Acorn stops by
ANAHEIM — No bank robberies to report on today. But, on my flight down from Seattle, I did spy some of those California wild fires that are an annual summer occurance here. It was a bit, well, wild to see the smoke rising from the hills as my plane headed toward SoCal.
Happy Fourth of July to my fellow Americans. It’s a lovely day here, too, bright and sunny with one little puff of what can hardly be considered a substantial cloud in the sky. Great night for some fireworks — too bad I’ll probably be in the clubhouse for the display. Maybe I’ll make it back to the pressbox for the grand finale.
Baseball? Well, Jeremy Accardo is in town with the Jays and scheduled to meet with Dr. Lewis Yocum — an arm specialist who doubles as an Angels team doctor — about his forearm injury. Accardo said he’s throwing off a mound and he only feels a twinge in his arm when he drops his arm slot. He’s hoping the visit with the doc is for peace of mind more than anything.
Casey Janssen is also with the team here, but it’s status quo for the injured righty. Yocum was the doctor who performed shoulder surgery on Janssen back in March. Nothing much else going on with the Jays — unless you consider trade rumors to be something much.
Reports are that the Jays are searching for a shortstop, using A.J. Burnett as bait. Manager Cito Gaston has been cycling Marco Scutaro, David Eckstein and John McDonald in and out at short. The Jays could certainly benefit from a shortstop with some more offense who could play every day. One report out of Baltimore also indicated that the Orioles are also interested in Eckstein.
Today’s lineups:
TORONTO (41-45) at LOS ANGELES (51-34)
at 9:05 p.m. ET at Angel Stadium
BLUE JAYS
Marco Scutaro, SS
Joe Inglett, 2B
Alex Rios, RF
Vernon Wells, CF
Matt Stairs, DH
Scott Rolen, 3B
Rod Barajas, C
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Adam Lind, LF
PITCHING: RHP A.J. Burnett (8-7, 4.74)
ANGELS
Chone Figgins, 3B
Casey Kotchman, 1B
Maicer Izturis, SS
Vladimir Guerrero, RF
Torii Hunter, CF
Garret Anderson, DH
Gary Matthews Jr., LF
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Jeff Mathis, C
PITCHING: RHP Jered Weaver (7-8, 4.30)
Major League Bastian 
Who thinks we will win tonight??????.
We have all said we need a shortstop who can hit the only problem is will we hurt the team via the trade route,Who can we afford to give up we have no prospects that they can afford to trade,anybody????.
I was sure it was Gibbons fault that the jays were not winning but I was wrong,This team just plain does not fit,
Trade Burnett Wells Esk. Stairs Wilkerson Tallet Camp Frasor Zaun,Bring up Wolfe and Dias Move Rios to center get a good right fielder and a good shortstop and lets play ball.
I have two wishes for ss which are Jed Lowrie from Pawtucket Red Sox and Alcides Escobar from the Huntsville Stars ( Milwaukee). I’d also like to get Mathew Gamel from Huntsville.
Trade Eckstein to Baltimore for whatever they offer.
Than you for that AJ, really helps your trade value.
JP shoudln’t have done that…he says he is gonna trade AJ the day he is starting…would any pitcher even care now ( I doubt AJ will ever sign for JP after what JP did to him over the years)
ahh and this means JP threw in the towel, FINALLY. Now we can start rebuilding like raps did a few years ago or the leafs are.
Oh and we NEED a bryan colengalo of baseball for the Jays.
JP has a big mouth we all know that and he is a liar how can the players respect this guy how can Godfrey keep him on the Jays staff it makes no sense.
gsumner I was hoping to get a shortstop with some major league experience like 5 years and a good right fielder and both must be 300 hiters with power.
Harry-we need Pat Gillick
I would like to see Gillick come back too.
garry-If we do that we’ll be like the Leafs. This team needs to be imploded and rebuilt, with a different President and GM in charge.
If any deals are done in the meantime, it had better not be for has beens like Eckstein, Wlikerson and Melch. We need top quality prospects. Lowrie can play ss right now. I would trade Rolen for Mathew Gamel right now. With Hill at second, Gamel at 3rd and Lowrie at SS, we have a tremendous infield with power.
