OK, it is just 3 games in Baltimore but October baseball will happen in 2009 - unless those games are rained out.

I'm at the ballpark, going through the Game Notes...

The season is nearing its close -- 11 games remain. The magic number for both AL East and Wild Card elimination for the Jays is just three. The questions  of interest are mostly numerical -- do either Doc or AJ (or both) have two more wins left in them to get to 20? Does anybody get to .300, to 20 homers, or even to 80 RBI? Not really captivating stuff. So let's try out a Question of the Day ...

Rank the Blue Jays Top 10 Most Valuable Players, in order. Explain your rankings, even the smart-ass versions. Ready? I'll start you off with one; you fill in the next nine (yes, this might be harder than you think!) ...

Via the Jays website their winners are...

It looks like the Toronto-Buffalo sports connection with start and end with the Bills.  The Buffalo News reports that the Bisons will likely sign a player development contract with the New York Mets, instead of with the Jays.  A blog at Syracuse.com linking a blog of the Mets beat writer at the New York Daily News also suggests it's pretty much a done deal with the Mets and the Herd.  

I miss Roy Orbison.

It's not the sports pages, but the headlines of many North American newspapers these day contain the name "Ike," a reference to the latest hurricane headed out of the Gulf Coast.

Out of deference to the many afflicted -- most of whom are here in Texas where I live -- men like Bob "Hurricane" Hazle and Clint "The Hondo Hurricane" Hartung will not be considered in this article.

There hasn't been an "Ike" active in the major leagues since 1979, but that won't stop us from seeing if we can't throw together (see, there, I didn't write "whip up") a Hall of Names team, Ike-style ...

The Advance Scout also jumps back on the Blue Jays bandwagon, for the series that Alex and I are tentatively calling THE BIGGEST SERIES EVER. Not to, you know, jinx it or anything. On to... the Advance Scout!

The Jays return to their winning ways. If you tuned in late the 6-4 score looks much like last night, with the key difference being that the good guys one. Far from it, my friend. Both starters were very good, only to see their bullpens implode behind them. Fortunately the Jays imploded the least. Can you say another ten straight? Also, this game featured one of the worst strike zones I think I have ever seen.

Oh, look: Alison Gordon again.

The streak is over, but the Jays did not go gentle into that good night.

We're at the semi-final stage.

It's one of my favourite plays in baseball.

Yup, the Jays are hot and could be viewed as in the race for the first time since the 90's in mid-September.

 Quick! Without looking it up!