THT: Jaffe: 25th anniversary: Rob Neyer writes a letter

Box Scores Tops: The Letter.

Today marks a rather strange anniversary. For most of the baseball world, it doesn’t mean a thing. It had nothing to do with any game being played. (Who plays games in November anyway?) It wasn’t any transaction or front officer maneuvering.

It was one guy who was underemployed writing a letter to another guy who was self-employed. And they all lived happily ever after.

On Nov. 13, 1988, a young man who had just dropped out of college and didn’t know what ...

Boston Red Sox might be willing to overpay free-agent catcher Carlos Ruiz - FOX Sports on MSN

I am not a huge fan of Ruiz but he very well might be a decent stop gap for the Red Sox.

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 11-13-2013

Pittsburgh Press, November 13, 1913:

An Australian paper, speaking of the coming visit of the Giants and White Sox world touring baseball teams, says: “The tour should give a much to be desired fillip to the game here by enabling local players to witness the skill displayed by some of the best players in America. It is to be hoped as a result of the tour that in due course strong combinations of Australian and other British players will visit America to take part in international games.”

100 ...

Fitch: When Great Isn’t Good Enough

Create distinction! And Joey Votto certainly does that.

Joey Votto is no god. He will, however, be making an ungodly sum of money shortly playing baseball for the Cincinnati Reds. But, there are more than expectations and even money at play here. Unlike Ted Williams, Joey MVP has the added burden of standing at a historical fork in the road where Old School Avenue and Advanced Metrics Boulevard collide.

Are the Reds headed down the road too often traveled? Do you even care? Consider this ...

Bill Madden: Tainted bats Cruz and Paralta make sense for Mets

Taking a break from swinging through his Hudson-DeLange Orchestra box set, Madden files…

But if he doesn’t get Granderson, where might Alderson go for the bats he needs? I say he should think Biogenesis.

After all, Alderson has never seemed to have a problem with drug-tainted players, going all the way back to his days in Oakland when, whether he knew it or not, the Bash Brothers, Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire, were alleged to have been shooting up steroids in the bathroom stalls of the ...

Blue Jays’ Mark DeRosa announces his retirement

As his 16th big-league season drew to a close, Mark DeRosa sounded like he might go for 17.

And the Toronto Blue Jays were ready to bring him back, picking up his US$750,000 option for 2014. But even though he agreed to the club option when he signed his Toronto contract, in the end he decided he was unwilling to play again for that salary – the same amount he was paid in 2013.

On Tuesday, the Blue Jays announced that the veteran utility player had decided to retire.

DeRosa spent one year ...

ShutDownInning/Kelly: Twice: Darvish Flirts with History

Nice detailed analysis of the differences between Yu Darvish at his best and at his worst:

In looking further at his slider, during the two best starts, it was extraordinarily effective. The table below illustrates the effectiveness of his slider during the April 2 and August 12 starts.

Compare that table to the same information from the bad starts on July 6 and September 4, and it becomes clear that when Yu’s slider is off, hitters are jumping on it.

Another interesting ...

Schoenfield: The Hall of Fame mess gets messier

That gets to the bigger mess: What is the Hall of Fame? Is it a place to honor the best players? The most famous players? Those—players, executives, managers—who had the biggest impact on the game’s history? I suspect the BBWAA, if polled as a group, would say it’s trying to elect the best players, not just the most famous ones, although in reality it’s some intricate combination of the two.

With its tough threshold for election and continued division on how to handle PEDs, the BBWAA elected ...

Coppock: Are The White Sox Still In Business?

No Coppocky for Kitty (Skip Steps 1 2 & 3)

Who the hell runs your media relations anyways? Richie Incognito?

Why in the name of “Shoeless” Joe Jackson would you announce the arrival of Jose Abreu on the same day the a little known player named Derrick Rose and the Bulls opened up their regular season in South Florida against the James gang? You talk about the wrong pitch on the wrong day. You would have been better off having Abreu pose in his new jersey this past Monday when the Bears ...

Yankees to play exhibition games in Panama to honor Mariano Rivera

I think we’re reaching the point where “honoring” turns into “stalking…”

Terry Francona of Cleveland Indians, Clint Hurdle of Pittsburgh Pirates honored as top managers - ESPN

Francona and Hurdle win Manager of the Year.

