Chalk one up for Canadian health care

(note - the following is intended to be humorous - stress, "intended to be" - and is not necessarily an endorsement of the Canadian health care system)

It's nice to know that when you're not feeling well, when you're not at your peak, when you need a prescription to make you whole again, there's someone there to help you through it. Someone who is a dedicated professional, in every sense of the word, to put an end to the maladies that plague you (like a mini-losing streak and a shattered rotation, perhaps).

Someone like Harry Leroy Halladay, MD. The good doctor, indeed.

I have stated before - ad nauseum, probably - that I've run out of superlatives to use when discussing Doc....but efforts like these cannot go unnoticed. Not on my watch. Oh sure, we can nitpick and point out the 10 hits allowed, or the early hole he created by giving up a pair of runs in the first (what kind of bullshit swing was that on Markakis's's's's's tater, anyway?). But to see Halladay grit his teeth and storm off the mound at the conclusion of the first was to see a man determined to carry the team on his back.

I'd like to think it was that patented Halladay intensity that inspired the offense to reward his efforts.....that, or Baltimore lefty Mark Hendrickson really is a large bag o' shit well past his major league expiry date. Either way, I'm good.

Because I believe in Scott Rolen

No specific reason for this little segment, other than to point out how sweet ol 'firty free looks in the vintage baby blues.

But since we're here, how's Troy Glaus looking in the classic Cards uni these days? What's that, Jaystalk callers? You'll have to speak up, I didn't hear you. I must have had Rolen's .318 batting average and gold glove defense stuck in my ears.

JP Ricciardi - inspiring confidence in young arms everywhere
I'll reserve judgement on the team's latest shuffling of the pitching deck (at least until tomorrow), but I'll leave you with these inspirational quotes from the GM himself:

On whether the kids are ready:
"They're probably not ready"

On the decision to promote the relatively unheralded (by all but the Tao) Robert Ray:
"He's healthy and it was his turn to throw."

Now go and give 'em hell, boys!