Five Notes On the Ridiculous Pablo Sandoval

A teaser:

I can’t … It’s just … that is so beautiful and hilarious. Again, that’s batting-average against from the catcher’s perspective, so picture a lefty-swinging Sandoval with his back to you over on the right side of your screen. The place you go in the strike zone is in on his hands but, for goodness sake, don’t go too far in! If you miss outside the zone and come close to hitting him, he kind of rakes those pitches. Which doesn’t make sense. But, hey, neither does Sandoval. ...Read More...

Richie Ashburn’s Widow in Tears Over His Endangered Gladwyne Grave

It has been nearly 16 years since Philadelphia lost Richie Ashburn, one of the greatest Phillies players of all time. The beloved Hall of Famer, who played for the team from 1948 through 1959, died of a heart attack in 1997 after broadcasting a Phillies-Mets game from Shea Stadium. His family buried him in the cemetery outside of Gladwyne Methodist Church, where all was quiet until some developers announced plans to turn the church into condos and put a parking lot next to the cemetery. ...

FanGraphs: Cameron: The 2013 Cubs: Better Than We Think

Light at the end of the ridiculously low-ceilinged tunnel.

The Cubs have actually played pretty good baseball when sequencing is not considered. By wOBA differential, they’ve been a well above average team. Their record is almost entirely a reflection of the power of the timing of various events.

In our Win Probability section, we track a stat called “Clutch”, which basically looks at the wins a team has gained or lost due to the leverage of the game when their positive or negative ...

The night Ted Turner managed the Braves

Maybe Magic Johnson would like to try his hand in the Dodgers dugout?

Ted Turner was the “Mouth of the South,” “Terrible Ted” and “Captain Outrageous,” a brash, outspoken business mogul who had a golden touch.

He launched the first successful cable news network with CNN, sailed to victory in the America’s Cup and used his cable empire to turn his Atlanta Braves into “America’s Team.”

But 36 years ago this month, Turner discovered there was one thing he couldn’t do: manage his own baseball ...

USA Today: This college baseball team is the best at postgame interviews

Justin Turner, take notes.

Mariners sending Jesus Montero to Triple-A

Amen amen there’s a lower power.

Bold move in Seattle, as the Mariners are optioning catcher Jesus Montero to Triple-A Tacoma, reports Ryan Divish of the Tacoma News-Tribune.

Montero, whom the M’s acquired from the Yankees as part of the Michael Pineda deal, was ranked by Baseball America as the sixth-best overall prospect coming into 2012. This season, however, Montero has authored a grim batting line of .208/.264/.327 in addition to playing spotty defense in his 225 1/3 innings behind the ...

Demystifying Red Sox Ownership - What Do They Do? (WEEI)

“I have [former Red Sox CEO] John Harrington’s old office. The day he turned over the reins, he was sitting at the desk and handed me his pen with a warm smile,” Henry wrote in an email.“I still have it. Red ink. I work more of my hours though in my home offices in Florida and in Brookline. But there is nothing like driving into Fenway Park to go to work. I am thankful every day that I get to do that. It’s one big reason why these rumors of a potential sale of the Red Sox are so ...

Leyland breaks his own rule, lets Verlander get win after delay

Must…let…him…tie…Bob…Purkey…in…career…wins…at…all…cost…...

Wednesday, though, Leyland got a little sentimental. After a 65-minute stoppage in the fifth inning, he let Justin Verlander go back into the game and get the two outs he needed to pick up the victory.

“Since I got here in 2006, that guy has been our horse, and tonight was a reward for that,” Leyland told FOX Sports Detroit’s Shannon Hogan after Detroit’s 11-7 win over the Indians. “I stretched it for five minutes because of what he’s ...

Mets’ Ike Davis On Struggles: ‘I Can’t Do Any Worse’

IKEA: Join our free loyalty program!

Despite growing calls for his demotion, Davis won’t be sent down to Triple-A before Friday’s series opener against the Braves, according to the New York Daily News.

“Maybe after the weekend,” a source told the paper.

It’s been a frustrating season for Davis, batting .147 with nine RBIs after getting off to a miserable start last year, too.

“I know I’m going to play better, especially hitting-wise. I can’t do any worse,” he said. “If ...

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 5-23-2013

Milwaukee Journal, May 23, 1913:

Big Ed Walsh, twirling star of the White Sox, announced today that he has joined the faculty of a correspondence school and hereafter must be addressed as “Professor”. For a paper dollar Walsh will send out to aspirants for fame six lessons on the science of moistening the ball and putting it where the batter’s bat isn’t. Walsh starts his classes Monday.

