Taking Back the Ballparks - Rangers voting thread

So, we’re down to four.

The overwhelming choice in the nominees was some kind of return to the original name for the Rangers joint, though opinion seemed divided on the full name or the half-measure. So, we’re leaving both options available.

Choose between any of the four selections. However, if you prefer Choice A), then please follow it up with 1) the naked version or 2) the full throw-back to the Ballpark in Arlington.

For those who don’t like either of these options, you’d ...

Ain’t no WEEKEND OMNICHATTER until someone gets punched in the face, for August 19-20, 2017

MLB.com: O’s/Angels hit 10 home runs; Manny caps it off with Walk-Off Grand Slam

After an early five-run deficit, Machado—who had already homered twice—came up with the bases loaded and did the unthinkable: blasting a grand slam to catapult Baltimore to a 9-7 walkoff win over the Angels.

MLBTR: Dodgers Acquire Curtis Granderson

The Dodgers fortify the postseason roster while the Mets receive a few shekels to help meet the bankers’ demands.

Granderson, 36, gives the Dodgers yet another interesting piece to work with. The timing of his addition is particularly notable given that Los Angeles just welcomed veteran first baseman Adrian Gonzalez back from the DL, which seemingly left breakout young star Cody Bellinger slated for at least some additional time in the outfield. Then again, it may turn out that Gonzalez will ...

OMNICHATTER eats punks like you for breakfast, for August 18, 2017

‘Skunk in the outfield’: How the most epic trick play in history broke baseball

There were 16 plays, with a page or two of explanation for utilizing and defending each. A lot of the plays were clearly cheating, such as the runner going from second to home, skipping (or “cutting”) third base when the umpires were looking the other way. Some were just plain baseball, stuff every team did, like a delayed steal. Some didn’t seem likely to work, and some didn’t seem realistic. Then there was a play called “skunk in the outfield.”

That’s how it came to be that a Portsmouth ...

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 8-18-2017

Pittsburgh Press, August 18, 1917:

The pennant winner of the Southern association is to play a post-season series of games with a team composed of the best players from clubs that finish second, third and fourth, according to an announcement by R.G. Baugh, president of the league.

That’s a cool idea. I like that a lot.

MLB Commissioner says approval for sale of Miami Marlins is on track | Miami Herald

Is the removal of the sculpture a condition of the sale?

Twins Byron Buxton evolving as a hitter | MLB.com

If Buxton never learns how to hit, the glove alone—depending on your metric, he’s one of the best outfielders in baseball along with Ender Inciarte and Mookie Betts—makes him useful. If he’s a league-average hitter, he’s a star. If Buxton is actually the dangerous hitter we saw last September and are seeing now, the sky is almost literally the limit.

We’re a long way from that, of course. Buxton is only 23. He’s been poor at the plate more this year than he’s been an asset. But when a player ...

Summer Top-100 Prospects | FanGraphs Baseball

New top ten

1. Yoan Moncada, 2B, Chicago White Sox
2. Amed Rosario, SS, New York Mets
3. Rafael Devers, 3B, Boston Red Sox
4. Eloy Jimenez, OF, Chicago White Sox
5. Ronald Acuna, CF, Atlanta Braves
6. Gleyber Torres, SS, New York Yankees
7. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 3B, Toronto Blue Jays
8. Victor Robles, CF, Washington Nationals
9. Michael Kopech, RHP, Chicago White Sox
10. Francisco Mejia, C, Cleveland Indians

Nomar Mazara has five RBIs for Rangers | MLB.com

The Rangers are in it.

Red Sox want to do away with ‘racist’ legacy of famed Yawkey Way

Henry said he would like to see it changed to David Ortiz Way or Big Papi Way, in honour of the Dominican Republic-born Red Sox great who retired following last season. A portion of the street was named David Ortiz Drive in his honour this past June.

Pitching through pain

The story of Danny Hultzen (#2 overall in 2011). I have to ask where the coaches/managers were. On the bright side, he signed for $8.5 million and the story doesn’t suggest any financial troubles. Best of luck on the long-shot comeback.

Arthur: Buster Posey Has Quietly Become A Lock For Cooperstown

The Giants’ record might make Posey easy to overlook, but his combination of hitting and defense makes him almost a lock to one day join the Hall. In fact, despite being only 30 years old, Posey might already have a Hall of Fame résumé if he retired today.

538’s baseball coverage hasn’t been great, has it?

