Don Malcolm: MELKY AND STARLIN

Can they pass the Malcolm capric acid test?

Melky, however, is a player who has been suspect ever since he first came up to the majors. It probably didn’t help that the team was the Yankees, who despite their success with a series of preternaturally long-lived homegrown players who’ve helped fuel their protracted dominance (Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, Bernie Williams) are a team that likes to spread the large-size bills around—if only to remind you that there’s ...

Baseball stats pioneer Bill James says ‘Moneyball’ hits it out of the park

“I am a hero who never fails;
I cannot be bothered with such details.”

“I write to hard-core baseball fans,” James said. “Anybody else is an interloper. That’s part of what defines my books: the decision to write to the hardest-core, most knowledgeable baseball fans, assuming that the reader starts with a deep knowledge of the game. I’ve never tried to write to the casual fan.”

So it’s a wonder sabermetrics can be the basis for a Hollywood movie.

“The people who made the ...

SF Gate: Bruce Jenkins on the Giants’ season

Dreamer’s Holiday: Fixing the Giants…the Jenkins way.

Looking ahead to the Giants’ offseason and how they can resume supremacy in the NL West:

—The major free-agent targets - Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder and Jose Reyes - are out of reach. Take an early run at Carlos Beltran, assuring him the lineup will strengthen, and if he has his doubts, forget it; he won’t be worth signing. See if Jimmy Rollins really wants to leave Philadelphia (he’d be perfect as the leadoff hitter and shortstop). And ...

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 9-28-2011

Tigers right fielder Davy Jones on manager Hughie Jennings, via the September 28, 1911 edition of the Pittsburgh Press:

It isn’t management that has lost the pennant to Detroit.  It is the hard luck the team has played in.

...

There is only one player on the entire team who will fight for Jennings, and that is Cobb.

...

In the last Philadelphia series in Detroit, Willett was rushed into the box.  As he left the bench Jennings bawled out: “Now you big stiff, go in there and show something!”  ...

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: Fielder’s 3 homers blast Brewers past Pirates

Prince Fielder slugged three home runs, becoming the third Brewers player to pull a hat trick in a game this season, driving in all but one of the team’s runs to spark a 6-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on the same night the team broke 3 million in attendance.
...
They helped tie the franchise record for victories with 95 - the 1979 and ‘82 teams also accomplished the feat…

LA Times: Fox Sports sues Dodgers, trying to halt TV rights sale

Another day, another Dodgers-related filing…

Fox Sports filed suit against the Dodgers in U.S. Bankruptcy Court late Tuesday, alleging the team has breached its current television contract in pursuit of a new one.
...
The suit asks that the court reject any such sale except in accordance with the current contract, under which Fox retains exclusive negotiating rights through November 2012 as well as the right to match any other offer. The auction process proposed by McCourt and his attorneys ...

NL Wildcard race: September 27, 2011

ATL 89-72 [9-17 in SEPT]
STL 89-72 [17-8 in SEPT]

MLB.com: Braves fall to Phillies, drop into Wild Card tie

With Lowe unable to halt his recent woes and the offense showing few signs of life at Turner Field on Tuesday night, the Braves endured a 7-1 loss to the Phillies, then faced the fact that there might not be a postseason spot reserved for them.

“It’s like we’re living out a bad dream,” third baseman Chipper Jones said. “You really never expect this to happen to you, but there are a lot ...

AL Wildcard race: September 27, 2011

BOS 90-71 [7-19 in SEPT]
TBR 90-71 [16-10 in SEPT]

MLB.com: Behind Lavarnway, Sox keep pace with Rays

Ryan Lavarnway, with a big bat and catching skills that are still in the developmental phase, is considered to be an important part of the future for the Red Sox. But nobody could have imagined just how much he would contribute to the current state of affairs when he was thrust into the lineup on Tuesday night at Camden Yards.

With the season on the line, and regular catchers Jarrod ...

Yahoo: Rays turn triple play

The Tampa Bay Rays have turned the third triple play in team history.

The Rays accomplished the feat in the sixth inning Tuesday night while trailing 3-2 on a grounder by the Yankees’ Russell Martin.

Martin hit a groundball off Jeremy Hellickson to Evan Longoria, who was perfectly positioned near third base. After Longoria stepped on the bag, he threw to second baseman Ben Zobrist for the second out. Zobrist’s throw to first retired Martin, who dived head first into the base.

NYT: Parts of Suit Against Mets Owners Are Dismissed

United States District Court Judge Jed S. Rakoff let stand the trustee’s claim that the team’s owners were willfully blind to warnings that Madoff was possibly engaged in a fraud during their many years of investing with him and seemed to clear the way for the trustee, Irving H. Picard, to force the men to return the profits they earned from their investments with Madoff.

But as a consequence of Rakoff’s ruling - a complex decision involving bankruptcy and securities law - the trustee at most ...