I think the only guys we keep from the current roster are Lind, Rios, Hill, Marcum, Litsch, McGowan, Accardo and Janssen. I’d trade all others.
But I don’t want JP to do the trading-he’s the first to go right along with Godfrey.
gsumner you tell harry we need Gillick and I agree and you tell me we don’t need him explain????.
Garry-I was responding to you post suggesting we need **** with 5 years experience and a good right fielder. lol
Lowrie would be a good choice and we have to keep doc he is the best bar none.
how old is doc?
Harry-Doc will be 32 next May 14th, which is the reason I’d trade him now. By the time this team seriously contends, he’ll be 35-36 and not have much left.
BJ Ryan is the same issue, he’s now 33 and turns 34 in December. Scott Rolen is 33 and turns 34 in April.
If we trade these guys now, we would get numerous superb prospects and contend much sooner. I’d expect we’d get 3-4 top quality prospects for Doc, 2-3 for Ryan and 1-2 for Rolen.
Harry/Garry
Would you guys trade Doc to Tampa Bay for Longria and David Price?
Man, all you guys are starting to sound a lot like me!
Go Tampa!
well burt-would you do that trade with Tampa?
Doc is one of those pitchers that will pitch the same at 40 as he does now if they trade him the Jays can go to HELL.
You can trade anyone but not Doc,I have been a Jays fan for ever but that will end it for me.
Garry, they have already gone to hell-they’re 10 back in the wild card. THey have to implode this team and start over
I have to agree and disagree with you GSumner, no matter what anyone says DOC IS THE HEART OF THIS TEAM, HE IS THE FACE OF THIS FRANCHISE, HE IS THE LEADER AND HE IS A SUPERB MENTOR FOR THE YOUNG PLAYERS.
Ryan can go, Rolen can go, Wells can go (after 2 years), Rios can go but DOC JUST CANT GO.
Like garry said, Doc will be Doc, i think we can probably start contending in 2 years when is is 33-34 and i am sure he will still be good then.
I say 2 years iis good because Lind is doing what he was supposed to do, I see Snider coming up very soon, I aslo see brett Cecil coming up. Arecibia is gonna take over at Catcher in the near future also. Hill will be there and hopefully Rios’ good hitting self will be there. Oh and we might as well take Wells also. Now seeing that if Cooper keeps this up he might be there in 2 years from now too at 1st base making this a fearful lineup. Keep Doc, Marcum and Mcgowan (improve him on the road though) and put Cecil in there and might as well go with Litsch at 5th spot and thats a solid rotation as well.
Now the thing is if I were offered Doc for Evan and Price then I would consider it but Tampa IS NOT WAY GOING TO DO THAT. i know i contradicted my self but that is too sweet of a deal.
However I might be able to see Rolen, Burnett, Thigpen and Tallet going to Tampa for Longoria and Price (i think tampa needs a LH reliever)
If Baltimore likes Eckstein, I would just give him over for cash considerations and Baltimore has to pay his salary.
Man don’t we all wish that we traded Rios for Lincecum now?
Harry-well I’m sure everyone also wished we’d never signed Eckstein , Stewart, Mench orWilkerson and kept Johnson.
It will take us 3-4 years to rebuild, two is not realistic, which is why I’d trade Halliday. Snider is having a so-so year in AA, so his progress is delayed and Brett Cecil is ok-only at AA, Romero is a disaster this year, so I doubt any of these can really help in 1-2 years. although Cooper looks really good, he’s only at A-, so he’s 2-3 years away. Our real pitching strength is at Lansing and 2-3 years away from really helping us.
None of the Adhrens or right side of the infield prospects are performing well, so we need a strong boost there, via the trade rout and Halliday gets us the best. If we are so fortunate to get Longria for 3rd base-we might get an all-star. David Price, could become one of the very best starters in baseball, is LH and only a year or so away. In my view he’ll be a fine replacement for Halliday.
The point is, we’re in last place, 10 games out of the wild card-this team doesn’t cut it and we can’t fall in love with any veterans-they’re all trade bait.
This team will never contend no matter who we trade and if JP thinks he is going to lose his job he will make a lot more bad trades just for revenge and like I said trade Doc and I’m out of here.