Weekly Round Up : Apr. 5 - 11

That's right bitches.....we're number 1!

Consider this your required reading for this week.  Forbes doesn't mess around.

Eric Smith is a stupid-fucking-idiot-retard (must be repeated all in one breath).  He wrote a piece ON HIS BLOG about how bloggers are lesser life forms than "accredited members of the media".  The irony makes me laugh.  If you want to read it, click here.  You will have to click on the date he wrote it, which was Wednesday April 7th.

To Eric, I say this:

We here at 1bluejaysway do this strictly for fun.  We do not advertise (yet) and we all have jobs that pay us the money we need to live on.  You are just a pussy who is trying way to hard to hold onto your precious "status".  You see I think you are missing the point Eric, we can say stuff like fuck, shit, pussy, bitch etc. and not even give it a second thought.  We are not confined to normal writing topics, formats and styles.  We can say all the things you can't BECAUSE you have to face the players again and answer for it to them.  We write our opinions and believe me, the five guys that post on this blog rarely agree.  All we want is a place to collect our thoughts regarding our beloved Toronto Blue Jays. And if "Joe Fan" wants to stop by and give us their views on any topic, well we think that is just swell.

So everyone please join us and strike Eric Smith off the cool list.

Courtesy of Mental_Floss:

Toronto Blue Jays
More than 30,000 entries were received during a five-week name-the-team contest. A panel of 14 judges, including 10 Toronto media members, selected 10 finalists. From that list, the club’s board of directors settled on Blue Jays. “The Blue Jays was felt to be the most appropriate of the final 10 names submitted,” according to a statement issued by the board’s chairman, R. Howard Webster. “The blue jay is a North American bird, bright blue in color, with white undercovering and a black neck ring. It is strong, aggressive and inquisitive. It dares to take on all comers, yet it is down-to-earth, gutsy and good-looking.”

A solid post on the origin of every team's nickname in MLB. 

Courtesy of The Canadian Press:

After 12 seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, the six-time all-star and 2003 Cy Young Award winner has an extra skip to his step for this opening day.
"It's more exciting. The whole spring has been that way," Halladay said. "It's nice to have that spring to get acclimated. I'm looking forward to the season as a whole more than I have in the past. It's a lot more exciting for me knowing this is a competitive team looking to win."

Can't really blame Doc for pointing out the obvious.  Still it does sting a little.

Courtesy of Baseball America:

Jimmy (Unadilla. Ga.): Hi Dirk, Thanks for the chat. Growing up, what did you want/plan to be. Was it to be a baseball player, a writer or something entirely different?

Dirk Hayhurst: I wanted to grow up and be a Giant Robot Ninja. However, it was extremely difficult to get into giant robot ninja school as you really have to have great tests scores, loads of recommendations and then a natural penchant for all things ninja. While I was a natural robot, I didn't have the athletic skill to pass the ninja tests... but, life goes on, right? Though, I'm sure you can imagine how hard it was for me when I found out I didn't have what it takes...

Dirk takes some questions.  This guy is awesome.

Courtesy of Ken Rosenthal @ Fox Sports:

Not surprisingly, rival agents are exasperated with the four-year, $18 million contract that designated hitter Adam Lind signed with the Blue Jays, mostly because Lind agreed to club options covering each of his first three free-agent years.
“Three club options? The union hates those deals and understandably so,” one agent said. “He should have gotten those numbers without the options. The arbitration process rewards offensive production, and this kid is going to produce.”
Lind, who ranked seventh in the AL in OPS last season, will earn $5 million in each of his three arbitration years. His club options are worth $7 million, $7.5 million and $8 million.
As I wrote Sunday, Lind had his own reasons for taking the deal: He gained lifetime security at a time when DHs are being treated harshly in the free-agent market.

If the agents are pissed then you know it was a good deal.  

