Friday Halolinks: Bud Selig Says "The More, The Merrier"

The 33% Solution Halolinks:

• Yesterday we talked about the Astros changing leagues, but the owners also approved the addition of another wild-card team in each league: Selig: More Wild Cards Coming, With One-Game Playoffs - Baseball Nation.  "Commissioner Bud Selig said owners also approved two additional wild-card teams for the postseason, meaning 10 of the 30 teams make the playoffs. Selig said the specifics are being worked out. The players' association favors the move.  Although I'm mostly a baseball puritan, I like this idea.  I didn't like that the wild-card team entered the playoffs usually on a even level as the division winners.  My thinking was the division winners should have an advantage over theoretically the 4th best team in the league (I know, the wild-card team can actually have the second best record), but with the addition of a one-game playoff, the wild-card team enters the LDS at a slight disadvantage.  And of course, FanGraphs has the new calculations: The New Playoff Probabilities in 2013.  "Each team had a 25% chance at an automatic berth and then a 75% (since they can’t win both) chance at a wild card shot, which carried a 9% (1/11) probability. 0.25*1 + 0.75*1/11 = 31.8%." So you're telling me there's a chance?
• Matt Snyder from CBS is complaining about people complaining:  Stop complaining about changes in baseball - CBSSports.com.  "It never ceases to amaze me how utterly furious the masses get whenever baseball dares to makes a change."  It never ceases to amaze me that writers are amazed by what the masses do or how they feel.  And feel compelled to tell us how the masses are wrong.
  
• I missed this the other day, and I'm a bit surprised it's not a national holiday or something: Hot Stove season turns 125 years old today - MLB.com.  "After days of intense negotiation via overly formal telegram, the Cincinnati Red Stockings of the American Association agree to send catcher "Honest" Jack Boyle and $350 in cash to the St. Louis Browns in exchange for outfielder Hugh Nicol."  If this isn't a reason for a paid day-off then I don't know what is.

MORE LINKS AFTER THE BREAK...

• Who was the most powerful hitter on the Angels?  Nope, not him...he was second.  Guess again.  Wrong, try the other side of the outfield.  The Most Powerful Hitters in Baseball (The 2011 Power Factor Leaderboard) - Beyond the Box Score.  "Who were the most powerful hitters in baseball this year? And, more importantly, how should that be measured?"  Obviously you don't have to be good to make this list.
• "Measuring the size of the area in which pitchers are getting swings, and how much this tells us about how good they are."  Pitchers and swing area - The Hardball Times.
• Clayton Kershaw win the N.L. Cy Young award:  Clayton Kershaw's Day In The Sun - True Blue LA, and since he's left-handed, Don Newcombe thinks,"I am reminded of Sandy Koufax whenever I see Clayton pitch and feel that there is a deep comparison between the two. Clayton has an outstanding work ethic, as did Sandy, which will show itself through Clayton's baseball career."  Of course, Rob Neyer thinks the wrong guy won.
• Sam Miller takes a look at three Angels:  Winterball: Mike Trout, Jean Segura, Jerome Williams - The Orange County Register
• Dick gets another shot:  Rockies sign Brandon Wood to minor league contract - HardballTalk.  "Wood batted just .216/.270/.340 with seven home runs and 31 RBI in 272 plate appearances this year between the Angels and Pirates."  He'll get $100,000 over league minimum if he makes the team.
• Anna Benson, wife of former Mets pitcher Kris Benson, set to be breakout star of 'Baseball Wives' - NYPOST.com.  "We are not like the ‘Basketball Wives,’ " Benson, a former stripper, tells The Post. "We are classy."  Oh, okay.  She also adds that the Mets were scared of her "big fun bags".  I love it when classy women refer to their breasts as "fun bags", because you know that's what the really sophisticated gals call them.  By the way, here's a shot of her at last year's National Classy Chick Cotillion:
  via www.nypost.com
• Oh, and speaking of classy: Fox Sports expands reach of lawsuit to Frank McCourt - latimes.com.  "The amended Fox lawsuit names McCourt personally and the McCourt-Broderick Limited Partnership as defendants. The McCourt-Broderick Limited Partnership, wholly owned by McCourt, is the parent company for at least 23 entities, including the Dodgers, according to an organizational chart filed in Los Angeles Superior Court."  Does anyone else think this guy should have to stand in the food line down at one of the missions?