CSN to host ‘Phillies at the Beach’ on Memorial Day

Enoching those home runs over the wall!
East side, West side,
everybody’s coming down!

Comcast SportsNet and the Phillies will be the hosts when the Phillies play the New York Mets at 1 p.m. on Memorial Day, Monday, May 28. Atlantic City, N.J., will be the location. CSN will set up a giant screen in the sand, where the beach meets the Boardwalk at Arkansas Avenue. Pre-game festivities will include a visit from the Phillie Phanatic and the Phillies ball girls. It will also feature a baseball ...

TFT: Mitchell: The Yankees, Innovation and Derek Jeter

As Heraclitus Boyer once said…“If you do not the expect the unexpected you will not reach it”.

Like Mays and Robinson, Jeter has spent his career at a critical defensive position, but unlike those two he has generally not played it very well.  One way to demonstrate is that according to Baseball Reference, 53% of Robinson’s and 12% of Mays’s career WAR came from their defensive contributions.  Jeter, however, has actually accumulated negative defensive WAR over the course of his career.  ...

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 5-22-2012

[Ogden, UT] Evening Standard, May 22, 1912:

TY COBB WANTED BY OGDEN TEAM

Tyrus Cobb…has been asked to come to this city and manage the baseball club.
...

The business men who have just arranged to take over the local baseball franchise will pay Ty Cobb $10,000 for the season if he will consent to come to this city and manage and play with the team. It is estimated that he would be worth that much to the organization as a drawing card.
...

What answer Cobb will make to the telegram from the ...

Lance Berkman seeks second opinion

Doctor replied, “Alright, you’re ugly, too!”

An MRI exam on Monday revealed that Cardinals first baseman Lance Berkman has suffered a substantial meniscus tear in his right knee, as well as some torn cartilage. A more severe injury to the anterior cruciate ligament was not found on the MRI, but it has also not yet been ruled out.

Dr. Richard Steadman, a noted surgeon and knee specialist, will provide the second opinion on either Thursday or Friday. At a minimum, Berkman will undergo a ...

ESPN: Marlins stop Rockies as Giancarlo Stanton’s slam KOs videoboard

MIAMI—With one swing, Giancarlo Stanton knocked out lights on the scoreboard, spoiled Jamie Moyer’s first look at Marlins Park and put Miami on top to stay.

Stanton hit a grand slam off Moyer to cap a five-run fourth inning, Mark Buehrle was dominant after a shaky first and the Marlins stayed hot by beating the Colorado Rockies 7-4 on Monday night.
“Maybe the farthest. I don’t know about the hardest,” Stanton said when asked how his 438-foot shot compared to the other eight homers ...

Hardball Talk: Aroldis Chapman arrested in Ohio for driving 93 mph on suspended license

One day after officially being named the Reds’ closer, Aroldis Chapman is in some hot water.

According to NBC affiliate WLTW, Chapman was arrested in Ohio early Monday morning after speeding while driving with a suspended license.

Chapman was pulled over after being clocked at 93 mph in his 2010 Mercedes S63. That probably doesn’t seem very fast to him since his average fastball checks in at 96.7 mph this season, but most normal people consider that excessive and reckless.

One day ...

AP: New Israel baseball coach Brad Ausmus says Jewish-American players make country WBC contender

Thanks to WBC tournament rules that allow countries to field players who are eligible for citizenship — even if they are not actual citizens — Israel can tap into the formidable pool of Jewish-American baseball talent that includes about 15 major leaguers. Israel grants automatic citizenship to anyone with at least one Jewish grandparent.

Among the potential players who could wear the Israeli uniform are Ike Davis, Jason Marquis, Sam Fuld, Danny Valencia and Scott Feldman. Ryan Lavarnway, ...

AP: 4 arrested after man’s beating at Dodger Stadium

The latest attack occurred Sunday, when the victim, a man in his 20s, had a collision with another driver and three other men pinned him down, police said.

The other driver kicked and hit the victim in the head and face while he was on the ground, police Sgt. David Armas said.

“It was just a minor fender bender that just got totally out of hand,” he said.

The victim, whose name was not released, had scrapes and cuts to his face, but his injuries were not life-threatening, Armas said. A ...

Cody Ross out indefinitely with fractured bone in left foot | HardballTalk

Another casualty.

Cody Ross, who’s been playing every day in the Red Sox’s outfield because of injuries to Carl Crawford and Jacoby Ellsbury, is now joining them on the disabled list with a fractured bone in his left foot.

There’s no timetable yet for his return, but manager Bobby Valentine indicated to reporters that the Red Sox definitely expect him to play again this season.

Here’s Every Single Pitch Of Jose Canseco’s Worcester Tornadoes Debut (Spoiler: It Didn’t Go Well)

The Players Union should make a public service documentary about Jose for young players.

Rangers send Netfali Feliz to DL with elbow inflammation

The Texas Rangers have placed right-hander Neftali Feliz on the 15-day disabled list with right elbow inflammation and recalled reliever Yoshinori Tateyama from Triple-A Round Rock.

