After almost a two week absence from the Star, Richard Griffin has returned with the surprising "news" that Carlos Tosca hasn't given up on making the playoffs.
"I haven't come to that conclusion yet," Tosca said, wryly. "We're still in that little box (in the newspaper) that says 'wild-card' and we've been playing about as bad as a team can play for six or seven weeks and we're still in that box.
"I know that we have another run (of victories) in us. We're up against it, but stranger things have happened in this game."
Not many, says Griffin, who points out that if either the A's or Red Sox play .500 the rest of the way, the Jays would have to go 32-12 to beat them.
He's absolutely right. The 2003 Jays have no chance; even the Miracle of Coogan's Bluff involved catching just one opponent. Oakland has sent a strong message to Boston the last couple of nights, but neither is about to fold.
Of course, Tosca has to say his club still in it, as long as the remote mathematical possibility exists. Conceding defeat would only make different headlines. He couldn't possibly be as optimistic as this piece suggests.
It was still fun to read, especially compared to the back page of another local sports section.
The "Last Word" in the Sun today goes to Bob Elliott, whose lame comparison of Eric Hinske to Pat Listach is only the latest bile. Elliott's obsession for bad-mouthing the team makes him blind to the fact that Eric has a .380 OBP for the last month and is at 333/423/524 in the last week.
Comparing their 59-59 record going into last night's game with their 52-66 mark at the same point in the previous season, Elliott, as always, expects the worst.
"Now, the Jays have more wins, but we don't see the same upbeat outlook as we look toward 2004."
The city's most fervent anti-Jays rooter is pessimistic? Gosh, what a surprise. Elliott's glass is nowhere near half-empty. It's bone dry.
"I haven't come to that conclusion yet," Tosca said, wryly. "We're still in that little box (in the newspaper) that says 'wild-card' and we've been playing about as bad as a team can play for six or seven weeks and we're still in that box.
"I know that we have another run (of victories) in us. We're up against it, but stranger things have happened in this game."
Not many, says Griffin, who points out that if either the A's or Red Sox play .500 the rest of the way, the Jays would have to go 32-12 to beat them.
He's absolutely right. The 2003 Jays have no chance; even the Miracle of Coogan's Bluff involved catching just one opponent. Oakland has sent a strong message to Boston the last couple of nights, but neither is about to fold.
Of course, Tosca has to say his club still in it, as long as the remote mathematical possibility exists. Conceding defeat would only make different headlines. He couldn't possibly be as optimistic as this piece suggests.
It was still fun to read, especially compared to the back page of another local sports section.
The "Last Word" in the Sun today goes to Bob Elliott, whose lame comparison of Eric Hinske to Pat Listach is only the latest bile. Elliott's obsession for bad-mouthing the team makes him blind to the fact that Eric has a .380 OBP for the last month and is at 333/423/524 in the last week.
Comparing their 59-59 record going into last night's game with their 52-66 mark at the same point in the previous season, Elliott, as always, expects the worst.
"Now, the Jays have more wins, but we don't see the same upbeat outlook as we look toward 2004."
The city's most fervent anti-Jays rooter is pessimistic? Gosh, what a surprise. Elliott's glass is nowhere near half-empty. It's bone dry.
