High & Inside: 7/7/11

Baseball links from around the sabersphere...

• The Age of Strikeouts | ESPN SweetSpot Blog
  

  That done, this year pitchers are striking out batters 18.4 percent of the time, slightly lower than last year's 18.6 percent, but in the same vicinity, and that's consistent with the steady increase in strikeouts we've seen over the past 30 years.

• Commodity Trading | Royals Authority
  A look at the Royals' trade candidates.
• What’s in a fastball? | Bay City Ball
  

  I have no idea — and no one really does — if Vogelsong can keep pitching as well as he has. I think his success or failure will be tied directly to his ability to throw strikes — and his control of the fastball.

• What's With All the Relievers? | The Platoon Advantage
  Why are there so many relievers on the all-star teams?
• The Next Market Inefficiencies: Women In Baseball | Fangraphs
  

  Teams employ hundreds of minor leaguers with the hope that a few of them will become a Michael Cuddyer or a Jhonny Peralta. I am fairly certain the female Luis Castillo or Paul Maholm is already playing softball.

More links after the jump..

• Midseason Top 50 Prospects List | Baseball America
  Baseball America's updated prospect rankings.
• Who's the Best Player in New York? | The Outside Corner
  Robinson Cano or Jose Reyes?
• The 2011 All-Collapse All-Stars | The Hardball Times
  THT's annual look at veterans who fell off a cliff this season.
• Eugenio Velez, Starting Left Fielder | Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness
  

  Speaking of Velez, his start last night made him the 8th starting Dodger left fielder, meaning the Dodgers have nearly matched last year’s total of nine before the All-Star break, though since Casey Blake subbed there without starting, the overall total is indeed nine.

• The Most Egregious MVP Snubs of All Time (at Least on Paper) | Seamheads
  Willie Mays was snubbed twice.