Mister Baseball reported it yesterday, and Bastian confirms it via Twitter: The Jays are giving a tryout to Canadian-born Leon Boyd, the side-arming slider machine who closed for the Netherlands in the WBC.(Actually, Blair confirmed it by tweet first, but since he doesn't follow us, we credit Bastian.)
We were pretty impressed with Boyd's stuff in the Classic, and figured he might actually be worth a look for some Major League team, but then again, we're no scout. As we've stated here before, we have an extreme weakness for relievers with funky deliveries. (Also, we find it hard to resist any song that contains handclaps. That's just us.)
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Various and sundry news and notes from around Blue Jaydom:
Hooray for Faint Praise! Baseball Digest Daily's Andy Spear tells us not to be surprised if "the Blue Jays do better than most people think". Rejoice!
Give us one good reason: Actually, Mop Up Duty provides five good reasons to follow the Jays. Plus, one gratuitous reference to The Wire. It's all in the game, yo.
More lists of lists: I Heart Halos, a blog for the fans of the Angels of one city and another, lists off their Fave 4 all time Blue Jays. We think that they might have a little too much love for Jesse Barfield, but there's no accounting for taste.
JoBau! JoBau! JoBau! The NatPost's John Lott figures that José Bautista (JoBau!) has the inside edge over Joe Inglett for the last spot on the Jays roster. (Nobody tell LJ.) If Bautista (JoBau!) does crack the roster before Inglett, we should pretty much assume that Voodoo Joe's spooky hoodoo will ensure that some bizarre injury befalls someone on the 25-man almost immediately.
Videologically idiotic: Toronto Sports Media posts that Nine More Outs video with the overly precious dudes doing mundane streeters outside the Rogers Centre. We've had the link sent to us twice by its creators and a few more times by readers, and frankly, we have yet to crack even the faintest smile at it. Maybe we're just not the laughing type.
Let's not go there: Eyebleaf ponders Jason Bay in a Jays uni. We're not even going there. Men go crazy at the prospect of those sorts of things, and they go even crazier when they see the results. Let's not forget that at one time, people pondered the same thing about Corey Koskie.
I wonder if Boyd was considered for the Canadian team in the WBC. If he can't make the Canadian team he sure as hell can't make the Jays.
ReplyDeleteSays you.
ReplyDeleteI'd get over it. I'm considering a trip down to Vegas either way. Dollar beers, ya know.
ReplyDeleteblair doesn't follow me either...he does follow Ghostrunner though, so I'm taking it personally.
ReplyDeletebastian follows me, so I credit him with everything...even stuff he doesn't break.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on that video, wake me when it gets funny.
ReplyDeletebut...but...but...metric system jokes guys! the metric system! oh boy, that's rich.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to have nightmares about Corey Koskie's tenure in Toronto.
ReplyDeleteAnd neither Blair or Bastian follow me. Pure Twitter fail.
Those guys sent that video to every fucking Jays blogger. It's ridiculous. It should never have seen the light of the internet. Not even once.
They sent that video to me twice, with the same form letter but signed by different members of the "troupe".
ReplyDeleteWe're kind of upset that we haven't heard from them again.
I wrote them back saying I thought the overall idea could be funny but they didn't execute. They asked how and I replied with 9 paragraphs.
ReplyDeleteLets just say I've always wanted to be in a "troupe".
Nine paragraphs?
ReplyDeleteHow about two words: "Be funny."
I taught them how to fish, Tao. I taught them how to fish.
ReplyDeleteIf his arm is attached Arnsberg can have him capable of closing for the Jays by July.
ReplyDelete"Says you."
ReplyDeleteSays logic. If he can't make a team full of minor league pitchers, the chances of him having any success in the bigs is slim.
There wasn't a Team Canada try-out, they picked people they were aware of. They weren't aware of this kid because he was pitching in the Netherlands.
ReplyDeleteKind of like Team Canada's "ace" this year. Where was he during the last WBC? Edmonton. Playing in the Northern League.
Upon closer inspection, Leon "Oil Can" Boyd is levitating.
ReplyDelete