Thursday Bluebird Links

So for some reason, my reader is now picking up every Toronto Star article instead of just baseball articles. So yeah, that was kind of annoying this morning. No game recaps today. I don't think anyone wants to talk or think about that series. Lets hope for a better outcome in Boston!

JAYS LINKS

Blue Jays third baseman Brett Lawrie avoids major injury after taking scary fall
Gregor talks about yesterdays Lawrie play. Hopefully the coaches can get it through his head that he has to take it easy sometimes.

So…Now What?
The 500 Level Fan wonders if the Jays should be sellers or buyers in the upcoming weeks - thoughts?

Francisco Liriano's trade suitors have included Blue Jays, Angels
Any interest?

Teams showing interest in Jays’ Escobar
The Escobar rumours seem to be picking up steam. I wonder if it's just all of the media guys feeding off each other, or if there are some actual legs to this. Thoughts? What would you hope to see as a return if Yunel is dealt to the A's?

Toronto Blue Jays at Boston Red Sox
MLB preview of the Jay's next opponent. Lucky for the Jays, David Ortiz was just placed on the DL.

Colby Rasmus gets St. Louis Cardinals World Series ring
Tony LaRussa brought the ring to Yankee stadium yesterday, but the two didn't meet.

The No Injuries to Report Minor League Update
Batter's Box breaks down yesterdays minor league action.

Finally healthy, Hill aims to regain big league form

Since undergoing surgery to have his first rib and part of his neck muscle removed, Hill has pitched without the pain that had haunted him.

Crazy - Shawn Hill has gone through a lot in the past 5 years. He could be an interesting guy to keep an eye on.

10 Photos - Anthony Gose
Batter's Box has 10 photo's of Gose in honour of his recent call-up.

Lots from around the league after the jump!

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Rating the Rookie Eras
Jonah Keri wonders how this years rookie class will stack up against some of the great rookie groups of the past.

Mike Trout is making everyone believe in his mesmerizing talent
A long article on Trout and the MLB draft - it's hard to believe today that Trout was selected 25th overall, but according to Billy Beane, many teams were high on him.

Mark Trumbo quietly putting up huge season for Los Angeles Angels
Sick of hearing about Harper and Trout - read about Trumbo instead!

Carlos Ruiz: The Best Catcher In Baseball?
He has had a fantastic season up to this point, currently sitting 5th in the league in wOBA! Craziness.

The Hall of Nearly Great | Players you love by authors you love
Looking for something new to read? Check this one out.

Rosenthal makes history as 2,000th Cardinal
He's the 2000th player in franchise history by one count anyway, just not necessarily the official count. Regardless, that's a lot of players! For reference, the Jays are somewhere around 600 players (slightly less I think).

Royals, Pirates Score First 2 Picks In New Draft Scheme
MLB held a competitive draft lottery yesterday - 12 teams will get an extra pick in next year's draft. I'm not sure how Phoenix (or Miami for that matter) are considered small market teams. Rob Neyer breaks down the results.

SI’s Underrated List of Underrated Position Players
Matt Klassen comments on the players chosen (by MLB players) as the most underrated. Number 1 on the list is hilarious.

New restrictions cut teams’ spending in MLB draft by 11 per cent
While the new draft rules aren't perfect, it sounds like, for the most part, the new restrictions are working (less spending, faster signing, etc).

Cole Hamels Should Reject The Phillies’ Offer
The Phillies are reportedly going to offer Hames a six year, $130 million extension. Chris Cwik at FanGraphs thinks he should test the free agent market.

2012 Trade Value: #30-#26
FanGraphs is running through the players with the top trade value. No Jays on the list so far.

Gravity's a Bitch
Rob Neyer's having some fun.

Detroit bomb threat highlights security at stadium
I'm not sure that if I was at the game, that I would want to hear about this later, but I can't even begin to imagine the logistics of trying to evacuate 40,000 people from a stadium. Wasn't there a movie about this in the early 90's sometime? I think it was a Jean-Claude van Damme movie so I'm assuming it was bad.

Pete Rose gets a reality show
I'm sure this will be terrible, but tune in if you must.