So what do you do when it’s May 1 and your favourite major-league team looks like it’s lost a fight with a cement mixer? You go look at the minor-leaguers, of course, especially since they’re the ones upon whom this franchise is really being constructed. The Blue Jays are rebuilding at every level of the system, and despite the sorry recent results in Toronto, there’s reason for solid optimism for the future.

This is the first in what I hope will be a series of monthly updates on the progress (or lack thereof) of key Blue Jays prospects and other denizens of the organization’s minor-league system. Not all prospects are accounted for, just the ones with notable performances thus far. All stats are current through April 29. Here we go.

He is sorely needed. The ace is on the mound trying to break the Ranger's ten game winning streak against the Jays.

Lovely end to the first for Halladay with the strike-em-out throw-em-out DP.

Here's part two of the Jays' report card for April 2003, in which I cover the pitchers. The young and impressionable among you may want to avert your eyes.

When I was running my own Blue Jays fan website for two years (2000 and 2001), I used to write up a monthly report card for each Blue Jay, assigning grades from A+ to F, often on a whim. I thought I'd try it again with this year's Jays. Enjoy.

Doubleheader for me today; before watching part two of the shootout at the SkyDome corral, I'll be at Talbot Park coaching the Ursula Franklin Academy Flames in our season opener. This game is reminiscent of the Jays' first series of 2003 -- might as well start against the best. In our case, it's 3-0 Leaside. Ranked #2 in the Star poll, they've already won the Ontario Showcase tournament (MVP pitcher/SS Mark Sikorski was the paper's Athlete of the Week) and are strong contenders for the provincial finals at the Dome June 10-12.

Our much smaller school competed in Tier II last year, and had a fine season, reaching the city semi-finals. This year, with a number of graduating seniors, a Team Ontario righthander and a talented crop of Grade 9 and 10 players, we decided to move up to Tier I. So it's a David-Goliath scenario this afternoon (Bayview & Eglinton, 4:00, weather permitting) and we're hoping to benefit from the experience. But we're starting our ace, and they might take us lightly. I hope we stay relaxed and have fun; if we win the first inning, youneverknow.

Mike Moffatt said it less than an hour into last night's embarrassment: "The fans are certainly getting their money's worth tonight." This morning, Dave Perkins has the same take in the Star, and in the Globe and Mail, Stephen Brunt ignores the awful ballgame, saying, "This was about the city that the rest of Canada loves to hate, embracing and reassuring itself."

It's not easy to embrace the bullpen or be reassured that the problems there are temporary. I'm less disappointed in Hendrickson's start (though I wish he'd followed my advice to pitch around A-Rod) or Kershner's ineffectiveness (it happens, and Tosca got him out of there promptly) than I am in Tam and Escobar. One's just not good enough -- maybe in 2000 and 2001, but no more -- and the other has exhausted everyone's patience on and off the field. It had been a very long day, so I had the sound turned down and was falling asleep by the time Kelvim the Indifferent came in -- what was the crowd's reaction?

Reliable, consistent Dave Berg, 3-for-5 in his second consecutive start at 2B, seems to have replaced the erratic Hudson. It's time for Cliff Politte, who doesn't always succeed but at least shows up, to be named the closer. The next time I have to watch Escobar, I hope it's in another uniform.

I'll pinch-hit for Coach and set up the log for tonight's tilt; Juan Gonzalez has already gone yard. 2-0 Rangers before you can say "2-0 Rangers."

According to a newsflash e-mail from D/FW stalwart Rangers expert Jamey Newberg's legendary Newberg Report, the Toronto Blue Jays have placed a waiver claim on recently-released LHP Doug Davis.

I now officially have a reason to root for Toronto.

Doug Davis ... Blue Jay. Discuss.

It's official. Dollar Day at the Skydome (tonight's game against Texas) is a sellout, with every available seat going for $1. I'm not a season ticket holder, but if I were, I might be wondering if I'll be getting a refund in the mail sometime soon. But never mind that: it's a great PR move. The Jays look like heroes in the fight against the World Health Organization (that is what we're all fighting here, right?), 40,000 more Torontonians than usual get to see the team, and the club might be ready to go on another hot streak following the big Sunday comeback.

The forecast for Toronto today is 15 and sunny, going down to just 10 overnight. If anyone from Skydome Inc. is reading this, would you please consider leaving the Dome open tonight? This is fine springtime weather, perfect for watching baseball wearing a light jacket, cotton shirt and jeans. If 50,000 citizens are willing to brave the SARS epidemic, they can certainly brave a slight nip in the air. The Dome is a 100% better place to watch the game with the roof open; please show this huge windfall of an audience how true that is.

An avalanche of runs in the lower minors can't obscure some fine pitching performances in Toronto's farm system and a rare 4-0 sweep for the Young Jays.

The second full house of the season will feature A-Rod, but not O-Dog. Berg is at second, which means either Hudson's hurt, or he's become a utility infielder.

Teixeira's status as a platoon hitter continues to baffle me, and I think if I was ever going to start Blalock vs. a lefty, it would be Lurch. I respect Showalter as a strategist and motivator, but I've been questioning his lineup all year.

The performance of the Jays bullpen has improved a bit in recent games: instead of collectively blowing games every time they had a late lead, they have managed to provide effective innings to keep the Jays in the game more frequently.

Here are some bullpen numbers through game 26:

Two weeks ago I was driving from Las Vegas to San Francisco: an eight-hour trek through desert high and low, past lonely towns barely removed from the 19th century. Regrettably, I did not have a CD player, so I was forced to choose between war talk, sports talk, or the ramblings of my mind. The former was nauseating, the latter boring and depressing. Sports talk it was.

The AP is reporting The Toronto Blue Jays plan to formally change the team’s name to Jays . There may also be trendy black uniforms. MLB has apparently already been informed and things are in place for tha change to happen next season.

If we can finally get a cool looking cap logo I promise to buy several of the expensive fitted variety.

I admit my Toronto Walrus squad was lucky to be holding an 8-4 lead over Billie's Bashers going into the final day of Week 4 action. My vaunted pitching staff lost Armas to the DL, and a few other guys were simply terrible (Baez had an 81.00 ERA). My hitters weren't much better, so I was going to be content with a split, but ended up on the short end of a 6-4 score.

That was enough to relinquish top spot in the standings. Snelville's Gashouse Gorillas (the only team to breathe that first-place air more than once) have a one game lead, and I'm tied with Jurgen's Baird Brain for second. Against the Jones boys this week, my team had better wake up or we'll get crushed.