Roller Coaster Weekend June 22, 2014 Links

From the high of a 14-9 comeback win to a absolute crapshow of an 11-1 beating, this weekend in Cincinnati has been a roller coaster.  Meanwhile, it is a work shortened links post thanks to a long miserable week at work topped off with some long neglected lawn work.

JAYS LINKS

The Blue Jay Hunter: The Anatomy of a 14-9 Comeback
Overcoming an 8-0 deficit in baseball is not an easy feat. And yet somehow, someway, the Toronto Blue Jays managed to find a way overcome that nearly insurmountable deficit

Toronto Blue Jays Minor League Recap: Brad Glenn drives in 5 runs - Jays Journal - A Toronto Blue Jays Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More
The Bisons Brad Glenn drove in 5 runs as the Bisons played a double header and came out with a split.

The Blue Jay Hunter: Yankee Stadium: The Blue Jays' New House of Horrors
To say that Yankee Stadium has not been very kind to the Toronto Blue Jays the past few years would be a huge understatement. To say that Yankee Stadium has chewed up the Toronto Blue Jays and spit them out would probably be a fair assessment.

The Blue Jay Hunter: Flashback Friday: Frank Thomas' Pillow Fight Commercial
A harmless pillow fight between two kids - seems innocent enough, right? Apparently not when you add a towering 6 foot 5 inch 240 pound man to the mix.

MLB LINKS

Johnny Damon’s Self Serving Steroid Sermon – The Hardball Times
Damon last appeared in the major leagues in 2012 with Cleveland. In 224 plate appearances, he hit .222/.281/.329. His 71 wRC+ ranked in the bottom 50 of the 347 batters with at least 200 plate appearances. His defensive position is either designated hitter or noodle-armed left fielder with aging legs.

The Plunks of Hazard: Baseball’s Order of the Purple Heart – The Hardball Times
Considering the blizzard of statistics available to the modern fan, it’s not surprising that numbers pertaining to hit batsmen are obscured. Unless a batter gets beaned or charges the mound, getting hit by a pitch doesn’t add much drama to a game.

Breaking Down The Aging Curve | Community – FanGraphs Baseball
Ever since I read Jeff Zimmerman’s aging curve article in December I have been thinking more about aging curves in general. That has lead me to take a step back and start digging through players in a different way.

PitchCraft: Yu Darvish, Eclectic Genius «
When I played Little League, everyone wanted to be a pitcher. You controlled the game, and the batter was at your mercy. It was wonderful to be on that hill, and even having a total breakdown and walking five consecutive batters before you got unceremoniously yanked was better than being stuck at third base. All of us, the talented and delusional alike, wanted to be there.

The Physics of the Bunt – The Hardball Times
Bill James’ explanation was straight and to the point during his NPR interview on September 26, 2011. “Bunting is usually a waste of time…The home team applauds because they get an out, and the other team applauds because they get a base. So what does that tell you?”

Is David Price Actually Improving? | Community – FanGraphs Baseball
Casual fans who look at David Price‘s stat-line this year definitely come away unimpressed. On the surface, his 4-6 record with a 3.97 ERA are sub-par for a pitcher of his caliber, especially one who has been pegged as an ace for his entire major league career.

Exploring the Shift Dynamic – The Hardball Times
Shifting is all the rage, I don’t think that’s news to the common baseball fan. That there are now more shifts than ever employed—against righties and lefties—in every-day baseball only gives credence to it’s legitimacy as a staple of baseball strategy

Brewers Score Three Runs On Wild Pitch
Here's something you don't see every day: a bases-clearing wild pitch

Wrigley Field Idiot Runs Onto Field During Rain Delay
We're told this Idiot On The Field is a streaker, though it's difficult to tell if he's wearing shorts or not. Regardless, he's an Idiot. Everybody knows you run onto the field during the game for maximum disruptive power.

All 15 Of Clayton Kershaw's No-Hitter Strikeout Pitches In One GIF
When Clayton Kershaw came within one error of a perfect game Wednesday night, he added "no-hitter" to a list of accolades and achievements that already included three ERA titles, two Cy Young awards, and a Triple Crown. In fact, he did more than that—going by Bill James's old game score metric, he pitched the second-best nine-inning game on record, behind only Kerry Wood's 20-strikeout masterpiece in 1998.

TODAY IN WALKING HISTORY

Baseball History June 22nd - National Pastime - Baseball History
1976 In the seventh inning of a 4–2 Padres win over home town San Francisco, Randy Jones ties Christy Mathewson's NL mark by going 68 innings without issuing a base on balls. The southpaw's streak will end when he walks Marc Hill leading off the next frame, keeping the 63-year-old record intact. Note: I am usually stunned if JA Happ goes 6 2/3 innings without giving up a BB.