The Final Home Stand + Chat with Devon White

The Toronto Blue Jays had their final home series of the 2009 season begin last Thursday September 24th 2009 against the American League West division Seattle Mariners.

“King” Felix Hernandez, one of the most dominant starting pitchers in all of baseball this season took the mound for the visiting Mariners to compete against Toronto rookie Ricky Romero.

Romero struggled early, allowing three runs through the first three innings, which included a two run home run to deep centre off the bat of Mariners centre fielder Franklin Gutierrez.

Hernandez was outstanding for the Mariners, as he held the Toronto offense to no runs on three hits until the bottom of the sixth inning when Vernon Wells, who had been showered with boos from the fans after his first plate appearance, belted a three run home run into the left field stands to tie the game at three.

Romero departed the game after six and a third innings pitched, allowing three runs on nine hits, walking three and striking out five and passed the ball to the bullpen.

After Shawn Camp allowed no runs over two thirds of an inning, Toronto’s Jesse Carlson would be the costly reliever in this game, as Carlson would allow two runs on two hits, while walking one. The decisive blow would come off the bat of Seattle shortstop Josh Wilson who would triple home Adrian Beltre & Bill Hall.

The Jays would score one more run in the eighth inning, after Vernon Wells singled home Aaron Hill who hit his second double of the game, but that is as close as the Jays would get, as Seattle’s closer David Aardsma would shut down the Jays in the ninth inning for a 5-4 Mariners victory.

Another negative for the Blue Jays bullpen came at the hands of Jeremy Accardo who struggled in the top of the ninth inning allowing the bases to get loaded, but Accardo managed to get out of the inning after Canadian born Michael Saunders grounded into an inning ending double play. Accardo looked very shaky on the hill in relief.

Even though the Jays scored four runs, the team’s offense was ice cold as all seven hits in the ball game were recorded by Aaron Hill (2-4, 2 doubles), Adam Lind (1-4), Vernon Wells (2-4, 1HR, 4RBI) & John McDonald (2-4).

On Friday evening, Roy Halladay would make his final appearance on the season in front of Blue Jays fans at the Rogers Centre.

Halladay would not disappoint the home town faithful.



Halladay pitched his Major League leading eighth complete game of the season and his third shutout of the season as the Jays took game two of the four game series 5-0.

Halladay allowed seven hits across the nine innings, allowing no runs, walking none and striking out nine.

The Jays offense came alive in game two of the series as every player in the Jays lineup recorded a hit with Adam Lind being the exception.

Aaron Hill recorded his team leading 34th home run of the season picking up two runs batted in on the shot and Jose Bautista and Lyle Overbay each added RBI’s on the day.

Jose Lopez and Kenji Johjima were the only players on the Mariners to record more than one hit off Halladay as both players were 2-4 at the plate for the day.

In game three of the four game series things began to get more interesting in as Ichiro Suzuki earned his first career ejection.

The soft spoken Japanese outfielder took it upon himself to take offense to home plate umpire Brian Runge’s strike three call in the fifth inning. Suzuki proceeded to draw a line where he thought the pitch crossed the plate and was immediately tossed. The ejection was also the first of the season for the Seattle Mariners.

Ian Snell pitched a terrific game for the Mariners, allowing two runs, one earned, on five hits and two walks, while striking out seven over sixth and two thirds innings for the Mariners.

Snell left the game with a 4-2 Seattle lead, but would be awarded a no contest in this game as reliever Mark Lowe would allow a game tying two run home run to Adam Lind, a ball that just cleared the fence in left field as Lind showed his opposite field power.

After a scoreless ninth inning by both squads, extra innings were forced and Adam Lind came up big again in the bottom of the tenth inning smashing another opposite field shot to right off Mariners reliever Shawn Kelley for the game winning run.

What a game for Adam Lind as the Jays walked away victorious with a 5-4 victory.

Toronto starter David Purcey pitched a fairly decent game, allowing three earned runs on nine hits, while walking two and striking out four.

Jason Frasor picked up the win after pitching two late scoreless innings, striking out four batters for his seventh win of the season in a bullpen role.

Travis Snider had a very good day for Toronto reaching base three times, twice via the walk and once via a hit. Snider also recorded a run batted in on the day.

Franklin Gutierrez and Jose Lopez continued their fine series, each recording three hits on the day, one of which was a double off the bat of Gutierrez.

In the series finale on Sunday the Jays would play their final home game of the season in front of 39,052 screaming fans and the Jays would not disappoint.

The Blue Jays offense was hot again but would not conduct any of their run scoring business until late in the game, making a season finish for Toronto fans as exciting as they possible could.

After Toronto starter Brian Tallet allowed three solo home runs to Kenji Johjima, Matt Tuiasosopo & Franklin Gutierrez in the fifth inning it seemed as Seattle might walk away from Toronto with a series split.

The Jays would not let that happen.

The Jays scored five late inning runs off Seattle starter Ryan Rowland-Smith as they surged from behind for a 5-4 win.

The game winning hit came off the bat of Toronto catcher Rod Barajas as he doubled home Aaron Hill & Adam Lind (on board after a pinch hit single for Randy Ruiz) in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Shawn Camp pitched a scoreless ninth inning for a rare save as Brian Wolfe picked up the win for the Jays in relief.

Every player in the Jays lineup recorded a hit on the day, with the exception being third baseman Edwin Encarnacion.

It was another come from behind victory for a Blue Jays squad that has struggled mightily in close games all season, giving the Toronto fans some hope for next season as this year has been a major disappointment.

The Jays home season may be complete, but the rest of their season is still to come as they travel into Fenway Park tonight to do battle with the Boston Red Sox.

Toronto sends Scott Richmond to the mound to do battle with Boston ace Josh Beckett.

The Jays have a three game set in Boston which concludes Wednesday, an off day Thursday and finish out the season in Baltimore from Friday to Sunday.

Finally, the Blue Jays added another web chat to their lineup which was just recently announced.

On Thursday October 1st 2009, Blue Jays fans can chat with one of the greatest Blue Jays of all time in Devon White. White was famous in Toronto for his all out defensive performance and lead off ability in helping Toronto to their two championships in 1992 & 1993.

To chat with “Devo” please visit the following link:

http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/fan_forum/chat.jsp?c_id=tor

The chat is an early one and gets under way at 10:00am EST sharp.

Jays Sweep O's + Chat with Jose Cruz Jr.

The final home stand of the season for the Toronto Blue Jays is going well so far.

The Jays used an all around team effort offensively to take the final game of their series with the Baltimore Orioles. The Jays won all three games of the series for a sweep.

Every individual in the Blue Jays lineup aside from Vernon Wells & Rod Barajas recorded a hit, with two a piece coming from Jose Bautista (1 double, 1 triple) & Travis Snider (1HR, 1 RBI single).

Toronto starter Scott Richmond recorded the win, his seventh on the season and his first since June 24th.

The Toronto bullpen was stellar yet again.

The bullpen combination of Casey Janssen, Josh Roenicke, Brandon League and Jason Frasor pitched four scoreless innings, allowing one hit and one walk, while striking out four.