Courtesy of You Don't Know Dick Griffin @ The Star

RG: What's your definition of a lie?
AA: You're not telling the truth.
RG: Okay. When you walk the streets of Toronto, because this goes back to the first question of being the face of the franchise, when you walk the streets, do people recognize you and is that happening more and more that people recognize you.
AA: Just on the lie question, I'm just curious, what...am I supposed to have a formal Webster's...I guess it's the same definition of a lie is...it's hard to say. Mislead, not tell the truth. I mean we all know what it is to an extent. Are there times you can't be completely forthright, completely honest, withhold information? Yes.

Long, insightful interview with Boy Wonder.  

Courtesy of MLBTR:

Fortunately, the Jays have $31.65MM coming off the books as Lyle Overbay, Scott Downs, Jason Frasor, and John Buck will be up for free agency.  A few of the four will likely be dealt this summer.  Also to be cleared: $10MM owed to B.J. Ryan and $6MM to Roy Halladay

Keep an eye on the pending free agents this year.  Probably going to need another outfielder in the near future.

Courtesy of The Sporting Hippeaux:

I gave myself over to him completely on April 13, 2007.  In the fourth inning of a game against the Tigers, I realized that short of sex and drugs, there's nothing more pleasurable than watching Roy Halladay pitch.

This is the commissioner in one of my fantasy leagues.  Check him out.  Die Hard. 

Courtesy of Canada East:

Paxton Affair Update:

"We're excited about the circus he's going to bring with him with all the scouts and minor-league directors and all that stuff, it's going to be fun," AirHogs manager Pete Incaviglia said in an interview. "Everyone wants a little piece of the phenom, but James is going to have to get used to that.
"That's part of it. He's got to relish it and love that he's going to get the best from everybody."

This story just won't go away.....

Courtesy of  Macleans:

But while he is admired, prolific and an active correspondent with other scholars, Tango remains an enigma. He keeps his real name a closely guarded secret. Long known in the online sabermetrics world as “Tango­tiger,” he tacked on the “Tom” and dropped the “Tiger” solely to have something semi-respectable-looking to put on the cover of The Book. “There are a lot of old-timers who think that I should sign my Christian name,” he blogged in 2008. “I don’t see why it’s anyone’s business other than mine.”

Take a look at the new stats guy in town.  He probably looks like the guy you made fun of in high school.

Courtesy of Scouting Book:

The Red Sox's Cuban shortstop prospect Jose Iglesias gets a lot of ink, but 2009 defectee Hechevarria (pronounced and sometimes spelled Echevarria) is probably the superior player. In MLB terms, Hechevarria is an 'offensive-minded' shortstop in the Cal Ripken mode: a high-average hitter with above-average power. At the plate, his spray chart looks a little more like Ichiro Suzuki: he has a knack for finding infield holes and hitting behind runners. He'll command a high signing bonus and start in the minor leagues, with 2012 or 2013 looking like a possible MLB arrival date.

Can't wait to see this kid play.  Rumor is there may be an announcement during opening day.  Hope he passed the physical. 

Nerding it up in Simulation Nation:

I present to you a new segment in the Weekly Round Up.  Here I will use the power of simulation to attempt to predict the future.  I will be using two different tools to do this.  The first is my PS3 and the amazing game MLB 10 The Show.  The second is my laptop and the amazing game OOTP11.  Since I am a week behind, here are the results for last week.  Let's see how these voodoo devices do compared to our AL East leading 5 - 1 record.  This should be fun.....

According to OOTP11 your Toronto Blue Jays went 3 - 3 to open the year.  We sit tied with the Evil Empire 2 games behind the Rays.
Of note: Vernon Wells was injured in the first game.....

According to MLB 10 The Show your Toronto Blue Jays also went 3 - 3 to begin 2010.  We are tied with the Rays a game behind the Evil Empire.
Of note: I couldn't get Dana Eveland on the roster no matter what I tried.  I replaced him in the number five spot of the rotation with Georgetown boy Shawn Hill.  He won his game and has a 1.04 ERA.

Looking forward to next week we go 3 - 4 according to OOTP.
Of note: I had to DFA McGowan to AAA.  I am interested to see if he makes it through waivers.

The Show predicts a 6 - 1 week!
Of note: Casey Janssen has two wins.