SABR: SiriusXM and SABR team up for new show on MLB Network Radio

Looking forward to this. And is a podcast in the cards?

SiriusXM will team up with the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) to launch a new show focused on examining and interpreting the statistical analysis that plays a critical role in baseball today.

Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM will debut on Sunday, February 15 (7:00-8:00 pm ET) and air weekly throughout the year on MLB Network Radio, available to subscribers nationwide on XM channel 89, Sirius channel 209 ...

ESPN:Victor Martinez has torn meniscus

Detroit Tigers slugger Victor Martinez tore the medial meniscus in his left knee during workouts, the team announced Thursday.
Dr. James Andrews is scheduled to perform surgery Tuesday to repair the injury. Detroit has not announced a timetable for Martinez’s return…
This is the second time Martinez has suffered a serious offseason knee injury as a Tiger. In 2012, he tore his left ACL in offseason conditioning and missed that entire season. Besides having surgery to repair that injury, he also ...

SB Nation/OTM: Red Sox, Wade Miley agree to contract extension

This should buy Miley a ton of gluten

The Red Sox have avoided arbitration with Wade Miley once and for all, signing their newest southpaw starter to a three-year, $19.25 million contract extension with a club option for a fourth year.

Originally, Miley was slated to become a free agent in 2017. Now, thanks to the addition of the option year (valued at $12 million with $2 million in incentives according to Bob Nightengale), Miley will remain in Boston through 2018 so long as the club still ...

Bill James Mailbag - 2/3/15 - 2/5/15

Trout Catcher Mask Replica!

Hey Bill, there’s an interesting article today about Ron Hunt on the 538 blog. It says that his feat of 50 HBP in one season is 13 standard deviations better than average, which is apparently off the charts. When people talk about unbreakable records you don’t hear much about that one. Thanks.

... since the minimum in the category is zero and there are 1,519 players [since 1900] who have had 8 or more, it is thus apparent that the distribution of this group is in no ...

MLB Looks Like on of the First Beneficiaries of New Cuba Policy

According to this, individual players will no longer need to be cleared by OFAC, just establish residence elsewhere.

New Rockies pitcher Kyle Kendrick eager to try and tame Coors Field - The Denver Post

Luke wasn’t afraid either.

“We obviously all know that Coors Field is a tough place to pitch,” Kendrick said Wednesday after signing a one-year, $5.5 million contract. “But I’m happy to be here and I’m not scared to pitch at Coors Field at all.”

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 2-5-2015

Milwaukee Journal, February 5, 1915:

Because he just can’t think for a moment of leaving his home town, his parents and his best girl and going several hundred miles to Kansas City where he would be required to remain for some [illegible] months without a trip back home, “Cy” Young, 21 years old, standing third in batting in the Michigan State league with an average of .306 for the 1914 season, and the leading fielding shortstop in the Class D organization in 1913, and again in 1914, has ...

Al Michaels: Twins used fake crowd noise during ‘87 Series - TwinCities.com

His proof?

“I’m going, wait a minute. This is a baseball game,” Michaels told the host, NBC colleague Mike Florio. “Nobody is screaming like this when the fifth inning starts. ... To me, there was no question” that the crowd noise was not natural.

Nationals Bump Phillies Off Radio in Harrisburg

CQ DX!

Nothing against the Phillies, but clearly the Nationals are a team on the rise. They won the NL East last year and are picked to win it again this year.

How the Yankees gambled big on most glaring weakness | New York Post

Joel Sherman’s take on the Yankees off-season.

Billy Beane has re-made the A’s again. Will it work? - MLB - SI.com

Jay Jaffe’s A’s Winter Report Card.

Why Lucas Duda is so confident he can have another big season | New York Post

“By no means was that a career year. I know it’s not a career year,” he said. “That was last year, it already happened. This year is all about winning and getting better.’’
Asked if he can do it again, there was no hesitation in his voice.
“Absolutely,’’ Duda said.

Baseball Prospectus | Moving Beyond WOWY

I haven’t been able to scrutinize this is detail yet, but this looks very interesting after a quick read.

No charges will be filed against Cleveland Indians’ Danny Salazar in Jan. 22 Hustler Club incident | cleveland.com

Hustler Club?

Path of the Pros: Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star Josh Harrison overcame doubters in Minor Leagues

Josh Harrison’s path to the big leagues.

Castro getting early jump on fresh year | cubs.com

Starlin Castro is moving out of the Dominican Republic.

Martino: Ex-SNY analyst Bobby Ojeda takes jab at Mets GM - NY Daily News

Bobby Ojeda doesn’t sound like a fan of Sandy Alderson.

ESPN: Manfred Predicts Resolution Of MASN Dispute

How long did Jarndyce v. Jarndyce take?

“I’m not going to say a lot about MASN because it is in litigation,” said Manfred, who took over from Bud Selig on Jan. 25. “I will say this much. I think in reasonably short order, there will be a resolution of MASN, either by the litigation being done or some other mechanism.”

