For Old Time's Sake

...so out of boredom and curiosity, I thought I'd check up on the namesake of this blog, to see what he was up to these days.

All Joe Inglett's doing is hitting .341 with an OPS of .919 in 44 AB. His first hit as a Brewer was a triple.

Mike McCoy has had a similar number of at-bats.

Yeah, I know, small sample size, rebuilding year, blah-blah-blah... just sayin'.

It's December.

My god, my hiatus has been so long, I couldn't remember the url of this blog. And I spelled Inglett wrong.

I've been busy enough at work that I was home for exactly one (1) post-season game, and had a hard time giving a crap, anyway. Now that I have five minutes to breathe, I may as well write something.

Not much, just a farewell to the punny namesake of this blog.

Joe Inglett was claimed by the Texas Rangers off waivers on Friday. Good luck, Joe, and I hope you whip out the voodoo dolls earn a fair amount of playing time in Texas. You were a blast to watch in 2008 after you were technically sent back to AAA twice, but just weren't in a hurry to leave town... lucky for the Jays.

Batter's Box features a nice write up on Inglett as part of their December Daily Double POTD.

It's September.

I know "dread" was a word used on the twittosphere to describe at least one person's feelings toward hearing about today's call-ups, but here you go: Joe Inglett, Dirk Hayhurst, and Brian Wolfe.

If that doesn't excite you enough, remember that we get a double dose of baseball tonight! Got the beer in the fridge yet?

(Sigh)

Summer is officially here. That was my first game at which the lid was off the ball park. Sun, beer and baseball.

Thus, I'm not too bummed about today's loss. T'would have been nice for that eighth inning rally to have paid off, but... no dice.

A few pics from God's country:

Voodoo Joe's single:



Dirk Hayhurst's debut as a Jay:



Some colourful brats:



I think he has kids your age, girls. o.O

Welcome Back

I have to post something, right?

Okay, well... it's Friday, the weather is beautiful, I'm enjoying a beer, and Voodoo Joe has arrived at the party, albeit fashionably late.

From Jordan Bastian:

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "No voodoo this time." -- Pitcher Brian Tallet to Inglett. Last year, it seemed like every time Inglett was sent down, someone got injured and he was called right back up. That led former manager John Gibbons to dub him Voodoo Joe. "That's right, he's back," Inglett said with a grin.

Hmm...

...so The Franchise™ has been sent to Vegas.

I wonder who they'll call up.

Oh, look who just reappeared off the DL tonight...

...and we all know how Cito likes his tried n' true guys, right?

...just sayin'.

Gooooooood Morning!!

It's pissing rain, but the birds are singing, the coffee's hot, and... oh yeah, IT'S OPENING DAY.

See ya at the game!



Tickets - check.
AM radio - check.
Camera - check.
Beer cup holder thingies (2) - check.
Sunscreen

Saturday Morning Whining

This post is brought to you by pseudoephedrine, dextromethorphan, and the number 1!

I'm doped up on every pharmaceutical and immune supplement known to man to try to conquer a nasty cold by Monday. This is ridiculous. I've been sick since last Saturday.

Obligatory whining about Joe Inglett packing for Vegas: I'm bummed, but not surprised. It sounds like that was a given all spring:

"We've talked to Joe about it," Gaston said. "He said: 'What do I have to do?' And I said, 'Joe, you're right, you've done everything you could.' It's just a matter of numbers and fortunately he has an option."

You would have had to walk on water out to Caladesi Island and turn the Gatorade into wine, Joe.

Hey, no one ever said baseball was fair, right?

(By the way, if you're like me and your eyes usually glaze over at the talk of waivers, options, and all that baseball business crap, head over to former Jays former assistant GM Bart Given's new site. He does a nice job of 'splaining it. I'm starting to get it.)

...and then there's Scott Richmond. He had another meh-tacular start on Thursday. I've been a fan since that bratinee last July and I'm not giving into the peer pressure and jumping ship anytime soon... but honey, yer fuckin' killin' me. I'm rethinking my plan of Richmondizing my blank jersey.

I think I'm going to have to go to Shoeless Joe's to watch Richmond's April 10th start, to get a pint in me first so I don't chew my nails off.

A Few Amusing Mugshots

Last month, The Sports Hernia blog did a funny post about bad mug shots coming from spring training. The photos are gone now, unfortunately. Note to self: don't hot link Getty Images.

