A Feel Good Loss?

Is there such a thing? If there is, I think Dave Purcey took one tonight.

After running out of gas after throwing 5 innings in his last outing, Purcey went deep against Norfolk and ended up getting tagged with the loss. He was dealing through 8, but surrended a solo shot to Scott Moore before getting yanked down 3-0 after 7.1 IP. His control was good, walking only 1, K-ing 6 and throwing 67 of 102 pitches for strikes. He kept the ball on the ground, inducing 11 ground outs to 5 fly outs. This was a good outing despite the outcome.

Offensively, the Chiefs were in deep hibernation; Adam Lind wasn't in the lineup again and we're starting to wonder... JP denied knowledge of anything untoward happening to his starting left fielder for 2009 in his weekly phone-in with Wilner on Wednesday, so I think it's pretty clear that something untoward has happened. One of my colleagues here in the history department at the random Ontario university I go to just got back from a conference in Lake Placid and did a stop over in Syracuse on the drive back home. He was happy to report that autographed Lind photos are a staple at area liquor stores. Cirrhosis of the liver? Seems as good of an internet rumour as any. Tell your friends.

Meanwhile, the Jays are knotted at 2 with the Angels. Scott Rolen, frankly, is the best third baseman I've ever seen ever in my entire life. He's better than the third-basemaning I imagined Mike Schmidt was doing in Philly when I put baseball card sticker books together back in grade two. He is to his position what J-Mac is short stop: an artiste schooled at the Sorbonne.

Rando thoughts: Casey Kotchman is the most fearsome bat in this lineup, would you have predicted that in March? Francisco Rodriguez just ain't right. I think he's going to suffer a major arm injury at some point this summer. The home plate ump here is fucking high, his strike zone is all over the shop.

I'm becoming furious with the extended commercial breaks on Sportsnet. They frequently come back one to two pitches into an AB and we just missed an Eckstein double in the top of the 8th. Occasionally an inning "starts" with one out already. I realize ad revenue keeps these broadcasts free for Joe Blow, but seriously.

Brett Lawrie, some other Canucks and the draft? A week ago it seemed like the Jays would be overdrafting if they took him and now it seems unlikely that he'll slip to the 17th pick in the first round. My brother likes to brag that The Economist rates Vancouver as the best city to live in in the world, and the lower BC Delta just adds to its superiority by hosting the best amateur baseball league in the country. I really like Ontario and all, but the West Coast beckons.

Do you want "The Roundup" on Saturdays? Leave a comment if you do. I can pound this stuff out and eat bacon and eggs at the same time should popular demand warrant it.

-- Johnny Was