The Jays roughed up Baltimore ace Jeremy Guthrie for seven runs, five of which were earned on eight hits over seven innings.

Matt Wieters and Michael Aubrey (two run shot) contributed with home runs for all of Baltimore’s offense on the evening.

The Toronto Blue Jays continue their final home stand of the 2009 season as they begin a series tonight against the Seattle Mariners.

Seattle ace Felix Hernandez will pitch for Seattle against Toronto left hander Ricky Romero.



The Jays will be conducting their final web chat of the season today @ 3:30pm EST.

Former Blue Jays outfielder Jose Cruz Jr will be chatting with fans.

For details on how to chat with Cruz Jr, please visit:

http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/fan_forum/chat.jsp?c_id=tor

In other baseball news:



The Milton Bradley/Chicago Cubs fiasco seems to have come to an end as both parties have agreed on a way of making both sides happy.

The Cubs will pay Bradley for the rest of the season while he serves his suspension for conduct detrimental to the team.

The suspension went into effect last Sunday after Bradley's remarks to the (Arlington Heights) Daily Herald of Illinois. Bradley was quoted as saying "you understand why they haven't won in 100 years here.".

The Cubs will look to trade Bradley in the offseason for a player of equal contract ridding themselves of Bradley who they signed to three-year, $30 million contract in the offseason. Bradley did not respond well to Chicago and its fans batting .257 with 12HR & 40RBI over 393AB and causing multiple outbursts towards the city and it's fans.



Finally, Atlanta Braves manager and guaranteed Hall of Fame manager Bobby Cox announced yesterday that he will retire from his position after the 2010 season.

Cox quoted the following to the Associated Press:

There is a little bit of relief once you come to grips with announcing it,"

"I've never lost the love to manage, period. But you have to make a decision. At my age, you have to make a decision. Somebody a little younger can start up."

They asked me to come back, and I said I would do it for one more year, and we'll announce the retirement along with it. It's the only way I think I'm ever going to walk away from the game, is to go ahead and say I'm going to, and then I've got to,"

"There's no turning back now - win, lose or draw. Whatever happens next year is going to be it."

Cox is to begin a five year consulting agreement to advise the team in baseball operations after he steps down as manager.

Cox led the Braves to five NL pennants and a record 14 straight division titles from 1991-2005.

Cox's 2,409 regular-season wins as a manager ranks him fourth behind Connie Mack (3,731), John McGraw (2,763) and Tony La Russa (2,550).

Cox and Joe McCarthy are the only managers with six 100-win regular seasons.

When the day approaches it will be a sad one, especially for baseball fans in Atlanta as a baseball legend will presumably step down from his managerial perch in the Braves dugout.

Jays Gain Win in Extras Over Orioles + Ricky Romero Transcript

The Toronto Blue Jays used a late inning rally to push Tuesday night’s game against the Baltimore Orioles into extra innings where the Jays would prove victorious 6-5 via a milestone moment for Aaron Hill.

Hill doubled home Jose Bautista for the game winning run off Orioles reliever Dennis Sarfate in the bottom of the eleventh inning.

After hitting a home run earlier in the game off Orioles starter Mark Hendrickson, the Hill double pushed his RBI count on the season to 100. Hill follows fellow teammate Adam Lind into the 100 RBI club for Toronto on the season.

The accomplishment marks the first time Hill has accomplished the feat in his short career.



Hill’s moment may have overshadowed the best game of the year for Toronto third baseman Edwin Encarnacion, who hit two home runs in the game, adding three RBI’s to his season total.

Encarnacion was moved to the number three hole in the Blue Jays lineup after hitting fourth recently. Encarnacion has been very efficient since the move up in the batting order. Encarnacion has hit .315 (17-for-54) with five home runs and 12 RBIs over his last fourteen games.

The Toronto Blue Jays bullpen were also brilliant on the night, picking up Brian Tallet, who did not pitch well on the evening (6.1IP, 11H, 5R, 5ER, 0BB, 3K).

The bullpen combination of Jesse Carlson, Brandon League, Jeremy Accardo & Shawn Camp combined for four and two third innings pitched, allowing no earned runs while walking none and striking out three.

In my opinion, the impressive work by the bullpen was as much a key factor in the Jays comeback as the late inning offensive surge.

Travis Snider also had a two hit and two walk performance for the Jays.

The Baltimore Orioles used seven pitchers on the night, but proved unsuccessful in achieving victory.

Matt Wieters had a 3-5 game for Baltimore, which included two doubles, a run batted in and a run scored.

Brian Roberts was also seeing the ball well for the Orioles with a 3-5 night of his own. Roberts hit his American League leading 55th double of the season and also batted in two runs.

The Jays look to complete the sweep of Baltimore tonight at the Rogers Centre in Toronto as Baltimore ace Jeremy Guthrie squares off against the struggling Scott Richmond for Toronto.



Also, the transcript from yesterday’s web chat with Ricky Romero is now available; see below for the entire transcript.

Moderator: Ricky will be coming up from the Blue Jays’ clubhouse shortly. Keep sending in your questions

Moderator: Hey Fans. Ricky is here. Start sending in the questions!

citorules: Hey Ricky! Thanks for chatting with us Jays fans. Is it hard for you to really take enjoyment out of your tremendous rookie season in light of how the team has performed lately?

Ricky Romero: Well, I guess that you just try to stay positive through everything and go out there and play hard. Play for pride. You just go out there and do your job as best as possible.

fast__ball: Hey Ricky. Who was your baseball idol growing up?

Romero: I think that it would actually have to be a football guy, and it would be Steve Young or Jerry Rice. I actually got to meet them in Oakland thanks to Kevin Millar.

luvingjays: Ricky, you’re the man! From a young player’s perspective, what is the biggest difference [between] playing in Canada [and the] U.S.?

Romero: To be honest with you, there isn’t really any difference. You’re still playing all the teams here that you would there.

redgal: You seem incredibly humble and mature. Who has been a major influence in your life outside of baseball?

Romero: My mom and dad. They’ve been my biggest inspiration and they’re the reason that I’m standing here today. And if it wasn’t for them, it wouldn’t be possible.

cndnbat: What are your plans for the offseason and when do you plan to get back into baseball mode?

Romero: Plans for the offseason: probably just take some time to relax and enjoy visiting with my family. Getting into baseball mode: probably in November.

bigbat80: Hey Ricky. Thanks for taking the time to chat today. As a rookie, who has been your biggest influence this year, and how so?

Romero: From a baseball standpoint, I’d probably say the guy that has kept me positive is our pitching coach Brad Arnsberg.

cdnstud: Hey Ricky! Love the fight that you guys showed in NYC last week during the brawl. Were you squared off with anyone?

Romero: I was just in there trying to grab our guys, and then I got taken down for a second there, too, but I got back up on my feet. Jesse Carlson is the man! But he’s a straight suspect!

linder26: I think the Jays should do a Ricky Romero bobblehead next year! Do players think it’s cool if they get a bobblehead, or is this something that is not a big deal to guys? Be honest!

