JAYS: BARRY BONDS LACKS SCRAPPY GRIT, HOWEVER

Your nightly Jays post ... the stars were aligned for A.J. Burnett, that crusty Capricorn and wow, players actually having patient at-bats. That ought last for a couple weeks.

• Barry Bonds as a Blue Jay ... the seed was planted tonight on Mike Wilner's FAN 590 blog during the Jays' 5-2 win over the Yankees. Wilner was addressing Reed Johnson's release (let it go, people) and slipped it in, almost in passing.
  
  

  "I can only assume that extra $2.6 million or so (saved) will go towards signing Barry Bonds."

  Greater stories have begun with less. Wilner affirmed he was "totally serious" about the Jays going after Bonds to play left field. It could get them out from under having to pick up Frank Thomas' contract next season, which kicks in if he gets 376 plate appearances.
  
  Wilner clarified on the air that "the average Joe on the street" would not go for this. Still, paraphrasing Jon Stewart, the soccer ball has been lobbed up for the media to swarm after.
• The Tao revisited the timeless "Mike Mussina: Crybaby Stugots or Utter Wanker?" debate.
• Tonight you saw that John Gibbons does have a gift for falling out of trees and landing on his feet. Brian Tallet working two innings?
• John McDonald was not put in for defence in the ninth inning. David Eckstein's made the last out in the top half, so McDonald wouldn't even have batted until maybe the 12th inning if the Yankees rallied.

(Bugs & Cranks, The Drunks and The Tao do this much, much better.)