Unwritten Rules Lead To Nine Unanswered Runs

Rather than wait for a relatively safe moment to retaliate—with two outs, or, like, tomorrow—and rather than retaliate by, uh, winning the game—Joe Musgrove plunked Chris Owings to lead off the bottom half.

Engel: From the cheap seats

A man after my heart, Mac Engel:

Other than bullying, intimidation or lying, I have no idea how the Rangers actually sell a single ticket to one of these afternoon games.

No explanation is acceptable why a game is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. first pitch in June in Texas at Global Meltdown Ballpark. Per the Farmer’s Almanac, the average temperature for June 10 in Arlington is, “You Don’t Want To Know.”

By the seventh inning, most of my face had melted into the plastic seat. Death was near, and ...

Orioles Activate Zach Britton

Britton will make his long-awaited season debut as soon as this evening. The southpaw reliever was sidelined to open the year after suffering an Achilles tear in offseason workouts. He’s playing on a $12MM salary in his final season of arbitration eligibility.

With the O’s limping out to the worst record in baseball to this point of the season, the hope will be that Britton can pitch his way into a useful trade chip this summer. Certainly, he has established a ceiling that few others have ...

Mensa Dork Has Bizarre Ideas to Fix Baseball

“For years, batters have sought to work deep counts – and rightly so for a number of reasons. All the while, the length of games has increased and the percentage of balls in play has decreased (due to the associated increase in strikeouts and walks). By introducing the concept of an expanding strike zone – where the strike zone starts small for every at-bat, then expands slightly after Strike 1, then expands slightly again after Strike 2 – batters would change their approach, knowing ...

Those weren’t OMNICHATTER’s burner accounts, for June 11, 2018

Angels GM disputes Ohtani surgery report | MLB.com

Not so fast.

MLB Network insider Ken Rosenthal on Monday spoke to Angels general manager Billy Eppler, who said, “There have been no changes in [Shohei] Ohtani’s diagnosis and neither our physicians nor medical staff have recommended [Tommy John surgery] or said it’s likely.”

On Sunday night, ESPN’s Pedro Gomez reported on SportsCenter that Ohtani will “probably” need elbow surgery, which would force Ohtani to miss the rest of the season and likely keep him off the mound for all of 2019, though ...

The Updated Top 131 Prospect Rankings | FanGraphs Baseball

Ronald Acuna is number 1.

Mets Release Adrian Gonzalez

The New York Mets have released first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, the team said.

SABR 48 – PITTSBURGH

This is the catch-all thread for SABR 48 in Pittsburgh, June 21-24. You can find the relevant information by clicking the link in the thread title.

Recap of SABR 47 in NYC by Jeff Kindig

Hope to see you all there!

Report: Shohei Ohtani likely to have Tommy John surgery, will be out until 2020

The Angels were going to reevaluate him in three weeks. At this point, waiting the three weeks before surgery would likely not harm his timetable should surgery then be decided, so it’s possible that the Angels will still wait and see.

If Ohtani does go under the knife, however, it would be sad, sad ending to his breakout rookie season. Ohtani has wowed baseball by being its first effective two-way player in nearly a century, going 4-1 with a 3.10 ERA and a K/BB ratio of 61/20 in 49.1 ...

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 6-11-2018

Washington Herald, June 11, 1918:

An extraordinary baseball catching feat was accomplished when Corp. Michael Bessolo, a soldier on [Kelly] field, established a new world record by catching a baseball dropped from an airplane, 700 feet in the air.
...
It was the first time a successful attempt ever has been made to catch a baseball from an airplane. The fact that the baseball cas caught with an infielder’s glove, instead of the heavier catcher’s mitt, makes it all the more remarkable.

Back in ...

OTP 2018 June 11: Sports, politics conflicted 50 years ago with mourning of RFK’s death

If you think the intersection – and conflict – of sports and politics is something new, well, you haven’t been paying close enough attention to either for a very long time.

Don’t think so? Check out President Trump’s pardon of the controversial African-American heavyweight champion Jack Johnson, who held the title more than 100 years ago. His reign was consumed by the politics of the day. So it is no surprise that the debate over NFL players and the national anthem remains a divisive ...

Sunday Baseball Notes: Clay Buchholz, staff savior? The Diamondbacks think so

This week’s edition.

Edwin Jackson signed with the A’s and could tie Octavio Dotel’s 13-team record

As of the end of the 2017 season, he’d played for 12 in 15 years—one off Octavio Dotel’s record of 13. And finally, on Wednesday, we learned that Jackson had signed with his 13th organization:

It’s only a minor-league deal, but if things go well Jackson could play for an AL West team for the first time. He is 34, and had been starting games for the Syracue Chiefs until opting out of his deal a week ago.

Mariners get 40th win—their 20th by 1 run

Pitching has been the name of the game for the Mariners, who improved to 40-23 and maintained their one-game lead over Houston in the AL West. Seattle has gone 16-4 since May 18, the best 20-game stretch for the franchise since 2003. The Mariners improved to an MLB-best 20-9 in one-run games.

“This is an amazing clubhouse,” Gonzales said. “It’s one of the [most fun] teams I’ve played on, for sure. We love playing for each other. We have faith. We don’t panic. Even in all these one-run ...

