Morning Mound Visit: Expanding playoffs is bad for competition

Dan Szymborski | FanGraphs: One of the reasons the MLBPA turned down MLB’s offer of universal DH in exchange for expanded playoffs is that it would remove the incentives for improving a team. Having half the teams make the playoffs makes each additional win matter less in regards to championship probability according to simulations run by Dan Szymborski.

Shakeia Taylor | Baseball Prospectus: Andrea Williams’ new book Baseball’s Leading Lady: Effa Manley and the Rise and Fall of the Negro Leagues is out now and in it, Williams unravels one of baseball’s most mysterious figures.

Neil Payne, Anna Wiederkehr, and Jay Boyce | Five Thirty Eight: Negro Leagues statistical records will be recognized as major league records, in no small part because of the work of the people behind the Seamheads Negro Leagues Database. And thanks to the work of the people at Five Thirty Eight, there are lots of fun interactive graphs to play with that show you just how good Oscar Charleston was.