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A Cornucopia of Friday June 21, 2013 Links

Another off day and another Friday Links post (hmmm, a correlation.) Lots of links for your reading pleasure including possible evidence that JPA has improved his pitch framing, the gradual improvement of one Colby Rasmus and a recounting of one of the worst brawls in baseball history.

Tom Szczerbowski

JAYS LINKS

Helton: Focused teams can overcome odds - Sportsnet.ca
The Rockies reached the postseason in 2007 and 2009 despite awful starts to the season, so Todd Helton says the 2013 Blue Jays have a chance.

Davidi: Rasmus learning to deal with failure - Sportsnet.ca
The Blue Jays have been working with Colby Rasmus to help him understand that baseball is about letting go of failure, and their efforts are starting to pay off.

Blue Jays: Surging club inspiring confidence, if not belief: Kelly | Toronto Star
After their dreadful start, we expected some sort of fightback from the Jays. We’re finally getting it.

Blue Jays bullpen surprisingly dominant | Toronto Star
Considered a weak link at the start of the season, the Blue Jays bullpen is a major reason they are riding an eight-game winning streak.

A High-Def Look at Esmil Rogers | FanGraphs Fantasy Baseball
Blake takes a look at Call me Esmil Buck not Ishmael Rogers.

The Blue Jay Hunter: There's Light at the End of the Tunnel
Ian looks at the recent hot streak.

The Blue Jay Hunter: The Lansing Lugnuts Experience at Cooley Law Stadium
Ian recounts his trip to visit the Lansing Lugnuts

MLB LINKS

Year-to-Year Changes in Framing | FanGraphs Baseball
Something that JPA has improved? Could be considering he's had the majority of starts.

All-time two-first-names team
The first shall be last, or something like that

AL East division update: June edition
MVP, LVP, deadline needs and sustainability: all studied! Not so good for Toronto, still.

Brawling And Boozing With The Rats Of Yankee Stadium
Lasting Yankee Stadium Memories, edited by yours truly, is out in paperback now. To celebrate, here's an essay from the late George Kimball. It's about Yankee Stadium II, Billy Martin, finks and phonies, brawling, and, of course, drinking with Bill "Spaceman" Lee.

MLBPA Grants Jay-Z Agent Certification: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com
Good news for the Yankees?

Shopping For A Starting Pitcher? Good Luck. | FanGraphs Baseball
The way the pitching market is that it looks to be a hefty price for a minor pitching upgrade for contenders.

TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

Baseball History - June 21st - National Pastime - Baseball History
1998 Michael Bouton's passionate and elegant open letter to the Yankees is published in New York Times on Father's Day, asking the franchise to reconsider their long-time snub of his dad, Jim, the team's former 20-game winner and controversial author of Ball Four, a book that angered the baseball establishment for revealing the game's less glamorous side. Thanks to his son's efforts, Jim Bouton's banishment from Yankee Stadium will end next month when the right-hander is invited to return to the Bronx ballpark for the first time in nearly thirty years to participate in the team's Old-Timers' Day.

1999 Blue Jay Tony Fernandez becomes the Dominican-born career hits leader with his 2,178th hit to move ahead of Julio Franco. The shortstop's hit plated the winning run with two outs in the ninth in Toronto's 2-1 victory over Kansas City.