Justin Jackson was a supplemental first round selection of the Blue Jays in the 2007 draft.  Jackson played in the Gulf Coast League in 2007 and is now a member of the Lansing Lugnuts.  Jackson has made a good start to the 2008 season and is playing well for a 19 year old.  Recently Batters Box talked with Jackson in Lansing.

Marcum is off to a hot start. Can he keep it up?

Clayton McCullough is the manager of the Lansing Lugnuts, a move up from managing the GCL Jays last season.  Tom Signore is the pitching coach in Lansing.  I spoke with both of them last week in Lansing.

I've noticed that esteemed Bauxite emeritus Craig Burley, will from time to time discuss field managers in terms of their bloodlines. Like horses. Which makes sense, even if they don't actually shoot managers. But as we seem to have been talking about General Managers a fair bit lately, I thought I'd carry on in a similar vein.

Quiet day on the farm as affiliates split a pair.

In a follow-up to yesterday's post I decided to look at the strength of each AL division from 1994 (the first year of the 3-division setup) to present. Below the cut is the data.

One night after a sweep New Hampshire were the only team with a win.  Brett Cecil pitched well and Travis Snider hit a three run home run.  David Purcey and Randy Boone pitched OK but both lost.  Dunedin Jays took the example of the big club and were blown out.

A common theme around the Box for the last 6 years is the claim that being in the AL East is killing the Jays. If only they were in a weaker division, like the AL Central, where teams do not have to compete with the Yankees and Red Sox. Then the Jays would be contenders!

But if you look at the data, it is almost impossible to draw that conclusion...

This is why outfielders are often encouraged not to dive after fly balls.

Vernon Wells will be out for 6-8 weeks with a broken wrist, and Jeremy Accardo joins him on the DL with "a right forearm strain." Joe Inglett is back, again, along with.. Armando Benitez?

You say you got a real solution
Well you know
we'd all love to see the plan
- John Lennon

Well, in this case you be the General Manager.

It's not brain surgery, right? We apply a few sabermetric principles, add in $100 million dollars of Ted's money and PRESTO! A 90 win team! Wham, bam, next case.

All four affiliates won.  New Hampshire scored three in the eighth to win 12-11.  Scott Campbell had five RBI's while the number 7, 8, 9, and 1 hitters went 13-16 with five walks.  Brad Mills pitched a great game as Lansing got a big win against division leader West Michigan.  Syracuse easily handled Durham behind a good start from John Parish and Dunedin survived a ninth inning scare to win 7-6.

But enough about the Jays - on to the Advance Scout!

The Blue Jays are looking at some more bats, adding Kevin Mench and Brad Wilkerson to the lineup. Mench was obtained from Texas for "cash considerations." Wilkerson was signed off the scrap heap. Joe Inglett has been optioned back to Syracuse.

To make room on the 40-man roster, Gustavo Chacin and Sergio Santos have been designated for assignment. After they clear waivers, which seems probable, they can be outrighted to Syracuse.

The Jays stormed back to tie the game in the bottom of the 9th against the resurgent Troy Pervical, only to see an Alex Rios leadoff triple in the bottom of the 10th go uncashed. A sac fly from Bossman Junior and a Dioner Navarro grand slam later and that was all she wrote. Those with a need to see the gruesome details can do so, here.

Seriously. It was a bloodbath. The Jays just can't hit right now... from the majors right on down.