L.D. (From Seaver to Seattle)

okay so my Juan Soto expectation wasn't totally unrealistic

i will never forget this incident

half-expecting to see Juan Soto out there with Bad Bunny

i'm always saying this!!

#Statcast JUAN SOTO - Swing Rate
by Proximity to Border of Strike Zone
(Adjusted for Ball-Strike Count)

We are lucky we have one of the smartest batters of all-time active in his prime in Statcast era

Here we see the swing rate of Juan Soto, since 2021, by strike zone location

A Crash Course on Fastball Movement | Baseball Prospectus Everything you need to know, until you need to know more.

A Crash Course on Fastball Movement
by Mario Delgado Genzor (@mariodelgadogenzor.bsky.social)
www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article...

Terrance Gore was a Met in September 2022. I remember in an interview with Steve Gelbs he said Jacob deGrom asked him what his tell on him was for when to steal. Gore told deGrom he couldn't say, just in case he faced him again. deGrom said he respected that.

quick follow up to the follow up, we'll get there eventually

COMMENT: It's not the political content, it's the hard left bias of basically every writer on this site that chooses to write about politics. If the site would even pretend to present a more nuanced or balanced perspective on politics, or to accept discussion from those that disagree with them, it would be a lot more interesting. But since the politics of the bulk of the readers appear to match those of the writers, it's basically just boring one sided commentary, perfectly predictable on every issue. CRAIG: Nuance and balance aren't the same thing and you should stop pretending they are. There is plenty of nuance in our coverage, but you're correct that it is not balanced and I've no interest in seeking to balance it just for the sake of it. I'm not interested in whether you think our point of view is "predictable" -- essays like Matt's aren't being written for your entertainment or surprise. They're not being written so that you find them *intriguing* or whatever. It's not for fun. We're not writing these things because our readers agree with them or don't, we're writing them because they are our point of view. That you don't seem to grasp the differences in all this probably explains a fair bit.

just a quick follow up

$kubal | Baseball Prospectus It's sure magnanimous of the league to give players on MLBPA's executive committee bulletin board material!

wrote about the tigers/mlb's big-brained decision to lowball a back-to-back cy young winner in arbitration, and foreseeable consequences

i just want ONE Boras client to play into the craven greed. change your walk up song to Material Girl or something. have a little fun with it. it would annoy a lot of people of course but I would be entertained, which is really what matters

it boggles the mind how anyone on any team can go to the White House and then turn around and pretend to honor Jackie Robinson or Roberto Clemente or anyone else whom we celebrate for moral character and social impact. truly disgraceful, spineless shit and nobody should let them forget it

it's impossible to pick one best line from this but "Even if not right side of history, remain on right side of poverty" is really up there

tigers right now

Wally looking rough above the headline "Red Sox Looking To Add Right-Handed-Hitting Outfielder"

2:12 am: going back for more Refsnyder

In Defense of... Bo Bichette? (Pt. 1) Joining the war on batting averages on the side of batting averages.

that Bo Bichette analysis I keep mentioning is finally done! (well, the first part, anyways.) if you're a Mets fan or anyone else who wants to know what's up with this guy, I've written a minor treatise on his batting (and why it's very good) here: seatoseabaseball.com/in-defense-o...

Sources: Tarik Skubal wins arbitration over Tigers, to make $32M Two-time reigning AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal won his arbitration case over the Tigers and will make $32 million this year, sources told ESPN, giving the ace $13 million more than Detroit offered.

News free at ESPN: Tarik Skubal won his arbitration case, a big victory for players that could have long-term implications on salaries, particularly at the top of the scale. Details on how Skubal wound up with a $32M salary vs. the $19M Detroit asked for:

BREAKING: Two-time reigning American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal won his arbitration case and will make $32 million this year, sources tell ESPN. Skubal’s bet to go for the largest salary ever in the arbitration system paid off, as he’ll make $13M more than Tigers argued.

