Ghostrunner on First

The Fog of War

2009-11-09T11:00:00.000-05:00

Things just ain't right inside my thoughthole these days; thankfully I'm well aware and able to trace the source. November despair mixed with general Blue Jays malaise is leading me down a dangerous path though I'm going without a fight. The heavily-rumored (way to keep it close to the vest AA!) Overbay-for-Snyder deal fell apart on the weekend. Understandable concern for the surgically

GROF Exclusive: Live Streaming Video of the Yankees Parade

2009-11-06T10:00:00.001-05:00

Thanks to the new programming mandate at the Score, I have new access to videofeeds the world over! Enjoy the Yankees marching on Hyperbole Hill. Housekeeping? What you keep in your house?You've surely noticed and I hope you enjoy the new Ghostrunner on First banner, created by old friend Dennis of Amplified Communications. I'm appreciative of all his hard work and though we'll miss JP &

Medical School

2009-11-04T12:25:00.003-05:00

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say over the past few weeks I've come close to losing my religion. Closer than you think and closer than I'm ready to admit. The offseason lends itself to this kind of hyperbole and horseshit, but I've had enough. Mix in a mild existential criss and I'm ready to dive into something far removed from front office games. Instead I want to think about baseball.

Heat-Seeking Missiles. Bloodhounds. Foxes.

2009-11-03T10:30:00.001-05:00

If, for some inexplicable reason, you mention "star-six-nine" to someone, you stand to get one of a couple distinct reactions. For people of a certain age&mdash born in the 90s or later&mdash you are likely to receive a quizzical look. People over 40 are likely to give you weathered version of the same look. The group of people who were teenagers or young adults in the early nineties likely

Old Habits Die Hard

2009-10-29T15:02:00.007-04:00

The Jays baseball operations brass sit around a sterile office deep inside Fortress Rogers. Tim Hortons cups are strewn across the bland table, a large board full of player names and positions holds a prominent role on the wall. Tony LeCava: ...and the value of those two draft picks certainly offsets the on-field production of a 34 year old, based on these age-regression numbers. I say we let

We're Saved

2009-10-27T15:03:00.004-04:00

Paul Beeston has been named the full-time President and CEO of the Toronto Blue Jays. Praise be unto the Beest. Interesting tidbits about Paul Beeston: he spent the last year looking for a successor, which is why the Jays did nothing but shed salary under his stewardship. He righted the ticketing ship while interviewing candidates from all over North America and anointing the sores on the

Pesky Hairs Refuse to Split

2009-10-27T11:17:00.008-04:00

A good post at Batters Box got me thinking about the Jays continued failings in late innings, close games, or other such settings for inevitable heartbreak. The tenets of Blue Jays baseball under JP were clear, the bulk of which I agree with. Except one: the value of utility players. The Jays seem to love guys they can plug into multiple positions with little or no notice. This does seem

Sporting News to Adam Lind: Try Being Older

2009-10-23T10:45:00.001-04:00

The venerable Sporting News announced their American League All Star team amidst little fanfare or shits given. The former staple of North American sports fans' bathrooms and place I used to play fantasy sports quickly announced their irrelevance by naming Hideki Matsui as their all-AL Designated Hitter. An understandable choice, considering Adam Lind merely bested Matsui in home runs, doubles,

Navel Gazing Announcements and Self Pity

2009-10-21T20:22:00.004-04:00

Just a couple things before I throw myself fully into back peddling mode. First, I'm no longer the Weekend Editor at Walkoff Walk. I've eased into the role of semi-regular contributor like an old man into a hot bath. I contributed during the week all year but my weekend output was spotty, but now you can find me posting something over there most days. My post today, in fact, was linked on the

Iron Age

2009-10-19T22:25:00.002-04:00

It is only October 20th and yet the annual "offseason straw-grasp" is already in full swing in the blogosphere. New GM Alex Anthopolous's recent comments regarding the teams non-specific interest in resigning Marco Scutaro caused a few waves. Some considered them a waste of time, others thought they were a clear indication of AA's intent to to retain Scutaro. I've said all along that I'm

Playoff Thoughts

2009-10-19T10:01:00.005-04:00

I remember seeing Demi Moore on Letterman years ago. She was an aging but still hot human then, not a Scientologist cyborg. She mentioned how she and her then-husband Bruce Willis sent out Christmas cards that featured Demi dressed up in some slutty elf costume sitting on Santa's knee. While you and I would consider it odd to send tarted up pictures of ourselves to our friends and family,

Trouble in the Henhouse!