Strat-O-Celebrity Q & A with Bob Costas

Question: When did you first start playing Strat-O-Matic? Who introduced you to the game?

Bob Costas: 1964 and I was 12 years old. Introduced to the game by my 14 year old cousin.

Q: All-time favorite card to play with? Favorite season to replay?

Bob Costas:  My all-time favorite card was a 1966 Gary Geiger. He hit under 200 that year for the Atlanta Braves, but he did have a half dozen or so home runs in only about 100 at bats. So, he had a fairly prominent home run possibility on his ...

Atlanta Magazine: The Other 284 Days

From June of 2013, but relevant this week…

Report: Phillies signing Marlon Byrd to two-year deal

A Marlon Anderson signing cannot be too far off.

The Phillies are reportedly about to sign Pirates outfielder Marlon Byrd, according to 94 WIP.

Byrd, originally drafted by the Phillies, made his big league debut with them in 2002. After several bottoming out years, Byrd hit .291 this season with an .847 OPS at 35 years old.

In late August, the Mets were about to hold Marlon Byrd t-shirt night, in appreciation of the 35-year-old slugger’s somewhat surprising offensive output on the year. ...

SB Nation Winter Meetings Simulation

Sorry to self-link, but a few people had expressed interest in seeing how this turned out. I took 30 fans, made them the GM of their respective team, and had them negotiate trades with each other, and free agent contracts with me. After one week, this is the end result.

I know the first instinct is to say, “that trade/signing is ridiculous!” Which is of course, our response to most real transactions. But the whole point of this exercise was that I was tired of fans saying “player X won’t get ...

Bunch: Atlanta’s Turner Field Is Dying—And American Sanity Is Dying With It

There’s so much else that it’s hard to know where to begin. There’s the fact that the Braves are leaving a ballpark served by mass transit for one that would be located at one of the most traffic-congested intersections (I-75 and I-285) in America, pumping tons of unnecessary carbon pollution into the air. The fact that this is just slightly less egregious than what’s happening with Atlanta’s also pretty new, also fully functional football stadium the Georgia Done (which opened way back in… ...

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 11-12-2013

Pittsburgh Press, November 12, 1913:

Baseball came very near breaking up the [Baltimore] Temple Baptist church. Charles A. Ruth, one of the trustees, organized a team from the Sunday school which beat all others in the neighborhood. Proud of his club, Ruth sought to raise money to buy uniforms by giving entertainments in the church basement. To this the Rev. Oscar Lee Downs, the pastor, objected, and when the trustees voted against him he tendered his resignation. This was rejected by the ...

The voter who snubbed Dodgers’ Yasiel Puig explains why

At first, this looked like a light-hearted William Keighley sequel.

The lone writer who left Yasiel Puig off his National League rookie of the year ballot said Monday he considered the Dodgers outfielder among “four really good candidates for three spots.”

Jose Fernandez of the Miami Marlins won the award, with 26 of the 30 first-place votes. He was the only player named on every ballot.

Puig finished second, with the other four first-place votes. He got 25 second-place votes.

Voters list ...

Zambrano ‘definitely interested in continuing career’

From Theo to Theodorakis…cue ‘em up!

But would Zambrano ever come back to Wrigley Field or make an appearance at Cubs Convention? 

“I have no doubt that he would,” agent Barry Praver said Monday in the lobby of the JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes. “Carlos speaks very fondly of Chicago and Cubs fans. Always.”

As the general manager meetings began here, Praver confirmed that his client is trying to make a comeback, pitching back home in Venezuela and hoping for another shot at ...

Grantland: Who will be the face of baseball’s steroid era: Bud Selig or Alex Rodriguez?

That The Greatest Scandal That Absolutely Ever Was has come down to a faceoff between Rodriguez and Selig is proof enough of what a comic opera the whole escapade has been from the beginning. The hysteria over PEDs in baseball — and, thus, in every sport — has unfolded the way in which all drug hysterias in the history of this country have unfolded. It has been fueled by misplaced moral panic, anecdotal evidence, anonymous slander, and a fundamental disregard for legal and constitutional ...

Heyman: Tigers to teams: Open to trading either Scherzer or Porcello

How to Prepare Leeks Video and Steps | Real Simple

Some rival general managers remain skeptical that the Tigers, a team that’s spent to win in recent years, would actually trade Scherzer. But as we reported last month, Tigers people have been weighing that very possibility.

