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.

Terry Collins not helping rookies by removing them in big spots | New York Post

Somebody needs to tell Terry his priority at this point is developing his youngins, not winning an extra game or two.

“For me, I was trying to get someone on base and maybe create something,” Collins said. “He’ll have his chances down the road, believe me. He’s going to be a good hitter. But [Chapman] absolutely mows down left-handed hitting so I went with a right-handed hitter.”

Applying Asset Pricing Theory to MLB – The Hardball Times

Interesting. She doesn’t quite get what replacement level is, however.

Thing’s ain’t been the same since OMNICHATTER walked into your town, for August 16, 2017

Dodgers trade Chris Hatcher to A’s

Addition by subtraction. Maybe Beane saw something in Hatcher he thinks his coaching staff can fix.

Why MLB games are FIVE MINUTES longer this season

But as with two-homer games on Opening Day, this pace would not hold. Baseball added back four minutes per contest last year, and this year’s games will almost certainly set a new record. Despite a few small changes for the 2017 season—requiring managers to decide more promptly whether to challenge an umpire’s call and making intentional walks automatic—the average nine-inning contest is now 3 hours, 5 minutes—the longest average in baseball history and up five minutes from last year. That’s ...

OMNICHATTER is always a gentleman, but not always gentle, for August 15, 2017

Passan: Free Giancarlo Stanton: Why the Marlins need to trade baseball’s home run king

What would Jeter do?

For the next 16 days, the Marlins can present contending teams with an alluring possibility: Trade for the hottest hitter alive, a 6-foot-6, 250-pound machine whose 10 home runs in his last 11 games give him a Major League Baseball-leading 43 this season. Stanton cleared waivers on Sunday, multiple sources told Yahoo Sports, allowing the Marlins to deal him to any team through the end of August.

Jimmy Fund Telethon

Over the span of 36 hours and two Boston Red Sox games, this broadcast will feature compelling stories from Dana-Farber patients, doctors, researchers and nurses, celebrity guests and athletes, inspiring people all over the world to contribute to Dana-Farber’s lifesaving mission.

Giancarlo Stanton’s 43rd homer sets club mark | MLB.com

Does this season keep him from getting traded or help him get traded?

“He’s that good,” second baseman Dee Gordon said. “He’s one of the best players in the game. And he’s healthy. He’s killing people. He was averaging like 35 homers and he didn’t even play 150 games those years. For him to be able to play this whole year is pretty cool.”

Cleveland Indians ownership steps up, will players follow? Terry’s Talkin’—Terry Pluto | cleveland.com

Mired.

Since the All-Star break. Bradley Zimmer is batting .203 (.651 OPS).

In August, Zimmer is 0-for-22. He has been sitting out more games against lefty pitching as Francona doesn’t want to put too much pressure on the rookie.

A major difference between Frazier and Zimmer is the latter is a far superior outfielder, a huge upgrade in center field. He is 13-of-14 in stolen bases. While the 24-year-old rookie had a brain belch where he didn’t run out a pop up, he usually has impressed with his ...

Will Duquette make an August trade? Probably. Will it make a difference? Most likely not - BaltimoreBaseball.com

How long can Duquette keep the Orioles viable?

Both of Duquette’s deals this July fit into that same category, and received a collective ho-hum from me and much of the fan base, Of course, acquiring shortstop Tim Beckham looks so far like a stroke of Duquette genius, and Jeremy Hellickson has been solid in two of his three starts.

And, so, I suppose it’s no harm, no foul if Duquette makes another deal this month to acquire a player that can be eligible for a potential playoff roster (trades ...

‘Ungodly’ Joey Votto forces Cubs to think outside the box with four-outfielder shift | CSN Chicago

This is a shift you don’t see every day.

Statcast Sprint Speed Leaderboard | baseballsavant.com

Moncada joins the leaders.

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 8-15-2017

Pittsburgh Gazette Times, August 15, 1917:

Eddie Plank, the veteran left-hander, has retired permanently from baseball. Fielder Jones of the St. Louis Americans made this known [yesterday] when he announced that Plank had left the team last Saturday and gone to his home at Gettysburg, Pa.
...
Plank’s last game was pitched in Washington a week ago Monday, when Walter Johnson defeated him, 1 to 0, in 11 innings.

If you’ve gotta walk away, an 11-inning pitchers’ duel against Walter Johnson is a ...

MLBN: High Heat on Yanks-Red Sox

Brian Kenny fills in for Mad Thug Dog Russo:

Brian Kenny brushes back on High Heat with some questions about the bullpen usage for the Red Sox and Yankees over this past weekend.

OMNICHATTER is just gettin’ warmed up, for August 14, 2017

Sullivan: Let’s Watch Rafael Devers Take Aroldis Chapman Deep

Kung Fu Who?

Even before Sunday, Devers was doing pretty well. He’d advanced through Portland, he’d advanced through Pawtucket, and he’d run a .939 OPS over some dozens of chances in the major leagues. Devers, as a rookie, has taken a firm hold on the Red Sox’s third-base position, which earlier had proven a crippling weakness. Now, though, Devers truly has his breakthrough moment. See, he batted against Chapman in the ninth inning of a one-run game, and he tied it up. He tied it up with ...

BAR: One Joey Votto streak ended, another continues

Joey Votto’s 17-game hit streak ended on Sunday, but he still has another even more impressive streak going – he’s reached base more than once in 18 straight games, the longest such streak in Reds history.

He’s only three games from tying the longest streak in baseball since 1900, according to Elias Sports Bureau. Ted Williams, Votto’s hitting role model, owns the record, reaching base in 21 consecutive games in 1948. Pete Rose and Barry Bonds both had 20-game streaks. Rose with the ...