Post-Gazette: Collier: Who jogs on bases key to playoff field

Personally...I’d like to see the results after the loafer’s revenge.

Show me a contender, and I’ll name you its notable loafer.

The Philadelphia Phillies?

Why it’s none other than defending National League Most Valuable Player Jimmy Rollins. Pulled from the lineup by manager Charlie Manuel for his leisurely trot toward first base June 5, Rollins’ egregious I’ll-get-there-when-I-get-there posture barely got him to the ballpark on time six weeks later. He was benched for that day game against the New York Mets, whom the Phillies are now pursuing with growing desperation in the good ol’ National League East.

The New York Mets?

Jose Reyes, ladies and gentleman. In parts acknowledged as the game’s most exciting player, Reyes had been sent to the dugout for not running hard to first by former manager Willie Randolph. The night Jerry Manuel arrived as Randolph’s successor, Reyes appeared to indicate an injury after another late arrival at first, and Manuel made him leave the game over the shortstop’s strenuous objections.

L.A. Times: Simers: There continue to be surprises from Dodgers’ Manny Ramirez (RR)

Come in Simers old boy
Take a seat, take the weight off your feet

So what about the reports from Boston that had him being moody and difficult?

“I don’t like to say much; I just like to play the game,” he says. “I talk, but when I talk in Spanish, I’m more comfortable.”

He likes to be comfortable, and says he never really was in Boston. “I couldn’t breathe there; it’s a small city and all on top of you. Here it’s spread out. I love it. I went out for sushi, sat back on a couch and no one cared. It’s like there’s 20 pounds less on my back here.”

And yet, here he is carrying the Dodgers, an air of excitement in the stadium again, and while the bitter folks in Boston might consider it fool’s gold, who are they kidding?

They’ve already seen the payoff.

Bordow: Dunn frees up D-Backs to be themselves

And how great is it to hear Daron Sutton just winging the praises of Adam Dunn and his OBP every game...(as the “get ‘em on, get ‘em over, get me a beer” Cincy crew gets what they wanted).

Everyone wants to talk about the statistical impact Dunn has had on the Diamondbacks’ offense. Arizona is averaging 6.7 runs per game since his arrival, and it’s become much more selective at the plate, drawing 6.2 walks per contest.

Are the rest of the D-Backs taking a cue from Dunn, whose on-base percentage is a ridiculous .513? Who knows.

But it can’t be a complete coincidence that a free-swinging team suddenly has discovered the joy of ball four.

“All I know is that I’m getting a heck of a lot more at-bats with runners on base,” third baseman Mark Reynolds said.

Mike Pelfrey’s first complete game leads Mets past Braves, 6-3

Mike has evolved into one of the bright young pitching stars in the National League, there’s no doubt about it,” Manuel said. “He’s been very impressive from where he came early in the season - we were questioning whether or not to have him on the staff, whether or not to keep him in the rotation. He’s been a huge part of the success we’ve had here.”

Pelfrey has learned to go deeper in games as the season has progressed. He picked up some confidence with wins in June and has become much more economical. He went into the ninth having thrown only 97 pitches.

Pelfrey’s last 16 starts: 10-2, 3.17 ERA, 105 IP, 1.22 WHIP, 63/27 k/bb, 0.43 hr/9.

This from a guy who was absolutely blasted in spring training by the Cardinals B-team.

Umpires, MLB sign agreement on instant replay

Baseball umpires and management signed an agreement Wednesday that will allow the sport to start using instant replay to help determine calls on the field. Major League Baseball still hasn’t determined when the use of replays will start.

Installation of equipment has been going on at ballparks, and officials have said they hoped to start using replay in August. Replays will be limited to boundary calls, such as determining whether fly balls were fair or foul, or whether they went over fences.

“I told our members that it’s just another tool that we can use to get the play right, not to look at it as a negative, but a positive,” World Umpires Association president John Hirschbeck said. “As hard as you try, as much as you hustle, sometimes with just the landscape of the ballparks nowadays, it’s hard to tell. So if we can get it right, you know what, let’s use it as a tool to get it right.”

Royals: Mitch Maier beaned: 3 broken bones in face

Mitch Maier of the Kansas City Royals suffered three broken bones when hit in the face by a pitch from Cleveland Indians left-hander Zach Jackson in the fifth inning Wednesday night.

