Arizona's "Upton number" is 1 - they have clinched a tie for first pick overall.

I read somewhere within the last couple weeks that Arizona would only take a college player with the first pick. Not sure of the accuracy of that, and given the success of the other Upton it'd be a surprise for this Upton not to be taken, but you never know.

Wow, looky there at those Mets. As bad as this season has been for the Jays (although I seem to be strangely upbeat about the team lately) the Mets season has been brutal in light of the moves of their GM. Think they will get anyone as good as Kazmir or Huber with their pick next year ? :-)

The following is an unpaid lineup message, brought to you by The Committee To Re-Sign The First Baseman If The Price Is Right:

Johnson, lf
Hudson, 2b
Wells, cf
Delgado, 1b
Menechino, dh
Rios, rf
Hinske, 3b
Quiroz, c
Adams, ss
Towers, p

Crawford, lf
Cruz Jr., rf
Huff, 3b
Martinez, 1b
Cummings, dh
Baldelli, cf
Lugo, ss
Hall, c
Sanchez, 2b
This Guy, p

Lurch averaged 12.1 points per "game" over his career. (By comparison, Vince has 30.1) Josh Towers, however, has not played in the NBA. If a game of street ball breaks out, I'm taking the home team.

PS: Midre Cummings as DH? What, was Trenidad Hubbard on personal leave?

I watched the Apprentice last night and one of the teams had to create buzz for a new Crest toothpaste and they decided to hire Mike Piazza to brush his teeth and sign a few autographs by Union Station .. and the price for 30 mins of his time was $20,000.

Yikes.

Even though I know his agent gets a cut of that, by boy is that easy money.

Wish I was a ball player..........

See the thing with the mets is... they Find ways to lose you ball games.

The majority of their starters have amazing ERAs and Looper is really good in the Pen.

2 fine plays by Rocco (whenever I hear that name I automatically think about somebody else....)

Ha.. Quiroz is getting the Heckler's Treatment now.

3 pitches after the warning for retaliating, Hendrickson actually hits Quiroz. No ejection, and no need for it.

Just tuning in now,

warning for retaliating

What'd I miss??

I just tuned in too, but according to Gameday, Towers plunked Baldelli. And there's a "history" between the teams, y'know ;)

Baldelli was hit by a pitch, and wasn't happy.

Next inning, Quiroz was brushed back, and both benches were warned. Quiroz was then hit a couple of pitches later, but no ejection.

Given his reputation, I wasn't expecting Joe West to show such good judgment. So far, so good, though. At least it's not Phil Cuzzi.

And there's a "history" between the teams, y'know ;)

I was JUST thinking that. Wasn't Towers the one who beaned Rocco last year, causing someone else in turn to be beaned, causing Aquilino Lopez to bean someone late, causing a brew-ha-ha?

Or something like that.

Well, ESPN tells me that Towers pitched on Sep 23rd last year versus Tampa. During the game, Victor "Equal to Kazmir" Zambrano hit two Jays, but Towers was too busy getting shelled to respond. The game before that, though, was the infamous game where Halladay plunked Baldelli and Rolls, causing him to be ejected by Cuzzi, almost costing him the Cy Young to L-----.

Was that a good catch, Jobu? ;)

SPARKY!!

Sparky left his feet and fully extended himself to make the catch. His left arm may now be an inch longer than his right after that stretch.

(Imagines the catch inside his head.)

Wow. Great catch, Sparky.

Josh Phelps just ended Santana's scoreless streak with a double scoring V Martinez from 1st.

I dont have access to a tv but yes.... that was an excellent catch by my favourite and yours... THRILLHOUSE....I mean... SPARKY :>

How does a brilliant show like 'Andy Richter Controls the Universe' get cancelled off of TV, but a douchebag like Bob McCown get his show on TWO mediums?

And Jobu, brilliant picture of our man Thrillhouse; the plan is taking shape.

The fan just ruined my afternoon, first they give Chuck "I Love basketball and Jeter" Swirsky the spot when I normaly drive home from school and banish Stelick, and then they give a chump like McCowan a prime time show so I have nothing to watch when I get home.... ARGHHHHHHHHH!!!

When do we get to see the Sparky & Thrillhouse hour on the Fan?

If there was a keyoboard key to show my eyes popping out of my head, it would have just been used for that throw by Rios. WOW!

Holy Clam Chowder.... what a throw by Rios. My eyes are numb now.

Wow. A fly ball to medium rightfield with Crawford on second. He tags. Rios catches it flat-footed but still throws him out at third. Even with Crawford's speed and not setting up under it, he still got him out. I'm going to love watching this arm in the future.

http://me.woot.net
Amazing outfield assist by Rios. A medium-depth fly ball with Carl Crawford on second; Craford tags on the throw, and Rios throws a high strike to Hinske on the fly from RF. The throw beats Crawford and he's called out. Awesome.

