Devon White was so graceful in the outfield, that he made this famous catch and throw to first base with ease.  People say Joe Dimaggio was pretty good in the outfield, but whatever Dimaggio had, Devon White must have somewhere picked up on it, as well.  The way people talk about Dimaggio in the outfield, is very similar to the way I saw Devon White play.  Long graceful strides, with speed and the ability to read a ball off the bat.  White thought that he could track down every ball in the outfield, although his bat wasn't like Dimaggio, his feeling was legendary and it is a well deserved comparison.  So, below you will see the catch (2nd most famous play in Blue Jay history) immortalized in this design of Devo with a gold glove.  Getting to a ball that he had no business even getting to, starting a double play that should have been a triple play, in Game 3 of the 1992 World Series against Atlanta. 

How amazing was that catch?  Take it from Vin Scully, Dodger announcer that witnessed Willie Mays' legendary catch.   "I saw Mays' catch," Scully said. "And this one, to me, was better."  "The big thing with Mays," Scully went on, "was that he had a wide-open area. He didn't have to be concerned with the wall. And that's a major concern. So I'm inclined to think that White's catch might have been better than Mays'."

Something 'we Blue Jay fans' can be very proud of.  In a time where our pride is taking a hit. 

The Blue Jays sold out every game, three of our hitters finished 1,2 and 3 in batting average and we were always, if not in, contending for the playoffs.  Brings a smile to face. 

In times like these, with our current club really disappointing everyone, I like to reflect on the past.  I dabble in a little graphic design, so for the next month or so I will try and create some artwork of past Blue Jay glories.  Here is a famous one to get me started, hope you enjoy and reflect. 

An absolute heartbreaking season, so far.  Other teams just feel bad for us now.  The Marlins guy that reads my blog, http://marlinsin62003.mlblogs.com/, talks about 'the poor Blue Jays'.  Always so much potential, but always behind the Sox and the Yanks, except 2006 we were ahead of the Red Sox, on an off year, but we were nowhere near a playoff spot.  Since the end of the 1994 Strike season, we have been kicked around and no where near in contention for a playoff spot.  I've wasted the better part of my teenage youth dreaming about the playoffs, (I even made this in my graphic design class). 

Since 1994, only these teams have not made the playoffs.

Tampa Rays (might come to an end this year)

Kansas City Royals (would hate to be them, but they are still proud)

Washington Nationals (they were the Expos)

Texas Rangers (you can't win without pitching, they won't understand it, even if you beat it into their head.  Really great hitters THIS SEASON, probably better than they've ever had, which is saying something)

Milwaukee Brewers (at least they are contending this year)

The Jays should not be in the same catergory as these teams, especially with our success pre-1994. 

Disappointments

So, now for my mid-season disappointments.  Wow, okay, where do I start?  

Here is an easy one.  Alex Rios - signed to a big contract in the offseason and generally thought of, to be an emerging Fantasy Baseball Stud.  Rios has hit only 4 homeruns and drivin in only 39 runs, in a year where we desperately need RBI's guys.  Disappointing for Blue Jays and very disappointing for the fantasy baseball people that have him.  The only nice upside to Rios, this season, is that he is on pace to shatter his season high in stolen bases.  He has become a 'bigtime' stolen base threat, something the Jays haven't had in a while.   

Lyle Overbay - It shows how bad the Blue Jays are hitting when Lyle Overbay is almost leading the team in RBIs, yet only hitting .203 with runners in scoring position and .167 with RISP and two out.  Great defensively, but his numbers are definately a downgrade, especially for a first baseman.  There are many much better bats out there, at that position.  Eric Hinske is making Jays fans beat their head against a wall and it is disappointing, actually more like excruciating.    

Vernon Wells - He has been hitting very well lately, and you can always count on him to pick it up mid-season.  However, you are too injured all time.  Just stop being so injured, okay.  lol. That is his only disappointment. 

