Crosscut: Van Dyk: The M’s need a smarter management team

There is a core there which should be maintained but several expensive, waning players who should be traded or dumped outrightly, post haste.

Your heart goes out to McLaren, who has surrounded himself this season with what is perhaps the major leagues’ best coaching staff. He clearly is earnest and hardworking but probably more suited to being Lou Piniella’s No. 2, which he was for many years, than a premium leader in his own right. His awkward silences and explanations, during the team’s slow start, have been painful.

Bavasi comes on strong and leaves an impression of knowledgeability. But his track record, regrettably, indicates a lack of judgment about player talent and value. If someone has to go, and there is justice, Bavasi should walk the plank before McLaren.

In the end, of course, responsibility comes down to the people who own the Mariners and constitute the team’s senior management. So long as fans keep coming in large numbers, they are unlikely to take any decision action toward change. But if fans decide to spend their discretionary income elsewhere, stuff will happen.

Jose Lopez is becoming a truly good hitter....you mean the one who’s BA (.315) is higher than his OBP (.313)?

N.Y. Observer: Megdal: Scott Schoeneweis and the Absence of Boos

8 - Made a list of all Met fans I had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.

It is a peculiar irony of this largely disappointing Mets season that one of the loudest sustained cheers any player at Shea received this year was on Sunday, May 11 for left-handed reliever Scott Schoeneweis, quite possibly 2007’s least popular Met.

Schoeneweis kept a sense of humor about the fan reaction. He claims never to hear plaudits, only criticism. Therefore, on Sunday, he heard only an absence of boos.

“It was kind of eerie,” said Schoeneweis as he dressed at his locker prior to New York’s 1-0 loss Thursday to the Washington Nationals. “You get used to it, I guess. It’s like people who live in the city and move to the country, how they can’t sleep nights.”

Schoeneweis lowered his ERA to 1.50 with a 1 2/3 inning, three-strikeout performance against Cincinnati on May 11. But his success—and last season’s failures—have little to do with his pitching, and everything to do with how he is used. Scott Schoeneweis is a terrific relief pitcher—against left-handed hitters only. Against lefties, Schoeneweis is Barack Obama in North Carolina. Against righties, he is Obama in West Virginia.

“That’s pretty much what my job is,” Schoeneweis said of pitching to left-handed hitters. “That’s what I was brought here to do.”

BDD: Baer: How the Phillies Can Fix the Brett Myers Situation

“RUSSIAN OMELET - Cross enemy’s legs. Fold enemy by pinning his shoulders to ground upside-down and placing his legs above him. Sit on his legs, folding the bass of the spine. Fatal.”

Lastly, there is still the thought that the first quarter of the season still represents a small sample size. However, Myers hasn’t shown any sign that he’s improving or that he is going to improve any time soon. Sometimes, you just have to nip a problem in the bud, and such is the case with Myers as the Phillies can’t afford to have their starters hemorrhage wins this season, not with an offense that isn’t as good as expected and with a bullpen that is finally solid after years of dealing with journeymen and castaways like Jose Mesa and Antonio Alfonseca.

The Phillies’ front office has made a name for itself by sitting on their collective hands, hoping for the best, and taking nothing but the safest bets. It is why, until last season, the Phillies were the best team since 2001 to not make the playoffs (they won at least 80 games each season). They finally got off to a good start this season and were five games above .500 going into last night’s game. The Phillies didn’t reach five games above .500 until July 28 last season. The Phillies, along with the Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres of last season, know exactly how much one game can mean, so they can’t afford to let the Brett Myers issue fester.

Newsday: Best: SNY’s Cohen gets to call Mets game from upper deck

Well it’s about time somebody called the g-d Met game!...I sat in the freezing rain with Belth and Lederer the other night for over an hour and a....ohh, announcing.

It was two hours before Thursday’s Nationals- Mets game, and SNY’s play-by-play man was sitting a few rows from the top of Shea Stadium, surveying the vast, red stretches of the upper deck.

