"It's hard to lose a step when a step is what you start out with" Sounds like an REM lyric .... Great stuff!

If RA Dickey can win a Cy Young without a UCL, Pujols can win (another) MVP without a plantar .... so I suggest removing it! (tongue firmly in cheek)

A very valid point. I should have stated that the revenue-sharing rules, as currently laid out, do not PENALIZE or PREVENT Loria's behavior.

Would you be willing to elaborate on your miserable experience there?

Revenue-sharing year after year actually is a disincentive for improving one's team. Loria knows that, and is gaming that system perfectly.

I nominate Greg Golson for "Arm". He didn't/doesn't do much else, but boy that arm .... http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=12084469&topic_id=11493214

Ummm ... yes!

I love this kind of stuff .... great job.

Will the Yankees give him a Gift Bag upon that milestone?

I guess what I'm saying is that you take the normal wear and tear on a catcher and add in the impact of running on what many considered to be the worst surface in the Majors at the Metrodome ....

Fisk didn't play 1/2 his games on turf for the first 5+ years of his career like Mauer did. That takes a toll on one's back, knees and feet.

I've got you covered .... http://valueoverreplacementgrit.com/2012/07/07/most-popular-first-names-in-baseball-history-by-birth-decade/

Are people who helped with the formation of questions eligible?

Amaro is also the one who gave Ryan Howard, the epitome of an "old player skills" athlete, 5/125 beginning in his age-32 season.

I haven't been able to find anything about what the Angels are getting back from the Yanks (besides saving the $13 million). Anyone?

What about "Dollar Sign on the Muscle: The Musical"? Tools, glorious tools! Long levers and lanky! Now he's unsigned -- soon he'll be a Yankee!

Can you get Kevin Goldstein to write the foreword? Great news!

I (heart) this article.

That he has to ask if "Ted" is worth going to see dims my love for him, punctuation notwithstanding.

Wow .... now THAT is amazing, and something NOT that crazy.

Very nice! ..... I take it slightly further: The Annual "Pi Young Award": http://valueoverreplacementgrit.com/2012/11/14/repost-the-2012-pi-young-award-winners/ And this year's celebratory post: http://valueoverreplacementgrit.com/2013/03/14/happy-pi-day-2013/

This is ..... bizarre .... and wonderful!

Major points for the column title ....

That's Numberwang! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_6RbP3CNUg

Fun stuff (as always) Michael!

On a slight tangent, I wrote about Dutch baseball (and unicorns) today http://valueoverreplacementgrit.com/2013/03/04/documenting-the-existence-of-unicorns-in-baseball/

Parks and Sequestration ....

How many entries can we submit?

This is statistically significant.

Happy for the new book, but I too loved the old "team essay" format. It showed me in many cases WHY the team did or didn't do what it did the prior year, in ways I might not have thought of.

We need movies/biopic treatments of: Reggie Hank Aaron Marvin Miller

1996 brought us the wonderful "Fargo". 2012 brought us the terrific "Argo". 2028 should bring us "CarGo".

Mike Trout's comps, as per PFM: Jason Heyward , Ken Griffey , Justin Upton Interesting .....

"PECOTA is my homeboy." - patent pending

Poignant .... sad .... some guys really just can't stay healthy.

CK: As much as I love reading your work at ESPN nowadays, its your BP articles that give me the biggest thrill. Here there is no need to hold back on the turn of a phrase or a possibly obscure reference ... there is an eloquence in your writing that I treasure. Thanks for this wonderful story.

I *think* I still have my spreadsheet with all the vote results in it, let me see if I can pull something together.

Nicely done Geoff. I've been doing something quite similar each of the past 2 years on my site, giving stat category leaders for those who received no zero votes on their ballot: http://valueoverreplacementgrit.com/2013/01/14/ten-years-no-hof-votes-where-is-the-love-2013-update/

Maybe I missed this in the article, but how does the spin of a particular pitch (the baseball only) impact the distance of a batted ball, keeping all other variables constant. That is, if a fastball, curve, changeup, splitter, knuckleball, etc. were each delivered at 80 miles per hour, would they fly different distances?

This is very cool ... thanks!

Also, "Breaking BABIP": Unemployed college stats professor living in his mother's basement finds out he has terminal cancer, starts cooking up "crystal methods" . . . new stats that every GM seemingly can't get enough of.

You forgot "Jay Jaffe's 'stache for Cash" .... a live gameshow hosted by Mr. Jaffe in which each week, contestants must provide compelling arguments for which of 2 major leaguers would look better if they had Mr. Jaffe's 'stache. Facebook voting during the show would determine the winning contestant.

There HAVE been unicorns in baseball: The Dutch word for unicorn is "eenhoorn", as in http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/e/eenhoro01.shtml The German word for unicorn is "einhorn", as in http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=einhor001sco

This is wonderful. The GIFs make this so easy to follow.

Celerino Sanchez or bust!

Interesting on Yost: Royals tied for last in AL in homers (131) last year. They also had fewest batter Ks. 81 of their 131 homers were solo jobs. They were tied for 2nd in AL with .279 BA with men on base. Be careful what you wish for Ned.

Thanks Geoff .... I personally love this kind of stuff.

My apologies ...

Ichiro ... post-season http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20121008&content_id=39620038&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb

+1 for the title of this piece .... (Having Tom and Jerry flashbacks)

Nice work .... I miss the "stars", but appreciate the photos next to the names.

and some viewers couldn't stand FOX's coverage ...

Considering his performance this season ... Jeff "My Boss hated My Pen" Manship

This is great stuff .... really interesting. I'd be interested in knowing, beyond the walk rate and swing rate, if the K rate varies between Dominicans and non-Dominicans.

Ben ... I'm sorry .... totally missed it (just like Adam Jones did) :-)

Not a peep about Adam Jones' misplay of Jeter's (eventual) triple early in the game? I've read about (and seen) Jones' problems going back on balls .... this one DID keep carrying, but ....

+1

As an aside, isn't it great that Bailey has FINALLY met the lofty expectations and hope placed upon him from the time he came into the Reds.

Very nice work .... KG would be proud.

