BLUE JAYS---If they win at least 2 of 3 @ Fenway......

[Fishhead]

......starting this week, don't count them out of the playoffs.

They are currently within 5.5 games of the Yankees for the wild card.

All year I've been quietly mentioning how this team is just as good as the Yankees, if not better.

Take a look at their starting staff.......

Roy Halladay, A.J. Burnett, Shaun Marcum (3.62 ERA), Dustin McGowan (4.18) and Jesse Litsch (3.44).......and I believe they are all healthy for the first time all year.

Taking a phrase from KERMIT and other Yankee ass kissers......."if this team makes the playoffs... they could and will give anyone problems"..........:missingte

On a serious note for you future bettors, you may want to take a look at some prices on this team.........as I'm sure in some shops their odds are very, very high to win the pennant and may possibly present an overlay.

If they win this series coming up at Fenway, you will start to hear the media begin to talk about the JAYS making a possible playoff run.

Since they broke in spring training I've thought the Jays were just as good a team as the Yankees, if not better....... if they stayed relatively healthy. Think about it, Burnett has only 8 wins on the year and here they sit just 5 games behind the Yankees.

 

[Fishhead]

DICE-K has no business being a -200 favorite this evening over Litsch and the red hot Jays............Dice has been very average at best over his last few starts and the RED SOX are still without MANRAM.

 

[Timetopay]

Ill think about it. The most wins Burnett has ever had is 12 and averages about 10. So hes right on pace.

Isnt what your saying the same as "if Carlos Silva had 20 wins look out for the Twins!"

 

[Fishhead]

Ill think about it. The most wins Burnett has ever had is 12 and averages about 10. So hes right on pace.

True, Burnett never seems to get a full season of starts in and will give you the benefit of the doubt here.

 

[Fishhead]

The Blue Jays are hardly in the driver's seat, but at least they believe they're along for the ride.
After beating Seattle 6-4 Sunday to sweep the three-game series, the Jays moved a season-high four games over the .500 mark at 70-66. Coupled with the Yankees' loss to Tampa, the Jays moved to 5 1/2 games back of New York in the AL wild-card race.
"We've still got a heartbeat," Jays manager John Gibbons said of his team's chances. "The bottom line is we're playing some pretty good ball right now; keep running with it and see where it takes us."
Helping the cause Sunday was starter A.J. Burnett, who threw seven strong innings to move to 8-7.
"Everything is kind of clicking right now," said Burnett, who gave up three runs on four hits. "'We're hitting, we're playing 'D' and the pitching staff is doing a good job. We weren't expecting to win all three, but you have to take advantage of those opportunities, and we did.
"It's scary what we can do still. The way this team has been playing right now and the way we feel, we need some magic to happen, but we're going to play every game as if we're going to make it."
The Jays face a big test the next three days as they open a three-game series in Boston.

 

[Journeyman]

Solid pitching ,the bats suck though, they kind of remind me Oakland the past 3-4 years...they are a terrible team away from home too...they will tease their fans but that's it.

 

[wannabewhale]

Toronto does the same thing every year playing from third place.
It is almost now officially time to put awau betting the Sox. They are overvalued at home from Sept on out.
Time to sit back and watch us win a Division for the 1st time in forever.
Go M's!!!

 

[Journeyman]

Solid pitching ,the bats suck though, they kind of remind me Oakland the past 3-4 years...they are a terrible team away from home too...they will tease their fans but that's it.

Marcum and Litsch are definitely coming on strong....they need a leadoff hitter, their lineup has a lot of age, Glaus is always hurt, Thomas is obviously very old, and Wells is banged up.

 

[Fishhead]

Marcum and Litsch are definitely coming on strong....they need a leadoff hitter, their lineup has a lot of age, Glaus is always hurt, Thomas is obviously very old, and Wells is banged up.

Had to provide Marcum with the finer points of billiards during spring training........and closer Accardo wanted to play a game of pool against me or anybody for that matter for $500........I declined as did not want to embarrass him and/or take his money.

 

[TomBrady#1]

FIsh, I have said for a few years that the Blue Jays do a great job. They had some key injuries too. Their GM is from around here and JPR does a great job considering their limited payroll. If RYan and Halliday were not injured early they would be even better. They actually beat the Red Sox last year in the standings and this team is pretty decent. Thye are playing free and easy and doing well. He gets nice pieces to the puzzle and fields a quality team. He missed out on the bust pitcher from Florida (Burnett) but you cannot win them all. No one does.