The Closer Role - I thought that we had this locked up with B.J. Ryan, but he hasn't been sensational and when he was injured to start the year, Accardo and company were terrible.  I'm looking for a big second half from B.J, he just needs to sharpen his control and stop giving up so many walks.  It is a solvable problem and I'm he can do it. 

More disappointments, no there could not possibly be any more?  Well there are. 

John Gibbons - Not able to make this team better than a .500 ball club.  Rotating relievers to see which one will lose the game for us, and messing up a lot of our hitter's approach at the plate.  Blue Jay hitters seem to be free swinging, under Cito, and it is starting to have some benefits right now.

Scott Rolen and David Eckstein - These were the two, that were suppose to come in and give us that winning mentality.  That edge, if you will.  They were going to get us over the .500 hump.  Not the case, both are performing below their career numbers in batting average, homeruns and just about everything.  Didn't see this coming, I loved it when the Jays got these guys.  Glaus has outperformed Rolen, and Eckstein is being out perform by Scutaro and even Johnny Mac right now.  Eckstein is way better player than those guys, I just don't know what has happend to him??

Kevin Mench and Brad Wilkerson -  What have these guys done??  Do they make any difference to our club whatsoever?  Play Mench against lefties, is all I can say (did a great job against Andy Pettite the other nite).  Desparate moves by J.P. that hurt us and set back guys like Lind.

J.P. Ricciardi -  He knows that he is a disappointment because he takes full blame for the teams performance.  That is a good thing.  I rate him as an average G.M., taking too many risks on vetern players, is probably his greatest downfall.  He has made some good moves and he has also made some bad ones, he has put together good teams (there is something to be said for that) but not great ones.  Shame, because he will probably be gone before he gets to see the guys he drafted in recent years.  The Jays have apparently drafted very well the last couple of years.  Call up Brett Cecil now!!!

I'm ending the disappointment section now, because it is starting to make me depressed.  Let me just name a bunch of guys, and Jays fans will know what I am talking about. Aaron Hill, Shawn Camp, David Purcey (for his one start, lol, kinda unfair), Frank Thomas (for his time), Shannon Stewart (bad Ricciardi move).    

Appointments    

'Mighty' Joe Inglett - Great pick-up, like we already have enough middle infielders.  I am appointing Inglett to a back-up role and definately a spot on the squad for some years to come.  Maybe he will start down the road, who knows?  Hill was also a early season disappointment, so Inglett could make a case for that position, who knows?

Adam Lind - The absolute best thing Cito has done, is giving this guy full-time starts.  He was killing the International League, and someone doing that, deserves to be in the majors.  He had a 0 for 19 start, just bad luck for John Gibbons?  Or bad coaching?  Who knows?  All I know is that Adam Lind can hit and he is definately an upgrade from Shannon Stewart and even Reed Johnson.  I'm willing to bet that he hits over .300 in the second half.

Roy Halladay - You are the best pitcher in the American League.  If you could get some more run support this season, you would be starting the All-Star game and easily on your way to being the Cy Young in 2008.  When Halladay is on his game, he is very fun to watch.  I would not give, a guy like that, up for anything.  He still has many good years in him and I say the Jays ride it out.  You just can't make a good trade for a player like Halladay, whoever you get in return, would just not be good enough.  I know his value is high, but I would not be willing to take the risk of trading him.  If it weren't for Kevin Mench in 2004, he would have taken us to the playoffs.  He is a huge asset for a team that wants to be a winner, no way we could get rid of him and watch him succeed elsewhere.  Anyone but him, period.  Makes me mad.  Sorry, to all you that want to trade him while his value is high. 

The AMAZING Pitching Rotation (I still question) - Marcum is the real deal, he can really frustrate hitters.  McGowan has great stuff and will be a solid pitcher, but I don't expect All Star numbers from him.  A.J. Burnett is A.J. Burnett, a 16-14, 15-15 pitcher, streaky but no team wants to catch him on a hot streak.  Jesse Litsch, sorry to say but I thing he is pitching a little over his head right now.  Hitters are starting to catch onto him and he has to be careful.  How bout John Parish?  "Comeback player of the year", was also killing the International League, a good fallback for injuries and Jesse Litsch.          

