June 2012
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TV Alert: Cardinals at Mets
For all those homebodies staying in on a Friday night, you may want to direct your satellite signals over to the Mets game. The New York Metropolitans, behind Johan Santana, are six outs away from accomplishing something that has never been done in team history before.
And I’m not referring to a rip-roaring locker room towel fight. Bobby Bonilla was great at those.
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Speed Demons
Last night, Miguel Cabrera stole the 32nd base of his career. Prince Fielder immediately followed that up with the 10th triple of his career.
Not only had they never done such a thing back-to-back before, the two had never accomplished such a feat on the same day of their careers. I guess what I’m saying is don’t play the Cabrera steal/Prince Fielder triple combo with your local...
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Other Activities Catchers Have to Earn the...
On Wednesday night, Russell Martin told the world that umpire Laz Diaz wouldn’t let him throw the ball back to the pitcher because he hadn’t “earned the privilege.” While a lot of people got upset, what they didn’t realize is that there are actually a large variety of responsibilities that catchers have to “earn” from the umpire before doing them on their...
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BJ Upton To Become The Official Baseball...
(Reuters Pictures)
BJ Upton has always been a frustrating player. Despite being blessed with an endless array of tools and abilities, Upton has never come close to matching his 2007 season when he hit .300/.386/.522 as a 22-year-old. Since that time, and despite three 40+ steal seasons, Upton has batted only .250/.337/.408, just barely ahead of league average, and has been accused...
May 2012
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Your Lifestyle Choices Have Consequences
Derek Holland Sans Mustache: 1.2 IP, 8 H, 8 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO
Freddie Freeman Augmented By Goggles: 3-for-5, 1 HR, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R
Now, I’m not saying that having a mustache and wearing goggles would make you an unstoppable baseball machine, one that was just as comfortable blowing mid-90s heat by batters as you would be smashing giant taters, but I’m not not saying...
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WatchStatistically, bunts are better than doubles. But he’s Cliff Lee. Never tell him the stats.
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Baseball Behind Bars
A plaque at Alcatraz (by me). From the photo:
In a prison of strict regimentation, the yard offered rare freedom of movement, association, and choice. Some inmates chose to play baseball or run laps. Others simply walked to the top of the bleachers and looked out at what they were missing.
General population inmates visited the yard on Saturdays and Sundays, for 2 1/2 hours each day....
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And The Seas Will Turn Red and the World Will...
Rockies designate Jamie Moyer for assignment.
— Tracy Ringolsby (@ROOTSPORTS_TR) May 30, 2012
77 mph fastballs don’t fly forever, especially in Coors Field.
Godspeed, Mr. Moyer. It’s been weird.
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Anyone Want to Lend Me $80,000?
Over on eBay, the greatest of art pieces, a coffee table featuring a sliding Montreal Expos player, has been posted with the low, low asking price of $80,000. So don’t think of it as lending me $80,000 but putting down a payment on your future. But for me.
And why would someone want to give up something that is described as “real,” and is signed by Tomo Ohka? Well, that...
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MLB to Reportedly Expand Instant Replay in 2013
Huzzah! The lords of the sport have momentarily stopped filling themselves on mutton and berrywine and have deemed that the state of umpiring could be vastly improved with additional replay. But rather than slow down the game by forcing the on-field crew to confer, or forcing managers to cautiously decide whether a play is important enough to make a challenge, the sport will have a...
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Things You May Have Missed While You Were Living...
Now that I’ve returned from my weekend sabbatical in San Francisco, having fallen in love with AT&T Park, felt cold shivers run up my spine at the Oakland Coliseum, and announced, to no one in particular, how I would like to live in every apartment in every neighborhood, I thought a good catchup post would be in order.
So while you were out barbecuing and celebrating the advent of the...
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San Francisco, I'm Yours
(image via SportsBarNation)
Like the State of the Union, occasionally the Extremely Important and Powerful Manboys who run this site must get together to drink beer and watch baseball, preferably in an underground bunker surrounded with hi-tech security.
With that said, I just wanted to give a heads up that this Internet space will be dark for the Memorial Day weekend as we celebrate the...
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I Get It Now, The AL East Exists In An Alternate...
Imagine you’re the Boston Red Sox and you’re facing the Baltimore Orioles. It should be an easy game, after all, when have the Orioles been good? And you’ve got Daniel Bard starting who, while he was only pitching relief before this year, had struck out over a batter an inning complete with a 2.88 ERA in his Major League career. And with a payroll just shy of $200 million, your...
