Ken Rosenthal: Why I’m joining The Athletic

Robothal exits the all-video FoxSports.com to return to his robo roots.

Over the years the business has changed. I had to change with it. But one thing remained constant, even as I benefited from more good fortune than I deserved by working on TV for Fox Sports and MLB Network. Writing and reporting are still the foundation of everything I do. I believe in the craft, believe in it to my bones. And now, as the business continues to evolve, I’m moving on to the next phase. ...

My work at Fox ...

Just a good ol’ OMNICHATTER, never meanin’ no harm, for August 23, 2017

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 8-23-2017

New York Tribune, August 23, 1917:

It was a big day for Flatbush, but only a paltry 1,500 “bushers” were on hand to appreciate the fact.
...
The champions last year of the National League and Pittsburgh, the cellar champions of this year, occupied the stage when the battle for a decision opened. Thirteen innings had been played the day before to a tie, and it took twenty-two more frames to break the deadlock.

The conflict opened at 1:30 and ended at 5:45, with the home boys victorious in the ...

Cardinals rethink roster protection for offseason | St. Louis Cardinals | stltoday.com

“I think what you have to realize is there is always going to be a team or two that can take the approach to a complete rebuild, or take a chance,” Mozeliak said. “When you go back five, six, seven years ago that wasn’t happening where people are taking four or five Rule 5 players. Now people are being more aggressive in how they think about talent collection.”

Players’ View: Will Hitters Adjust to the High-Spin High Heater? | FanGraphs Baseball

Some nice comments in this article.

Derek Shelton, Toronto Blue Jays quality control coach: “No. 1, it’s a pitch well sequenced. No. 2, there are organizations that identify it. It started in Tampa. They identified guys who can spin the ball and throw the ball up in the zone.

“I think the way hitters are trending now, with the ball being in the air, there’s usually a little more loft in the swing. For hitters to adjust to that pitch, they’re going to have to shorten up and probably ...

25 Best Baseball Nicknames in History | MLB.com

No. 1: Babe Ruth (George Ruth)
What if he had gone by George Ruth? It’s hard to even imagine. He was called Babe as a young player when he was all naiveté—he was like a babe in the woods. Over the years, he was called many other things—“Bambino,” “The Sultan of Swat,” “The Big Bam” and “Jidge”—but at heart, he was always Babe, and 100 years after he began, everyone still knows him that way.

How Promotions and Demotions Affect Relief Performance – The Hardball Times

I am struck by the fact that all groups outperform their projections on average. I suspect this fact has more to do with the projections themselves and doesn’t mean there’s a hidden pattern here we’re not seeing. If anyone has suggestions for other projection mechanisms that would be suitable, let me know in the comments.

The conclusion here seems straightforward. I can find only the most tenuous connection between a role change for a reliever and his subsequent performance on the field. ...

The unusually healthy Twins - Twinkie Town

All told, the Twins have been a fairly healthy group of players this year and that has been helpful towards keeping this team in playoff contention as the season enters its final month. With September callups looming, the influx of minor leaguers will help stifle the loss of any additional injuries, but we all hope that it won’t be a worry as the Twins fight for the Wild Card.

MLB to implement code of conduct for fans at ballparks in 2018

Will Yankees suck still be allowed?

Over the past four months, Kennedy said MLB has encouraged teams to exchange ideas about ways to promote inclusion and stamp out intolerance.

“There’s not been any directive or mandate, but there’s been support from the commissioner’s office for sharing ideas and looking at different policies and procedures,” Kennedy said. “I actually think most clubs have a zero-tolerance policy with respect to fan enjoyment and creating a safe environment.”

...Read More...

Jim Furtado Posted: August 23, 2017 at 10:09 AM | 10 comment(s)
  Beats: fans, mlb

That time Tommy Lasorda got the Expos mascot tossed out of a 22-inning, 1-0 game - CBSSports.com

First, a warning: this video autoplays. I hate when sites do this.

Second, it’s pretty funny so I posted it anyway.

Royals get Perez, may lose Herrera | The Kansas City Star

“He says he’s fine, but I think he’s hurt,” Perez said, before quoting his teammate. “ ‘I’m tight. I don’t feel my forearm.’ That’s what he told me.”

Leiter on pitching mechanics | MLB.com (VIDEO)

Great segment with Al Leiter on some dangerous mechanics that lead to elbow problems.

The Worst Pro Baseball Team of 2017 Doesn’t Want Your Pity

Never get involved in a land war in OMNICHATTER!, for August 22, 2017

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 8-22-2017

Pittsburgh Press, August 22, 1917:

If dreams come true Outfielder Harry Wolter will pitch a game for the Chicago Cubs before the season comes to a close.
...
While taking his nap [Cubs manager Fred Mitchell] dreamed Wolter was pitching a game for him against the Giants at the Polo Grounds and that the score was 0 to 0 in the fifteenth inning. How the contest came out Mitchell never will know for he woke up before it finished, but with a hunch, and that was to pitch Wolter in one of the contests ...

Who Was George Wright? – Our Game

A guy with a very bad haircut is only part of the story.