2009-10-14T13:45:00.003-04:00

On the heels of my earlier mission to discover the perfect facepalm, I thought it a good time to examine the relationship between WAR and wins a little further. As far as a simple man such as myself can go, that is. Is WAR really a better indicator of team success than Pythagorean record? It would seem so, on the surface. Neither measure is perfect, but they must come close to predicting/

Now and Zen

2009-10-14T01:15:00.004-04:00

Obviously there is plenty going on in the baseball world and zero going on in Blue Jays world. Zero outside of, as the Tao smartly points out, AA doing the identical thing to J.P. (firing/shaking up scouts) without a peep emanating from the local slam gang. A popular past-time here in the land of milk, honey, and schadenfraude seems to be one of two things: Laughing at the Red Sox orLamenting

The Importance of Giving Thanks

2009-10-11T22:35:00.005-04:00

Give thanks any way you can. Sometimes you visit a soup kitchen, sometimes you sponsor Roy Halladay's Pitch F/X entries on Brooks Baseball.Net. Nerds need love too. Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Red Flag Fridays!

2009-10-09T12:00:00.000-04:00

While the playoffs heat up for some lucky fans and the covetous eyes of the also-rans dart across the free agent lists, I figured it attempt to throw some cold water on some of the scarier whispers I've heard. Jeff Blair took time away from glaring at babies and building a shrine to Saint Joe Strummer to announce his presidency of the Orlando Cabrera fan club. Frighteningly enough, Blair points

Two Great Tastes that Taste Great Together

2009-10-07T12:27:00.003-04:00

For the sake of a little levity and because I'm obsessed; how about some Fun with Google Street View!View Larger MapGood family fun at ye olde ballyard!

Appease and Thank You

2009-10-05T12:20:00.002-04:00

Oh right. The Jays fired J.P. this weekend. How could I forget. Was it the right move? It was certainly inevitable, so what difference does it make arguing? I do, however, take umbrage with the way it was handled and what it means for the future of this team. I've hardly been shy with my feelings on Paul Beeston. Most Jays writers seem to love him, and that I get. All signs point to him

Y.O.Y

2009-10-04T22:55:00.004-04:00

Why oh why Brandon League, why did you have to leave such a bitter taste in my mouth for the next 5 months? Not because you cost the Jays a game that meant less than nothing, but because you exhausted the goodwill I spent ALL SEASON building up for you. Nobody else gives a good god damn about you Brandon League, but I've convinced myself and at least one of my dozen readers that you are the

I Can't Believe It's Not Butter

2009-10-02T09:40:00.004-04:00

Managing this team from this day forward. Clearly a wise tactician and man who has the support of the players, there is no reason for the Citocharade to continue one minute longer. I'm referring, of course, to the Rosenweasel report over mutiny in the Jays clubhouse. Wilner supported the sentiment on-air &mdash if not the strong tone &mdash stating numerous uniformed players approached him

Lindependence Day!

2009-10-01T00:30:00.005-04:00

Let me make two quick apologies: firstly to you the dear reader for subjecting you to such a cheesy and predictable title and submitting this post a day late. I know one day is forever in internet time but I hope you'll bare with me. And secondly to Adam Lind, whom I've shamefully ignored this season. There is no good excuse for the lack of credit given to Adam Lind, both here and the greater

Black Tie Knife Fight

2009-09-29T10:20:00.001-04:00

So JP's done and Cito isn't far behind him. Right? Right. The search for a new GM to accompany the new president is surely in full swing. The mold for baseball GM's broke long ago, thankfully and seamlessly moving from wizened former player to learned young wunderkind. JP was a little from column A and a little from column B to predictably (and contentiously) mixed results, so what direction

Not Saying, Just Sayin

2009-09-27T14:30:00.011-04:00

Were I ask you whom ranked second on the Blue Jays pitching staff in strikeout to walk ratio and groundball rate, first in ground out to air out ratio and strikeouts per nine, third in WHIP for the season, who would say? The man who's second on the team in second half appearances with 25, over which he's struck out 35 and walked 6? Same guy? Fourth on the team in FIP with one of the highest (

Fire Up the Roy Halladay for Cy Young Campaign!

2009-09-23T09:25:00.009-04:00

Just kidding! That would be asinine. A vote for anyone but Zack Greinke is a vote for tyranny. 2009 is quite different from last year; when Cliff Lee and Halladay split most of the key stats with "strength of schedule" hanging over the proceedings. This isn't even close. The Zombie's got the Doctor in WHIP, strikeouts, strikeout rate, ERA, FIP, shutouts, number of games played for the Kansas

Shames Enters, Ruins Rosterbation Afterglow

2009-09-21T14:24:00.003-04:00

A funny thing happened along the way to my perfectly idealized roster. The always with-it Tao and a few others made an important point: in order to hang with the big boys, you need to get splashy and make a big signing. You need to shove all your chips into the middle of the table and make a labored metaphor. This is the exact same thought I had one second before I hit publish on my Adrian

Where Did I Move?

2009-09-19T12:08:00.004-04:00

I knew things were going to be different when I packed my shit and moved to glorious downtown Orangeville. There would be an adjustment period, sure, but one thing I couldn't have considered: Orangeville is a lacrosse town. At first I didn't think anything of it. Then I started seeing kids with lacrosse sticks EVERYWHERE. On my street, at the park, at the complex where I drag my kid for