Soon Cohen would be fulfilling a decade-long aspiration, calling a game from the cheap seats he used to occupy as a fan, just in time before they tear down the dump. It was a nod to his past, but more so to the others who grew up as fans far from the field, including the 18,000 or so children in the house Thursday for “Weather Education Day.”

“Everybody comes to this job differently,” Cohen said, listing the varied backgrounds of announcers who are former players, or who arrived from other cities as veteran broadcasters. “But Howie and I grew up as fans, in this ballpark, and somehow found our way back here to be play-by-play voices for the team,” he said.

“Ultimately, all of us want to go back to our roots; to me, these are my roots. This is how I got where I am.”

Beckett: 101 A-Rod Rookies Walk Through the Door

WHOA!...This blows away my 25 1962 Mickey Mantle cards in SS (Schwinn Spokes) condition!

You never know what comes through the door here at Beckett. Today, a guy walks in with 101 A-Rod Rookies graded BGS 9.

Graded card investor Brad Englehart has amassed during the past eight months 101 BGS 9 examples of 1994 SP Alex Rodriguez. (Are you sure there are really 101? Click on the photo and count ‘em for yourself.) Some were purchased at shows, some online and some were purchased raw and graded by BGS.

“I think that over the last 10 years, the grading companies have realized what a tough card this really is,” said Englehart, a Florida dealer who was at Beckett HQ on a business visit.

...Englehart says the 101-card collection will stay intact at least until the National Convention in Chicago the last week of July. The card currently sells for around $350-$375 at BGS 9 condition.

Thanks to Sports Locker.

Hagen: Interleague play has some redeeming value

So does Pickettywitch...but I ain’t buying a deluxe gatefold sleeve greatest hit package of their crap!

Interleague play has arrived once again as the Phillies prepare to play their natural American League rivals. That, of course, would be the Toronto Blue Jays. While waiting for the first pitch, please select the appropriate video clip from the following menu. Press 1 for Plague of Locusts. Press 2 for Doomsday Thunderclouds. Press 3 for Owners Sitting Around Counting Money.

Just teasing. All the arguments against this no-longer-novel novelty have been outlined before in this tiny little corner of the baseball universe. And yet, it continues. Press 3.

There will be, in fact, one series that just might make the whole thing worthwhile. It will begin tonight, when the Mets visit Yankee Stadium for the first of three games.

That’s always a big deal in New York, where the residents tend to believe that Galileo was wrong and that all things revolve around the Big Apple instead of the sun. But it will be especially piquant this weekend.

Guillen insists ‘Crazy Ozzie’ label is due to age, but e-mails say otherwise

Uhh, Ozzie...John Arthur died. You can’t get your copy of “Race, Equality, and the Burdens of History” signed.

And that’s why he doesn’t take those racist e-mails too seriously.

‘’If you send an e-mail and use the n-word to Jacque Jones or Kenny Williams, Harold Baines, that’s different because they feel that,’’ Guillen explained. ‘’They’re from this country. I don’t feel it that way. I laugh because people are ignorant.’’

Guillen knows there’s a double standard. Could you imagine if he were arrested on a DUI charge, as St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa was?

‘’Believe me, if I got a DUI, a lot of people would ask for me to resign,’’ he said. ‘’Tony got a slap on the wrist, but not because he’s white and I’m Latino. Tony has been in this game for a long time. My situation is different because we have different personalities. But if I got caught, wow.

‘’The other guy, ‘Oh, he was just having fun and had bad luck.’ Me? ‘It’s about time they caught him drinking and driving.’ Not because I’m Latino, but because of who I am. That’s just me. I can’t make other people think that way about race, though, or listen to what I say.’’

N.Y. Sun: Normandin: Adjustments Could Give Tribe Vicious Troika of Arms

Carmona not grew?