Maier was taken to a hospital for X-rays, which revealed the fractures below his right eye.

The 26-year-old returned to the Royals’ clubhouse after Kansas City’s 8-5 loss, his right eye swollen shut.

With runners on first and second and none out, Jackson threw a pitch up and in to Maier, who had squared around to bunt and could not get out of the way in time. The ball glanced off his ear flap before hitting his right cheek and nose, and Maier crumpled to the ground immediately.

“The pitch just got away,” Jackson said. “I was trying to throw a cutter down and away.”

A’s Nation: Blez: Rickey Henderson Coming Back to Oakland A’s in Non-Player Role?

One step closer to a ML roster…

Yes, folks, I sat down for a two-hour or so interview with A’s owner Lewis Wolff today at his Los Angeles office and he confirmed to me that he’s in negotiations to bring Rickey Henderson back to the Oakland Athletics, where the greatest player in Oakland history will be when he is eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2009.

Lew wasn’t specific with the capacity in which Henderson will be with the organization, but it won’t be as a player.  He hinted at a goodwill community ambassador-type of position but that they may also use him to tutor the young A’s.  I think they’re still developing what exactly that role will be.

It’s been far too long that Rickey has been away from Oakland and I’m happy to report that, as long as things go well between Wolff and Henderson in negotiations, that will not last much longer.  It’s only fitting that Rickey will be Rickey once again with the green and gold in the year that he’ll wind up being enshrined at Cooperstown.  Even if it isn’t as a player.

Times Union: McGuire: Bull Durham gets its due at the Hall of Fame

The Baseball Hall of Fame has reversed one of the most egregious decisions the institution ever made.

“Bull Durham,’‘ the best baseball movie ever made, is getting its day, as the Hall of Fame will salute the film Sept. 19 as part of its three-day Film Festival.

Five years ago, then-Hall of Fame President Dale Petroskey canceled a 15th anniversary celebration of the 1988 film. His shaky reasoning simply rooted itself in politics: Two of the movie’s stars, couple Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon, were vocal opponents of the Iraq War.

The decision at the time rankled many in and outside of the Hall of Fame; I was among those who argued that baseball and politics should remain separate, that there are enough things that divide us as there is. (Robbins and Sarandon, both big baseball fans, had vowed not to use the appearance for political purposes.)

Petroskey, a former Republican official, said earlier this year he wish he could have had a do-over.

And Bruce M. points out the HOF Press Release.

Orlando Magazine: Duped! The Mark Pulliam Story

Whew!...Good thing he didn’t talk about his etching experiences in the Vietnam War!

If a story sounds too good to be true, it probably is. The story we ran on Winter Garden artist Mark Pulliam in our August issue (“The Natural”) certainly sounded like a good one, but much of it wasn’t true.

Associate editor Jay Boyar’s profile of Pulliam described the artist as living a Zelig-like life, replete with celebrity encounters and a brief stint with the New York Yankees. Boyar’s story was based totally on Pulliam’s accounts and sources who knew him only as an artist or friend. Beyond verifying that he is a full-time artist, we did not independently corroborate many factual details in the story, a lapse in judgment that extends through the editing chain of command and ends with me.

After the story was published, a reader alerted us that he believed Mark Pulliam, 48, hadn’t played Major League Baseball. A baseball encyclopedia did not list Pulliam’s name, this reader wrote in an e-mail to me. I immediately called the Yankees and the colleges Pulliam claimed to have attended as a student athlete.

As the Pulliam story quickly unraveled, another person’s story emerged. Pulliam melded an embellished version of an aspiring baseball player’s short career into his own personal narrative. Confronted at his studio with the information that refuted his claims, Pulliam offered no firm rebuttals.

“I don’t know what to say,” Pulliam kept repeating as he stared down at the documents that contradicted his baseball claims. “I’ve bumped into this more than once, because . . .,” he said, his voice trailing off. He said little else.

Cusack Faces Backlash Over Baseball Article

Being George Metkovich?

Actor John Cusack is facing a backlash over an article he wrote for Huffington Post Chicago after readers accused the star of a string of embarrassing mistakes.

...The column, written while the actor was working in Bangkok, focuses on Cusack’s memories of the area and his love of the local baseball teams, the Cubs and the White Sox.

