I'm bored yet again so I thought I would continue my series of hate. Last time I did the Lineup of Hate with position players. This time it's the starting rotation for my Team of the Damned. This one should contain few surprises if you liked my definitive rankings comments and also every time Tom posts one of these guys in the Jays history or birthday posts. Let's get hatin'.

#1 pitcher: This guy isn't the ace of the staff but he is #1 for hate in my heart. Our #1 is Jack Morris. Jack Morris taught me that pitcher wins mean nothing when he became the Jays first 20 game winner in 1992. I had always hoped Dave Stieb would do it, but year after year, I saw a combination of weak run support and spotty bullpen work let him down. Then Morris strolls in, pitching to the score, and racks up 20 because the Jays are now a juggernaut and headed for their first WS win. Add in his douchebag personality and getting lit up like a Christmas tree in the playoffs and you'll see why this guy is at the top. There is no justice in a world where Jack Morris is in the Hall of Fame and Stieb is not. Hell, Stieb even has the better mustache.

#2 pitcher: This guy actually should be the ace of this squad both for actual performance and general scumbaggery. Our #2 is Rocket Roger Clemens. Even though Clemens had two of the finest seasons in Jays pitching history, I can't stand him. First, he got Cito fired in the cursed 1997 season (1997 might be a recurring theme in this series) and then whined his way into a Yankees trade. Second, he is an actual statutory rapist. Third, he threw his own wife under the bus for his steroids. Fourth, the icy hot story (so gross, look it up, BBB rules don't allow for this kind of content. On second thought, don't look it up). Clemens is so hated that he is a stand-in for a swear word on this site and is the only exception to the swearing rule. He also has the distinction of being hated by Jays, Red Sox, and Yankees fans despite pitching well for all three franchises. He should be an inner-circle Hall of Famer and also would be an inner-circle Hall of Famer in the Scumbag Hall of Fame (if that were a thing).

#3 pitcher: Tom Candiotti. I hated this guy right from the start, mostly because the trade cost was Glenallen Hill and Hard-Hittin' Mark Whiten. I hated that the Jays traded two outfielders with power for some goofy knuckleballer. Now, I understand Candiotti pitched well down the stretch for the Jays after they acquired him but all I remember is his last few starts and the playoffs. One of the old guys here noted that Candiotti used his knuckleball less in the playoffs, which might have led to him getting lit up. HOW DOES A KNUCKLEBALLER ABANDON THE KNUCKLEBALL IN THE PLAYOFFS WHEN YOU NEED YOUR BEST PITCH?! I still miss Whiten and Hill. Stupid Tom Candiotti.

#4 pitcher: The snakiest snake that ever pitched for the Jays, yes, it's Al Leiter. This no-good, lowdown dirty dog cost us Jesse Barfield (seriously Pat Gillick, why did you trade all my favourite slugging outfielders for mercenaries that didn't produce?). That was bad enough. However, this guy probably spent more time on the DL than on the active roster for the Jays. Then in his last season, he is finally healthy and actually produces. Did we actually get something for the beloved Jesse Barfield? Will Al Leiter re-sign with the Jays? Nope, this guy bolts. I might actually hate Leiter the most of all these guys.

#5 pitcher: This one is perhaps a little unfair to the pitcher himself. More of the hate should go to Gord Ash for even signing this guy but my hate is not always logical. At #5 we have Erik Hanson. This guy was supposed to give the club a shot in the arm going into 1996 but instead pitched like garbage, got hurt and didn't play much over the next two seasons. Hanson also has the distinction of being another member of the 1997 Blue Jays. Wow, 4 position players and two starting pitchers from that team. Swell.

Looking back on this rotation, it's not that bad 1-4....hahaha, nope, it still sucks beyond Clemens. Clemens is the only one that actually produced for the Jays. Morris would have looked like trash on a lesser team. Hanson and Leiter were always hurt. Candiotti's stretch run is actually the second best pitcher but gets Morris-esque in September and the ALCS.