Baseball links from around the sabersphere...
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The Great 2011 Expansion Draft | The Platoon Advantage
As a thought exercise, to demonstrate the difficulties involved in building a team from the ground up, The Common Man and Bill are each taking control of a franchise, one in the New York City area (to mitigate some of the financial advantage enjoyed by the NYC teams) and Portland, Oregon, that will join the Major Leagues in 2012.
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Carlos Quentin: Best Ever? | Fangraphs
Quentin is the king of HBPs. -
Followed Him Up to the Gates of Grantland | Baseball Prospectus
A wise man makes his own decisions, an ignorant man follows the public opinion. -
Alex Gordon = All-Star | Royals Authority
Nope, Gordon is not Beltran, but he should be an All-Star.
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Are Gardner and Swisher equals at the plate? | River Avenue Blues
Right now Gardner and Swisher share an OPS, both at .779. That might make them appear equal in production, but they’ve gotten there in different ways.
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Two surprising rotations in 2011 | Baseball-Reference Blog
Through Sunday, two teams -- one in each league -- have 4 pitchers with an ERA+ of at least 100 (and qualify for the ERA title). The identities of the two teams may surprise you.
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The Cubs -- And Other Teams -- Can Take Lessons From The Royals | Baseball Nation
They likely won't do it with Ned Yost as their manager, but remember the young players' names I've written above. By 2013 or 2014, the Royals may have new highlights to add to their historical montage... and they'll be doing it in front of loyal fans who have stayed the course, in part due to the way they've been treated by management.
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MLB Rumors: The Market For Dodgers Starter Hiroki Kuroda | MLB Daily Dish
Will Hiroki Kuroda be dealt before July 31? -
Believe the Hype | Crashburn Alley
The Phillies' pitching staff is as good as advertised. -
Is Ricky Nolasco Having a Career Year? | Marlins Daily
His 3.48 FIP stands out as the second best of his career, and a 3.39 xFIP supports it. In addition to Nolasco’s fine peripherals, opposing batters have swung at his out-of-zone pitches over five points more than last year.