Jake Arrieta is pitching like an ace again — just in time for free agency - Chicago Tribune

“We’re just trying to win this division, that’s what we’re focused on,” Cubs President Theo Epstein said Friday when asked about Arrieta’s future. “Offseason stuff, we’ll deal with it when the time comes. Nothing has been determined, and that story is not written yet.”

Charlie Morton’s secret to pitching: throw harder - Beyond the Box Score

Morton hasn’t always been a hard-throwing righty, either. His average velocity on both his four-seam fastball and his two-seam fastball (or sinker) are at career-highs this year, at 96.0 mph and 95.4 mph, respectively. Morton touched 99.1 mph with the two-seamer earlier this year. “Charlie Morton can throw 99 mph” is not a sentence I expected to write when beginning this piece.

Jeffrey Loria has ‘no sad feelings whatsoever’ about selling the Marlins - Sun Sentinel

Marlins fans share his sentiments. Without all the cash, though.

“I have no sad feelings whatsoever,” Loria said. “I love this game.”

MLB umpire protest: Umps unlikely to get sympathy from fans | SI.com

She’s got that right.

MLB World Umpires on Twitter: ”

Bad umpires of the world UNITE!

#WUA issued the following statement in response to escalating verbal attacks: pic.twitter.com/wGLIoLOUq0

— MLB World Umpires (@MLBaseballUmps) August 19, 2017

Gregg Olson: Orioles’ emphasis on talented, structured bullpens is nothing new - Baltimore Sun

“I’m a firm believer in people knowing what their jobs are and what they’re roles are,” Olson said, “and the times that I really struggled were times when I was in bullpens and I didn’t know when the phone rang that it was me. So, I wasn’t spending the 30 minutes before that preparing for who’s coming up, how I want to face them, what situations I’m walking into.

“My five years here, I knew what the situation was when the phone rang and I took off my coat.”

Roberto Osuna is in a better place after openly discussing anxiety issues - LA Times

In the culture of professional sports, where players try to play through injuries and sometimes consider talking about injuries a sign of weakness, it is remarkable that Osuna is willing to talk openly and comfortably — and in a second language — about what happened in those dark days.

“I was just feeling lost,” he said. “I didn’t feel like myself. I was feeling dizzy. I wasn’t sure where I was. It was really weird.”

Mets have only themselves to blame for cheap shots | New York Post

There is nothing wrong with saving some cash by getting rid of expensive players who aren’t in your plans for the next season. As long as the money gets put back into the team. Mets fans don’t have a lot of trust in the Wilpons to do it.

He explained how slicing salary now allows him to prove to ownership that it can be done. He said that allows ownership to loosen its purse strings in the winter. He admitted he couldn’t swear that every dollar saved this year will automatically go toward ...

Daren Willman:“Breaking down the quality of contact chart (exit velocity / launch angle)

Breaking down the quality of contact chart (exit velocity / launch angle) based on this years numbers. Barrel it up. pic.twitter.com/yZfcH5HCY8

— Daren Willman (@darenw) August 19, 2017

Reusse: Twins’ altercation in 1967? Part about a gun on team bus was avoided

The “by-play” among Ted Uhlaender, Tony Oliva, and Dave Boswell on the Twins team bus from the Detroit airport to the hotel is evidently a euphemism for gunplay.

Then, Tony took the copy of the Star’s front sports page, looked at the headline – “Ermer’s Strong Hand Calms Twin Squabble’’ – and offered the slight smile that indicates he’s interested in something.

“There was a part of this that no one would talk about, and the writers didn’t write,’’ he said. “Boswell ...

Ain’t no WEEKEND OMNICHATTER until someone gets punched in the face, for August 19-20, 2017

MLB.com: O’s/Angels hit 10 home runs; Manny caps it off with Walk-Off Grand Slam

After an early five-run deficit, Machado—who had already homered twice—came up with the bases loaded and did the unthinkable: blasting a grand slam to catapult Baltimore to a 9-7 walkoff win over the Angels.

MLBTR: Dodgers Acquire Curtis Granderson

The Dodgers fortify the postseason roster while the Mets receive a few shekels to help meet the bankers’ demands.

Granderson, 36, gives the Dodgers yet another interesting piece to work with. The timing of his addition is particularly notable given that Los Angeles just welcomed veteran first baseman Adrian Gonzalez back from the DL, which seemingly left breakout young star Cody Bellinger slated for at least some additional time in the outfield. Then again, it may turn out that Gonzalez will ...

OMNICHATTER eats punks like you for breakfast, for August 18, 2017

‘Skunk in the outfield’: How the most epic trick play in history broke baseball

There were 16 plays, with a page or two of explanation for utilizing and defending each. A lot of the plays were clearly cheating, such as the runner going from second to home, skipping (or “cutting”) third base when the umpires were looking the other way. Some were just plain baseball, stuff every team did, like a delayed steal. Some didn’t seem likely to work, and some didn’t seem realistic. Then there was a play called “skunk in the outfield.”