Romero: I think it’s pretty cool. Anytime you get something like that done for you — not too many people can say that they have a bobblehead of themselves.

deetz24: How do you plan on improving in the future?

Romero: I guess you just try to learn from every outing. For me, I’m a guy that likes to stay as humble as possible, and I don’t take anything for granted. I just try to make the adjustments when the hitters make them on you, and I show up at the stadium trying to learn something new every day.

deetz24: Hey Ricky. Where was your favorite place to travel to with the team, and why?

Romero: The two best places that I’ve been to are New York and Boston, because of the atmosphere and the fans really get into the games there.
rolenjays: Who are your best buddies on the team?

Romero: I’d say Scott Richmond, we’ve been roommates since Spring Training, Travis Snider and Casey Janssen.

cyroy: What are some of the goals you would like to accomplish in the future as pitcher?

Romero: I think that everyone’s goal is to be part of a winning team, where we get to play in October — get to play in the World Series. That would be the thing that I want most in my career. All the other stuff is just extra.

jwendle: Hi Ricky! With the potential departure of [Roy Halladay], it looks like you may be elevated to one of the leaders/faces of this team. How do you feel about that added resposibilty at such an early stage of your career?

Romero: First of all, I wouldn’t want to see Doc in any other uniform. But, you know, you just lead by example and try to do things the right way either on the field or off the field.

fast__ball: What is your favorite park to pitch in?

Romero: Anywhere!

Manderson: Hey Ricky. I see that you spent time at both Garfield and Roosevelt High Schools — both known for their football programs. Which of the two schools did you root for on the gridiron?

Romero: Well, I went to Garfield for three years, and then I transferred to Roosevelt so I didn’t really root for anyone. I tried not to get into it too much, because it was a huge rivalry.

cndnbat: What is the one thing you plan to work on in the offseason to make you more effective in 2010?

Romero: I plan on working on mechanics more than anything and trying to just repeat my mechanics to the best of my abilities.
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yroy: Are you planning to develop a new pitch for next season?

Romero: Yes. I’ve talked to Arnie and I’m planning on trying to work on a cutter.

aaaaaaaaah: Who do you think the Jays’ MVP was this year?

Romero: I’d say we have three guys: [Marco] Scutaro, Lindo [Adam Lind] and Hilly [Aaron Hill].

dragonzigg: Hey Ricky. Who is the one Major League pitcher out there right now who you most admire?

Romero: Johan Santana, because he’s left handed! No, he’s a guy that I’ve always enjoyed watching pitch since college, and I like his style.

deetz24: What kind of music do you listen to before a game?

Romero: Rap — usually it’s Little Wayne, Tupac, TI and recently TO’s finest, Drake.

jess1234: What did it feel like pitching your first big league game?

Romero: It’s something that you dream of when you’re a little kid, and I think the best thing was having my parents here. That was the best thing, and what was even better was that we won and they were here to see that — no better feeling.
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regheath: What team did you grow up watching?

Romero: The L.A. Dodgers. I grew up about 15 minutes from the stadium and went to a lot of games as a kid.

jess1234: What’s your favorite pitch?

Romero: I’d probably have to say fastball. Why? Because, as a pitcher, you work everything off your fastball to get to your other pitches.

jays199293: Ricky, thanks for chatting! I remember when the Jays drafted you. J.P. [Ricciardi] said you were the most big league ready of the top guys available. Why do you think it took you longer than expected to get to the Majors?

Romero: I think the biggest thing that you don’t realize when you get drafted is the grind that you go through in a season and pitching every five days. I think that I needed some more time to mature as a pitcher. Looking back, the three years that I spent in the Minors is probably the best thing that happened to me, because it helped me learn a lot.

mark_l: What kind of experience was it coming up to the big leagues and having the publicity related events like photos, a baseball card, signings and such?

Romero: To tell the truth, to me, it’s still kind of weird when you see fans wearing your jersey with your name on the back. I don’t know — it’s just crazy. I’m just a kid from East L.A., and at times, it’s still a little surreal to me and you just have to take a step back. It’s really cool, and I’m enjoying every minute of it.

scuba1977: Are you worried about the “sophomore slump?”

Romero: No, I’m not!

gregheath: How many pitches would you say you throw on game day in the bullpen before the game?

Romero: Probably 30-35 pitches.

cyroy: What is best thing about having Roy Halladay as a teammate?

Romero: What people don’t know is that he really enjoys talking the game and he’s a very knowledgeable guy. And I’ve had some chats with him about the game, and he has a lot of really interesting things to say.

oldbaldguy: Do you feel that you will be able to keep your pitch count down for next season?

Romero: That is one of my goals. You look at a guy like Roy Halladay that goes deep into the game when he goes out there, and you try to immulate him and learn from it. You throw strikes, and you’ll be successful.

aaaaaaaaah: If you were not a baseball player, what do you think you’d be doing?

Romero: Probably a high school baseball coach. My major was kinesiology. Working with kids somehow.

mark_l: Have you preferred being in a six-man rotation, or five? Is it harder to get in a groove having more time between games?

Romero: I prefer five. I think that you just try to prepare the best possible, and I don’t mind the five-day rotation.

deetz24: Have you always been a pitcher, or did you have to develop into one?

Romero: I’ve always been a pitcher. [I] started pitching when I was probably 11 years old, and I’ve loved it since.

cyroy: You have fared good against most teams you have faced. Is there any particular reason for your struggles against the Red Sox?

Romero: Walks. I think that I’ve beaten myself in these games. … It’s just been the walks, and you can’t walk guys with teams like that.

jess1234: Can you hit, or just pitch?

Romero: Just pitch. I saw my performance this year — not very good with the bat.

shane111: What advice do you give kids for being a pitcher?

Romero: Take care of your arm. That was my dad’s biggest concern when I was a little kid, and watching how many pitches that I threw. The off-the-field work is just as important — staying active as far as conditioning goes.

scuba1977: When players come up to bat, they have a certain song that they have chosen to play. If you were a hitter these days, what would be your song?

Romero: There are so many! I’d probably come out to “California Love” by Tupac. It’s always been a favorite.

fast__ball: What is your favorite thing to do on off-days?

Romero: Depends on if we are in Toronto or on the road. If we’re in a place like New York or Boston, then go shopping, but otherwise just get some rest. Here in Toronto, I always end up here at the ballpark working out.

thesven55: Do you have any pregame rituals?

Romero: I just like listening to music, and that’s pretty much it. I’m not too crazy about anything else.

jeffey36: Why do they call you the big guy?

Romero: Eric Neilson?

mark_l: Will you be cheering for the Dodgers in the postseason?

Romero: I won’t be cheering for anyone in particular. I just like to watch good October baseball.

jeffey36: Ha ha!

scuba1977: Would you prefer to play your entire career in Toronto? It’s a rarity these days.

Romero: Yes, I’d like to win a World Series here.

mark_l: I’ve heard you had your little brother with you in the dugout for some games. That’s pretty cool. Has he expressed interest in following in your footsteps?

Romero: Absolutely, he has. I think the thing that helps him is that he is a bit smarter than I am as far as schools go, so either way, he’ll be successful in life somehow.

