Happy Easter! Both this game and tomorrow's against the Puddytats are being broadcast over-the-air on the Fan. That also means you should be able to pick up a feed at http://fan590.com .

I hope it is neither League or Downs. Downs pitched for Syracuse yesterday and got pounded for 6 runs in 2 IP. I still would like to see League get a chance to start. J.P. emphasized yesterday that he did not want to give teams a "free shot" at grabbing one of their pitchers. Both Miller and Glynn are out of options. I'm guessing that they both make the team (at a minimum Miller) and League and Walker will go down to Syracuse because they can.

Jerry says Tom's surgery went well, he's going to be re-evaluated in about a week and might come visit them for the broadcast tomorrow.

Warren Sawkiw is doing colour today, so we'll be getting a preview of our broadcast team for most of this season.

Jerry is saying that he's been to see Tom, who looks "good" but won't be calling any of the games this year. Sawkiw is doing the whole heap instead.

The fact that they are talking Tom up as a fighter is in some ways good, but also a measure of what he is facing.

Mike Barnett used to be Sawkiw's hitting coach!

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Jays start the season with 11 pitchers now that they know Lilly is on the DL. It also opens a spot for Gross.

Personally I don't think League's command is quite MLB ready so he should start in the minors. I also don't think Downs deserves a spot. He has not pitched well. Burnside has better stats, if you really want another lefty in the pen. I say him pitch one game and he was lights out against both left and right handed batters. He had a really good change up working and fairly good command of a high 80s fastball.

Miller and Glynn should make it through waivers, if they are sent down. If not, I doubt both would be picked up.

I am not a big fan of eating Ligtenberg's contract, which was discussed in the Sun today. Sure the Jays have more money now, but I'd hate to see them wasting it all on eating bad contracts (including Koch). If they are to get rid of Ligtenberg, why not swamp him for another disappointing player who has a similar contract?

They don't need a 5th starter until April 13th. I'd rather start the year with 11 pitchers, but if they insist on not losing anyone then I guess they will bring 12 north.

I only count 39 guys on the 40 man roster, but I hope they keep a free slot to grab someone from waivers over the next 10 days. If they need to remove someone, Jason Arnold looks like the best candidate to me.

I saw the Star article today and there is no way I eat Ligtenburg's contract unless he flops once the regular year gets going.

The Gabe is batting cleanup! Missed most of the rest of the lineup, but the regulars have the day off for the most part. Menechino is playing first.

I don't much understand the piece in the Sun, either, although Ligtenberg's realism is always... refreshing? "I wouldn't trade for me."

He's actually had a decent spring - 7 IP, 5 H, 4 K, 0 BB.

Griffin has a feel-good piece about Cito Gaston and Bobby Cox having a spring reunion. Gibbons needs to handle Ligtenberg the way Gaston handled Danny Cox in 1993. Gingerly. With care. Ligtenberg today, like Cox then, must be regarded as fragile, but effective if handled delicately. Gaston said at the time that Cox couldn't be used like other relievers. Gaston used Cox on consecutive days once all season. He regularly gave him three to five days between appearances. As if he was a starter.

This lineup is great.

CF Johnson
C Zaun
RF Rios
LF Gross
1B Menechino
SS Adams
3B Alfaro
2B McDonald
P Towers

Missed most of the rest of the lineup

Since I'm scoring the game today (anything to put off essay-writing):

Johnson CF, Zaun C, Rios RF, Gross LF, Menechino 1B, Adams SS, Alfaro 3B, McDonald 2B, Towers P

Yes, that's Zaun...batting second.

Gets Zaun out of the game in the early innings with an extra at-bat.

Thanks for passing on the updates about Tom. I've been wondering, and it's great to hear he made it through surgery.

No way I eat both Koch and Ligtenberg salaries before the season starts. How can you blow $3.4 million just like that? What are we, New York?

I'll be the first to say it, Sawkiw is much, much better when he's not on the television, and is much more relaxed. Good stuff so far.

"I only count 39 guys on the 40 man roster, but I hope they keep a free slot to grab someone from waivers over the next 10 days"

The Jays will have to add a back-up catcher to the 40 man roster before opening day thus filling the free slot. Neither Myers or Huckaby are on the roster and the winner of the battle will need to be added.

