MLB Season 2011

[quote]BONEZ217 wrote:

[quote]therajraj wrote:

[quote]strungoutboy21 wrote:

[quote]therajraj wrote:

[quote]johnman18 wrote:

[quote]therajraj wrote:
Glad to see Boston get beat up.[/quote]

Yeah if only they could be 4 games under .500 like the Blue Jays HAHA. At least they had 3 runs against Halladay today HAHA.[/quote]

You’re honestly trying to compare your team to the Jays? The Red Sox went 89 years without a World Series while sending out stacked lineups for many of those years.

I shouldn’t even have to defend my team, historically your team is one of the most pathetic franchises to ever exist in all of sports, only second to the Chicago Cubs.

The Red Sox signed the best free agents available in offseason 2010 and still aren’t in first place. So what team is really pathetic? The one that is in the middle of a rebuild with a 62.5 million dollar payroll or the team with the stacked lineup basically top to bottom that cannot even claim top spot in their division?[/quote]
I’m not trying to defend the Red Sox in any way, but who cares what a team did in the past. I hate people that live in the past. As far as i’m concerned, the Giants are the reigning champs until someone dethrones them. The season is only halfway over, anything can happen.

[/quote]

As a fan of a team that’s never won a title you just wouldn’t understand.

I still remember watching the World Series in 1992 and 1993 and it will always be in my memory. World Series Titles have a HUGE lasting impact on their (real) fans.

So yes the history of a team is important. If the Padres ever win a title you’ll get it.[/quote]

And youre how old?

Im 24 and I barely remember the 96 or 98 series [/quote]

What’s your point? I remember vividly watching it with my dad. What does your ability to remember your childhood have to do with mine?

Last I checked, the Jays have won as many titles as the Red Sox in the modern era.

It’s different when you live in a championship deprived city ( Leafs, Raptors).

[quote]therajraj wrote:

[quote]strungoutboy21 wrote:

[quote]therajraj wrote:

[quote]johnman18 wrote:

[quote]therajraj wrote:
Glad to see Boston get beat up.[/quote]

Yeah if only they could be 4 games under .500 like the Blue Jays HAHA. At least they had 3 runs against Halladay today HAHA.[/quote]

You’re honestly trying to compare your team to the Jays? The Red Sox went 89 years without a World Series while sending out stacked lineups for many of those years.

I shouldn’t even have to defend my team, historically your team is one of the most pathetic franchises to ever exist in all of sports, only second to the Chicago Cubs.

The Red Sox signed the best free agents available in offseason 2010 and still aren’t in first place. So what team is really pathetic? The one that is in the middle of a rebuild with a 62.5 million dollar payroll or the team with the stacked lineup basically top to bottom that cannot even claim top spot in their division?[/quote]
I’m not trying to defend the Red Sox in any way, but who cares what a team did in the past. I hate people that live in the past. As far as i’m concerned, the Giants are the reigning champs until someone dethrones them. The season is only halfway over, anything can happen.

[/quote]

As a fan of a team that’s never won a title you just wouldn’t understand.

I still remember watching the World Series in 1992 and 1993 and it will always be in my memory. World Series Titles have a HUGE lasting impact on their (real) fans.

So yes the history of a team is important. If the Padres ever win a title you’ll get it.[/quote]
I don’t think so. If the Padres won the World Series in '84 it wouldn’t have changed how I feel about them right now. I was four at the time. I never would have said, “oh yeah, well at least my team won the World Series in '84!” It’s all about what have you done for me lately.

[quote]therajraj wrote:

[quote]BONEZ217 wrote:

[quote]therajraj wrote:

[quote]strungoutboy21 wrote:

[quote]therajraj wrote:

[quote]johnman18 wrote:

[quote]therajraj wrote:
Glad to see Boston get beat up.[/quote]

Yeah if only they could be 4 games under .500 like the Blue Jays HAHA. At least they had 3 runs against Halladay today HAHA.[/quote]

You’re honestly trying to compare your team to the Jays? The Red Sox went 89 years without a World Series while sending out stacked lineups for many of those years.

I shouldn’t even have to defend my team, historically your team is one of the most pathetic franchises to ever exist in all of sports, only second to the Chicago Cubs.

The Red Sox signed the best free agents available in offseason 2010 and still aren’t in first place. So what team is really pathetic? The one that is in the middle of a rebuild with a 62.5 million dollar payroll or the team with the stacked lineup basically top to bottom that cannot even claim top spot in their division?[/quote]
I’m not trying to defend the Red Sox in any way, but who cares what a team did in the past. I hate people that live in the past. As far as i’m concerned, the Giants are the reigning champs until someone dethrones them. The season is only halfway over, anything can happen.

