Pacquiao - Marquez III

Being the only boxing fan left in the world, I actually ordered the Pacquiao - Marquez PPV tonight.
And it worked. Score one for boxing (since the only other time I had attempted to order PPV was for UFC and it didn't work).

Anyways, the televised under card was very entertaining.
Luis Cruz vs. Juan Carlos Burgos
This went to decision with Burgos' well deserved win. There was a lot of good back and forth but Burgos seemed to clearly win.

Mike Alvarado vs. Breidis Prescott
Prescott was up by a large margin by the end of the 5th round it was clear Prescott was going to win if it went to cards. (Prescott was the only man to defeat my boy Amir Khan by knocking him down 54-seconds in the 1st round - so he has a lot of power). However, as the fight wore on, Alvarado was making a great come back. By the 10th (and final) round, it was clear Prescott simply needed to hang on, BUT HE COULDN'T!! The ref had to stop the fight with 90-seconds left in the fight. All Prescott had to do was last through the final round. Alvarado hit Prescott with 2 punishing upper cuts.

Timothy Bradley vs. Joel Casamayor
This was the first time I saw Bradley fight and I was unimpressed. I simply didn't enjoy how Bradley fought. He was clearly better then Casamayor (considering all of the fouls); it just seemed the fight was less then inspiring. It could have been because Bradley has not fought since January because of legal issues. In any case, Casamayor's corner threw in the towel in the 8th round as Bradley simply would have continued to beat up Casamayor. I know Bradley wants to fight Pacquiao next; however, he isn't even the best fighter in his division (KHANNNN!), so I'm hoping Bradley fights Khan next!

Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez
The fight was seemed very timid. There was a lot of nervous energy and both fighters were sort of 'feeling each other out'. There were several rounds that *could* have went either way. It went judges decision and Pacquiao was declared the winner (114-114, 115-113, 116-112). People are shouting that the match was fixed and all of that garbage; however, Marquez's corner in the 11th and 12th rounds told him that he was winning! That is a cardinal sin! If you are not the champion, you NEED to take the championship away and not just 'play safe'. There should have been far more engagement and Marquez should have attempted to control more of the fight instead of boxing defensively to 'protect the lead' that he apparently never had! Complain all you want, but Marquez should have taken it to Pacquiao. Its Marquez's fault for letting up. Marquez has no one to blame but himself.

Bridesmaids ...

... Crystal and I watched Bridesmaids. I would not normally admit this, except that I can only believe there was a reference to "The Wrong Guy". Perhaps even a homage ... one character's name is Harris ... Helen Harris.

I can only assume her character was a doctor.

Best 14-0 Loss Ever.

... Yes the Jays lost 14-0 to Boston.

But, Dustin McGowan pitched tonight!! In a Major League Baseball game!

4IP, 5H, 3R, 3ER, 3BB, 5K.

Now, 2 of the base-on-balls were in the 9th near the end of his pitch count (75 pitches). And a couple of the hits were in his 1st inning of work. I chalk them up to nerves.

In any case, he is back! Dustin McGowan is back!!!!!11

He is the epitome of "Hustle and Heart." I think I teared up little ...

He is back!!!

After 3+ years (July 8, 2008) Dustin McGowan has returned to the majors!
The Jays activated him today! I'm going to be watching tonight.

Welcome Back McGowan!

Longest Tenured Blue Jay!

I went to the game tonight with Lee and we discussed the deal that sent John McDonald and Aaron Hill to the Arizona Diamondback. Now, get who is the longest tenured Blue Jay?

Yes that's right! DUSTIN McGOWAN.

So, what's the plan for McGowan? It seems that he will have a couple more starts in the minors and will be called up to the Majors (hopefully start). If he starts, you can bet I'll be in the stands (if its in Toronto).

I'm Falling Behind!!!!!!

Work has been so busy that I have not been able to keep everyone up to date on Dustin McGowan's progress!