I will not say you gotta hand it to TK but wow this guy sucks

SABR Digital Library: Henry Aaron, edited by Bill Nowlin and Glen Sparks

On Hammerin' Hank's birthday, our newest SABR Digital Library book is now available — Henry Aaron, an in-depth collection of essays on the Braves star's life and impact on baseball and the world. Free ebook for all SABR members: sabr.org/latest/sabr-... #BlackHistoryMonth

MLB players strike deal to be turned into AI characters that can chat with fans Major League Baseball players have agreed to let a tech company create AI characters of themselves that can chat and interact with fans

I hope the union is happy with the, like, $49 or whatever that this will make for the players. It'll be less fun when someone rigs it so that the AI player avatars spout neo-Nazism or engage in porn.

abcnews.go.com/Technology/w...

Recently the DHS Secretary Kristi Noem ordered the revocation of Haitians' temporary protected immigration status, which allows them – some 350,000 of them nationwide – to legally live and work in the United States due to the turmoil in the country of their birth. That was supposed to take effect this past Tuesday, at which point everyone anticipated that the Regime would flood Springfield with its shock troops who would then embark on a brutal ethnic cleansing campaign like it has done in Minnesota. Earlier this week a federal judge issued a temporary stay of that order, however, preventing Noem from implementing her decision. The reason: Noem's comments about Haitians and her reasoning for the revocation of protected status consisted almost exclusively of vile, slanderous racist invective, rendering it illegitimate. DHS will appeal, however, and no one has much faith that the corrupt, Trump-controlled U.S. Supreme Court will stand in the way of the atrocities Trump, Vance, Stephen Miller, Tom Homan, and Noem are eager to unleash on Springfield.

Springfield, only being a fraction of the size of the Twin Cities, will inevitably organize its resistance to Trump's Gestapo in different ways than Minnesota did. To date, this is what I could find as far as groups and resources who are doing the organizing: The Ohio Immigrant Alliance has a number of resources specifically aimed at helping Haitians in Springfield; G92 Springfield, the leading “boots-on-the-ground” volunteer community organization that was mentioned in that New York Times article, is accepting donations. If you would like to get involved in volunteering, you can send an email to them at advocacy@ohiog92.org. The Reddit thread where I found their information says, "they are quick to respond, and can route you to the right chat." The Haitian Support Center has created an emergency fund to help families affected by the end of protected status; Springfield United Way Unity is accepting donations targeted to critical social services for Springfield’s Haitian families; and The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization focused on caring for the poor, has a Springfield-dedicated assistance fund The folks behind these efforts have strongly suggested that people who wish to donate to the cause in Springfield focus on financial aid over material goods, as locals are better able to attend to material needs than outsiders are. Also: if you're not from the area and you do find yourself in chats, forums, and other virtual gatherings related to Springfield, please try to do more listening than talking as there is always a risk of too much noise, as it were, that can interfere with operations. The people of Springfield need outside help, not outside leadership.

Today's newsletter is free.

Inside I talk about Springfield, Ohio, which will likely soon be invaded by Trump's secret police. Click through for the links to multiple groups who are providing aid and assistance to Springfield's Haitian population. www.cupofcoffeenews.com/cup-of-coffe...

A screenshot of Tarik Skubal's Instagram story, sharing a post from MLB about Framber Valdez signing with the Detroit Tigers. Skubal's comment reads "Dinners on you [racehorse emoji] @framber_valdez_pinales".

lol Skubal's story is cracking me up. guess we'll find out tomorrow exactly how tongue-in-cheek this is

Apparently today is National Girls and Women in Sports Day, and unless that includes trans girls and trans women in sports, we are doing it wrong.

Dave Roberts' comments on it were so spineless and embarrassing that I wish I couldn't believe they were real. Unfortunately,

sucks shit both in that it's happening and it's unsurprising

Watch out, Dillon Dingler

Framber Valdez was the best free agent left on the market, and Detroit gave him a $38.3 million annual salary. There is an opt-out in the contract after the second season, sources said. Valdez waited until he eve of spring training but wound up with a strong outcome regardless.

well there's Skubal's money

Fuck Jeff Bezos bsky.app/profile/phil...