But readers have accused Cusack of misspelling the names of three Cubs players, as well as famed playwright Eugene O’Neill, and making a variety of factual errors.

Cusack also described in the piece how he took the “express train” to Wrigley Field, the Cubs’ stadium, even though there has never been an express train service to the ground. The star goes on to describe the poverty of his childhood, insisting he had to “scrape together $2.50” to go to a baseball game. But a source tells New York Post gossip column Page Six, “Cusack grew up in a massive house on Sheridan Road.

“It’s slightly disingenuous to say he had to ‘scrape’ together $2.50. I’m thinking that wasn’t an issue.”*

*Correction...That last quote is taken directly from the The Beachwood Reporter piece.

Thanks to Steve R.

ajc: Glavine will not require ligament transplant surgery (RR)

HA!  Back in your hole, you pathetic Mickey Welch Fan Club members!

Tom Glavine got the news he was looking for Wednesday. He needs surgery to repair the torn flexor tendon in his elbow, but he does not need ligament transplant surgery.

That means with a four-to-five month rehabilitation, he’ll at least have a chance to return to pitch next season, if the Braves are open to the idea.

“Happy about the diagnosis,” Tom Glavine said in a text message to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Still not sure about next year but this will give me a chance.”

Glavine has said he would not pitch anywhere other than Atlanta next season.

SABR: Daly: The Baseball Biography Project: Evar Swanson

The Archdeacon of Doom is back! As Jon Daly does a bang-up job on speedster Evar Swanson.

On Sunday, September 15, 1929, there was a field day held at Crosley Field between games of a Reds-Braves doubleheader. The club offered $100 if anyone could circle the bases from a standing start in less than 13.8 seconds and beat Hans Lobert’s 19-year-old major league record. Among the participants were Swanson and outfield mate Ethan Allen. Like his teammate, Allen was a sprinter in college. Swanson was able to circumnavigate the bases in full uniform in 13.4 seconds. This tied a record that Maurice Archdeacon set eight years earlier at Rochester in the International League. (Marty Hogan of Indianapolis in the Western League was credited by some sources for circling the bases in 13.2 seconds in 1898. Ben Morgan of the National Association may have disputed that claim when doing a study of field day records.)

A sore shoulder shortened Swanson’s 1930 season. He missed much of spring training and part of the season and only appeared in 95 games. But he was picked up in November by Columbus of the American Association to be their center fielder in 1931. While in Columbus he was involved in another field day on September 21st at Neil Park in the Ohio capital. This time he circled the bases in 13.2 seconds. To this day that record stands, although there is an unverified claim that Cool Papa Bell broke the 13-second barrier during his career. Over the years some players have come close. Maury Wills circled the bases in 13.4 seconds in 1953. George Case and Cliff McClain did it in 13.5. But no one has bested Swanson’s record.

SNY: Salfino: By the Numbers: Hidden values

“Bill James Online is the place to “hang” with Bill James.” And that’s just what Salfino has done. Sorta.

Let’s focus on the two defensive positions that get the most action, shortstop and center field. James looks at a player’s plus/minus number, which is how many plays they have netted relative to those an average fielder at his position would make. There’s no formula involved here; instead, each play is reviewed by the Baseball Information Solutions video scouts.

The Braves’ Yunel Escobar leads the shortstops at plus-27, followed by J.J. Hardy (Brewers, plus-16), Jack Wilson (Pirates, plus-13), Mike Aviles (Royals, plus-11), Omar Vizquel (Giants, plus-10) and Jimmy Rollins (Phillies, plus-9).

Gold Glover Derek Jeter is minus-7, a big improvement over last year (minus-34). But he still struggles moving to his right (minus-15 on balls that direction this year).

Toronto Sun: Canada’s team? No way Jays

Ricciardi’s roster shenanigans with pitcher Scott Richmond really toast the backbacon of columnist Bob Elliotti—er, Elliott.

The Jays recalled the 28-year-old, one start before Olympic rosters had to be filed, had him start twice more and then demoted him to triple-A Syracuse on Friday.

Jays management appeared surprised when some Canadians reacted angrily to Canada going into the Olympics without its best starter.

Only arrogance or a failure to understand this country, or both, would allow management to not know they were walking into a sandstorm, or whatever it is Mr. Lahey and Randy say every 10 minutes on the Trailer Park Boys.