The data gives you the idea that Carmona is, to a degree, intentionally throwing the ball out of the zone. He has increased his sinking fastball usage to 82% from an already lofty 75%, and with this rise in sinkers has come a rise in G/F ratio. According to Pitch f/x, Carmona has given up just nine extra-base hits on the season. The opposition’s Isolated Power — a figure derived from subtracting batting average from slugging percentage — is just .063 against Carmona, a number that makes even Dodgers speedster Juan Pierre look like a middle-of-the-order bruiser by comparison in the abstract. The data shows that Carmona loves to go high with his sinker; when hitters bite, they get on top of it and hit a grounder, or they just let it go for a ball.

This has been the key to Carmona’s success, and to his credit, it has worked. The problem is that with viewings of game tape and data such as that of Pitch f/x, it is not the kind of success that is guaranteed to work long-term. Like his teammate before him, Carmona should get to a stage where he needs to mix up his pitches more, or see his production drop precipitously — as his QERA suggests. Cleveland’s pennant chances rest on the production of this pair of quality arms. But perhaps, like Sabathia, Carmona’s issues will only be fixed once he’s deemed broken.

Sun-Sentinel: ESPN’s Steve Phillips fan of interleague baseball play

Yea...but Phillips also thinks forced chicken molting home videos are fun for the whole family! QUARK!

“It’s been great for the game,” said ESPN baseball analyst Steve Phillips. “Not only is it good for the fans, but it creates a good opportunity for the players in terms of free agency because it allows the players to see different stadiums and different markets and get exposure.”

Of course, the main criticism of interleague play is the unbalanced schedule. Critics argue, for example, that it’s not fair that the Mets have to play the Yankees every year. Meantime, division foe Florida gets to play Kansas City, Tampa Bay and Seattle.

“I think the rotation of playing different divisions each year but at the same time maintaining the rivalries works well,” Phillips said. “The integrity of the schedule issue by far is outweighed by the positive impact on the fans.”

Pitcher Analysis: Craig Hansen

Craig Hansen has so far struggled to put up good numbers in the major leagues, despite only allowing 2 home runs in the minors. A brief statistical analysis of Hansen shows that he was never ready for the majors, and a mechanical breakdown of his delivery raises serious questions about the long-term health of his shoulder/elbow.

Portfolio: Lidz: Jason Giambi: Bronx Cheer

The G-string...uh, no thanks.

Off the field, Giambi is a freewheeling character with a smile as wide as the gap in left center at Yankee Stadium. He loves strip joints, cites Letters to Penthouse as his favorite work of literature, and lives by the motto “Party like a rock star, hammer like a porn star, rake like an all-star.”

“I’m a year older than Mickey Mantle was in his final game,” he says. “My teammates used to call me the Modern-day Mick because I could play all day and party all night. Now I’m more of a family guy. I drive an Escalade to the ballpark.”

...When this season ends, the Yanks could pick up Giambi’s 2009 option for $22 million. Or they could pay him $5 million to go away. Though Giambi would happily take a pay cut to stay in New York—"Money doesn’t drive me,” he says—the team will likely give him a buyout and invest in younger, less limited talent. No doubt he’ll sign on with another franchise, quite possibly the A’s.

Giambi doesn’t plan to hang up his cleats just yet, but he’s not exactly ruing the day he does. “After A-Rod retires, he wants to be a real estate mogul, the next Donald Trump,” Giambi says. “I could care less. As long as I can have a fast boat and a margarita machine and can light my hair on fire, I’ll be just fine.”

HOU Chronicle: Justice - Down 6? No sweat. Astros steam toward the improbable.

What if the Astros disappoint us? I mean, who can win anything with this kind of starting pitching? What can you win with offense, relief pitching and tons of heart and resolve?
...
The Giants had a 6-0 lead with Tim Lincecum and his 1.61 ERA on the mound. This game was as good as lost.

Once Lincecum departed, the fun began. Carlos Lee homered. Darin Erstad homered. Lance Berkman homered. The Astros hadn’t rallied from six down to win in eight years. They did on this day, winning 8-7. This moved them ahead of the Cardinals and into second place in the NL Central, 1 1/2 games behind the Cubs.

That’s 18 victories in 24 games. They’re 6-1 on the longest road trip of the year, the one that lands in Arlington this weekend for a three-game series with the Rangers.