His 5th start was much like his 3rd start:
2 1/3 IP, 2H, 0R, 2 BBs and 4Ks

Tonight, he started his 6th game of the season!
3 IP!, 3H 1R, 1ER, 0 BB and 2 Ks.

That's 3 innings! Good progress ... fingers crossed!
Hopefully in September we can see him!?!?!

Excitement must stay contained ....

Khan!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

Tomorrow on HBO at 10:00 pm.
Amir Khan versus Zab Judah! Unification fight Jr. Welterweight championship.

And I think I'm the only one that cares.

If anyone else does ... swing by my house as I'll be watching with great interest (Crystal will be watching too).

My prediction: Khan KO 5th round.

Go Khan Go!!

McGowan's 4th Start ....

2.2 IP, 1H, 0R, 1 BB, 3K

Lookin' good! Seems that he had a lot of good downward motion on his pitches since all of the non-strike outs were all ground outs.

I'm guessing the next start is going to be similar to this. Must ... be ... patient ...

New Saying ...

... if it turns green add chlorine. And LOTS OF IT!

My pool is now blue!

New Toy ...

... I just got a new blood glucose meter.

I've been with the Abbott FreeStyle line since I was diagnosed in early 2008. But the new Contour USB Meter caught my attention about a year or so ago when it was initially approved by the FDA. The device intrigued me as it was a USB stick. And I HATE keeping my readings via a log book with a pen and paper. I figure that I would simply print out my readings for the last 2 weeks for my doctorb. Ie. less work for me! I finally took the plunge and purchased one for $64.99 today!

I haven't done much with it. I took a reading ... I love the strips! You can actually see the blood fill in the little compartment so you know if there are enough blood, unlike the FreeStyle strips, as it seems that I would simply attempt *guess* if there is enough blood. Other then that, its currently charging and I haven't been able to access the on device software (since I some how uninstalled JRE on my Mac). Once I fix that I'll probably have more to review. But its late and I just remembered I have a tech spec to write for work ... so I'm going to do that and then see if I can get things to work ...

Start #3

Dustin McGowan's Road to Recovery as taken another step!

My favourite Blue Jay has made his 3rd start for the Dunedin Blue Jays today. His line:
2.0 IP, 2 H, 1R, 1ER, 0 BB, 1 K.

A good days work for him. I'm looking forward for his next start. Maybe 3 innings!?!

I couldn't find the numbers for the number of pitches though ...

Must .. Contain ... Excitement ...

.... Dustin McGowan's road to recover took another large step last Saturday. First start in the Florida Coast League (Single-A), he only went 2/3rds of an inning and gave up 3 runs on 3 hits. Walked 1 and struck out 1. Pitched 34 pitches. He was on a strict 35-pitch pitch count (or 2 innings).

Tonight, he went 2 innings, no hit, 2 strikeouts and 2 walks. 4 ground ball outs. It was a good start. Same restrictions (35-pitch pitch count or 2 innings).

I've read for his next start, the pitch count is going to be increased to 40 or so pitches (maybe 3-innings?).

Can't ... get ... too ... excited ... but ...

Boxing ...

... I think I'm the only person who still watches boxing.

Tomorrow on HBO at 4:45 pm: David Haye versus Wladimir Klitschko!

Perspective ...

... sometimes it seems that everyone else in the world is doing unbelievable things. Graduating, being superheroes in battle the evil diseases ... And then there is me. I'm just trying to get my pool clean enough for me to swim ... errr, doggie paddle .... errr, keep my head above water. The water looks pretty dirty. I think I just need to filter it for a few days.

Seems my life is far less ... I don't want to say important ... but eventful ...

Let's Not Get Too Crazy ...

... But Dustin McGowan has looked very strong on his way back baby!

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/2011/05/31/notebook_mcgowan/

Its exciting and I hope to see him in the bigs soon!

We'll Miss You! ...

... Travis Snider was sent down to AAA after yesterday's game.

