And here we were, trying to be all reasonable and shit about Brett Cecil's first big league start. With less than an hour to go until first pitch, we're starting to lose it completely. We're pacing around the office and looking like a mad man. Strangely, the co-workers haven't noticed the difference.We may take a long lunch today and see if we can sneak in at least the first half of the game somewhere, although we guessing that finding a bar with the game playing will be something akin to Diogenes' search for an honest man.
Points of reference
Dustin McGowan came up in a pretty similar situation in 2005 in his first start. In his July 30 debut against the Texas Rangers, McGowan went five innings, giving up one run and two hits while striking out six and walking three. That sort of start from Cecil would be more than welcome.
RTing ourselves
Mentioned this on our Twitter thingy, but for the sake of those of you not so inclined to follow our brain farts over there: Travis Snider, since his two homer game in Minny: .495 OPS, .254 OBP, .241(!!!) SLG. The Pasty White Hope is pressing.
UPDATE! Postgame madness!!
Jays win! Pennant!!!1
Seriously, that was totally frickin' epic. We're going to towel ourselves off.
47 comments:
Let's-go Ce-cil.
Added bonus, reduced pressure pitching in front of a projected 14,000 fans on the Tuesday afternooner.
Not to get all high and mighty over the shit attendance to date, but every time I hear Ricciardi preface denials of trading away Doc with "unless the economy affects us in a way that ownership tells us to slash payroll"....well, let's just say a little piece of my 2010 boner dies.
(what?)
Has there been more than 20,000 in attendance other than the home opener this year? To me it seems like the numbers are down quite a bit over last year.
Numbers are down, big time. But that'll change come July, August, and September, when we're in the thick of the race.
Not to be an apologist, but...
The crowds haven't been awful so far...They have gone back to what they were a couple of years back, but the Jays aren't alone on that front.
Still, it would still be nice to get some decent crowds out to see how well this team is playing.
Ok, fuck it. We're a total apologist.
An attendance post is coming this week.
How dare you question my reactionary non-researched throwaway comment. HOW DARE YOU.
The Jays aren't alone. Quoth Dave Cameron, blogger for the also first place Mariners:
I've never been at a game with fewer people than tonight's. CF bleachers empty... and this was Felix Day, with a good, interesting team.
Cecil starts with a strike out!
RoY! Cy! MVP!
OK, so, let me get this off my chest before the Tao drops his attendance post which will surely make total sense and thus render me vanquished.
It's embarrassing to me when I turn on the ballgame and see a first place team playing in front of homecrowds of < 20,000 (the closed, cavernous Dome increases the shitty appearance factor by about 12). It makes me uncomfortable, and I know that makes me a loser.
Also, I get that it's easy for me to say, since I don't live in the GTA and thus can use the old "if I lived there, I'd go to "X" games" line. The flip side is that I'll probably drop upwards of a thousand bucks on a long-weekend road trip to catch a series.
So, you know, stop listening to the horseshit downer doom and gloom media coverage and go to the fuckin' games, Toronto.
/end rant.
I've been to three so far, Ack. I'm doing my part. I'm off all of July. I imagine I'll be walking up numerous times.
Hit me up if you want to go to a game!
Cecil's hanging in there. Now if only the offense could start hitting Anthony Reyes like he's Anthony Reyes.
Reading back my last comment, I know I come across 100% fucking loudmouth douchebag, but it's too late to delete it.
I guess my fears are rooted in a payroll slash and a return to a $50M (reverse-boner) payroll era when the team appears so close to a return to glory.
I don't think you sound like a loudmouth douchebag, but I am a loudmouth douchebag, so maybe my views are skewed.
Great start so far by Cecil. Where are the gaddam bats?
LIND!!!!!!1 BONERS!!!!!1
Wolfe!
Scott Richmond was announced at AL Rookie of the Month!
Woop woop!
So Cecil's line was:
6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 SO.
Nails. Boner. Pennant!
And yes, for those of you just tuning in, this is a one-man game thread.
Fuck off, Tao.
Aaron Hill! M!V!P! M!V!P! M!V!P! M!V!P!
Scott Richmond AL Rookie of the Month? Hot damn! I better start building my Scott Richmond shrine.
Hill - MVP
Rios - MVP
There's an awful lot of singles in this game, isn't there Tao?
They must not be using the juiced balls today.
