I know the rent is in arrears, the dog has not been fed in years, it's even worse than it appears but, it's all right.

Claudio Vargas started for the Bisons and he gave up six runs. Marcus Stroman started for New Hampshire and he gave up six hits and two runs in four innings. Neither of them appear to be ready to step in for the Jays, but what do I know? Scott Copeland had the best start of the night but the bullpen blew his lead. Dustin McGowan pitched two thirds of an inning, with better results than the last time. John Stilson pitched two shutout innings.

The Bisons lost, having never lead, the Fisher Cats were suspended in the fourth inning, while Dunedin blew a two run lead in the ninth.

This is your big debut, it's like a dream come true.

The affiliates were 1-3 on the night. The one win came on the back of a rejuvenated Daniel Norris, whose ten strikeouts over four innings of work was by far his best professional performance. Ryan Schimpf had four hits in a losing effort and Josh Thole went deep for Buffalo. The Lugnuts are on an eight game winning streak.

Sad day for baseball and the Blue Jays.  Former scout Epy Guerrero has passed.  Guerrero, of course, recruited a number of the franchise's greatest players.  In scouting circles he was nothing short of a legend.  In fact, it is hard to find a scout that rivaled his eye for talent and ability to get kids to sign on the dotted line.  His work in Latin America paved the way for many to play in the Big Leagues and the strong reputation the Jays still hold in Latin America is largely his responsibility.  Sad day indeed.  Epy will be missed. 

The time to hesitate is through, no time to wallow in the mire.

Tonight Buffalo had the night off, while the rest of the farm managed to go 2-1.  Dunedin faced former Blue Jay Noah Syndergaard for the first time.

I believe the 4:30 start time is a new experiment for the Blue Jays.  Day games are usually 7pm unless it is a getaway day when the game is 12:35.

Mark Buehrle takes the hill for the Jays.  Buehrle has pitched better over the last few starts, can he sustain that today?

"And so, the Blue Jays must go forwards, not backwards! Upwards, not forwards! And always twirling, twirling towards freedom!"

While I was in Dunedin I saw parts of six extended spring games. On the first two days there were intra-squad games at the Jays minor league facility. On day 3 the Jays played two games at the Yankee complex in Tampa. While there were six extended spring games played while I was there they were all doubled up.  As I could only watch one game at a time I saw some of all six games. Call it the equivalent of three games seen by me.

Here are my notes on what I saw and remember I only saw a pitcher throw once, it might have been a good day for him or a bad day.

The affiliates went 2-2 Tuesday night. One of the wins came in extra innings and in walk-off fashion.

Game 2.  Can Ramon Ortiz continue to pitch like the ace of the staff?  When will the bubble burst?  The Jays trot out the usual lineup as of late.  No Izturis, Bonifacio is at second base.

There has been a lot of talk about the Dickey effect, meaning the pitcher who pitches the day after Dickey has a benefit.  I could possibly see a benefit if the following pitcher was Brandon Morrow or Josh Johnson, both of whom are very different pitchers to Dickey.  I am not confident that Ortiz will have a Dickey effect.

I was recently in Dunedin to watch four Dunedin Blue Jays games.  Here are my impressions of the players I saw.

The affiliates took three out of four on Monday, one of them in extra innings.

Will the Jays reverse course? Tampa are 8-2 over their last ten games. Will home cooking work for the Jays? Can Dickey do it?

The answers to these, and many other questions, will be revealed over the next 3 hours.