I was under the impression that League was already going to make the roster as a middle reliever (perhaps Chulk won't?).

Anyways, the Jays initial plan was to have Halladay, Chacin, Towers, Off-Day, Bush, Halladay, Lilly rounding up the first six starts due to Lilly's injury. Which works out kind of nicely seeing as the series against Boston (the last three games) warrants our best three starters anyways. Unless Lilly's injury has worsened or made no progress, we're not going to need a sub for him thanks to the day off we get between the TB series and Boston series.

I'm not impressed with Sawkiw at all so far. By the bottom of the first he'd already told three "when I played" stories. By this rate he'll run out of material by the fourth inning. And he spends too much time discussing the catcher's role. I'll give him some time, but...

It's okay, Beav. It's only his first game so I'm sure he's getting all his stories out of his system and all the things he's always wanted to say on the radio. he'll be ready to go come April.

I sure hope so. We've been spoiled with Tom and Jerry for so many years. I guess it would be tough for anyone to step into the booth right now.

What is so problematic about 2-out walks?

"No way I eat both Koch and Ligtenberg salaries before the season starts. How can you blow $3.4 million just like that?"

The team owes Ligtenberg his salary regardless of whether he's on the team or not.

The only difference in what the team is paying is the minimum salary of the player that would take Ligtenberg's place on the roster. So releasing Ligtenberg would only 'blow' $300,000 (and one would assume it improves the team if the move is made).

I know you have to pay Ligtenberg regardless, that's my point. You blow the money by letting him go and getting no value back. At least let him start the season and see if he's effective with limited use.

I have to say, the bullpen has been really encouraging so far this spring. The Jays have had such bad luck with relievers the last couple of years that karma-wise, they're owed a few good relief performances. I'm still not sold on Batista as closer, but if his placement there fits everyone else into good interlocking roles, I can definitely live with it. Good bullpens are the engine of surprise teams.

It's actually a terrific sign that the Jays cut Koch. From all reports, he didn't have anything on his pitches, and he would've been a gaoline can in the pen had he stuck with the team. A weaker Jays club would've been forced to bring him along and hope for the best, or worse, would've felt obliged to keep an old ex-Jay around. But the front office is clearly confident enough with their bullpen that they don't have to cross their fingers with their relievers. That bodes well.

I'd keep either Walker or Glynn in the big leagues and send the other to Syracuse along with Miller. The Jays need a long man/emergency starter on hand; they don't need two. Miller should go to Syracuse and continue trying to harness his stuff.

I agree on Sawkiw sounding a lot more relaxed. And I don't mind the catcher stories -- I'd never have known why catchers would wear long sleeves on a hot day, and those are the tiny, interesting details that a good colour guy contributes.

He sounds like he's hanging out and having fun at a ballgame, which appeals to me -- since I want to be hanging out and having fun at a ballgame, I like to be able to hear someone doing it for me.

I didn't like Sawkiw very much as the game wore on, but I guess there's nothing to talk about in a 9-3 loss. Though I agree, he told way too many "when I played" stories, and let's hope he doesn't do that tomorrow.

I only have four words for this game: Josh Towers was terrible.

Started out well, ended horribly. Like so many of my past relationships.

It's a good thing I'm not doing today's Game Report. Josh Towers' Running Game Score Chart is ugly. Beyond ugly, in fact.

Ooh ooh I wanna see the chart! Post it, post it!

I missed it. Why do catchers wear the long sleeves...

That's a good question Magpie. I didn't hear Sawkiw's answer but I imagine it had to do with visibility of signs to the pitcher or blocking the plate during runner collisions. Yes, I am a catcher but I hate those darned sleeves.

No, he said it was to stop sweat running down your arms and into your arms/bat.

There you go. Wristbands are cooler though :)

Ooh ooh I wanna see the chart! Post it, post it!

Okay, since you asked for it. Avert Theo's eyes, though. Children don't need to see this:

I haven't seen anyone hit the ground that hard since Rob Johnson. Good pitchers average around 50 in their starts. Towers peaked at 52, in the first inning.

Ouch. Every third batter was a Black Monday. ;)