Why Cardinals Wanted Royce Clayton As Their Shortstop

Seeking a replacement for Ozzie Smith, the Cardinals needed a shortstop who possessed exceptional fielding skills, self-confidence and diplomacy. They chose Royce Clayton.

RetroSimba

Maine To Retire Mark Sweeney's Number 12

The University of Maine will retire Mark Sweeney's number 12 in a ceremony scheduled for this fall. Sweeney will be recognized at the Homecoming Football game scheduled for October 19 against William and Mary.

Maine University Official Site

More Draft Details Announced

We announced the first set of details about draft day a few weeks ago. MLB Network is trying to get some players in attendance for the big show, but that's been hit-and-miss in the past. Either way, Baseball America's Jim Callis will be there providing pick-by-pick analysis. Today, each team's representatives were announced and they are as follows. . .

Baseball America

Einar Diaz Field Coach At Double-A For Orioles

Gary Kendall, who spent the last three years managing short-season Aberdeen, will make the jump to Bowie to replace Komminsk. Joining Kendall in Bowie will be pitching coach Kennie Steenstra, who enters his second year at Double-A and his seventh season as a pitching coach in the organization, and field coaches Denny Hocking and Einar Diaz.

Orioles Official Site

Contractual Matters: The Undrafted

The three-day event that is baseball’s First Year Player Draft wound to its conclusion Wednesday, and now the 1,525 young players chosen face choices. For high school seniors, should they play professionally or go to college? For most college players, stay in school or go pro?

Baseball Prospectus

Cardinals Contact Melvin Mora's Agent

Mora, meanwhile, said several clubs have contacted his agent, including the Colorado Rockies, St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Angels. Last month, Mora said, he spoke to Rockies manager Jim Tracy at length on the phone, and he said he talks regularly with Mets ace Johan Santana, who wants him to play for New York.

Baltimore Sun

Einar Diaz To Manage Bluefield (Orioles Rookie-Level)

Former big leaguer Einar Diaz will manage Rookie Level Bluefield for the second straight season, and he'll be flanked by McCall and coach Leo Gomez. Ramon Sambo will round out the manager roster for the Gulf Coast League Orioles. Former Oriole Calvin Maduro is his pitching coach, and Milt May will join the organization after a long coaching and scouting career elsewhere.

Orioles Official Site

Ladies & Gentlemen: The MexHex

So, you all were so sure you knew the reason for the Mets' collapses the last two seasons. Blame it on the bullpen, you said; and the offense disappeared at the least opportune times. One reader suggested the Mets' inability to win during the final month of 2007 and '08 was linked to their having visited Washington, D.C., and that all things negative emanated from the nation's capital.

Mets Official Site

Prospectus Q&A: All The Lettuce

"This industry is constantly evolving, and the backgrounds of front office executives have become much more diverse. Any time diversity is introduced, there is some resistance. That should be expected. Over time, though, if the diversity leads to a different perspective that can add value, it tends to wane."
—Jeff Luhnow, March 2008

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"If you start overloading guys with a lot of stuff, they'll start thinking about this, thinking about that, and then they're trying to react to a 90 mph fastball with all these issues, all these demons going through their head. Then, bingo, now you've got some problems. So you try to keep it simple. That's my philosophy: simple."
—Gene Tenace, October 2008

Baseball Prospectus

Orioles Have Cesar Izturis In Hand

After having no shortstops on the 40-man roster as the offseason began and starting six players there in 2008, the Orioles headed into the winter with one of their most important missions clear: to fill the gaping hole in the middle of their infield.

Baltimore Sun

Khalil Greene's Defense

Yesterday, we spent a couple of posts talking about how defensive statistics have to be handled a bit differently than offensive statistics. Today, we’ll use a current event transaction to delve into this a little bit further.

Fangraphs