 

[Fishhead]

FIsh, I have said for a few years that the Blue Jays do a great job. They had some key injuries too. Their GM is from around here and JPR does a great job considering their limited payroll. If RYan and Halliday were not injured early they would be even better. They actually beat the Red Sox last year in the standings and this team is pretty decent. Thye are playing free and easy and doing well. He gets nice pieces to the puzzle and fields a quality team. He missed out on the bust pitcher from Florida but you cannot win them all. No one does.

Accardo has filled in nicely for Ryan.........

 

[wannabewhale]

I think Gibbons needs to go

 

[dmmd98]

Toronto has pitching which could go along way but has no heart. Gibbons isn't the problem, the players like him and atleast play for him it's guys like Wells, Thomas, Glaus (he kinda get's a pass since he is hurt) that lack that killer instinct when there are runners in scoring position this year.

They play the Yankees 7 times still so you never what could happen but I doubt i'll be watching playoff ball in Oct. Atleast it's the first time in along while that Jays fans (which I'm not really one btw) have something to look forward too in Sept even if it may be for only a week or so.

P.S Toronto has a near 100 million dollar payroll there is nothing limited about that if your team isn't in New York or Boston.

 

[TomBrady#1]

Toronto has pitching which could go along way but has no heart. Gibbons isn't the problem, the players like him and atleast play for him it's guys like Wells, Thomas, Glaus (he kinda get's a pass since he is hurt) that lack that killer instinct when there are runners in scoring position this year.

They play the Yankees 7 times still so you never what could happen but I doubt i'll be watching playoff ball in Oct. Atleast it's the first time in along while that Jays fans (which I'm not really one btw) have something to look forward too in Sept even if it may be for only a week or so.

P.S Toronto has a near 100 million dollar payroll there is nothing limited about that if your team isn't in New York or Boston.

When you play in the same Divivision that is limited, though. I agree on Wells. He should better than he is....has all the tools to be a real good one but there is something missing with him.

 

[dmmd98]

[/B]


When you play in the same Divivision that is limited, though. I agree on Wells. He should better than he is....has all the tools to be a real good one but there is something missing with him.

Agree it's just at the end of the day the payroll isn't an excuse why a team win's or doesn't win regardless of the division there in. The reason there even close to the wild card is because like Marcum, Mcgowan, Litsch, Rios, Janssen and Accardo and between them these players don't make 2.5 million. It makes to tougher to win sure since Toronto can't spend mid season 15 million to pick up someone like Abreu however they did finish 2nd last season (a way back 2nd however) and have a very outside shot at the wild card considering they've been banged up alot this year.

P.S sorry Toronto has an 80 million dollar payroll not 100, I can't even sure the it's 100 million in Canadian dollars excuse anymore either.

 

[Journeyman]

[/b]


When you play in the same Divivision that is limited, though. I agree on Wells. He should better than he is....has all the tools to be a real good one but there is something missing with him.

He's been hurt all year, shoulder problems.

 

[dmmd98]

He's been hurt all year, shoulder problems.

I always hate it when players at the end of a bad year say oh I've been banged up all year long. While there is no real way to know if he is 100% or not I just think it's a excuse.

He may need surgery he has said if you are really hurt you will need surgery besides it's in most players nature to play banged up at this time of the season most players aren't really 100% anyway. He just had a down year it appears but next year when his contract starts he'll need to pick that up since he is considered the face of the team.

 

[TomBrady#1]

I always hate it when players at the end of a bad year say oh I've been banged up all year long. While there is no real way to know if he is 100% or not I just think it's a excuse.

He may need surgery he has said if you are really hurt you will need surgery besides it's in most players nature to play banged up at this time of the season most players aren't really 100% anyway. He just had a down year it appears but next year when his contract starts he'll need to pick that up since he is considered the face of the team.

He always has an excuse. Just like the poster said, he lacks heart or something. Wells numbers should be better and not just this year either. Agreed!!

 

[Journeyman]

Wells took full advantage and peeked right on the edge of the full blown steroids era...when in reality he's probably more like a 25 homer max type of player..still a very solid player but not what he appeared to be it seems....who knows if he was on them but players around him would still inflate his stats....hes still only 28.

 

[Dubpoet]

Rios is a Star! 5 tool player!