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Edwin Encarnacion Likes Hitting Baseballs, Hates...
Edwin Encarnacion has always had power, which is kind of the reason why he’s still in the Major Leagues. His glove, to put it kindly, rests somewhere between iron pan and Lovecraftian monster that will one day destroy the world. It’s why he passed from the Blue Jays to the offense-starved Athletics back to the Blue Jays over the course of one offseason, with nary an at-bat taking place...
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Stupid Pet Tricks
From the venerable Bill James:
“This is a true story; the Red Sox minor league equipment co-ordinator used to have a dog that had been trained to tell the difference between a minor league ball and a major league ball. We would sort the balls into “buckets”—major league balls in one bucket, minor league balls in the other. Major league teams have dozens and dozens of...
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The Superman/Tony Campana Venn Diagram
Tony Campana is fast and wily. Video proof. Photographic proof.
(Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
He’s also so much like Superman, I’m not so sure he’s not Superman. Consider:
I’m on to you, Mr. Campana. But don’t worry, I’ll play Jimmy Olsen if you’ll simply be my best friend.
And for those who have trouble seeing the diagram, full size version...
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Turns Out Adrian Beltre Can Smile After All
He just needs Felix Hernandez to melt his heart first:
Your browser does not support iframes.
Of course, this is more akin to Beltre’s natural state:
(gifs via BoSox Gifs, NotGraphs)
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The Reading Level of Sportswriters
Since sportswriters and thinkers constantly use numbers to judge the value of the ballplayers they love, it’s only fair that the tables are occasionally turned. Hence, the Harvard Sports Analysis blog has turned to writing’s WAR, in this case the Flesh-Kincaid Reading Level, a one number catch all to describe the level a writer’s working at.
Just like WAR, this number has a...
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Santiago Casilla At The Plate
I especially like the frightened stare behind him as he walks back to the plate, as if to say “Whoa. Dude. Did that really happen?”
(Artful .gifs made by @gidget)
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The Three Stages of Life
You know that riddle about the three stages of life? Ozzie Guillen has his own version when talking about his days facing Jamie Moyer:
“I don’t remember much. I know he went from very bad to very good to very old.”
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Proven Closers
Since April 20th, Alfredo Aceves has allowed two earned runs, and posted an 18/5 K/BB ratio in 17.1 innings.
In that same time frame, Jonathan Papelbon, the former Red Sox closer, has allowed three earned runs and posted a 14/2 K/BB ratio in 10.1 innings.
This proves two things:
Using random time frames, I can prove almost anything.
Proven closers may exist, but they’re...
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Profanity in Baseball
Sam Miller of Baseball Prospectus has composed the article to end all articles on profanity in baseball, and since we live in the modern age, he’s made sure to include lots of animated gifs to illustrate his points. I shudder to think of all the children still being read picture books with still images when there is a whole world of repeating images out there. But that’s a different...
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Livan Hernandez Prepares for a Wedding By Throwing...
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Don’t worry, with exception to the boy’s pride and dignity, he was all right. The sunflower seeds came in at roughly the speed of Livan Hernandez’s curveball, so he walked away unscathed.
(h/t Baseball Nation)
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“If, at the end, you don’t want to get your heart broken, then we...”
– Chris Perez on Indians baseball. Catch the fever!
(via Big League Stew)
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The Eephus League Magazine Is Here →
This morning’s great reveal was Bethany Heck’s latest project, the Eephus League magazine. It’s what every great magazine should be—with vintage photographs, art, a study of nicknames, and nary a mention of what the Kardashians are up to.
Click through to check it out on your computational or mobile viewing device.
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Tim Lincecum, Come Back and Save Us From This Pale...
Tim Lincecum doesn’t lose to the Athletics. For one, they’re the Athletics and Mark Ellis may have been the Athletics best hitter that Lincecum has had to face on a year-to-year basis. For another, he’s Tim Freakin’ Lincecum and until recently, no one could beat him.
Before yesterday’s game against the A’s, Lincecum was 5-1 with a 1.38 career ERA against the...
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Sullivan's Sluggers: The Crowdfunded Baseball...
There are three things on this Earth that I love like no other. As a redblooded American male, they are baseball, comic books, and horror movies. Hence my ownership of the Mars Attacks Baseball Special and the high esteem I hold for Battlefield Baseball. So when I heard about Mark Andrew Smith’s latest project, Sullivan’s Sluggers, a baseball horror comic, my heart gave a jump.
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