Feliz was sent to the DL on Monday, three days after walking five and throwing 51 balls among 100 pitches in a 4-1 win over Houston. Feliz came out after 4 2-3 innings, missing a chance to get the win.

The 24-year-old is in first season as a starter for Texas after two years as the closer. He is 3-1 with a 3.16 ...

Barra: The Mets Are Above .500—Compliments Of David Wright

David comes to life…and Barra loses his 10,000 marbles!

The Mets are probably playing several games above their heads. At any rate, it’s fairly easy to pinpoint the main reason that the Mets are 3 games over .500: David Wright, after going 2 for 4 yesterday, is batting .412.

But what happens if Wright cools off and ends up hitting, say, just a lousy .350? Wright is the closest thing the Mets have to a superstar, and, at age 29, making a pretty strong bid this season for the unofficial title ...

A’s and Chevron Launch “Science of the Game” Program to Bay Area Schools

Rich Nye the Weird Science Guy.

Young people in the Bay Area may wonder how Yoenis Céspedes can hit a baseball 462 feet. Now they’ll know. The Oakland Athletics and Chevron Tuesday will launch “Science of the Game,” a unique educational program that deepens interest and understanding among Bay Area youth by applying science to baseball.

A’s outfielder Josh Reddick and the team mascot Stomper will launch the program Tuesday, May 22 at 1 p.m. at Lincoln Elementary School in Richmond (29 ...

NYDN: 60,000 ultra-Orthodox Jews fill Citi Field and Arthur Ashe Stadium to denounce evils of the Internet

No word if any of the speakers gave a brucha on behalf of Ike Davis’ bat. Also not sure if the Shake Shack sold many fruit plates.

A mass rally for men only drew more than 40,000 ultra-Orthodox Jews to Citi Field Sunday to denounce the Internet and its pervasive impact on family life.

An overflow crowd of another 20,000 bearded men sporting long black coats and big black hats filled nearby Arthur Ashe Stadium for the unprecedented attack on modern technology.

Unable to enter the Queens ...

Lemire: Jay Bruce aims to shed streaky past, find consistency for Reds

Bruce, Jay. Freed, man!

Welcome to life as one of baseball’s streakiest hitters.

Last year, Bruce made his first National League All-Star team. He was one of only three NL players to win multiple Player of the Week awards. He hit 32 home runs and drove in 97 runs. But he wasn’t satisfied with his performance as a whole.

“I hit .256 last year,” Bruce said last Thursday. “That was embarrassing. Not just hitting .256, but I wasn’t myself. I was capable of so much more. I could have helped my ...

Posnanski: The Three Toughest Outs

Hurry, administer the John Sterling Cooper test! Baggypants just went out the window!

The latest talk in New York, as the city shakily tries to recover from the Mariano Rivera injury, is about David Robertson and whether he has the stuff, the guts, the pluck, the spirit, the moxie, the cojones, the courage, the bravery, the backbone, the grit, the fire, the fearlessness, the toughness, the determination, the audacity, the boldness, the spine, the mettle, the heroism and the nerve to actually ...

Brian McNamee testifies that he gave HGH to Andy Pettitte, Chuck Knoblauch and Mike Stanton

The key witness in the Roger Clemens perjury trial testified Monday about three other baseball players who he said took human growth hormone.

Brian McNamee, Clemens’ longtime strength and conditioning coach, told jurors that he provided HGH to current Yankee pitcher Andy Pettitte and former Yankee infielder Chuck Knoblauch. McNamee also testified that former Yankee pitcher Mike Stanton obtained HGH from drug dealer Kirk Radomski, after McNamee put them in touch.

McNamee hadn’t been ...

David Murphy: Phillies fumbling Howard, Utley situations

David Murphy of “High Cheese” weighs in on the budding Ryan Howard controversy:

Yesterday brought little clarity on the futures of Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, only an oddly timed statement by general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. about an Inquirer story that relayed varying medical opinions on cortisone shots like the one Howard received a few weeks before rupturing his Achilles’ tendon in Game 5 of the NLDS. Amaro summoned reporters during the early stages of Sunday’s game, laying out the ...

Schoenfield: Yankees in as much trouble as Red Sox

“I’m in
You’re in
Trouble”

2. What is Alex Rodriguez these days? He’s hitting .270/.368/.399 with just nine extra base-hits (four doubles, five home runs). The good news is he has missed just one game, but there are times when A-Rod looks slow and old. Look, he can still get on base and pop the long ball every now and then, but like Teixeira, it’s clear he’s not the player he once was. His OPS figures since 2007: 1.067, .965, .933, .847, .823, .767. Is really anything more right now than a $28 ...

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 5-19-2012

The [New York] Evening World, May 21, 1912:

In view of the possible policing of the grandstands and additional danger of attack from aggrieved players the International Baseball Rooters’ Association in convention assembled adopted the following schedule of permissible expressions last night:

In the centre of the stands where ladies gather these can be used to umpire or player: “You’re a dub!” “Hire a hall!” “Solid ivory!” “Bonehead!” “Thief!” “Robber!” and “Ice Wagon!” If you want a larger ...