Well .... I'm rooting for a Dickey Cy Young award, so Gio sitting this one out can only help?

:-)

Apparently Gio will not get the chance for #22 ... Tom Gorzelanny is the SP listed for tonight.

Larry ... I assume that if Cabrera had less than 502 PAs, they'd adjust his batting average by adding outs, like they do for the overall batting average leader. Correct? I'm trying to imagine the brouhaha if some player led in HR and RBI, but lost out on the Triple Crown due to fewer than the required PAs and the addition of outs to make up for it.

Paging Jay Jaffe ....

I hear ya' Jason .... I appreciate the thoughtful response.

Part of me feels like this is saying it takes 4 people to replace Kevin. But that feeling is overwhelmed by the one that says what is being offered up now will even surpass what KG and Jason did on their own. So here's to Jason and the Prospectnauts!

Caption under front page picture: "Chase Headley's monster season has helped him tie for the most homers in the majors since the All-Star break." ====================== I may be nitpicking here, but this just sounds backwards.

There scouting kids younger and younger these days.

Love this review: Official stopwatch of the Up and In Podcast December 3, 2011 By M. Ester Color Name:Green|Amazon Verified Purchase This stopwatch comes highly recommended by real baseball scouts. It is simple, reliable, and accurate. It has large buttons and an intuitive interface.

Sadly, no recommendations for fedoras, fruity beers or mattresses.

That was .... wow! Chicks MAY in fact dig the long ball .... but great defense works for us too!

Pass the tissues ....

I love this kind of stuff .... well done!

Jason .... is Rendon's career path more/less frustrating than the similarly-wounded Fernando Martinez?

So is Ruf a defense-challenged version of podcast favorite Ian Gac?

See folks ... he really isn't dead!

Congrats Jason .... well-deserved!

Some wet blanket is minusing the comments.

Could someone pass me a tissue ... :-( Thanks KG, for making me a smarter baseball fan/writer. Have a blast .... The Scrabble Lady

Will you marry me?

I don't think the 3B was diving trying to block the throw ... I think it was a collision and subsequent tripping ....

"you shouldn’t be allowed to run Hamiltonian around the bases" ================ this made me smile ...

I believe Chipper Jones is retiring at the end of THIS year, no?

I loved the "people changing teams" quip .... WTG Christina!

Thank you for reading my email. :-) The last "tales of want" was cringe-worthy, but ROFL-funny.

Richard is quite kind Anagrams are fun to do Haiku tough but cool http://valueoverreplacementgrit.com/2012/07/11/the-vorgs-all-haiku-1st-half-review2nd-half-preview/

Someone has gone and Banged all the comments to date Not a haiku fan?

Your skill with this verse Lead to next year's annual Haiku Prospectus

There once was a man from Prospectus ... (oh ... wait) ....

A 5-7-5 Rare play on the field or good Winning percentage

I love you .... (in a science of baseball geek way).

Can't overlook Perry Noun ... http://valueoverreplacementgrit.com/2012/01/23/noun-you-tell-me/

I've got the Verb Team covered ... http://valueoverreplacementgrit.com/2012/01/21/verb-players/

Genius (both you and Scully)

Sadness ....

Mr. reznick ... there's a call for you, from this man ... http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/baconed01.shtml But now I'm just being shellfish ...

"You can't spell 'trot' without TTO" - Dianegram, Marketing Genius

Austin's father was heard to say "that's my boy!"

While you do mention the Tigers fielding woes, its the decline relative to 2011 that is really telling. They're 28th in DER this year (.688, with a -3.76 PADE), after finishing 18th last year (.708, -0.31 PADE).

Good point!

Remember when K-Rod first came up, and Will Carroll (and others) predicted imminent doom based on his mechanics? Well, he's been relatively injury-free his entire career. Maybe Sale will have a K-Rod-like career .... (hoping)

Well, he COULD have been referring to the save stat itself .... nah.

I can't imagine how much video editing this took ... bravo.

Boras was the keynote speaker at last year's SABR convention. Like many of the members of the audience, I went in with a negative image of him ... after all ... he was "ruining baseball". But then we all listened to him ... he's self-assured, confident, polished, humorous, convincing, even charismatic. I came out of that speech maybe not *liking* him ... but certainly *respecting* the talent he possesses. And as KG has mentioned on the podcast, if your son was a baseball player, you'd want Boras representing him. Here's Boras' speech: http://sabr.org/latest/sabr-41-boras-keynote-speech-focuses-data-psychology

FF to 3:29 in this clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0FLu4_wx0E (yes, its dubbed in Spanish, best I could do)

If anyone is interested, my work on this is here: http://valueoverreplacementgrit.com/2012/04/09/the-baltimore-sorryles/

Nice work (as always) Jay. Since 2001, with the exception of the 2010 season (where they started 1-11 then 2-16, 7-21 and 15-41 then managed to *improve* to finish at 66-96), the O’s have played at least .450 ball for the first 47 games. If you limit it to 2005-9 and 2011, they’ve played better than .450 ball for at least the first 74 games. Then they've played roughly .360 for the remainder of the season. (I researched that for a post on my blog) So, I'll hold my breath a bit on the nice start.

As an aside, Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long transformed Curtis Granderson from horrible against lefties to GOOD against them. And he seems to have helped Jeter regain his swing (after some major hiccups, to be fair). So, do hitting coaches matter? Maybe.

Congrats Jay .... another step towards claiming the title of "King of All Media"

Lewis became only the fifth starter to have as many as five hits ALL be homers (no other types of hits allowed) in a game: http://valueoverreplacementgrit.com/2012/05/11/so-many-fives/ (yes, that's my blog ... sorry if that offends)

Dickie Thon (senior) says hello.

Especially after his demotion to the minors in 2007 ....

Partial tear in hamstring .... out 6-8 weeks.

Where is "grittiness" and "heart"?

Cool .... I might go if the hotel rate isn't absurd.

True or false ... if I went I'd be the only gal to attend?

Christmas/Chanukah/Kwanzaa in April!

Mashed potatoes can be your friend ... - "Weird Al"

45 dollars and ONE cent???? really?

