Please don't make assumptions about the Blue Jays. They have the best pitching in the American League East when you look at the stats. Their hitting stunk but the pitching is there.

I shall assume. I shall based on their actual performace as a team over stats.

they do? halliday, ted lilly (a guy who only pitches well against the red sox), and who else?

and vernon stole that gold glove from manny. who led the league in assists. oh, wait a minute, he also led the league in "i was talking to my agent in the stands whent that ball was hit my way."

They do have the best pitching in the East. They have a True number one unlike the Red Sox and the Yankees have just a couple of aging number ones with their best years behind them. Their number 2 is a Gus Chachin who could have been rookie of the year with 15 to 20 wins if it wasnt for the pitiful offence. Josh Towers - could have easily won 15 games with run support. Ted Lilly is nothing more than their #4 starter with number 5 right now being either Dave Bush another rookie. Boston had 2 fifteen game winners and Wells wants out. The Yankees had only one and his best years are way behind him. Dont even start on the bullpens as the Jays clearly have the best out of the three. It was the pitching that lost it for the Red Sox in the playoffs

Chacin was "Choakin" at the end of the run - even if he wasn't the pun is too good to pass up. Lilly was presented by the team as a viable #2 mid-season but I think you are right - his performance prove on his #4 status. I think you are crazy if you think a healthy Shilling is worse than a healthy Halliday but you are a fan (like me) so you are subject to such insanities from time to time.<p>The real team to watch in the AL east is Baltimore, of course, with Leo Mazzone moving there from the Braves. Once they deal with their ghosts I think they will make more of what they were doing last spring.

mazzone moved. wow. and i dont take issue with you no-name. i obviously dont have the fact base you have. and i'd give you schilling and whoever else you wanted for halliday. he's fucking great. agreed.

No way. Great in June. Never been in a big game. Wonky body.

he is wonky, true. but shilling is so boring, so methodical, so dull to watch. i appreciate the bloody sock stuff but i just have no love of him. "hey look at me, i'm curt shilling, i'm so intense, don't talk to me on game day, i know the president, jesus saves, god is on my side, blah blah blah." sure sure curt. now pedro - he pitched like a guy with his hair on fire. oh to have pedro back. anybody but curt and clement with that crazy chin thing. no, i'd take my chances with haliday.

Three words - oil can boyd. It was like his joints weren't quite connected.<p>I dunno. Halliday has had a soft career with loser teams. But then again look at Carpenter. Release from the confines of the SkyDome did him wonders. The Sox need Vernon Well, baby. Manny and Johnny D. go, someone has to play outfield. And not Millar, either.

i only wish oil can had pitched better for the expos. but yeah, those were were boston pitching staffs - a drunk eck, oil can, a wonky steamer stanley, crazy bill lee, soupy campbell, the rocket, even bruce hurst doing his less nervous looking derek lowe impression. hell, in recent years we had lowe and pedro and rich the fat man garces. all guys you love to see reach back and pitch. clement and schilling - it's like watching a long documentary about bugs - that's all i'm saying. no, i'd take haliday, propensity to get injured and all. clement and schilling - trade em both.

I will always respect Wells for this year, too. He was the real star that got them to where they got.

boomer can come back and pitch anytime. somebody once said that it's even poignant to see pedro pitch because you never know if his next pitch might be his last ever. there's some of that in watching a fat 40 year old guy bring it too. this year, i was really only awake when he, wake, and arroyo pitched.

big weekend by the way. supper at grittys tonight. city is abuzz about maine brewers festival tomorrow.

You know I am not comfortable with Wake but that is part of the knuckleballer experience. No one is comfortable except the ball. Bronson did not give me the calm either. Only the big fat man my age and size gave me that. I'd hug that man anytime.

comfort somefort. i was talking about being entertained. what's the knuckle going to do today? will the knuckle ball gods smile today? that's entertainment baby. you got to get over this just wanting to win thing. i mean you dont want to be the jays. you don't want to lose. but, most of all, baseball is to be savored. everything else is frozen ice on s stick. baseball is ice cream baby. that's alll i'm saying.

Your entertainment includes a tighter sphinter than mine. I agree with everything you say but I am really used to games with real dynasties, not better averages. This is a hard game for a fan. Did I mention I travelled to Cooperstown this year? Did I?

it's that stupid round ball football that gets you all uptight like that. of course it's going to unnerve you if they only score once an hour.

But the uniforms are so bright and colourful.