<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" > <channel> <title>brewers Archives | Baseball Prospectus</title> <atom:link href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/tag/brewers/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/tag/brewers/</link> <description>Insightful analysis for the discerning baseball fan</description> <lastBuildDate>Tue, 12 Dec 2023 04:32:40 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <item> <title>Charlie Greene vs. Shohei Ohtani</title> <link>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/87127/flyover-country-brewers-charlie-greene-shohei-ohtani/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Matthew Trueblood]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 12 Dec 2023 11:02:23 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Feature]]></category> <category><![CDATA[brain drain]]></category> <category><![CDATA[brewers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Charlie Green]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.baseballprospectus.com/?p=87127</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Not in the batter vs. pitcher way, but in the how teams who aren't going to sign megastars can still improve their rosters way.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/87127/flyover-country-brewers-charlie-greene-shohei-ohtani/">Charlie Greene vs. Shohei Ohtani</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="pmpro_content_message">This content is for Premium, Super-Premium, and Premium Monthly members only. Visit the site and log in/register to read.</div> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/87127/flyover-country-brewers-charlie-greene-shohei-ohtani/">Charlie Greene vs. Shohei Ohtani</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Why Upsets Happen, Probabilistically</title> <link>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/86139/veteran-presence-mlb-postseason-upsets/</link> <comments>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/86139/veteran-presence-mlb-postseason-upsets/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Rob Mains]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 17 Oct 2023 10:03:47 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Feature]]></category> <category><![CDATA[braves]]></category> <category><![CDATA[brewers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[diamondbacks]]></category> <category><![CDATA[dodgers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Marlins]]></category> <category><![CDATA[orioles]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Phillies]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Rangers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Rays]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.baseballprospectus.com/?p=86139</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Diamondbacks/Dodgers, Rangers/Orioles, and Philles/Braves aren’t as unusual as they seem</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/86139/veteran-presence-mlb-postseason-upsets/">Why Upsets Happen, Probabilistically</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="pmpro_content_message">This content is for Premium, Super-Premium, and Premium Monthly members only. Visit the site and log in/register to read.</div> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/86139/veteran-presence-mlb-postseason-upsets/">Why Upsets Happen, Probabilistically</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/86139/veteran-presence-mlb-postseason-upsets/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>15</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>2023 Postseason Rooting Guide</title> <link>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/85657/playoff-prospectus-2023-rooting-guide/</link> <comments>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/85657/playoff-prospectus-2023-rooting-guide/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Cliff Corcoran]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 02 Oct 2023 10:02:02 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Feature]]></category> <category><![CDATA[astros]]></category> <category><![CDATA[blue jays]]></category> <category><![CDATA[braves]]></category> <category><![CDATA[brewers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[diamondbacks]]></category> <category><![CDATA[dodgers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Marlins]]></category> <category><![CDATA[orioles]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Phillies]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Rangers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Rays]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Twins]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.baseballprospectus.com/?p=85657</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>For those in need of a rooting interest this October, we've got you covered.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/85657/playoff-prospectus-2023-rooting-guide/">2023 Postseason Rooting Guide</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="pmpro_content_message">This content is for Premium, Super-Premium, and Premium Monthly members only. Visit the site and log in/register to read.</div> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/85657/playoff-prospectus-2023-rooting-guide/">2023 Postseason Rooting Guide</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/85657/playoff-prospectus-2023-rooting-guide/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>6</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Flipping The Script</title> <link>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/82594/veteran-presence-pirates-brewers-april-may/</link> <comments>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/82594/veteran-presence-pirates-brewers-april-may/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Rob Mains]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 10 May 2023 10:03:33 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Feature]]></category> <category><![CDATA[brewers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[pirates]]></category> <category><![CDATA[rockies]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Tigers]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.baseballprospectus.com/?p=82594</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Some of April’s most extreme performers are seeing a reversal in May.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/82594/veteran-presence-pirates-brewers-april-may/">Flipping The Script</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="pmpro_content_message">This content is for Premium, Super-Premium, and Premium Monthly members only. Visit the site and log in/register to read.</div> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/82594/veteran-presence-pirates-brewers-april-may/">Flipping The Script</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/82594/veteran-presence-pirates-brewers-april-may/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>3</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>PECOTA 2023: Reviewing Bench Depth</title> <link>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/80405/pecota-2023-reviewing-bench-depth/</link> <comments>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/80405/pecota-2023-reviewing-bench-depth/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Timothy Jackson]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 17 Feb 2023 11:02:03 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Feature]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Angels]]></category> <category><![CDATA[brewers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[cardinals]]></category> <category><![CDATA[guardians]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Phillies]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Rangers]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.baseballprospectus.com/?p=80405</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Bench depth could save or doom a season, as this look at a few teams around the league reminds.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/80405/pecota-2023-reviewing-bench-depth/">PECOTA 2023: Reviewing Bench Depth</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="pmpro_content_message">This content is for Premium, Super-Premium, and Premium Monthly members only. Visit the site and log in/register to read.</div> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/80405/pecota-2023-reviewing-bench-depth/">PECOTA 2023: Reviewing Bench Depth</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/80405/pecota-2023-reviewing-bench-depth/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>5</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>How Bad Will 2023 Be for The Central Divisions?</title> <link>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/80029/how-bad-will-2023-be-for-the-central-divisions/</link> <comments>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/80029/how-bad-will-2023-be-for-the-central-divisions/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Rob Mains]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 30 Jan 2023 11:02:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Feature]]></category> <category><![CDATA[AL Central]]></category> <category><![CDATA[brewers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[cardinals]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Cubs]]></category> <category><![CDATA[guardians]]></category> <category><![CDATA[nl central]]></category> <category><![CDATA[pirates]]></category> <category><![CDATA[reds]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Royals]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Tigers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Twins]]></category> <category><![CDATA[White Sox]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.baseballprospectus.com/?p=80029</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>New schedule, new challenges.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/80029/how-bad-will-2023-be-for-the-central-divisions/">How Bad Will 2023 Be for The Central Divisions?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="pmpro_content_message">This content is for Premium, Super-Premium, and Premium Monthly members only. Visit the site and log in/register to read.</div> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/80029/how-bad-will-2023-be-for-the-central-divisions/">How Bad Will 2023 Be for The Central Divisions?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/80029/how-bad-will-2023-be-for-the-central-divisions/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>2</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Best of BP: The Padres Did and Did Not Acquire Josh Hader</title> <link>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/79520/best-of-bp-the-padres-did-and-did-not-acquire-josh-hader/</link> <comments>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/79520/best-of-bp-the-padres-did-and-did-not-acquire-josh-hader/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Mikey Ajeto]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 02 Jan 2023 11:02:45 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Feature]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Best of BP]]></category> <category><![CDATA[brewers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Climbing the Ladder]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Josh Hader]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Padres]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.baseballprospectus.com/?p=79520</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Schrödinger's Hader? No, something has changed, and the Padres might not like it.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/79520/best-of-bp-the-padres-did-and-did-not-acquire-josh-hader/">Best of BP: The Padres Did and Did Not Acquire Josh Hader</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Perhaps the most surprising move before the trade deadline was that, in the midst of a likely postseason berth, the Brewers traded <span class="playerdef"><a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/card/card.php?id=101384">Josh Hader</a></span> to the Padres in exchange for <span class="playerdef"><a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/player_search.php?search_name=Taylor+Rogers">Taylor Rogers</a></span>, <span class="playerdef"><a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/card/card.php?id=105417">Dinelson Lamet</a></span>, and a couple prospects. Optically, that looked pretty bad, and within a few days, Lamet was designated for assignment, adding to the poor optics of the situation. I’m not here to rationalize things for the Brewers, but I do want to pose the argument that the Padres aren’t getting the Hader that people have grown accustomed to.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you’ve been following Hader this year, then you’ll know that, mostly, he’s been very good. He’s been 30% better than league average according to DRA-, ranking 14th best in MLB, with one of the higher WARP totals of all relievers. The thing is, he hasn’t been <em>characteristically</em> good, with a July in which Hader surrendered as many home runs as he did walks, good (bad) for a 12.54 ERA on that month. The question is, why? </span><a href="https://blogs.fangraphs.com/author/jeff-sullivan/page/144/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jay Jaffe has you covered</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> there:</span></p> <blockquote><p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Much of the recent damage against Hader was done to his sinker, which in July was hit for a .345 average and .759 slugging percentage; the 10 hits and five extra-base hits he allowed during the month were more than he allowed via the pitch from April through June (four hits, three for extra bases). Hader has thrown the pitch faster this year than last, but he’s throwing it from a higher arm slot and getting less movement on it.</span></em></p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That’s basically an article, all consolidated into one paragraph. Hader’s sinker was good. Maybe not characteristically so, but good. Then, in July, something happened, where Hader was getting </span><a href="https://www.brooksbaseball.net/outcome.php?player=623352&b_hand=-1&gFilt=&pFilt=SI&time=month&minmax=ci&var=whiff&s_type=2&startDate=03/30/2007&endDate=08/06/2022"><span style="font-weight: 400;">fewer whiffs on his sinker</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> than in any month over his career, and with </span><a href="https://www.brooksbaseball.net/outcome.php?player=623352&b_hand=-1&gFilt=&pFilt=SI&time=month&minmax=ci&var=slg&s_type=2&startDate=03/30/2007&endDate=08/06/2022"><span style="font-weight: 400;">his highest slugging percentage ever</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> too. Jaffe judiciously points out that Hader is throwing harder, but that his arm slot has risen, which has resulted in some of the least arm-side run he’s ever had. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s worth spending some time here, because Hader’s arm slot is everything. Consider his arm slots over the year, plotted by horizontal and vertical release point, with his 2022 release point circled in red:</span></p> <img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-76564" src="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/image4-1024x853.png" alt="" width="680" height="566" srcset="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/image4-1024x853.png 1024w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/image4-300x250.png 300w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/image4-768x640.png 768w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/image4-790x658.png 790w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/image4.png 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For years, Hader has made his money releasing the ball around 5.25 feet above the ground, about 3.50 feet towards first base from the center of the pitching rubber. From 2017 to 2020, that made for </span><a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/statcast_search?hfPT=&hfAB=&hfGT=R%7C&hfPR=&hfZ=&stadium=&hfBBL=&hfNewZones=&hfPull=&hfC=&hfSea=2020%7C2019%7C2018%7C2017%7C&hfSit=&player_type=pitcher&hfOuts=&opponent=&pitcher_throws=L&batter_stands=&hfSA=&game_date_gt=&game_date_lt=&hfMo=&team=&home_road=&hfRO=&position=&hfInfield=&hfOutfield=&hfInn=&hfBBT=&hfFlag=&metric_1=&group_by=name&min_pitches=500&min_results=0&min_pas=0&sort_col=release_pos_x&player_event_sort=api_p_release_speed&sort_order=desc&chk_stats_release_pos_x=on&chk_stats_release_pos_z=on#results"><span style="font-weight: 400;">one of the most unique release points in baseball</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, with only 11 pitchers releasing the ball closer to first base, and 11 pitchers releasing from a lower release point. An outlier release with strong pitch characteristics often begets positive results, and until now, Hader hasn’t had many hiccups, but this is looking like more than just a blip to me.