I still believe he will be a superstar! And this is just a little blip in a soon-to-be great career. So, Travis, go down to Vegas, grow your awesome mustache, maybe play a little blackjack and be super. I'll be waiting with eager anticipation for your super-duper return!

Come back soon!! For now, we can all follow Snider's progress here!

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?pos=CF&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=501983

Gabe Gross!!!!11

Apparently he is retiring to spend more time with with the family.
Good luck Gabe! You were always better then Rios!

EPSN's Baseball Today podcast had a shout out to him (Keith Law) ...

NOOOOO!

... the wonder mustache of Travis Snider is gone!

I want to see it back!

Bullshit ...

... yes, Bob Davison's interference call (in the 13th? I think) was bullshit. Stole the game from the Jays.
Move over C.B. Bucknor, there is a new jerk-ass umpire in town.

The Future ...

... has work to do.

But I was impressed with the start none-the-less. No because of the numbers.

His line:

6 IP, 6H, 2 R (1 earned), 4BB, 5 K

The walks are a little concerning. But it was the start that impressed me. He kept the Jays in the game to give them the opportunity to win the game (which they did). He didn't have his best stuff but fought through it and showed a lot of composure.

I can't say this enough, but "The Future" is bright. Go Jays!

The Double Down

According to those who are immune chicken pox KFC's Double Down is the cause of high cholesterol and high sodium. So all you lovers of the double down and advocates its glorious return ... watch out for what you wish for. It causes bad things.

Since I have posted this to the Internet. it must be true. I'm off to update Wikipedia. HAHA.

Huh ...

.... I guess you can be immune to the chicken pox.

Crystal is. I guess she proved me.

The Future! ...

... is now.

Drabek's first start of the season was a dandy!

7.0 IP, 1 H, 3 BB, 7 K, 1 ER.

And we won.

Now, let's take a look at Roy Halladay's line first win as a Jay ...

9.0 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 8 K, 1 ER.

That looks similar. My take, Drabek will be just as good a Halladay :)

Predictions!

... Its baseball's Opening Day today! Here are my prediction for the Blue Jays this year.

The Blue Jays will finished with 83 wins this year. Yes, they finish just above .500. And they will finish 4th in the AL East. The division will finish as follows: Red Sox, Yankees, Blue Jays, Devil Rays, Orioles.

Some fun player predictions:

• Kyle 'The Future' Drabek will finish with a modest 13 wins
• Dustin McGowan will make it back to the big club in July (coming out of the bullpen)
  
• Brett Lawrie will get the call in mid-June
• Vernon Wells will NOT win the Triple Crown this year
• Travis Snider will hit 27 HRs and be healthy for the season
  
• JoBau will hit 33 HRs (and drive in 107 RBIs)

Vancouver Canucks ...

... are the greatest team this year.

They have clinched the Western Conference title BEFORE ANY of the other teams have clinched a playoff spot! Detroit has 98 points and still has not clinched a playoff spot. I guess this is more attributed to the fact that the Western Conference is ridiculously close from like 4th - 10th).

Its going to be too bad if they meet up with the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round, as the Canucks have had difficulty with the young 'Hawks team in the past (plus they are 2-2 in regular season play).

E5 is back!

... While trolling the Internet I have learned this awesome tid-bit of information:

Edwin 'E5 formerly E3 formerly E5' Encarnacion is back at 3rd base and JoBau is going back to RF. (http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/03/29/blue-jays-settle-on-jose-bautista-in-right-field-and-edwin-encarnacion-at-third-base/)

This sort of puzzles me because, where is Juan Rivera going to start? DH possibly? Is he hurting (leg injury)? Or maybe they are going to deal him for an actual 1st baseman? Does AA have a crazy deal up his sleeve? Maybe E5 will actually be good defensively ... oh wait, I should put down my beer(s) and sleep on that thought.

The Future is NOW!!!!111

... oh yes it is!!!

Kyle "The Future" Drabek is breaking spring training with the big club!!!!111

THE FUTURE IS NOW! And I will say now, he will pitch a perfect game some day!!!!11

I just hope to be there when he does it!

