Imagine

A Thought
I'm about to enter radio silence here (again), as I'll be without regular internet access -- or a home -- for the next week or ten days or so, but before I go, a thought...

Imagine it was April again, or still, and that you are a passionate Blue Jays fan, and your beloved team has just turned in an impressive performance such as last night's 8-3 thumping of the Mariners. Doesn't your heart enlarge with thoughts of what might be to come? Aren't you pleased to see the machine firing on all cylinders, just as we had expected it to? To see Stairs hitting like that dude who used to play minor league ball but now tees off on your beer league pitching (that's how I always see Matt Stairs, FYI)? To see Alex Rios playing like Alex Rios should? Aren't your eyes damp, even just a little, when you think about how well the Jays stack up against in division rivals? And would you believe me if I told you that the Rays would be in first place in late July?

Instead, of course, having watched better than half a season, we know that such a performance is a rarity that only serves to highlight just how much utter crappiness this team has shown us. Call it an incredible series of bad breaks -- and yes, I take the point that they have had a few terrible stretches that have loused up the rest of the season -- but a little consistency was all that was needed. Is that too much to ask?

I'm chuzzed by this recent hot streak, of course. Any fan would be. But, like Tiffany said, It could have been so beautiful. There exists the outside chance that they could ascend the rankings and actually play some meaningful games in late September (and October), but realistically, Cito's .500 + 10 seems like a pretty decent goal right about now.

But imagine it was April...

The Last Round
The Jays could drive a trident through the heart of the Mariners this afternoon, but they'll have to get through future Yankee Jarrod Washburn to do it. For the home side, Marcum tries again to find his post-DL groove.

If It Can't Be Me
It should have been Tom Cheek, but if it's not, it might as well be Dave Niehaus entering the Hall of Fame. The deckhands aboard USS Mariner have a nice note up, a word of thanks and congratulations to their great broadcaster. Maybe next year it'll be us penning heartfelt remembrances to the voice of our team on the eve of his induction. Maybe.

The Wrap Up
You kids be good while I'm out. Be kind, do good work. Thank you, and good night.

...And the Earth Trembed

Death! Destruction! Walk-off Wins!

See? Do you see what I am saying? Not even nine innings were sufficient for these two juggernauts to settle the first phase of their historic duel. Incredible! In the end, a hero named Inglett decided how the battle should end.

Full Tell

I missed it. Figured when the M's scored in the top of the 10th that it was over, went to bed. I was tired. Sue me.

Second Phase

Purcey vs. Dickey!

This is Gonna Be Huge

A Warning To the Unwitting

Over the course of the next three days, the world will witness a spectacle unlike any other heretofore seen in this mortal realm. I speak, of course, of the impending series pitting the now-buoyant Blue Jays against the hungry Mariners. Walls will crumble. Fates will be decided. Expectations will be lowered.

Run to the hills.

It all begins tonight when the Poet faces the Piranha (that’d be Batista [4-11] up against Parrish [1-0]).

In the days ahead, these two powerhouses continue their epic struggle, charging bolt-throwing immortals with the task of hurling an orb from a mound of earth (bolt-throwing immortals who won't include Bedard, Halladay or Burnett, but, um, still) at massive, club-wielding men. The Rogers Centre will tremble to its very foundations, surely. Verily, the gods await the outcome of this awesome string of contests with great interest.

For real, though, woeful as the Mariners might (unexpectedly) be, if you live in Toronto, how can you pass up the opportunity to see The Human Awesomeness that is Ichiro?

Wasn't that incredible? The Republica song, I mean. So catchy. What ever happened to Saffron, anyway?

All Hail Our New Leader

Maybe Adam Lind just capitalized on woeful pitching last night, but who cares? If that wins 10-8 ballgames, then here's hoping more Jays learn by his example.

And, as a side note, I have made it known that I'd be an inconsistent presence around these parts, a specter, an apparition, and I've been true to that promise. But the end is near! More regular, half-thought-out conjecture and knee-jerk analysis are but weeks away! Watch this space.

Also, I'll be visiting both Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium before their death knells sound, and I couldn't be more excited. Hat tip to the great Mets/Shea blog Loge 13 for stoking my excitement concerning that doomed ballpark. If you visit the site, be sure to read the About page. It's a nice piece of writing and a ground-level view of how the economics of new ballparks affect the everyday fan (i.e. not corporations, and not millionaires).