The issue apparently is that Scherzer, who is represented by Scott Boras, has only a year remaining before he’s a free agent.

BBWAA: Jose Fernandez named 2013 NL Rookie of the Year

Miami Marlins righthander Jose Fernandez, who emerged into a staff ace in his first major-league season, was the National League winner of the Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award in balloting by the BBWAA announced on MLB Network.

Fernandez (12-6, 2.19 ERA) placed first on 26 of 30 ballots cast by two writers representing each league city and second on the other four for a total of 142 points, based on the 5-3-1 tabulation system. He was the only player listed on every ballot and became ...

BBWAA: Wil Myers named 2013 AL Rookie of the Year

Tampa Bay right fielder Wil Myers, who was called up from the minor leagues June 18 and helped the Rays’ push to a wild-card postseason berth, was the American League winner of the Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award in balloting by the BBWAA that was announced on MLB Network.

Myers (.293, 13 HR, 53 RBI) was listed first on 23 of the 30 ballots submitted by two writers representing each league city, second on five ballots and third on one to score 131 points, based on a system that ...

Tomo Ohka Attempting Big League Comeback as Knuckleballer

A good knuckleball has the unique ability to revive a baseball career. Tomo Ohka is looking to harness the pitch’s magic.

Ohka, who last appeared in the majors with the Indians in 2009, is attempting to make it back to The Show as a knuckleballer, according to NikkanSports.com. The 37-year-old reportedly turned to the pitch after having shoulder surgery in 2011.

[...]

Ohka posted a 3.73 ERA in 21 games with the Toyama Thunderbirds of Japan’s Baseball Challenge League in 2013, and arrived ...

Rangers sign Martin Perez to four-year, $12.5 million deal

The Texas Rangers locked up another young player with a long-term deal, and both view it as mutually beneficial.

The Rangers and left-hander Martin Perez agreed to a four-year contract through 2017 with $12.5 million guaranteed. There are three club options at the end of it that could take it through the 2020 season.

Nelson Cruz declines qualifying offer from Texas Rangers

Nelson Cruz will test the free-agent market this off-season after rejecting a one-year qualifying offer from the Texas Rangers ahead of the Monday afternoon deadline.

Baseball America: 2014 Chicago Cubs Top 10 Prospects

The entire Carmen fanzone hasn’t been this excited in decades!

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

1. Javier Baez, ss
2. Kris Bryant, 3b
3. C.J. Edwards, rhp
4. Albert Almora, of
5. Jorge Soler, of
6. Pierce Johnson, rhp
7. Arismendy Alcantara, 2b/ss
8. Jeimer Candelario, 3b
9. Dan Vogelbach, 1b
10. Arodys Vizcaino, rhp

Shortstop Javier Baez ranked second in the minors with 37 home runs, and the 2011 first-round pick hit 20 of them in 54 games at Double-A Tennessee. The system’s top prospect could move off ...

Minnesota Twins’ Joe Mauer to move from catcher to first base | twinsbaseball.com: News

Football isn’t the only sport dealing with concussion issues.

After consultation with doctors from the Mayo Clinic and team doctors, and given the inherent risks of future injury at the catcher position, the organization and Mauer said they determined that it would be in the best interest of both parties for a position change.

Braves plan to build new stadium in Cobb

The Atlanta Braves plan to build a new stadium in Cobb County and move there from Turner Field at the start of the 2017 season, team officials said today.

Braves executives John Schuerholz, Mike Plant and Derek Schiller, in a meeting with a small group of reporters, said the new ballpark will be built at the northwest intersection of I-75 and I-285 in the Galleria/Cumberland Mall area. They said the team has “secured” 60 acres of land for the project.

The Braves said the project will be ...

The 2013 Gold Gloves and the SABR Defensive Index - Beyond the Box Score

Congrats to all the BBTF members who contributed to the process!

Well, last year Rawlings announced that they would be using input from the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) to help decide the winners of the Gold Glove awards going forward. At the time, there was quite a bit of healthy skepticism about the who, what and how of this new methodology, but then the 2013 Gold Gloves came out, and most sabermetrically-minded folks had precious little to complain about.*

* - Little to ...