Everyone is talking bout last night. The Star's Morgan Campbell had this quote from Doc:
"The more fans that are here, the better team we are. Any team that draws well at home knows that," said Halladay, who is now 7-1 this season. "There's more energy. ... Hopefully, we'll play well the rest of the year and ... continue to keep that excitement."
One of those things that would be tough to measure, is our win/loss record over the years, better with 40,000 plus fans? I'm sure it is much more fun to play in front of a full house.
Richard Griffin, also in the Star, wrote about the game too, one paragraph caught my eye:
Last night, as the "warrior" departed the mound, this time on his shield, to a chorus of boos from the majority of 43,737 fans in attendance, Burnett, to his credit, did not sarcastically tip his cap as he had last June when they booed him off the field in a loss to the O's. Many feel that knee-jerk reaction was pivotal to his free-agency.
Really? Do many feel that reaction had anything to do with his free-agency? I know I'm not 'many' but I figured the truckloads of Yankee cash had a lot more to do with his free-agency. I wouldn't imagine that moment had anything at all to do with his free-agency. Anyone else think so? Griffin also said:
The Jays knew even then they would be unable to match any significant offers from the big boys in free-agency.
I'm not so sure about 'unable to match' the offer he got, I'm thinking too smart to match that offer. Is there anyone that thinks that at the end of the contract the Yankees will look back and think 'I'm glad we did that one'? No? Me neither.
Over in the Globe and Mail Robert Macleod did the game story and Jeff Blair wrote about the fans. I love Johnny Damon's quote:
“That was worse than what I got in Boston,” the Yankees left fielder said of the reception accorded New York starter A.J. Burnett on his return to Toronto.
This line from AJ shows he isn't following the team:
Burnett said he isn't surprised that the Blue Jays started as well as they have. “They're healthy,” he said matter-of-factly.
No AJ we aren't healthy, we have 5 possible starting pitchers on the injury list. Healthy we ain't but getting there slowly.
The National Post has a couple of stories about the game too, one by John Lott with a prophetic quote from Scott Rolen before the game:
So was Scott Rolen's personal scouting report on the fireballer he faced when Rolen was with the Philadelphia Phillies and Burnett was a member of the Florida Marlins.
"I was 0-for-22 against him," Rolen said, exaggerating slightly (he was 0-for-18). "That was back when he was throwing 98, 99 [mph], with that good curve ball. Obviously he's refined himself since then. Hopefully I'll have a chance."
When there is several years between when a pitcher and a hitter have faced each other, I'm not sure that their batting line against each other means much. The Post also had a story from Jeremy Sandler.
Even the Toronto Sun had two stories one from Mike Rutsey and one from Steve Simmons who talked about the crowd:
The most emotional Blue Jays game in Toronto in 16 years. Played by a team that seems impossible to dislike.
He's right, we have a real easy team to like. How ever it ends I'm sure we'll enjoy the ride.
Maybe we'll take a look at what the other blogs have to say about last night later, they all seem to be sleeping in this morning. The title comes from the Traveling Wilburys that I've been listening to again since it's been reissued. There are a lot of lines in the song that would have fit last night:
She was long and tall, she was the queen of them all
or:
She was dark and discreet, she was light on her feet
We went up to her room and she lowered the boom
or:
The party's just beginning she said, "Your money or you life?"
Or a few other lines but thought I'd just take the one that described the post the plainest. Boy Roy Orbison had a great voice.
Anyway, share your 'morning after' feelings
Now I'm back at the bar, she went a little too far
She done me wrong, all I got is this song