TBT: Sabermetrics Sunday during Rays-Braves broadcast

The Explanatory Captions of Sam Fuld.

Sun Sports gets credit for trying something a little different for Sunday’s broadcast of the Rays-Braves game. The broadcast was dubbed “Sabermetrics Sunday.’’ The network spent most of the pregame show and game teaching fans about sabermetrics, the use of formulas and numbers to measure and, perhaps, predict what happens in a game. Many teams such as the Rays use these numbers to form lineups and rosters that they believe give them the best chance to ...

NY Times: With Every Homer, Dunn’s Nightmarish 2011 Fades Into Past

Adam Dunn, far from done…

As for his swing, it has been helped by a three-pound medicine ball the size of a bowling ball. During spring training, the White Sox’ new manager, Robin Ventura, and their new hitting coach, Jeff Manto, noticed that Dunn was lunging as he swung. He was shifting his weight forward inhis stride, therefore depriving him of power.

Ventura suggested a drill that he and Manto used as players - placing a medicine ball between Dunn’s legs during flip drills, while a ...

Dodgers’ Mark Ellis came within hours of possibly losing his leg

I expect that you find the idea of a second baseman with an artificial leg pretty amusing.

That leg surgery on Mark Ellis apparently was even more serious than first suspected.

Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly said Sunday if the surgery had not been performed that Ellis was mere hours away from losing his lower left leg.

Mattingly said Dr. Neal ElAttrache told him the muscle might have died if surgeons had performed the fasciotomy six or seven hours later…

Mattingly said the injury is rare for ...

Berkman weighs future while awaiting MRI

A date with Fat Elvis.

Berkman said immediately after Saturday’s game that he did feel a sensation similar to what he experienced when he tore his right anterior cruciate ligament in November 2005. Sunday, he couldn’t dismiss the possibility and its implications.

“If I’ve re-torn my ACL or something like that, I’d certainly get it fixed but you don’t know how psychologically you’re going to come back from something like that,” Berkman said. “I’m not talking from the standpoint of being scared ...

Tim Lincecum leaves game shortly after home plate collision

Hello Cowgill in the dirt.

This collision wasn’t of the intentional variety, though. It came on a wild pitch in the fourth inning. Collin Cowgill of the A’s slid into home head-first. He arrived right as Lincecum was getting down to his knees to catch the throw from Posey and Cowgill’s momentum carried him up and through Lincecum. Cowgill’s helmet hit Lincecum on the chin. The timing and placement of everything couldn’t have been worse for Lincecum.

Lincecum appeared pretty shaken up on the ...

Max Scherzer strikes out 15 but falls 1 short of Mickey Lolich’s team record

Donut fruit preserved!

Scherzer struck out 15 Pittsburgh Pirates, one short of tying the Tigers’ record, and became the winning pitcher when his teammates scored three runs for him in the bottom of the seventh — en route to a 4-3 victory.

Alex Avila’s slow-rolling grounder through a drawn-in infield, after a passed ball by catcher Rod Barajas moved runners from first and second to second and third, proved to be the difference.

Not only did the Tigers need those runs, but Avila desperately ...

The Onion: Yankees To Rest Pitching Mound After 8 Innings Of CC Sabathia

Yankees manager Joe Girardi announced at a press conference Tuesday his plans to give the pitching mound a few days of rest to fully recover from enduring eight grueling innings of hurler CC Sabathia.

Jack O’Connell: Strikeouts not enough for Nova

(closes eyes…plunks down swooning Invisible Mouth cut…forgets)

It was strange outing for Ivan Nova Saturday at Yankee Stadium. He seemed to strike out everybody, yet when his six innings were up the Yankees were trailing, 5-3, in a game they eventually lost to the Reds, 6-5.

...Only five of the 18 batters who made outs against Nova did so without striking out as the righthander established a career high in punchouts. Nevertheless, his overall performance would have to be rated mediocre since ...

Groeschen: 1982 Cincinnati Reds: Age against the Machine

Sufferin’ Scherrerers…a look back at the 1982 Reds.

The ’82 Reds had a lethal combination of lackluster young players, veterans who had off-years and big-name players on the downside of their careers. Result: Last in the National League West, 28 games out.

“I try to forget everything I can about that year,” said Ron Oester, second baseman on the ’82 team. “That was the longest year of my baseball career.”

...After ’81, then-Reds general manager Dick Wagner engineered a roster ...

Albom: Prince Fielder fitting in just fine with the Tigers

With my fizzling “Szilárd Splittorff Bombs” fantasy team. Not so much.

Fielder’s numbers may still be below his normal pace of excellence (.303 average, seven homers, 24 RBIs), a pace that would leave him under 30 homers and 100 RBIs for the season. But numbers can change fast. And a powerhouse like Fielder can go a tear that makes fantasy league devotees salivate.

His analysis of the Tigers’ season so far is pretty simple:

“I guess we just haven’t won as many games as people expected. It ...