Patriots, Giants, Rays sign amicus brief in support of same-sex marriage

The New England Patriots, San Francisco Giants and Tampa Bay Rays have all signed onto an amicus brief urging the United States Supreme Court to legalize same-sex marriage across the country, according to the Huffington Post. They are among almost 400 companies - many of which are some of the biggest corporations in the country - to support the brief. The Supreme Court will hear a case on gay marriage on April 28 and is expected to make a determination by June.

All of these teams have strong ...

ESPN: Cashman: Retire captaincy with Jeter

Tomorrow, Cashman will tell ESPNNewYork.com that he’s recommending that no one play SS right away….

“I think Derek did it as well as anyone can,’’ Cashman told ESPNNewYork.com. “He wore it well, and I’m not a big advocate of giving out the captaincy anyway. I’m not going to recommend anyone being named captain of the New York Yankees right away.’‘

Earlier in the day, Cashman had said on ESPN New York Radio 98.7 FM that he did not see a viable candidate in the Yankees clubhouse to succeed Jeter ...

Minor’s absence opens opportunities for Stults | braves.com

This doesn’t sound good.

Though Braves officials are maintaining hope that Mike Minor needs just a few weeks of rest, they are well aware of the fact that the three months of rest he received this past offseason did not prevent his left shoulder from becoming an issue yet again this week.

Thus, instead of simply waiting a couple more weeks to see if the shoulder discomfort persists, the Braves are planning for Dr. James Andrews to evaluate Minor’s shoulder early next week. The hope is that the ...

Sources: Cuban Hector Olivera could have damaged UCL in throwing arm - Yahoo Sports

Serious concern exists that Cuban infielder Hector Olivera has a damaged ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing arm, potentially hindering the market for a free agent who many expected to contribute in the major leagues this season, sources told Yahoo Sports.

Darvish not concerned after exiting spring debut | MLB.com

Tightness in the right triceps.

“I was working on my location,” Darvish said in a limited press conference afterward. “It didn’t affect my location or the command of my pitches. I felt it warming up and didn’t think too much of it. But it never loosened up.”

UPDATE: X-rays confirm fractured left forearm for Giants’ Hunter Pence, out 6-8 weeks - Giants Extra

Bummer.

Pence was diagnosed with a non-displaced ulnar fracture and was being fitted with a cast; he is expected to be sidelined for 6-8 weeks, meaning the earliest he could return is mid-April.

Pence was struck by a pitch from Cubs minor league right-hander Corey Black. He usually sprints to first base after he’s hit by a pitch but stayed down for several seconds before he began walking toward the base.

Joe Posnanski’s Top 100 Players: No. 40: Eddie Collins

Annnd, we’re back!

There is no satisfying way to compare ancient players from Deadball to the players today. For instance: There is an argument to be made, a strong one, that Eddie Collins was one of the ten best player in baseball history. If you treat the baseball of his time as equal to all other times, you almost have to rank him in that stratosphere. He ranks tenth In wins Above Replacement. He hit .333 with more than 3,000 hits, more than 700 stolen bases, more than 1,800 runs scored — ...

‘Boring’ Cardinals know how to win

“People say we’re boring,’’ Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright says. “That’s fine.

“But it’s kind of like the San Antonio Spurs, right? They just show up every year, play well, and act professionally.

“That’s who we are.

“We want to make news because we’re winning, not because we’re the loudest or act a certain way.’‘

The Cardinals have been the most consistent team in baseball since 2011. They’ve reached the National League Championship Series four consecutive years, winning one World Series ...

Moneyball or military: Can you distinguish sabermetrics terms from military acronyms? | FOX Sports

I can’t believe I missed one.

It’s Not Crazy, It’s Sports: ‘Being Mr. Met’ «

It sounds like being Mr. Met gives a guy a big head.

Pictures of New Ballpark Food Items « Ben’s Biz Blog

I’m not a health food nut but this stuff doesn’t look appealing. (OK, maybe I’d try the bacon on a stick. Who doesn’t like bacon?)

Arbitrator will decide whether Josh Hamilton should enter rehab - ESPN Los Angeles

While I sympathize with Hamilton battle with addiction and hope he wins this fight, I don’t believe it’s unreasonable that he should lose the money he won’t be earning during his time away from the game. This isn’t his first second chance. Mistakes have consequences. From what I’ve seen in my life, avoiding consequences after repeated mistakes doesn’t ultimately help the person change. Ultimately, whatever decision gets made, Josh Hamilton’s choices will control his future.

The arbitrator’s ...

‘I thought the bat looked slow’: Scouts on A-Rod | New York Post

If he’s used right, I expect Alex will have enough in the tank to be a net positive for the Yankees. Of course, while doing that, he will be the most expensive part-time player in history.

David Wright’s stand is how Mets foster Yankees-like intensity | New York Post

I agree with Joel Sherman. Organizations that consistently win have a culture that focuses on doing things that foster winning. At the core it’s about finding every possible way to increase a team’s odds of winning.