H/T to BigLeagueStew for finding this one http://tinyurl.com/cslyygn

BoSox are tied (with Yankees) for fewest errors. Behind the curtain, they are 28th and 30th respectively in DER.

I nominate the title of this update for "Headline of the Year" ....

We need to talk.

Wonderful stuff Sam ..... I love this kind of wackiness ... Here's something similar I wrote a few weeks ago: http://valueoverreplacementgrit.com/2012/03/04/repetitive-player-batting-lines/

Well ... I was going to write something in a similar vein for my blog, but this would have blown that out of the water. And I'll never look at Robert Andino the same way again.

I don't think the Target Field event was on the original SABR42 convention schedule. Is it now? Or are these separate and distinct entities?

re: Zach Duke ... 192 innings pitched between AAA and Pittsburgh in 2005 at age 22, 215 innings pitched in 2006 at age 23. Overworked during a pitcher's injury nexus perhaps .... ?

John .... in your Royals praise, you mention *1* starting pitcher, and one with a long history of lack of control at that. Just where do you see a true #1 pitcher in their rotation? As much as I love their system, the SPs are not ready for prime time. Check back in 2013.

2-point-one *b*illion Frank McCourt's smoldering mess Rewarded in end

2-point-one million Frank McCourt's smoldering mess Rewarded in end

Just being himself?

I studied the increase in TTO (on a team/league basis) here http://valueoverreplacementgrit.com/2012/02/06/applying-three-true-outcomes-to-a-team/ Across the Majors, its increased from around 22% in the early 1980s to around 29% as of 2011.

Yay BP .... YAY Ben!

A catcher with possibly chronic lower back issues won't stay a catcher for long, right? I'd assume squatting doesn't help the back at all.

And the early winner in the BP.COM 2012 "Damning With Faint Praise" snippet is: "It’s hard to hate a guy that Kevin Goldstein ranked as the third-best White Sox prospect heading into last season," ============= Otherwise ... another fine article Michael.

Welcome aboard Matthew! As for naughty names, they're part of the "Best names in baseball history" bracket going on at my blog: Cannonball Titcomb beat Gene Brabender in the first round .. http://valueoverreplacementgrit.com/2012/02/23/march-moniker-madness-sounds-dirty-region-round-of-512-results/

As a Carter uberfan, I thank you Jay. I've now lost my *two* all-time favorite players (Carter and Murcer) to the same thing. :-(

As part of a piece I am doing for my blog, I consolidated all of this year's NRIs into one handy sheet. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ag284-7aGQtKdElKUFdJbnNZSWYtYnA4VmowZWt3Smc Enjoy.

Sam Miller ... you are a funny man.

more correctly (I believe) Amateur Draft Order

Breakdown by position 1B: 4 2B: 2 (can we have a new acronym ... "TINSTASBP" There is no such thing as a second base prospect?) 3B: 8 C: 10 INF: 1 LHP: 11 OF: 21 OF/2B: 1 RHP: 35 SS: 8

I have some ways to improve the app ... it'll still be awful though http://valueoverreplacementgrit.com/2012/02/07/take-a-bad-app-and-make-it-better/

This article needs to hit the internets .... for all to read.

Darrell Evans' slash stats in his Detroit late-career years look spookily like Mark Teixeira's last couple of years in New York.

Nice work Jason. Here's a tangential question for you. If you were the Royals, given the restrictiveness of the amateur draft rules in the new CBA (seemingly stacked against "smaller market teams"), would you try and "go for it" this year? If so, would you be averse to trading some of the almost ready prospects for an established pitcher (either prior to the start of the season, or if you're still within shouting distance at the ASB)? Which prospects do you think the Royals might consider expendable in such a scenario? Thanks!

Very nice ... I could see a nice ESPN Sunday Night Baseball crew out of you three.

If there was no limit on length, "Is It Possible to Accurately Measure Fielding Without Shoving a GPS Device Up Derek Jeter’s Ass?" would be my roto team name this year.

Love the contents ... hate the cover. Pre-ordered nonetheless.

Surprised that Butch Hobson's 1978 season didn't make the list of bad news at the hot corner years. Great article Jay (as always).

Teal color .... and NO hideous animatronic marlins whirling around the cover celebrating its publication!

Great news ... thanks for the update.

Well, a few weeks ago I had wondered aloud here why no team had scooped you up ... guess it was just a matter of time. Congrats Mike ... you totally deserve this chance. Your work here was top-notch, and the Astros are a better franchise for bringing you on. Good luck, sir!

Well howdy Bill ... what a pleasant surprise to see that HERE is where you ended up.

I was thinking of doing something like this for my blog, but your execution of it turned out to be so much better. Well done.

Another one of the many sides of Jason Parks. I'm glad you let us see it. Thanks! My condolences.

Clutchness is not a repeatable skill, even for VMart: http://www.baseball-reference.com/play-index/split_stats.cgi?full=1¶ms=bases%7CRISP%7Cmartivi01%7Cbat%7CAB%7C#RISP1::none But yes, there will be a huge hole in a critical part of the lineup.

Rebecca Glass is coming to BP? Awesome!

Wonderful stuff ... thought-provoking.

The "Glossary" of transactions doesn't seem to show up (at least in Firefox 9).

This is an answer to one of my silent data mining prayers (and nearly worth the price of a BP subscription itself) Thanks BP!

Martinez's hamstring problems started after an exhibition game in Vancouver of all places. The dirt in the infield was very loose and sandy, and he pushed off to field a grounder and ... pop!

I'm shocked no MLB club has coming knocking on Mr. Fast's door (yet). Great stuff as always.

So if you ever thought of opening your own "Baseball Prospectus and nothing else" bookstore, this is an opportune time ...

A null comment from 1969 ..... oooh

Para-dise by the dashboard light! (RIP Phil Rizzuto)

Oh boy, fanfic ... :-)

Don't ask?

And now, Steven is a full-fledged BBWAA member .... Mazel Tov!

I'd love to take a stab at it myself, but I'd need a lot of help.

Merci! (and done)

While I love this idea, I've often wondered if anyone would buy a book detailing the *history* of Baseball Prospectus itself. How it came into existence ... the problems that cropped up in the early days .... how writers were recruited ... the development of PECOTA and similar measures ... personalities (both good and bad). You guys have been at the forefront of the analytical revolution and were there pretty much from the start in terms of having a presence on the web, so I think it would be a fun read.

