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But I just want to make the point that there are times when the Royals – or any front office – make...

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But I just want to make the point that there are times when the Royals – or any front office – make decisions which are not just inexplicable, but indefensible. And just because I or another analyst isn’t privy to inside knowledge doesn’t mean that we aren’t completely justified in ripping that organization a new orifice for making that decision. After 15 years of doing what I do, I’ve recently sensed some pushback from some parts of the analytic community, a sentiment that front offices have access to far greater amounts of information than outsiders like us can possibly have, and therefore they have reasons for making decisions that we can not possibly fathom. I don’t doubt the validity of that. But just because an organization makes more informed decisions doesn’t mean they make better decisions. Knowing little more than Sanchez’s stat line and the track record of similar pitchers in the past, I knew that Sanchez was toast weeks ago. It’s not like I had an axe to grind with Sanchez – I was generally positive about the decision to trade for him. The Royals undoubtedly had access to the same database that I did, and chose to let him torch a few more games before pulling the plug.

Rany on the Royals: Royals Today: 7/21/12

Return of Retired Players, Long Games, & Catcher Interferences - Rob's Mailbag, Episode 10

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Return of Retired Players, Long Games, & Catcher Interferences - Rob's Mailbag, Episode 10

The Hall of Nearly Great eBook - Available for Purchase!

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I've been reading it (as an original Kickstarter backer) and now the rest of you mere mortals can, too. Basically, I write about baseball because of Sky Kalkman. He and Marc Normandin (both former managing editors for Beyond the Box Score) built an incredible roster of writers for this ebook project. Go take a look at the site. Go buy the book (you finally can today!). You won't regret it.

The National League defeated the American League 8-0. Their largest margin of victory in the...

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The National League defeated the American League 8-0. Their largest margin of victory in the history of the All Star Game. While Melky Cabrera was named MVP, the greatest moment came when Chipper Jones stepped up to the plate to a standing ovation. The crowd cheered and Chipper delivered in what will most likely be his last all star appearance.

MVP, but no All-Star

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Here's a list of players that won the MVP but were not All-Stars in the the same season: Jimmy Rollins 2007 Justin Morneau 2006 Chipper Jones 1999 Juan Gonzalez 1996 Terry Pendelton 1991 Robin Yount 1989 Kirk Gibson 1988 Dave Parker 1978 Don Newcombe 1956

With the 2012 Home Run Derby set to take place on Monday night in Kansas City, SB Nation takes a...

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With the 2012 Home Run Derby set to take place on Monday night in Kansas City, SB Nation takes a look at this year's contestants, some of the longest derby dingers in recent history, and whether or not the field will be able to put on a show at a stadium not all that known for surrendering the long ball.

1) Jurickson Profar, SS, Texas Rangers (previously #5) 2) Wil Myers, OF, Kansas City Royals...

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1) Jurickson Profar, SS, Texas Rangers (previously #5) 2) Wil Myers, OF, Kansas City Royals (previously #14) 3) Trevor Bauer, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks (previously #7) 4) Dylan Bundy, RHP, Baltimore Orioles (previously #19) 5) Taijuan Walker, RHP, Seattle Mariners (previously #15) 6) Gerrit Cole, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates (11) 7) Danny Hultzen, LHP, Seattle Mariners (25) 8) Manny Machado, SS, Baltimore Orioles (8) 9) Oscar Taveras, OF, St. Louis Cardinals (62) 10) Jameson Taillon, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates (16)

Top 120 Prospect List for 2012: Midseason Revision - Minor League Ball

Sabermetrics, Scouting and Science of Baseball

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The second annual Saber Seminar will be taking place on August 4th and 5th in Boston, MA. Bobby Valentine, Tom Tippett, Kevin Goldstein, Dan Brooks, and many more will be presenting at the conference. Beyond the Box Score's Glenn DuPaul will also be presenting about WAR. Anyone in interested in baseball statistics and the science of the game, should head to Boston for the weekend. Tickets are still available for "baseball's best fans" and all the proceeds for the conference benefit the Jimmy Fund and the fight against cancer.