Thursday, August 13, 2009

We're taking an off-day from caring about the Blue Jays

As we woke up this morning, we realized something.

We didn't know if the Jays were playing today, or who or where they played next. We didn't know or care how many games they were behind in the AL East or the Wild Card, and we couldn't remember how many games they were below .500.

Usually, we're the ones chastising people for giving up on the team rather than going down with the ship like a true believer should. But at this moment, we're just too discouraged about the current state of the team, and full of dread for the future.

Of course, when the Jays call up the mystery bullpen arm to replace Jeremy "Everybody Else Sucks But I Still Have Options" Accardo, we're sure that we'll come back alive for a couple of minutes, like a heart patient slapping on a nitro patch.

Now if you'll excuse us, we're going to spend the rest of the morning with the blinds down, listening to Antony and the Johnsons.

20 comments:

The Ack said...

Whaddya mean, "full of dread for the future"....didn't you hear the Bobcat's proclomation of a $100M+ payroll for next year?

(actually, I only heard that claim through misc blog comments....anyone know the backstory/context to McCown's theory?)

Anonymous said...

I could be wrong, but didn't that $100-$120 million payroll come out of an interview with Griffin? Might not be worth putting too much stock into that one.

Anonymous said...

I'm in the same boat, Tao. I still care about the team obviously and the overall (lack?) of direction, but right now I'm not going through the schedule and bargaining with myself "well, if they manage to take 2 of 3 from Tampa then they come back home and ..."

Oh well, time to re-introduce myself to the wife and kid.

Anonymous said...

One more thing. Should we be worried about Marcum? JP says "he's healthy" but I've heard that before.

Tao of Stieb said...

If I cared today, which I don't, then yes, I would be pretty worried about Marcum.

Especially given what happened to the last Jays pitcher who came back from TJ surgery on an accelerated rehab.

The Ack said...

For my own musical interlude today, I'm going to rock a little Faster Pussycat:

I'm not really too sure 'bout this conversation
There's been a lot of talk but nothing said
And don't you understand my French
What do I have to do to make a reservation
Just to talk to you and explain
That all you ever do is complain

I got no, I got no room for emotion, yeah
It's like a cloud drippin radiation right on my head
I got no, I got no room for emotion

Now I'm tryin to make the best out of a bad situation
You take my heart, flush it down the drain
I'm easy baby, it's such a shame
Now I've had it up to here with all your aggravation
That you put on me, such a crime
Baby, you're just wastin my time


That about sums it up.

Navin Vaswani (@eyebleaf) said...

I will carry the torch of hope and caring on this most glorious Thursday.

Brighter days are ahead.

Voodoo Matt said...

I have to care until after labour day. I'm packing up the clan and going to see my third favourite team play the Jays on that weekend. (Jays first, everyone else tied for second, Yankees and Bosox tied for third)

Then it's September and we get to marvel at all the fresh faces. So I have my interest all stocked up until the off season when the night terrors start.

Ron Logel said...

C'mon Tao. Cheer up. I wanna see where the Tao's Wandering Eye is gazing. What free agents are you targeting giving Rogers will have no problem "spending up to Boston."

2010, baby! Playoffs! Wooooooo!

Anonymous said...

since The Tao is taking some time away from caring about the Jays, he'll be lucky enough to miss this...

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/joe_posnanski/08/12/worst.contracts/index.html?eref=sihpT1

nothing we didn't know, but extra-depressing to see it all in one article, splashed on the front of a major sports site...

Darren Priest said...

This will cheer you up...http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/story/12048139/rss

The Ack said...

@ anon 125....oh, he saw that allright...he's in a Twittering rage as we speak.

brainiac said...

Okay...enough with the Stanley Cup mentality when it comes to baseball already...baseball is about what happens today...to hell with the winning it all crap.

Enjoy the beautiful day and the game you are watching right then...root for the good plays, boo the other team, enjoy it for the moments that they are.

One team out of 30 win it all every year...with those odds, its better to just shaddup already and enjoy the game.

Having said that...the Jays are ska-rooed!

Anonymous said...

Accardo is a DeD man!

Anonymous said...

Wow.. just realized Scott Rolen looks like EVH. BEAT IT!

Anonymous said...

http://www.hackisan.de/hackisan/bilder/vanhalen.jpg

http://vis-www.cs.umass.edu/lfw/images/Scott_Rolen/Scott_Rolen_0001.jpg

Anonymous said...

He is Rockin' Rolen ...

Colin said...

Barry Davis has a new blog up on Sportsnet about how Accardo must be getting screwed because someone doesn't like him. He doesn't even mention (probably doesn't even know) that Accardo had an option and the other guys don't. Reading through the comments though is just a lesson in how stupid most Toronto baseball fans are, something I sometimes forget spending all my time on the good Jays blogs. For example:

This was a great blog, Barry. You've brought our attention to something truly puzzling.

Apparently Cito said in an interview today (Thursday August 13th) that he's uncertain if he'd want to continue managing the Jays after his contract runs out at the end of the 2010 season. That admission, along with the unjust treatment of Accardo, the way the Halladay situation was handled, and the fact that Ricciardi still has his job, tells me that all is not well in Blue Jays Land. Not by a long shot!

Who is calling the shots here? Is it Beeston? Cito? Some high-ups with Rogers Communications? The bat boy?

No wonder the team is a mess on the field. Our front office is in shambles.

The other day, after Youkilis charged the mound in the RedSox/Tigers game, my brothers had a discussion about who would be most likely to charge the mound on the Jays. Our answer? NOBODY. The only guy we could see doing it was Scott Rolen, and he's gone.

My point is this - this team has to find an identity, some grit, and some players/staff who actually care about the organization. Then and ONLY then will the Jays have success.

The end.


Aside from the gibberish about who's "in charge", he (or she) sound like they think that disgraceful display by Youkilis was a POSITIVE thing. I'm glad we don't have players like that, getting tossed and suspended doesn't help win baseball games. This is totally a hockey mentality.

Having an identity doesn't help win baseball games, neither does "caring about the organization" or having grit. None of these things hit home runs. What this team needs is more talent. A team full of Reed Johnson clones would be gritty, have a collective identity (that of Reed Johnson), and be extremely gritty, and yet they'd be lucky to win 20 games (and not just because Reed can't pitch).

Colin said...

Whoops, meant to say they'd care, not that they'd be gritty twice. Although they would be really gritty (whatever the fuck that even means).

Alex said...

It worked better that way anyhow