189? Wow .... you've been a BPer from the beginning .... nice!

The "sexy" discussion had me audibly laughing on the bus this morning ... well done!

What a great idea!

69wildcat's comment is apparently #100000 on the site .... that should get him/her a free year's subscription or something.

Back in the mid 80s, I did my Master's Thesis on the use of computers in baseball. I came across an article that stated that the A's didn't fear trading Tony Armas to the Red Sox because their proprietary computer system analyzed Armas' flyballs, and when superimposed upon Fenway Park's dimensions, found that he wouldn't be as good a powerhitter there. It turns out they were wrong, as Armas hit .280/.323/.524 in his career at Fenway.

I got my '97 prospectus from eBay.

Prospectapompatus of glove ...

this is major fun! thanks for finding this.

Still getting publicity about my interview ... nice to see it has legs. Was a lot of fun to do!

Ummm .... is this mere coincidence .... http://www.fangraphs.com/not/index.php/take-me-out-to-the-holosuite/

I think a "BP groupthink" article on what has happened to Matusz would be a good read. Could we get one?

Is Jonah Hill busy?

Brilliant. Now, can we create a Google Doc index of episodes so that we can catalog on which podcast Altuve was mentioned, or Texas Chili was discussed, or I appeared as listener of the week? If someone set up the framework (spreadsheet?), we could all add to it.

If you walk Pujols to face Berkman, is Mike Gonzalez REALLY that bad a reliever that you couldn't bring him in to turn Lance around to his weaker side?

"It was a mess, a gloriously sloppy bacon double cheeseburger of a mess that remained true to the chaotic excitement of the past 31 days." ================== It wasn't "great" baseball ... but it WAS great drama. Nicely done Jay.

1 single, that is

re: Pujols' own call for H&R ... he had *1* hit in 2011 to RF with runner on first only http://bbref.com/pi/shareit/jMnG1

Watching TLR's bullpen fiasco reminded me of this ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTEeJE3tzDE

Assuming there is an antidote, then yes.

While watching Holland start the ninth, I wished that Lee Tunnell was still active, and was the Rangers closer.

Could I request that, when the lists come out for each team, that there are links to every prior year's top 11 lists for that team on the top of the page? Many thanks!

Jim Kern .... was a goat. http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/slides/photos/000/836/391/jim_kern_autograph_display_image.jpg?1302037486

Somehow in this piece I neglected to mention another Scrabble-baseball connection. Zack Hample is a former tournament Scrabble player, who is famous in the baseball fan world for snagging over 5,800 baseballs in his lifetime. http://snaggingbaseballs.mlblogs.com/ Here he is sporting a Scrabble t-shirt while snagging a Johnny Damon homer: http://sgdyang.pixnet.net/album/video/156422714

Can Brad Pitt play Jon Daniels?

And I'm diane1 (that's diane and the number 1) on there.

Its a tie at 34 points between the father/son combo of Pat Jacquez and Tom Jacquez. http://valueoverreplacementgrit.com/2011/04/17/best-players-with-tiles-in-scoring-position/ (Yes, I have a magic spreadsheet that calculated these and everyone else in the Lahman database).

Yes ... if I was playing Baseball Scrabble and we allowed first names and I had a rack of AEIQRUZ, I would indeed look for an open MED to play around. :-)

Wow ... great stuff Rany!

Two things I love to watch re: Cano .. 1) That swing ... violent without being "messy" 2) Making throw to 1st while moving towards middle of infield. No one makes throw across his body better.

Honorable mentions: Dave Roberts, Brian Doyle, Gene Tenace, Mike Andrews.

I'm complaining about the strike zone because I believe (perhaps incorrectly) that having the ump situate himself between the batter and the catcher impairs his view of outside corner pitches. If the ump stood directly behind the catcher (as they used to do, IIRC), they'd have a "truer" view, am I right?

In that case, maybe this article should have been "we think this guy SHOULD win, but we predict that in fact THIS guy WILL win" (like various outlets do with their EMMY and OSCAR coverage)

Sabathia did face significantly better offenses, at least per opponent's OPS: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/sortable/index.php?cid=1057014

Bell's strike zone makes me wonder if umps who stand more towards the batter (rather than closer to the catcher) miss "outside corner" pitches more often?

Rainy day activity: develop Google Doc of Up and In index (noting each episode where "X" is discussed, or talked to, or played (musicians)). I see it as a crowd-sourced document. This is not that day though.

Ummm ... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/25/mike-kekich-and-fritz-peterson-the-trade_n_828342.html

I eagerly await the "BP Movie Box Set" on Amazon.com! Nicely done. I for one would like to see a movie (documentary) on baseball card collectors . . . the Topps empire ... the boom in the '80s, the crash in the '80s ... the notable error cards (Billy Ripken?), etc.

Well done sir . . . and thanks for the Neil Young references ... might I suggest one more "I've seen the cutter and the damage done ..."

and this edition includes the Cardinals!

I of course meant Hal Richman.

I saw the show, and overall it wasn't bad at all. I do wish they gave more than a few seconds to discussing Strat-O-Matic, cause Arthur Richman's story is worth telling.

Lydia Loveless sounds terrific. Her new album is on Spotify, by the way.

I have the utmost faith in you Cecilia!

Wow ... congrats to King and Cecilia!

Here's the link to the hat referenced above: http://shop.mlb.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11784929&cp=1452340.1452371.1452359.1452831.706415#green

But his STATURE in our eyes has grown immeasurably since then.

If you go to the MLB shop site, and find that hat, skim down to the small print at the bottom, underneath the hat. You'll find that the "Country of Origin" is China. Now THAT's insult to injury.

If the Rays miss the playoffs by a game or so, one MIGHT wonder if the outcome would have been different if they had called up Jennings sooner.

I'd love to see all stadia remove the playing of "God Bless America" during the 7th inning stretch (because it HAS been 10 years since the attacks), but that's just me.