This is not something that strikes me as a useful service. Nonetheless, I’d love to be able to read Walsh’s ...

FanGraphs: Sullivan: Vance Worley and Losing the Magic

Mescaline Mike, to me at the bar. “If you want a real sleeper for your fantasy team this year…think Vance Worley.” #mind-fogging

Vance Worley just got clobbered again, this time by the Braves. There’s no set and certain point at which a start turns into an official clobbering, but looking through Worley’s 2013 game log, I’d say this was the fifth or sixth time he’s been clobbered, in ten games. That’s an ugly ratio, and to make matters worse, recall that Worley was Minnesota’s ...

Daugherty: Brandon Phillips has been Reds’ MVP so far

Ow. Ow. Ow. Mouthbreathers/Mindbreathers now on full tilt boogie replay. (better now)

In some ways, we take Phillips for granted. Especially his glove. I’ve watched the Reds actively since I arrived here in ’88. Bret Boone was good. Pokey Reese could be spectacular, but not always steady. No one has been in BP’s universe. (Nor in the league. How he has only 3 Gold Gloves is a black hole mystery. Darwin Barney: Hahaha.)

But his offense is the MV reason he is his team’s best player now, ...

Don Mattingly rips into players and makeup of Dodgers

Hitting Is Simple (and so is the manager).

Manager Don Mattingly benched Andre Ethier for the Dodgers’ series finale at Miller Park on Wednesday, saying he did so because he wanted to field a lineup “that’s going to fight and compete the whole day.”

Asked if he was trying to send a message to Ethier, Mattingly replied, “We’re last place in the National League West. Last year, at this point, we’re playing a lineup that basically has nobody in it, that fights and competes and ...

Astros vendor brings snow cones into bathroom stall, gets fired

Astros snow cone vendor just doesn’t give a crap.

OMNICHATTER for MAY 23, 2013

Only five games today? Yeesh. Well, Kevin Gausman gets his MLB debut. Or, since he went to LSU, I guess it is his debeaux.

Mitchell: Pedroia, Cano and Magical Thinking

Pedroiadolia: The psychological phenomenon of seeing wacko images on dirty uniforms.

The narratives around the two players, however, could not be different. Pedroia is almost the prototype of the over-achieving “scrappy” player. He is a 5’8” middle infielder who does the little things well. This ignores that he was also a second round draft choice who played baseball at a top baseball school. Cano, on the other hand is bigger, more athletic and does not project scrappiness at all. Throughout ...

Chase Utley ‘scared’ by injury, could be headed to DL

“I scare myself
and I don’t mean lightly
I scare myself
it can get frightenin’”

Chase Utley swung for the first time in batting practice Tuesday and it did not feel right. He took a second hack, then another, and one more. That is when he went to Charlie Manuel and told him his right side hurt.

“It definitely scared me a little bit,” Utley said Wednesday.

Depending on what an MRI examination Thursday in Philadelphia shows, the Phillies could be without their second baseman and top offensive ...

Jose Canseco to join Ft. Worth Cats as player/coach… or maybe not.

Former Rangers slugger Jose Canseco posted some “breaking news” today on his Twitter account:

Breaking news this is a first folks las vegas police was just at my house i have been charged with rape by a [name withheld] from las vegas — Jose Canseco (@JoseCanseco) May 22, 2013

He goes on to tweet a photo of the fitness model, along with her phone number (stay classy, Jose), then suggests a polygraph to “get the ball rolling.”

“Stay tuned to another day in the life of jose ...

Verducci: Offensive decline leads list of 10 early-season trends to watch

And not clicking on Verducci is quickly becoming another one!

1. Hitting in the major leagues is fundamentally broken

What will it take for teams to start admitting that this passive-aggressive, run-up-the-pitch-count philosophy isn’t working? Apparently almost a decade of declining results isn’t enough. Entering this week:

• The number of hits per game is down for the seventh straight year.

• On base percentage has been stagnant or down for the seventh straight year.

• Strikeouts ...

ESPN: Forging bond with Pete Rose has helped fuel Joey Votto’s desire to be great

How many Votto triads of numbers have not yet been drawn?!

Several years ago, Votto was standing in the on-deck circle at Great American Ball Park while Pete Rose was watching from a box seat. The two men struck up a conversation, and the Hit King passed along a few pearls of wisdom that resonated. Among other things, he told Votto that it’s no sin to reach for the last cookie in the jar. Rose would never have amassed 4,256 hits if he didn’t have a touch of the greed-monger in him.

“Early in ...

Sources: O’s calling up Kevin Gausman

Guys, the Orioles have pitching prospects not named Dylan Bundy!

