WeekEnd HaloLinks: MLB Works On Their Changeup

Before you woke up yesterday, the Official MLB Rules of Baseball took up 184 pages of 8 1/2” by 11” paper. This is not nearly enough if we are to expect Baseball to connect to the next generation of fans. We must need more. Lots and lots more. Thankfully, we have Rob Manfred on the job. Such visionary action would never have happened had Bud Selig still been in control. And how amazing is that? I actually typed a sentence that made you realize things have gone DOWNHILL now that Selig is out of office!

Just a couple of seasons ago, I would have never considered such an outcome to be possible.

I am off on my first weekend camping adventure of the year. You guys will be entrusted with DIY Links on Monday. See you all Tuesday. Don’t break anything in my absence.

But for now we are flush with Manfred-Called-For-Balk-HaloLinks:

A Little Bit Of Angels News

The most impactful news yesterday was the MLB rule changes, and learning about the two-way player controls. I am really trying to decipher what MLB is trying to solve here, but I do know that this particular roster rule change shouldn’t impact Shohei Ohtani that much. Getting to 20 IP and 20 games as DH is one month’s work, and is good for 2 seasons......If it truly does not end up hampering Ohtani’s career, it won’t be from lack of MLB trying. Which would be an excellent marketing move, wouldn’t it?.....But it is weird. Can you imagine MLB going out of the way to institute universal roster controls for every team, ever, just because Pat Venditte is ambidextrous?...........

On the other hand, Dan Jennings is feeling threatened...........

As the world prepares for the Mariners traveling to Japan for their Opening Ichiro Day, here is just a tiny touch of Trout Porn. And that is Trout after only 1065 games. Ichiro has recorded 2651..............And then there is this, that Mike Trout has not won a single playoff game. What is silly about this point of view is to consider the other end of the spectrum. Think of all the shittiest players in the history of MLB who HAVE been on a team that won a playoff game? Juan Castro comes to mind............

So now we live with Andrew Heaney rejoining the ranks of team Humpty Dumpty. It should be noted that Dallas Keuchel, unsigned and currently un-wooed (here, as well), is currently working through Spring Training at Scott Boras’ training camp, just a few miles away from Angel Stadium in Newport Beach...........

Skipper Brad went Old Baseball Card diving, and learned that he is old. I love it when he pulls George Williams. Williams was not long for MLB. Skip does state that he remembers him. But the look on his face seems more like “Why the hell would this guy ever get his own baseball card??”.........

I may have to choose another favorite baseball team. Either that, or wait a few years until all these “no pineapple on pizza” guys have moved on to something else other than playing for the Halos and gotten a chance to become more clear-headed thinkers..........

One more reason not to trust Cam Bedrosian...............

Positive things being said about Kevin Maitan..........

Everywhere In Baseball

Now, about that 3-batter minimum for pitchers thing. This is being unilaterally imposed by Manfred (and the players union is not pleased). He must feel he is such a brilliant guy that his wisdom can battle back the forces of 150 years of evolution in the sport. I object merely on the grounds of tinkering, but I have no idea how teams will figure out how to work around this. Some people seem to think they DO know. Among them, some want to convince us that everything is just fine. And some want to convince is that it’s beyond fine. It’s actually an improvement. Others, though, want to convince us that their knowledge proves that everything is going to hell..............

I bring up the tinkering aspect because the rules of baseball are already about 2000 pages long. It is way too easy to oversimplify the impact of any change on that level of complexity. Because we cannot live among alternate timelines, we will never know going forward what could have been had the rules not been changed. We know how these new rules would have prevented cool things that DID happen in the past. The questions along the lines of “what about when the situation is...?” have only just begun, and I promise that some manager will get struck by a bolt of inspiration and pull some trick that will surprise the shit out of everybody, forcing MLB is add clauses to this in order to try to enforce their will............

The most important announcement, in my mind, is that MLB and MLBPA are opening up CBA renegotiations 2 years early. The sooner, the better. Too much was broken in the last bargain when the players took their eyes off of their responsibilities.............

It’s Service Manipulation Week in MLB. Baby Vlad goes down, although with his injury status it means little yet. The White Sox sent own Baby Vlad, Eloy Jiminez, and Colin McHugh of the Houston Astros is pretty pissed off...........

Jose Berrios is betting on himself, and his health, AND some new CBA that forces MLB Fron Offices to shift in reverse in their approach to winter roster rebuilding. He is declining a contract extension with the Twins in order to reach FA as soon as possible..........

This is Bruce Bochy’s final season in MLB. So what does he have to lose by trolling the Royals over their WS loss to the Giants in 2014?............

Yasiel Puig has a slight problem with self-awareness............

Desperate Major League Baseball makes Major League Baseball do desperate things. They can’t figure out how to market the very best baseball player anybody living in the MLB Front Office has ever seen. But they are fairly sure they can figure out how to get him compete in their constantly diminishing Home Run Derby during All-Star Week. Offer up a flat $1 million to the winner. So, OK, this is a lot to players before they hit their FA age, but not so much afterwards. And it is ripe for becoming a charitable donation. So, hey, Commander Manfred, since you are in the mood for folly, why not get truly creative? I particularly like the “Competitive Defense” idea............

Here is a great long form article that dives into not-so-great pitching careers from eons ago. It’s fantastic if you choose not to go outside this weekend when the winds are blowing 30mph...........

BALLPARK FOODS: Egg rolls and tacos that use hot dogs as the base?? Isn’t the whole point of alt ballpark foods that we need to enable movement beyond the hot dog?..........

Looks like FanGraphs has raided SBN for their new team of writers..........

The Duffle Bag

Game 6 of the 2011 World Series is my second favorite WS Game 6 of all time. It shall never get old. Especially this..............UniWatch is getting cast back to the wild, and needs our support............This is National League Baseball. Being so frickin’ strategic..........It’s Spring Training. Players have to work on everything. Even mound charging..........Hey, gambling in baseball is all the rage now. So why not add Mickey Mantle’s Atlantic City player’s card to your collection?.............

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