Hungry Like the Wolf Weekend July 19, 2014 Links

I know it's strange to see a weekend links article on the weekend, no?  And it's not even morning.  Sad thing is that work and life conspired to take away any time I had including any for baseball (but it seems I didn't miss much.)  As it is, here are some links for your reading pleasure.

JAYS LINKS

The Blue Jay Hunter: Flashback Friday: J.P. Arencibia's Big League Debut
Looking back at J.P. Arencibia's tremendous big league debut, where he went 4 for 5 with 2 home runs.

Could Toronto Blue Jays take a flyer on Dan Uggla? - Jays Journal - A Toronto Blue Jays Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More
The Toronto Blue Jays have a need at second base and Dan Uggla, who was just released by the Braves, is available. Should the Blue Jays take a flyer?  Note:  No.  Uggla's bat was pretty much the only thing of value as a 2B (see the last AS Game he played as low light for his Defense.)

Toronto Blue Jays Top 15 Prospects: Midseason Update - Jays Journal - A Toronto Blue Jays Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More
Midseason update and ranking of the Toronto Blue Jays top prospects. Who will be number one - Daniel Norris or Aaron Sanchez?

Trade Rumors: Blue Jays cannot take on salary in trades - Jays Journal - A Toronto Blue Jays Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More
The Toronto Blue Jays have been mentioned in may trade rumors, but if management is unwilling to take on salary, the team may have its work cut out.

MLB LINKS

The All-Star Game "In Memoriam" Montage We Should Have Gotten
MLB and Fox came under fire for not mentioning Tony Gwynn during the all-star game broadcast, and responded with a joint statement explaining that by singling out one recently passed ballplayer for recognition, it could be a slight to others. Well, here's the perfect solution.

2014 Trade Value: The Top 10 | FanGraphs Baseball
Welcome to the final section of this year’s Trade Value series, the top 10. If you haven’t already, read the intro and get yourself acquainted with what question this is trying to answer, as well as an incomplete list of guys who missed the cut for one reason or another. You can see all the posts in the series here.

Who Will Get the Next Retirement Tour? | FanGraphs Baseball
This is the fourth season in five in which we’ve experienced — or for some, endured — a retirement tour. First was Bobby Cox in 2010, and then Chipper Jones, Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter have all been feted by their peers around the game. That begs the question, who’s next?

The Season’s Ball-iest Called Strikes, So Far | FanGraphs Baseball
Just the other day, we went through the first half of the season’s strike-iest called balls, which were more or less called balls on pitches taken right down the middle.

MLB Shootaround (the Horn): The Most Intriguing Second-Half Story Lines "
The race for the second AL wild-card spot looks particularly fierce: While the Angels have run away from the pack and should easily hold on to the first slot — if not the AL West crown — a half-dozen teams are vying for the right to go to Anaheim to play a one-game death match.

The Blue Jay Hunter: Moustache All-Stars: The Best Staches of the First Half of 2014
Your 2014 Moustache All-Stars - looking at the best moustaches in baseball from the first half of the 2014 season.

Batter Patience as a Team Sport – The Hardball Times
I suppose it is human nature to seek a reason for all things. In baseball, many similarly demand "a reason" for why a team is winning games, especially when its success is unexpected. And so it went for the Milwaukee Brewers early this year, as writers homed in on their impatience at the plate.

Hair of the Dog: The Hangover Effect Revisited – The Hardball Times
The pity is, I should have seen it live. I had been taking the MLB game-streaming subscription for an extended test-drive and, being a Yankees fan, I could have had their home game against the Rays running. Instead, I was watching the Cardinals and Cubs. I’m going out to Chicago later this season and will get to take in my first game at Wrigley Field during this, its centennial season. I had therefore lately been following the Cubs, getting a tutoring in the state of masochism that famously defines the team’s fans.

The Problems Baseball’s Next Commissioner Will Face – The Hardball Times
Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig is retiring in 2014 — and this time he probably means it. Of course, Selig is famous for saying that he won’t stay in the job and then doing the opposite. In Andrew Zimbalist’s book "In the Best Interests of Baseball," the author notes that Selig, shortly after becoming interim commissioner in 1992, told his wife, "It’s two to four months, not more. Don’t worry about it." He was off by only 22 years or so.

Idiot On The Field Evades Police, Gets Gerardo Parra Selfie
It was only a matter of time before these things started becoming regular. Here's your latest Idiot On The Field to use the opportunity for selfie-taking, tonight in Phoenix.

Wily Mo Peña Hits Massive Home Run In Japanese All-Star Game
Wily Mo Peña has been playing in Japan since 2011 and represented the Orix Buffaloes for the Pacific League in this year's All-Star Game, played Saturday at Koshien Stadium. Peña smoked the first pitch he saw from Hanshin Tigers 20-year-old pitcher Shintaro Fujinami and damn near hit it out of the stadium.

Red Sox Ball Girl Fields Fair Ball, Immediately Regrets It
In the top of the fourth inning last night in Boston, Eric Hosmer hit one on the screws down the first base line and an overeager ball girl scooped up the obviously fair ball. Her reaction is so great.

TODAY IN GORD ASH (HINT: REALLY DUMB) TRADES

Baseball History - July 19th - National Pastime - Baseball History
1998 Carlos Delgado becomes the first player to reach the SkyDome's fifth deck with his Ruthian home run to right field. The massive blast snaps the Blue Jays first baseman's 0-for-29 slump.

2000 The Blue Jays, hoping to strengthen their rotation in the midst of a pennant race with the first-place Yankees, trade minor league infielder Michael Young to Texas for Esteban Loaiza, who will post a disappointing 5-7 record down stretch for the short-term (Note:  HA!  The BABIP Gods shined on the Jays that year) contenders. The Rangers' newest prospect will develop into a perennial All-star shortstop, batting .301 during his 13 seasons with the Texan team. Note: "Good" job, Gord Ash.