The Jays were a pretty spiffy bunch on photo day this year. There's not too much to laugh at, but in the spring training program, they used some slighty crappier shots in place of the ones that are currently being used on MLB.com. There are a couple I can't pass up.

Apparently, this is Jesse Carlson, though it's hard to tell without his standard goofy grin.



Remember how on school photo day when you were a kid, your mom would get you all prettied up in your best clothes, and wipe your face with a Kleenex and her saliva? Everyone looked nice, but there was always that one dumpy kid who looked especially dumpy on picture day and ruined the class photo? That kid was probably once Joe Inglett.



Don't shave 'er nothin'.

Travis Snider, despite being such a good looking kid, is one of those unfortunate individuals who just can't seem to take a good posed photo to save his life. It's a slight improvement over last year, but he still looks like he's going to jail.



This picture inexplicably made its way into our plane of reality from a parallel universe in which Aaron Hill did not recover from last year's concussion, and remains in a persistent vegetative state:



...and the hands-down winner of the funniest mugshot award? Adam Lind.

I can't even come up with a witty comment for this one.

A Haiku For Joe Inglett

Oh, Joe. You're so hosed.
Better grab your voodoo dolls.
Pack for Sin City.

Out

Awesome photo by Steve Nesius/Reuters.

Short, Sweet and To-The-Point: My Recent Trip To Spring Training in 12 Random Factoids.

• The area really DOES consist primarily of old people.
  
• Average attendance for the three games I was at was around 2200.
  
• I was five rows above the plate. It was mind-blowing to be that close.
  
• You could hear a pin drop in the stadium sometimes.
  
• The netting was screwing up my pictures because the camera was auto-focusing on it, making everything on the other side blurry. I snuck down to the front to take a few pictures with the lens poking through the netting. A fave:
  
  
  When I get a break from work, I'll open a new photobucket account and upload the rest.
  
• American Diet Pepsi is gross.
  
• The sunshine was nice, but the cold winds in the evening sucked, especially on sunburned skin.
  
• I got a few autographs, and I managed to not be a dorkwad. Uh, except the incident in which a baby Jay I later discovered to be Scott Campbell had to hand me the sharpie I dropped on the other side of the fence, but I didn't recognize him. *facepalm* I thought it would have been dorkier to have to ask him who he was, so I kept my mouth shut.
  
• The beer at Dunedin Brewery is to die for.
  
• Trying to use the 5-digit phone numbers for Facebook and Twitter was a complete pile of fail.
  
• I loved Clearwater and could totally live there ...for one month of the year.
  
• The cheeseburgers barbecued at the stadium are the best I've had in ages. Nom.

OHSHIT.

Who am I cheering for?

Stuff.

I got nothin', really.

Just massive props to Jordan Bastian, Photojournalist, for making our lives complete over the last week or so. ♥

Earlier this week, a friend and I were musing about how, back in the day, "spring training" was little more than a teaser on the radio while we were trying to drag our sorry asses out of bed at ridiculous o'clock in the morning to go to school. Now, it seems like we're practically there. What did we do before the 'net?

--

Y'know what's a real tongue-twister when yer drunk off yer ass?
"Your Jays toque kicks my Jays toque's ass."

Spring Yet?

*climbing walls*

I ♥ This

Scott Richmond... "Where Getting Your Chance Happens..." effin' EH.♥ With a capital EH.



Oops, they omitted this frame: ;)

* Phew *

* Bop *



...because it would have sucked a bit to not have a 20-HR hitter this year.

Please, Please Don't Rain Out Thiggy's First Big-League Homer.

Watching it sail over the wall at Campden Yards.

(ETA) After an hour or so delay, the game was called due to rain in the middle of the 6th. It would seem that they're still counting the stats for the top of the 6th, since the Jays were already ahead in the top of the 5th. So Curtis Thigpen smashes his first major league homer, and it's not wiped off the records.

Scott Richmond gets (gasp) his first major league... WIN. Y'know, that thing that happens if your offense scores more runs than you allow to score against you?! Strange but true!

Beyond respectable, my friend. I applaud you and hope to see you in the rotation in '09.

No. 1 Sends No. 3 Over The Wall

Add this to the list of my favorite games this year.

J-Mac drives in the game-winning run (is that allowed?) and the Pasty Prince earns his shaving cream pie.