According to the stats on ESPN.com, Vernon Wells has a ZR of .963. This is really without precedent. It is so incredibly high that I cannot believe it to be true.

Not seeing any Jays games, I asked Craig. He confirmed my suspicions that something must be wrong here.

This series could be the very last installment in baseball's Battle of Canada to be played in Toronto, so I intend to show up to both of the weekend games.

I can't take it no more
I can't stand it no more
Who's laughin' at me?

The best way to sum up yesterday’s Debacle at the Dome is this: the Blue Jays scored three more times than the Argonauts did last night -- and they still lost by 6 runs. Get all the gory details from Spencer Fordin, Allan Ryan and Mike Ganter. As Fordin notes, it was a bad day for pitchers at Skydome yesterday.

It was a day for some big numbers. The Jays and Rays combined for thirty nine hits. Pulaski and Princeton combined for twenty three runs and twelve errors. Dunedin played thirteen innings and Josh Banks gave up nine runs in three innings.

I can't say it better than Spencer Fordin did. Stop if you've heard this one before: When the Blue Jays and Expos play this weekend, it could well be the final time two Canadian teams square off against each other on Canadian soil. This time, though, it looks like it might be for keeps: the Expos will have a new home next year, and for reasons known only to Selig & Co., the Jays-Expos rematch next weekend takes place in Puerto Rico, not La Belle Province. Nice. Anyway, let's save the eulogies for the funeral. Talented young righty Zach Day goes for Montreal, opposed by Josh Towers. We were talking about sad four-word phrases the other day, and here's another one: "Leadoff DH Howie Clark." And yes, Josh Phelps once again is watching from the bench. It's already been a looong summer.

Will Sunday be the last-ever ballgame featuring only "O Canada" before the first pitch?

The Montreal Expos, who have been knocked down and kicked around by Major League Baseball and some shady owner-type characters therein, have finally broken down as an on-field product, as they enter this weekend series with sole ownership of the league's worst record. Contrary to the predictions of most pundits, it's been their league-worst hitting that's been the problem -- a huge problem -- with the 'Spos. For all of the well-founded angst about Toronto's performance at the plate, Montreal's tallied 89 fewer runs. Although Jose Vidro is heating up and Nick Johnson is getting healthy, Montreal's severe offensive underperformance has been the story for the club. Their pitching, though thin, has been perfectly respectable.

Still, there should be some interesting action on the field. Zach Day and Livan Hernandez will be challenging opponents, and Scott Downs has been lights-out in Wild Rose Country. This edition of the Scout features a struggling shortstop, an old-fashioned workhorse and a Georgetown boy in the bullpen still waiting for his first call to the mound.

On to the Advance Scout!

It's Ted Lilly versus John Halama in a game that started ... let's see, three minutes ago. Play ball!

The Royals have finally traded CF Carlos Beltran -- to the Astros in a three-team trade. The A's get RP Octavio Dotel from the Astros. The Royals get 3B Mark Teahen and P Mike Wood from the A's and C Joe Buck from the Astros. (Source: Lee Sinins)

Someone said this deserved its own thread, so there it is. Beltran to Houston, Dotel to Oakland, kids to Kansas City. Discuss.

Short(ish) & sweet today, as the day job looms. A stirring debut from a very promising youngster, and the Jays' affiliates went 4-1 overall but Pulaski will get most of the ink.

It affects you in the most peculiar way
Dull day don't seem pretty
We've said all that there is to say.

The Kent Williams Birthday Charm is at five years and counting, making us look smart for forecasting a win last night. Spencer Fordin, Mike Ganter, and Mark Zwolinski have all the details of last night’s 2-1, extra-inning victory, with additional commentary from Richard Griffin.

Sorry, today's roundup became corrupted and can't be restored. It is an ex-thread.

Apologies to author Mike Moffatt and everyone whose comments were eaten by the latest annoying Greymatter glitch. Repairs and rebuilds are complete, so things are supposed to be stable again, but we're already investigating software alternatives. That will be a major project, which won't happen overnight. In the meantime, thanks for your patience. Feel free to make this a Hijack Central.

As promised, we have the second of two pieces by Ryan Levy of tamu-and-baseball.com on draftees from Texas A&M University. Today's piece is on sandwhich pick Zack Jackson. Enjoy everyone!

After watching the Jays bats struggle all night at Skydome, I got home to find out that the bats were very much alive down in the minors. 4 wins as all 6 affiliates were in action for the first time this year.

Curtis Thigpen's Longhorns take on Georgia in the College World Series semifinals today at 1:00pm.

Why will Tampa Bay's franchise-record 12-game winning streak crash to a halt tonight? Not just because Roy Halladay takes the mound tonight against Victor Zambrano, and not just because Frank "Leadoff Homer" Menechino is atop the lineup. It's because it's Coach's birthday, and as Ryan Lind points out at Post #14 therein, Kent's riding a four-year winning streak. Top that, Mr. Piniella.

It's a great day for a man I'm honoured to call a mentor and a friend. Happy Birthday to Coach, without whom none of us would be here right now.

There Is No Cabal, but if there were Coach would be its Kim Il-Sung. Hail to the Great Leader!