I'm not sure if BP assigns "articleid"s sequentially, but if you check the URL of this article, you'll notice its 15000. Congrats to BP, and to Dan for scoring the historic number.

I loved this! Love live Baseball Pusspectus ....

a special, *wind-resistant* mount, I would think ... lest you get "shaky" results

And you say you can't write .... ha! Great stuff Jason.

Nice recap Kevin ... can we expect a similar one from Jason? (please?)

I think we all hope for Ryan just to be able to lead a normal life . . . anything beyond that is gravy.

Nice! Gives me an idea for a blog post.

this NEEDS to be on a t-shirt .... PLEASE?

"The Anorexic Outfield" sounds like a Malamud short story in the spirit of "The Natural"

this might have to do http://www.famouschicken.com/turner.html

I don't know where else to mention this, so I'll put it here. Where is the BP write-up on the tragic passing of Mike Flanagan? I've been so hoping for a Goldman (or Kahrl?)-authored look back at "Flanny"'s life.

Wow ... I clicked through a few levels, and I LOVE the new format in development. One request ... do you have "service time" listed anywhere?

Are we sure neither of these "wood" pitchers is a witch? (Holy Grail, anyone?)

Jeepers ...

Nice write-up Jay! Here's some arguments for concern over Rivera http://www.baseballanalytics.org/baseball-analytics-blog/2011/8/10/mo-troubles-for-rivera.html

"It’s weird that he’s bald. He’s like the john luke picard of baseball" ============== I guffawed ....

Astros have better team VORP ... Value over Replacement Peanut.

You couldn't pay me to sit at a NASCAR track.

Four words of advice: Don't slide on concrete. (bruised tailbone)

Also, here is a link to the audio of a general managers panel discussion at the recent SABR convention in Long Beach. Evans is one of the participants, as well as Fred Claire and Jed Hoyer. It was enlightening. http://sabr.org/latest/sabr-41-general-managers-role-takes-total-dedication

Great stuff as always. I would assume the main reason you didn't want to make that call to the other club was to keep your objectivity in your job. Once you start other team's bidding (pardon the phrase), you get into a really gray area workwise.

Fibrous mass? Is that anything like a lipoma?

Kevin, do you agree with the Halos sending Trout back down to Double-A, as opposed to "sending back down to/promotion to" Triple-A?

If you ever tire of the band name "The Bear Coat", might I suggest "Jason Parks and the Implied Mustaches"

and no .... I'm far far from a Jeter apologist :-)

Great article! One minor editorial nitpick. The tease on the photo linked to the article reads "Derek Jeter may own multiple Gold Gloves, but that doesn't mean that Yankees fans make their own error face when Michael Kay says, "Past a diving Jeter!"" ================================ That "past a diving Jeter" only speaks to the Captain's lack of range, not to what he does with the ball once he fields it. He actually makes very few errors on the balls he gets to, and rarely does he garner an E on a "past the diving" play.

I am so so glad Kim Ng didn't get her first shot at GM in this sad situation.

Amidst all this, I'm still trying to figure out why the Rockies let Jiminez start the game on Saturday.

The latest, greatest baseball reference doodad ... trade histories between any two franchises ... here is the Sox/Dodgers: http://www.baseball-reference.com/friv/trade-partners.cgi?franch_ID_1=BOS&franch_ID_2=LAD

I personally want to know about this "emillion" ... it sounds like a Ponzi scheme website :-)

I now have one more hope (besides the one for Red Sox' reliever Dan) that a Wheeler will either wear or have the nickname "18".

from mlbtr yesterday: Two front office men, neither from the Astros or Phillies, told ESPN's Jayson Stark they believed the Phillies had a deal for Pence in the last 24 hours only to have the Astros back off. The Phillies offered Jarred Cosart, Jonathan Singelton, and a second-tier pitching prospect for Pence, believes Stark. An Astros official told Stark they haven't said no to any specific proposal, however. If this is true, which org. was crazier?

OK .... I just gotta know, did that broadcast have the Denny's commercial silently placed within it?

I'd pay to listen to Vin Scully read the Congressional Record.

I'm working on a similarly-veined post for my blog. I'm looking at the pitchers with the worst W-L % (or total losses) for great teams (the flip side of Steve Carlton's 27-10 record for the 59-97 Phils). So far, the best (so to speak) I've come up with is those same 1938 NL pennant-winning Chicago Cubs, who went 89-63 overall (.585). Their worst pitcher, in terms of W-L %, was not Carleton, but Larry French, a swingman who went 10-19 (.345), making 43 appearances (27 starts). 15 of those losses came in starts, the other 4 in relief. Good stuff, Steve (as always).

(208) .... wow ... how long have you been a BP subscriber? (curious)

Amazingly detailed, explained succinctly. Wonderful work!

Adam Dunn is 2 for 64 (.031) against lefties this season, with 29 Ks. remarkable ....

some more Pirates pitching notes: 2nd best OBA with RISP in NL (.224) http://bbref.com/pi/shareit/mNXhX 3rd fewest HR allowed with men on in NL (25): http://bbref.com/pi/shareit/Ui6pI

The Pirates pitchers have been extremely good (or lucky) with men on base. They've surrendered the vast majority of their homers with no one on. That will put some polish on their stats that they might not deserve.

I believe this refers to the "length" of the screw. Some may be "full" ... some may be "half". (and no "that's what she said", please)

but Kevin .... what are you drinking?

OK ..... I may have to cancel my Pandora account for Sirius/XM ....

I think Westmoreland's being able to lead a normal life is the "actualization" of his skills, and anything beyond that is gravy. I'd be (pleasantly) *shocked* if he returns to good prospect status. Given the part of the brain impacted by this surgery, you really can't expect him to make a full (in a baseball sense) recovery.

Great stuff as always guys ... Do you have the breakouts of oblique injuries suffered by pitchers and batters, and then, within batters, how many occurred during a swing (I know that part will be tough).

Growing up, I never thought of SS as being a powerhitting position ... then I met Roy Smalley. http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/smallro02.shtml

Or even some chants for Luke Gregerson ...

Jay Buhner for the Hall of the Very Good. "Ken Phelps?????"

