Mariners pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. credits Taijuan Walker’s success to embracing mechanical changes | The Seattle Times

“At that point, he decided it was time to make some adjustments and changes,” Stottlemyre said.

The following day the two were out early before the game, playing catch and working on the changes that features a different leg kick and more hip turn to help him use his legs more and drive down the slope of the mound. It’s been a daily routine since then. They’ve spent hours together going over the changes. They were inseparable on the field, in the weight room and in front the video ...

Bill Murray not feeling fan selfie at Yankee Stadium | theScore.com

You want a selfie now???

Steven Wright injury: Headed to Fort Myers to initiate throwing program; Red Sox regular season in jeopardy | masslive.com

Dumbest move ever?

Wright originally injured his shoulder in early August while diving back to a bag as pinch-runner on the west coast. He landed on the disabled list, but upon his return in late August, Wright still felt symptoms and was not nearly as effective on the mound as he had been during his All-Star worthy first half.

Wright went for a second opinion on the shoulder in Los Angeles while the club was on its most recent west coast road trip. There is no structural damage, however, the ...

West Coast trip will show what Blue Jays are made of: Griffin | Toronto Star

“We have to start winning some games,” Gibbons said, stating the obvious. “We played good out there. I remember Donaldson had a big, big series. The West Coast has never been friendly, really, for anybody. It’s going to be a big test for us and Seattle has always been tough. They’ve got a good ballclub too. This next road trip will say a lot, I would say it determines what happens to us.”

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. on display at showcase | MLB.com

The next, next big thing.

Scouts in attendance were impressed with Gurriel’s physique and overall strength. They also noted good arm strength on defense. However, there is a belief is that he could use more at-bats against live pitching.

“What I showed today was a product of all of the hard work I have put in since I got here and in Miami,” Lourdes Jr. said. “I had trainers working really working hard from the beginning.”

Major League Baseball is co-producing a baseball drama aimed at Generation Z

Today, AwesomenessTV and Major League Baseball announced that their new scripted series “Out of My League” will premiere on September 19th on AwesomenessTV. The series features an all-star cast featuring Lauren Elizabeth Luthringshausen (3M fans) and Brian Redmon (654K fans) with Caeli Santa Olalla (16.9M fans) and Ryan Abe (857K fans). Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star center fielder, Joc Pederson (439K fans) also makes a special appearance.

Shot in and around legendary Dodger Stadium, “Out ...

MLB: Cherington Joins Blue Jays Front Office

The Blue Jays hired former Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington to be their vice president of baseball operations on Wednesday… He will report to executive vice president of baseball operations and general manager Ross Atkins.

VP of Baseball Ops sounds closer to the role I thought he wanted in Boston (President of Baseball Ops), but it’s one step further away. Per TFA the VP of Baseball Ops reports to the Executive VP of Baseball Ops, which is the GM in Toronto. So he’s an Assistant GM, ...

MLB announces 2017 regular season schedule

The Atlanta Braves will open SunTrust Field, their $1.1 billion home in suburban Cobb County, on April 14, 2017 against the San Diego Padres, Major League Baseball announced on Wednesday.

The 2017 season will begin for the second consecutive year with a Sunday tripleheader, as the New York Yankees will play at the Tampa Bay Rays, and the Arizona Diamondbacks will play host to the San Francisco Giants on April 2. A third game, yet to be announced, will be moved to the Sunday night slot.

The ...

Mike Trout’s real MVP problem? He’s just not that interesting

We take Mike Trout’s greatness for granted.

How one World Series play 30 years ago shaped a beautiful baseball bromance | For The Win

Thankfully, I can now laugh at 1986.

All things considered, Astros superior to Rangers - Houston Chronicle

OK, this was pretty silly.

(Read the Google cache version.)

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 9-14-2016

Harrisburg Telegraph, September 14, 1916:

Denied admission to the baseball park by officials of the Petersburg Virginia League Club, Umpire Buckley, assigned to officiate at yesterday’s game with Newport News, crawled through a hole in the fense, declared the game forfeited to Newport News, and then was taken to jail on a trespass warrant sworn out by the city collector…The incident caused a near-riot among the fans.

I should say so. That’s not something you see every day.

Cody Allen on His Weird Year (2016 Version) | FanGraphs Baseball

On bullpen usage and leverage: “The way Tito has been doing it… he hasn’t just gotten crazy to where it’s the fifth inning and he puts in Andrew Miller. He knows he can’t warm up Andrew every time a hairy situation comes up. But I think [using your best relievers in high-leverage situations] provides value to a club. That’s especially true when you have a couple of guys willing to do it.

“Of course, Andrew matches up well against anybody, whether they’re right-handed or ...

Texas Rangers: Rangers’ belief in each other allows them to keep winning games they shouldn’t win | SportsDay

Ya gotta believe!

So, if you are looking for the secret to the approach, it starts with belief.

“I think that’s the No. 1 asset you can have beyond talent,” Banister said. “There has got to be belief and buy-in. It sure looks like our guys have bought in.”

Jacoby Ellsbury’s overpaid on many nights but not this one | New York Post

Here’s what it says: Ellsbury gets too big a paycheck for what he contributes to the team. He’s a B- player with an A+ salary. It says that Girardi wisely doesn’t concern himself about dollars or reputations. Starting the righty-swinging Refsnyder in left field, with Brett Gardner sliding over to center field, was the proper move with Urias on the hill.

