Yadda, yadda, yadda…

• Community College Baseball Player Has The Heart Of A Champion (BBTF). I really thought this was a joke, but nope… he exists.
• Aggregate Defensive Evaluations – 2009 LF (FanGraphs). Several methods agree: Chase Headley was not a good left fielder.
• PGE Park, and the Portland Beavers – I hardly knew you, but I miss you already (Gaslamp Ball). Here’s a fun article with plenty of photos. They have the best beer in Portland… and the best reuben sandwiches.
• Introducing Bat Slicer (Visual Baseball). I’m not sure how useful this is, but it looks neat. David Eckstein is in here somewhere. [h/t reader Didi]
• OUP Gives Long Overdue Credit to Female Baseball Historian (Publishers Weekly). From the article: “It’s taken 50 years but Dorothy Jane Mills, formerly Dorothy Z. Seymour, wife of the late baseball historian Harold Seymour, has received long overdue acknowledgment as coauthor along with her late husband of three seminal books on the history of baseball that are considered the scholarly standard in the field.” Stunning, just stunning. What would Rob Dibble say? Or Keith Hernandez? [h/t BBTF]
• Major League Best Tools 2010 (Baseball America). A few Padres get some love: Eckstein (#2 strike-zone judgment in NL, #2 hit-and-run), Adrian Gonzalez (#3 strike-zone judgment, #1 defense at first base), Clayton Richard (#1 pickoff move), Heath Bell (#1 reliever), Bud Black (#2 manager). Not represented: Mat Latos, Wade LeBlanc (whose pickoff move is at least as good as Richard’s, IMHO).
• German shepherds, other breeds banned from dog event (U-T). This stinks: “The German shepherd breed is one of as many as 15 that can’t take part in the San Diego Padres’ annual Dog Days of Summer promotion at the ball park.”
• Christopher Walken Poker Face Halloween (YouTube). The patron saint of cool reads Lady Gaga. [h/t Mrs. Ducksnorts]
• These Questions 3: Kathryn Schulz (SweetSpot). Rob Neyer interviews the author of a book (Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error) that I now must read. [h/t reader Didi]
• A Homer His First Time Up! (Joe Posnanski). More fun from Poz. [h/t BBTF]
• Steve Grilli, and nearly 900 other old ballplayers, are hoping that baseball will do the right thing (Syracuse.com). From the article: “If you played in the bigs between 1947-1979, you needed four full years of service time to qualify for medical benefits and an annuity. In 1980, however, that was amended by the Major League Baseball Players Association, which granted insurance to those with just one day of service and a pension after merely six weeks. Those altered guidelines were not retroactive…” [h/t BBTF]
• Introducing Team NERD (FanGraphs). NERD likes the Padres. I’m sure the feeling is mutual.
• Q&A with Padres analyst Bob Scanlan (North County Times). Quoth Scan: “I’ve only had one player confront me about an issue. It was Doug Mirabelli.” Ah, Mirabelli… such a little bundle of joy. [h/t Gaslamp Ball]
• Pitching prospect shut down for season (U-T). Keyvius Sampson is done for the year after 43 scintillating (12.1 K/9) innings at Eugene. Donavan Tate remains sidelined by a “stomach illness.”
• If you give Roger Clemens a steroid (Hardball Times). I’m not familiar with the original poem, but this brought a smile to my face.
• Meatheads, Meat Sweats and Meat Helmets (Watson Files). Jaff Decker broke his hand. On the bright side… well, there isn’t one really, but Dan likes what he’s seen of right-hander Matthew Lollis this year. I guess that’s something.
• September Is Coming (Woe, Doctor!). Bryant offers suggestions for expanding the big league roster next week.
• Padres quickly travel the long road back (Padres.com). Were Callix Crabbe and Paul McAnulty really on the Opening Day roster just two seasons ago?

That was a lotta yadda…

Tagged as: adrian gonzalez, baseball history, bob scanlan, bud black, callix crabbe, chase headley, christopher walken, clayton richard, david eckstein, donavan tate, dorothy jane mills, doug mirabelli, harold seymour, heath bell, jaff decker, kathryn schulz, keyvius sampson, lady gaga, mat latos, matthew lollis, paul mcanulty, portland beavers, reuben sandwich, roger clemens, steve grilli, wade leblanc