This is the post with Tom Cheek's greatest calls and all the Jays songs from the 80's and 90's - Yup!

I'm going to completely ignore the current state of the Jays and share something a bit more amusing.  This post is a blatant rip-off of all the hard work done by "Toronto Mike"....but so be it...this stuff is just too good not to share.  Some of the songs are almost indescribable.

1. The greatest calls from Tom Cheek.  So many memories; the Dave Stieb one is my favourite understated call of all time.

http://www.torontomike.com/2007/08/tom_cheeks_greatest_hits.html

2. We Faught 'Em All.  A lot of artists have covered "I fought the Law". I am quite confident this is the worst one.

http://www.torontomike.com/2007/08/tom_cheeks_greatest_hits.html

3. OK Blue Jays (Let’s Play Ball!).  Nothing tops the original.  Nothing!

http://www.torontomike.com/2007/08/ok_blue_jays_lets_play_ball_1.html

4. Home Run - We Got The Blue Jays (R.B.I. Single Version).  This isn't half bad.  It sums up 80's music and watching the Blue Jays quite nicely.

http://www.torontomike.com/2008/05/home_run_we_got_the_blue_jays.html

5. Help Us Mookie.  My all-time favourite Jays song.  Mookie was acquired for Jeff Musselman and a player to be named later.  On a related note, Mookie is not as good as you remember.

http://www.torontomike.com/2008/03/help_us_mookie.html

6. The Blue Jays Rap. The less said about this, the better.

http://www.torontomike.com/2008/03/the_blue_jays_rap.html

7. The Ballad of Tom Henke.  My favourite classic country Blue Jays song.  Yup, you read that correctly.  "You can bring him in now, but he is even better laaaater"

http://www.torontomike.com/2008/03/the_ballad_of_tom_henke.html

8. Come On, Let's Go (All The Way Blue Jays).  Before there was the FAN 590 all sports radio, there was CJCL 1430 home of the oldies and the home of Blue Jays radio.  Songs from the 50's and Blue Jays games?  No wonder my Dad never touched the radio dial.  This is a reworking of an old Ritchie Valens songs sung by the various CJCL radio personalities.

http://www.torontomike.com/2008/07/come_on_lets_go_all_the_way_bl.html

9. Blue Jays All The Way.  On vocals....Humble Howard - former Toronto radio legend.  For the life of me I can't figure out which 80's song it is a reworking of.  It's killing me, because I don't know and because I tried listening to this heaping pile of crap five times in a row trying to figure it out.

http://www.torontomike.com/2009/04/blue_jays_all_the_way_-_humble.html

10. Blue Jays Bop.  Step 1 - Choose a song from the 50's. Step 2 - Re-write the lyrics to celebrate the Blue Jays Step. 3 - Record. Step 4 - Repeat.

http://www.torontomike.com/2009/04/blue_jays_bop_-_chum_fm_cheerl.html

11. Hang On Blue Jays.  Yes, that is the Howard Cosell talking about the Jays.  You can't make this stuff up.

http://www.torontomike.com/2009/05/hang_on_blue_jays_-_paul_husia.html

12. World Series, Here We Come.  Another reworking of a Beach Boys song, but it pales in comparison to Help Us Mookie.

http://www.torontomike.com/2009/05/world_series_here_we_come_-_th.html

Again, apologies to Toronto Mike for the blatant rip-off....but I mean...I HAD to post these songs!

10 Game Report #5 - Three thoughts

Last 10 games: 5 - 5

Overall: 21 - 29

Projected Finish: 68 - 94

Three quick thoughts on the past 10 games:

I AM JAPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENSE!

http://www.inquisitr.com/677080/munenori-kawasaki-gives-hilarious-interview-after-blue-jays-comeback-win-video/

I missed this yesterday. I missed a thrilling bottom of the 9th, two strike double by Kawasaki for the 6-5 comeback win.  I missed it because I had been listening to the game while gardening, but I angrily turned it off after they Jays failed to do any damage after loading the bases in the 7th and 8th inning.

The lesson as always, never turn off a baseball game until the final out...because you just never know.

PRINCESS D-BAG

(yes the above photo is from last year, but it's just too perfect)

Of course the other big news yesterday was the stare down & hissy fit thrown by Brett Lawrie (which followed him getting tossed from the game on Friday night).  My thoughts on Brett are pretty clear so I don’t want to dwell on this, but here is another example of Brett just “not getting it”.  He is in danger of his attitude ruining his career, a la Milton Bradley and Carl Everett.  I like the way both Gibby and Bautista handled it, but the only one who can fix Lawrie right now, is Lawrie.  Unfortunately I just don’t see it in this 23 year-old version of our third baseman “of the future”.  Perhaps in a few years, outbursts such as this will be a thing of the past, but currently they are getting in the way of his talent and are proving to be a major distraction.

STARTERS NEED TO STOP PITCHING LIKE JOSH TOWERS

The offense has been doing their part in trying to turn the ship around.  The bullpen has been steady all year. 

