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 ...

The Most Competitive World Series of All-Time Formula

Let’s explore the difference between “excitement” and competition. What made the 1986 World Series between the Red Sox and the Mets an emotional rollercoaster was obviously the game-losing error, but it was also the fact that it occurred during extra innings play. There were multiple lead changes, in addition to the Mets as a team returning from a 2-0 Series deficit to win four of the next five games.

But something not everyone remembers is that there were no lead changes until Game 6 ...

Scherzer throws second immaculate inning

Scherzer struck out the side on 9 pitches for the second time in his career.

This seems more likely today than a 3 pitch inning.

What the baseball world looked like when Nolan Gorman, MLB’s first 2000s prospect, was born

Great little nugget here: Cardinals first-round pick Nolan Gorman was born on May 10, 2000.

He’s the first child of the 2000s to ever be drafted.

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

Toledo News-Bee, June 6, 1918:

Babe Ruth was again a herculean clouter on Wednesday, but his super-hitting failed to bring victory to the Red Sox, who were downed by the Indians.

Babe, for the fourth time in as many days, hit for four bases.

As I said yesterday, Wally Pipp led the American League with nine home runs the previous season. Ruth hit four dingers in four days.

OMNICHATTER misses 100% of the shots it doesn’t take, for June 6, 2018

Giants, Bumgarner lose ace’s long-awaited comeback game

There is truth in the notion that even if Madison Bumgarner is not at his best, he is better than most. So consider Bumgarner’s first big-league game in more than eight months Tuesday night a good down payment on better days.

Bumgarner showed some rust as he threw 82 pitches and still held the Diamondbacks to two second-inning runs over six innings, blending nicely into a rotation seems to have turned a corner the right way.

As Mets nosedive, GM Sandy Alderson says club will never go ‘extremist’ with rebuild

Not everyone is going to strip down the franchise and automatically become the Houston Astros or Chicago Cubs. Or even the Atlanta Braves. It’s not that simple. Besides, there’s a whole lot of pain involved in any rebuild; the Astros lost 324 games over a three-year span, finishing a combined 127 games out of first place.

“I don’t know why it’s become so popular,’’ Alderson says, “maybe it’s the product of the extremist. In our culture, you’re either really good or you ...

Oklahoma QB Kyler Murray drafted ninth by A’s, plans to play football

Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley made it clear over the last few days that he believed quarterback Kyler Murray would stay with the Sooners and play football this fall instead of immediately turning pro in baseball if he was drafted early. Turns out, Murray was drafted earlier than anyone expected ... and Riley was still right.

Though Murray was selected No. 9 overall in the 2018 MLB Draft by the Oakland A’s on Monday night, he confirmed a few hours later that he will play football for the ...

MLB Buys Rawlings From Newell Brands

Newell Brands Inc. is selling its Rawlings sporting-goods business to Seidler Equity Partners and Major League Baseball for $395 million, the latest transaction the consumer-brands conglomerate has reached to trim its portfolio and improve its operations…..

Rawlings, based in St. Louis, was founded in 1887 and includes the Rawlings, Miken and Worth brands. MLB said it is “particularly interested in providing even more input and direction on the production of the Official Ball of Major League ...

OMNICHATTER ain’t got no time for yo jibba-jabba! for June 5, 2018

Mike Trout Is on His Way to the Best Season Ever

On Sunday, Mike Trout went 0-for-3, failing to reach base via hit or walk for only the eighth time in a game he’s started this season. Even so, he helped his team win. With the Angels up 2-0 on Texas in the fifth, Delino DeShields drove a ball to the wall in left-center, 103 feet from where Trout was standing when the pitch left Tyler Skaggs’s hand. Based on the distance and direction of the wall and the ball, an average outfielder would have had only a 19 percent chance of corralling the ...

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 6-5-2018

Toledo News-Bee, June 5, 1918:

Babe Ruth, right now baseball’s demon clouter, hit his third home run in as many days into the right field bleachers at Detroit on Tuesday and helped Boston beat the Tigers.

Three home runs in three days doesn’t seem all that remarkable, but Wally Pipp led the 1917 American League in home runs. With nine.

Tigers select Auburn RHP Mize at No. 1

As expected, Detroit used its top pick in Monday’s MLB Draft on Mize, adding another talented pitcher to its arsenal of young arms general manager Al Avila has been stockpiling.

Mize tossed a no-hitter against Northeastern in March, propelling him toward a season worthy of his billing. The right-hander has gone 10-5 with a 2.95 ERA in 16 starts, striking out 151 batters over 109 2/3 innings with 77 hits allowed. Just as impressive, he surrendered just 12 walks.