When the teams couldn’t agree on what the Nats’ rights fees should be, they appeared before MLB’s Revenue Sharing Definitions Committee: Pittsburgh Pirates president Frank ...

Solution to MLB draft dilemma: Don’t have one | FOX Sports

This will never happen. What’s he’s essentially suggesting is a fixed salary cap.The owners might go for it because it will fatten their wallets. The union won’t go for it.

Joc Pederson, Joey Gallo rank highly in ZiPS’ top 100 prospects list - ESPN Insider ($PAY)

The Top 100 List according to ZiPS.

JuCo team to sign first female pitcher; daughter of former MLB closer

History will be made when the Bossier Parish Community College baseball team signs pitcher Sarah Hudek, the first female to play baseball at BPCC, to the roster. She is also one of the first females to play at the collegiate level.

Hudek, the daughter of former MLB pitcher and All-Star, John Hudek, earned her baseball scholarship from head coach Aaron Vorachek and will make it official when she signs with the team at a ceremony in her hometown of Houston at 6 p.m. on Wednesday….

“This is not ...

An Interview With MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred On Pace Of Play, The Media Landscape, And Much More

Maury Brown interviews Rob Manfred.

Royals manager Ned Yost developed app to teach baseball strategy

Yost described the game as “a baseball IQ test.”

On your phone or tablet, you will be given the option of playing any of the nine defensive positions on a baseball field.

The game then fires off different scenarios, and you’re supposed to touch the base where you’d throw the ball.

...

“You’ve got 30 seconds to answer as many as you can,” Yost said.

There are different levels and things get progressively more difficult. Is the infield in or back? Is the ball hit to your left ...

Vladimir Gutierrez, Top Cuban Pitching Prospect, Leaves Team At Caribbean Series - BaseballAmerica.com

How long can Cuba keep the rest of its players on the island?

Righthander Vladimir Gutierrez, one of the top young pitching prospects in Cuba, has left the Cuban team at the Caribbean Series in Puerto Rico, along with shortstop Dainer Moreira, Baseball America has learned. USA Today and El Nuevo Herald also reported earlier that the two players have left the team.

Adam Silver has contacted other commissioners about legal sports gambling

No way I can see MLB coming around on gambling. I give it 50-1 odds.

Silver believes in the potential benefits of legalized sports gambling so much that he’s willing to do what it takes to convince his counterparts in other American sports leagues that he’s right. In an interview with David Purdum for ESPN the Magazine, Silver explains what he’s doing to reach out to other commissioners:

“I have talked to the commissioners in the other leagues about [legalizing sports betting],” NBA ...

Derek Jeter reached on-deck circle while examining Bills purchase, sources say

“The Buffalo Bills????”
“I think owning the Buffalo Bills is pretty good.”
“Yeah yeah.”
“Well explain to me why it isn’t.”
“You just don’t understand football, Marge.”

Two sources have informed me that Jeter, while playing his farewell season with the Yankees, explored purchasing the Bills when they were for sale last year.

Uncertain is whether Jeter wanted to lead a group or be a minority partner. But given the Bills eventual, record-breaking sale price of $1.4 billion, he likely would ...

Obama throws curveball at team owners

The one where Obama and the Koch Brothers are on the same side.

President Barack Obama is using his budget to take on some of the most loathed people in sports — team owners threatening to bolt town if taxpayers don’t help build a new stadium — and it could put Republicans in a tough spot.

The budget proposal released on Monday would eliminate tax benefits that make it easier for cities to raise money for new, luxurious sports facilities.

Close-But-Not-Quite-Top-100 Prospects To Watch « Callis’ Corner

Jim Callis runs down the prospects who didn’t make the cut.

We released the MLBPipeline.com Top 100 Prospects list on Friday, and as always, there wasn’t enough room to include everyone I like. With that in mind, I’ve listed below (alphabetically) 20 more prospects who have caught my eye, some of whom made my personal Top 100 but couldn’t crack the official list once I combined my choices with Jonathan Mayo’s and we got feedback from industry sources.

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 2-4-2015

Pittsburgh Press, February 4, 1915:

Baseball devotees of Murphysboro [Illinois] have introduced an innovation in the world of sport by converting a frozen lake into a diamond, where regulation nine-inning games will be played the remainder of the winter. The members of the opposing teams wear skates, and the agility with which they cavort around is truly amazing. In the first game the Federals defeated the Unions by a score of 11 to 8 in the presence of a crowd nearly as large as the attendance ...

Improving Billy Hamilton | FanGraphs Baseball

Jeff Sullivan puts Billy Hamilton under the microscope.

How do you make Billy Hamilton better at the plate? It’s easy to notice the strikeouts being a little high. It’s easy to notice the bunts that didn’t go for hits. But Price touches on something pretty basic. Hamilton is a burner, and he’s not known for his strength. Never will be. Your classic leadoff-hitting burner slaps the ball onto the ground. Hamilton hit too many into the air, and no mathematical gymnastics are required to see ...