[/quote]

As a fan of a team that’s never won a title you just wouldn’t understand.

I still remember watching the World Series in 1992 and 1993 and it will always be in my memory. World Series Titles have a HUGE lasting impact on their (real) fans.

So yes the history of a team is important. If the Padres ever win a title you’ll get it.[/quote]

And youre how old?

Im 24 and I barely remember the 96 or 98 series [/quote]

What’s your point? I remember vividly watching it with my dad. What does your ability to remember your childhood have to do with mine?

Last I checked, the Jays have won as many titles as the Red Sox in the modern era.
[/quote]

I asked how old you are. That’s all.

Settle down. And I dont know what the red sox vs jays comment means

[quote]therajraj wrote:
It’s different when you live in a championship deprived city ( Leafs, Raptors).

[/quote]

Before 96 the yankees were championship deprived.

5 dollhairs Francisco blows this save. He’s trash pitching against the division

edit

in b4 ‘owned’

Rajraj, you have got to be the dumbest motherfucker on this website if you think the level of apathy and futility displayed by the Blue Jays in virtually every season of their existence, aside from back-to-back titles almost 20 years ago, is anywhere close to the Red Sox. The Red Sox have a history that is more rich and storied than ANY team from Toronto, including the Maple Leafs.

The Blue Jays have consistently sucked cock for their entire existence. Sure, the Red Sox have won as many titles as the Blue Jays have in the modern era, but the Blue Jays have also only even been in contention in September in a handful of seasons. The Red Sox have played in WAY more postseasons in the modern era than the Blue Jays probably ever will, and the Red Sox have consistently gone head-to-head with the best franchise in the history of professional sports, whereas the Blue Jays have been relegated to the sidelines for all of those pennant races.

For you to even insinuate that the Blue Jays have anywhere remotely close to the history that the Red Sox do is absolutely pathetic on your part. '92 and '93 were complete aberrations. They won the division a couple times in the mid-80’s and they won it three straight times between 91 and 93. Other than that, they have had ZERO success as a franchise. They’ve been in the postseason what, five times? The Red Sox have been in the postseason more times than that since 1993 alone, and they’ve won it all twice. They also have a far superior cast of all-time great players in the last 35 years compared to the Blue Jays.

And you know what? If the Blue Jays folded up shop and ceased to exist at the end of the year, hardly anyone outside of Canada would notice, nor would anyone give a fuck. You can’t say that about the Red Sox. Not even Yankees fans would want to see the Red Sox fold. The Blue Jays don’t even have a real rival. I’d really love to take your opinions in this thread with some seriousness, but you are continually making yourself out to be a complete irrelevancy in this department. Don’t even bother responding to this post, because I don’t care what irrelevancies have to say around here and I’m about to watch the DEFENDING World Series champions on the 4th of July. Ahhhhh, it’s great to be American.

[quote]strungoutboy21 wrote:

[quote]therajraj wrote:

[quote]strungoutboy21 wrote:

[quote]therajraj wrote:

[quote]johnman18 wrote:

[quote]therajraj wrote:
Glad to see Boston get beat up.[/quote]

Yeah if only they could be 4 games under .500 like the Blue Jays HAHA. At least they had 3 runs against Halladay today HAHA.[/quote]

You’re honestly trying to compare your team to the Jays? The Red Sox went 89 years without a World Series while sending out stacked lineups for many of those years.

I shouldn’t even have to defend my team, historically your team is one of the most pathetic franchises to ever exist in all of sports, only second to the Chicago Cubs.

The Red Sox signed the best free agents available in offseason 2010 and still aren’t in first place. So what team is really pathetic? The one that is in the middle of a rebuild with a 62.5 million dollar payroll or the team with the stacked lineup basically top to bottom that cannot even claim top spot in their division?[/quote]
I’m not trying to defend the Red Sox in any way, but who cares what a team did in the past. I hate people that live in the past. As far as i’m concerned, the Giants are the reigning champs until someone dethrones them. The season is only halfway over, anything can happen.

[/quote]

As a fan of a team that’s never won a title you just wouldn’t understand.

I still remember watching the World Series in 1992 and 1993 and it will always be in my memory. World Series Titles have a HUGE lasting impact on their (real) fans.