Romero: All right everyone. Thanks for the chat. See you at the ballpark. I’m off for the team picture on the field. Suspect son!

Moderator: Just a reminder Jose Cruz Jr. is chatting this Friday at 3:30 p.m. ET!!

Romero’s professional approach to the web chat speaks loudly of why he is on of the best rookies in the American League this season, who also looks to be a big part of the Toronto Blue Jays plans in the future.

In other baseball news:



Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Mark Reynolds broke his own strikeout record on Tuesday, striking out three times to push his season total to 206.

His previous record set last season was 204.

Reynolds is the only player in major league history to strike out at least 200 times in a season.



The New York Yankees were the first major league team to secure their spot in the playoffs with a 6-5 win Tuesday over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

The Yankees return to the postseason after missing out last season.

Purcey Dominates, as Scutaro Goes Down for Season + Webchat with Ricky Romero.

The Toronto Blue Jays began the first game of their final home stand for the 2009 season with a 9-2 victory over the visiting Baltimore Orioles, riding the young arm of prospect David Purcey, while manhandling Orioles youngster Chris Tillman.

Purcey showed why the Blue Jays selected him 16th overall in the 2004 Major League Baseball Entry Draft on Monday evening.

Purcey easily pitched his best game of the season, lasting 7.2 innings, allowing one earned run on four hits, while walking four and striking out four.

The win was the first for Purcey in more than a year. Purcey began the year in the Blue Jays rotation, but was demoted after five rough starts, spending most of this year with Triple A Las Vegas.

Aside from the four walks, David Purcey was outstanding last night against Baltimore.
The Blue Jays offense was on fire in this game scoring nine runs in total, four of which came off Orioles starter Chris Tillman (5IP, 6H, 4R, 4ER, 3BB, 5K) while the other five came of relievers Cla Meredith (0.1IP, 2H, 1R, 1ER, 0BB, 0K) & Bob McCrory (0.2IP, 2H, 4R, 4ER, 3BB, 1K).

Home runs came courtesy of Lyle Overbay in the bottom of the sixth inning off Tillman and via John McDonald also in the sixth off Meredith.

Travis Snider had a three RBI game, while Adam Lind and Edwin Encarnacion both contributed with two RBI days of their own.

Some bad news for Blue Jays fans was announced on Monday as starting shortstop and one of Toronto’s mainstays on the season Marco Scutaro will miss the remainder of the 2009 season. AN MRI revealed a tear in Scutaro’s right heel.

Scutaro left Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays after hearing a pop in the area.

Scutaro revealed to the media that the pain in his heel has been bothering him since July, but he has been playing through it. The nagging pain was diagnosed as plantar fasciitis.

Scutaro, a free agent at the end of the season is having a career year batting .282 with 12 home runs and 60 runs batted in, while scoring 100 runs out of the lead off spot for Toronto. Scutaro has also been solid defensively boasting a fielding percentage of .984, while making 10 errors in 143 games.



Finally, today marks the day where fans of the Toronto Blue Jays can chat with promising young rookie starter Ricky Romero. Romero will be chatting with fans live today @ 2:30pm EST sharp. If you would like to chat with Romero visit the following link for details:

http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/fan_forum/chat.jsp?c_id=tor



In other baseball news:

The Houston Astros have fired manager Cecil Cooper.

Third base coach Dave Clark will take over as interim manager.

Houston went 171-170 under Cooper in his tenure.

Houston general manager Ed Wade said Clark would be considered a candidate during the search for a new manager.

Cooper is the fourth manager fired his season, following in the footsteps of Colorado's Clint Hurdle, Arizona's Bob Melvin & Washington's Manny Acta.

Rays Dominate Jays in Series Sweep

The Toronto Blue Jays travelled into Tampa to do battle with the Tampa Bay Rays beginning Friday night for what would be their last series against the Rays on the season.

The series would end an eight game road trip where the Jays were a respectable 3-3 against the American League Central leading Detroit Tigers and the American League East leading New York Yankees.

Coming into Friday’s game against the Rays the Jays had a miserable 4-11 record against their American League East rival.

The Jays did not improve on that record as they lost all three games of the series and finished the year 4-14 against a team in which they have to beat, if they are ever considered to become a contender.

In Friday night’s affair, the Jays were destroyed by a high octane Tampa offense 11-4.

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria led the attack against Toronto starter Scott Richmond and relievers Brian Wolfe & Josh Roenicke going 2-4, with a home run, three runs batted in and three runs scored.

Carl Crawford, Akinori Iwamura & Ben Zobrist all had big games for the Rays as well.

Richmond lasted only two innings, as he was roughed up for five earned runs on seven hits.

Brian Wolfe was also terrible, pitching one inning, allowing three earned runs on four hits while walking two.

Roenicke capped off another miserable performance allowing two runs on three hits.

One highlight of the game came from the Jays bullpen, as Dirk Hayhurst was solid over three innings of long relief, allowing no runs on two hits, while striking out three. Hayhurst’s earned run average is an incredible 1.31 in his limited appearances this season in the majors.

Another minor highlight in the game was the first career run batted in for catcher/first baseman Kyle Phillips, as Phillips doubled in Randy Ruiz for a run in the top of the sixth inning.

“Big Game” James Shields picked up the win for Tampa pushing his record to 10-11 on the season, while Richmond took the loss dropping him to a record of 6-10.

On Saturday evening the Rays had the Blue Jays number yet again, with pitching nemesis Matt Garza dueling Blue Jays left hander Ricky Romero.

Garza has pitched the Jays tough over his career, and in this writer’s opinion is the pitcher the Jays have the most problems with aside from Boston Red Sox starter Jon Lester.

Since joining the Rays at the beginning of last season, Garza holds a 6-2 record against the Blue Jays and is 3-0 against Toronto this season.

Saturday night was another terrific performance by Garza against the Jays.

Garza lasted 7.1 innings, allowing no runs on three hits, while walking six and striking out ten. Garza ended a personal worst nine game winless streak.

Upon being pulled from the game by Rays manager Joe Maddon, Garza showed his emotional side bursting out in anger to himself, but Garza had nothing to be angry about as the Rays bullpen sealed the deal for the right hander as Russ Springer, Randy Choate & Dan Wheeler finished out the game for the Tampa victory.

Blue Jays rookie Ricky Romero had a shaky first inning in which he allowed four earned runs, but pitched solidly afterwards in the loss. Romero’s final line was six innings pitched, in which he allowed four earned runs on seven hits, walking four and striking out six.

Evan Longoria and Gabe Kapler both went 2-3 for Tampa as this game was an offensive snooze fest.

In Sunday’s series and season finale between the Blue Jays and Rays, Tampa continued their dominance over Toronto ace Roy Halladay. Tampa scored two runs on ten hits against Halladay in a 3-1 victory.

The victory marked the fourth Halladay defeat at the hands of the Rays this season, a remarkable task for any team to accomplish in one season.

Current Rays catcher and former Blue Jays catcher Gregg Zaun had this to say about the Rays success over Halladay:

“Beating him four times in your life is tough,”

“Four times in one year is pretty amazing. He’s unbelievable. He’s by far the best in the game.”