That’s how it came to be that a Portsmouth ...

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 8-18-2017

Pittsburgh Press, August 18, 1917:

The pennant winner of the Southern association is to play a post-season series of games with a team composed of the best players from clubs that finish second, third and fourth, according to an announcement by R.G. Baugh, president of the league.

That’s a cool idea. I like that a lot.

MLB Commissioner says approval for sale of Miami Marlins is on track | Miami Herald

Is the removal of the sculpture a condition of the sale?

Twins Byron Buxton evolving as a hitter | MLB.com

If Buxton never learns how to hit, the glove alone—depending on your metric, he’s one of the best outfielders in baseball along with Ender Inciarte and Mookie Betts—makes him useful. If he’s a league-average hitter, he’s a star. If Buxton is actually the dangerous hitter we saw last September and are seeing now, the sky is almost literally the limit.

We’re a long way from that, of course. Buxton is only 23. He’s been poor at the plate more this year than he’s been an asset. But when a player ...

Summer Top-100 Prospects | FanGraphs Baseball

New top ten

1. Yoan Moncada, 2B, Chicago White Sox
2. Amed Rosario, SS, New York Mets
3. Rafael Devers, 3B, Boston Red Sox
4. Eloy Jimenez, OF, Chicago White Sox
5. Ronald Acuna, CF, Atlanta Braves
6. Gleyber Torres, SS, New York Yankees
7. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 3B, Toronto Blue Jays
8. Victor Robles, CF, Washington Nationals
9. Michael Kopech, RHP, Chicago White Sox
10. Francisco Mejia, C, Cleveland Indians

Nomar Mazara has five RBIs for Rangers | MLB.com

The Rangers are in it.

Red Sox want to do away with ‘racist’ legacy of famed Yawkey Way

Henry said he would like to see it changed to David Ortiz Way or Big Papi Way, in honour of the Dominican Republic-born Red Sox great who retired following last season. A portion of the street was named David Ortiz Drive in his honour this past June.

Pitching through pain

The story of Danny Hultzen (#2 overall in 2011). I have to ask where the coaches/managers were. On the bright side, he signed for $8.5 million and the story doesn’t suggest any financial troubles. Best of luck on the long-shot comeback.

Arthur: Buster Posey Has Quietly Become A Lock For Cooperstown

The Giants’ record might make Posey easy to overlook, but his combination of hitting and defense makes him almost a lock to one day join the Hall. In fact, despite being only 30 years old, Posey might already have a Hall of Fame résumé if he retired today.

538’s baseball coverage hasn’t been great, has it?

When I was 17, it was a very good OMNICHATTER, for August 17, 2017

Mets’ Gsellman irritates GM Sandy Alderson with ‘I don’t care’ comment

Robert Gsellman has done himself no favors with how he’s pitched this season, and he didn’t help himself Tuesday with a brash comment.

Skunk in the Outfield

First-and-third situations are breeding grounds for gimmick plays in high school. Often, the runner on first will attempt to steal second, hoping to draw a throw that will allow the runner to score from third. But defenses will rarely make that throw, so offenses have designed ways to tempt the defense into going after the trail runner while letting the lead runner sneak home. Sometimes, when the pitch is delivered, the base stealer will stop halfway and try to get in a rundown. Sometimes he’ll ...

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 8-17-2017

Lake County [Indiana] Times, August 17, 1917:

One of the features of the trips taken by the White Sox this year has been their singing of “The Star Spangled Banner.” After marching around the field under the sirection of Sergeant W.S. Smiley they would line up before the stand and sing two verses of the anthem.
...
One of the Sox players told of their first rehearsal. “Rowland got us together in the clubhouse and asked if any of us knew the words of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’,” he said. “There ...

First pitch astray at Fenway | Red Sox

This first pitch is a bit nutty. Sorry, it had to be said.

Travis d’Arnaud’s position in Wednesday’s box score read “3B-2B-3B-2B-3B-2B-3B-2B-3B-2B-3B-2B-3B-2B-3B-2B-3B-2B”

strange day for a backup catcher

Olney: Baseball must end its beanball legacy

Late in Palmer’s career, in 1982, he remembers how rookie Cal Ripken—whose father was a longtime player and coach in the Orioles’ organization—batted in the first inning against Britt Burns of the White Sox in a July game. A pitch in that at-bat prompted Ripken to say out loud, “When is somebody going to protect somebody around here?”

Palmer wasn’t thrilled about Ripken’s tone, which was unusual for a rookie, but he noticed that Carlton Fisk was due to lead off the next inning. ...