However, the starters have been a disaster, pitching to a collective ERA of 5.59 and walking almost 10% of all batters faced!!  This has to change.  The hitters cannot continue to carry the Jays back to .500.  The good news is that they have guys with proven track records who should be able to string together some quality starts.  Additionally, big JJ will hopefully be back in a week to steady the staff and show everyone why Toronto traded for him.

The turnaround is happening, but it will only continue if the starting five can find their groove.

Prospects will break your heart – The ballad of Anthony Gose

According to his Wikipedia entry "Anthony Robert Gose (born August 10, 1990) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball."

This is true, but also incomplete.  He is also the latest in a long list of Blue Jays prospects that will likely break my heart.

Below is a fairly complete list of the 15 highest rated Jays prospects since 2004.  It is not an exact list, but it is a fairly good sampling of the Jays prospects through the years. 

Casey Janssen - Sadly he is the most successful player on this list.

Adam Lind – Briefly an all-star and has now regressed into a DH who can adequately hit RHP.

David Purcey – Uh oh.

Ricky Romero – His career is currently in tatters.

Dustin McGowan – Glimpse of greatness and what feels like a decade of injury.

Curtis Thigpen - Double uh oh.

Travis Snider – I once predicted he would be an MVP.  I was wrong.

Brett Cecil – Success and regression and success again?

David Cooper – The ultimate 4A player.

Brett Wallace – Wait, maybe he is the ultimate 4A player.

JP Arencibia – Solid regular with power and some major flaws.

Kyle Drabek - See: McGowan, Dustin.

Brett Lawrie - Glimpse of greatness for 3 months.  He is currently hitting .180.

Zach Stewart – Remember him?

Adeiny Hechavarria - Best Cuban 4A player the Jays have ever had.....that is not a compliment.

and of course, there were other young players traded during this past offseason, but their future is still TBD.

I will now give you a moment to fight back the urge to throw up.

Which brings us to Anthony Gose.  I already picked him as my favourite Jay.
http://jeffsoutoftheblue.blogspot.ca/2013/02/and-correct-answer-is.html

I should be excited now that he is back with the big club, but instead I am filled with dread.  What if he disappoints us like all the rest?  He was having a pretty craptacular year in Buffalo.

But hope for a young player is one of the most magical things about baseball.  So we ignore the flaws and warning signs and focus on the potential greatness (and the 1st pitch double he hit this afternoon).  Go get em Tony, I'm a huge fan....and I believe in you.

10 Game Report #4 – No Quarter

Last 10 games: 6 - 4

Overall: 16 - 24

Projected Finish: 65 - 97

Welp.  Here we are; the quarter pole.  Obviously this start has been a bit of a nightmare.....and not the fun kind of Tim Burton nightmare

 
There is no sugar coating it.  They Jays have dug themselves a tremendous hole.  It is not impossible for them to dig their way out, but it is going to be tough.  The recent injuries to the starting staff will only make it tougher. 

Winning 6 of 9 is a start and I have hope, but it is no longer confidence, it is only hope.

http://jeffsoutoftheblue.blogspot.ca/2013/02/out-of-blue.html

Confidence left town about 15 losses ago.

So that brings us to our first report card.  Like all 1^st term grades, you cannot fail out at this stage so the lowest possible grade is a D.  And to make it confusing, Yes better players are held to a higher standard and graded harder.

A+
Jansenn - Our star pupil.  I can't even try to pretend I predicted this from our man Casey.   He has been dominate and the 9th has been locked down as soon as he enters.  Now if we could only get him more opportunities.

A
Delabar - "We can rebuild him...we have the technology".  Eric Thames for the Six Million Dollar Man?  Yes please.
 
A-
Oliver - Not quite as lights out as last year for Black Magic, but pretty close.
 
Cecil - Very happy for goggles.  Very very happy for him.
 
B
Happ - Lucky to be alive.
 
Loup - Solid year for the sophomore.
 
Davis - Same old Rajai.  He can run, he can hit LHP, and he his defence will make you cry.
 
B-
Arencibia - The HR's are a huge plus.  His energy and improved defence is a positive.  Everything else is a bit of a drain.  JP says he doesn't care about K's.....um thanks JP we kind of had that figured out.  You know what else he doesn't care about?  Getting on base.  An OBP of .246 is not good, not good at all.

Encarnacion - The HR's are still there, but it still doesn't look like the chicken wing is ready to fly like last year.  It's unfair, but Edwin I want more.  I know you have it in you.
 
Kawasaki - From an article from John Lott at the National Post earlier this year:
 
During batting practice Wednesday, Kawasaki did several headstands against the screen behind home plate, sat on his knees and bounced to the music from the stadium speakers, broke into raucous laughter in a conversation with Arencibia and exuberantly advised a TV interviewer, in English: “I can’t speak English because I am Japanese!"
 
That about sums it up!
 
Lincoln - I don't know what perplexes me more.  That Lincoln is all we got for Travis or that Travis still hasn't figured it out.
 