Mets exercise manager Terry Collins’ option for 2013

“What are you really worth?”

The New York Mets today announced that the club has exercised its option on Manager Terry Collins’ contract for 2013. The Mets named Collins manager and signed him to a two-year contract on November 23, 2010.

“Terry has done an excellent job of leading and motivating this team with his preparation, energy and enthusiasm during a challenging season,” said General Manager Sandy Alderson. “He has developed strong relationships with our players and the club’s ...

Daily Titan: Athletics barely hanging on to Division I Status

Budget cuts, tuition increases and insufficient revenues have left Cal State Fullerton athletics barely clinging on to Big West Division I status.

The NCAA requires a university to maintain seven priority sports and fund them at 80 percent in scholarships in order to be considered Div. I.

The seven sports that are considered priority by the Big West conference out of CSUF’s 15 are men and women’s basketball, men and women’s soccer, baseball, softball and women’s volleyball. CSUF is ...

World Baseball Classic Update (9-27-11)

Two items about the next WBC in the last few days:

Round One games of the 2013 WBC might be played in Taiwan, especially if the MLB-NPB fracas over revenue keep going on. Oddly, though, Taiwan was going to have to qualify. Maybe if Japan backs out they will give Taiwan a bye?

Across the strait, John McLaren will be managing China in the next WBC. He’s been managing a team from China in the Florida Instructional League lately.

What U.S. plays: Softball, football, hockey, baseball down over decade

The latest authoritative Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association annual report on U.S. sports participation, based on about 15,000 individual surveys and 24,000 households surveys, found that about 2.1 million Americans say they competed in wrestling last year—down 44% from 2000.

Other drops in total participants over the past decade even as the U.S. population steadily expanded: slow-pitch softball (-38%), football (-16%), ice hockey (-12%), fast-pitch softball (-11%) and baseball (-8%).

...Read More...

A’s acquire Ka’aihue in trade with Royals

Coming to theaters in 2013- Moneyball 2: Electric Boogaloo

The A’s acquired infielder Kila Ka’aihue from the Royals in exchange for right-handed Minor League pitcher Ethan Hollingsworth on Tuesday.

TFT: Mitchell: Mariano Rivera, Dave Righetti and Converting Starters to Relievers

Back in the day, I jimmied-up a sweet Rego gauge-fueled Rags Gags-O-Meter™ in my old shop…what grand fun, but it broke down in short order when it hit 60.

During spring training of 1984, Righetti was moved to the bullpen to replace Gossage.  Although, at the time the reason given was that the Yankees had too many starters, fans understood it was done so that the sting of losing Gossage would not be as strong.  Between 1984-1990, Righetti saved 233 games for the Yankees, but never started ...

LATimes: McCourt begins Sherman’s march

Selig’s argument for kicking out McCourt boils down to this: You consented to our rules, you broke our rules, and we don’t want you in our club any more.

“Compliance with the Baseball Agreements is the price of membership in Major League Baseball,” league attorneys wrote in a court filing Friday.

And what is most prominent among Selig’s grievances?

“A Club owner must be well-capitalized and cannot use the team as a personal ‘cash cow,’ ” the filing read.

That could bring us to the Marlins ...

Silver: September Collapse of Red Sox Could Be Worst Ever (NYT semi-paywall link)

There’s a bunch of good historical stuff in here that’s tough to excerpt - Silver’s comparison to the 1969 Cubs is an excellent one - but the part that struck me was the evidence of Teh Choke:

But here’s one thing I’ve noticed, although it will be controversial to the “Moneyball” crowd. The Boston pitchers may be choking.

So far in September, Red Sox pitchers have struck out 202 batters while walking 107 in 218 innings. They’ve given up 227 hits and 29 home runs over the month.  Those ...

Verducci: Making my awards picks (for now)

The Verducci Defect in full effect…

AL MVP

The Ballot

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston*
2. Miguel Cabrera, Detroit
3. Justin Verlander, Detroit
4. Jose Bautista, Toronto
5. Curtis Granderson, New York
6. Dustin Pedroia, Boston
7. Robinson Cano, New York
8. Adrian Gonzalez, Boston
9. Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay
10. Josh Hamilton, Texas

The Thinking

Yes, there is an asterisk next to Ellsbury. This vote is not final. If Boston does not make the postseason, there is no sense in handing the MVP to a ...

Red Sox Stagger, Trip and Fall Into a Tie

Dan Skiba of Stoughton, Mass., had driven down with four friends, fellow Patriots ticket-holders and Red Sox loyalists, a one-day getaway planned long before the ghost of the Bambino — thought to be permanently busted — began reacquainting itself with Fenway Park.

“We didn’t think we’d be seeing a meaningful game,” he said. “Now there’s all this anxiety.”

“And what’s worse is that we have to root for the Yankees,” said Gina Targhetta of Framingham, Mass.

A third ...

