Jays unfairly ripped by media for Halladay negotiations; more notes … The Blue Jays came out of the trading deadline with the best pitcher in baseball, not only for the rest of this season but also next, and yet the consensus among media pundits was to assign them to the “losers” column in their unofficial scorekeeping.

Minor League Update  —  Just confusing  —  Drew Stubbs, OF, Reds (Triple-A Louisville)  —  Monday's stats: 3-for-4, 3 R, 2 RBI, BB, SB  —  So the Reds keep throwing Willy Taveras out in centerfield pretty much every day, despite the fact that he's pulling off the rare double treat …

Back Issue Shuts Down Glaus Indefinitely  —  NEW YORK — Third baseman Troy Glaus will not be returning to a minor-league rehab anytime soon and his prospects for playing at all this season may be in jeopardy after a bulging disc in his lower back failed to respond to a recent series of injections.

Does God Think Using Steroids Is Wrong?  —  If I'm lucky, when I ask my undergraduate students why you shouldn't punch a stranger in the face, I hear “because it's wrong” rather than “because I'd get in trouble.”  In either case, though, that question is enthusiastically answered.

Florida Marlins Team Report  —  INSIDE PITCH  —  The Marlins are hoping their two most recent wins showcased the way they'll play into October.  They got the wins with big hits by players not named Hanley Ramirez.  —  On Friday it was clutch hits by catcher John Baker and pinch-hitter Wes Helms.

Derek Jeter for MVP  —  This is a guest post by Rebecca from This Purist Bleeds Pinstripes.  —  His .322 average leads all Yankees, and small sample size doesn't apply — only one other player has amassed more plate appearances this season.  —  His .396 OBP is by far the highest among starters.

Against All Odds, Nats Rally for a Win  —  Fangraphs.com is a Web site that specializes in seamhead mathematical analysis; it is the left hemisphere of a baseball nerd's brain.  During games, as innings roll, the site tabulates something called Win Expectancy, which is fairly self-explanatory.

First in his class: Mark Teixeira is the majors' good-hands person  —  Range-wise, “He probably helps out Robbie (Cano), I would think,” Derek Jeter said of allowing Cano to occasionally cheat toward the middle.  —  A vital side benefit for infielders is the mental aspect of having a sure-handed first baseman.

Staying Alive: Who Has the Advantage After Fouling Off Multiple 3-2 Pitches  —  You've probably heard your local announcer say it at one time or another after a hitter has fouled off pitch after pitch on a 3-2 count: As the at-bat is extended the pitcher has to show more of his arsenal, and the advantage shifts to the hitter.

Confidential, With an Asterisk  —  I can understand why there are so many calls for the heads of the 104 players on the so-called “list” that marks them as guilty for testing positive in the 2003 survey drug test.  It seems that publishing this list once and for all would make us all feel better.

Castillo convicted for throwing at fan  —  DAYTON, Ohio — A judge has convicted a minor-league pitcher of injuring a fan when he threw a baseball during an on-field melee in Dayton last year.  —  Montgomery County Common Pleas Court Judge Connie Price found Julio Castillo guilty Tuesday …