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Let’s go further and look at Hader’s raw sinker movement, by horizontal movement and short-form vertical movement, by year, again, with his 2022 sinker circled in red:</span></p> <img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-76565" src="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/image5-1024x853.png" alt="" width="680" height="566" srcset="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/image5-1024x853.png 1024w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/image5-300x250.png 300w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/image5-768x640.png 768w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/image5-790x658.png 790w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/image5.png 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Again, you’ll find that Hader’s sinker has changed significantly relative to previous years, with much more fastball ride—generally a good thing!—but much less arm-side movement. The difference here is that, this time, his 2017 sinker is close in proximity in terms of raw pitch movement, and yet it’s been a significantly inferior pitch. That hints at a lot, which I’ll get to in a moment.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One important consideration is that, as per usual, raw pitch movement doesn’t tell us everything, but especially with a pitcher like Hader. Consider his horizontal approach angle (HAA) and vertical approach angle (VAA) which show how Hader’s sinker has slowly deteriorated in pitch quality:</span></p> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td></td> <td><b>VAA</b></td> <td><b>HAA</b></td> </tr> <tr> <td><b>2019</b></td> <td><span style="font-weight: 400;">-3.7°</span></td> <td><span style="font-weight: 400;">2.5°</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td><b>2020</b></td> <td><span style="font-weight: 400;">-3.6°</span></td> <td><span style="font-weight: 400;">2.5°</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td><b>2021</b></td> <td><span style="font-weight: 400;">-3.8°</span></td> <td><span style="font-weight: 400;">2.4°</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td><b>2022</b></td> <td><span style="font-weight: 400;">-4.1°</span></td> <td><span style="font-weight: 400;">2.6°</span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If we were looking at Hader pre-VAA, pre-Statcast era, we would be in disbelief that he’s throwing harder, with more sinker ride, and yet his sinker is getting hit harder than ever. We might conclude that Hader is tipping his pitches, or maybe that the change in has made him less deceptive. There’s something to that last point, and, again, I’ll get to that momentarily, but clearly Hader’s sinker has begun entering the zone at a slightly steeper angle, which means the days of Hader having the flattest fastball in baseball are no longer. It’s certainly not drastic enough to make his sinker </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">ineffective</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, but clearly lesser so. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, Hader’s sinker has lost some of the flatness that make it special. So much is clear. But there’s another consideration here, one that still makes Hader something of a unicorn. From Lance Brozdowski:</span></p> <div class="embed-container"> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true"> <p lang="en" dir="ltr">HOW is Josh Hader is able to get so much vertical mvmt from such a low arm angle?</p> <p>Wrist orientation at ball release is a key, due in part to his mobility.</p> <p>Below is THE BEST footage of Hader's FB release I've ever seen. Basically Edgertronic. <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/72x72/1f440.png" alt="👀" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /><a href="https://twitter.com/WatchMarquee?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WatchMarquee</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Brewers?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Brewers</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cubs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cubs</a> <a href="https://t.co/WpuR0O4gMN">pic.twitter.com/WpuR0O4gMN</a></p> <p>— Lance Brozdowski (@LanceBroz) <a href="https://twitter.com/LanceBroz/status/1520526375014342668?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You’ve probably never stopped to think about it, but it’s not an easy thing to throw a high-efficiency sinker that spins around 10:45 to 11:00 on a clock face from such a low arm slot. The video here makes it clear how Hader is able to do that: despite throwing from a low slot, he’s able to keep his wrist orientated vertically, which helps him create a vertical spin profile from a horizontally-oriented release. In other words, much like seam-shifted wake, that’s what makes Hader deceptive: he’s creating pitch movement that’s incongruent from what you’d expect from his arm slot.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here’s a representative release point from Hader in 2020:</span></p> <img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-76562" src="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/image2-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="680" height="383" srcset="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/image2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/image2-300x169.jpg 300w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/image2-768x432.jpg 768w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/image2-790x444.jpg 790w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/image2.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And then again, from 2022:</span></p> <img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-76561" src="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/image1-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="680" height="383" srcset="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/image1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/image1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/image1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/image1-790x444.jpg 790w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/image1.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hader still releases the ball with his wrist orientated vertically, which means his spin tilt, or spin direction, has remained about the same. But now that his arm slot has started to rise, the sinker isn’t as deceptive as it once was, because his expected spin direction from his release point has moved from about 9:30 to 10:30 on a clock face, which has begun to converge with his </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">actual</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> spin direction of 11:00. It’s clear that his sinker has become less deceptive because of this, so it’s not getting on hitters as well as it used to. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I can show how this is the case in two ways. One is that Hader is getting fewer whiffs than ever, something that Jaffe and I have made plenty clear. The other, though, is Hader isn’t getting as many pop-ups anymore. From Baseball Savant:</span></p> <img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-76563" src="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/image3-1-1024x576.png" alt="" width="680" height="383" srcset="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/image3-1-1024x576.png 1024w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/image3-1-300x169.png 300w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/image3-1-768x432.png 768w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/image3-1-1536x864.png 1536w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/image3-1-790x445.png 790w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/image3-1.png 1999w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If a sinker moves more vertically than you’d expect based on release, odds are you’re going to swing under it, because it falls way less than you’d expect. That’s either going to result in a whiff—something that, again, is way down for Hader—or a pop-up or weakly hit fly ball. As you can see, Hader has been inducing fewer pop-ups than ever, and even though he still induces a fair amount, hitters are also squaring up the ball more than ever. That not only means harder hit balls, but also </span><a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/statcast_search?hfPT=SI%7C&hfAB=&hfGT=R%7C&hfPR=hit%5C.%5C.into%5C.%5C.play%7Chit%5C.%5C.into%5C.%5C.play%5C.%5C.no%5C.%5C.out%7Chit%5C.%5C.into%5C.%5C.play%5C.%5C.score%7Cpitchout%5C.%5C.hit%5C.%5C.into%5C.%5C.play%5C.%5C.score%7C&hfZ=&stadium=&hfBBL=&hfNewZones=&hfPull=&hfC=&hfSea=2022%7C2021%7C2020%7C2019%7C2018%7C2017%7C2016%7C2015%7C&hfSit=&player_type=pitcher&hfOuts=&opponent=&pitcher_throws=&batter_stands=&hfSA=&game_date_gt=&game_date_lt=&hfMo=&team=&home_road=&hfRO=&position=&hfInfield=&hfOutfield=&hfInn=&hfBBT=&hfFlag=&pitchers_lookup%5B%5D=623352&metric_1=&group_by=name-year&min_pitches=0&min_results=0&min_pas=0&sort_col=pitch_percent&player_event_sort=api_p_release_speed&sort_order=desc&chk_pitch_type=on#results"><span style="font-weight: 400;">more balls put into play</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, which has translated to </span><a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/statcast_search?hfPT=SI%7C&hfAB=&hfGT=R%7C&hfPR=&hfZ=&stadium=&hfBBL=&hfNewZones=&hfPull=&hfC=&hfSea=2022%7C2021%7C2020%7C2019%7C2018%7C2017%7C2016%7C2015%7C&hfSit=&player_type=pitcher&hfOuts=&opponent=&pitcher_throws=&batter_stands=&hfSA=6%7C&game_date_gt=&game_date_lt=&hfMo=&team=&home_road=&hfRO=&position=&hfInfield=&hfOutfield=&hfInn=&hfBBT=&hfFlag=&pitchers_lookup%5B%5D=623352&metric_1=&group_by=name-year&min_pitches=0&min_results=0&min_pas=0&sort_col=pitch_percent&player_event_sort=api_p_release_speed&sort_order=desc&chk_pitch_type=on&chk_pa=on#results"><span style="font-weight: 400;">more barrels per plate appearances</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. The hard contact was palatable back when Hader was generating more whiffs than anyone in baseball. Now that those have gone away? He’s been more mortal than ever before.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hader’s miserable July had been in the works for awhile. His release point has been creeping up since 2021, and now he’s finally suffering the consequences. If you’re looking for some optimism, I’m not sure I’ve got any to offer. It’s hard to imagine that Hader is ever the same without his old arm slot, and it doesn’t seem like he’s going to get back to it any time soon. Perhaps he’ll get something out of an <a href="https://twitter.com/harrypav/status/1553408891966423040">altered</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/harrypav/status/1553433346826436608">grip</a>? The Brewers may have traded their relief ace while in the thick of a playoff race, but maybe there’s reason to believe that <span class="playerdef"><a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/player_search.php?search_name=Taylor+Rogers">Taylor Rogers</a></span> ends up being the superior option to <span class="playerdef"><a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/card/card.php?id=101384">Josh Hader</a></span> come October.</span></p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/79520/best-of-bp-the-padres-did-and-did-not-acquire-josh-hader/">Best of BP: The Padres Did and Did Not Acquire Josh Hader</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/79520/best-of-bp-the-padres-did-and-did-not-acquire-josh-hader/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Best of BP: How the Cardinals Used Freddy Peralta’s Strengths Against Him</title> <link>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/79485/best-of-bp-how-the-cardinals-used-freddy-peraltas-strengths-against-him/</link> <comments>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/79485/best-of-bp-how-the-cardinals-used-freddy-peraltas-strengths-against-him/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Robert Orr]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 26 Dec 2022 11:02:10 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Feature]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Andrew Knizner]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Best of BP 2022]]></category> <category><![CDATA[brewers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[cardinals]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Freddy Peralta]]></category> <category><![CDATA[nolan arenado]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Paul Godschmidt]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.baseballprospectus.com/?p=79485</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Constructing a day's lineup in such a way that a pitcher's traditional out pitches instead become opportunities for offense can pay dividends.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/79485/best-of-bp-how-the-cardinals-used-freddy-peraltas-strengths-against-him/">Best of BP: How the Cardinals Used Freddy Peralta’s Strengths Against Him</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In my last piece, I introduced a concept and </span><a href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/74813/the-crooked-inning-bad-decision-plate-discipline/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">accompanying metric that attempted to quantify a player’s approach at the plate</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> based around the strengths of their swings. The driving idea was “where should this player be looking”—aka where in the zone was that player’s specific swing geared to make the best contact, and was that hitter tailoring his pitch selection correctly to match that. This idea can be taken a step further and applied at a team level for lineup construction and game planning as well. </span><a href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/73637/how-the-giants-fixed-their-fastball-problem/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I’ve touched on the topic before</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, but I wanted to take a deeper dive into it using the player-specific “hot zones” I talked about last week.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Naturally, I picked the extremely topical example of a game in the second</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> week of the season with a pitcher currently on the IL, but there is a good reason for it: the Cardinals have the widest range of hot zones within their lineup of any team in 2022, meaning they have players with a wide array of hot zones, specializing in hitting the ball high or low and inside or away in their zones.</span></p> <img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-75062" src="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/image3-3.png" alt="" width="646" height="538" srcset="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/image3-3.png 646w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/image3-3-300x250.