So yes the history of a team is important. If the Padres ever win a title you’ll get it.[/quote]
I don’t think so. If the Padres won the World Series in '84 it wouldn’t have changed how I feel about them right now. I was four at the time. I never would have said, “oh yeah, well at least my team won the World Series in '84!” It’s all about what have you done for me lately.[/quote]

I definitely think a fan’s mindset and expectations are different if their team has won championship versus not. I see it where I live.

While Jays fans yearn to return back to the “glory days” of winning multiple championships, Raptors fans (a team with a 16 year old championship-less history) just hope to have a contending team that’s relevant. Former championships set a much higher benchmark because of the lasting effect on the fan IMO.

If the Padres won in '84 you would be reminded of it every time you watched a game. Announcers love to make comparisons of today’s players to the ones on the championship team and “flashback” events happen regularly at home games.

[quote]BONEZ217 wrote:

[quote]therajraj wrote:

[quote]BONEZ217 wrote:

[quote]therajraj wrote:

[quote]strungoutboy21 wrote:

[quote]therajraj wrote:

[quote]johnman18 wrote:

[quote]therajraj wrote:
Glad to see Boston get beat up.[/quote]

Yeah if only they could be 4 games under .500 like the Blue Jays HAHA. At least they had 3 runs against Halladay today HAHA.[/quote]

You’re honestly trying to compare your team to the Jays? The Red Sox went 89 years without a World Series while sending out stacked lineups for many of those years.

I shouldn’t even have to defend my team, historically your team is one of the most pathetic franchises to ever exist in all of sports, only second to the Chicago Cubs.

The Red Sox signed the best free agents available in offseason 2010 and still aren’t in first place. So what team is really pathetic? The one that is in the middle of a rebuild with a 62.5 million dollar payroll or the team with the stacked lineup basically top to bottom that cannot even claim top spot in their division?[/quote]
I’m not trying to defend the Red Sox in any way, but who cares what a team did in the past. I hate people that live in the past. As far as i’m concerned, the Giants are the reigning champs until someone dethrones them. The season is only halfway over, anything can happen.

[/quote]

As a fan of a team that’s never won a title you just wouldn’t understand.

I still remember watching the World Series in 1992 and 1993 and it will always be in my memory. World Series Titles have a HUGE lasting impact on their (real) fans.

So yes the history of a team is important. If the Padres ever win a title you’ll get it.[/quote]

And youre how old?

Im 24 and I barely remember the 96 or 98 series [/quote]

What’s your point? I remember vividly watching it with my dad. What does your ability to remember your childhood have to do with mine?

Last I checked, the Jays have won as many titles as the Red Sox in the modern era.
[/quote]

I asked how old you are. That’s all.

Settle down. And I dont know what the red sox vs jays comment means[/quote]

I wasn’t angry, maybe it seemed that way.

Maybe I’m misusing the term, but before 2004, the Red Sox last won a championship in 1918 where several rules were different, much fewer teams existed and the style of play was different.

[quote]BONEZ217 wrote:

[quote]therajraj wrote:
It’s different when you live in a championship deprived city ( Leafs, Raptors).

[/quote]

5 dollhairs Francisco blows this save. He’s trash.

edit

in b4 ‘owned’ [/quote]

Fixed

[quote]DBCooper wrote:
Rajraj, you have got to be the dumbest motherfucker on this website if you think the level of apathy and futility displayed by the Blue Jays in virtually every season of their existence, aside from back-to-back titles almost 20 years ago, is anywhere close to the Red Sox. The Red Sox have a history that is more rich and storied than ANY team from Toronto, including the Maple Leafs.

The Blue Jays have consistently sucked cock for their entire existence. Sure, the Red Sox have won as many titles as the Blue Jays have in the modern era, but the Blue Jays have also only even been in contention in September in a handful of seasons. The Red Sox have played in WAY more postseasons in the modern era than the Blue Jays probably ever will, and the Red Sox have consistently gone head-to-head with the best franchise in the history of professional sports, whereas the Blue Jays have been relegated to the sidelines for all of those pennant races.

For you to even insinuate that the Blue Jays have anywhere remotely close to the history that the Red Sox do is absolutely pathetic on your part. '92 and '93 were complete aberrations. They won the division a couple times in the mid-80’s and they won it three straight times between 91 and 93. Other than that, they have had ZERO success as a franchise. They’ve been in the postseason what, five times? The Red Sox have been in the postseason more times than that since 1993 alone, and they’ve won it all twice. They also have a far superior cast of all-time great players in the last 35 years compared to the Blue Jays.