Was my heckle on Jay Bruce (two first names) at the Cinncinnati vs. Toronto Blue Jays game on Wednesday June I can't remember.  Getting on players from the bleachers is a baseball pasttime and I reveal in it, especially in Rogers Centre where the crowd just might be small enough that you can become the center of attention. You never know, Bruce might have been thinking about his name dilemma when he couldn't execute a sacrifice bunt in the 6th.  It might accually scar him for life and ruin his whole career.  ha ha ha.  Just kidding .  Jay Bruce looks like he is going to be an excellent player for years to come. 

The greatest gratification that I got from heckling was when Tony Phillips, playing for the A's at the time, crossed his arms at me and my buddy.  We both knew then, that we got in his head. 

Anyway, anyone else have some good heckling stories because I would like to hear them?  I wonder how many that guy in Tampa Bay has?  Probably not a lot, cuz that guy needs better material, like "you wish you had a last name."  lol. naw.

Here is me and my friend Charles, who did the camera work.  He has some good stories heckling Paul O'Neil back in the day.  I would love to heckle that guy all game, I hated him along with most non-Yankee fans.

(Headline:  Chip from the movie Anchorman)

John Gibbons is gone as Blue Jay's Manager and I am quite pleased with the move.  We obviously had to do something and this is something.  Desparate yes, but these are desparate times.  This is what you do with a team that cannot make winning a habit.  

The move to bring back Cito Gaston will not magically make this team a winner by any means.  The team still needs a lot of work and we are constantly being challenged by younger and hungrier teams (i.e. Tampa).  Cito will bring a different perspective and mentality, I just hope that he doesn't force hitters to pull the ball again, (i.e. John Olerud).  I always thought Gene Tenace did a great job while he was here, and just maybe he can instill some WHAMMIES into the Blue Jay bats.     

The two BIG flaws that I saw with Gibbons were:

1.  His laid back attitude and questionable leadership skills.  Sure, there is something to be said for a coach that makes the clubhouse a easy place to play and coexist, but that is only a good attitude when you have the talent to back it up.  The Jays desparately need someone to come in and instill a serious winning attitude to our roster. 

2.  The use of the bullpen.  We have had some great bullpens over the Gibbons years, guys that have really been solid.  How then, do we often end up losing a lot of close games? 

What really erked me about Gibbons was the way he would rotate relivers late in close games.  Too often, he would pitch relievers inning by inning not considering letting relievers, that are pitching with great stuff, for 2 or maybe 3 innings.  It got to the point where he was just looking to find a reliever who would lose the game.  He would use Downs and he would give up no runs, same with Carlson, then Wolfe, and then Frasor or somebody would eventually blow it.  Frustrating when you look at a guy like Carlson or Downs pitching lights out and you know that Gibbons will always pull them after an inning.

In the end, however, it comes to the players performing on the field.  They are not now and likely will continue to underachieve, even under a new.  If anything, Cito will be able to point out some of the major flaws with our current and make suggestions for J.P. or whoever.  It is obvious that they need the help and Gibbons was just not doing that.     

I can't even talk about the Blue Jays right now, so I will leave them out of this entry.  For my take on the Jays, please refer to the previous entry titled "How Frustrating the Jays Are!!"  If I was to write anymore about the Jays, it would definately take that same tone. 