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 646px) 100vw, 646px" /> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Being anywhere on this plot isn’t particularly meaningful–just look at some of the offenses with tighter ranges–but it does show that the Cardinals have so much variation that they can populate their lineup with hitters capable of facing nearly any kind of pitcher. I wanted to see how a team with such a versatile set of hitters could leverage this advantage, so I found a particular example where they took apart an all-star starter featuring a particularly deep repertoire earlier this year.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">***</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="playerdef"><a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/card/card.php?id=103056">Freddy Peralta</a></span> exploded into the spotlight in 2021 with some of the most dominant stuff in baseball, and entered this season with the expectation of building on that performance. His repertoire includes a pair of devastating breaking balls in his slider and curve, a rapidly improving changeup, and a rising fastball that plays at the top of the zone because of his arm slot and atypical crossfire delivery. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Look at where he’s placed these pitches in 2021 and this season:</span></p> <img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-75064" src="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/image5.png" alt="" width="861" height="534" srcset="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/image5.png 861w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/image5-300x186.png 300w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/image5-768x476.png 768w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/image5-790x490.png 790w" sizes="(max-width: 861px) 100vw, 861px" /> <img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-75066" src="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/image7.png" alt="" width="861" height="534" srcset="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/image7.png 861w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/image7-300x186.png 300w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/image7-768x476.png 768w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/image7-790x490.png 790w" sizes="(max-width: 861px) 100vw, 861px" /> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The four seam is mostly on a righty’s hands in both seasons, with the change and both breaking balls being buried along the bottom of the zone. With an effective modern 4-seam and three secondaries he can place at a hitter’s knees, he can effectively use the entire zone north to south, something not a lot of hitters are able to handle. His main out pitch has been the fastball—he’s gone to it nearly 54% of the time with two strikes—followed by his slider. Last season, the change was Peralta’s least-used putaway pitch, while this season he’s seemed to favor it over his curve:</span></p> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="3"><b>% of 2 strike pitches (via Pitch Info)</b></td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td><b>2021</b></td> <td><b>2022</b></td> </tr> <tr> <td><b>FA</b></td> <td><span style="font-weight: 400;">53.7</span></td> <td><span style="font-weight: 400;">53.8</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td><b>SL</b></td> <td><span style="font-weight: 400;">32.3</span></td> <td><span style="font-weight: 400;">23.5</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td><b>CH</b></td> <td><span style="font-weight: 400;">5.6</span></td> <td><span style="font-weight: 400;">15.8</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td><b>CU</b></td> <td><span style="font-weight: 400;">8.1</span></td> <td><span style="font-weight: 400;">6.8</span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On April 15, however, the Cardinals didn’t have any of that information on a change in tendencies, as Peralta was making just his second start of the 2022 season. They were gameplanning based on what they’d seen from Peralta in 2021 and his only start in 2022, so they inserted <span class="playerdef"><a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/card/card.php?id=130939">Lars Nootbaar</a></span>—whose swing is equipped to handle pitches inside, like where Peralta places his fastball—and <span class="playerdef"><a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/card/card.php?id=102202">Edmundo Sosa</a></span> and <span class="playerdef"><a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/card/card.php?id=108059">Andrew Knizner</a></span>—both of whom make their best contact near the bottom of the zone, where Peralta buries his secondaries—into their lineup. Together with the mainstays of the lineup, this gave the Cardinals a selection of hot zones that matched up especially well with Peralta’s arsenal:</span></p> <img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-75065" src="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/image6.png" alt="" width="861" height="534" srcset="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/image6.png 861w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/image6-300x186.png 300w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/image6-768x476.png 768w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/image6-790x490.png 790w" sizes="(max-width: 861px) 100vw, 861px" /> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After recording two quick outs to begin the bottom of the first, Peralta gave up a pair of singles and walked two batters before facing Knizner with two men on the bases. Knizner quickly fell behind on a pair of high fastballs—both out of his swing zone—then took another heater well above the strike zone to bring the count to 1-2. Thinking he had Knizner set up for the big punchout, Peralta went to one of his two trusted putaway pitches: the slider down and away. Unfortunately for him, that’s an area of the plate we know Knizner thrives in, and, armed with the knowledge that Peralta goes to his slider nearly a third of the time for the strikeout, and having already seen the high fastball that is his other out pitch, Knizner was able to get a base knock to plate both baserunners despite not making the flushest of contact: </span></p> <img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-75068" src="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/image9.gif" alt="" width="600" height="338" /> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That brought the score to 4-0 after a single frame, and it wouldn’t get any easier for Peralta from there with the top of the Cardinals order due up again in the second inning.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="playerdef"><a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/player_search.php?search_name=Dylan+Carlson">Dylan Carlson</a></span> was hit by a stray slider to begin the second, which brought up <span class="playerdef"><a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/card/card.php?id=59307">Paul Goldschmidt</a></span> with a man on first. Goldschmidt excelling at hitting wouldn’t typically be noteworthy, but the way he got his RBI double was. Let’s look at Peralta’s changeup locations and Goldschmidt’s hot zones again:</span></p> <img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-75063" src="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/image4-2.png" alt="" width="861" height="534" srcset="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/image4-2.png 861w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/image4-2-300x186.png 300w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/image4-2-768x476.png 768w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/image4-2-790x490.png 790w" sizes="(max-width: 861px) 100vw, 861px" /> <img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-75061" src="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/image2-4.png" alt="" width="861" height="534" srcset="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/image2-4.png 861w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/image2-4-300x186.png 300w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/image2-4-768x476.png 768w, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/image2-4-790x490.png 790w" sizes="(max-width: 861px) 100vw, 861px" /> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There’s a particularly strong overlap down-and-in with where Peralta uses his changeup and Goldschmidt’s hot zone, so it’s likely Goldschmidt was keeping an eye out for that pitch more than a hitter typically would for one Peralta used less than 10% of the time in 2021. Peralta had also just thrown eight changeups in two strike counts in his first start of 2022, so Goldschmidt and/or the Cardinals may have been especially alerted to the possibility of seeing that pitch. And that’s exactly what happened in his second at-bat. Once he got to two strikes, Goldschmidt was able to foul away a high curve Peralta tried to drop into the zone, and a fastball on the hands. Goldschmidt’s patience was rewarded when the next pitch was something he knew he could do damage on: a changeup in his wheelhouse at the bottom of the zone, and fading back into his barrel.</span></p> <img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-75067" src="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/image8.gif" alt="" width="600" height="338" /> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He sends it the other way at a healthy exit velo of 99.8 mph—even taking a second to see if he had scorched a line drive over the wall—scoring the runner from first with a laser to right field. <span class="playerdef"><a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/card/card.php?id=59586">Nolan Arenado</a></span>—another bottom half of the zone hitter—then drove him home on a similarly located changeup in another two-strike count.</span></p> <img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-75060" src="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/image1.gif" alt="" width="600" height="338" /> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">All told, the Cardinals lit up the Brewers all-star to the tune of six runs in 77 pitches over three innings. They put together a lineup ready to capitalize on a great pitcher’s best weapons in their most common locations, and turned Peralta’s strengths into weaknesses. The repeated damage on changeups suggests they came to the plate with specifically scouted sequences in mind for the players capable of hunting that pitch. That kind of tailoring of their gameplan to their opponent’s tendencies has maintained since the second</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> week of the season, as the Cardinals have continued to surprise as an offense, ranking sixth in the majors in runs per game as of June 3. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This was just one example of how a team structured its bevy of hitters in such a way as to have an explosive showing against one of the game’s best. It’s not the only way to go about manufacturing offense—having all-around studs that play every day remains king—but understanding these strengths in match-ups is how a team can give the edge to every player on its roster. Those small advantages add up in a big way, as the Cardinals are proving.</span></p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/79485/best-of-bp-how-the-cardinals-used-freddy-peraltas-strengths-against-him/">Best of BP: How the Cardinals Used Freddy Peralta’s Strengths Against Him</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/79485/best-of-bp-how-the-cardinals-used-freddy-peraltas-strengths-against-him/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>BP Job Postings: Brewers Interns in Research & Development, Minor League Technology Operations, International Scouting Strategy</title> <link>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/78985/bp-job-postings-milwaukee-brewers/</link> <comments>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/78985/bp-job-postings-milwaukee-brewers/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[BP Staff]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 21 Nov 2022 11:01:25 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Feature]]></category> <category><![CDATA[brewers]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.baseballprospectus.com/?p=78985</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>The Brewers are hiring!</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/78985/bp-job-postings-milwaukee-brewers/">BP Job Postings: Brewers Interns in Research & Development, Minor League Technology Operations, International Scouting Strategy</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><b>Intern – Baseball Research & Development (paid, multiple positions available)</b></p> <p><b>Location: </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">Milwaukee, Wisconsin</span></p> <p><b>Summary </b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Will work with the Baseball R&D, Baseball Systems Departments, and the entire Baseball Operations Department to deliver research and tools to improve decision making</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">. The position requires a person who has intellectual curiosity, is a self-starter and can communicate technical and analytical concepts effectively to non-technical people. Being passionate about using data, analysis, and technology to improve decision making processes is also a key differentiator.</span></p> <p><b>Essential Duties and Responsibilities </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">include the following. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Other duties may be assigned.</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Work with Baseball R&D and Baseball Operations to understand analytical needs and implement best practices for meeting those needs</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Investigate emerging data sources and identify potential for predictive value and actionable insights to improve decision making</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Develop visualizations and other mechanisms for disseminating analytical results to Baseball Operations, including consideration for less technically and analytically inclined consumers</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Continually survey latest analytical methods and advancements in baseball research to apply cutting edge methods and data to problems</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Understand current decision processes and information systems and offer enhancements and improvements</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Additional requests for reports, visualizations and research projects during the year</span></li> </ul> <p><b>Qualifications </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Understanding of basic statistical modeling techniques, including, but not limited to, linear regression, logistic regressions, machine learning, etc.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Proficiency with an analytical software platform required (for example R or Mathematica)</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Proficiency with SQL and SQL databases required</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Proficiency with data scripting language or ETL environment (Python, PERL, SSIS, etc.) desired</span></li> </ul> <p><b>Education and/or Experience</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bachelor’s degree (B.S./B.A.) or current pursuit of bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Engineering, Operations Research, or related field from four-year college or university. Advanced degree or current pursuit of advanced degree in one of the areas mentioned above or a related field is desirable.</span></p> <p><b>Work Hours </b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Business hours are Monday – Friday 9 am – 5pm, however, additional hours may be required on weekends, evenings and some holidays.