Link Dump 3/13: A Case of the Mondays

BUT WILL HE LOOK GOOD IN RED?
Can an article that says so little mean so much?  Bill Shaikin engages in idle speculation that Barry Zito may consider southern California teams when he becomes a free agent next year.  Actually, the entire article is based on this quote: "At some point in my career, I could definitely see myself playing in the L.A. area."  I think Zito would be a great fit in Colorado.

IF YOU'RE NOT AFRAID, YOU SHOULD BE
Bruce Jenkins weighs in on the Angels:

It says here that in late July, when the A's are trying to figure out what to do with Barry Zito, the Angels will be in a familiar position -- leading the AL West.

That's not to diminish the A's talent or their fans' optimism, all of it justified. It's just that the Angels, as usual, don't fear Oakland. They don't fear Milton Bradley or Frank Thomas and are probably joyous, deep down, over Bradley's destructive potential. They don't fear a much-heralded A's rotation that, to sober things up a bit, totaled only 62 wins last year. They don't fear a team with Mark Ellis or Jason Kendall leading off. They're also smart enough to keep such bravado to themselves.

This article is kind of a mess: the Angels aren't afraid, but how can we know if they keep their bravado to themselves?  The A's rotation only scored 62 wins last year, but doesn't that mean their bullpen got the rest?  The Angels (avg age = 28.2) are young, which isn't a virtue in and of itself, and aren't afraid of the creaky old A's (avg age = 27.6).

Just another day at the office for Bruce Jenkins.

PUTTING THE "FANTASY" IN FANTASY BASEBALL
Tim Dierkes, the man behind MLB Trade Rumors, names his Top Fantasy Relievers for 2006.  Clocking in at number eight, one spot below K-Histrionics, is our own Huston Street:

Huston Street: It's safe to expect an ERA under 2.50 and a WHIP around 1 in Street's sophomore season. He'll top 30 saves given a full season, and has a good shot at 40. If you factor in injury risk in your rankings, Street should move up a few spots.
Justin Duchscherer, the man whose name is tatooed comfortably across the ass of Howard Taft, comes at number 15.

LOCAL MEDIA
Kevin McClatchy, owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates, has bought Knight-Ridder newspapers for 4.5 billion dollars.  The Pirates really should have invested that money into an extension for Zach Duke.  McClatchy plans on selling the San Jose Mercury News and the Contra Costa Times.

BUT IT'S JUST CARTOON VIOLENCE!
USS Mariner steps into the wayback machine to take a close look at a 1946 game between the Teatotallers and the Gorillas at the Polo Grounds.

Almost as baffling is Bunny's "slow ball". Traveling a straight line and barely rotating, it moves so little that three batters take three swings at it and never make contact. Given the ball's extremely minimal rotation, it seems likely that this is not a "slow ball" as we conventionally think of it but instead a knuckleball, which Bunny is using to best take advantage of the known unusual air currents at the Polo Grounds. If we acknowledge that it was a knuckleball, the hitters' inability to make contact becomes much easier to explain.

Bunny's innovation extends to more than possible new discoveries about physics and the nature of perception. In his first hit, Bunny attempts to score an inside-the-park home run but finds a Gorilla covering home plate has received the ball. Bunny then shows him a pin-up of (we must believe) surpassing attractiveness, causing the player to go into fits of pleasure. This allows Bunny to score easily. If such beauty is indeed usable (and use of it does not violate the rules) and can be reliably applied, this is a clear innovation with applications in fields as diverse as anesthesia and crowd control.