And you know what? If the Blue Jays folded up shop and ceased to exist at the end of the year, hardly anyone outside of Canada would notice, nor would anyone give a fuck. You can’t say that about the Red Sox. Not even Yankees fans would want to see the Red Sox fold. The Blue Jays don’t even have a real rival. I’d really love to take your opinions in this thread with some seriousness, but you are continually making yourself out to be a complete irrelevancy in this department. Don’t even bother responding to this post, because I don’t care what irrelevancies have to say around here and I’m about to watch the DEFENDING World Series champions on the 4th of July. Ahhhhh, it’s great to be American.[/quote]

I’m not going to bother reading this too long.

I’m done reading your posts until you figure out how to convey your ideas in a few sentences like everyone else on this forum.

Ever considered taking a writing course?

[quote]BONEZ217 wrote:

[quote]therajraj wrote:
It’s different when you live in a championship deprived city ( Leafs, Raptors).

[/quote]

Before 96 the yankees were championship deprived.

5 dollhairs Francisco blows this save. He’s trash pitching against the division

edit

in b4 ‘owned’ [/quote]

ha - I just got this. I forgot the game was on at 1pm today because of the US Holiday.

But nice to see the Jays win.

[quote]therajraj wrote:

[quote]DBCooper wrote:
Rajraj, you have got to be the dumbest motherfucker on this website if you think the level of apathy and futility displayed by the Blue Jays in virtually every season of their existence, aside from back-to-back titles almost 20 years ago, is anywhere close to the Red Sox. The Red Sox have a history that is more rich and storied than ANY team from Toronto, including the Maple Leafs.

The Blue Jays have consistently sucked cock for their entire existence. Sure, the Red Sox have won as many titles as the Blue Jays have in the modern era, but the Blue Jays have also only even been in contention in September in a handful of seasons. The Red Sox have played in WAY more postseasons in the modern era than the Blue Jays probably ever will, and the Red Sox have consistently gone head-to-head with the best franchise in the history of professional sports, whereas the Blue Jays have been relegated to the sidelines for all of those pennant races.

For you to even insinuate that the Blue Jays have anywhere remotely close to the history that the Red Sox do is absolutely pathetic on your part. '92 and '93 were complete aberrations. They won the division a couple times in the mid-80’s and they won it three straight times between 91 and 93. Other than that, they have had ZERO success as a franchise. They’ve been in the postseason what, five times? The Red Sox have been in the postseason more times than that since 1993 alone, and they’ve won it all twice. They also have a far superior cast of all-time great players in the last 35 years compared to the Blue Jays.

And you know what? If the Blue Jays folded up shop and ceased to exist at the end of the year, hardly anyone outside of Canada would notice, nor would anyone give a fuck. You can’t say that about the Red Sox. Not even Yankees fans would want to see the Red Sox fold. The Blue Jays don’t even have a real rival. I’d really love to take your opinions in this thread with some seriousness, but you are continually making yourself out to be a complete irrelevancy in this department. Don’t even bother responding to this post, because I don’t care what irrelevancies have to say around here and I’m about to watch the DEFENDING World Series champions on the 4th of July. Ahhhhh, it’s great to be American.[/quote]

I’m not going to bother reading this too long.

I’m done reading your posts until you figure out how to convey your ideas in a few sentences like everyone else on this forum.

Ever considered taking a writing course?
[/quote]

It’s okay. I forgive your illiteracy. I laugh at the writing course comment. I’m a professional writer.

Here, let me be succinct so your dim brain can comprehend. The Blue Jays have been in the postseason 5 times in their entire existence, if I recall correctly. Two of those times you probably weren’t even born yet. The Red Sox have been to the postseason more times than that since the Jays’ last appearance alone, and won it twice in recent memory. The Jays? They haven’t sniffed the postseason since 1993. In your lifetime, the Red Sox are the FAR superior franchise, and for you to even harbor the idea that the two franchises are comparable in ANY way whatsoever, aside from the two titles the Jays won 18 and 19 years ago and the two the Red Sox won 7 and 4 years ago, is absolutely laughable and hereby brands you an irrelevancy when it comes to anything you have to say about baseball.

Capiche?

Also rajraj, if you didn’t continually make posts that resemble those of someone with aggressive dementia I wouldn’t feel the need to write long posts responding to you. I’m always under the impression that everything has to be laid out nice and neat for you with nothing left to assumption or for you to figure out on your own, which leads to my tendency to leave no base uncovered, since you clearly have the mental capacity of a pair of soiled boxers and are utterly incapable of connecting any points together on your own.

