This Week's Links (6/23-6/27)

Now this is happening. The interwebs just exploded.

Bruce Weber: "Indiana will suck."

Great moments in assault and battery.

Posnanski has a theory, and it's a good one.

The Futures Game rosters were announced (US, World).

So, how about that improved NL?

This Week's Links (6/2-6/6)

WFNY interviews Terry Pluto. Good stuff.

Law and Goldstein break down the first day of the Draft. The Indians' first round pick is a brilliant kid.

Leitch is leaving Deadspin. Shyster has a good breakdown.

"Furious Ozzie Guillen's Lineup Card Full Of Expletives"

I need to write about the White Sox just so I can use this picture.

THT talks to Pittsburgh GM Neal Huntington.

This week's Blog Show guest: Erin Andrews.

More Brian Bannister.

This Week's Links (5/19-5/23)

Sportsbook's #1 pick odds have changed slightly in response to the Bulls winning the lottery. Previously, Rose was -120 and Beasley was -110; they are now each -115.

Mike Piazza retired.

Should the Rays take Buster Posey first overall?

College football previews: USC, tOSU.

Cris Carter "has a problem" with Will Leitch, for all kinds of logical reasons.

"If Billy Wagner's on your side, you probably want to change sides."

Tentative Plans for Instant Replay

So, it looks like they're going to give this instant replay thing a shot. From Stark, via Shyster:

Major League Baseball is making tentative plans to experiment with instant replay in the Arizona Fall League, according to a baseball official with knowledge of those discussions.

If that experiment proves practical and successful, MLB then is likely to continue the experiment next March during the World Baseball Classic and spring-training games.

If no insurmountable problems arise, baseball could begin using replay -- though only to decide home run calls -- as soon as next season.

Personally, I have no issue with this. It wouldn't slow down the game in any significant sense--the umps already take their time to confer on this type of call. Replay might take a bit longer, but at least they'd get it right. As long as they keep it to something as black and white as home run calls, it seems like a good idea.

Things like this concern me though:


All controversial calls. Plays at first. At the plate. Whether a ball is caught/trapped in the outfield. And, the most horrifying one of all, balls and strikes.

In a vacuum, Major League Baseball's "tentative plans" are good news. In the greater scheme of things, it's a much more complicated issue, as instituting replay is a very, very slippery slope.

Dusty Gets His Way

Joey Votto, in 2,985 minor league PA: 401 walks

Dusy Baker, on Joey Votto in March: "He needs to swing more. I'd like to see him more aggressive."

Shysterball now brings us the "list of dudes with a minimum of 20 ABs who haven't walked yet":

Matt Diaz (ATL): 62 ABs
Joey Votto (CIN): 47 ABs
Jose Molina (NYY): 36 ABs
Mike Fontenot: (CHC): 31 ABs
Jay Payton (BAL): 30 ABs
Greg Dobbs (PHI): 25 ABs
Brian Bixler (PIT): 24 ABs
So Taguchi (PHI): 21 ABs
Darin Erstad (HOU): 20 ABs

I'd now like to point out the Reds are paying Baker "about $3.5MM" to manage their team. This isn't "Cincinnati Reds Baseball Heaven Fantasy Camp 2008", where Dusty gets to live his dream for the low price of $3,995.00. This was Cincinnati's idea.

In a related story, Hee Seop Choi is currently playing for the Kia Tigers in the Korean League.

This Week's Links (3/31-4/4)

Forgot about this one last week. Gary Thorne actually thinks Jose Canseco is the Yankees' first baseman. He manages to make Steve Phillips look competent in this clip.

I like Vegas Watch's pairing in the "Suckiest Sports Blog" tournament. I'm pretty confident this blog is worse than We Are The Postmen, and thus will advance.

Continuing the series, a look at how SEC basketball is shaping up in 2009.

And that happened.

The dimensions at the L.A. Coliseum were pretty nuts.

I really can't get enough of the Meat Hook.

Actually, Jeff Brantley, Edwin Encarnacion is quite clutch.

PTI pulled a pretty good April Fools joke. The high five could use some work though.

A very interesting Bill James Q&A over at Freakonomics. A sampling:

Q: Has looking at the numbers prevented you from actually just enjoying a summer day at the ballpark? Have we all forgotten the randomness of human ballplayers? By reducing players to just their numbers can we lose sight of the intangibles such as teamwork, friendships, and desire.

A: Does looking at pretty women prevent one from experiencing love? Life is complicated. Your efforts to compartmentalize it are lame and useless.

Find me someone who tells stories better than Joe Posnanski. Please.

Rehab has really changed Yao.

This Week's Links (12/24-12/28)

I finally purchased the new domain name that we voted on like two months ago. As you may have noticed, you are automatically redirected to vegaswatch.net when you type in the old URL. All the Blogspot stuff (bookmarks, RSS) should still work; please let me know if they don't.

Shyster with a hilarious post looking at his 1973 Topps set. He goes over about 70 of the cartoons on the backs of the cards. A few favorites:

"Steve does volunteer dentistry work." You can just do that?
"Dennis enjoys attending sporting events." Given his job, I would hope so.
"Ron loves New York for its fine knishes." First draft: "Ron is a Jew."
"Gary is a freeswing batter." In 1973 Maddox was a Vietnam vet and was already a supernatural centerfielder, yet Topps decided to comment on his .293 rookie on-base percentage. Nice.

Tracy Ringolsby:

"The biggest debates for me were Tim Raines, who obviously was overshadowed by Rickey Henderson, but also if you take Vince Coleman's five top years, I would say he outperformed Raines, too, and I don't see Coleman as a Hall of Famer."

In the comments, Tangotiger helpfully points out that Raines' five worst years were better than Coleman's five best.

The top 40 sports figures of 2007.

After a brief hiatus, one of my favorite college basketball blogs, Rush the Court, is back.

Looks like Gossage is going to be voted into the HoF this year.

Yes, I am going to link to Carl on a weekly basis. This week, his locks of the century. The analysis of the UGA-Hawaii game is absolutely stellar.

Posnanski relays an excellent Belichick story.

An interesting look at SLG% on different pitches in different locations.

This Week's Links (10/1-10/5)

This just popped up in my RSS: Posnanski has started his own site!

Papelbon's celebration after the Sox clinched was pretty entertaining.

Seriously considering buying one of these.

Ranking the top "shooters and wings" in the country; Lofton is first (not surprising), frosh Eric Gordon second. [via TBL]

Definitely head over to BP and vote for the Internet Baseball Awards.

This FJM post killed me.

A good clip of Corpas- this is not alright.

Unsilent's weekly "Always Be Covering" post. Also from KSK, the bounty has been raised!

"Official Postseason Strategy Thread", with a bunch of really smart individuals.

Support the Tribe without feeling guilty about, you know, this.