Daily Archives: August 5, 2005

Toronto Blue Jays

2005 Record: 55-52 (.514)
2005 Pythagorean Record: 61-46 (.574)

Manager: John Gibbons
General Manager: J.P. Ricciardi

Ballpark (2004 park factors): Rogers Centre (106/105)

Who’s replaced whom?

Aaron Hill has replaced John McDonald (Tigers)
Scott Downs has replaced Roy Halladay (DL)
Dustin McGowan has replaced Ted Lilly (DL)
Brandon League has replaced Matt Whiteside (minors)

Current Roster:

1B – Eric Hinske
2B – Orlando Hudson
SS – Russ Adams
3B – Corey Koskie
C – Gregg Zaun
RF – Alexis Rios
CF – Vernon Wells
LF – Frank Catalanotto
DH – Shea Hillenbrand

Bench:

R – Reed Johnson (OF)
R – Aaron Hill (IF)
R – Frank Menechino (IF)
R – Ken Huckaby (C)

Rotation:

L – Gustavo Chacin
L – Scott Downs
R – Josh Towers
R – David Bush
R – Dustin McGowan

Bullpen:

R – Miguel Batista
R – Justin Speier
L – Scott Schoeneweis
R – Jason Frasor
R – Vinnie Chulk
R – Pete Walker
R – Brandon League

DL:

R – Roy Halladay
L – Ted Lilly

Typical Line-up

L – Russ Adams (SS)
L – Frank Catalanotto (LF)
R – Vernon Wells (CF)
R – Shea Hillenbrand (DH)
L – Corey Koskie (3B)
S – Gregg Zaun (C)
L – Eric Hinske (1B)
R – Alexis Rios (RF)
S – Orlando Hudson (2B)

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With the 231st street station closed for repairs this summer, the fastest way for me to get to my apartment is by getting off on 238th street and walking. About seven blocks from the station is a mountain of a steps. There are eight levels, each comprised of sixteen steps. After you make it past the first four flights, there is a rest area where you can catch your breath or puke your guts out, whichever comes first. Since the station at 231 has been closed for a few months now, I no longer suck wind by the time I get to the top of the stairs. Still, at the end of the day–particularly in these dog days of summer–the schlepp isn’t exactly something to look forward to.

As I approached the stairs last night, I took my head out of my book and saw an old man in shorts ahead of me. Carrying two plastic shopping bags, he was walking oddly, almost hopping, as if he wanted to jog but just didn’t have it in him to move any faster than he was already going. I caught up to him at the bottom of the steps and said hello. “Two-at-a-time,” he announced in a thick Bronx accent. Well, if he was up for it, so was I. We started chatting–I told he reminded me of Art Carney. The conservation kind of died so I asked if he was a baseball fan. He said he was.

“Yankee fan?”

Nope. I figured it was a stretch that he’d be a Dodger fan so far north, so I said, “Giants?”

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