I have to say I like the Rios/Gross corner OF combo better defensively than last year's Stewart/Cat combo.

I think Zaun said Rios should try throwing from the stretch in practice because his arm is so live. Would he be more valuable as a pitcher? ;D

I wish I had a TV.

You know, as much as people complain about how much foul area there is in Oakland, I noticed there's quite a bit at the Trop too.

Boston 4, Yankees 3 @ Fenway, bottom of 7.

Is it just how long his legs are, or does it look like Rios is always just jogging when he runs the bases?

Damn, well.... last place for us. SFH.

Yanks/Sox on Sportsnet Ontario for any interested

The fan just ruined my afternoon, first they give Chuck "I Love basketball and Jeter" Swirsky the spot when I normaly drive home from school and banish Stelick, and then they give a chump like McCowan a prime time show so I have nothing to watch when I get home....

Swirsky is infinitely better than the English-train-wreck-waiting-to-happen known as Stellick. I honestly can't tell the point he's trying to make half the time and, judging by the confused silence, neither do his guests. He may be the friendliest guy on radio, but I'm thankful for less mind numbing hockey blather in the afternoons.

No disagreement on McCown, who proves once more that you can be wildly successful as a sports 'analyst' despite knowing very little about the games you are analyzing.

Still trying to figure out how Wilner didn't commit har hari kari after McCown's Idiotball/Ricky Henderson rant.

Oooh, Meuller got him, bad call.

I'd mcuh rather have a guy blabbing on about hockey and occaisionaly baseball than a mcuh cockier guy blabbing on and on about basketball and Jeter and college football which I could care less about.

PS. Even the preview for the McCowan show looks annoying.

Awwwwww man! Sportsnet pulls the feed after sucking us into the game.

The people at Sportsnet are such teasers. Whenever they do the "bonus coverage", then yank it out to do Sportsnet News, I get annoyed. Surely the coverage of the Boston / New York game would get equal or better ratings, right? Or are there rights issues that I'm unaware of?

Does anyone know if this weekends Sox/Yanks game's will be televised in Ontario? Fox perhaps?

The Star's TV listings tells me that we're getting (wait for it) the Cubs and Mets on Fox's game of the week. Ugh.

The (slightly) good news is that Sportsnet's non-Jays game of the week is Dodgers / Giants, at 10 PM on Sunday night.

Man, I get so excited watching Barry Bonds on TV, I can't imagine what it'd be like to be a Giants fan and watching him.

702 off Odalis Perez. Watches a breaking ball go by for a called strike. Odalies throws another and it's a mistake.

Random thoughts...

Sportsnet:
Are they going to continue counting the days of the lockout? They had "Day 9" up there today. Will I see "Day 396" or will they have given up on the sport by then?

Sawkiw:
Enough. Please.

McCown:
He's an eloquent speaker, and a great interviewer, but he knows nothing about baseball and without Damien Cox, even less about hockey. (Although Cox knew nothing outside of PAT QUINN IS THE ANTI-CHRIST so maybe that's not a fair statement.) Despite all that, I still listen to him most days, and I like his show.

It will still be a disaster on TV, though. Why turn a radio show into a TV show? The costs for cameras and operators alone must be quite high. And what's the point of paying for cable and seeing three guys sit in a studio and talk, when you can listen to it on radio for free?

Why turn a radio show into a TV show?

'cause then we can see how cool he is with the shades and unshaven face?

Why I love baseball: The Mariners are playing spoiler. Tonight against Texas, there were runners on first and third in the top of the ninth, with the score 7-7. Ichiro was up, and he was intentionally walked. Randy Winn then singled home the winning run. Karma.

Now, for more late night fun, can you name the person who said this quote?

"I’m looking to get into competitive golf. I have all the fundamental tools to be a great golfer and I want to take my game to the next level. I’m working with a coach now and feel that the possibilities are endless . . . I feel like the sky’s the limit."

Yes, it is Jays related. I love google for moments like this.

Please, please tell me it's Dave Stewart. You could write a pretty good comedy about a guy like Stewart trying to join the professional golf tour.

I just googled it.

Oh. My. God. That is pissingly funny. (It's not Stew, by the way)

I was hoping it'd be Jose Canseco. In about 3 weeks I'm moving back to Canada and perhaps then I'll see what the fuss is all about.