How are they winning? They’ve got baseball’s best hitter in you-know-who. They’ve got the best middle of the order in the National League. They’ve got heart, too. They’ve come from behind 13 times to win. They’ve won six times when trailing after eight. Even really good teams do that kind of thing about six times a year.

Chicago Tribune: Edmonds patient while Cubs, fans adjust (RR)

When [Edmonds] ran onto the field in the first inning, he was cheered for being in Cub blue.

When he struck out with the bases loaded in the fifth inning, he was booed as if he were still in Cardinal red.

Has he ever had an ovation in Chicago before? “No, and I’ve been booed louder,” Edmonds said after playing in his first game since the Padres released him.

From foe to friend to failure—a rather short honeymoon—all within 24 hours.

“That’s what it’s all about,” he said. “It’s baseball. I’d rather have that than a bunch of people watching the game quietly.”
...
He threw some balls into the bleachers to make new friends, realizing, “I could look back in the outfield and not get screamed at.”

STL Post-Dispatch: Izzy blows it again

Closer or not, Jason Isringhausen continues to blow games for the Cardinals. Thrust into an eighth-inning role today with the Cardinals leading Pittsburgh 5-4 at Busch Stadium, Isringhausen coughed up four runs—one on his throwing error and three on a Jason Bay homer—as the Pirates came back from a 5-1 deficit and won 11-5.
...
“I don’t have any excuses, and I don’t have any more answers,” Isringhausen told reporters after the game. “I wish I could say my arm was falling off, but I can’t.

“I felt good today, my mechanics were in order, but the end result was terrible. I feel healthy, and my being healthy isn’t good enough. At this point, it’s a management decision (what to do about him). I’m embarrassed.”

St. Petersburg Times: Rays release financing details for new stadium

The Tampa Bay Rays released new details of their plan to finance a proposed $450-million downtown waterfront ballpark, including millions of dollars from the team in guaranteed parking revenue.
...
The financing package includes:
• $150-million from the team.
• $100-million from extending a 1 percent tax on Pinellas County hotel stays for 25 to 30 years.
• $75-million from extending the city’s contribution to Tropicana Field for another 25 to 30 years.
• $70-million from the developer purchasing Tropicana Field.
• And $55-million in guaranteed parking revenue associated with the 34,000-seat ballpark.

As part of the agreement, the Rays said they would pay any cost overruns if they oversee construction of the stadium. The Rays also said the public’s contribution — $175-million — would be dwarfed by the taxes generated by redeveloping Tropicana Field.

USA Today: Schmidt: Utley is best player in baseball

Tuck in that silver lamé handkerchief...Mike Schmidt has found his star!

And as a bonus, he’s run stopper defensively. He comes to the park to beat you. He’ll “take one” for the team anytime - often does - but refuses to wear an unmanly elbow pad, like a few names we won’t mention.

In a recent game against the Mets, he was hit three times and trotted to first, satisfied knowing he had created scoring opportunities, unlike so many hitters who need to make a scene after being plunked.

Remember, he faces an unusual amount of left-handed pitchers, as opposing managers know they must neutralize him and Howard to beat the Phillies.

Defensively, it was once said Utley wouldn’t have a position, that his arm was too weak and his hands were average. Ha! He and Rollins are the best, maybe ever - for sure if you count offense.

With Utley, Rollins, Howard, and Burrell, you most likely have the annual selection pool majority for the NL MVP. Trust me, there are 160 home run, and 400-plus RBIs and runs in there, and that doesn’t count Jenkins and Feliz.

Utley is the heart and soul, their leader, their “diamond rat.” He’s the perfect player for the city.

MIL Journal-Sentinel: Injured elbow lands Riske on DL

As if the Milwaukee Brewers’ bullpen hadn’t been in the questionable spotlight enough recently, it took another hit when right-handed reliever David Riske was placed on the disabled list with a hyperextended right elbow.