Bautista - Unfair for a guy with .904 OPS?  Yes.  Do we need the 2010-2012 Jose?  Yes, yes we do.
 
Cabrera - The Melk Man is heating up.  Here's hoping his hammies don't snap.  I think a Blue and White Melk Man outfit would look sweet.
 

 
C+
Lind - Our only C+ student.  That seems about right for some reason.

C
De Rosa - Meh.

Dickey - Hopefully over his neck and back issues which will allow him to get back to his routine and help with the hard knuckler, because we desperately need an Ace.

Morrow - See above.

C-
Izturis - Just not the player I thought he was.

Rasmus - The Dangers are nice, but this is not the hitter I thought he would become.

D+
Lawrie - The D is unreal, but the approach at the plate is becoming worrisome.  The late start is no longer an excuse.

Blanco - Is it too early for "FREE THOLE"?

Buerhle - One great performance, hopefully leads to more.  We don't need perfection, we just need adequacy. 
 
D
Bonifacio - Stop bunting! relax and everything will be fine.  Starting to hit after a putrid start.

Johnson - This reminds me of the last Radiohead album.  I dreamed about it and when it arrived it was Christmas morning.  Then the album sucked.

Rogers - Still better than John fuckin Farrell

Romero - There are not enough words.

Incomplete

Reyes - Desperate for his return.  Maybe he will bring his donkey?

Santos – Another surgery?  Really?  Ok see you in 6 weeks.

Close the door, put out the light.
You know they won’t be home tonight.
The snow falls hard and don’t you know?
The winds of Thor are blowing cold.
They’re wearing steel that’s bright and true
They carry news that must get through.

They choose the path where no-one goes.

They hold no quarter.

Walking side by side with death, The devil mocks their every step
The snow drives back the foot that’s slow, The dogs of doom are howling more
They carry news that must get through, To build a dream for me and you

They choose the path where no-one goes.

They hold no quarter. They ask no quarter.
The pain, the pain without quarter.
They ask no quarter.
The dogs of doom are howling more!

Wow those are some depressing lyrics!

Up up up and down, Turn turn turnaround, Round round roundabout and over again

Being a baseball fan can be an emotional roller coaster.

Last Thursday I was down and up at the same time.  I was down because Happ was getting beaten around, walking what seemed like every batter and the Jays got shelled.  Hence the down.

But even that didn't bring me down as I was sky high thanks to spending my time at the ballpark with

Had a wonderful evening filled with her laughter, smiles and millions of questions.  We had pizza and ice cream and bought a new Jays shirt.  We left in the 5th inning but I didn't even care; it was a memorable baseball experience with my little girl.  I was definitely up.

However Friday and Saturday led to what may have been rock bottom.  Romero being brought back too early led to a loss.  Saturday another shelling and I finally let myself "give up" on the season.....at least momentarily.  Big downer.

They won on Sunday so that was nice, But then another down as they were scorched early on Monday in Tampa and down 7-0 early.....

however...a funny thing happened.  The Jays chipped away,  HR De Rosa, HR Colby...hmmmm could it be? and with the Jays down to their final strike in the 9th. J.P. rocked one into the leftfield bleachers for the eventual win.  An amazing UP!!!!

But of course Tuesday was the ultimate low.  Happ took a comebacker in the head and quite frankly I don't even want to write about it. It was sickening.

But the Jays came back and won another one.  And Happ ended up being relatively ok.  Things were looking up again.

Until tonight's shelling of RR Cool Jay.  Ug, why bring back Romero after ONE minor league start?  What was the logic behind that?

So the roller coaster continues.  Who knows what tomorrow will bring.  All I know is the highs and lows are why I love this game.

That was AWESOME!!!!!!!!

http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/boxscore?gameId=330506130

10 Game Report #3 - Boys Don’t Cry – But sometimes they want to.

Last 10 games: 2 - 8
Overall: 10 - 20
Projected Finish: 54 - 108

After each loss I just want to turn on The Cure and sit in a dark room by myself.

I’m not giving up, but this has been about the worst start you could ever imagine.  There are really no excuses.  Sure there have been some injuries - Lawrie, Bautista, Reyes, Santos, Johnson.  But good teams get past injuries or at least play close to .500 until they heal up.  The Jays would have to go on a massive streak to even sniff .500 right now.

They have also had the hardest schedule in the AL thus far.  But again, you must tread water in the tough times and rise up when the opportunity arises.  Instead of treading water, the Jays have sunk like a stone.

The Jays have to play like a 95 win team the rest of the way just to get to 87 wins which should put them in the conversation for a wildcard.  Doable?  Certainly.  Likely? I have no idea at this point as the team has looked atrocious.  I thought they would win 91 games this year so what do I know.  I also think bringing back Ricky after one great single A start was a huge mistake, but that is another rant for another day.

Fact is Jays have the 3rd worst record in baseball and the 3rd worst run differential.  Boy's don't cry, but the record doesn't lie either.