If anyone was wondering where the name We're talkin Homer, Blue Jays and MLB came from, then keep wondering!  Just kidding.  It is from a Simpsons episode, where Homer plays on the Mr. Burn's Nuclear Power Plant Softball Team.  Homer begins the show by playing excellent for the team, with his wonderbat, that is reminissant from the Robert Redford film The Natural.  Towards the end, Mr. Burns buys Major Leaguers (e.g. Ken Griffey, Mike Scoscia, Steve Sax, Wade Boggs) to play for the team and win the championship.  However, funny and unfortunate mishaps befall all the players just before the game, with the exception of Darly Strawberry, the guy who plays Homer's position.  I won't ruin the ending, but if you haven't seen it, keep an eye out for that rerun.  Here is link to a song from the episode, with chorus line directly relating to the title of my blog, plus my last name is Homer.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kl5Wsp8e5LA 

Another cool song, that I came across playing "MLB 2008 The Show," is called Sweep the Leg by No More Kings.  The song takes you through scenes from the Karate Kid After playing that video game religiously for the past 2 months, I finally caught on and realized that the lyrics are about the Karate Kid movie.  Here is link to the video, so you can see what I am talking about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFlQNtL8F9s

 Check out the videos!  We're talkin Hooomer, Ozzie and the Straw.

 It felt like a classice 80's movie, with John Candy and Steve Martin, on my trip to Yankee Stadium on Tuesday.  We drove to the airport in Buffalo, took a shuttle bus to our terminal, flew from Buffalo to JFK in New York, took a bus from the airport to Grand Central Station, took the number 4 subway train to Yankees Stadium and got a cab to take us to the airport.  I have never had to rely on so much public transportation in my life, it was all worth it though, as the Blue Jays came out victorious against Joba and the Yanks on Tuesday.  Too bad about the other two games, especially Thursday, jesh!!!  What a heartbreaker. I don't want to get started on that.  Anyway, here are some pictures of me at the game.

We had some pretty good seats, with a good overview of the field.

With the Yogi plaque in Monument Park.  I think im about to say "de ja veux all over again".  Also, im carrying bonoculars, I know that looks like a purse.  The steak I had in Manhatten was amazing from Sparks Steakhouse.  They also had a huge wine list and a number of pictures of celebrities that came to the restaurant (i.e. Joe Torre, George Bush). 

I also was able to capture a good picture of Alex Rodriguez as he entered the stadium.  I have no idea what he is holding in his hand, but he is inbetween the lady with the Petitte jersey and the girl with the back pack.  It almost looks like A Rod is posing for me. 

Great pitching matchup!  Joba Chamberlain, (making his first start as a Yankee) versus Roy Halladay (God of Pitching!!!).   Never been to Yankees Stadium, but I'm making it happen before they tear it down.  Although we compete against the Yankees, and I often despise the Yankees, you have to respect the tradition of that team.  Committed to winning and committed to excellence.  Their fans, although arrogant (see picture to the right), are usually true baseball people that love the game.  I often wish Blue Jay fans were more like them.

The sellouts, the media, the arrogance, the fans, the payroll, the legends and the success make them what they are.  They are always fun to watch, and they are even more fun to watch lose to your favorite team.  Even when they are losing, the media and fan hoopla is intense, and also fun to watch. 

I'm getting pretty darn excited for the Yankees Stadium experience.  I think that I'm going to be in for a pitchers duel, which is fine by me.  When the game is tight and the runs are hard to come by, it saves the drama and makes scoring those runs that much more exciting.  Go Jays!  We're Talkin playoffs this year!  4 over .500.  Next entry will include pictures from the game.             

Establishing a starting catcher has to be the most underrated position need in the game.  A solid catcher is integral to a team's success, look at the Yankees with Posada and the Red Sox with Varitek.  Those guys have been with their respected clubs for a long time, they also know the 'ins and outs' of the system and the coach under which they play.

Probably one of the greatest catchers of our time, Yogi Berra (who helmed the plate for the Yankees from 1946 to 1965), is an excellent example of the importance of a catcher.  Yogi, when he first came up with the Yankees, was awkward, unsure of himself and didn't know precisely how to command the position.  Pitchers constantly teased him and got outright violent with him sometimes, if he would ignore them and relay pitches from the manager in the dugout.  He didn't know how to comprimise between the players and the managers, who both had their own agendas.  Yogi would eventually catch on and become more confident handling the position, but for a time, he demonstrated the crucial need for confidence and leadership in a starting catcher.  