</span></p> <p><b>To Apply</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To apply, please follow </span><a href="https://careers-brewers.icims.com/jobs/2168/intern-%e2%80%93-baseball-research-and-development/job?mode=view"><span style="font-weight: 400;">this link</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <hr /> <p><b>Intern – Minor League Technology Operations (paid, multiple positions available)</b></p> <p><b>Summary </b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Assist members of the baseball operations staff with all technology needs at Brewers minor league affiliates. This internship will run from early March through the end of September with the possibility of work into October.</span></p> <p><b>Essential Duties and Responsibilities </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">include the following. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Other duties may be assigned.</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Troubleshoot the team Hawkeye cameras when instructed by coordinator, tech ops.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Log home game data via Hawkeye’s BSK software.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Import game data into the BATS Video System accurately tracking pitch type, location, and result. Upload this data to the Brewers system so that remote and front office staff can review video.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Complete special projects as assigned from Coordinator – Tech Operations and front office.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Complete pro scouting reports on assigned players.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Operate Edgertronic Camera and Trackman Portable system for each bullpen before games</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Communicate with Coordinator – Technology Operations regarding any technology troubleshooting issues.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Partner with coaches to produce advance scouting reports that clearly and accurately report data on the upcoming opponents. Present this data to players when necessary.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Operate approved technology including, but not limited to, Uplift, Blast, Trackman, Rapsodo, and HitTrax when necessary to track player on field work prior to games</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Implement organizational technology best practices and educate coaches and players on the process and benefits of technology use.</span></li> </ul> <p><b>Qualifications </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Qualified applicants must be motivated, well-organized, detail-oriented, be able to work independently and on a deadline.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Exceptional organization skills and the ability to relate well with individuals with diverse backgrounds is also required.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A background in scouting is preferred, as well as experience in baseball operations</span></li> </ul> <p><b>Education and/or Experience</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Candidates must be currently enrolled or have recently graduated from an accredited college or university pursuing a degree or certification in a related field.</span></p> <p><b>Computer Skills </b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To perform the job successfully, an individual should have knowledge of Microsoft office software including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook, and Internet Explorer. Additional preferred computer skills include proficiency in BATS (Baseball Analysis and Tracking System).</span></p> <p><b>Language Skills </b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions, short correspondence, and memos. Ability to write simple correspondence. Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to customers, clients, and other employees of the organization. Spanish speaking preferred.</span></p> <p><b>Mathematical Skills </b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.</span></p> <p><b>Reasoning Ability </b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed but uninvolved written or oral instructions. Ability to deal with problems involving a few concrete variables in standardized situations. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></p> <p><b>Physical Demands</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">regularly</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel and talk or hear. The employee is </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">frequently</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> required to reach with hands and arms. The employee is </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">occasionally</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> required to stand; walk; sit and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">regularly</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> lift and /or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision and ability to adjust focus.</span></p> <p><b>Work Environment</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly exposed to outside weather conditions, which may include heat, cold and various forms of precipitation. The employee is occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.</span></p> <p><b>Work Hours </b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hours vary according to the game and event schedule. </span></p> <p><b>To Apply</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To apply, please follow </span><a href="https://careers-brewers.icims.com/jobs/2144/intern--minor-league-technology-operations/job?mode=view&mobile=false&width=1218&height=500&bga=true&needsRedirect=false&jan1offset=-360&jun1offset=-300"><span style="font-weight: 400;">this link</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <hr /> <p><b>Intern – International Scouting Strategy (paid)</b></p> <p><b>Summary: </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Intern – International Scouting Strategy will be learning and assisting the Milwaukee Brewers player acquisition in the foreign amateur and professional spaces in an office-based role. This position will support the day-to-day functions of the International Scouting department and assist in the development of overall department strategy.</span></p> <p><b>Essential Duties and Responsibilities </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">include the following. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Other duties may be assigned.</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Assess and evaluate scouting coverage strategy and provide evidence-based recommendations to department leadership</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Conduct ad-hoc research on international scouting trends and strategy within the industry</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Assist in creating an efficient and thorough process for prospect identification</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Analyze new and existing sources of data available for International prospects</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Learn about and support evaluative methods and efforts within the International Scouting department</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Assist decision-making systems and processes</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Support operational, compliance, and administrative tasks to ensure high-functioning departmental workflow</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fulfill any additional needs of Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Operations as requested</span></li> </ul> <p><b>Qualifications </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Proficiency with SQL</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Knowledge of baseball evaluative methods and terminology</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Strong time management skills, with the ability to parallel process tasks on deadline.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Effective communication skills, including ability to effectively communicate both verbally and in writing with supervisors, front office staff, players, and coaches.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Processed-focused with the ability to problem-solve across tasks</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Excel</span></li> </ul> <p><b>Education and/or Experience</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Qualified applicant must be pursuing or already completed a bachelor’s degree from four-year college or university; applicable experience in a baseball-related capacity strongly preferred.</span></p> <p><b>Computer Skills </b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To perform the job successfully, an individual should have knowledge of Microsoft office software including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook, and Internet Explorer. Knowledge of SQL is required. Knowledge of an analytical programing language (R or Python) preferred. </span></p> <p><b>Other Skills and Abilities </b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Capable of working extended hours such as overtime, nights, and weekends, when necessary. Experience with video technology and in the field of scouting is strongly preferred.</span></p> <p><b>Language Skills </b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions, short correspondence, and memos. Ability to write simple correspondence. Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to customers, clients, and other employees of the organization. Spanish speaking preferred.</span></p> <p><b>Mathematical Skills </b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.</span></p> <p><b>Reasoning Ability </b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed but uninvolved written or oral instructions. Ability to deal with problems involving a few concrete variables in standardized situations. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></p> <p><b>Physical Demands</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">regularly</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel and talk or hear. The employee is </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">frequently</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> required to reach with hands and arms. The employee is </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">occasionally</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> required to stand; walk; sit and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">regularly</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> lift and /or move up to [10] pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision and ability to adjust focus.</span></p> <p><b>Work Environment</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly exposed to outside weather conditions, which may include heat, cold and various forms of precipitation. The employee is occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.</span></p> <p><b>Work Hours </b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Business hours are Monday – Friday 9 am – 5pm, however, additional hours will be required on weekends, evenings, and some holidays.</span></p> <p><b>To Apply</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To apply, please follow </span><a href="https://careers-brewers.icims.com/jobs/2157/intern-%e2%80%93-international-scouting-strategy/job?mode=view&mobile=false&width=1218&height=500&bga=true&needsRedirect=false&jan1offset=-300&jun1offset=-240"><span style="font-weight: 400;">this link</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/78985/bp-job-postings-milwaukee-brewers/">BP Job Postings: Brewers Interns in Research & Development, Minor League Technology Operations, International Scouting Strategy</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/78985/bp-job-postings-milwaukee-brewers/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>The September 2022 Watchability Index</title> <link>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/77145/let-it-eat-september-watchability-index/</link> <comments>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/77145/let-it-eat-september-watchability-index/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Ben Carsley]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 02 Sep 2022 10:02:09 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Feature]]></category> <category><![CDATA[astros]]></category> <category><![CDATA[blue jays]]></category> <category><![CDATA[braves]]></category> <category><![CDATA[brewers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[cardinals]]></category> <category><![CDATA[diamondbacks]]></category> <category><![CDATA[dodgers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[guardians]]></category> <category><![CDATA[mariners]]></category> <category><![CDATA[mets]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Rays]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Royals]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Twins]]></category> <category><![CDATA[yankees]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.baseballprospectus.com/?p=77145</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Helping you only watch baseball worth watching in the season's final month.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/77145/let-it-eat-september-watchability-index/">The September 2022 Watchability Index</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="pmpro_content_message">This content is for Premium, Super-Premium, and Premium Monthly members only. Visit the site and log in/register to read.</div> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/77145/let-it-eat-september-watchability-index/">The September 2022 Watchability Index</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/77145/let-it-eat-september-watchability-index/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>1</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>The Padres Did and Did Not Acquire Josh Hader</title> <link>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/76560/climbing-the-ladder-josh-hader-padres/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Mikey Ajeto]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 08 Aug 2022 10:02:31 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Feature]]></category> <category><![CDATA[brewers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Josh Hader]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Padres]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.baseballprospectus.com/?p=76560</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Schrödinger's Hader? No, something has changed, and the Padres might not like it.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/76560/climbing-the-ladder-josh-hader-padres/">The Padres Did and Did Not Acquire Josh Hader</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="pmpro_content_message">This content is for Premium, Super-Premium, and Premium Monthly members only. Visit the site and log in/register to read.</div> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/76560/climbing-the-ladder-josh-hader-padres/">The Padres Did and Did Not Acquire Josh Hader</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Who Can Trade for Juan Soto (And Who Will)?</title> <link>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/76024/guarding-the-lines-juan-soto-trade/</link> <comments>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/76024/guarding-the-lines-juan-soto-trade/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Jarrett Seidler]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 19 Jul 2022 10:03:16 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Feature]]></category> <category><![CDATA[brewers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[cardinals]]></category> <category><![CDATA[dodgers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[giants]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Juan Soto]]></category> <category><![CDATA[mets]]></category> <category><![CDATA[orioles]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Padres]]></category> <category><![CDATA[yankees]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.baseballprospectus.com/?p=76024</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Plenty of teams might want to trade for Juan Soto, but which ones have what it takes, and how likely are they to land them?