Halladay’s only major mistake came in the bottom of the first inning against Tampa speedster Carl Crawford, who took Halladay deep into the right field stands for a two run blast.

Halladay would not allow another run after the first inning home run, but would still take the loss as the Jays offense was bewildered by Tampa starter David Price.

Price allowed one earned run on three hits, over 6.2 innings pitched.

A bullpen combination of Grant Balfour, Brian Shouse, Dan Wheeler & Russ Springer would cement a bridge to closer J.P Howell who would pick up his seventeenth save on the day.

With the sweep the Jays fell to an awful 66-83 record in 2009, 28.5 games out of the lead in the American League East, a very sad state if you ask me.

The Jays come back home to the Rogers Centre for their final home games of the season.

The Jays begin the home stand with a three game set against the Baltimore Orioles tonight, followed up by their final home series of the season against the Seattle Mariners.

In tonight’s matchup Blue Jays prospect David Purcey will square off against Baltimore youngster Chris Tillman.

In other baseball news:

San Francisco Giants prospect Angel Villalona is the main suspect in the killing of a 25-year-old man in the Dominican Republic.

Angel Villalona turned himself in 12 hours after the man was shot at a bar in the southern coastal city of La Romana.

The 19 year old was considered the Giants' most prized prospect when he signed and was chosen the top prospect in the Arizona Rookie League two years ago.



Chicago Cubs outfielder and head case Milton Bradley was suspended for the remainder of the season yesterday by the team.

The Cubs suspended the outfielder, one day after he criticized the team in a newspaper interview.

Bradley's comments in the article stated the following:

"I need a stable, healthy, enjoyable environment,"

"There's too many people everywhere in your face with a microphone asking the same questions repeatedly.

"Everything is just bashing you. It's just negativity."

Bradley's future with the Cubs is unknown, as Bradley is in the first year of a three-year, $30 million contract that he signed as a free agent last offseason.

Crazy Night in New York as Carlson Suspended, Tallet & Downs Leave Game and Jays Blow Lead.

After Wednesday night’s brawl and 10-4 victory for the Toronto Blue Jays against the New York Yankees at their home park in New York, the Jays proved to the baseball world that they still had plenty of fight left in them for the remainder of the season.

Both squads’ rosters were shorter on the night as suspensions were announced by Major League Baseball for the incident that occurred the night before.

New York Yankees catcher Jorge Posada and Blue Jays reliever Jesse Carlson were both suspended for three games each and drew fines. Posada was fined $2,500 while Carlson was fined $3,000.



Blue Jays catcher Rod Barajas was fined $1,000 but will not miss any action.

New York Yankees first base coach Kevin Long and reliever Edwar Ramirez also drew fines of an undisclosed nature.

New York Yankees call up Shelley Duncan was suspended for three games, but appealed. Duncan is allowed to participate in ball games until the appeal is approved or revoked.

The Jays would send left hander Brian Tallet to the mound to pitch against journeyman right hander Chad Gaudin.

Tallet would only last two innings in the game after being struck in the right foot by a Robinson Cano line drive in the bottom of the second inning.

Tallet finished out the inning, but would pull himself out of the game to begin the third, allowing two runs on two hits, walking one and striking out one.

After the Blue Jays offense tied up the ballgame in the third on a Jose Bautista home run and an Adam Lind groundout RBI, the Jays bullpen duo of Shawn Camp, Casey Janssen and Jeremy Accardo would do a magnificent job of holding the powerful Yankees offense to zero runs, on two hits and one walk over a combined five innings of work.

The same could not be said for late inning men Scott Downs and Jason Frasor.

After the Jays clawed their way to a 4-2 lead going into the bottom of the eighth inning, Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston called upon the usually reliable Downs to cover the inning.

After successfully getting slugger Mark Teixeira to hit a tapper back to him at the mound, Downs allowed a single to Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez which was followed by a two run home run blast off the bat of Hideki “Godzilla” Matsui into the right field bleachers.

Personally watching the blast on television made me realize how easily the ball flies out into the right field stands in New Yankee Stadium.

Normally when a ball hits a bat, the crack of the bat alone will be a definite sign that a ball is leaving the park. I did not hear this on Matsui’s swing and in my honest opinion this hit would have been a double in any other stadium.

The two run blast by Matsui was followed by a Nick Swisher single and another terrible moment for Jays fans.

On a possible double play ball off the bat of Robinson Cano, pitcher Scott Downs raced over to first base to cover the bag as Lyle Overbay threw the fielded ball to second, while running off the mound Downs came up hobbling.

As Jays fans know Downs has had major foot problems throughout the season and it looked as if the injury was aggravated at first, until Downs reach for his hamstring area as he hobbled back to the mound. Downs was immediately taken out of the game as Blue Jays closer Jason Frasor would take over.

Frasor would pitch a scoreless third of an inning to complete the eighth inning and return for the ninth.

Frasor would allow a leadoff single to Yankee speedster Brett Gardner, who proceeded to steal second base and move to third on a Derek Jeter groundout.

Young Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli would pinch hit for Jerry Hairston Jr, a great move by Yankees manager Joe Girardi, as Cervelli would single in the game winning for a 5-4 Yankee victory.

The Jays would blow yet another lead late in the game, similar to their loss to the Detroit Tigers on Monday night.

The disappointed Jays ended up with a two game split of the series against the Yankees when it could have easily been a sweep of the American League East leaders at their home park.

As for Tallet and Downs, Tallet had an X-ray that revealed no structural damage and the injury has been classified as a deep bone bruise.

Tallet may miss his next start which could be a problem for the Jays as they have officially shutdown both Brett Cecil and Marc Rzepczynski for the season with innings limitations. Fans will have to wait and see if Tallet can make the start or if the Jays will have to resort to drastic measures.



Downs tweaked his right hamstring and will be examined by team doctors in Florida on Thursday. It is a very good possibility the Jays will shut down Downs for the season. With only sixteen games left on the schedule the Jays would not want to have Downs suffer further damage to a body that has been plagued with injuries all season.



The Jays bullpen should suffice.

With the recent September call ups of Brian Wolfe, Dirk Hayhurst and Jeremy Accardo the Jays have more than enough relievers to choose from.

The Jays have an off day tonight as they travel to do battle with the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field in Tampa. This will be the final series of the season between the two teams as Canadian born right hander Scott Richmond will go to the mound for the Jays to face off against Rays right hander “Big Game” James Shields.

In other baseball news:

Arizona Diamondbacks long ball artist and free swinger Mark Reynolds has infamously reached the 200 strikeout mark for the second straight season.

Reynolds accomplished the mark with four strikeouts in Wednesday's 6-5 loss to the San Diego Padres.

Reynolds holds the major league record for strikeouts in one season with 204, which he accomplished last season and will most certainly pass this season as well.

No other player has ever struck out 200 times in one season.



The Detroit Tigers main trade deadline acquisition in the form of starting pitcher Jarrod Washburn may not be able to help them in their potential playoff hopes this season. Washburn may be out for the remainder of the season due to an injured left knee.