Mets’ Steven Matz goes on disabled list | MLB.com

“It’s tough,” Matz said. “But I talked to some guys who have had this procedure done before, and they came back feeling good and it solved their problems. I’m happy that there’s an answer to it.”

How much is Tanaka worth? MLB execs weigh in on $67M mystery | New York Post

A second high-ranking official of a second big-market club offered this anonymous wisdom: “I suspect Tanaka, with only three years [left], may look to get more, but I think a bigger factor is how much he likes playing there. It’s hard for me to see him opting out.”

OTP 22 August 2017: The myth of baseball’s depoliticalization

The cornerstone of a democratic republic is civic engagement in service of civic virtue, to be aware of fellow citizens’ struggles and to doggedly fight injustice and oppression. In today’s America, much of this engagement is missing, and it is viewed less as a responsibility held by every citizen than the task of few professional groups. But when it comes to Nazism, it should be the duty of every person, doubly so for white people, to vociferously denounce the individuals and the ideals ...

The totality of Rafael Devers, who is eclipsing everything thought possible

Devers won’t be able to sustain his current play forever. (His .377 BAbip would rank him 3rd all time.) Nevertheless, he looks like a great young player who has great bat-to-ball skills and an ability to make adjustments. I am looking forward to watching his career.

For reference, he’s the top 30 in BAbip (minimum 1000 PA):

MLB Central: Cat and Mouse Game | MLB.com (VIDEO)

Smoltz talks about the ability of Miguel Cabrera to make adjustments and the inability of Reggie Sanders to do the same. (Neither of them had a lot of success vs. Smoltz. Click the links.) This is a very interesting part of the game. It’s an area of the game that players and coaches know about but, to this point and to my knowledge, there are no metrics to quantify the ability of players to make adjustments. With Statcast equipment getting added to more and more minor league parks, I would ...

Colon becomes third active pitcher to beat all 30 teams

Minnesota Twins starter Bartolo Colon became the third active MLB pitcher to beat all 30 teams with a 12-5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday.

“It means a lot to my career,” Colon said through a translator after matching the Washington Nationals’ Max Scherzer and the Cubs’ John Lackey, who accomplished the feat last season. “Now, I haven’t won in two stadiums, so that’s the next goal.”

Nothing I can say but total eclipse of the OMNICHATTER, for August 21, 2017

Future Phillies Report: J.P. Crawford makes more sense at 3B than Scott Kingery | CSN Philly

Some info on the Phillies prospects. I thought Crawford’s defense was above-average at short?

Can Scouts and Statcast Coexist? | FanGraphs Baseball

Yes, still beating this dead topic. At least there is a new spin.

“I think context on a personal level,” Daniels said. “I think in general, when we talk about evaluating players, that is the piece [missing]… You’re not there everyday. And that includes myself… That’s becoming more and more the skill of the scouts; their top responsibility is to identify that context. Identify that personal piece… that is an element you cannot access unless you are on the ground. The best scouts ...

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 8-21-2017

Philadelphia Evening Public Ledger, August 21, 1917:

The American Giants’ baseball team, of Chicago, Ill., have been matched by Jack Roden to meet the two leading negro baseball clubs of this section the latter part of this month.
...
The Chicago team is recognized as the negro champions of the West and will meet the Bacharach Giants, of Atlantic City, the eastern champions, in a two-game series for the negro championship of the country, on August 29 and 30.

That would have been an amazing ...

Taking Back the Ballparks - San Diego Padres

Part 3: San Diego Padres
Ooh, It’s the new Petco Thread.
The Padres have an interesting history, in the fact they have so little of it. Other than Mr. Padre, Tony Gwynn, it’s a franchise short on long-time Pads. Eric Show, he of the John Birch Society membership, Pete Rose’s Ty-breaking hit and a drug-related demise, remains the club’s all-time win leader, and its retired numbers list includes a famous, and widely loathed, Dodger.
The ballpark, by most accounts, is among the ...

Souhan: Pounds sneak up on injured Sano as Twins get back in race

According to my information, Sano’s weight has gradually risen all season and is now well above 260 pounds, which is the number listed on the Twins roster. He might be 20 to 25 pounds heavier than that.

Sano is 24 and until this week he had not suffered any injuries related to his bulk, but even his strength and assorted other athletic gifts will not allow him to be the player he should be if he isn’t careful.

Pablo Sandoval comes to mind. The two-time All-Star third baseman failed to ...

Justin Verlander’s domination of Dodgers looked like an Astros audition | ESPN

“I went out there against the best team in baseball, and this morning I just kind of told myself I was going to take a playoff type of intensity out there and not let these guys sweep us,” Verlander said.

“It’s impossible to really create a playoff atmosphere without being in the playoffs, but I tried my best to do that and use that much more focus and intensity on every pitch.”

It’s almost as if he took out a full-page ad in a Houston paper saying, “This is Justin Verlander dialed up to ...

Giants eliminated in NL West with loss to Phillies, race is on to draft first

We have our first division race casualty of 2017.