</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/76024/guarding-the-lines-juan-soto-trade/">Who Can Trade for Juan Soto (And Who Will)?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="pmpro_content_message">This content is for Premium, Super-Premium, and Premium Monthly members only. Visit the site and log in/register to read.</div> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/76024/guarding-the-lines-juan-soto-trade/">Who Can Trade for Juan Soto (And Who Will)?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/76024/guarding-the-lines-juan-soto-trade/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>14</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>How the Cardinals Used Freddy Peralta’s Strengths Against Him</title> <link>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/75059/the-crooked-inning-cardinals-freddy-peralta-batter-swing-hot-zones/</link> <comments>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/75059/the-crooked-inning-cardinals-freddy-peralta-batter-swing-hot-zones/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Robert Orr]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 07 Jun 2022 10:03:10 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Feature]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Andrew Knizner]]></category> <category><![CDATA[brewers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[cardinals]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Freddy Peralta]]></category> <category><![CDATA[nolan arenado]]></category> <category><![CDATA[paul goldschmidt]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.baseballprospectus.com/?p=75059</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Constructing a day's lineup in such a way that a pitcher's traditional out pitches instead become opportunities for offense can pay dividends.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/75059/the-crooked-inning-cardinals-freddy-peralta-batter-swing-hot-zones/">How the Cardinals Used Freddy Peralta’s Strengths Against Him</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="pmpro_content_message">This content is for Premium, Super-Premium, and Premium Monthly members only. Visit the site and log in/register to read.</div> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/75059/the-crooked-inning-cardinals-freddy-peralta-batter-swing-hot-zones/">How the Cardinals Used Freddy Peralta’s Strengths Against Him</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/75059/the-crooked-inning-cardinals-freddy-peralta-batter-swing-hot-zones/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>2</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Farewell to 163 – Part 2</title> <link>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/74350/veteran-presence-game-163-rankings-part-2/</link> <comments>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/74350/veteran-presence-game-163-rankings-part-2/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Rob Mains]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 05 May 2022 10:02:21 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Feature]]></category> <category><![CDATA[brewers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Cubs]]></category> <category><![CDATA[dodgers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Game 163]]></category> <category><![CDATA[giants]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Red Sox]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Twins]]></category> <category><![CDATA[White Sox]]></category> <category><![CDATA[yankees]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.baseballprospectus.com/?p=74350</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Ranking the 16 tiebreakers in MLB history in reverse order, this time numbers 9-5.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/74350/veteran-presence-game-163-rankings-part-2/">Farewell to 163 – Part 2</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="pmpro_content_message">This content is for Premium, Super-Premium, and Premium Monthly members only. Visit the site and log in/register to read.</div> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/74350/veteran-presence-game-163-rankings-part-2/">Farewell to 163 – Part 2</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/74350/veteran-presence-game-163-rankings-part-2/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>11</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Prospectus Feature: The Coming Chaos in the NL Central and NL East</title> <link>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/52607/wild-card-nl-central-nl-east/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Colby Wilson]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 22 Aug 2019 10:01:18 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Feature]]></category> <category><![CDATA[braves]]></category> <category><![CDATA[brewers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[cardinals]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Cubs]]></category> <category><![CDATA[mets]]></category> <category><![CDATA[nationals]]></category> <category><![CDATA[nl central]]></category> <category><![CDATA[nl east]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Phillies]]></category> <category><![CDATA[reds]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Wild Card]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.baseballprospectus.com/?p=52607</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>The last month-plus of the season is going to be utter chaos as the NL Central and NL East sort themselves out.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/52607/wild-card-nl-central-nl-east/">Prospectus Feature: The Coming Chaos in the NL Central and NL East</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="pmpro_content_message">This content is for Premium, Super-Premium, and Premium Monthly members only. Visit the site and log in/register to read.</div> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/52607/wild-card-nl-central-nl-east/">Prospectus Feature: The Coming Chaos in the NL Central and NL East</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Prospectus Feature: Christian Yelich’s Swing is Made For Miller Park, and It Shows</title> <link>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/50290/christian-yelich-swing-miller-park-brewers/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Ken Schultz]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 31 May 2019 10:02:59 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Feature]]></category> <category><![CDATA[brewers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[christian yelich]]></category> <category><![CDATA[major league baseball]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Marlins]]></category> <category><![CDATA[marlins park]]></category> <category><![CDATA[miami marlins]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Miller Park]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Milwaukee Brewers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[mlb]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.baseballprospectus.com/?p=50290</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Getting out of Marlins Park helped Christian Yelich, but it was remaking his swing for Miller Park that really paid off.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/50290/christian-yelich-swing-miller-park-brewers/">Prospectus Feature: Christian Yelich’s Swing is Made For Miller Park, and It Shows</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="pmpro_content_message">This content is for Premium, Super-Premium, and Premium Monthly members only. Visit the site and log in/register to read.</div> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/50290/christian-yelich-swing-miller-park-brewers/">Prospectus Feature: Christian Yelich’s Swing is Made For Miller Park, and It Shows</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Short Relief: The Button Masher of Baseball</title> <link>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/32481/short-relief-the-button-masher-of-baseball/</link> <comments>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/32481/short-relief-the-button-masher-of-baseball/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Jason Wojciechowski]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 09 Aug 2017 06:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[brewers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Metaphors]]></category> <category><![CDATA[video games]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=32481</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Baseball with some of the sliders turned all the way down, and thoughts on a pile of dirt.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/32481/short-relief-the-button-masher-of-baseball/">Short Relief: The Button Masher of Baseball</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><!--bait--></p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8ef4c205-c53d-6644-f435-f062f9fbb1ce"><img loading="lazy" height="100" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/HgIZ4IRV3OL6E_MxM9E3YLF7y6yFQTF6TlSmvDs28pyt15bWLYhNLqwEg6kS6JbpA5m8iY8PK0AywhJaxzu8zCjWJndqS8rsfEO02D2Xxh0k4EEg240H_ZizR6cP1jQssyopKxph" style="border:none;" width="600"></span></p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8ef4c205-c53d-6644-f435-f062f9fbb1ce"><img loading="lazy" height="50" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/TjVdS-tIHT4Id-2A1UDvlbW_swdZ8Emk0L-4TwBEXXjeE5eT1NkA6_PQJG5bczhyicM4esst2-PZ3pqbMvHDGmmGdL0F1bmrYvsSzHYQ8Mk55yWTa0Jny9Wr02VgUWZohEGoY9G0" style="border:none;" width="400"></span></p> </p> <h3 dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8ef4c205-c53d-6644-f435-f062f9fbb1ce">The Mound</span></h3> <p dir="ltr"><strong><span id="docs-internal-guid-8ef4c205-c53d-6644-f435-f062f9fbb1ce">By: <a href="https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/author/jason_wojciechowski">Jason Wojciechowski</a></span></strong></p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8ef4c205-c53d-6644-f435-f062f9fbb1ce">I love </span><a href="http://www.sfgate.com/athletics/article/Mounds-of-fun-Visiting-pitchers-can-be-a-hoot-11740661.php">this Susan Slusser story</a> about mound visits. Here's what I said about it yesterday:</p> </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-cards="hidden" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">I love this <a href="https://twitter.com/susanslusser">@susanslusser</a> story about mound visits <a href="https://t.co/cucObjkSOc">https://t.co/cucObjkSOc</a></p> <p> — Jason Wojciechowski (@jlwoj) <a href="https://twitter.com/jlwoj/status/894936577805176833">August 8, 2017</a></p></blockquote> <p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8ef4c205-c53d-6644-f435-f062f9fbb1ce">It's the perfect off-day baseball story, bringing whimsy and humor and a touch of seriousness to one of the key differentiating points of the sport, in this case the wee hill right smack in the middle of the action.</span></p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8ef4c205-c53d-6644-f435-f062f9fbb1ce">Well, not the middle. The mound isn't actually in the middle of anything: not the stadium, nor the field, nor fair territory, nor even the infield. It's not even the center of the action, now that I think about it—on most pitches, it's at the </span><em>edge</em> of the action, and the point around which the excitement revolves on the average ball in play is somewhere behind the mound. How many groundballs do you see on which the throw passes over the pitching rubber? Not many.</p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8ef4c205-c53d-6644-f435-f062f9fbb1ce"><img loading="lazy" height="239" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/A2BiVvRVCZlYn1okhoNbHNcdfu1g3O99Xu1GTdY8CsmNwrEncVK-H7U1sU2G8xBgwwk4VbJRGbSM4NN46unjgRMLq5ninTPJGRb_EuRXJVy8p7R_me-tL6QEHp2wJqAdHfUKd_jW" style="border: none; width: 624px; height: 239px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="624"></span></p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8ef4c205-c53d-6644-f435-f062f9fbb1ce">For a piece of the field that so resolutely exists off to one side, though, the mound sure is central to the game as a whole. More than half of every big-league roster spends their most important working hours on top of that hill. (</span><a href="http://m.mlb.com/video/v7594903/nyy-oak-a-rod-braden-share-words-after-double-play">Some of them get downright territorial</a>.) Between pitches, your eyes might explore the rest of the field, the crowd, the batter arriving from the dugout, but those are mere distractions, ways to pass the time until you return to the core of the matter: the man on the mound preparing to chuck. And, as Slusser discusses in the article, it's where the meetings happen. Even when the manager visits with a runner on third in the ninth inning and the whole infield gathers to talk strategy, they don't meet at first base, or by the baseline, or anywhere else. They meet at the mound.</p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8ef4c205-c53d-6644-f435-f062f9fbb1ce">Where else do you find such peripheral centrality? Not in most sports, for sure—tip-offs and coin tosses and such happen at the </span>actual center of the field in soccer, football, basketball, hockey. Maybe, though, in politics. The capital of the United States is not Emporia, Kansas. Nor is Fresno the capital of California. There's likely not even one city hall in all this land that lies at the midpoint of the town. You, dear reader, did not need additional proof of the non-geometric centrality of baseball to America, yet here we have it: Only the national pastime respects the physical arrangement of American power.</p> </p> <hr> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8ef4c205-c53d-6644-f435-f062f9fbb1ce"><img loading="lazy" height="50" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/yTfUBtmZB2Ko4qn0Jgdb6lJpilDtGQdx5RSlDV4pJdOMEr2Gi8-6ARwrUa6G9Why6iOh9UyuyHlSUHZXV_UcItUyCMoOlWuDeXoNnSIGOdwT6XBaujkTadiEZH3Jk6zX3NrSTfi3" style="border:none;" width="400"></span></p> </p> <h3 dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8ef4c205-c53d-6644-f435-f062f9fbb1ce"><span class="playerdef"><a href="https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/card/card.php?id=60423">Domingo Santana</a></span>: Button Masher</span></h3> <p dir="ltr"><strong><span id="docs-internal-guid-8ef4c205-c53d-6644-f435-f062f9fbb1ce">By: <a href="https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/author/nathan_bishop">Nathan Bishop</a></span></strong></p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8ef4c205-c53d-6644-f435-f062f9fbb1ce">When my son was four, we played a lot of MLB The Show. The Show is infamous for its learning curve and difficulty, being the most realistic baseball simulation video game ever produced, and also a simulation of an extremely difficult sport. However, for the less sturdy of constitution and/or four year olds, there are a wealth of difficulty sliders and options to off load much of baseball’s snap decisions and rules cognition off onto the AI. You can reduce the game to a simple test of how well you can time mashing the X button, or Square if you want to swing for the fence.