The Tigers left hander pitched only one inning Tuesday against the Kansas City Royals before leaving the game when his knee swelled.

Washburn has been battling pain in his knee for months.

Brawl Ensues as Jays Spank Yanks

A decisive Toronto Blue Jays victory at New Yankee stadium Tuesday night turned into a massive bench clearing brawl that saw players, as well as managers involved with some minor injuries occurring.

The Yankees jumped out to an early lead in the game notching two runs against Toronto ace Roy Halladay, but the Jays turned things around scoring seven runs off Yankees starter Sergio Mitre.

Travis Snider homered twice, while Adam Lind, Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista all added home run shots as well.

All the home runs were allowed by Mitre aside from the Bautista shot.

The Jays have had Mitre’s number all season.

Mitre has an earned run average of 10.88 in 18.2 innings pitched against the Jays this season.

You could say that Mitre was the original instigator of the bench clearing brawl.

Mitre hit Blue Jays third baseman Edwin Encarnacion in the top of the sixth inning before allowing an RBI double to Rod Barajas and receiving the yank from Yankees manager Joe Girardi.

After the Jays added yet another run in the top of the seventh inning, pitcher Mark Melancon hit Blue Jays slugger Aaron Hill right in the back in the top of the eighth inning.

This drew some obvious attention from the Toronto Blue Jays, especially reliever Jesse Carlson.

Carlson would square off against Yankees catcher Jorge Posada in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Carlson proceeded to throw the ball behind Posada which drew an angered reaction in which Posada directed the words “You don’t want to do that” towards Carlson accompanied by a fierce glare, as members from each squad’s bench and bullpens were ready to race onto the field.

Posada would continue his at bat and eventually draw a walk.

Now here is where the scenario became interesting.

After a single by Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano and a double by centre fielder Brett Gardner, Posada would score from second base.

Posada decided it would be a good idea to shove Carlson with his elbow as Carlson backed up the play at home plate.

This lead to an ejection of Posada by home plate umpire Jim Joyce, but the action did not stop there.

Carlson would react and scream the words “Let’s go” towards Posada and the bench clearing brawl would begin as Carlson and Posada would wrestle each other in front of the Yankee dugout.

This was accompanied by a skirmish between Blue Jays catcher Rod Barajas and Yankees call up Shelley Duncan.



As the altercation began to clear up, notable injuries were sustained by Carlson (also ejected) in the form of a large red gash on the side of his forehead.

Yankees manger Joe Girardi, who appeared to get hit in the face by Blue Jays utility infielder John McDonald, received a small scratch above his left eye near his ear.

With the skirmish complete, the Jays and Yankees would each add one more run as the Jays would walk away victorious 10-4, giving Roy Halladay his fifteenth win of the season.

Carlson declined to apologize when speaking to the media after the game and said he did not throw at Posada intentionally.

“It was a fastball in and I yanked it. Just a bad pitch,” said Carlson.

Umpires will review footage of the incident and report to Major League Baseball disciplinarian Bob Watson.

Possible suspensions are very likely for Posada and Carlson, as well as some other players involved.

Footage of the incident can be viewed via the links below:

http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090915&content_id=6987710&vkey=news_tor&fext=.jsp&c_id=tor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAqi4MqoiHI&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ytt2LgS2PQ4&feature=player_embedded

An interesting night in Blue Jays land as the Jays certainly did show they have some fighting spirit left for the remainder of the season.

The Jays complete the short two game series tonight against the Yankees as they send Brian Tallet to the mound to pitch against Yankees starter Chad Gaudin.

Blue Jays 2010 Baseball Schedule + Ricky Romero Web Chat

The Toronto Blue Jays have announced their 2010 baseball schedule today.

The schedule can be viewed on the official Blue Jays website at

http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/schedule/index.jsp?c_id=tor&m=4&y=2010

The Jays will open up the season Monday April 5th 2010 in Texas against the Rangers and will close out the season Sunday October 3rd 2010 in Minnesota against the Twins.

The Jays home opener will come Monday April 12th 2010 against the Chicago White Sox in what should be an interesting matchup, as it will be Alex Rios’ official return to the city that he once knew as home.

Also, the Blue Jays have recently added a new web chat to their up and coming series for fans.

Rookie Blue Jays pitcher Ricky Romero will be chatting with fans via the web next Tuesday September 22nd 2009 at 2:30pm EST sharp.




Romero, one of the biggest surprises of the year for the Jays will surely be an interesting person to speak with.

Finally, do not forget that three days after Romero’s chat on September 22nd 2009 you can also chat via the web with former Blue Jays outfielder Jose Cruz Jr as he will be chatting with fans September 25th 2009 at 3:30pm EST sharp.

To chat with Romero or Cruz Jr please visit the following link:

http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/fan_forum/chat.jsp?c_id=tor

My Personal Review of the Detroit Tigers and Comerica Park

The Toronto Blue Jays opened up a four game series this past Friday at Comerica Park in Detroit and I was personally in attendance in the Motor City for the weekend.

I will start off by saying that Comerica Park is not only a ballpark, but a full on extravaganza. The ballpark includes everything from a Merry Go Round to a Ferris Wheel to Tigers sculptures surrounding the entire park.

In comparison to Comerica Park I personally have the Rogers Centre (Skydome if you’re an actual Blue Jays fan, only tourists and business suits call the stadium by its new name). The only way I could compare the Rogers Centre to Comerica was by calling my home park an airplane hanger. The Rogers Centre is cold, with a steel roof that is barely ever open and the air resembles that of a stall bathroom. The artificial nature of not only the structure but the playing field gives the building a very cold, bleak feel.



Comerica Park felt and smelled like a true baseball field. You could smell the grass, you could smell the clay lining the home run track and finally you could smell this unique but salivating odor in the air that drew you to the origin.

That smell was represented by Sugar Coated Roasted Almonds. This was my first and hopefully not last experience with this amazing baseball treat. Obviously we do not have these in Toronto, but the Rogers Centre should certainly invest. The almonds were made fresh at the stadium and were still warm upon the opening of the package. The sugar coating with a hint of cinnamon were drool inducing.

The Tigers fans are passionate about their team and every Detroit native I passed the entire weekend, whether inside the ballpark or not, made sure to let me know they were fans via a “Blue Jays Suck” or “Tigers Rule” statement. That’s not to say the Tigers fans physically at the ball game were not hospitable, they were more than that. I just appreciate true fans of professional teams supporting their team in every way shape or form.

This is not something that I am accustomed to here in Toronto as the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees seem to outweigh the hometown Blue Jays here in Toronto.

Comerica featured more fan friendly features than I have ever witnessed before with features such as “Paws” the Tigers mascot roaming the stadium before game time taking photos with fans.

I do not see “Ace” the Blue Jays mascot wandering the Rogers Centre ever.

“Ace” likes to spend time on the field swaying during the seventh inning stretch and running into the outfield fence in a buffoon-like manner while the “Home Hardware” clean up crew cleans up the base paths in the middle innings of a Jays game.

