This Jays Fan Wants Jose Bautista To Slow the F**k Down
Published August 24, 2010 @ 18:35 in Toronto Blue Jays

I love my Blue Jays, but Jose Bautista needs to slow the f**k down.

Last night, Jose Bautista became the first player to reach 40 home runs this season. That puts him on pace for 52 home runs, five more than George Bell hit in 1987. That means that odds are pretty damn good Bautista will push Bell out of the Blue Jays record books this September.

Every year I secretly root against Blue Jays sluggers who approach #47. I did it with Jose Canseco, I did it with Carlos Delgado, and I'm now doing it with Jose Bautista. I grew up idolizing George Bell, and I like him owning that record. I'd like him to keep it as long as possible.

Join me, will you, as we collectively root against Jose Bautista's power in an effort to preserve George Bell's claim to the Jays' single-season home run throne. It's the right thing to do.

Other awesome George Bell entries:

• George Bell: All-Star
• Hello? Is it George Bell You're Looking For?
• George Bell: My Player
• George Bell Hits Three Home Runs on Opening Day 1988

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Our Cliff Johnson Passed by Our Matt Stairs
Published August 22, 2010 @ 11:52 in Toronto Blue Jays

On June 13, 1986, the Jays lost to the Tigers 10-5 at Exhibition Stadium. This game was note-worthy for two reasons. Cannon-armed Jesse Barfield threw out Dwight Lowry at home plate which was my favourite mid-80s Jays play and Cliff Johnson pinch-hit for Rick Leach and went deep.

Cliff friggin' Johnson. I loved that guy. He always had the perfect scowl, seemed perfectly old school and just a little pissed off. I remember he left and came back, and on this night, he hit his 20th career home run as a pinch-hitter. That was a major league record.

Cliff Johnson held that record for 24 years. That's a long time. Yesterday, former Jay Matt Stairs, who's also a good Canadian boy, hit his 21st homer as a pinch-hitter to break Cliffy's record.

I'm happy for Stairs, who I always liked, but I must admit I always liked Cliff Johnson owning that record.

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Live Blogging Brandon Morrow's No-Hit Bid
Published August 8, 2010 @ 15:23 in Toronto Blue Jays

Blue Jays pitcher Brandon Morrow has 16 strikeouts through 8 innings, but more importantly, he's got a no-hitter and a 1-0 lead.

The Rays are coming up in the top of the ninth and I'm going to live blog this inning. Remember, there is currently only one no-hitter in Blue Jays history.

3:25 - I'm nervous. I'd love Morrow to get this, he's pitched a helluva game. Jason Bartlett is at the plate.

3:27 - Barlett has flown out to Wise. 2 outs to go. You can read all about the first no-hitter in Jays history right here.

3:29 - Ben Zobrist has a 3-0 count. Make that 4-0, he's on first. A double play right now would be sweet. C'mon Morrow!

3:30 - Carl Crawford at the plate... 0-1 count. Maybe that 0-2. Fans at the diamond formerly known as SkyDome on their feet. Crawford just hit a foul into the seats. And Snider makes the catch for the second out!

3:32 - Evan Longoria is at the plate, and Morrow needs one more out for the no-no. What a weekend for this team! He's 1-1... I missed Stieb's no-hitter because I was working the CNE that day. Longoria.... FUCK. He's got a base hit. You can blame this one on me, folks. That was close!

3:35 - In addition to his 1990 no-hitter, both of Stieb's last two starts in 1988 were one-hitters, with the lone single coming with 2 outs and 2 strikes in the 9th inning in each game. Tomorrow, Morrow will be perfect.

3:38 - And that's the ball game! A 1-0 victory and a 1-hitter for Morrow with 17th strikeouts. What a game, what a weekend...

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J.P. Arencibia's Major League Debut
Published August 7, 2010 @ 17:23 in Toronto Blue Jays

Called up from Triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday, J.P. Arencibia homered on the first pitch of his first at-bat, a two-run shot to left in the second. He added another first-pitch homer in the sixth, and finished with four hits.

Arencibia is the first player in the modern era with four hits and two homers in his major league debut. He's also the first Blue Jays player to homer in his first career at-bat since Junior Felix did the trick on May 4, 1989, against the California Angels.

J.P. Arencibia belongs in the hall of fame.

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It's 1980, I'm Crying, But I'm Wearing that Hat
Published August 7, 2010 @ 10:54 in Memories, Toronto Blue Jays

I don't have many pictures of me as a kid. There's a long story there, but this entry isn't about that. This entry is about a picture I have of me as a kid in which I'm crying.

Here's the picture...

When I look at that picture, the first thing I wonder is why I'm crying. I'm guessing by the way I'm holding my head that I've just been hit there. Maybe one of my little brothers drilled me with a rock... I certainly can't remember.

Then I wonder what year this picture was taken. I look younger than my son is right now, so I'm thinking I'm about 6. If it's the summer I turned six, we're looking at a picture from 1980. Of course, I might only be 5, in which case this is the 70s.

And finally, and the reason I'm writing this entry, I notice my hat. I'm wearing a Blue Jays cap. I've just played 5 baseball games (okay, 4 were slo-pitch and 1 was 3-pitch softball, but baseball sounds better) in three nights and for all five games I donned that very same hat. No, it wasn't that exact hat, but it was that exact style with that exact logo. As I wrote three years ago, I despise the new Jays logo and refuse to wear it. It's the old logo for me, and I'm sure that will remain the case until my last breath.

It's time we bring back the old Blue Jays logo.