</span></p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8ef4c205-c53d-6644-f435-f062f9fbb1ce">As a baseball button masher Domingo Santana has enjoyed a fine year. The 25-year old has 18 home runs, a .473 slugging percentage, and a .293 <span class="statdef"><a href="https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/glossary/index.php?search=TAv" onmouseover="doTooltip(event, jpfl_getStat('TAv'))" onmouseout="hideTip()">TAv</span></a>. His offense has been a fine contributor to the Brewers’ exceeding all rational expectations in thus far in 2017. But Domingo Santana plays in the National League, and the National League will not allow you to play with auto-fielding. Invariably, a ball will be hit, and you will need to tilt the control stick in the direction you instinct deems best. On Monday, </span><a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/rosarios-game-tying-rbi-double/c-1700302683?tid=8877600">clinging to a one-run lead against the Twins</a>, Domingo Santana faced just such a test:</p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8ef4c205-c53d-6644-f435-f062f9fbb1ce">*Ball is hit*</span></p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8ef4c205-c53d-6644-f435-f062f9fbb1ce">DOWN AND LEFT DOWN AND LEFT</span></p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8ef4c205-c53d-6644-f435-f062f9fbb1ce"><img loading="lazy" alt="Santana 1.JPG" height="363" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/m7sIC9TqKMVesKEXX_h5u0HHzIxNmK2sQOaGkXEzRAVp1tMQJhbxbLMuG34cQswLHhersWsNDZ00HbTj19jR7qS8_R_mybcrupmkWzuh2Ch0dS4UT0SuvMSSh0DftcvPkMrgy_no" style="border: none; width: 624px; height: 363px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="624"></span></p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8ef4c205-c53d-6644-f435-f062f9fbb1ce">UP UP UP</span></p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8ef4c205-c53d-6644-f435-f062f9fbb1ce"><img loading="lazy" alt="Santana 2.JPG" height="316" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/aieiWyQbZaGIMaPR3o0uJmzfR5TLfn5Vu1aDe5P5bgfk9IMgKr9YeDM3eZVsc6pNw4qb_m8i_Sp8D5VzDTieH7pJT9Y83c9um4Fs8enMOd7FtsYtDslDfeOivYFzTFCGJqOlhkwM" style="border: none; width: 624px; height: 316px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="624"></span></p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8ef4c205-c53d-6644-f435-f062f9fbb1ce">And of course, the button masher returns to his roots, desperately pressing the Triangle Button</span></p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8ef4c205-c53d-6644-f435-f062f9fbb1ce"><img loading="lazy" alt="Santana 3.JPG" height="329" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/B7yf3M1iWTt7Kl9T-1tKfNK3ogxWp40QtCL79Ax5SL0VXDG7VSWXNe815KFCskGV27eQQfQBxQn328_gKA25hP1mHUD8TnmfhKQsF7ZYQlUnNp7Vr8hPuVz9NW_6H0_As8GnYBtx" style="border: none; width: 624px; height: 329px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="624"></span></p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8ef4c205-c53d-6644-f435-f062f9fbb1ce">Sadly, we are still three years away from Super Baseball 2020, whose rocket packs would have helped Santana’s Dream/Reality ratio even out.</span></p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8ef4c205-c53d-6644-f435-f062f9fbb1ce">My son got very good at hitting home runs off of me in The Show, mashing his X and Square buttons, but we never even tried turning off auto-fielding.It was a lot more fun for him that way. This is surely not the best argument for the designated hitter, but it is definitely another one.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <hr> <div> </div> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/32481/short-relief-the-button-masher-of-baseball/">Short Relief: The Button Masher of Baseball</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/32481/short-relief-the-button-masher-of-baseball/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Short Relief: Objection!</title> <link>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/32335/short-relief-objection/</link> <comments>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/32335/short-relief-objection/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Matt Sussman]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 21 Jul 2017 06:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[brewers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Cash Considerations]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=32335</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>A flashback to Kato Kaelin's testimony, and a common trade target evaluates their self-worth.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/32335/short-relief-objection/">Short Relief: Objection!</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><!--bait--></p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a"><img loading="lazy" height="100" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/t_v52dk2p9cJY9WkdXGXERXYLgV7T1FmRFgv9igESnr4iu6zF5C2ay4xmM9Vu_YWL-LHnKZTDbPWYC5NT-EtoqraxSSuXvfEJqd2aaK6hyAY0hN7ElwXALF9LlZJO3a4WPAcaM2B" style="border: none; width: 600px; height: 100px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="600"></span></p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a"><img loading="lazy" height="50" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/d-Rs5frgzaWm_nq7VxmiTyVNe3dpnhqzTwC95C7z-nq0gtWecgrDnj2JOznjR-zixhwny3TxDxt1AwO85uM7dOmy6jTS1we5sTtyiRlGBe3SV3GpDIjEvxo1JZ15GGupBpMfvks3" style="border:none;" width="400"></span></p> </p> <h3 dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a">Kato Kaelin Talks About Sports On The Witness Stand</span></h3> <p dir="ltr"><strong><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a">By: <a href="https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/author/matt_sussman">Matt Sussman</a></span></strong></p> </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Why Counsell sucks <a href="https://twitter.com/Brewers">@Brewers</a> 1) he plays Thames 4k's 2day He can't motivate- after all star break we HAVE SUCKED. It's FN OVER! We R PUKEPUKE</p> <p> — Kato Kaelin (@Kato_Kaelin) <a href="https://twitter.com/Kato_Kaelin/status/887859010359009280">July 20, 2017</a></p></blockquote> <p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p> <p dir="ltr"><strong><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a">March 29, 1995 witness stand transcript:</span></strong></p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a"><strong>CLARK: </strong>Now, you say you saw him at the time of the crimes.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a"><strong>KAELIN: </strong>That’s correct.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a"><strong>CLARK: </strong>What were you doing?</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a"><strong>KAELIN: </strong>Not a whole lot. Sort of like <span class="playerdef"><a href="https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/card/card.php?id=1070">Greg Vaughn</a></span>.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a"><strong>CLARK: </strong>Who is Greg Vaughn?</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a"><strong>KAELIN: </strong>I’ll tell you what he isn’t. He NOT a BIG TIME HITTER good heavens this team and their OVERPAID TRASH. You’d think for THREE MILLION BUCKS Vaughn would learn to hit a god dang curveball! Pardon my language, but what a cheeseball.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a"><strong>CLARK: </strong>So were you watching a baseball game that night?</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a"><strong>KAELIN: </strong>No! It was an off day. But then again they take MOST the days off!</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a"><strong>CLARK: </strong>Let’s get back to that night. What was Mr. Simpson’s state of mind.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a"><strong>KAELIN: </strong>Dude’s a Dodgers fan. Can you believe it? I know we’re in LA and everything but Lasorda has all these million dollar PRIMA DONNAS. Not like the Brewers, baby!</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a"><strong>CLARK: </strong>[heavy sigh] Did he mention anything about his whereabouts?</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a"><strong>KAELIN:</strong> Look, I know you have a lot of questions, but I just want to show you something. This is Exhibit A.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a"><strong>CLARK: </strong>Actually we’re the ones who—</span></p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a"><img loading="lazy" height="417" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/kYjdHG0WxoitN1oJMF11cbdo7nYd_AqFXo_Y1z0r6oE2pSuIKwEZWWqMqWk1LZFm4n0CyFRtDoqIsfqN0Zyurh5nlKtiQ_BG3zsK54ZvtvvZBgwdtStV7KO8komV6JMURRk7di7e" style="border:none;" width="299"></span></p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a"><strong>KAELIN: </strong>That’s how the Brewers are supposed to look! That sweet glove logo. Nothing beats it. Now look at Exhibit B here.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a"><strong>CLARK: </strong>Again, you can’t—</span></p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a"><img loading="lazy" height="460" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/aenwia4vT87LclNOv0jXyq-KFWtH7ZuxikMOFkRMAenNhmRc6NEGUBygVqwDShNRv5aY2XEjcslhUyP2GOLuDb6ke19OuhG5DO_LjR6pSj5Em-V6gGhgq1WsS_optGsJBlP-hsqY" style="border:none;" width="320"></span></p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a"><strong>KAELIN: </strong>What the F is this S? The new logo is GARBAGE! This team has NO IDEA what it’s doing!</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a"><strong>CLARK: </strong>Please, sir, can you just</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a"><strong>KAELIN: </strong>They completely got rid of the glove. It fits absolutely nowhere on the logo.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a"><strong>CLARK: </strong>I’m sorry, what was that last part?</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a"><strong>KAELIN: </strong>The glove? It has to fit somewhere.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a"><strong>CLARK: </strong>[long pause] Mr. Kaelin, thank you for your testimony.</span></p> </p> <hr> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a"><img loading="lazy" height="50" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/pM9AAMReeIGxdjXH1Wp-YZ4DgxcsqhPul6_JbohShcBA11Oh83ADrNA214a96wXK0Xz5rzy4sN5rIV8eAfWeWPZb2Es3QESUoTSEct4ID0ubtY6bEYqpG2arravsNmcPSMY8OZID" style="border:none;" width="400"></span></p> </p> <h3 dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a">Mr. Considerations Goes to Therapy</span></h3> <p dir="ltr"><strong><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a">By: <a href="https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/author/mary_craig">Mary Craig</a></span></strong></p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a"><img loading="lazy" height="312" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/NsdIF4LNcuseq2qUqqUXLs1jT45hHMJiDW0uI8XjuNWP3dzD_ymvpMwL4onX9GnpYonb83NTxE9Lwk-vu9TjAYQkSZl3vbiy6cx62MUdC4BszPyJMBolp31IfSTK6xwu5OL-w1QS" style="border: none; width: 624px; height: 312px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="624"></span></p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a">He nervously wound and unwound around his left index finger an unraveling string on the nearest of the two slightly faded yellow pillows adorning the taupe couch, his eyes scanning the rows of shelves lined with books of every genre save the one for which he was here. </span><em>These offices are always the same, he thought, almost offensively neutral, the only differences being the color of the pillows and pattern on the rug. Today, a circular pattern of taupe. Last year, argyle taupe. Before that, plain taupe, and before that, striped taupe, and before that—</em></p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a">“Mr. Considerations,” said the neatly dressed woman who had just sat down opposite him, “shall we begin?”</span></p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a">Following a slight nod from the man, who—perhaps subconsciously hoping to remedy both problems—had now abandoned the pillow string in favor of rubbing his sweaty palms against his wrinkled pants, she continued: “So, what brings you here today?”</span></p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a">“Well, uh,” Cash began, his eyes tracing and re-tracing the circles on that taupe rug. “I just, I thought I, uh, could handle it by myself…I thought I was past this stage in my life. And for awhile, I was. I really was doing good.” </span></p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a">He took a breath and then continued, his desperate words streaming out at an almost incoherent pace. “I was making friends, more than I’ve had in decades, and trying to put down roots. I found a house, and I was saving up—stupid really—but I wanted it and I thought I could have it. But then, I don’t know, it got to this time of the year, and I broke. I started to cancel plans and delete texts. I began obsessively checking trade rumors.” He let out a mirthless chuckle, “I even set up a Google alert for my name. I’ve lost control.” Moving his eyes up to meet her gaze, he concluded, “And now I’m here.”</span></p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a">The woman scribbled several words into a moleskine journal, maintaining eye contact while doing so. She waited a beat, until Mr. Considerations seemed to have collected himself a bit, and asked: “How are you feeling about this?”</span></p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a">Cash quizzically furrowed his brow as he always did in response to stupidly obvious questions, and clenching his fists together so hard they turned white, he shot out his response at her. “How am I </span><em>feeling</em>? How would <em>you</em> feel if you were me? How would you feel if in the matter of a few days, you had suddenly undone years of so-called progress?! I obviously feel like a total failure. Like all the progress I’ve made was for nothing. Like no matter what I do, I’ll always end up back <em>here</em>. Like my life doesn’t ever belong to me. I get tossed around, moved from place to place, with no regard to what <em>I</em> want or what<em> I</em> need. Every time my name appears, I get laughed at. I can barely show my face around Oregon anymore!”</p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a">And then, quietly, fearfully, he added, “It’s tiring, too. For awhile, I was too exhausted to be bothered by it, or by anything, really.”</span></p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a">The woman continued scribbling relevant words in her notebook as Mr. Considerations, now shaking ever so slightly, stared out the window at the building across the street, wondering whether any of its inhabitants had ever sat on this couch.</span></p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a">After several moments, she sat her pen and notebook down on the cherry table beside her armchair and clasped her hands together on her lap, her full attention now resting on Mr. Considerations. “Tell me, in what ways do you think you could compartmentalize these thoughts?” she inquired.</span></p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a">There it was. The question Cash dreaded most. Previously, he had spewn out some drivel about keeping public and private, personal and professional, separate. This answer satisfied his therapists and himself for awhile, but it always rang hollow. And so now, at this rock bottom that wasn’t, he could choose the familiar, easy path or he could allow himself to finally learn how to cope. </span></p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4d46ef3-6364-d84b-6825-6c0584b06b9a">He leaned forward on the couch, shaking no more, and silently counted </span><em>1…2…3</em>. Inhale. Exhale. <em>You are more than a throw-in</em>.</p> </p> <hr> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/32335/short-relief-objection/">Short Relief: Objection!</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/32335/short-relief-objection/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Short Relief: On Fighting, Friendship, and Negotiation</title> <link>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/31946/short-relief-on-fighting-friendship-and-negotiation/</link> <comments>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/31946/short-relief-on-fighting-friendship-and-negotiation/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Patrick Dubuque]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 31 May 2017 06:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Feature]]></category> <category><![CDATA[baseball cards]]></category> <category><![CDATA[brewers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[fights]]></category> <category><![CDATA[mariners]]></category> <category><![CDATA[mets]]></category> <category><![CDATA[nationals]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=31946</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Patrick writes about the worst trade he ever made, Jason finds the positive aspect of being a baseball star, and Nathan recounts the fight that should have ended all fights.