[quote]DBCooper wrote:

[quote]therajraj wrote:

[quote]DBCooper wrote:
Rajraj, you have got to be the dumbest motherfucker on this website if you think the level of apathy and futility displayed by the Blue Jays in virtually every season of their existence, aside from back-to-back titles almost 20 years ago, is anywhere close to the Red Sox. The Red Sox have a history that is more rich and storied than ANY team from Toronto, including the Maple Leafs.

The Blue Jays have consistently sucked cock for their entire existence. Sure, the Red Sox have won as many titles as the Blue Jays have in the modern era, but the Blue Jays have also only even been in contention in September in a handful of seasons. The Red Sox have played in WAY more postseasons in the modern era than the Blue Jays probably ever will, and the Red Sox have consistently gone head-to-head with the best franchise in the history of professional sports, whereas the Blue Jays have been relegated to the sidelines for all of those pennant races.

For you to even insinuate that the Blue Jays have anywhere remotely close to the history that the Red Sox do is absolutely pathetic on your part. '92 and '93 were complete aberrations. They won the division a couple times in the mid-80’s and they won it three straight times between 91 and 93. Other than that, they have had ZERO success as a franchise. They’ve been in the postseason what, five times? The Red Sox have been in the postseason more times than that since 1993 alone, and they’ve won it all twice. They also have a far superior cast of all-time great players in the last 35 years compared to the Blue Jays.

And you know what? If the Blue Jays folded up shop and ceased to exist at the end of the year, hardly anyone outside of Canada would notice, nor would anyone give a fuck. You can’t say that about the Red Sox. Not even Yankees fans would want to see the Red Sox fold. The Blue Jays don’t even have a real rival. I’d really love to take your opinions in this thread with some seriousness, but you are continually making yourself out to be a complete irrelevancy in this department. Don’t even bother responding to this post, because I don’t care what irrelevancies have to say around here and I’m about to watch the DEFENDING World Series champions on the 4th of July. Ahhhhh, it’s great to be American.[/quote]

I’m not going to bother reading this too long.

I’m done reading your posts until you figure out how to convey your ideas in a few sentences like everyone else on this forum.

Ever considered taking a writing course?
[/quote]

It’s okay. I forgive your illiteracy. I laugh at the writing course comment. I’m a professional writer.

Here, let me be succinct so your dim brain can comprehend. The Blue Jays have been in the postseason 5 times in their entire existence, if I recall correctly. Two of those times you probably weren’t even born yet. The Red Sox have been to the postseason more times than that since the Jays’ last appearance alone, and won it twice in recent memory. The Jays? They haven’t sniffed the postseason since 1993. In your lifetime, the Red Sox are the FAR superior franchise, and for you to even harbor the idea that the two franchises are comparable in ANY way whatsoever, aside from the two titles the Jays won 18 and 19 years ago and the two the Red Sox won 7 and 4 years ago, is absolutely laughable and hereby brands you an irrelevancy when it comes to anything you have to say about baseball.

Capiche?[/quote]

Who gives a shit about just making the playoffs? I only care about titles.

The Red Sox have been the better team in the 2000s, Jays in the 90’s and neither won anything in the 80’s.

The fact that a franchise so popular, making so much money, selling out EVERY home game for YEARS straight can literally fuck up for 89 YEARS straight is nothing short of pathetic. You can try to cut short their failings by limiting it to my 25 years of life but you’re only fooling yourself.

Shit on the small and mid market teams all you want. But winning 2 titles in a division with the Yankees and Red Sox in only 34 years of existence is impressive.

They were supposed to compete in 2007 and 2008 when they had the best pitching staff in the Majors (including bullpen) but unfortunately their offence shit the bed. Now, ask anyone who understands and follows baseball, they will tell you Toronto will be the team to beat in the AL East 2 years down the road.

Look, I’m not saying the Jays haven’t had their bad years or share of mismanagement. But compared to the Red Sox it’s just a drop in the pond.

[quote]DBCooper wrote:
Also rajraj, if you didn’t continually make posts that resemble those of someone with aggressive dementia I wouldn’t feel the need to write long posts responding to you. I’m always under the impression that everything has to be laid out nice and neat for you with nothing left to assumption or for you to figure out on your own, which leads to my tendency to leave no base uncovered, since you clearly have the mental capacity of a pair of soiled boxers and are utterly incapable of connecting any points together on your own.[/quote]

This post is just an attempt cover up your inability to write for the intended audience. I am not the only one who has complained about your posts. People on an internet forum do not want to read a wall of text every time they have a conversation with you. You know it and I know it.