Update: Finally found a picture of me as a kid in which I'm not crying. In this picture, with my brother Ryan beside me, I'm wearing what I believe is the coolest shirt in the history of the world. I want this shirt, in fact, it's now my personal quest to find and buy this shirt.

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Rumplestiltz - LETZ GO BLUEJAYZ
Published July 31, 2010 @ 19:41 in Toronto Blue Jays

Someone named Rumplestiltz has put together a hip hop song about old school Toronto Blue Jays. Anyone who reads this blog, especially my collection of old school Blue Jays Songs, knows I'm a sucker for Stieb, Upshaw, Fernandez, Bell and other Jays of yesteryear.

I'm not sure about some of these rhymes, but I love hearing the old names and the footage is pretty awesome. Letz Go BlueJayz!

If you're itching for the original OK Blue Jays, you want to go here.

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The Ten Homer in One Game Record Remains Ours
Published July 15, 2010 @ 09:59 in Toronto Blue Jays

The other day, I started thinking about September 14, 1987. I watched the Jays take on the Orioles that afternoon, and we hit 10 home runs.

10 home runs in a game by a single team remains the major league record, 23 years later. I'm hoping this record is never broken.

You're probably wondering which Blue Jays went deep that afternoon to give Jim Clancy an easy win. Here's the list:

• Ernie Whitt (3)
• George Bell (2)
• Rance Mullineks (2)
• Lloyd Moseby
• Rob Ducey
• Fred McGriff

I once wrote in great detail about September 14, 1987. You might want to read that entry here.

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No Chanting Allowed at Blue Jays Games?
Published June 25, 2010 @ 10:56 in Toronto Blue Jays

I don't get out to as many Jays games as I used to, but they're still my team. If you've read this blog at all during the years, you know how fanatical I was about the Blue Jays from 1983 through 1993. Growing up, Tom Cheek and Jerry Howarth provided the soundtrack for my summers.

I've been hearing a lot of complaints lately about the security at the ballpark formerly known as Skydome. The Rogers Centre faithful feel they're threatened for cheering too aggressively. A friend calls it "power tripping", and tells me it's not like this at other major league parks.

A regular reader named Michael wanted me to share his experience in this space. Here's what he has to say.

So I had a very unpleasant experience at the Jays game tonight. Born and raised in Ontario, experienced the World Series', stuck with the team through thick and thin. Tonight went to the game, they lost 1-0 to St. Louis but had lackluster offense going. We tried to start a "RICKY" or "LET'S GO BLUE JAYS" chant and I was actually told to stop (and security glared at me too) because "We're in Toronto, what do you expect".

This was so disheartening. Right after being denied chanting rights the Cardinals got on base and I cheered my head off for them just to get a rise out of people; yelled out "FUCK YOU TORONTO SPORTS, WAY TO SUPPORT YOUR TEAM" and got alot of stares right after (obviously). Shortly after I walked out and visited a friend in the concourse, didn't return to my seat.

Such a disheartening experience, especially after being in NYC, Philly, Boston, and Chicago to see how real baseball cities treat their teams. Embarassing Toronto, so incredibly disappointed. I had to get this down.

Have you had an unfortunate incident with security at the Rogers Centre?

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Johnny Mac's Father's Day Home Run (Or Why I Love Sports)
Published June 21, 2010 @ 19:38 in Toronto Blue Jays

We all love Johnny Mac. In a previous era, John McDonald could be our everyday SS. I remember when your defensive gem of a shortstop didn't have to carry a big bat, but those days seem to be long gone.

John's father, Jack McDonald, died of liver cancer last Tuesday at the age of 60. Jack was buried on Friday, and Johnny Mac was back with the team Saturday. Yesterday, on Father's Day, John entered the game to play second base in the ninth inning. He'd get to bat with a man aboard in the bottom of the inning, his first at-bat since losing his dad.

We had talked about the type of player I am before I came back, the fact that I don’t hit a lot of home runs. He said, ‘Hit your next one for me.’

In the bottom of the ninth, on Father's Day, two days after burying his dad, Johnny Mac went deep. This is why I love sports. This is why I love Johnny Mac.

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Mike Wilner Fan 590 Suspension Optically Unsound
Published June 5, 2010 @ 19:23 in Radio, Toronto Blue Jays

I used to watch Mike Wilner on a cable 10 show called "Let's Talk Sports". I'm thinking it was around 1990 when my brothers and I would tune in to watch Mike Wilner and this other guy discuss current sporting events. I thought Mike knew his baseball then, and I think Mike knows his baseball now.

Mike Wilner was suspended from working this weekend's series against the Yankees for The Fan 590 following an exchange he had with Cito Gaston.

During Gaston's daily media scrum on Wednesday afternoon, Wilner raised questions about the way Gaston had used his bullpen in Tuesday night's 7-6 loss to Tampa Bay. A brief but tense exchange followed.

Later on his Fan 590 blog, Wilner wrote at length about the exchange, asserting that Gaston had "painted himself into a corner" by using relievers Shawn Camp and Scott Downs too early. Wilner also wrote that Gaston had "belittled" him in front of other reporters.

The optics here are terrible for The Fan 590. The Fan is owned by Rogers, the same company that owns the Blue Jays. From what I've read or heard, Wilner did his job as a reporter. For that he was suspended, essentially a shot across the bows for other Rogers employees (and remember, it's not just The Fan, but Sportsnet as well) regarding criticism of the Blue Jays and Jays management.

When your pay cheque is signed by the same person financing the team you're covering, should we expect unbiased, fair and balanced reporting? Clearly not.

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