Elephant Rumblings: Long Games, Four-Man Outfields, and Encouraging Farm News

Prospect Watch:

• A nice day on the farm for Grant Holmes as he lowered his second-half ERA below 4...
• Melissa Lockard talked to A’s Director of Player Development Keith Lieppman; here’s part one and here’s part two...

ICYMI:

• A’s fight until end; fall to Royals 7-6...
• Each MLB team’s most likely next retired number...
• From Tuesday; A’s trade for Chris Hatcher...
• The biggest waiver-wire deals in MLB history...
• Sam Miller: Why, on average, are MLB games five-minutes longer this season?
• Mets rotate infielders 22 times to hide out-of-position catcher...
• Twitter etiquette aside, Alex Bregman has been the ‘stros unsung hero...
• Wil Myers’s three-steal inning the first since 2011...
• Ian Kinsler and Angel Hernandez shook hands and made up before Wednesday’s game...
• The growing analytics chasm between front offices and MLB agents...
• A sign of the future? Why the Chicago’s four-man outfield matters...

Today in Baseball History:

• 1891 - Cincinnati’s American Association franchise folds and Milwaukee is chosen to take its place. The American Assocation’s problems continue, and the AA is absorbed by the National League in the winter.
• 1933 - Lou Gehrig plays his 1,308th consecutive game to break Everett Scott’s mark. He would play in the next 822 games as well.

Best of Twitter:

• He’s fast...

• DFA...

• This streak ended yesterday...

• Rajai may still get dealt. But Casilla?