The club purchased Mark DiFelice’s contract from Class AAA Nashville, coincidentally on the night he was supposed to start for the farm team, and he will join the team in Boston today to replace Riske. DiFelice, 31, has pitched 10 years in the minor leagues and today will be his first shot in the big leagues.
...
A visit with team physician William Raasch on Thursday confirmed the hyperextension, which was somewhat good news. The club had been concerned Riske might have had a bone spur or bone chip that needed to be removed, which would have made his recovery time longer.

Riske was given a cortisone injection to help with the inflammation. Although it turns out he could be ready in a week, the team placed him on the DL so it wouldn’t have to be down a pitcher.
...
Left-handed pitcher Chris Capuano underwent successful “Tommy John” reconstructive elbow surgery after an exploratory procedure revealed a complete tear of the ulnar collateral ligament. The operation was performed by orthopedic surgeon James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala.

NYU grad tackled during Yankee Stadium dash

The Galloping Gallatin!

Newly minted NYU grad William Lopez turned a day of pomp and circumstance at Yankee Stadium into a day of cop and gown when he took off his pants, dashed onto the field and tried to steal home.

Ignoring warnings to stay off the field, Lopez gave in to a spur of the moment impulse and, wearing just boxers, beige socks and brown laceups under his purple gown, he hopped the fence behind first base and raced across the diamond.

Lopez tagged third, hung on to his cap and chugged down the baseline toward home - cheered on by many classmates.

A security guard tackled him before he reached the plate.

“As I was on the ground and they were holding me, I was literally trying to crawl toward the plate,” Lopez told the Daily News. “What I think is really funny about this is I got arrested for trespassing at my own graduation.”

..."I handed my keys to my friend and I gave my pants to my friend,” but he kept on his boxers, Lopez said. “I didn’t want to go all the way down because I thought they might nail me for public indecency.”

MLB: Owner: Clemens undecided about future

But...this was before Maddux got torched today.

Despite mounting legal troubles regarding his alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs, Roger Clemens apparently hasn’t decided whether he will retire, one of his former owners told MLB.com on Thursday.

The right-hander, who will be 46 years old on Aug. 4, is an unsigned free agent, but missed the first few months of the season the past two years before returning to action. Drayton McLane, the chairman and chief executive of the Astros, said he spoke with Clemens briefly at a game in Houston as recently as three weeks ago.

“We have a personal services contract with him and it’s not activated until he tells us he’s ready to retire,” said McLane, just after this week’s quarterly owners’ meetings drew to a conclusion. “Well, he hasn’t said that. I think if he was ready to retire, and that was clear, he would have already said that to us. But that has not happened.”

...McLane wouldn’t dismiss the possibility of re-signing Clemens. He said he also wants to allow events to unfold before determining whether he might bring him back for another tour with the Astros.

Billy Wagner rips Mets teammates for ducking media

In the old days...at least they used to play cards.

That undercurrent of discontent over some Mets ducking the media boiled over after Thursday’s game.

As reporters spoke with Billy Wagner after the Mets lineup failed to capitalize on Mike Pelfrey’s gem in a 1-0 loss to the Nationals at Shea Stadium, first about the upcoming Subway Series, then about Thursday’s game, Wagner wondered aloud why the closer was drawing attention.

Then he went Paul Lo Duca-esque, minus the racial component.

Wagner looked over toward the area of first baseman Carlos Delgado’s locker and blurted: “Someone tell me why the (expletive) you’re talking to the closer. I didn’t even play. They’re over there, not being interviewed. ... I got it. They’re gone. (Expletive) shocker.”

MLB.com: Barrett, Prior at different stages of rehab

As soon as I see the word “Birmingham” in a MLB-related article, I know “uh-oh, this isn’t going to be a happy story”.

In other news on San Diego’s injury front, Mark Prior is in Birmingham, Ala., getting feedback on the results of the MRI on his right shoulder.

“Prior is in Birmingham, as we speak, talking to (orthopedic surgeon) James Andrews about his shoulder,” [manager Bud] Black said. “We’ll know more probably over the weekend, or maybe early next week, about the plan for Mark as we move into the summer.”

