Wednesday, May 25, 2011

SweetSpot Roundup 5/25

Today's roundup features Alexi Ogando, cool new baserunning stats, a cookbook, Jorge de la Rosa, and the clearest, most impressive .gif of a curveball ever.  Also, George Dzundza for some reason.

Ghostrunner on First (Blue Jays): This Is Your Brain On Bautista
Drew's got a photo that explains it all.

It's Pronounced Laj-a-way (Indians): Even in a Downpour, Asdrubal is Still on Fire
"Any time you can mention a player’s name in the same breath as [Tris] Speaker, you know he’s in good company."

Pro Ball NW (Mariners): The Perplexing Nature of the 2011 Mariners
"This is a team that merit an entirely new description each week.  They were 2-0, then 2-7. then 8-13, then 13-15, then 16-23, and now 23-24.  The bats were cold, then frozen, then thawed, and now warming up.  The pitching was great, then good, and now phenomenal. Who knows what the story on these guys will be next week, or in mid-June?"

Camden Depot (Orioles): Season Summary and Morning Links
Jon is getting retrospective on the first quarter of 2011.  Also, Matt Wieters has been better than you think.

Baseball Time in Arlington (Rangers): Alexi Ogando, the BABIP Monster, And The Greatest Pitcher Ever
"Alexi Ogando is the greatest pitcher in major league history. It's all right here in the numbers. The numbers are the truth. The cake is a lie."

The Ray Area: Pitching 2.0
Are the Rays' pitchers simply out-thinking batters in 2011?

Fire Brand of the American League (Red Sox): Ultimate Base-Running - Red Sox
Fangraphs has a cool new stat, and Charlie breaks it down regarding the BoSox.

Royals Authority: The Next Call Up and the One After That
"I really think these decisions need to be made based not on what will happen in 2011, but what the Royals perceive will happen in 2012 and/or 2013.  That is where it gets tricky."

It's About the Money, Stupid (Yankees): The tiered bullpen is a self-perpetuating monster
Watch Brien Jackson about to blow your mind: " the thing about status quo bias is that it’s totally relative to what the status quo is."  Oh yeah, your heads swimming now, isn't it?

Disciples of Uecker (Breweres): Brewers Claim Daniel Herrera from Cincinnati
"With the minimal risk involved with a waiver claim and the clear potential gain, it’s impossible to dislike this move for Milwaukee."

View From the Bleachers (Cubs): Chicago Cubs Cookbook
"Chicago Cubs Cookbook” reminds us that the cubs are real people, who eat real food, and who sometimes cook, too."

Dodgers Thoughts: May Bitter Blues
This has been the worst May for the Dodgers since they moved West.

Bay City Ball (Giants): Sabean tasked with weighing the present, future
Just click this to enjoy the .gif of Zack Wheeler's curve ball.  Stick around for Rory's analysis.

Nationals Baseball: Look on the bright side
Harper thinks the Nats are just snake-bitten this year, despite their surprising success without Ryan Zimmerman and Stephen Strasburg.

Ducksnorts (Padres): Musical Outfielders
I am a huge Venable fan, so this hurts me: "At his best, Venable is a useful if flawed piece of the puzzle, providing a nice combination of power, speed, and defense. His swing is long and he often relies on pure athleticism to work around the rough spots in his game, but this year, he just stinks."

Redleg Nation: Transaction Time
The Reds have an open spot on the 40 man roster.  You don't really get to pick who fills it, but if you could, who would it be?  I pick...character actor George Dzundza.

Blake Street Bulletin (Rockies): Uh Oh
"Jorge De La Rosa was forced to leave today’s game in the third inning with soreness in his elbow.  I’m trying not to panic, but it’s hard."  (Update: de la Rosa has a torn UCL and will need Tommy John surgery. Feel free to panic.)

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