A catcher has many responsibilities and many of them are imporant to being successful in any ballgame, here is an 11 point list of many important ones: 

1.  They are involved on every pitch and every at-bat.

2.  They prevent passed balls and wild pitches.

3.  Field bunts.

4.  Prevent stolen bases.

5.  Pick off runners.

6.  Must be able to accurately throw to all positions.

7.  They block to plate from runners.

8.  Takes hits and hold onto the ball.   

9.  Direct and lead defensive alignments.

10.  Call pitches and memorize signals.

11.  Have great awareness of pitcher's strengths and batter's weaknesses.

The position requires a great understanding of the game and all it's strategic elements.  Jason Varitek wears a C on his jersey and understandably so.  The catcher is often looked upon for this kind of leadership. 

The backbone of a solid club, is a strong catcher that will stay with their team for many years.  Look what happened to Braves pitching after Javy Lopez or the Marlins after Pudge left.  

There are exceptions, but teams that have high turnover, at catcher, often fail.  The Jays, right now, are admist a catching dilemma between Gregg Zaun and Rod Barajas.  These guys are very similar, except Barajas packs more of a punch with his bat and Zaun will hit for a higher average.  Since Zaun came to the Jays in 2004, he has been an outstanding fill in; however, you never really got the feeling that he was our main guy.  Barajas needs more time with the team, but I really like his bat, considering the Jay's recent power outage.  I think that he is due for some more playing time Gibby!  I'm still hoping that our 'catcher of the future' is in the minors Jeroloman, Arencibia, Diaz, Thigpen?????????

With that, I will end with my favorite Yogism.  "I didn't say everything I said".  Surprisingly, this can get you out of a lot bad comments you make to your girlfriend.  For that, I am forever greatful to you Yogi.  Got any other Yogism's?  I would be delighted to hear more, if you want to share.

 Yes!  This is the greatest baseball game that I have ever played, above MVP, above 2K, far, far above all the rest.  There have been some other great games, but this one takes the cake for me.

Here is my list of top baseball video games past and present (you are welcome to include any if you wish).

1.  MLB 08 'The Show'

2.  RBI baseball (on original Nintendo was soo much fun)

3.  MVP baseball (I fell in love with the franchise feature)

4.  Ken Griffey's MLB

5.  Harball (Sega Genesis)

Everyone tells me, High Heat for Playstation One, was the greatest game, I did not have this game unfortunately, but I've seen how good it looked.

Most of what makes MLB 08 'the show' so good is, of course, the technology of PS3. 

The constant wireless roster updates are a huge benefit, this keeps you from having to juggle players around and create rookies.  When I saw Robinson Diaz (Jays AAA rookie catcher) on the Jays roster, the day he was called up, I knew this game was for real.   

The 'road to the show' option allows you to create a player and take him through the minors, while focusing just on the individual performance of the player that you created.  This is fun because entire seasons can move along quickly this way.  It is also cool to see your guy get better, as he learns in the minors.

This game has given me a new addiction however, and that is wireless online gaming.  With MLB 08 'The Show', you can find a game whenever you want to and they are generally very competitve.  I'm yet to join an online league, but they look very cool and I'm looking forward to doing that in the future.  The connection can get fuzzy at times, but you'll find that with any game.

Other than that, what else can I say about this game?  Well, virtually every player has a replicated batting stance and pitching delivery, MLB sponsors and updates live MLB scores for you while you play, the graphics are amazing on PS3 and I've never played a game with that much realism.  It is really unbelievable.  "MLB 08 The Show, the most realistic baseball game ever created" - ESPN Magazine.  They are right!

Now that you have read this and you think you have the guts to take me on, my user name is MERGIHEAD.   Bring it!  lol all in good fun.