Here's Wednesday's edition of Saber-Links:
Rob Neyer of Baseball Nation writes about the Diamondbacks recent call up, Adam Eaton, whose name already is a little annoying: Diamondbacks Call Up .381-Hitting 4th Outfielder - Baseball Nation
The thing is, Eaton's always done stuff like this. His on-base percentage this season was .456; he entered the season with a career .456 OBP in the minors. According to Baseball America, he's good at all the outfield spots and throws particularly well. So why haven't the scouts loved him? Well, he was a 19th-round draft pick. That's strike one. And he's listed at 5'8", which means he's probably 5'6" or 5'7". That's strike two. Fortunately, because all he's done is play brilliantly since signing with the Diamondbacks, there hasn't been a strike three and he keeps getting promoted.
Chris Lund of the Hardball Times argues that adding the second Wild Card hasn't added anything in terms of excitement to the 2012 season:Do two wild cards make 2012 more exciting?--THT
While the allure of the Wild Card game will no doubt keep stronger hopes afloat in fan bases on the outer rim of Wild Card contention such as Pittsburgh or Anaheim, the fact is that even if we were to re-institute the one Wild Card system tomorrow, there would still be enough of a race to set up a photo finish. The stretch run in 2012 has nothing to do with a change in the rules. It's simply good, exciting baseball.
Dave Cameron of FanGraphs proposes a change to baseball's roster structure: A Modest Roster Expansion Proposal | FanGraphs Baseball
If the minor leagues continued on through September, teams wouldn’t have any need for roster expansion, as their prospects would still be getting regular work in the minors, just as they had all year. Rather than advocating for a longer minor league season, however, why don’t we just start the minors a month later, and let teams begin the year with expanded rosters rather than ending them?
Adam Sobsey of Baseball Prospectus writes about Dan Duquette and the Orioles ever-changing roster:Baseball Prospectus | Sobsequy: The Postmodern Orioles
So Duquette’s willingness to play a lot of gin rummy with the active roster suggests a new way of exploiting a kind of market inefficiency, or at least of approaching rosters with a refreshing iconoclasm. If the idea of a team tends to rest on the notion of recognizable players, an integrity of composition, then this year’s Orioles are remaking that idea.
BP's team of writers also highlighted 12 statistics that they wish were more readily available, and got some interesting results: Baseball Prospectus | The Lineup Card: 12 Stats We Wish Were Readily Available
Which stats, serious or silly, does the BP team wish were readily available to fans and analysts?
Saber-Links will return tomorrow. Enjoy today's fresh slate of baseball, folks!