Comerica also features a very tiny, but very useful feature in that of drink holders attached to seats. It that boggles my mind that Rogers Centre does not have this feature as it makes for quite the difficult task to enjoy a cold beer while trying to flail incoherently for a foul ball coming your way.

Finally, in my opinionated bashing comparison of the Rogers Centre to Comerica Park the Tigers put on a full ten minute fireworks display after ball games (whether they win or lose) that outdoes Victoria Day fireworks displays here in Toronto (if case you don’t know, Victoria Day is a Canadian holiday normally celebrated at our local waterfront with a fireworks display).

I could not believe that Comerica does something like this, just for the fun of it all.

Not only did I watch this once at the game I attended, I also got to see it from my hotel room in downtown Detroit the next night.

It was quite the sight and provided yet another great entertainment feature that only made me want to return to this ball park again and again, even though I’m not a Tigers fan.

Perhaps if the Rogers Centre did something along these lines more fans and families would come out to the ball park and Rogers Communications could avoid record setting attendance lows, like the two they experienced last week when the Minnesota Twins were in town.



Now, speaking of the Blue Jays in Detroit the Jays split the four game series with the Tigers.

I must be a good luck charm as they won both games on both nights I was in town, 6-4 on Friday evening, 8-6 on Saturday night, but managed to lose the afternoon game Sunday 7-2 while I was on the bus back to Toronto and blew a three run lead in the ninth last night to lose 6-5 in extra innings.

Positives for the Jays from the series include the home run distribution, eight home runs across the four game series.

Vernon Wells finally making things happen with his bat after a terrible season. Wells went 8-13 in the series with one home run, three batted in, walking three times and scoring twice.

Adam Lind recording his 100th run batted in on the season and holding onto his extra base hits lead in the American League.

The Jays let a possible series win slip out of their grasps in Detroit by only winning two out of four games when the possible third win was easily in their graps.

The Jays move onto the Big Apple in New York to battle the Yankees tonight in a short two games series.

Toronto will send ace Roy Halladay to the mound in the series opener to do battle with the Yankees sinkerballer Sergio Mitre.

Halladay Loses for First Time in Career to Twins

Roy Halladay had never lost a game against the Minnesota Twins, but that changed last night as Halladay was outpitched by Twins starter Carl Pavano.

Halladay pitched a complete game nine hitter, striking out nine and walking one.

Halladay’s problem on the night was the long ball, allowing home run shots to Twins shortstop Orlando Cabrera and first baseman Justin Morneau.

Halladay also allowed a ninth inning two run scoring double to Michael Cuddyer for the eventual 4-1 Blue Jays loss.

Halladay’s opposition Carl Pavano was excellent on the evening pitching 7.1 innings, allowing six hits, one earned run, while walking two and striking out five.

The only real problem Pavano had all night was in the fifth inning, when he allowed a triple to Blue Jays third baseman Edwin Encarnacion to open the inning.

The Encarnacion triple was immediately followed by a run scoring double by Travis Snider, tying the game at that point.

That is as close as the Jays would come in this game, as after 7.1 innings pitched Pavano passed the ball along to reliever Jose Mijares and closer Joe Nathan who shutdown the Jays. Nathan received his 38th save of the season.

The Jays close out the four game set with the Twins today at 12:37pm with Twins starter Scott Baker pitching against Blue Jays rookie Brett Cecil. Cecil will be pitching in his final starting performance of the season.

In other Blue Jays news, regular second baseman Aaron Hill will not join the team until sometime throughout the weekend series against Detroit.

Speaking of which, I will personally be in Detroit this weekend for Friday night’s Jays contest between the American League Central leading Detroit Tigers.

In other baseball news, Derek Jeter tied Lou Gehrig’s all time Yankee hit mark on Wednesday. Jeter matched the Yankees record for hits with a seventh-inning single against Tampa Bay.

Jeter's third hit of the game gave him 2,721 in a Yankees uniform, tying a mark held by Gehrig for more than 70 years.

Jeter and the Yankees have an off day Thursday, but Jeter will get his chance at history on Friday at home against the Baltimore Orioles.

Webchat with Kevin Millar Transcript

Kevin Millar: Hey everyone -- I'm here! Thanks for being here to chat with me, looking forward to your questions.

trixialynn: Now that Alex Rios is gone, do you think the Blue Jays will play better without him?

Millar: Financially, it was a business decision and it freed up $60 million for the future of the team to maybe help sign some more guys like [Marco] Scutaro or other pitchers to go along with Doc [Halladay] . Ultimately, it gives some more flexibility to the organization and it was the largest waiver claim in the history of baseball.

fantfoot: Kevin, I heard your a big Steve Young guy? Is this True? I am a Niner fan, what's your take on the Michael Crabtree holdout?

Millar: Steve Young is a friend of mine that I met five years ago and we do a Children's Miracle Network golf tournament in Hawaii each year. And, he has been out to take batting practice with us in Oakland when we play the A's and does not have a very good baseball swing. The Crabtree holdout? I think that he will be signed and that he will be one of the elite rookie receivers this season.

raze73: How do you like Toronto so far? What do you like to do on off-days when the team is at home?

Millar: Love Toronto. Probably has the best weather in the summertime that I've been a part of. Seventy-five degrees and blue skies is hard to beat. Texas is 100 degrees and humidity. Clean city and great food -- we enjoy it. On days off I've been to Great Wolf Lodge with the kids and wouldn't mind hitting up African Lion Safari sometime soon.

salesdog: Kevin, you played with Pedro [Martinez] in his prime, and now Halladay. Who would you pick to pitch a Game 7 of the World Series?

Millar: They'd be one and two. That is a great question. I think Pedro in his prime was more intimidating. Doc is more of a polished pitcher. Question who I'd start... I'd go with Doc in a Game 7.

mateo1234: Hey man, the team seems really flat right now, and a lot of guys seem like they are just going through the motions. Do you agree with that statement? As a vet, what types of things do you do to help keep everyone focused?

Millar: Yeah, I believe that the team is a little flat right now and it is tough when you're mathematically out of it towards the end of August, but this is when you have to dig deep as a group and finish the season out because a lot of these guys the eyes are on them for next year and for a guy like Cito, [Gaston, Blue Jays manager] you're watching to see who is finishing strong and who is quitting. My advice is that there are a lot of eyes on you now and that you're playing for next year too, especially to the young pitchers or the young guys like [Randy] Ruiz or [Travis] Snider. Even the vets like [Vernon] Wells and [Lyle] Overbay -- you want to make sure everyone is on the same rope.

soney123: Why did you change your number when Alex Rios left?

Millar: I had been [No.] 15 since I was in ninth grade and I would have asked him for his number but since I was a non-roster invitee at this point in my career but Alex was their right fielder and signed with the team for a few years. Five minutes after he was gone, I asked for my number back. My nickname is One-Five though. Everyone has nicknames, it is usually either your number or your last name.

throb12: Hey Kevin, people always say you're a "character of the game". Is this something that you do to keep everyone loose, or is this just your natural personality?

