2013 MLB Regular Season running thread

I'm obviously a Yankee fan, and I like Soriano (when he's on, he has one of the most beautiful swings), but I don't see the point.

Even if they somehow make the playoffs (which I don't think they will), they aren't going anywhere.

If anything, they should be sellers, not buyers at the deadline. Then again, who do they have to sell? Kuroda?

 

They can get Soriano for cheap, and thanks to the second wild card, any team over .500 is far more likely to be a buyer than a seller.

 

If A-Rod is cutting a deal, he is going about it in an odd way. Andrew Marchand writes that among other recent changes to his team, he got rid of his deal-making lawyers and hired David Cornwell, who got Ryan Braun off the first time and whom Braun fired before cutting his own deal.

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/yankees/post/_/id/60492/a-rod-swings-for-fences-with-latest-lawyer

 

An oral history of the Pine Tar Game, which was 30 years ago today:

http://mlb.si.com/2013/07/24/an-oral-history-of-the-pine-tar-game/

They got interviews with all the living principals, including George Brett, Goose Gossage, Graig Nettles, Tim McClelland and Gaylord Perry (who tried to hide the bat) ...

 

It was my good fortune to be driving back home to Boston from a vacation on the Outer Banks that afternoon, and we were in the NYC area when the incident happened, so I got to listen to Phil Rizzuto try and explain it. He was sure Billy had to be right, but damned if he knew why.

 

Cool 30 for 30 short on Tommy John, Frank Jobe and Tommy John Surgery:

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9499638/the-unlikely-legacy-dr-frank-jobe-pitcher-tommy-john-profiled-latest-30-30-documentary-series

Would have liked to have seen this as a full-length feature, with interviews from more current pitchers who have had TJ.

 

The one employee's statement that Steinbrenner wanted him to come up with a list of all the bad trades MacPhail made while with the Yankees was a hoot. Like that would have made any difference in MacPhail's decision.

"He's biased against us! He once traded Roger Maris for Charley Smith!!!!"

 

Matt Kemp back to the DL, per LA Times' Dylan Hernandez on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/dylanohernandez/status/360153977301639168

 

Eric Wedge had a stroke.

@MLB: Doctors believe Wedge suffered very mild stroke and expect that he’ll have complete recovery. He’ll miss @Mariners’ upcoming road trip.

 

Third time this season.

At some point I wonder if the Dodgers would consider shutting him down. They've been playing pretty damn well without him.

 

Matt Kemp? Never heard of him.

 

He's the guy who beat up Rihanna.