Quick, name the top five hitting shortstops in baseball today.

(I'll wait.)

Now, how many of those players play in the American League?

The draft starts at 2 pm today. The Jays pick should come around 2:45-3:00.

You remember that Simpsons scene when Homer, Bart and Lisa are celebrating in the car after Church, "Its the best time of the week - the longest possible time to more Church!".  That's always how I feel when a Yankee series ends, the Jays don't see them again now until the last series before the All Star Break. 

John Parrish, Gus Chacin and Marc Rzepczynski delivered excellent starts and each team won.  New Hampshire were the victims of a perfect game for 7.1 innings and lost.  JP Arencibia had four RBI's.

John Smoltz will undergo season-ending surgery next week.  He's 41 years old, and we may have seen the last of him.

Earlier this week, we took up a Reader Challenge to find "the greatese single Franchise Position in baseball history" ... after a variety of responses, including a Magpie Chart (always a sign of worthiness!) we have found candidates for every position on the diamond (including DH!) except second base.

Let's review and answer the following questions ...

Does it make any sense to choose a high school pitcher in the first round?

A come-from-behind victory for New Hampshire and a fifth consecutive win for your first place Lansing Lugnuts highlight a .500 night on the farm.

Did Yankees fans enjoy last night's game? Let's check in at Bronx Banter and Replacement Yankees Weblog

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.... in this corner.... representing the Toronto Blue Jays... the 2003 American League Cy Young Award winner... a four-time All-Star.... from Denver Colorado... give it up for the Doc... ROY HALLDAY!!!

(frenzied cheering)

A quick primer on the Yankees, in celebration of the first career start of Joba Chamberlain in a series that features a couple of good pitching matchups.

After scoring 11 runs and losing by 6 on Sunday the Fishercats took no chances and scored 17 on Monday as the affiliates were a perfect 4-0 on the night.

After an off day it's a good time to look at the draft.

Here's a challenge ... can you name the greatese single Franchise Position in baseball history? Isn't it Left Field, Boston Red Sox?

Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski you know about. Before them came Duffy Lewis -- who would have made a bushel of All-Star Games had there been such a thing back then -- and after them came Jim Rice, Mike Greenwell and now Manny Ramirez, the latter who is also headed to the HOF.

Um ... wow. I don't think even NYY 1B -- Gehrig, Skowron, Chambliss, Mattingly -- comes close to that. Does anyone else come close?

Hey, maybe that's why teams bring in their closer in the ninth with a three run lead.