o.	Toronto	                N.Y. Yankees
1	Frank Catalanotto, LF	Derek Jeter, SS
2	Orlando Hudson, 2B	Bernie Williams, CF
3	Vernon Wells, CF	Gary Sheffield, RF
4	Corey Koskie, 3B	Hideki Matsui, LF
5	Shea Hillenbrand, DH	Alex Rodriguez, 3B
6	Eric Hinske, 1B	        Jason Giambi, DH
7	Alex Rios, RF	        Tino Martinez, 1B
8	Gregg Zaun, C	        John Flaherty, C
9	Russ Adams, SS	        Tony Womack, 2B

I think they've also demonstrated that they only really start to figure out a pitcher in their third time through the order.

heh.

I know Pat Hengten got it to work at least twice when he was on the Jays. Either he could sell the throw to third real well or he just got two runners sleeping.

...And that was in a pee-wee house league game. In four years of high school ball, I don't recall that play working once.

Seems, sir. Nay, it is not. I don't know if it's how his body looks in motion when he runs but he doesn't do things hald heartedly at all. They just don't give out Gold Gloves.

What day are they announced for the 2005 season? :-)

Everybody. The game revolves around control of the strike zone. But it's frustrating to watch, of course. Wang's pitches look hittable, so guys are swinging rather than fall behind.

Here's why they don't much want to fall behind. Today's lineup, hitting after the count goes to 0-2:

	       AB   R   H   2B  3B  HR  RBI  BB  HBP  SO AVG   OBP   SLG   OPS

Catalanotto   179   0   34   5   1   1   11   7   6   56 .190  .242  .246 .488
Hudson        198   0   35   6   1   3   15  15   2   87 .177  .242  .263  .505
Wells         292   0   60  11   1   4   32   6   0   99 .205  .219  .291  .510
Koskie        248   0   43   8   1   2   17  14   4  124 .173  .227  .238  .465
Hillenbrand   172   0   36   5   0   1   16   0   3   65 .209  .220  .256  .476
Hinske        286   0   47  10   1   9   30   8   0  130 .164  .186  .301  .487
Rios           81   0   17   3   0   0    6   4   0   33 .210  .247  .247  .494
Zaun          101   0   20   4   0   5   17   4   1   38 .198  .236  .386  .622
Adams          13   0    7   1   1   1    3   0   0    1 .538  .538 1.000 1.538

Agreed - it's just that he kept throwing strikes (54 out of 81, which is great) - and he looked hittable. So you take a hack, and ground out. It worked for Grover Cleveland Alexander, it still works today.

Another dandy game, isn't it?

That raises an interesting question -- is Miguel Batista the best reliever on this team? I can't answer that off the top of my head, though my initial reaction is no.

Well it's certainly debateable, but IMHO yes he is. Better than Chulk anyway. I can see a case being made for Frasor perhaps.

I think Justin Speier is.

I think Speier is one of at least a half-dozen or so relief pitchers who are the best on their respective teams, but are not the "closers"; R. Betancourt (Cle), K. Calero (Oak), L. Ayala (Was), M. Gonzalez (Pit) certainlty come to mind. Possibly J. Walker (Det), R. Bottalico (Mil) and C. Reitsma (Atl) as well.

I don't even understand this logic. Gibbons has brought Batista into a tie game before, and he will again. If he believes Miggy is the team's best reliever, then there's no reason not to. I won't make any other comments because I missed the game, but managers that only bring in their closers when it's a "save opportunity" are among the worst managers in the league.

You have to make it to the 10th first. And by then the Jays also would have had another chance to bat so who knows what the score would have been.