Weekend OMNICHATTER for June 9-10, 2018

Joe Kelly Has the Best Draft Day Story Ever

“I turned 21 the day of the Draft. So double-whammy,” the Red Sox reliever said. “I knew I was getting drafted, obviously, and I turned 21 that day. So obviously that doesn’t mix too well. Let’s just say I was really, really, really belligerently drunk before the draft even started.”

Padres reliever Jose Torres suspended rest of season for violating MLB’s domestic violence policy

San Diego Padres reliever Jose Torres has been suspended for the rest of the 2018 season for violating Major League Baseball’s domestic abuse policy, commissioner Rob Manfred announced Friday.

The suspension is retroactive to June 5 and covers 100 games. Torres will not appeal and enter a treatment program.

“We fully support the decision by the commissioner’s office to suspend Jose Torres for violating the joint MLB-MLBPA domestic violence policy,” the Padres said in a statement. “We will ...

Shohei Ohtani to the DL for NOT blister issues

Shohei Ohtani will be placed on the disabled list with a grade 2 sprain of the UCL. He underwent a PRP and Stem Cell injection yesterday with Dr. Steve Yoon in Los Angeles. He will be re-evaluated in 3 weeks and we will update his plan of care at that time.

— Angels (@Angels) June 8, 2018

Obviously, I’ve gone into mourning.

Fernando Abad Serving Retroactive 80-Game Suspension

FanRag’s Jon Heyman reports that Abad’s minor league deal with the Mets in late March was indeed axed when the Mets learned of his failed PED test shortly before the deal became official. Importantly, he notes that Abad went through a lengthy appeal process that was ultimately unsuccessful. However, the beginning of his suspension is retroactive to the filing of the appeal, meaning his suspension will actually finish being served later this month.

Heyman also relays a statement from Abad ...

Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the OMNICHATTER! for June 8, 2018

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 6-8-2018

Washington Herald, June 8, 1918:

Mike Donlin was up in the press box at the Polo Grounds, New York City, [two days ago], and during a fanfest said:

“I see where the boys claim Babe Ruth established a record by making four home runs in four successive days. Well, Babe only tied the record.

“Bill Bradley, the old third baseman of the Cleveland team, playing against the Phillies in Philadelphia, back in 1901 did the same stunt. Four days running he slammed out a circuit clout.”

Donlin’s right, ...

Mets minor leaguer gives up 14 runs, immediately retires

Mets minor league pitcher Aaron Laffey began Wednesday night as the starting pitcher for the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s. By the end of the evening, he had given up 14 runs and quit baseball altogether.

Seems appropriate.

A Complete History of Media Reports Chronicling the Wilpons’ Meddling in New York Mets Baseball Operations

I know that most of you know most, or all, of this already. But many folks do not realize the extent of things and it always helps to spread the word.

How Dr. Alan Nathan Became Baseball Fans’ Favorite Physicist

Baseball is full of nuances, and though the game has been studied closely for at least a century, the work in the last two decades of people like Nathan has expanded our understanding of how those little details come together. He’s become a go-to for the sabermetric community for his work on things like the PITCHF/x pitch tracking system.

“When they say baseball’s a game of inches, it’s probably better said that it’s a game of fractions of inches when it comes to hitting,” Nathan ...

OMNICHATTER isn’t afraid of you or your momma! for June 7, 2018

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 6-7-2018

Chicago Tribune, June 6, 1997:

[On this day in 1918] Casey Stengel, after being traded by Brooklyn in the offseason, made his return to Ebbets Field a memorable one. In his first at-bat, Stengel called time, stepped out of the batter’s box and doffed his cap. A bird flew out.

I knew this story and expected today’s link to be a June 7, 1918 newspaper mention of the Stengel bird incident. But here’s the thing: There are absolutely no accounts in any of the newspapers I’ve seen from June 1918 about ...

Red Schoendienst, St. Louis Cardinals Star and Oldest Hall of Famer, Dies at 95

The epitome of the baseball lifer, Schoendienst became a revered figure in St. Louis. He first donned a Cardinals uniform at a tryout camp in 1942 — a red-haired, freckle-faced teenager from the Midwest who was later likened in the press to a latter-day Huckleberry Finn. While in his 90s, he was listed as a special assistant to the general manager.

Playing second base, his position for nearly his entire playing career, Schoendienst teamed with shortstop Marty Marion in a superb double-play ...

Diamondbacks acquire outfielder Jon Jay from Royals | AZ Central

SAN FRANCISCO – In acquiring Jon Jay in a deal with the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday afternoon, Diamondbacks General Manager Mike Hazen believes he filled a short-term need in the outfield at a time when his club needs it most.

“With the way the division is shaping up,” Hazen said, “where every day matters more and more, we just felt like this was the right thing to do at the time.”

The D-Backs send minor league prospects Gabe Speier and Elvis Luciano to the Royals.

Cubs hero Jason Heyward’s walk-off slam latest sign of new life in bat since DL

But Heyward really has seemed to be a different hitter since hitting his head on the outfield wall May 6 in St. Louis and spending close to two weeks on the concussion disabled list.

Heyward called the ordeal scary and said he was thankful when he was able to return to baseball activities about halfway through the time he was sidelined.

But while he’s able to joke now about the fact he’s hitting .340 in 13 starts since hitting his head, an actual benefit was the work on his mechanics he ...