When the Colorado Rockies didn’t allow Jeff Francis to pitch in the 2004 Olympics how many people in Denver cared? Canadians cared about the loss of Richmond.

Of course, it could have all been avoided had the Jays allowed Richmond to pitch for Canada and recalled him when needed next month.

Besides the thrill of it all, Canada would have had a better product.

Hindman: Debunking the Myth of Money: A Manifesto on Pitching (RR)

Your professional print and broadcast bloviators have brainwashed too many of you into believing that the answer to all of the Rangers pitching problems is for Tom Hicks to “open up his wallet” and pay for it. Sounds good. And most of you seem to believe it.

The only problem is that it isn’t true. Going out and spending money on free agent starters hasn’t worked here, and generally doesn’t work anywhere else.

...The truth is that there really aren’t any shortcuts.  You draft it, you sign it out of the Caribbean, you develop it, you grow it, and then you milk it for all it’s worth while it’s young and under your control.  And then if after spending all of those years getting to know everything there is to know about the guy, if you want to keep him, you sign him to stay home before he he hits the free agent market.  If you can’t get that done, you trade him away for more kids.  That’s the formula.  That’s what Jon Daniels seems to be working towards. 

Here’s hoping that Nolan Ryan doesn’t succeed in getting Tom Hicks to “open up his wallet and get some pitching in here” because the truth is, it probably won’t work.

Thanks to Frank Bertaina Rules the Waves!

Simers: Jeff Kent tries to remove foot from his cheek (RR)

Submitted without comment, other than to say that someone may as well post the follow up to the piece from the other day.

I apologize.

I got so rattled after hearing Jeff Kent criticize Vin Scully, I had Kent batting ahead of Manny Ramirez in paragraph one and behind him in paragraph two in Sunday’s column…

snip

“I said it to you—because I knew you’d write it tongue in cheek,” Kent said. “But as I’ve said, a lot of people don’t get your humor. They take something you write and make it more serious and bigger than it really is.

“People think you and I hate each other,” he said, a shock, I must say, to learn we don’t. “As you get on me to make adjustments—you’re over the top for some people, too.”

RosenBlog: No Cubs for MVP? So what? (RR)

Looking down the lists of leaders, the only Cub in the top 20 in homers is Alfonso Soriano with 22. Yeah, he’s missed two months, and yeah, his projected total tells you he would be right there with Howard and Adam Dunn for the league lead, but tough. You get hurt, you lose at-bats. Happens. Sure, he carried the team for a while earlier in the season, but he also carried his Cubbie Blue Cross/Cubbie Blue Shield card for a reason.

Meanwhile, in the less sexy but more important category of runs driven in, Aramis Ramirez is eighth in the league in RBIs with 84, 20 behind Howard. Hard to believe in the rallying cry of “He’s No. 8,” isn’t it?

With a pitching staff this good, I could mount an argument for catcher Geovany Soto, who also hits and runs the bases better than a lot of veteran players, but that argument would end quickly.

So, let me ask you, Cubs fans, where do you go with this campaign? Who’s your guy? Who’s the best candidate for MVP from the team that is killing every other team?

Thanks to Barnald for the “RosenBlog not RosenThal.”

SSNN: Baseball owners want to use instant replay to review Selig hiring

As the professional baseball owners gather to consider instant replay, SSNN has learned that many of the owners are interested in using the technology to take another look at the hiring of Commissioner Bud Selig over a decade ago.

“I think a lot of us would like to take another quick look at that call,” said Drayton McLane, owner of the Houston Astros. “You know, just to make sure we didn’t miss anything the first time through. Instant replay is about getting it right, no?”

It’s satire, don’t get too excited.

Murray Chass on Baseball: Poor Planning Produces Poor Results

Hey, any “self-proclaimed statistics aficionados” out there? Murray needs help.

As much as the Yankees miss Wang, they would have missed him a lot less if they had Santana. Mike Mussina’s surprising performance would have been more of a luxury than a necessity. The injuries to Hughes and Kennedy and their inability to win even one game between them would not have been so devastating.

Nor would the Yankees have needed to make the bizarre mid-season move of converting young, hard-throwing Chamberlain from the bullpen to the starting rotation. There’s another area in which the brain trust messed up.