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/31946/short-relief-on-fighting-friendship-and-negotiation/">Short Relief: On Fighting, Friendship, and Negotiation</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527"><img loading="lazy" height="100" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/0S8oqVLPKi6ILj872cDqkRJbJsmi3-IG9HrhLxNhFmqPvbWOHnOTBDQb31QJEaxM_QOP68uW239d81rNxZVnI4TplMLrGGQ8Kgy5WAEMl3qMa91XVMOMO_41rLgjndh35Ey5pdFG" style="border:none;" width="600"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527"><img loading="lazy" alt="Banner - NYN.jpg" height="50" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/mo2zJEhiIONQPlMlJjyavXlKLLtgQ2Ghta70GqxSIafrplK2Vabuln4JbuRXe20i_B5FEKYRdnnnRMSPWfacSaClZeXN7AeBmM50pxRkJkJlbqt7yB4fSOQtK9y0RQq2rWSmN9E-" style="border:none;" width="400"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <h3 dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527">The Negotiator</span></h3> <p dir="ltr"><strong><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527">By: <a href="https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/author/patrick_dubuque">Patrick Dubuque</a></span></strong></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527">Outside the window of the school bus, a zoetrope of sun-dappled suburbia flowed by us. The song Starlight rasped out of the radio speakers ahead, muffled by the happy noise of elementary-school children, ready to become afternoon children, sunbaked children. It was May of 1988 and I was nine, as was my friend next to me, Tyson. I was not thinking about home. I was thinking about a baseball card I did not own.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527">Every boy had a baseball card collection in May of 1988, but Tyson’s paled in comparison to ours. He did not care for baseball, but enjoyed the camaraderie. But he did have what was, in that exact moments, one of its crown jewels: the 1988 Score <span class="playerdef"><a href="https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/card/card.php?id=17205">Gregg Jefferies</a></span> rookie card.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527"> <img loading="lazy" align="right" alt="front.jpg" height="276" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/MH0BzATq0vzvsCGr3qksntGVxInSFMv2rnSamJkwycJSuvWhMPnhAQ0yFxQhVNzjh3fZ3r87Rtnn_QaGZ2cWKaoEodCPRPRK_yX_d4qOldjKfuQNsMSxW35p00K3KecmxT1VFcId" style="border: none; width: 200px; height: 276px; float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" width="200"></span></p> <p>This card was the least desirable of Jefferies’ three editions; Score itself was the also-ran of card companies. But that’s exactly what made it so attractive; no one collected Score, so no one had it. Except Tyson. I stared at it with unmasked envy: the elegant yellow-orange border, the crisp font, the royal blue jersey, the face hardly older than our own.</p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527">Tyson got off the bus before I did, but both our stops were well along the route. So I had plenty of time, maybe half an hour, to barter, charm, whine, and beg for that Jefferies. Tyson did not care about the Mets prospect himself, nor did he probably care about the five dollars the card was worth. It was a chance to feel desired, to feel an inkling of power, but I quickly made him understand its downside. I could tell he grew pained as I offered him other cards, cards he cared about no more than the one he held. I offered more.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527">As we neared his house my desperation grew. Finally I hit upon an idea: that I could trade for the opportunity to share the card, years before the Simpsons comic book episode. It was a stupid idea: how do you share a card? But Tyson was tired; I had worn him down. He acquiesced, and as he stepped past me to move up the aisle toward the door, Gregg Jefferies stayed behind.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527">I knew, or at least looking back as an adult I want to believe I knew, that I had hurt him, that by the end I had left him no choice but to lose a card or upset a friend. But I was nine, and I wanted that card so much. It made me happy. I’m sure I went home, put it in my binder next to the others, stared at it for a moment, and slept a tranquil sleep. Tyson never asked for the it back. </span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527">I still have that Gregg Jefferies card. At some point, leaving it out on the carpet, my father stepped on it and creased it lengthwise. The Rookie Prospect wandered through a quiet career, and we all grew old together. The card is now worth ten cents, mint.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527">Tyson, if you ever read this, you can have the card now. It’s your turn.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <hr> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527"><img loading="lazy" alt="Banner - WAS.jpg" height="50" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/J1_4M7WtCdzqrOg8F88raU_kCEbOwnyAXwfXZ1T1pJcB3Z58IIZGkXfvQsH64hRYX_qGTG75Aeccjfp6t25-5K16rej6n91DRQ7fL8UuaMjPjCZgKAxHzcjmssuNZ_ZFvpHs2g4M" style="border:none;" width="400"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <h3 dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527">Ships in the Night</span></h3> <p dir="ltr"><strong><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527">By: <a href="https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/author/jason_wojciechowski">Jason Wojciechowski</a></span></strong></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527">Sports are sports. Accomplishments in sports—wins, lengthy dongs, gold medals, awards, what have you—are accomplishments in sports. But after the games are done, after you've won or lost, won or lost, won or lost, year by impossibly long year, after the champagne stops flowing and the planes stop flying, what you're left with, if you're lucky, if you did it right, if you valued what was truly valuable all along, are your friends.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527">For some, it'll be the guy they shared an infield with for six years before the tragic trade halfway across the country and, more importantly, into the other league. For some, it'll be the longtime division rival who they saw for shared family dinners every time their teams were matched up against each other. Others cross traditional boundaries, and find their lifelong running mate in the video room, the front office, the grounds crew, or the concessions stands. What's important is not who, or how, or even why; what's important is simply </span><em>that</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527">And so I would like to congratulate <span class="playerdef"><a href="https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/card/card.php?id=66018">Bryce Harper</a></span>, sometimes considered hotheaded and overbearing, sometimes a seeming baseball rat who surely doesn't have any real companionship in this life, and at all events callow enough to make it unlikely that he understands the worth of an extra home run compared to an extra 15 minutes at the end of dinner with your tablemate, on the next 70 lovely years of cocktails and museums, vacations and day hikes, high culture and low, activities and just hanging out, with swimming superstar Katie Ledecky.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <table dir="ltr" style="width:624px;"> <colgroup> <col> <col> </colgroup> <tbody> <tr> <td> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527"><img loading="lazy" alt="bhkl1.jpg" height="211" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/iymWP_hPRwW52mVGzYIUPFfmTMUCLKcbodjyDQKiBcp2NN8lgsP7l_Sh2HPP8OYnA2JtV2DIXiMrnPZrbbiyE8HJGPSiry_VdHKFNuDcQVR5mSD6ZhmqN5ZpzxA9muqx0bA6OdiK" style="border:none;" width="298"></span></p> </td> <td> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527"><img loading="lazy" alt="bhkl2.jpg" height="168" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/gKxxVJQ5fTYW9fCsPdbAsaUsumpFRX7BZgm0ERuvogpG0HG9KL31df4Cy-eIHCFTifStuJhrcNbhJTv3YtNPBeC0zbNzAcI_G4KpNzICUunyaoxKA7zrEsMA3WH9iqJ2XHolAlD8" style="border:none;" width="298"></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527"><img loading="lazy" alt="bhkl3.jpg" height="168" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/LBWriWv-CXLhYbY2fjbsYnEMI-1eKb941ye43xMakJnNt_bEJM2mBeHmNSazPaQ1TA-cVBaO8lThxbuGh7cqzWkKTxIlt8g0Jfl0QXGgBSDfQpG-J5eAuiVeXGi0dyZZNogNSaKV" style="border:none;" width="298"></span></p> </td> <td> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527"><img loading="lazy" alt="bhkl4.jpg" height="199" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/6HlvBnxvgwQpEToH1ZS4q07HdUD6wq_kdrf674VAqBPfw_sHfZWO06NnkV43mWiEyw5jULB3DWqrm3U6GBSylPYR_evrA2VBu7kumdBghH0PjKRz9ppu9XV7ykrEWziRt0s2v7VQ" style="border:none;" width="298"></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527"><img loading="lazy" alt="bhkl5.jpg" height="149" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_LwlecbIf9KJu6LJFLTSHyFBDnw7Vrb6cVTjow3iVs6llcngQGCY3zHLiJ-dnlXLGQL_hXbJZO5c0pJmGtiVMSdJm4VlcNB_KpfLpCwG17Kya5n6UyO_yE0zEBRc5yP27_VjyWgr" style="border:none;" width="298"></span></p> </td> <td> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527"><img loading="lazy" alt="bhkl6.jpg" height="223" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Ihw8V5-D4b32DpEGeE2WCP9nzRn5Embq3PHYw-f9pziHw1iXnNoSyuMhI4MQKtc1wGhoy6C3L2joPMJehjVWiXNk8JtqQKbGgXx_AIk18dA6wD_q3ZyRHGA7rZWPfF7gBefp1eCx" style="border:none;" width="298"></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527"><img loading="lazy" alt="bhkl8.jpg" height="225" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/B670vyUxuLjTgbFXhTcPnCBxLqiPvPnLItHBGuyBgKzQ5wYZD-LH0qdaMPi7o6h50z6CEUflxvyAJlQR_V3WHzLq9BhbNL2_CGQrLm3GeU3Vuq1wcIz7b221nWkWIiCu9WXt_hJP" style="border:none;" width="298"></span></p> </td> <td> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527"><img loading="lazy" alt="bhkl7.jpg" height="199" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/qar3-700rpzsVRviIZR-BNlKs3d2eGdr4MTTyyDjWmg-AcyawyB0qw_pZbP7oPf09TTPIRc4aEO7FlyU8YgOJG0W8UEhoVIdIDzJCzyRNfNE0CEM-PPzaH-U0dpC8oS-wfpqJO70" style="border:none;" width="298"></span></p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <div style="clear:both;"> </div> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">…<a href="https://twitter.com/Bharper3407">@Bharper3407</a>, if you end up suspended, come on down to Palo Alto and hang out at the pool for a day!</p> <p> — Katie Ledecky (@katieledecky) <a href="https://twitter.com/katieledecky/status/869377039899385857">May 30, 2017</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527"><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <hr> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527"><img loading="lazy" alt="Banner - MIL.jpg" height="50" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/tTj5y0VWMihuQqtK8UROHbGn4KhE-wInGMyt1AsCkH8idsVY4QLluPaGXPJxaPKskGz4_0hu7EQ4w_Jpt39LrsnSIDcK1VjzbsqoZkEniMTiygWg4FDH2LyljpY8DcZA8NTkiA3p" style="border:none;" width="400"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <h3 dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527">That’s Not a Baseball Fight. THIS is a Baseball Fight</span></h3> <p dir="ltr"><strong><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527">By: Nathan Bishop</span></strong></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527">On June 30th, 1990 the Mariners and Brewers faced each other in the old Kingdome. The two teams had a history of bad blood, tracing back to scuffles during a spring training doubleheader in 1989. With the Mariners leading 5-2 in the bottom of the 8th, veteran reliever <span class="playerdef"><a href="https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/card/card.php?id=28675">Bob Sebra</a></span> was called in to finish off the game. <span class="playerdef"><a href="https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/card/card.php?id=24982">Jeffrey Leonard</a></span> hit Sebra’s second pitch out for a home run to left. His sixth pitch was one of legions turned into a double by future Hall of Famer <span class="playerdef"><a href="https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/player_search.php?search_name=Edgar+Martinez">Edgar Martinez</a></span>. It was here that Sebra, three years removed from his last successful major league season, and perhaps aware his 8+ <span class="statdef"><a href="https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/glossary/index.php?search=ERA" onmouseover="doTooltip(event, jpfl_getStat('ERA'))" onmouseout="hideTip()">ERA</span></a> did not bode well for his future employment, decided to throw a ball at the rib cage of Mariners’ LF <span class="playerdef"><a href="https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/card/card.php?id=24119">Tracy Jones</a></span>.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527">The plunking set off a fight that </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOyauOUguVQ">lasted 7+ minutes, had three distinct acts, a body-slammed manager, and a very angry Randy Johnson</a>. There is absolutely no way it would happen in baseball today, almost certainly for the better. Still, for the sole purpose of a sober analysis of history, here are a few highlights:</p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527"><img loading="lazy" alt="Sebra Sprint.JPG" height="276" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/PTpoq1Uprn6bfbBEevzxhWji8t78KCkzODql3ZFqFHCRxLommm2esYMHkUjyPSxkYrB3S5aPsh0T2cvblwTiWh34J7lOqdT6Db9l9LE37lsYQ66F5dMF0-gziso9wZ0BJfTj_u1Y" style="border: none; width: 479px; height: 276px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="479"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527">In case there was doubt as to Sebra’s intent here is an image of him sprinting towards home to confront Jones right after hitting him with a baseball. These are not the actions of a man who had one “get away”.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527"><img loading="lazy" alt="Randy.JPG" height="317" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/WwvOezgD7ffpwCDCDKHjBpMearX-TYGSZS-48CyI8nTbvlVqB7zAkIxVf0ipM9RqLcGksly01YJaBUHGmkAcp4zXMeAmi2G7ApgRCj5SQ0Og0sRLhysZN8ZVwEF0800WT_gyftAl" style="border: none; width: 476px; height: 317px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="476"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527">You know that scene in the Fellowship of the Ring, in the Mines of Moria, where the orcs bring the troll and it immediately starts bashing people on both sides of the fight? That’s <span class="playerdef"><a href="https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/player_search.php?search_name=Randy+Johnson">Randy Johnson</a></span> here, and before the teams can continue the fracas they temporarily unite to corral the raging, 6’10”, mullet-adorned colossus. </span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527"><img loading="lazy" alt="Parker 1.JPG" height="310" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/s8Zpf_33umhG_IusycYfapwXkBt8tdoV86ucnpp7Dccfk3Ske7E6So8McxDlqHYVEPJTHZ5NoLlqmASGMz0pyt9AAy7yisefLsTBnLlXWCZnraS8-l8FMFMW1r-Efrhm7isRvfdW" style="border: none; width: 314px; height: 310px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="314"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527">39-year old <span class="playerdef"><a href="https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/card/card.php?id=27183">Dave Parker</a></span>, still a terror at the plate, and still a 6’5”, 230 lb miscast NFL linebacker, took umbrage with someone, or something.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527"><img loading="lazy" alt="Parker 2.JPG" height="280" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pZEfDxWZGo1k0HXyFFzO2UYfzMWN9oBJA6AUSiE8koZ_nAEvY2I8J7_aBLjkDVT-5-JWM64qhgAjXAAnaX7oDjuBWS-ugkElyKDUU9j6OIAuxrsifTs4V04ggwI4e-sLwM0_QU2q" style="border: none; width: 311px; height: 280px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="311"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527"><span class="playerdef"><a href="https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/card/card.php?id=18203">Harold Reynolds</a></span>, recipient of a George <span class="statdef"><a href="https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/glossary/index.php?search=H" onmouseover="doTooltip(event, jpfl_getStat('H'))" onmouseout="hideTip()">H</span></a>.W. Bush “Point of Light,” attempted to use diplomacy.