Locking Up Brian Dozier | FanGraphs Baseball

This doesn’t paint an optimistic view of Dozier’s future.

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 3-5-2015

Pittsburgh Press, March 5, 1915:

They are counting 10 on Hunter Hill, the Texan who startled by St. Louis by carrying a gun in his back pocket even on the playing field. Hunter has grown fat and can’t pick them up any more.

A gun in your pocket on the field? That seems ill-advised. Tim Raines’s cocaine vials are no longer the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard of an MLB player keeping in his back pocket during a game.

Mike Norris and the Moral Winter – The Hardball Times

Here’s a nice article about Mike Norris.

How Kevin Long is helping to rebuild Granderson’s swing | New York Post

“The comfort of knowing someone who knows their swing is so important,’’ Ricciardi said. “They can always go back to that guy and he can get them to the foundation. That’s really important. You can see that comfort level and it’s great for us, I think it’s going to reap a lot of benefits.

“When a player is struggling they have to have someone that they feel confident with so that when they say something, they get it immediately. Sometimes, working with someone new, you just ...

Ethier must prove his worth in crowded outfield | MLB.com

When was this?

Eighteen veteran outfielders with salaries of more than $5 million changed teams in the offseason, going to 16 different teams, and that list doesn’t include the likes of Wil Myers, Jonny Gomes, Ichiro Suzuki, Seth Smith, Matt Joyce and Heisey. Yet there was no market for Ethier, who not so long ago was viewed as a possible free-agent prize for teams like the Red Sox and Cubs.

Quartet of Arizona hurlers twirl scoreless outings | dbacks.com

Catching prospect Peter O’Brien rapped out a pair of hits in three at-bats and also played well behind the plate.

“The most important thing for us—we know he is going to swing the bat and do some damage—we’re really watching that catching,” Hale said. “I asked the umpire at one point how he felt with him in front of him and he said he did a good job and was showing him the ball well. He did a good job with the pitchers. This guy has really, really improved behind the plate. He’s bilingual, ...

Mariners’ Walker poised to turn potential into production | mariners.com

“You know what potential means?” said McClendon. “It means you haven’t done anything yet.”

Taillon ready to shed top prospect label - Timesonline.com: Pirates/MLB

“What I’m seeing (is) that he’s feeling real good, the ball is coming out of his hand very nice,” Pirates pitching coach Ray Searage said after a recent spring training workout. “He looks free and easy. You don’t have to watch him long to understand why he is so highly regarded.”

Bryan Price wants Reds to run like Pete Rose

If I were a betting man, I’d bet that all managers feel the same way.

Utah company making a style statement with bat grip tape in baseball - The Globe and Mail

I was never a fan of bat tape.

Alex Rodriguez Mocked, Ridiculed On Front Page Of New York Post (Photo) | NESN.com

That’s a harsh headline. (Click through to the article.)

Cactus League will help determine roles - ESPN Chicago

Cubs questions.

ESPN: Diamondbacks Offering Churro Dog

For the foodies:

The Arizona Diamondbacks will try to top the success of last year’s 18-inch bacon-and-cheese-stuffed corn dog by offering a dessert. Team president and CEO Derrick Hall told ESPN.com on Tuesday that the team’s star concession item this year will be a Churro Dog.

The Churro Dog is a warm cinnamon churro sitting inside a Long John chocolate-glazed donut, which is then topped with frozen yogurt, caramel and chocolate sauces. Its estimated calorie count is 1,117.

“We’ve ...

The Economist: Spring forward

A summary of a Sloan Sports Analytics Conference presentation demonstrating that properly deployed spring training statistics can indeed improve preseason projections.

Incorporating spring training improved the correlation between preseason projections and final results from .578 to .593 for hitters (using OPS) and from .354 to .387 for pitchers (using ERA)...

ZiPS projected the 2% of hitters whose forecasts were most helped by spring training for a combined .709 OPS, while they actually ...

Crane Kenney: Cubs Considered Playing A Season In Milwaukee

The Chicago Cubs of Milwaukee?

Crane Kenney’s statement indicates that they had considered playing an entire season—perhaps 2015?—at Miller Park, which would have given them from September 2014 to April 2016 to do significant work at Wrigley Field.

Logistically, this would have created significant issues for Cubs season-ticket holders who live, say, anywhere south of the Lake/Cook county line in Illinois. Even that line is about 70 miles from Miller Park; those season-ticket holders who ...

Opening up about Mets visit, Murphy comments | MLB.com

MLB picked the right man for this job.

When I took this job at MLB, I knew it was going to take time for many to embrace my message of inclusion. Expecting everyone to be supportive right away is simply not realistic. If you asked anyone who has competed in high-level men’s professional sports, I believe they would agree with me. This doesn’t change the way I go about my business, or my belief in what I am doing, but it’s reality.

After reading his comments, I appreciate that Daniel spoke his ...