OK ... I'll ask the inevitable follow-up question ... how often is it the SAME article, word-for-word?

"I was still the same little kid that gripped his mother’s hand after catching that first glimpse of the exceptional world taking place on the field below. Only this time, I was the one standing on it." ===================== That made me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside ... good job (all around) Jason.

and here's another view of it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1XYf4Whcj8

Someone clocked it at 3.8 .... Here is a clip http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=16812873

I was fortunate enough to catch Trout this past Saturday night in Anaheim. I had never seen him "live", and neither had my friends, but I knew he had "80" speed, and I warned them that "he's a blur on the bases". Nonetheless, we all gasped when we saw him fly down the line from the RH batter's box. I really hope he can keep anything close to that swiftness as he matures. Later that night, I walked into the Angels team store and asked the manager if he had "Trout" shirts yet ... he looked at me a little funny, and then sheepishly said ... "we should have them in next week".

I was at the Saturday night game, and I saw his first hit, a bunt that he EASILY beat out. He is quite possibly the fastest RH batter home to first in the game today.

This tableau software is fantastic! ... and there is a free version? Excellent!

I'm lucky enough to be in Long Beach this week for SABR's annual convention. The group had already bought a large block of tickets for Saturday night's Angels game, so this just got a whole lot better!

Bryce Harper promoted to Double-A/ http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/nationals-watch/2011/jul/4/bryce-harper-promoted-double-harrisburg/

Once the July 4th weekend is over, I'm off to SABR41 in Long Beach, CA. http://sabr.org/convention

We need cameo appearance by all the "Up and In" pets.

That's not as big a deal as starting Kevin Mitchell at shortstop for 20 games in 1986! Kevin Mitchell!

They sped up the recording .... its like listening to "Alvin and the Chipmunks" doing "Baseball Tonight" (ok ... maybe not)

Hey Corey/Ben .... can you injury database compare the injury rates occurring to players on road teams in interleague games vs. all other injuries? I wanna know if my thought that Young's unfamiliarity with Miller Park might be part of a larger trend, injurywise.

This weekend was Young's first experience in Miller Park, and thus he wasn't familiar with the width of the warning track and/or how close to the "fence" he might be. This is one of the unintended consequences of interleague play ... guys having to navigate unfamiliar nooks/crannies of ballparks.

"The Collateral Damage Boys" sounds like a Pentagon-based country-western band. :-)

Fact 1: He couldn't put any weight on that leg. That's not just a sprained ankle (as stated in the article). Fact 2: He was approx. 300 feet from his dugout. Do you really expect a couple of his teammates to help him limp (or carry him) all the way from the LF fence to the dugout?

OK ... I created a paid account .... I guess that will FanDuel happy :-)

I had the privilege of having the author Frank McCourt as a teacher during my time at Stuyvesant HS back in the late 70s. If he read this, he would sheepishly smile, look you in the eye Larry, chuckle a bit, pause and say in that telltale brogue "good job lad ..."

Hey .... CK is back! Chain her to her BP office desk ... don't let her leave! :-) Anyhow .... nice to read you again here, Christina.

and Predicatron (sniff)

Sorry to nitpick, but its *Jonny* Venters ... http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=458924

Nice! So any truth to the rumor that they liked to rub each other with Mississippi River mud as a matter of foreplay?

re: Lincecum ... Bochy has given him an extremely long rope ... perhaps to Timmy's detriment. 133 pitches in an inter-league (!) 3-0 shutout of the A's May 21. 112 pitches in 6.1 innings on June 1. 101 pitches in 5 innings his next start. (and he threw 249 innings in total last year) There is also talk that the loss of Posey has had an impact on Tim's performance on the mound.

I'm hoping Altuve makes it to the majors in time to face off against this guy ... (or at least pose for a picture) http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rauchjo01.shtml

Thanks for sharing that Steven. Nice way of getting your point across.

sad article .... but well-written .... thanks Marc

KG confirmed that its pronounced "Sweyehart" Now I have Celine Dion's warbling Titanic tunes in my head. "Swihart will go oooooonnnnnn ..."

I keep thinking of Walter Payton: Act like you've been there before.

Richie .... you are right. I'm not saying I LIKE when guys admire their homers or show up pitchers, but its worse when someone with no track record does it.

But Harper, unlike Bonds, Sosa, Reggie and other baseball "entertainers" hasn't EARNED THE RIGHT to watch his homers and blow kisses. Harper hasn't done ANYTHING yet, comparatively.

If so, how soon before we get Chris Berman with "Blake 'Let Me Call You' Swihart"?

"Mike Scioscia's Tragic Smartness" is so full of win!

Jason Collette just tweeted that Altuve got promoted to Double-A! Yay!

It MAY be historic in that it might be the last one under the current draft rules .... hard slotting, anyone?

I'm just waiting for the IPO. (I know ... dream on)

Now we read he's been feeling this back issue for a long time and trying to play through it .... had to STAND for the entire plane ride home and couldn't even tie his shoes. Why why why do players NOT talk to their training staffs/managers?

Geez .... KG misses one Monday Morning column, and you classify this as a slow fade? You DO know he's the hardest working man in (getting to the) show business? (shaking my head)

Hanley Ramirez ... his feet ... his back ... his not being worth (my) first round pick of him.

Unless that's your own personal opinion of Ms. Span, I think you are in error. Her most recent column was 5/26.

All batters with RISP, sorted by walks - 2011 to date http://tinyurl.com/42kpkjs

Ah .... but like RBIs, we must consider them in the context of "opportunities". Who are the leaders in SW%?

I wonder what long-suffering A's fan Christina Kahrl thinks of all this? (missing CK) :-(

Not one quote invoking a higher power?

Mets find a savior? http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/27/sports/baseball/hedge-fund-manager-david-einhorn-negotiating-stake-in-mets.html

I distinctly remember Dietz having a card in that old Cadaco "All-Star Baseball" game (the one with the circular player cards and spinner). http://tinyurl.com/3cbzej9 So he must have been SOMEWHAT decent. :-)

Is Mark Teixeira (the 2010 and 2011 versions) the new Darrell Evans? http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/teixema01.shtml

There's a pill for that ... but those side effects, whoa.