Adam Lind!!!!!!!1
Lind is so awesome, he makes my brain melt.
LIND!!!!!1 BONERS!!!!!1
Hill!!!1
Rios!!!1
Lind!!!1
Rolen!!!1
Boners!!!1
(And somewhere, Vernon Wells is yelling "Goddamnit!!!1" at another pop out.)
Postseason!!!1
I change my MVP vote to Adam Lind ...
nope wait, Scott Rolen.
I'm glad I took my blood pressure medication today, because the ticker's getting quite the workout today.
Vernon Wells has a bout of Tourette's when he pops one up.
Se7en in the Se7enth!
Remember how last year, there really wasn't an MVP candidate amongst the position players? To the point where people were talking about Scutaro and his .712 OPS as the MVP?
Yeah, we don't think that will be an issue this year.
Most annoying commercial on Blue Jays Radiocasts. Is it
1) The Macleans ad with the obnoxious woman announcer, or
2) The Super 8 ad - "As long as you make it Super!"
(We've actually grown to love the Home Hardware, iTravel2000 and AlarmForce ones, before anyone suggests them.)
Ballgame!
Jays win!
All sorts of exclamatory tomfoolery!
!!!!!1
The Super 8 ad is very very bad. If you listen closely, it sounds like the guy is saying "I've got free breakfast and internets". Yes, internet plural. Bad, ad. BAD AD!
I think he says internets because that one of many stupid ways hip people are referring to the web now. See also: tubes, interwebs.
I can't believe the Jays came back today. And I missed it because I was driving home. Last I saw, Carlson had given up the lead.
Holy shit! 22K attendance! Clearly, my pre-game knuckle-rap jolted slumbering Jays fans. Clearly.
You have a special power, Ack.
But with great power comes great responsibility.
If you are referring to the power of douchebaggery, then yes - yes I do.
oh, and MF'n PENNANT.
I think the attendance figures are skewed bc we haven't seen the Yanks or Sox in town. So no Massholes and douchebag New York front runner fans crowding the bathroom lines.
The Super 8 ad is probably the worst thing in my life right now. Which - I realize that makes me a very fortunate person, especially in these difficult economic times, but still. I had become completely sick of it before Romero's first start, I remember that much.
However, the Super 8 ad has been the best argument against moving Snider up. Imagine a commercial break... making it through the ad... and then play resuming with Rios, Vernon and Snider going through a half-inning on four pitches. Immediately followed by JO-ANNNNNNAAAAAAA!!!
Wells and Snider are the fuckin' millionaires here, they can be the ones to develop patience, because I'm a month into the season and completely out.
On the attendance front, I'm doing my part. I've seen 4 already, am organizing a group outing from work for the first of the Yankees games, have tickets for the two remaining cheap games, and have schedule a few more but don't have tickets yet.
This team is fun to watch. Really annoyed I didn't get to see any of it today because I had to do interviews.
Richmond rookie of the month? Ernie Whitt just went into hiding.
Well I've been off the continent and probably am horribly late with this comment, but has anyone seen Gerry Dee's interview with Doc??
Awesome!! Clearly Dee will meet an untimely death soon though for the mockery.
Saw the Doc-Dee interview on Hum and Chuck. That was a riot.
Maclean's lady makes me want to cut her.
Attendance is shit cause there's been shit opponents and shittier weekend opponents. Toonie Tuesdays were also taken away.
If you replace Boston with Oakland, and New York with Baltimore, the average attendance jumps 5k.
Yea it sucks that there's under 20k for a 1st place team but it's early May. Beat the Yankees next week and you'll see people buying into things.
I'm very impressed you got 43 comments, Tao.
I'll take...backhanded compliments for $45 please
Joanna, Tao's the hot spot dontcha know that already? Bret Cecil's debut bring so many people ,comments and wackjobs!@ Anon 10:27 PM It's really pathetic about attendance BUT don't feel bad. I get the YES network and at the first Red Sox game, Yankees Stadium looked like the Skydome in terms of attendance! @ Drew, is that $45 dollars Canadian OR US?:)
Backhanded comments are how Joanna repays me for linking to her blog in the comments.
If I link to Hum and Chuck in a post, she rewards me with hostile contempt.
I wonder what the attendance will be like for the Halladay/Burnett showdown next Tuesday. Hopefully at least 30,000! It will be one for the ages, for sure!
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