Millar: I think a lot of it is my natural personality -- I would think that I'm always been a little bit off. I enjoy my teammates, the clubhouse, the game. I was never the best nor most talented player, but always felt like I loved it more than anyone. Part of my job was to make everyone understand that we play a game for a living and that everyone should have a good time while we are doing it.

basethreat: Kevin, thanks for taking time to do this. Be honest, was it your idea to have all the Red Sox players take a shot of whiskey before Game 7 vs. Yankees?

Millar: Yes. We did a "symbolic toast" prior to Game 6 at Yankee Stadium. It was misty raining and they were playing this Yankee-ography and I told Terry Francona we were not taking batting practice outside so we hit in the cages. I went and got some stuff for everyone to do a symbolic toast.

badger81: Hey Kevin, I remember always seeing you talking to a Jays fan (Andrew, I think his name is) even when you were playing with the Orioles. How did you guys meet when you were playing with Baltimore?

Millar: Andrew hangs out at the hotel for hours and hours at a time and basically he tagged along for lunch one day. We knew he was an Orioles fan, and just over the years, when we got in, even in late hours he was there.

bigbat80: Hi Kevin, thanks for chatting with us. You seem to be the life of the clubhouse. Who is your favorite teammate to give a hard time?

Millar: My favorite teammate to bug is Vernon Wells or Rod Barajas. Twist between the two of them. They're easy targets. Barajas has the biggest ankles... "Biggest Kankles" in baseball. Vernon is just plain 'ole fun to take jabs at and joke with.

clwoodfan: I see you chatting with the opposition frequently at first base, what do you talk about? The weather? The game?

Millar: Most of the time, if people get to first they're very happy because they got a hit or a walk. Only guys that aren't happy are the ones that got hit. Generally speaking it's 'How's your family?', 'Where's a good place to get something to eat?', If Doc is pitching then it is usually about how nasty his pitches are and how hard it is to get a hit off of him. Stuff like that.

paddlepop: Hi Kev, where do you see yourself in 2010?

Millar: Good question. I would love to still play. It has been a rough year, personally, first time being a bench player. I didn't do a great job with my role, to be as consistent as I wish I could have been. So, I would like to go into this offseason, work on my swing and work on a way to be consistent enough for next year and make a team somewhere.

dastfreadsv: If you're stuck in a desert island and can only bring 5 things, what would they be?

Millar:1. My BOSE system for my iPod; 2. Phone; 3. Hooters Restaurant (for the wings); 4. Golf Clubs; and 5. a Harley

oxygen88: You're a well-spoken, well-traveled player, do you see yourself in coaching, the broadcast booth?

Millar: Yeah, something to do with the game. I love baseball whether it is on the field or in television. But I'm not going to worry about that until I'm done -- but yeah, something to do with the game.

jaysguru: What player did you look up to as a kid?

Millar: I grew up a big Dodger fan in L.A. I loved Pedro Guerrero for the LA Dodgers.

kevin1979: On a lighter note, when Marco Scutaro had two home runs in one game earlier this season. What did you say to him when he kissed the bat?

Millar: Kiss my bat. I wanted him to kiss my bat so that I could hit a home run also. And I believe the bat that he used was the shortstop's bat for the Indians!

erinblarin: How long does the clubhouse mourn the trading of a friend/player?

Millar: It's always a sad day because you are a family. But, that is the business. You get over it though over text messages and Sportsnet Connected.

cakesnd: Having faced Doc...and now as a teammate, can you explain to me what makes him so good and so tough to face?

Millar: He's got tremendous preparation and has a purpose for every pitch that he throws. He has a gifted 95-mph fastball to go with his cutter and his command is far above anybody else's in the league.

trixialynn: If you could be anyone else in the world for a day, who would you like to be?

Millar: Shaq! That guy is huge!

oxygen88: Was Manny [Ramirez] really just being Manny or was there more to it?

Millar: No. Manny was being Manny. He is a very unique individual. Probably the greatest right-handed hitter anyone has seen, but you just want to choke him on certain days for Manny being Manny but a very good friend.

rainrain08: If you [were] not a baseball player, where would you work?

Millar: If I wasn't a baseball player... in my dream world I would be playing in the NFL and be a strong safety. In reality, I'd take up golf and practice enough to hopefully maybe make the tour.

BrendanS: What is your favorite and least favorite stadium to play at?

Millar: Favorite stadium of all time is Fenway because of the green monster, its always sold out and a great hitters park. Besides Fenway, I always enjoyed going to San Fran -- it has a great atmosphere and you're right by the water. Least favourite stadium would be Minnesota, the Metrodome. It was always kind of stale. Oakland too. They're my least favorites.

Millar: Thanks for your questions. Sorry I didn't hit higher this year for you guys off of the bench. But, thanks for the support and the Blue Jays will be back. Catch you all later.

My personal highlights from the chat were the comments made about Rod Barajas' fat ankle or Kankles and the professionalism and depth of Millar's answers to fans questions.

Unlikely Heroes the Key in Jays Win Over Twins

Johnny Mac wins the game with a three run dinger!

That’s right I said John “Johnny Mac” McDonald, the ever popular defensive wizard of a super utility man, hit his first career three run home run blast off Minnesota reliever “Big” Jon Rauch to win the game for Toronto 6-3.



McDonald was filling in for regular second baseman Aaron Hill at second base on the evening.

Speaking of Hill, congratulations go out to Aaron and his wife Elizabeth, who gave birth to the couple's first child, daughter Paige Victoria, on Monday night.

The other unlikely hero in the game was Edwin Encarnacion.

Encarnacion, who has been a disappointment in Toronto since arriving via trade at the end of July had his best night as a Blue Jay.

Encarnacion was only 1-4 in the game, but the hit was a big one, a single that cashed two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning tying the game at three, two batters before McDonald took Rauch over the left field fence for the eventual game winner.

Encarnacion also made a tremendous play at third in the top of the seventh inning, making a very tough backhand play, slinging the ball off balance to first to get the not slow at foot Delmon Young.

In other Blue Jays news, Adam Lind shared Player of the Week honors with Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria for last week. Lind hit .321 with three homers and a major league-best 12 RBIs in eight games.



In celebration of the ninth day of the ninth month of the ninth year of the new millennium the Toronto Blue Jays have put together a poll for their fans.

The Jays want fans to vote on “The All Time 9”. Your personal all time dream lineup of Blue Jays.

Voting can be casted at: http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/fan_forum/all_time_nine/index.jsp?c_id=tor

My personal choices were:

1B – John Olerud
2B – Aaron Hill
SS – Tony Fernandez
3B – Kelly Gruber
C – Pat Borders
DH – Paul Molitor
OF (Choose 3) – George Bell, Joe Carter, Devon White.

In other baseball news, San Francisco Giants prized right hander Tim “The Freak” Lincecum was scratched from his scheduled start Tuesday night with spasms and inflammation in the lower left side of his back.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy is optimistic Lincecum will make his next scheduled start.



Finally, the Chicago Cubs set a record on Tuesday night with eight consecutive hits to being the game against Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Zack Duke. The last time a team accomplished such a feat was the New York Yankees in a hit parade September 25th 1990 against the Baltimore Orioles.