Truth be told, I skimmed it, and Jeter's name caught my attention.

Can I assume this will be cross-posted to SABR?

Curious .... no Jeter season after 2003 merits inclusion in the "worst FRAA" pantheon?

They wanted to make sure their readers weren't all raptured?

Kinsella is also a tournament Scrabble player. (Yes, it IS a small world) http://www.cross-tables.com/results.php?p=2311

Were any of those Rangers bitten by a radioactive growth-hormone enhanced spider?

Well, it wasn't a comic book, but the Tampa Rays were put into an (awesome/terrible) animated superhero cartoon series: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCa5_ySlcPM

Bautista's transformation is indeed remarkable. I cringe at the mention of Norm Cash, as he admitted to using a corked bat during his splendid 1961 season.

Excellent! Val Kilmer would be proud of this!

Oh .... and it would be equally interesting if you moved the demarcation line from age 30 to the age midpoint of WARP productivity for a given period, and see who is more top or bottom-heavy. I'm thinking guys like Carlos Baerga, Edgardo Alfonso (maybe its a 2B thing ... they do seem to peak/decline earlier).

Nice, fun, informative!

I loved "The Book" ... will there be a sequel?

Your apology Should have been in haiku form To appease Kevin

Congrats Kevin and Jason, and thanks for over 105 hours of info, critiques, recommendations and laughs. Here's to Year 2!

Somehow mistook this for Facebook? :-(

Point taken.

Given Brown's hamate and now thumb issues, any worries he might turn into one of those guys who just can't stay healthy? (thinking of Rondell White/Moises Alou-types)

Hardest working man in (Getting to the) Show Business.

I concur about the one-year deal aspect of this. The Yanks really only HAD to have Jeter at SS for his 3,000th hit, which (fisted to right field willing will happen this year). It really is the last 2 years of this new deal that are so untenable. If I were the Yanks, I would have offered him $35 million for 2011 (as a "to hell with the 2011 luxury tax, we're giving you this golden parachute"), and then a *club* option for 2012 at around $9 million. Take it or leave it. (And I doubt Jeter would have passed it up).

Enjoy the memories ... http://www.hulu.com/watch/166978/home-run-derby-harmon-killebrew-vs-mickey-mantle

Unfortunately, that quality SS didn't/doesn't exist on the Yanks roster (apologies to Nunez and Pena), and Cito Culver isn't due til at least 2013. Also, the 2010-11 free agent market at SS consisted of: Juan Castro, Craig Counsell, Bobby Crosby, Adam Everett, Cristian Guzman, Cesar Izturis, Julio Lugo, Augie Ojeda, Jhonny Peralta, Nick Punto, Edgar Renteria and Miguel Tejada. IOW, nobody who could match Jeter's (reduced) offense, and only capable of providing marginal improvements defensively. As for trading for a SS, which team had a SS to deal, and was going to deal a SS to the almighty Yankees, when they KNEW the Yanks HAD to re-sign Captain Jeter? There was no real way around this ... Jeter needed the Yanks, and the Yanks needed Jeter.

RIP Harmon .... passed away this morning.

There once was a man named Posada Whose presence was rapidly non grata When he saw he was batting last He opted out of the lineup fast And caused a media intifada

I'm sure Will Carroll answered this years ago, but I've forgotten . . . are "strains" actually "tears"? Reading that Beachy felt a "tear" makes it seem more serious than a "strain".

Baseball Reference to the rescue of course http://www.baseball-reference.com/friv/double_unique.cgi?year=2011

Well-played! KG with the haiku .... Colin with the long-form.

Hmmm .... I think that explains why scoring (homers) is down. (sorry, couldn't resist)

KG .... I'm totally serious about this. I'd love you guys to have an "Up and In" t-shirt design contest, and the winner gets their design printed on t-shirts sold by BP (through CafePress or similar). BP could keep the profit, or you could donate the profits to "Doctors Without Borders" or similar organization. How about it?

Dude, its his last BP article. Can we ease up on the grammar police for a day?

Thanks for providing insights into the players we love to follow, and those we might not have known.

Nice stuff Larry ... I'm a numbers geek, but I do have a fondness for those mid'70s-era illustrations of players with esoterica on the back of the cards. (here, 1974 Topps Mark Belanger as an example) http://tinyurl.com/3zxxpg8

As BBTN proved, the revenue increase from 75-80 wins is nowhere near what it is from 85-90 (to pick #s out of the air). UNLESS this is one of those 1973 NL East-type seasons where one team goes 83-79, and the bottom-dweller is only 11 games worse. The Royals see the Indians off to a hot start, see that the Tribe's pitching can't possibly do what they are doing for another 4 months, see that the Twins are snakebit, the Tigers enigmatic and the WhiteSox offense is asleep, and maybe, just maybe, the difference between Kila and Hosmer is the 1-2 wins it might take to steal the division? If they make the playoffs, then 2012 Season Tickets sales will be even better than they would have been with the expected promotions of Duffy, Myers, et. al.

re: Aardsma ... this wouldn't be a "cascade" injury, overtaxing the elbow in trying to protect the hip, would it? (doesn't sound like that would be the physiological connection)

Perhaps he didn't make it because he was immature for his age?

I know you don't cover the Minors DL, but hot prospect Manny Machado dislocated his kneecap RUNNING from first to third. I thought kneecap dislocations were traumatic/blunt force type of injuries? Please explain ... thanks!

The name is a reference to pig iron, used in the manufacturing of steel, for which the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania is world-renowned. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pig_iron I like when franchises honor their host cities ...

that should read "ruler", not "rules" (of course)

Well, given that the rules next to Erlin went up to 10" and not 70", I'd say it was for comic effect.

The biggest question I have from reading this article is who asked Scherzer about being a 6-win pitcher, cause I wanna shake that reporter's hand.

5.2 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 K

and now, the Braves just announced that Julio Teheran will be their starting pitcher tomorrow .... exciting times for hot prospects!

As a old-time Genesis fan, I so wish Lance Broadway was still playing, so I could potentially see this matchup.

"Parra stays healthy about as often as he finds the strike zone" ================== Cruel but fair ....