[quote]therajraj wrote:
Now, ask anyone who understands and follows baseball, they will tell you Toronto will be the team to beat in the AL East 2 years down the road.

[/quote]

Based on what?

Is this assuming the yankees and red sox stop making attempts to get the best free agents/lame ducks to replace older players?

I agree that the blue jays are getting better but I dont see how they will become ‘the team to beat’

[quote]therajraj wrote:

[quote]DBCooper wrote:
Also rajraj, if you didn’t continually make posts that resemble those of someone with aggressive dementia I wouldn’t feel the need to write long posts responding to you. I’m always under the impression that everything has to be laid out nice and neat for you with nothing left to assumption or for you to figure out on your own, which leads to my tendency to leave no base uncovered, since you clearly have the mental capacity of a pair of soiled boxers and are utterly incapable of connecting any points together on your own.[/quote]

This post is just an attempt cover up your inability to write for the intended audience. I am not the only one who has complained about your posts. People on an internet forum do not want to read a wall of text every time they have a conversation with you. You know it and I know it.[/quote]

I could give a FUCK about what ANYONE on this site says or how anyone feels about anything that I write on here. My intended audience is the one capable of reading more than monosyllabic (that means one syllable) words and that has an attention span long enough to read more than a sentence or two at a time. If someone is intimidated by the length and breadth of my posts then I don’t care what they have to say in response anyways because we simply aren’t operating on a level of mutual respect at that point. But I’ll work harder at dumbing things down for you in the future.

And you can ramble on about the Sox’ superior revenue and all that, but it doesn’t negate the fact that for the last 15 years you’ve seen a losing team on the field who doesn’t know what it feels like to be optimistic in a month not called April or May. The Red Sox do not have this problem. Who cares how much a team pulls in? Do you find solace in the fact that your team is paying less per win than the Red Sox?

[quote]BONEZ217 wrote:

[quote]therajraj wrote:
Now, ask anyone who understands and follows baseball, they will tell you Toronto will be the team to beat in the AL East 2 years down the road.

[/quote]

Based on what?

Is this assuming the yankees and red sox stop making attempts to get the best free agents/lame ducks to replace older players?

I agree that the blue jays are getting better but I dont see how they will become ‘the team to beat’ [/quote]

The only truth in rajraj’s wild claim about being the team to beat is that yes, at one point the Jays were the team to beat in their division going into Spring Training. That was in 1992 and 1993. They haven’t been the team to beat since and they won’t ever be the team to beat again.

[quote]BONEZ217 wrote:

[quote]therajraj wrote:
Now, ask anyone who understands and follows baseball, they will tell you Toronto will be the team to beat in the AL East 2 years down the road.

[/quote]

Based on what?

Is this assuming the yankees and red sox stop making attempts to get the best free agents/lame ducks to replace older players?

I agree that the blue jays are getting better but I dont see how they will become ‘the team to beat’ [/quote]

Based on the way the team is coming together. The team consists of high quality talent that have either been in the big league a couple years and are close to peaking (Romero, Morrow, Lind), just breaking in now (Drabek, Arencibia, Snider) or on the cusp of being Major League ready (Brett Lawrie, Anthony Gose). They also have a few vets in Bautista, Hill and Escobar. Except for the closer role, I don’t see a major weakness on this team moving forward. Of course none of this is a lock, but it’s looking more and more likely as the season progresses. I could go over in detail why I think each individual player will be great but that would take too long. You can google the names of any of these players and see why I’m so optimistic.

As for the spending aspect, this is probably more of what you’re looking for in an answer: The Jays have money. The difference is they only spend it once they feel they have a solid core built not every offseason. When the time comes, they will fill in any holes with big free agent signings as they did a few years ago. If you remember in offseason 2005 they were the biggest spenders signing both AJ Burnett and BJ Ryan to huge deals as they were expecting to compete in '07-'09.

Obviously the Red Sox will be good in a couple years, but I’m not so sure about the Yankees. Their payroll is tied up in quite a few players who likely will not be very good 2 years down the road (AJ Burnett, Derek Jeter, Rafael Soriano, A-Rod).

The Yankees will never suck but they won’t be great anymore, just good which isn’t enough in the AL East.