanigans. This is it. This is the year it all comes crashing down in the Bronx. I just hope a team with solid pitching, defense and a patient yet explosive offense is around to take advantage.

'93 til Infinity

This small corner of the interweb ostensibly revolves around the Toronto Blue Jays. They are the here and the now; but mostly the here. The Jays are "our team" because they were on our TV, the radio in our car, and in our newspapers as we came to exist and came of age. We grew up supporting them because that was all we knew.

I find myself hurtling through space and time, aging seemingly by the second. My sports fandom has changed along the way, and I've had a hard time pinning down it's nature. Not quite ironic detachment, for that would make my jeans 40% skinnier and my face 100% punchable. Nor is it as meta as the liberated fandom movement which breaks the game down to isolated bursts of greatness and other abstractions. It is something different. Much like my waistband, let's say it has "expanded."

I think it works out like this: there are no meaningless games, there are only meaningless games. I have a drawer full of old ticket stubs, but I'd have a hard time telling you the score of most of them (I'll admit, this one sticks out.) I appreciate the value of wins and losses, but I appreciate having seen Johan Santana (once) and Roy Halladay (numerous times) pitch that much more.

I'm hesitant to go down the "baseball is so swell, just like Mom's apple pie..." route here. I'm not suggesting we throw out the standings, and I'm not asking why we bother keeping score. I simply want to prevent myself from getting hung up on the part of the game that has the smallest impact on my enjoyment. The only thing worse than a "I won't see you for a month because the Sox are in the playoffs" lunatic is a "I'm a long suffering Cubs Pirates Rays Rangers fan and my life is terrible!" crybaby. Baseball is unique because each game represents such a small part of the season. There is another game to watch almost every day. New matchups and new hope. Fresh opportunity to see something noteworthy, something that will make a planeload of guys headed to Vegas shout and lose their shit. To paraphrase Blogging Overload Leitch: Every game begins as a no-hitter. Every pitch could be the one that leads to something you'll never forget. It is no coincidence that the blogosphere contains so much baseball. The agonizing minutia and statistics, the what-ifs and never-weres, the long history to draw from and the future to look to. In other words, baseball is fun.

The Blue Jays won back-to-back World Series titles when I was in high school. They haven't made the playoffs since. And that is fine by me. I still watch, I still cheer, and I still pour over boxscores and read the myriad of other better blogs. You'll never hear me shout "Wait til next year!" because I'll be too busy wondering why this year has to end in the first place.