Just like Vernon Wells will one day win the Triple Crown.

Spring!

Its here! I saw a robin today.

McGowan Relief ...

... yes. Our favourite baseball player Dustin McGowan is moving into a relief role!

http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110313&content_id=16936546&vkey=news_tor&c_id=tor

This is to limit the number of pitches he throws for his comeback! My expectations, we'll be seeing number 29 in big leagues some time in June ... maybe July - just in time for that playoff run! PLAYOFFS!!!!!!111 - And after they deal Francisco, Rauch and several other relievers for prospects

Tom Brady ...

... is such a copycat.

About 4 years after I cut my hair*, Tom Brady, now, is sporting an excellent pony tail too! Check out the photos here:

http://justjared.buzznet.com/2011/03/07/gisele-bundchen-tom-brady-carnival-kiss/

Just makes me think that I'm way ahead of the curve. Just think, Tom Brady will soon be wearing Futurama t-shirts with collared t-shirts. Or maybe he'll watch The Wrong Guy and think its the funniest movie ever. Cuz it is the funniest movie ever.

Oh, aside of Tom Brady's awesome pony tail, Travis Snider is sporting an awesome mustache:

http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=13119381

He has even tweeted about it!

http://twitter.com/Lunchboxhero45/status/44499217577803776

I support you and your effort to grow a glorious 'tashe! Don't give up!

*which I really should still have it because the Leafs have yet to make the playoffs since I made that proclamation where I wouldn't cut my hair until they were knocked out the playoffs (ie. they have to make the playoffs to get knocked out) but we don't talk about this.

Perfection ...

... I have achieved it (In capping bottles that is).

Yesterday in bottling the Chocolate Stout (now known as Perfect Chocolate Stout), I capped 88 bottles with exactly 88 caps. Not one cap ruined. Perfect.

The rest of the brew day went really well ... actually perfect.

I now know how Roy Halladay felt when he pitched his perfect game. Haha.

McGowan Update ...

... handle with care!

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/2011/02/18/jays-notebook-0/

3 bullpen sessions with normal pain. We are all rooting for you to comeback!

2011 Left Fielder ....

... Check it out!

What an awesome 'stache and a great hair cut.

SPRING IS HERE!

McGowan Update ...

Its been awhile since we've heard of "the man with the golden arm." The greatest Blue Jay pitching prospect ever.

The Globe and Mail has a recent article about him and Scott Richmond. "McGowan, Richmond face uncertain future." He is back and although there is no timeline for his great return ... I think he'll be on the opening day roster! 5th starter! Just think of the awesome rotation, Romero, Morrow, Cecil, the Future, McGowan!!

I believe McGowan will be back sooner then later! You heard it here first.

100th Post!

According the blogspot dashboard, this is about the 100th post.

Welcome to post 100!
What is on my mind? Heavy. Its a word that I don't make use of enough (a la Marty McFly). Its also a good TV show on A&E. Its pretty good.

Also, I'm Gordon's friend! Check it out here! I feel special, just like this post is special!

Anderson Cooper ..

... STOP ATTACKING HIM!

He is a hero!

And that fact he is super awesome. No one should be attacking Anderson Cooper.

The funniest movie ever ...

... The Wrong Guy starring Dave Foley.

I've seen this movie at least 20 times and every time its just as funny as the first time I saw it.

This is the funniest movie I've ever seen. You should go out and see it - if you can find it.

Oh Vernon ...

... how I will miss you. You had heart. You are one of the classiest baseball players I have even known.

I will keep you on my fantasy team and I believe you are a 30-100 guy. Plus, you are a really nice guy. Who the fuck is going to play centre now!?

Vince Carter ..

... is going to come back and play for the Toronto Raptors. I've been saying this for a while now. Just ask my brother, Greg or Adam.

And it will be epic.

Mark my word, Vince Carter will be back! (And lead the Raptors to the 2nd round of the playoffs).