I object to all the Jays detractors who say the recent losing streak is the natural counter to an unsustainable win streak or poetic justice for an unbalanced schedule.

First the Jays earned their pre-slump record by winning a series at a time. It was not some unsustainable 10-game streak like the BoSox, absent which streak, the Red Sox are a sub-500 team. The Jays have not even had a win streak, this year, their record was built by steady solid play.

Second, if you look at the Jays losing streak, it was not like all of a sudden they started facing teams they cannot beat.

• Working backwards, the Jays lost 3 games to the lowly Orioles. Of any series, this one is most indicative that the Jays are beating themselves via slumping and not necessarily getting beaten by better teams.
• Same with Atlanta. Prior to the Jays’ visit to Atlanta, the Braves were merely 500.
• Lastly, against the Red Sox, despite a sweep, it was hardly indicative a superior team exercising its dominance over a lesser opponent. Game 1, was taken by Wakefield against whom the Jays historically struggle, it is somewhat anomalous. In the loss to Cecil, I would argue he did not have his stuff that day – which occasionally happens to pitchers – and was left in too long. Cecil lacked his usual 90+ speed and mix in speed to high 70s, but instead threw a medly of mid-80s hittable stuff. In the third game, Ray lost, but I would argue he was bit green up from the minors anyway. Meanwhile, at the plate, the Jays struggled of their own initiative against two slumping pitchers in Penny and Lester (both 6ish ERA pitchers).

Bottom line, the recent skid by the Jays was, IMHO, more attributable to slump than indicative that the Jays cannot win.

All teams streak occasionally and Jays are no different. Once the streak is over the Jays, I do not see why the Jays cannot return to their 2 of 3 and 3 of 4 winning pattern that drove their AL leading record of April through mid-May. IMHO, Jays detractors and bandwagon bailouts are way premature. This team is a contender and will finish one or two in the AL East.

The national sports media is made up largely of hockey people who know very little about the details of baseball. A 9-game losing streak in hockey would be devastating. In baseball, not so much because you can also put together a 9 game win streak. The beauty of baseball is that there is a lot of time in between games, between at-bats and between pitches to think, analyze and make comebacks. There is no clock and that’s what makes it the best sport.

I listened to the sports radio in Ottawa yesterday and I wanted to call them and set them straight. Hockey rules in Ottawa so when they talk about the Jays they don’t have a clue. They were essentially saying they should adjust the rotation so Halladay plays all the good teams. They clearly don’t understand the implications of that.

So I have no time for the national media when it comes to analyzing the Jays.

RIght now is the Yankees turn to ‘pad their wins’, as the Jays supposedly did with all those wins against the central and west (but I’m sure Yankees fans would simply attest it to the Yankees being such an awesome team, you know). Hopefully they come out of it miserably so that the Jays can get back on top.