The Baltimore Orioles hope this year’s high-profile midseason call-up is as good as last year’s high-profile midseason call-up.

The Orioles will promote right-hander Kevin Gausman from Class-AA Bowie to make his major league debut Thursday against Toronto, major league sources told FOXSports.com.

Gausman is reaching the majors less than one year after the Orioles selected him in the first round of the 2012 draft. He is 2-4 ...

Megdal: The Reds have grown up together as a team

Scroggy Durnbaugh...all a part of The Reds Way.

For his part, Reds manager Dusty Baker believes there’s a commonality to his group that makes them better collectively, and perhaps even easier to manage.

“I don’t know if it’s easier,” Baker said, pondering as he sat in his visiting manager’s office at Citi Field Tuesday afternoon, surrounded by a few reporters. “But consistency is a key over time [building a club]. I was on the Dodgers like that, I came in to a locker room that was like that. ...

Gattis, Freeman lead Braves past Twins 5-4 in 10th

The Braves have a problem: They can’t hold late inning leads because all their non-Kimbrel relievers keep getting hurt.

The Braves have a solution to their problem: More Evan Gattis pinch hit home runs.

Evan Gattis just keeps coming through for the Atlanta Braves.

The rookie hit a two-out, pinch-hit homer in the ninth to send the game to extra innings and Freddie Freeman won it in the 10th, sending the Braves to their fifth straight win, 5-4 over the slumping Minnesota Twins on Tuesday ...

Gonzales: No plans to dismantle White Sox

Yeah, and the White Sox had no plans to dismantle when they raved about Joe Borchard.

General manager Rick Hahn said it’s too early to consider rebuilding the White Sox, although there was an interesting development Monday night.

Second baseman Gordon Beckham started at shortstop in his third game on a minor league rehabilitation assignment for Triple-A Charlotte.

...“We haven’t altered our plan since we left spring training, which was if we’re in a position to contend, we’ll add,” Hahn ...

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 5-22-2013

Pittsburgh Press, May 22, 1913:

George Suggs, the Red pitcher, who is badly in the dumps on account of his illness, which prevents him from taking his regular turn in the box, came to Manager Tinker today and made a sportsmanlike proposition. The Kinston citizen declared that he is sick with sore throat and stomach trouble, and asked of his own accord to be laid off without pay until he is in shape to work. He told Joe that he was ashamed to be drawing salary without delivering the goods…

...

Mike Trout hits for the cycle in Angels’ 12-0 win over Seattle

No Frownland here…

The Angels broke out the disco ball in the clubhouse, and why not? That was quite a party.

Mike Trout, the guest of honor, became the youngest player in American League history to hit for the cycle. Josh Hamilton, the birthday boy, enjoyed two rounds of serenades from the crowd. The Angels posted their most lopsided victory of the season, a 12-0 rout of the Seattle Mariners.

The fans even went home with party favors — Mike Trout pint glasses, in honor of a player of ...

Arizona Diamondbacks broadcaster Bob Brenly says it’s time for robo-umps in baseball

Uhh, there’s already a robo-broadcaster in Bob Lorenz…so I’d watch what I wish for, Brenly.

“I’m telling you,” Brenly said on the air, “you get into extra innings, you get into the late innings of a close ballgame, you don’t want the umpire to determine who wins a ballgame.”

Brenly is a former major-league player and manager, but unlike many of his contemporaries, he’s ready for change in the way the game is officiated. He’s ready for new technology to step in. He’s ready ...

Seamheads.com Adds 1928 Negro Leagues Data

Today we add the 1928 Negro leagues to the DB.  This was the year the Eastern Colored League fell apart, putting an end to the first edition of the Black World Series.  Meanwhile the Negro National League continued with a split-season format.  The St. Louis Stars won the first half going away; in the second half, the American Giants just edged the Stars and the Kansas City Monarchs, setting up an NNL championship series with St. Louis that would take the place of the World Series that year. ...Read More...

OMNICHATTER for MAY 22, 2013

Come all baseball fans of all stripe and loyalty! Come to the Omnichatter!

ESPN: Chapman Eats18 Pastries, Blows Save

Mentioned this is the Chris Sale thread, but by that time the healthy eaters had taken over, and this deserves its own thread, anyway:

Phillies broadcaster Rickie Ricardo told Sports Radio 94 WIP in Philadelphia on Monday morning that he delivered 100 Cuban pastries (two boxes of 50) to Chapman this weekend and when he saw the reliever in the clubhouse Sunday morning, Chapman had eaten about 18 of them. “He couldn’t breathe!” Ricardo said. “I looked at my partner, I said, ‘He’s ripe for the ...