Prior, who hasn’t pitched in the Majors since 2006 due to myriad arm injuries, had to shut down a recent throwing session after feeling discomfort in the shoulder.

“It’s frustrating for him,” Black said. “He had high expectations and hopes [for] bouncing back from the surgery, especially how he felt in Spring Training. So I’m sure this has been a big frustration for him.”

AP: Griffey pays off Fogg in pennies

Ken Griffey Jr. owed Cincinnati Reds teammate Josh Fogg $1,500, and paying by check just wouldn’t do. So when Fogg arrived in the Reds clubhouse Wednesday, he found his locker filled with 150,000 pennies—60 boxes, each weighing 16 pounds and containing $25 worth of pennies.

“Basically, it’s like having 60 bowling balls in your locker, only with no holes to pick them up with,” Griffey said.

Neither player would say why Griffey owed Fogg the money. Griffey had threatened to pay it off in pennies, but Fogg didn’t believe him.

“I’m going to take them out to the bullpen and count them,” Fogg said. “I’ve got a lot of time on my hands out there.”

AP: Nationals 1B Nick Johnson put on disabled list

Nationals first baseman Nick Johnson was placed on the 15-day disabled list Thursday with a torn tendon sheath in his right wrist.

He is expected to miss four to six weeks. Washington plans to activate first baseman Dmitri Young from the DL on Friday.
...
Johnson was injured on a swing late in Tuesday night’s game.

The oft-injured Johnson missed last season while recovering from a broken leg. He is batting .220 with five homers and 20 RBIs this year. He has walked 33 times, however, giving him a .415 on-base percentage.

The Biz of Baseball: Brown: Is Part MLB’s “Discipline” showing Magowan the Door?

There’s the mantle where
We keep our team picture
and there’s the door…

While there is no confirmation, there are reports coming into the Business of Sports Network that Magowan is gently being pushed out of the Giants.

Even if that were not the case, Selig’s comments show a fine level of hypocrisy. After all, it was perfectly acceptable to publicly mention players and suspensions as part of the follow-up to the Mitchell Report. Now, there is quiet reference to “doing a lot of community service.”

So, we ask: Who is doing “community service?” And then, what is deemed as “community service?”

It was quietly run, and now one wonders if the highest ranking executive mentioned in the Mitchell Report is “doing community service” by leaving the Giants. Given the incredible level of work that Magowan did in getting the China Basin project (Pac Bell Park) done with such an exceedingly low-level of public subsidy, it would be a shame if it were true.

Now, if only someone were to answer those questions… Who is it being disciplined? And, what is the discipline doled out?

If the league thinks I’m putting 2+2 and getting 5, great. Let’s clear up the matter. But, if the league, through Commissioner Selig is willing to try and pass all this off without more than a whisper, one can’t help but see the connection.

Orioles Magic 2008: Because being over .500 this late in the season is worthy of song

As great of a song as “Orioles Magic” is, I think it is tempting fate WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too much to being doing a “Superbowl Shuffle” style number at this time. Still, this further cements Kevin Millar as the baseball equivalent of William Shatner, only without Star Trek.

Yep Roc Records: Baseball Project Volume One: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails

New handle alert!..."The joyous chorus of “Ted ####### Williams”.

What happens when two great songwriters decide to focus their talents upon their favorite sport? You get the highly entertaining debut disc from The Baseball Project, Volume One: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails. The album is the brainchild of Steve Wynn (Dream Syndicate, Steve Wynn and the Miracle 3) and Scott McCaughey (Young Fresh Fellows, Minus 5, and R.E.M). The two musicians were longtime fans of each other’s work throughout the 80s but never met until the early 90s. Wynn recalls, “I honestly think the first time we met was side-by-side at the urinals at the Offramp in Seattle when I played there in 1992.” He adds, “Scott didn’t try to shake my hand.”