NJ.com: Izenberg: Mets blocked Yankees from bringing minor league team to Newark for a season

The Yankees’ current Triple-A franchise is anchored in the twin cities of Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, an area in northeast Pennsylvania that has always supported baseball on some level. But the Yankees organization decided that PNC Field, the Triple-A team’s home park, is in desperate need of renovation. The job will take all of 2012.
...
Newark has a ballpark. With that in mind, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman visited the city’s Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium, which does need ...

Yankees’ Russell Martin ejected for making joke to umpire

The Russell Banned Show.

Martin thought he was cracking a harmless joke at home-plate umpire Paul Schrieber in the fifth inning Monday night, but the ump didn’t find much humor in it, ejecting the catcher from the game.

“I asked if he had stretched before the game; then I asked him again,” Martin said. “He looked at me kind of funny and I said, ‘I feel like you’re kind of tight right now.’ He tossed me. He just threw me out of the game. I was like, what happened? I thought this was fun. I ...

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 9-27-2011

Toledo News-Bee, September 27, 1911:

Ed Hohnhorst, first baseman of the Toledo team, will be secretly married today to Miss Alice Walters of Covington, Ky.

...

The couple will go to Toledo after the ceremony.  Manager Hinchman gave Hohny a few days off for a honeymoon.

I’m pretty sure it’s not a secret if it’s in the newspaper.  And I’m also pretty sure my wife would have been incredibly displeased with me if I’d suggested Toledo as a honeymoon destination. ...Read More...

FOX: Rosenthal - Chipper likely to undergo MRI exam

Chipper Jones slumped in his chair.

“I feel like I’m 50,” he said late Monday night.

Jones, 39, was referring to the lower half of his body — and specifically, his troublesome right knee.

Jones, the Braves’ third baseman, told FOXSports.com that he likely will undergo an MRI exam on the knee Tuesday, but fully intends to play in the team’s final two games of the season.
...
“I probably should have come out tonight (Monday). But I can’t not play. I’ve been preaching to the ...

L.A. Times: Frank McCourt goes on a fishing expedition

On deck in the Dodgers’ bankruptcy case: the Florida Marlins?

Could be, if Frank McCourt gets his way. As the bankruptcy proceedings increasingly resemble a grudge match cloaked in legal briefs, with Bud Selig threatening to banish the Dodgers from the league in order to rid it of McCourt, the Dodgers’ owner might respond by trying to take down the commissioner.

The Marlins could be in the collateral damage.

In July, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kevin Gross wrote of what he called “the underlying ...

ESPN: Joe Girardi irked by playoffs schedule

Girardi said the short turnaround could affect the way he uses his bullpen in the final three regular season games against the Tampa Bay Rays, who are in a dogfight with the Boston Red Sox and the Angels for the AL wild card.

Girardi’s problem is compounded by the fact that he has no starting pitcher for Wednesday’s finale and will likely have to go with a collection of relief pitchers, which could compromise the readiness of some of the Yankee relievers for Game 1 two days later.

“It is kind ...

NL Wildcard race: September 26, 2011

ATL 89-71 [9-16 in SEPT]
STL 88-72 [16-8 in SEPT] (1 GB)

MLB.com: Braves fall, keep one-game Wild Card lead

MLB.com: Cards miss chance to tie for Wild Card lead

AL Wildcard race: September 26, 2011

TIE!

BOS 89-71 [6-19 in SEPT]
TBR 89-71 [15-10 in SEPT]

MLB.com: Red Sox fall into WC tie as O’s barrel back

Two games left, and it’s all tied up. That is the reality the Red Sox now face as their once secure grip in the American League Wild Card standings has slipped away entirely.

This, after an 6-3 loss on Monday at Camden Yards to the 68-92 Orioles, a team that has beaten the Red Sox in four out of five meetings over the last week.

MLB.com: Shields helps Rays’ WC chances with gem

Tampa ...

MLB.com: White Sox release Ozzie from contract [UPDATED]

After eight seasons, two American League Central titles, one World Series championship and countless entertaining moments on the South Side of Chicago, the White Sox agreed to manager Ozzie Guillen’s request to be released from his contract. The move allowed the manager to pursue other opportunities.

Guillen is expected to be named the next manager of the Marlins, possibly as soon as Wednesday. Marlins manager Jack McKeon announced earlier Monday that he will be retiring when the season ends ...

Flaunt: The warning track | Baseball’s Sartorial MVP Cleans up Nice

But forget 100 years from now. Think now, 2011, smack in the dog days of August, when the sun cooks like a grill and the only things worth doing are games. Now, in the middle of the pointless war with Afghanistan, with the debt crisis, with the economic see-saw, with Brad Pitt’s baseball economics film Moneyball about to play in theaters. Now, there is a baseball player sitting in front of me, in the Galleria mall in Redondo Beach (a gag-reflex monument to the sprawl of Los Angeles), and ...