Again it was Hank Steinbrenner who pronounced before spring training began that Chamberlain would be a starter this season. Again it was Cashman who overruled the new boss and said Chamberlain would start this season where he finished last season — in the bullpen—only to be forced by circumstances to change in mid-stream.

Someone once advised against changing horses in mid-stream. The Yankees’ problem is they bet on the wrong horses, and their poor judgment is making it extremely difficult for them to win or place.

Vegas Watch: Handicapping the AL MVP Race

Well tilt my unburnished Bristol Stool Scale...Miguel Cabrera?

For the most part, it looks like a two horse race. If the White Sox win the Central, Quentin’s 40+ homers and 120+ RBIs will be enough. If the Twins somehow continue to rake with runners in scoring position and make the playoffs, Morneau should win his second MVP.

There are a few other possible scenarios, none of which seem particularly likely. If the Tigers wake up from their 4.5 month slumber and make a run into October, Miguel Cabrera may have the numbers and late support to win it. Youkilis is a possibility, although it’s hard to imagine him hitting much better than he currently is, and he may not have the national name recognition anyway.

Hamilton has finally fallen off his 170-RBI pace, and that’s hurt his chances. If the Rangers were to make the playoffs, he’d be the obvious choice (at 124.9), but that’s not going to happen. Not being on a playoff team is almost impossible to overcome for a guy whose candidacy relies on RBIs; if his line was more HR-heavy, like A-Rod in ‘03, he’d be right in the mix.

Speaking of Rodriguez, he could theoretically still sneak into the race; the Yankees would obviously have to make the playoffs, and he’d probably need at least a couple walk-off homers to retain the “clutch” reputation he briefly had 11 months ago. He is really hurt here by the time he missed; if plays every game the rest of the way, and keeps up his current per game pace, he projects to 64.7. Not that it’s relevant to this discussion, but A-Rod has also taken over the AL VORP lead.

Rosenthal: Brewers taking risky approach with Sabathia

and other Robo-notes…

A scout who saw Astros right-hander Roy Oswalt allow the Diamondbacks one hit in eight shutout innings Sunday says, “He was magnificent, as good as I’ve seen him in three or four years. He was up to 95 mph. He commanded both sides of the plate. He had slider command away to right-handed hitters, and that Bugs Bunny curveball.” Another scout who attended the game also had praise for the D-Backs’ Randy Johnson, whose velocity was 89 to 94 mph, up from 86 to 90 earlier in the season . . .

So far, so good for Pirates Class AA outfielder Jose Tabata, whose questionable makeup has not been an issue since he arrived in a trade from the Yankees. “Everyone says he’s a dog, but he played well for me,” one scout says. “He ran every ball out, played well defensively. He can flat hit. But if the power is there, it’s going to be late coming.” Tabata just turned 20, and the Pirates envision him as a hitter who can produce 65 extra-base hits per season while playing quality defense . . .

Brewers Blog: Yost: I wouldn’t abuse Sabathia

After manager Ned Yost allowed CC Sabathia to throw 130 pitches Monday night against Houston for his fifth complete game in nine starts since coming from Cleveland, there was speculation among national media that the Brewers are going to “use up” Sabathia since they have little chance of keeping him as an upcoming free agent.

From all appearances, it seems Yost would have to dip pretty deep into the larder to “use up” C.C. Sabathia.

Flushing University: Himelfarb: Jose Reyes is New York’s most unfair Scapegoat

Well, outside of Arthur Shawcross’ mother...I guess so.

Still, Mets fans still like to bash him for his makeup and all those blatantly stupid plays in the field and believe it has been holding him back from realizing his full potential. Dayton Moore, the General Manager of the Kansas City Royals, likes to say that, to succeed in baseball, you must have intelligence, integrity, and passion. But should we not remember that we are talking about the same kid who battled incessant injuries, could not hit any other pitch aside from a fastball, and was inept at getting on base from 2003-2005, and is now one of the best offensive shortstops in baseball?