...The end result is an album that impresses not only with its depth of both widely known and obscure baseball lore, but with its melodic sensibility, walls of guitars, and catchy choruses. No, Frozen Ropes & Dying Quails does not require a PhD in pitching mechanics or membership in three fantasy leagues to enjoy on a purely musical level. The joyous chorus of “Ted ####### Williams” would probably compel Babe Ruth to sing along. “Broken Man” is about slugger Mark McGwire, yet anyone can identify with the semi-tragic tale of being built up and then being humiliated in public in such a brief span of time. And in “Jackie’s Lament”, Mr. Robinson’s trials while breaking baseball’s color barrier become an anthemic call to anyone who overcomes life’s obstacles.

Portfolio: Jelveh: Baseball Ex-Steroids

Always good to hear from Steve Phillips...who’s looking more and more like John Slattery every noisy day.

Former New York Mets G.M. and current ESPN on-air talent Steve Phillips has a new theory: Thanks to the Mitchell report, drug testing, and overall increased scrutiny, the steroids era is over and teams that play small-ball can thrive.

On the Mike and Mike Show yesterday, Phillips said “at the current pace we’re on this season, Major League Baseball would be down over a thousand home runs in 2008 compared to the 2006 season.” (emphasis mine)

He also points to the success of teams like the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (middle of the pack in home runs, last in doubles, near the top in steals) as evidence that clubs not reliant on power can now succeed.

But remember, Phillips is the guy who thought the Mets could get back to the World Series in 2001 with Ray Ordonez and Todd Zeile in the starting lineup. (Todd Zeile!!!) So let’s take a look at some other numbers.

...Taken together, it appears that Phillips is about as great a statistician as he was a general manager.

Fast Rise, Fast to Exit

A neat little human-interest piece about a pitcher named Darcy Fast and the Chicago boomers’ favorite team, the ‘69 Cubs.

Yahoo!: Passan: Clayton Kershaw’s great expectations

A terrific look at Clayton Kershaw and then you come across the real Public Enemy No. 1...Ned Colletti (Quick, somebody dig up Anna Sage’s red dress...it’s almost movietime at the Biograph!)

“People can become enamored watching prospects play in the minor leagues,” Colletti says. “It’s always been there. It’s heightened with the way communication is now. The Internet. Cell phones. The interest is overwhelming.”

The cult of the prospect is one of baseball’s great phenomena. It is why the impatience of Cincinnati Reds fans grows every time Jay Bruce hits a home run at Triple-A and why Tampa Bay earned universal praise for signing Evan Longoria to a potential nine-year deal only six days into his major-league career and why every blue-clad Angeleno wonders in what parallel universe starting Chan Ho Park over Clayton Kershaw is a good idea.

“What can be lost on them in the excitement of accomplishment is how good the big-league player is,” Colletti says. “I believe it’s difficult to play in the big leagues. I always try to measure what I’m seeing myself and what I’m hearing, and how that will play in a different environment. I have to hold back from time to time.”

Thanks to 6-4-2.

TSN: Pinto: A’s, Marlins beat expectations in different ways

All that...and why Burke Badenhop never starred in a 50’s jalopy flick and much, much more!

These two organizations demonstrate two extreme ways to build a team. Oakland ranks fourth in the American League in OBP, tied for 12th in slugging percentage. Florida ranks first in the majors in slugging percentage, eighth in the National League in OBP. Bill James’s Runs Created formula boils down to (Times on Base) * (Total Bases) / (Plate Appearances), which explains why both of these offenses work. To maintain the same run level with fewer times on base, the team needs to generate extra base hits (the Marlins). Likewise, teams can balance a decrease in total bases by putting more men on base with walks (the Athletics).

Both these teams face a problem as the season progresses. With one-dimensional offenses, these squads can be shut down by attacking that one strength. A pitching staff that keeps the ball in the park should give the Marlins trouble. The Dodgers held the Marlins to two home runs in their three games, and Florida only managed 10 runs. A pitcher who throws strikes removes walks from the A’s times on base, reducing them to a team with a poor batting average. Paul Byrd pitched 7-1/3 scoreless innings against the Athletics Tuesday night, allowing no walks and just five hits.