You gotta be careful with your body. Your body is like a bar of soap. The more you use it, the more it wears down.
-- Dick Allen

In other words, don't expect to see Gregg Zaun catching tonight...

It wasn't a carnival or a bridge game in Syracuse, as the Chiefs restored order against the Indians. The farm affiliates went 4-3.

My interesting life has led me to watch this game backwards: I heard the eighth and ninth innings on the radio, watched the game on TV from the tenth onwards, and now (now being Thursday night just past midnight) I'm watching a recording of the first nine innings that I missed. And I'm really tired, so here's an unranked, randomly ordered list of people who were all out of bubble gum so they had to do that other thing they came to do:

Could the Blue Jays complete a sweep of the visiting Anaheim Angels (I refuse to call them anything but that) this evening? Dave Bush thinks so, and since he's getting the ball tonight, well, that's a good thing. John Lackey, who's quietly putting up some eye-popping strikeout numbers this year, counters for Anaheim.

FINALLY! Jays win in 18 innnings 2-1.

There’s an intricate etiquette that applies to the ferry from Toronto Island Airport to the mainland, and this guy didn’t get it. Even though I was in the last row of the puddle-jumper that landed at the airport late yesterday afternoon, I had no luggage and I was an old hand at this. I strode past the other passengers – you mosey, you lose – and ended up fourth in the makeshift lineup that waits at the entrance for the ferry to return to the island.

It's unbelievable how much you don't know about the game you've been playing all your life.
-- Mickey Mantle

Continuing the photo of the day theme week, here's Vinnie Chulk. Check out the expression on his face -- it's like he's thinking "You're already out":

Two split doubleheaders, two rainouts and two single game losses featuring some poor pitching. Ricky Romero starts but Eric Fowler was better.

Picture of the Day Mojo works again! as Jason Frasor, struggling recently, pitches out of a big eighth inning jam. Miguel Batista wriggled off another hook in the tenth. Josh Towers pitched seven strong innings, Russ Adams dashed home with the winning run on a wild pitch, and it all sounds like a great night to have been in the ball park. I wish I'd been there.

So when you guys get home from 518, don't be shy!

For the most part, pitching looks like a normal, fluid, graceful motion while you're watching it. But when you freeze it, it looks very odd. For example, here's the tail end of a Jason Frasor pitch:

Davis Romero has seen it happen before. Two prospects on the same team with the same last name. One of them shines just a little bit brighter than the other one. All of the sudden the latter is pegged with a new nickname on some website. People are calling him Felix "The Other" Romero. Things spiral so far out of control that he's forced out of the organization and is suspended for a drug violation. Davis is determined not to go the way of Felix now that there's a new Romero in town. (Though I'm happy to report that Felix is pitching very well in Advanced Class A Wilmington.)

24. Marianne Moore loved Christy Mathewson. No woman of quality has ever preferred football to baseball.
-- Thomas Boswell, "99 Reasons Why Baseball is So Much Better Than Football"

Walrus Usurps Throne.
Felix Still Wonderful, Not In Fix.
Papayas squash Gremlins, retake first.

Gustavo Chacin pitched possibly the finest game of his young career. Corey Koskie returned to the lineup, Shea Hillenbrand homered and drove in four, Russ Adams reached base four times...

I mean, what's not to like?

Updated!! Now it's a Game Report!!

In the comments to a recent Batter's Box poll about Hall of Fame nicknames, Box reader Jefftown observed, "I think 'Rube' could be the best common nickname in baseball," then asked, "Have you ever done an All-Rube Team? It'd have a few stars, with Waddell, Marquard, and Foster."

Well, no, we haven't ... until now. Sort of.