When I was 17, it was a very good OMNICHATTER, for August 17, 2017

Mets’ Gsellman irritates GM Sandy Alderson with ‘I don’t care’ comment

Robert Gsellman has done himself no favors with how he’s pitched this season, and he didn’t help himself Tuesday with a brash comment.

Skunk in the Outfield

First-and-third situations are breeding grounds for gimmick plays in high school. Often, the runner on first will attempt to steal second, hoping to draw a throw that will allow the runner to score from third. But defenses will rarely make that throw, so offenses have designed ways to tempt the defense into going after the trail runner while letting the lead runner sneak home. Sometimes, when the pitch is delivered, the base stealer will stop halfway and try to get in a rundown. Sometimes he’ll ...

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 8-17-2017

Lake County [Indiana] Times, August 17, 1917:

One of the features of the trips taken by the White Sox this year has been their singing of “The Star Spangled Banner.” After marching around the field under the sirection of Sergeant W.S. Smiley they would line up before the stand and sing two verses of the anthem.
...
One of the Sox players told of their first rehearsal. “Rowland got us together in the clubhouse and asked if any of us knew the words of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’,” he said. “There ...

First pitch astray at Fenway | Red Sox

This first pitch is a bit nutty. Sorry, it had to be said.

Travis d’Arnaud’s position in Wednesday’s box score read “3B-2B-3B-2B-3B-2B-3B-2B-3B-2B-3B-2B-3B-2B-3B-2B-3B-2B”

strange day for a backup catcher

Olney: Baseball must end its beanball legacy

Late in Palmer’s career, in 1982, he remembers how rookie Cal Ripken—whose father was a longtime player and coach in the Orioles’ organization—batted in the first inning against Britt Burns of the White Sox in a July game. A pitch in that at-bat prompted Ripken to say out loud, “When is somebody going to protect somebody around here?”

Palmer wasn’t thrilled about Ripken’s tone, which was unusual for a rookie, but he noticed that Carlton Fisk was due to lead off the next inning. ...

Pearlman: The Fallout From Sportswriting’s Filthiest Fuck-Up

At first glance, it is a curious addition to my collection of misfit items, the others of which have obvious personal resonance. The headline, INEXPERIENCE FACES GREEN WAVE SOCCER, suggests nothing beyond some sort of small-town newspaper sports preview story, and the byline (Nick DeLeonibus) is that of a name that rings unfamiliar to most. Upon closer inspection, you can ascertain that the piece appeared in the Gallatin (Tenn.) News Examiner in the winter of 1997.

“With March 11th quickly ...

Jered Weaver Announces Retirement | MLB.com

He had a great career.

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 8-16-2017

Tucumcari News, August 16, 1917:

For the present it may be all right that baseball continue. At least it is not mandatory that it cease…but it may be just as well to suggest to the American people that professional baseball is likely to be an incongruity next year.

An American newspaper will sacrifice a great deal of self-respect if it has to print, or does print, box scores and casualty lists in the same issue, says Chicago Tribune.

Baseball already is getting on the nerves of a great many ...

Buxton’s catch at the wall | MLB.com

This Buxton guy is pretty good.

Since he’s returned from the DL his bat is showing some life as well:

On the risks of categorizing a continuous variable (with an application to baseball data)

Don’t be so quick to discard the bunt into the dustbin of history.

From a statistical perspective, hopefully you can recognize both the dangers of categorizing continuous data, as well as the attractive features offered by a GAM (and if you want to try a GAM yourself – the code is up here).

From a baseball perspective, the hardest hit balls do increase error rates. Additionally, with my intuition being that errors are often discarded from the perspective of analyzing hitter talent, this type ...

Indians hit five homers to power past Twins | MLB.com

Carlos Santana has been pretty, pretty good the last two months.

Dodgers’ Yasiel Puig shows patience under pressure against White Sox – Orange County Register

The Dodgers’ magic number is so low, they can clinch a playoff berth before the calendar turns to September. They are 50 games over .500 for the first time since 1953. Still, the schedule insists that the regular season lasts another six weeks.

Joey Votto on base twice for 20th game in row | MLB.com

Being healthy is great. Maybe the Reds should be looking to sell now.

Marlins’ Giancarlo Stanton a franchise player | MLB.com

This is overly simplistic. Economics matter.

You do not trade a player like Giancarlo Stanton. You just don’t. You don’t even consider it. That’s an option the Miami Marlins should take off the table regardless of who owns the franchise.

Instead, you do exactly the opposite. You build around him. Around his talent. Around his personality and his presence. You build around the credibility he has accumulated during eight seasons in South Florida.