Should Dodgers acquire Manny Machado in wake of Corey Seager injury?

Corey Seager is out for the season. Manny Machado could be available now.

On paper? It’s a match. In reality? Let’s just say that we wouldn’t suggest you plan on buying a Machado jersey in the Dodgers gift shop.

Questions and answers about the obvious free-agent-to-be and the Dodgers’ needs in the wake of the Seager injury.

Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager to undergo Tommy John surgery, will miss rest of season

Seager, a 24-year-old, two-time All Star, was placed on the disabled list with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament. Tommy John surgery involves replacing the injured ligament.

Seager suffered from elbow discomfort throughout the second half of 2017, however the team’s medical staff advised against Seager undergoing surgery this past winter.

This would qualify as a big, big, big, big deal.

Can’t sing. Can’t act. Balding. Can OMNICHATTER a little, for April 30, 2018

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 4-30-2018

New York Tribune, April 30, 1918:

Chicago opened its series in Cleveland [yesterday] by hitting three Cleveland pitchers hard and winning, 8 to 4.
...
A double play by Speaker was the feature of the contest. With Collins on second and Jackson on first Speaker trapped Felsch’s fly and tagged Collins, then touched second, forcing Jackson, thus repeating a play he worked on Detroit ten days ago.

Not only did an outfielder pull off an unassisted double play on a ball that hit the ground, he did it ...

MetsMerizedOnline.com:  White Hot [Peter] Alonso Named Eastern League Player of the Week

Overall, Alonso is hitting .403/.500/.778 with six doubles, seven homers, and 18 RBI.

Those stats make him the league leader in batting average, OBP, SLG, OPS, runs, hits, homers, extra base hits, and total bases. Simply put, Alonso has been dominating the Eastern League.  If he keeps this up, we may very well see him accumulate many more awards this season.

In case you didn’t know the Mets had a prospect.  Alonso is a former 2nd round pick and is a few months older than Dominic Smith.  He ...

How the Orioles lost 21 straight games to start the 1988 season

Last night, moments after the Orioles had lost their ninth straight game, 4-3, to the Royals, general manager Roland Hemond, farm director Doug Melvin, and seven others were trapped in an elevator at Memorial Stadium for 73 minutes.

The Orioles had planned to make a roster move after last night’s game, but it had to be delayed until today because Hemond was trapped.

— Baltimore Sun, 4/15/88

Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager to undergo Tommy John surgery, will miss rest of season

Nick Markakis, Durability & 3000 Hits

For now, Markakis’ durability remains his calling card — and his best chance at 3,000.

The Times on Base vs. Hits argument, which compared Tony Gwynn’s career offensive output against Tim Raines, carried the former Expos great into Cooperstown in his 10th year of eligibility. Perhaps more discussion needs to unfold surrounding the greatness of players who were not only able take the field 150 games a year for a decade and a half plus, but who remain wanted by front offices more and more ...

Panda Pitches Perfect Ninth

The curveball to Chris Taylor was a beauty.

OTP 2018 Apr 30: Republicans in Congress return to baseball field nearly a year after gunman opened fire

As a light rain trickled down Wednesday, Republican members of Congress returned to a baseball field where a gunman critically wounded teammate Rep. Steve Scalise and shattered their sense of security nearly a year ago.

“Today is an emotional day,’’ said Texas Rep. Joe Barton, manager of the Republican congressional baseball team. “But it’s also a rebirth, a renewal. I’m proud of the team.’‘

On June 14, Republican lawmakers practicing for their annual charity baseball game against Democrats ...

Joe Kelly Roams Stands During Game

Friday night, the second game of his suspsension, the pitcher had tickets for Green Monster seats but couldn’t sit still, venturing to three different spots in Fenway Park, including the bleachers. Sunday he took it to another level.

“I was in the suite and we weren’t getting any runs and we were losing so I moved and went out to the bleachers. We got a couple of runs,” Kelly said. “I moved to another location and that didn’t work, so I moved to the Sam Adams Party Deck and we ended up ...

Panda pitching alert! Sandoval fires perfect 9th

Sandoval, a third baseman, pitched a perfect ninth inning, inducing ground balls from Max Muncy to second base, Yasmani Grandal to third base and Chris Taylor to shortstop. Sandoval’s four-seam fastball hit 88 mph, per Statcast™. He also threw five curveballs (ranging from 68.9 mph to 71.6 mph). He got one swinging strike in his appearance, coming on a curveball to Taylor on an 0-1 count.

The Dodgers got shutdown by Pablo Sandoval. At least they still won the game.

As Rays beat Red Sox, a new debate about Blake Snell — is he an ace?

Snell continued his impressive start to this season, and extended his late 2017 turnaround, with another impressive outing in a tough test, beating the baseball-best Red Sox on a cold Friday night at Fenway Park.