More importantly, from a more analytical standpoint, Mets fans seem incapable of appreciating Reyes’s value and how to best go about exploiting it. Reyes’s disappointing defensive performance thus far has almost certainly taken its’ toll on his value, but offensively, his OBA (on-base average), is second only to Hanley Ramirez among National League shortstops. In addition, while his pitch selection is still questionable, Reyes’s P/PA numbers since 2004 have always been from the 3.5-3.7 area, and his numbers with RISP (.260/.368/.448) and with men-on (.280/.383/.465), are largely in line with his total numbers this year (.304/361/.490). Instead of prodding him to hit more ground balls as Randolph and co. suggested this year (when in fact there is little correlation between that and his overall success), Reyes is, like most if not any other hitter, most successful when hitting line drives.

Yahoo: Edes: Rays maintain sunny disposition

WOOSH! That didn’t take long...Edes off the Red Sox and onto the Rays.

It’s much easier to watch on the field than on TV,” said Maddon, who after being ejected in the sixth inning joined baseball’s living Buddha, Don Zimmer, in the back of the Rays’ clubhouse.

“TV really creates way too much drama about an event,” he said, his voice cracking as he ranted. “I’ve always felt that. So you’re watching this little box on the wall. I can’t stand it when it comes to significant moments. I hate to, like, bag on TV people. I like ‘The Office,’ ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ on HBO. But when it comes to live events, it drives me nuts.”

For the Rays, who have replaced 10 years of irrelevance with a wildly satisfying summer of significant moments, not even a 26-inch screen could diminish what happened Tuesday night. Serial losers – the Rays have finished better than last only once in franchise history while averaging 97 defeats a season – they wrested the best record in the American League away from the Angels by beating them for the second consecutive night. At 77-48, they are tied with the Chicago Cubs for the best record in baseball.

The Book Blog: Tango: The 2008 Scouting Report, By the Fans, For the Fans

It’s that time of year again! Fans Scouting Report fever...Catch It! (you know Johnny Damon won’t)

It’s the 6th Annual Fans’ Scouting Report. 

Every year, I get a jump in participation, from the first year where I had close to 500 ballots, to last year where it exceeded 2000 ballots. If you’ve enjoyed my blog, appreciated my work, or somehow wondered what you could do in return, this is it.  All I ask from you is 5-10 minutes of your time, and we’ll call it even.  And, if you have a blog, please, spread the word.

...I know only of gushing reports about the fielding of Paul Blair.  Mickey Stanley sounds like some cross between Darin Erstad and Endy Chavez.  That is based on the writings of the generation that preceded me.  In my generation, I can only attest to the fielding prowess of Gary Pettis.  The new generation knows as little about Pettis, as I know of Blair and Stanley.  When the next generation comes along, I want to be able to point them to the Fans Scouting Report as the contemporaneous view of the fielding talents of Ichiro and Rolen.  And Manny and Dunn.  We can breathe life into their fielding accomplishments.

Statistically Speaking: World Famous StatSpeak Roundtable: August 20

Billy Beane and the HOF? Well...after that old Johnny Ramone - Billy Beane interview, I don’t see why...oh, the BASEBALL HOF.

Question #4: Does Billy Beane belong in the Hall of Fame?

Pizza Cutter: Oddly enough, I’ll answer this question by referencing Barry Bonds* and Pete Rose* (again).  Consider for a moment that if Bonds* and Rose* were judged solely by what they did on the field, they’d both be in the Hall of Fame with no questions asked.  Rose* looks like he’ll never make it, and I don’t think the odds are looking good for Bonds*.  Why keep them out (and the reason why is important)?  It’s not personal character that seems to keep people out.  The Hall has its share of people with character flaws.  What Rose* and Bonds* did was affect the way in which the game was perceived by the public, and that can apparently trump even obvious Hall-worthy numbers.  Rose* and Bonds* changed the way that people viewed the game… they brought the game into disrepute, so they are out.

Now, suppose that in 10 years, most teams have adopted a Sabermetric worldview.  It might not happen, but it certainly could.  Suddenly, who has affected the way that people see baseball (and may I say positively) by being an early adopter of such methods?  Billy Beane.  His record as a GM (no World Series titles) says that he doesn’t deserve to get in, but really, has anyone else, other than maybe Barry Bonds*, had more of an effect on the way that people think about baseball over the last 20 years?  Even those who don’t subscribe to Sabermetric principles now make a point to say that they are “anti-Moneyball” which means that like it or hate it, Sabermetrics frames the debate.  Had it not been Beane, maybe someone else would have come along and been the poster boy (Theo Epstein?), but Beane is a symbol for the movement.  If one is going to make a case to keep Bonds* and Rose* out for reasons involving what they did to the cultural perception of baseball, is it not proper to vote Billy Beane based on the same arguments?

