ATLANTA BRAVES Activated RHP Kevin McGlinchy from the 15-day DL; optioned RHP Kerry Ligtenberg to Richmond. [5/13] Just your basic good idea. Ligtenberg needs to regain control of his breaking stuff to pitch effectively in the majors, and not even the Braves can afford to fool around with a rehab project. Now that Kevin McGlinchy…
Ryan Anderson was the Seattle Mariners’ first-round pick in the June 1997 amateur draft out of Divine Child High School in Dearborn, Michigan. At 6’11 3/4", the hard-throwing southpaw cuts a figure on the mound unlike any seen before. Anderson’s first two professional seasons included a mix of dominant stretches and bouts with inconsistency. However,…
It’s fair to say that no one on our staff expected that, six weeks into the season, the Arizona Diamondbacks would have the biggest lead in any divisional race and sport the best record in baseball. We were mostly caught by surprise in 1999, when the D’backs rode Randy Johnson and a surprising veteran offense…
RICKEY SAGA… “I don’t anticipate releasing Rickey Henderson. I think what I’d say to him is don’t get caught up in all the nonsense.” — Steve Phillips, Mets GM “I don’t worry about it.” — Rickey Henderson, outfielder “It’s not acceptable, hitting a ball 400 feet and then pulling that [*%$!].” — Bobby Valentine, Mets…
Keith Law: According to ESPN.com, Baylor just pinch-hit for Scott Downs … with Daniel Garibay. This, on top of a lineup without Eric Young, Henry Rodriguez, Mark Grace, or Shane Andrews, and that had Jeff Huson leading off until Nieves subbed for him in the third. Jeff Erickson (of Rotonews): Ugh… my guess is that…
ANAHEIM ANGELS Placed RHP Ken Hill on the 15-day DL (strained intercostal muscle); optioned RHP Ramon Ortiz to Edmonton; recalled RHP Mike Fyhrie and LHP Jarrod Washburn from Edmonton. [5/10] Its already been a fun spring for the Angels, as they’ve managed to stick with the pack in the AL West. And they may end…
A couple of weeks ago, I talked about the media uprising concerning the number of home runs being hit. At the time, there was a growing clamor that "something" had to be done, with the two most-common remedies bandied about being altering the baseball and raising the mound. What I believed, and still do, was…
Terry Francona should be fired immediately and then run out of the City of Brotherly Love by a torch-wielding mob. He had Curt Schilling, anchor of the staff returning from major offseason shoulder surgery, throw 126 pitches in his second post-operative major-league start, sending him to the mound with a 6-0 lead to pitch the…
Come Back, Lance Johnson! All Is Forgiven! Through 33 games, the Chicago Cubs had yet to hit a triple. The teams with the fewest triples in history in seasons with at least 120 games played: Team Year 3B Baltimore 1998 11 New York (AL) 1988 12 Baltimore 1986 13 Oakland 1998 13 Los Angeles (NL)…
There’s a commonly held belief in sabermetric circles that catchers reach their offensive peak later that players at other positions. Presumably, the physical strain of playing catcher inhibits their development as hitters. The emergence of Darren Daulton at age 30 is typical of this phenomenon. However, to the best of my knowledge, there has not…
First things first: my well-intentioned tribute at the end of yesterday’s column went horribly awry when I mixed in the wrong Robert. It was public-address announcer Bob Sheppard who the Yankees honored with a plaque in Monument Park on Sunday. Robert Merrill is well known as well, and also closely associated with the Yankees: he…
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS Placed RHP Matt Mantei on the 15-day DL (weak shoulder); purchased the contract of RHP Vicente Padilla from Tucson. [5/5] Sometimes it’s fashionable to bash teams that give up a"known" major-league pitcher for pitching prospects/suspects. Usually, that’s because the ability to pitch in the majors is an unpredictable quality. Pitchers get hurt, and…
There has been a push over the past decade or so to get former baseball greats into upper management in the game, especially in high-profile positions. Some of these appointments have worked well: Hank Aaron in Atlanta has done a fine job as a visionary and public relations lightning rod for one of the more…
One of the best things about writing this column is the feedback I get from its readers. Since Baseball Prospectus debuted in 1996, it’s been lucky to have a loyal and knowledgeable following. It’s no stretch to say that the e-mail I receive on any one day contains more salient points than an entire year…
All Hail The Unit Early on, the divisional race looks to be between the Diamondbacks (21-10 as this is written) and the Dodgers (17-13, 3 1/2 games back). If there’s a dominant force that created this situation, his name is Randy Johnson, who is 7-0 with an ERA lower than Mickey Mantle‘s blood alcohol count….
LOSING WAYS “I come to the ballpark every day thinking we’re going to win. I don’t know what to say or how I feel. It’s hard. We’re here to win and we’re not doing a very good job of it.” — Terry Francona, Phillies manager “When you have a tough losing streak, I don’t know…