Oddities and Quirks ...
Last night, former Jay Frank Catalanotto and his current Ranger teammate Jarrod Saltalamacchia had back-to-back RBI at-bats for Texas. It was a history-making event (we think) as Salty has the longest last/family name in major league history (14 letters -- sorry, William "Unlucky 13" Van Landingham) while Cat, with 11 letters in his own last/family name, ain't far behind that.

So ... two at-bats, 25 combined letters in the last names, two RBI. What other weird things are going on in the major leagues these days?

No game for the home team today. Perhaps we could spend this time profitably by making "We Love Adam Dunn" banners, and bringing them out tomorrow?

In four games the affiliates combined to allow 7 runs.  Unlike their Major League counterparts, they scored a bunch as well to go a perfect 4-for-4.

Brandon Magee continues to find Double-A much harder than he found the lower minors, while the New Hampshire offence didn’t help him out by leaving nine runners on base. David Purcey went deep into the game, but didn’t have a particularly strong start. Meanwhile, in the lower minors Brad Mills and Castillo Perez turned in strong efforts, leading to a Lansing victory and Auburn taking the game into extra innings. Nonetheless, the affiliates could only manage one win on the day.

I know you I knew you
I think I can remember your name
Hello I'm sorry I lost myself
I think I thought you were someone else

New Hampshire won the Earl Weaver way, good pitching and two three run home runs.  Lansing won with a ninth inning comeback. Syracuse, Dunedin and Auburn won from the front but the GCL Jays the only losers.  Good pitching was the order of the night, Davis Romero, Brett Cecil, AJ Wideman, Marc Rzepczynski and Marcus Walden each pitched well.  According to Bullet Jays Fan Adam Lind has been called up to Toronto.

Sportsnet reports the following:

The Toronto Blue Jays fired manager John Gibbons on Friday, along with three coaches including Ernie Whitt and hitting coach Gary Denbo and replaced him with 1992 and 1993 World Series winning manager Cito Gaston.

Along with Gibbons, coaches Marty Pevey, Ernie Whitt and Gary Denbo were fired as well. Gaston will be in uniform tonight, alongside first base coach Dwayne Murphy, third base coach Nick Leyva and hitting coach Gene Tenace.

World Series hero and likely Hall of Fame ("should he be?" is another question) RHSP Curt Schilling will have season-ending surgery next week and admits he could be done with his career, too.

The Boston Herald has the full story here.

Your thoughts, Bauxites?

Well, the Jays have lost five straight and thirteen out of seventeen. It's a pretty depressing time to be a Jays fan.

Only one club lost Thursday and it was the baby, baby Jays in the Gulf Coast League. Regardless, there were a lot of positives on the night.

Gary Cathcart won the Bobby Mattick award in 2007 based on managing the Lansing Lugnuts to a franchise-record 78 wins.  This year things haven't been going as well for Cathcart in New Hampshire, the Fisher Cats are last in the Northern Division.  As I entered the coaches room in Erie last week I said to Cathcart that I assumed 2008 wasn't living up to his expectations.  Cathcart replied that my comment was the understatement of the year, as he went on to add that the team pitching and defence have been very disappointing this season.  Cathcart then answered some questions for Batters Box.

Milwaukee decided to use pitching and base running along with the long ball to beat the Jays last night, leaving Greg Zaun a deeply deeply unhappy man.

Auburn won their second game behind a strong start from Josh Wells and two hits from the Jays number one pick, David Cooper.  Dunedin also won thanks to a big game from Cory Patton who was a single short of the cycle.  New Hampshire were trounced.  Syracuse and Lansing had the day off.  The Gulf Coast Jays start their season Thursday.

The Hardball Times' John Brattain is ready for the Ricciardi era to end.

He's obviously not the first one to suggest this, but he just jumped to the other side of the fence now.

Brian Jeroloman was a sixth round selection by the Jays in 2006.  Jeroloman is now in AA and looks to have a very good chance to reach the major leagues in a couple of years.  Jeroloman is recognized as an above average defender but the jury is out on his ability to hit major league pitching.  Jeroloman has maintained his hitting stats on his way to AA which is a positive sign and JP Ricciardi oftens mentions Jeroloman as one of the prospects on the way in the minor leagues.  Recently Brian sat down with Batters Box for an interview while the the Fisher Cats were in Erie.