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527"><img loading="lazy" alt="Parker 3.JPG" height="310" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Y8rcBI2Fs0rsQfCHdXO3fLX4jI1C6Eh8DobBnWczUETJuusCwL6Tjfp1dxNS_6qV8RDj8Qws-U9mNJ57jS7GcmLEfcwUhTW3C91zDVb8mIAF79gaMzRvEaqzSnNNe_3RfBeyPJe5" style="border: none; width: 303px; height: 310px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="303"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527">Negotiations faltered almost immediately, and were quickly abandoned. </span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527"><img loading="lazy" alt="Robinson.JPG" height="194" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/GDosh9Bvk7NnHMpd2IrOmHLdGnBgQOaOITyNnqDqx4Gur-b0HWXVy7Ov1oW451nm1EbpmqfarnGRLDSPyejW1N3qbcrxMmUT4aY9aeqHy5IePzmYGpDea5903FQWWRDx8ld415i6" style="border: none; width: 313px; height: 194px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="313"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527">It was different era in many ways. Whereas our modern times encourages a quick acquiescence to baldness, reliever <span class="playerdef"><a href="https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/player_search.php?search_name=Ron+Robinson">Ron Robinson</a></span> provides an example of when men were men, and a bald spot was fought every step of the way, even if the effect could get one confused for a medieval friar.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527"><img loading="lazy" alt="Body Slam 1.JPG" height="170" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/wYYNMt6xkweJTKnzwYFsIgZ2tlb76rvQyNfuxcSW4MhdAuhnreYErxShBW4aTGGN4Rz_4rflbV5gEBqatela6ZONDhNIk0P4XN1HWkh1w4Dr5NEOs8PCct0rVC9LhJiESuVOWmGd" style="border: none; width: 240px; height: 170px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527">The most dramatic moment occurred near the end. Milwaukee manager Tom Trebelhorn began jawing with an indistinguishable Mariners (aren’t they all, really?), and utility infielder <span class="playerdef"><a href="https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/card/card.php?id=17919">Jeff Schaefer</a></span> grabbed hold before administering….</span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527"><img loading="lazy" alt="Body Slam 2.JPG" height="202" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/9ynVkzG7idwV8htr5XZC8Az6vUYM-9Euvnc7xQb90bEUmVGG8YDHqxto2RUqrauwdJMclYK4Ahi17H7qjeh-Rfo8HSBHMkmnrXwlco_g6gLBp2QVrmGQqpuCSA5hoqNlAS2UZrnL" style="border: none; width: 164px; height: 202px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="164"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527">A textbook bodyslam. Trebelhorn, who described the fight by saying “</span><a href="http://articles.latimes.com/1990-07-02/sports/sp-480_1_tracy-jones">Depending on your perspective, it was the best or the worst ever</a>”, was not only a primary instigator and prolonger of the fight, but also was not ejected for his role. In addition, he wore a jacket under his jersey, despite the game being played in a climate-controlled dome.</p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527"><img loading="lazy" alt="Trebelhorn.JPG" height="298" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-TnK3C2OdeK9piYck2sL_dxUP6Ikhethgsmje63HKE7W3J4UpJAX9Sai5ISkk11bWloSbCGolBAtcEVeAMb1NbMpKdaZ5EyOrWwLUsL6smOEI4MbVPJtEb8t3eQD1Bfdwubo2nvu" style="border: none; width: 355px; height: 298px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="355"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527">Every story needs a villain.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p><center></p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527">***</span></p> <p></center></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527">For his part, Sebra was as honest as one can be about his mindset:</span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527">“I drilled him, I hit him on purpose…..Things haven't been going right for me or the team lately. It was time for someone to take a lump. I wasn't trying to hit him in the head, but I was trying to drill him."</span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0506da39-5cd0-0b9c-13cc-338b10cb9527">Whether Sebra felt his time in baseball was growing short or not, it’s unlikely he knew how much hitting Tracy Jones would accelerate his demise. The brawl-igniting fastball was the last pitch he ever threw in the majors. We have little insight as to whether Sebra recalls his grand exit with pride or remorse. Like most of us who have rage quit a job, I imagine it’s a bit of both.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <hr> <div> </div> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/31946/short-relief-on-fighting-friendship-and-negotiation/">Short Relief: On Fighting, Friendship, and Negotiation</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/31946/short-relief-on-fighting-friendship-and-negotiation/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Short Relief: The Intricate Dreams of Papas and Weavers</title> <link>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/31922/short-relief-the-intricate-dreams-of-papas-and-weavers/</link> <comments>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/31922/short-relief-the-intricate-dreams-of-papas-and-weavers/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Matt Sussman]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 26 May 2017 06:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Feature]]></category> <category><![CDATA[brewers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[mets]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Wedding Singers]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=31922</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Mary foretells the downfall of the Mets, and Matt does some research just for you.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/31922/short-relief-the-intricate-dreams-of-papas-and-weavers/">Short Relief: The Intricate Dreams of Papas and Weavers</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c163b545-436c-adad-e15d-52bbf47d1aa8"><img loading="lazy" height="100" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/pejq29J_OKfpnG2MBCVELOW9VtygCvZPXtU8LR_cIW7ODy0K9wdQC1RHUDVEVvCQp9823UiTSl0Z-8RXiFIxW39mITAwBV793cO-PWmKKQJ77nVsVLkJJeD26za1Ci2njS94JEEB" style="border:none;" width="600"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c163b545-436c-adad-e15d-52bbf47d1aa8"><img loading="lazy" alt="Banner - NYN.jpg" height="50" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/EjhT4NzeHCf39uDEGZnEJ-XO4qo2uJlHVvS2mxM59_cevvUQqRpRdxeRp2F-6G1dfB0h9mhpnzxhrLf4o8ds-Z00ghroB9VL3aUvAeDH4UEpgJp9MbykMNyuB-vWzh6XWqiUv9zT" style="border:none;" width="400"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <h3 dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c163b545-436c-adad-e15d-52bbf47d1aa8">Papa John and the Destruction of the Mets</span></h3> <p dir="ltr"><strong><span id="docs-internal-guid-c163b545-436c-adad-e15d-52bbf47d1aa8">By: <a href="https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/author/mary_craig">Mary Craig</a></span></strong></p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c163b545-436c-adad-e15d-52bbf47d1aa8"> <img loading="lazy" alt="Papa John Mets.jpg-large" height="370" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/VSlZtDA7nhV_dkCAoZLbwVibbJvIZ7ZGFeCMd0tU3pDi1A8eCMKI9_V07X7q5kob2MjKrNvkmbyk2G44l9-wtonojpz9t1nzGZGtx2LgpOK4gY9qR_R6Vh9DgcvvMsE1O4a53j3N" style="border: none; width: 539px; height: 370px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="539"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c163b545-436c-adad-e15d-52bbf47d1aa8">The cell phone sitting on the desk beside him pinged, signifying the arrival of a new email. He frantically rifled through the piles of papers and signed Peyton Manning memorabilia hiding the device, finally retrieving it and reading the missive. He let out a frightening celebratory cackle as he scanned through the few short paragraphs. It was now official. He had done it. Papa John had partnered with the <span class="teamdef"><a href="https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/team_audit.php?team=NYN" target="blank">New York Mets</a></span>, the 22nd team to join him and the final hurdle in cornering the New York market. Soon, the MLB and then the world would belong to Papa John.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c163b545-436c-adad-e15d-52bbf47d1aa8">The deal, announced shortly before the season began, didn’t sit right with many of the Mets, who had become fiercely loyal to local New York pizza joints where they often gathered to drown their sorrows in cheese and grease. The first to speak up was beloved captain <span class="playerdef"><a href="https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/player_search.php?search_name=David+Wright">David Wright</a></span>, who had yet to meet a wrong he could not rectify. However, Papa John, in all his middle-aged glory, proved a formidable foe, quickly (chicken) popping Wright straight in the shoulder. Wright, with his remaining strength, wrote out in pizza sauce a message for his teammates, but the flavorless tomato water refused to adhere to the napkin, and the message was lost before it was fully written. Papa John casually stepped over the body, picked up the soggy napkin,and nonchalantly wiped Captain America’s super serum off his knuckles, knowing his work was close to complete.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c163b545-436c-adad-e15d-52bbf47d1aa8">Much like with his stores, the bulk of the work was done by an underpaid, underperforming employee whose attentiveness was inversely proportional to the time of day. <span class="playerdef"><a href="https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/card/card.php?id=77160">Terry Collins</a></span> had always been jealous of his doppelganger, owner of Papa Murphy’s, the largest U-bake chain in the country. While Pizza Terry Collins found his name displayed in fridges and garbage cans across America, Baseball Terry Collins only found his name in articles calling for his firing and on the backs of Tripe-A jerseys collecting dust in the bowels of thrift stores. Papa John quickly wooed Terry Collins with the promise of naming a pizza after him—beer crust with cloves and sadness–and a deal was struck.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c163b545-436c-adad-e15d-52bbf47d1aa8">For Baseball Terry Collins, the glory of matching his counterpart far outweighed the glory of managing a professional baseball team. He felt no loyalty toward New York pizza, which he found far too difficult to eat while holding a beer bottle, or his team, whom he found far too difficult to manage without a beer bottle in hand. One by one, he picked them off, inching closer to the ultimate prize. Some, like the impressionable young Syndergaard, were easy targets, while others, like <span class="playerdef"><a href="https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/card/card.php?id=68391">Matt Harvey</a></span>, required more inventive methods.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c163b545-436c-adad-e15d-52bbf47d1aa8">Though there remain a few unscathed Mets, Papa John has demonstrated that when cheap pizza and narcissism come to call, skill and mental fortitude fall victim to dough and trickery. Soon, the MLB will celebrate Papa Slams, sWinging strikeouts, and shutout Garlic naughts, so eat your share of good pizza while it lasts. </span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <hr> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c163b545-436c-adad-e15d-52bbf47d1aa8"><img loading="lazy" alt="Banner - MIL.jpg" height="50" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/oSPwLw3N0pt6TgCiPJe8h0c-XqmkpIJAErz6LrhJzEK0hF6YMw_-YeaVPckKeWcSGK0NqPeetP1w3m7V18Zdktl2hPYZ2xBh6Rtz7Q_1sTFzBROGf132HWY3EQhOShUDQdYH8Zp5" style="border:none;" width="400"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <h3 dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c163b545-436c-adad-e15d-52bbf47d1aa8">The Guy Who Sang “Dream Weaver” Sang At <span class="playerdef"><a href="https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/card/card.php?id=1618">Jeff Weaver</a></span>’s Wedding</span></h3> <p dir="ltr"><strong><span id="docs-internal-guid-c163b545-436c-adad-e15d-52bbf47d1aa8">By: <a href="https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/author/matt_sussman">Matt Sussman</a></span></strong></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p><iframe loading="lazy" align="middle" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xZKuzwPOefs" width="560"></iframe></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c163b545-436c-adad-e15d-52bbf47d1aa8">About two years ago, on a sleepy January husbandly errand run, I was listening to a radio station where <span class="playerdef"><a href="https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/player_search.php?search_name=Gary+Wright">Gary Wright</a></span>’s “Dream Weaver” came on the radio. After it ended, the DJ came on and shared some anecdote during the bumper about Jeff Weaver’s wedding and how he had Gary Wright sing at it.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c163b545-436c-adad-e15d-52bbf47d1aa8">I have often thought about Jeff Weaver getting the guy who sang “Dream Weaver” to sing “Dream Weaver” at his wedding, only recently finding </span><a href="http://m.mlb.com/news/article/4575722//">the corroborating evidence</a>. They apparently had become acquaintances during his days in Detroit, so it makes sense why a Toledo area radio host would know about this.</p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c163b545-436c-adad-e15d-52bbf47d1aa8">So of course I had to find out more information about Jeff Weaver’s wedding. When was it? Did he use Adobe DreamWeaver to make his invitations? Did political campaign manager Jeff Weaver write the invitations? Did Sigourney Weaver emcee? Did anyone weave baskets during the procession?</span></p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c163b545-436c-adad-e15d-52bbf47d1aa8">So I thumbed through my back issues of </span><em>InStyle</em> Weddings magazines until I hit the <a href="http://www.pryorevents.com/press/magazine02/press02.html">summer 2008 edition</a>, page 88, “Aisle Style.”</p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr" style="margin-left:36pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c163b545-436c-adad-e15d-52bbf47d1aa8"><span class="teamdef"><a href="https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/team_audit.php?team=MIL" target="blank">Milwaukee Brewers</a></span> pitcher Jeff Weaver and Jillian Malnofski went white for their fairy-tale November Nuptials.</span></p> <p dir="ltr" style="margin-left:36pt;"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c163b545-436c-adad-e15d-52bbf47d1aa8">So what that means is, he wed during the offseason (good move), had Gary Wright sing “Dream Weaver” at his wedding (also a good move) then signed a minor-league deal with the Brewers the following year, pitched poorly for Triple-A Nashville, then was released just in time for his big feature in </span><em>InStyle</em> Weddings.</p> <p dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c163b545-436c-adad-e15d-52bbf47d1aa8">But all turned out okay. He got back into the majors with the Dodgers, faced his brother Jered in a game, and gave Wright tickets to one of the stars. I did not find out much more about his wedding, other than it included had edible chocolate plates, so I will assume all of the above was true. Wright also released a longer version of “Dream Weaver” for the Wayne’s World soundtrack, and I will assume Jered used </span><em>that</em> version at his own wedding.</p> <p dir="ltr"> <hr> <p dir="ltr"> <div> </div> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/31922/short-relief-the-intricate-dreams-of-papas-and-weavers/">Short Relief: The Intricate Dreams of Papas and Weavers</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com">Baseball Prospectus</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/31922/short-relief-the-intricate-dreams-of-papas-and-weavers/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> </channel> </rss>