MLBlog: Torre’s Stories: A first time for everything

Uhh...like picking up an old James’ Abstract? Whatever. Joe Torre is now blogging (can Hugo Bezdek be far behind?). 

Well, here’s my first blog entry. I was a little nervous at first, but the guys who blog on MLBlogs said it was sort of like keeping an online diary, so I figured how hard could it be? Aside from the fact that men don’t usually have diaries; even the word “diary” brings to mind a little pink book with a heart-shaped lock and a label that reads “My Secrets” in lavender bubble letters. But that’s not really me, so I think a blog is a more acceptable “dude-like” version.

Some of the guys talk about their team or their swing, their away game trips, some even write restaurant reviews (thanks for the reco, Ethier). Me? I’m just a coach with a new team, a new city, a new life as a West-Coaster, and above all a new outlook on life.

First up, though, I’ll be figuring out this blogging thing since I’m a little behind the times. For example, I saw one of those little candy Valentine’s hearts printed with “LOL” and thought it was a typo right up until I started reading about blogs and Web acronyms. I mean, WTF(udge), right? Then there are “web smileys” like ;-) and :-( which frankly make me a bit >:-P (I just made that one up). But live and learn.

Breaking Down the Mechanics of Joba Chamberlain

Dissecting the pitcher’s future risk of injury and looking at a recent mechanical tweak made by Joba to improve what was pretty mediocre control

One wrinkle Chamberlain has added recently--since the middle of June judging from the starts I’ve seen, is a brief hesitation in his arm action just after he breaks his hands. This helps in preventing his arm from rushing through his wind-up. In simpler terms, Chamberlain is essentially correcting certain timing issues with his delivery that may have a negative effect on his control....

....Not taking into consideration the increase in workload after Chamberlain was moved to the rotation, the simple fact that he throws a baseball in the upper 90’s makes the risk of injury higher.

However, there are a couple mechanical issues that may heighten Chamberlain’s risk of injury. For instance, his finish is pretty abrupt. Ideally you want to give the arm a long distance to decelerate. By finishing so abruptly, Chamberlain increases the risk of injury to his arm, shoulder, and even his back.

JSonline: Sheets drops to 1-5 in his last eight starts

Ben Sheets knows how bad his record looks since the all-star break.

He just doesn’t believe it tells the entire story.

“I ain’t pitching great,” the Milwaukee Brewers right-hander said. “But I don’t think I’m pitching as bad as it’s made out to be.”

Sheets’ latest exercise in frustration came Tuesday night at Miller Park when two bad pitches resulted in a 5-2 loss to Houston before the Brewers’ 17th consecutive sellout crowd. The defeat dropped Sheets’ record in his last eight starts to 1-5 with a 4.06 earned run average.

When the Brewers acquired left-hander CC Sabathia from Cleveland in early July, the thinking was that the 1-2 punch of Sabathia and Sheets atop the rotation would be tough to beat. Sabathia has held up his end of the bargain, going 8-0 with a 1.60 ERA in nine starts.

But the Brewers have won only three of Sheets’ eight starts since that trade, limiting the impact somewhat. Sheets has heard more than once that he hasn’t lived up to his part of the co-billing, which he finds more than a bit irritating.

“I’ve pitched plenty of winnable games and pitched plenty of losable games during that stretch,” he said. “The first half, I came away with a lot of victories, pitching the same way that I have this half.”

That’s not exactly true. In 18 first-half starts, Sheets compiled a 2.85 ERA. In seven starts since the break, he has a 4.00 ERA.. Not horrible, but definitely a notch below.

It hasn’t helped that Sheets’ run support has been scant for the most part. Over his last eight starts, the Brewers have scored two or fewer runs four times, with a total of 26 runs (3.25 per game).

Wow, a lot of heat on a guy that just pitched his 3rd career CG shutout just 19 days ago and has allowed just 1 HR since the AS break in 45 innings.

Izzy’s cooked

I lose every other pitching prospect to a torn flexor in OOTP 9.