KG .... what is the "super 2" date for 2011? (i.e. when will Royals (or another team) be able to call up Hosmer (or their respective hot prospect) without having him become a Super 2?)

Yeah, when I heard the podcast, I knew I should start with that. Didn't know I could get "1" separately from "Orange Box". Thanks KG!

Yeah, the Giants would probably offer Bumgarner and not Cain ... I'd hope Sandy would hold out for Sanchez+.

Nice article Steven. Regarding Reyes, the recent drumbeats have the Giants interested. If you are Sandy Alderson, who in the Giants organization are you asking for in return (realistically)? The Mets need help all over the diamond, Nieuwenhuis is a decent prospect but not a Strawberry, Mejia just was lost for the year, and Harvey is still two years away.

Bought Portal 2 Sunday night when a friend tipped me off to the discounted Amazon price, installed it with no problem on my Windows 7 PC last night, hope to get into it this weekend. Sorry to read that you won't be at the NYC ESPN event, Kevin. :-(

Is there a Baseball-Reference Play Index (or similar site) where we can generate the % of runs scored by homers?

Comments like this make me miss Christina Kahrl ... sigh.

Great episode .... though I do miss the "Not Jim Tracy" segments. Perhaps we can have a "Not Frank McCourt" segment next.

Nice .... any other homonym name pairs out there?

re: Giovanni Soto, LHP, Indians (High-A Kinston) ... can I hope he moves up fast and gets traded to Cubs so he can be the batterymate of Geovany Soto?

Late news is that Roy Oswalt has left the Phillies for personal reasons after getting a phone call in the dugout before his most recent start. As this is not an "injury" issue, are there legal/CBA guidelines in place protecting Oswalt with regard to the kinds of information the Phillies can share with the media about this?

Its a bell curve within the universe of baseball players.

Don't want to spoil it for those who haven't listened yet (I skipped ahead to the "mental status" portion). Let me just say "congrats" to both of you guys.

Here's the PBP, with Grant Green mentions picked out http://tinyurl.com/3wdvnjh Midland Top of the 1st * Jermaine Mitchell doubles (2) on a line drive to left fielder Chris Swauger. * Grant Green reaches on throwing error by pitcher Kevin Thomas. Jermaine Mitchell scores. Grant Green to 2nd. * Shane Peterson singles on a ground ball to right fielder Alex Castellanos. Grant Green to 3rd. * Michael Spina grounds into a force out, shortstop Ryan Jackson to second baseman Jose Garcia. Grant Green scores. Shane Peterson out at 2nd. Michael Spina to 1st. * Matthew Sulentic grounds into a force out, first baseman Matthew Adams to shortstop Ryan Jackson. Michael Spina out at 2nd. Matthew Sulentic to 1st. * With Jeremy Barfield batting, throwing error by Kevin Thomas on the pickoff attempt, Matthew Sulentic to 2nd. * Jeremy Barfield singles on a ground ball to center fielder Thomas Pham. Matthew Sulentic scores. * With Tyler Ladendorf batting, Jeremy Barfield caught stealing 2nd base, pitcher Kevin Thomas to second baseman Jose Garcia. Midland Top of the 2nd * Tyler Ladendorf hit by pitch. * Jason Christian reaches on force attempt, fielding error by second baseman Jose Garcia. Tyler Ladendorf to 2nd. * Petey Paramore flies out to center fielder Thomas Pham. Tyler Ladendorf to 3rd. Jason Christian to 2nd. * Kevin Thomas intentionally walks Jermaine Mitchell. * Grant Green hits a grand slam (2) to left center field. Tyler Ladendorf scores. Jason Christian scores. Jermaine Mitchell scores. * Shane Peterson grounds out to first baseman Matthew Adams. * Michael Spina doubles (5) on a line drive to left fielder Chris Swauger. * Matthew Sulentic walks. * Jeremy Barfield flies out to left fielder Chris Swauger. Midland Top of the 4th * Grant Green strikes out on foul tip. * Shane Peterson walks. * Michael Spina walks. Shane Peterson to 2nd. * Matthew Sulentic grounds into a force out, first baseman Matthew Adams to shortstop Ryan Jackson. Shane Peterson to 3rd. Michael Spina out at 2nd. Matthew Sulentic to 1st. * With Jeremy Barfield batting, Matthew Sulentic steals (3) 2nd base. * Jeremy Barfield flies out to left fielder Chris Swauger. Midland Top of the 6th * Jermaine Mitchell grounds out to first baseman Matthew Adams. * Grant Green walks. * Shane Peterson reaches on fielding error by first baseman Matthew Adams. Grant Green to 3rd. * Michael Spina grounds into a force out, third baseman Niko Vasquez to second baseman Jose Garcia. Grant Green scores. Shane Peterson out at 2nd. Michael Spina to 1st. * Matthew Sulentic doubles (3) on a line drive to right fielder Alex Castellanos. Michael Spina to 3rd. * Jeremy Barfield singles on a ground ball to center fielder Thomas Pham. Michael Spina scores. Matthew Sulentic scores. * Tyler Ladendorf flies out to center fielder Thomas Pham. Midland Top of the 7th * Pitcher Change: Matthew Frevert replaces Ryan Kulik. * Jason Christian singles on a ground ball to center fielder Thomas Pham. * Petey Paramore singles on a soft line drive to center fielder Thomas Pham. Jason Christian to 2nd. * Jermaine Mitchell walks. Jason Christian to 3rd. Petey Paramore to 2nd. * Grant Green walks. Jason Christian scores. Petey Paramore to 3rd. Jermaine Mitchell to 2nd. * Shane Peterson doubles (5) on a line drive to left fielder Chris Swauger. Petey Paramore scores. Jermaine Mitchell scores. Grant Green to 3rd. * Michael Spina out on a sacrifice fly to right fielder Alex Castellanos. Grant Green scores. Shane Peterson to 3rd. * Matthew Sulentic strikes out swinging. * Jeremy Barfield grounds out, third baseman Niko Vasquez to first baseman Matthew Adams. Midland Top of the 9th Grant Green grounds out sharply, shortstop Ryan Jackson to first baseman Matthew Adams.