Braves’ Freddie Freeman reaches 500 RBIs | MLB.com

“I didn’t really think [hitting 30 homers] would happen, especially after the start [of the season] and obviously coming off an injury. You don’t know how it’s going to hold up,” Freeman said. “Just to stay healthy for a whole year is a big enough accomplishment for me. It just eases everything for me going forward into my career.”

Having just celebrated his 27th birthday on Monday, Freeman is surging into what might be his prime with the confidence he has gained while hitting .334/.434/.632 ...

COONEY: Herrera could end up shuffling himself out of Phillies’ outfield picture | Phillies | buckscountycouriertimes.com

Wishcasting.

All of those things added together makes trading Herrera not an outrageous possibility this offseason. Matt Klentak showed last year that he was willing to part with young players with attractive potential in the Ken Giles trade. And given the inconsistency that Herrera has shown in two major-league seasons, perhaps this would be a wise time to move him.

That stroke can be unorthodox and potent. It can also deliver good results at times. But if it doesn’t become a steadier ...

OMNICHATTER 9-14-16

The OMNICHATTER has not been called about the Twins job yet.

Vin Scully Will Not Call Dodgers Playoff Games

Getcher Vin Scully fix in the regular season. After that, there aint no more.

For Brewers, Dodgers, clock hasn’t run out on Ryan Braun-Yasiel Puig trade

Braun and Puig were about 20 minutes from being traded to the Dodgers two weeks ago, according to several executives with direct knowledge of their trade talks, but the teams ran out of time at the Aug. 31 trade deadline.

The executives spoke to USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the talks.

Braun was being traded to the Dodgers, who would pay the entire $76 million in his contract, for outfielder Yasiel Puig, injured veteran pitcher Brandon McCarthy and ...

Minnesota Twins set to interview Cubs exec Jason McLeod

The search expands.

A few hours before Dozier connected off a Daniel Norris fastball in the third inning, the Twins formally requested permission to interview Chicago Cubs executive Jason McLeod for their top baseball operations job. Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer confirmed the request, telling reporters he expected the interview to take place.

“There’s probably not a better scouting and player-development guy out there,” Hoyer told the Chicago Tribune. “He has all the skills to do ...

The Blue Jays and Rays almost brawled over absolutely nothing

This is where things get weird. Souza heard catcher Russell Martin say something to him, and since Souza had taken some time to admire what ended up being a flyout, he thought Martin was criticizing him. But that’s not what started things. Here’s what Souza said to Topkin:

“I thought Russ was saying something about it, which would have been on me, totally,” Souza explained. “And I was saying, ‘Dude, I’m sorry, I thought I got it.’

This is the most important part of this really ...

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 9-13-2016

Pittsburgh Press, September 13, 1916:

Hal Chase, in spite of being a left handed thrower, has played magnificently at second base for the Reds. The records show that the only southpaw infielders of any account were Hulen, Keeler, and Jimmy Ryan.

I understand why left-handed infielders are so rare, but it does seem like an extremely talented lefty first baseman (Keith Hernandez in his prime, for instance) could have pulled it off. Okay, maybe they might drill a few baserunners in the face with ...

Mets fire Wally Backman after manager went rogue

Wally Backman’s tenure in the Mets organization officially concluded Monday, with general manager Sandy Alderson’s announcement the popular figure from the 1986 World Series-winning club has resigned to pursue other opportunities.

But a club source indicated Backman was fired.

Backman spent the last seven years managing in the minors for the Mets. He guided the organization’s Triple-A team at Buffalo and Las Vegas for the last five years. In 2014 he was named Pacific Coast League ...

Anyone see this coming from Kyle Hendricks? | Sports on Earth

A funny thing happened on the way to mediocrity.

OMNICHATTER 9-13-16

The OMNICHATTER wears sunglasses at night.

Another Milestone Approaches for Mike Trout (Yawn)

Mike Trout is a few “Mike Trout” games away from notching his second 10-WAR season. Combined, the rest of major league baseball has zero. 

Trout’s career has essentially been one long milestone to this point, so marking another 10-WAR season probably doesn’t warrant a plaque in his personal trophy room (though there’s plenty of room where his multiple MVPs should be).

Adam Jones on MLB’s lack of Kaepernick protest: ‘Baseball is a white man’s sport’

“We already have two strikes against us already,’’ Baltimore Orioles All-Star center fielder Adam Jones told USA TODAY Sports, “so you might as well not kick yourself out of the game. In football, you can’t kick them out. You need those players. In baseball, they don’t need us.

“Baseball is a white man’s sport.’’

Indeed, African Americans comprise 68% of the player population in the NFL, and 74% in the NBA. That number is just 8% in baseball, with only 69 African-Americans ...

OMNICHATTER 9-12-16

If Cookie Monster ate the OMNICHATTER, it’d be the the OM-NOM-NOM-NICHATTER

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 9-12-2016

...in which a quiet, intelligent, thoughtful ballplayer who mostly kept to himself threatens to beat the crap out of every single person on his own team. In the leadup to this incident, the Dodgers had lost seven of nine and had fallen out of first place.

Pittsburgh Press, September 12, 1916:

In one corner of the [locker] room Jack Coombs arose, quietly and unobserved.

“Boys, I would like to talk with you for a few moments,” he said. Now, the Brooklyn ball club has been talked to before, often ...