“He certainly looked the part tonight, looked the part of that No. 1, elite, whatever you want to call it,’’ manager Kevin Cash said, stopping just short of the a-word. “He did his job.’‘’

And a bunch of other Rays did theirs, as the 4-3 win over Boston was their seventh straight, ...

Twins lose to Reds and are desperately looking for cures

Not even a month of baseball has been played and the Twins already have used 17 pitchers, including outfielder Ryan LaMarre. And a loss like Friday’s, a four-hour 15-9 bludgeoning to the Reds at Target Field, could lead to more changes.

Molitor’s office was closed longer than usual while the Twins discussed changes to the pitching staff. They designated righthander David Hale for assignment and will call up a replacement Saturday.

“We’re looking at a lot of options about what we can do,” ...

Cubs Activate Ben Zobrist, Option David Bote; Bryant Back In Lineup

Ben Zobrist has been activated from the 10-day disabled list and will bat seventh today against the Brewers, Bruce Levine of 760thescore.com reports. Kris Bryant will also make his return to the lineup after sitting out for a few days following a hit-by-pitch injury.

The gang’s all back together for the weekend.

Weekend OMNICHATTER for April 28-29, 2018

Fun isn’t something one considers when balancing OMNICHATTER, for April 27, 2018.

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 4-27-2018

Topeka State Journal, April 27, 1918:

Here’s one of the freaks of baseball—an ambidextrous hurler. Al Heine, pitcher for Purdue, doesn’t have to depend entirely on his right or his left paw for effectiveness against batters.

Proto-Venditte.

ESPN: From here to the Hall: Predicting 40 active players who will wind up in Cooperstown

Andrelton Simmons

Hey, when Omar Vizquel gets elected in a few years, that will open the door for Simmons.

Jung Ho Kang Receives Visa, Set To Rejoin Pirates

Pirates infielder Jung Ho Kang has received a work visa and is expected to resume his career with the team, according to a report from Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic. Kang had not been able to secure a visa for quite some time after being convicted of a DUI in his native South
Korea.

For the time being, Kang will remain on the restricted list as he works his way toward MLB readiness with in extended Spring Training at the Pirates’ complex in Bradenton, Fla. There’s no indication from the ...

Ronald Acuna hits first homer | MLB.com

He showed off his power. Two ABs later he showed off his wheels beating out an infield hit.

Tampa Bay Rays promote LHP Jonny Venters

The greatest story of perseverance in baseball history has added another chapter.

The Tampa Bay Rays have called up left-handed pitcher Jonny Venters from Triple-A Durham.

Jonny Venters last pitched in a major league game on October 5th, 2012 while he was still a member of the Atlanta Braves.

Brewers first baseman Eric Thames goes on DL with torn thumb ligament

Thames was injured Tuesday night in the eighth inning of the Brewers’ game against Kansas City, when he dived to his right to snag a grounder from Mike Moustakas, flipping to reliever Dan Jennings covering the bag for the out. Thames jammed his glove hand hard into the ground making the play and exited the game after that inning.

Before the season, they seemed to have a logjam of capable position players.  That logjam is now defunct, with the primary playing time beneficiaries likely to be ...

The Greatest Season That Never Was

A man is granted three wishes, but there’s a catch: He has to use them to create the perfect baseball player. It almost worked.

That’s my secret, Captain. I’m always OMNICHATTER, for April 26, 2018

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 4-26-2018

New York Tribune, April 26, 1918:

A decision as to whether Christopher Mathewson will be released from the management of the Cincinnati National League club in order to go to France to promote baseball among the American troops may be reached at a conference in Pittsburgh to-day between Mathewson and August Herrmann, president of the Cincinnati club.
...
In the event that Matty goes to France it is said that Hal Chase will manage the Reds during the absence of the old master.

Avoid France, ...

Today’s Phillies-Diamondbacks game available only on Facebook

The league’s first Facebook game, a rain-delayed April 4th matchup between the Phillies and the New York Mets, earned mixed reviews from viewers and sports media observers due to the interface’s laughably-large graphics, a comments bar that often obscured the action on the field and issues relating to the livestream.

But MLB has been tinkering with its Facebook broadcast in recent weeks, reducing the size of the score bug and shifting it to the right side of the screen, which has improved ...

There are lies, damn lies, and OMNICHATTER! for April 25, 2018.

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 4-25-2018

Albuquerque Morning Journal, April 25, 1918:

Just fifty years ago they had a great ball club in Cincinnati. It was the Cincinnati Reds and the roster included the great players of the late sixties.

Forty-nine years ago this club went through an entire season without meeting defeat. During the season they won eighty-one games.

In memory of this great team of half a century ago Cincinnati is going to unfurl a baseball flag this year, a flag which was presented to those Reds of 1868 and which has ...

Kyle Schwarber hits 2 homers in Cubs’ win

He’s been crushing it.