P.S. - and totally off-topic - looks like I'll be living near Yonge and Wilson. As most of my formative years were spent in Etobicoke and Mississauga, can anyone clue me in as to what the neighbourhood's like? The fact that I'll be a 5 minute walk to the Subway is a bonus

Cesar Izturis has a higher AVG/OBP/SLG than eric hinske

McCown:
He's an eloquent speaker, and a great interviewer, but he knows nothing about baseball and without Damien Cox, even less about hockey. Despite all that, I still listen to him most days, and I like his show.

Yup me too. Most days I listen to him and I think "Man this guy is good". Other days (ie the day I first heard 'Idiotball') I think "Man this guy has no idea what he's talking about. He just likes to hear himself talk and enjoys bullying the opposition".

Oh yeah and "The Swirz", blech. Everytime I listen to Swirzky I cant help thinking that he's trying so so hard to be edgy with his opinions and rhetoric but it's just not quite working because inside he really is a great big cheerleader.

Craigers is right. That quote is urine-inducing hilarity.
I'm surprised we didn't hear all about this, since we learned enough about the man last month...

inside he really is a great big cheerleader.

Except with the Jays. Wilner can back me up here: "I was fighting for my LIFE on the Big Show today!"

What's funny is that I read the post of

"Sawkiw:
Enough. Please."

and that inspired me to google Sawkiw. I was just looking for some info about his playing career, and I hit the motherlode.

I decided to check out what other sportsnet broadcasters are up to. By random selection, I chose Scott Carson, and let me just say, I was stunned. The man clearly keeps himself busy!

I have no idea how he fits it all into his busy schedule. Still, with his qualifications, he sure is a boon to Sportsnet.

Yonge and Wilson/York Mills has access to a Go Bus, a gas station or two, a public golf course and virtually nothing else. You're firmly planted in the burbs. Best of luck!

Arizona doesn't get the first overall pick just cause they have the worst record. Each year it switches american league than national league. ANd each pick is alternated by both leagues. That's why sandiego got first pick last draft even though detroit had a much worse record.

http://www3.sympatico.ca/petercurtis
2005 Draft rankings,
Well since the Jays have fallen , and quite hard, its seems that i have been watching there games so i can see if they lose and help their draft position. i know this is evil.

Actually i have been thinking more and more about the draft because of what i have seen from the likes of Russ-ty Adams, Lexi Rios, Gabey Gross, Gerry Quiroz & Brandon-ew League.

I was searching around and found this ranking of top HS players and College players availible for next years draft. Where does everyone think the Jays will gear towards/ As long as they get either of Alex Gordon & Mike Pelfrey, i'll be happy.

Highschool:
1. Justin Upton, SS, Virginia
2. Sean O?Sullivan, RHP/3B/OF, California
3. Cameron Maybin, CF, North Carolina
4. Bradley Clark, RHP, Florida
5. Austin Jackson, CF, Texas
6. Chris Volstad, RHP, Florida
7. Justin Bristow, 3B/RHP, Virginia
8. Andrew McCutchen, CF, Florida
9. Iain Sebastian, 1B/RHP, Georgia
10. Jeff Lyman, RHP, California

College:
1. Alex Gordon, 3B, Nebraska
2. Mike Pelfrey, RHP, Wichita State
3. Stephen Head, 1B/LHP, Mississippi
4. Jeff Clement, C, USC
5. Luke Hochevar, RHP, Tennessee
6. Tyler Greene, SS, Georgia Tech
7. John Mayberry Jr., OF, Stanford
8. Mark McCormick, RHP, Baylor
9. Brian Bogusevic, OF/LHP, Tulane
10. Jed Lowrie, 2B, Stanford

I believe the draft no longer uses alternate year leagues for selections. Now they go by the team records. In this year's draft, that means that Arizona will pick first.

Peter - Where did you get that list from?

http://www.battersbox.ca/archives/00002419.shtml
i have been watching there games so i can see if they lose and help their draft position. i know this is evil.

I don't know if it's evil, Peter, but it is unnecessary. I noted in an article a little while back (COMN) that the Jays are a virtual lock to pick between 4th and 9th next June, and that the quality of draftees available at that time don't differ markedly at either end of that spectrum. So, you can look forward to a solid drafting opportunity wihout having to root against the home team.

The Jays currently have the 5th-worst record in baseball, BTW, but they're in a dogfight with the Devil Rays and Senators, er, Expos.

FWIW, I was going through the list of college players that Peter posted.

Judging just from the stats it looks like the top players are Lowrie, Gordon, and Head. Lowrie was #1 on Craig's rankings this year despite being a sophomore.

Among pitchers it looks like Pelfrey is above the rest. On Craig's list he was 27th this season. The other pitchers weren't in the top 100. (FWIW Purcey was 34 and Janssen was 31 this year)

Can someone email me the final punchy with the Jays uniform and goggles??