Elephant Rumblings: Trades, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Best September Ever?

Prospect Watch:

• AJ Puk was brilliant last night. The big southpaw went six innings, allowing seven hits, no walks, and struck out thirteen. More from A’s Farm...
• The big club may be out of the playoff hunt but there are several A’s affiliates still in contention...

ICYMI:

• Susan Slusser wrote a nice piece on Matt Chapman...
• From the East Bay Times, Marcus Semien is a transformed hitter after surgery...
• Jed Lowrie stays put but keeps producing for the A’s...
• If you’re an Athletic subscriber, you should read Eno Sarris’s argument for shutting down Sean Manaea...
• Some eleventh hour drama with Justin Verlander highlighted this rendition of the trade deadline. He finally, and perhaps reluctantly, got dealt to the Astros...
• Other notable trades yesterday? Justin Upton to the Angels. Brandon Phillips to the Halos too. Cameron Maybin exited the big A bound for Houston. The Baby Bears got Leonys Martin. And the Rangers picked up Miguel Gonzalez...
• The Dodgers promoted Alex Verdugo...
• In something that will be very familiar to A’s fans, Michael Rosenberg writes the Tigers have decided to start thinking about 2021...
• FanRag’s top three MLB storylines to watch in September...
• Best September ever? Will Leitch ranks the past ten...
• Remember the Curb Your Enthusiasm episode shot at Dodger Stadium? Apparently it helped a man get acquitted of murder. Here’s the Netflix trailer...
• If you think the seagulls are bad in the Bay, they ended a game in Japan yesterday...
• What if the Angels hadn’t signed Pujols? Grant Bisbee explores some alternate realities...
• Does baseball need to reassess the “right” way to play?
• The Cubs and Brewers got into a strange fight yesterday...

Today in Baseball History:

• 1906 - The Philadelphia Athletics beat the Boston Red Sox 4-1 in twenty-four innings. Both team’s starting pitchers pitched complete games.
• 1998 - Mark McGwire breaks Hack Wilson’s 68-year-old record for National League homeruns in a season. Big Mac slugs his 56th and 57th in a victory over the Marlins.

Best of Twitter:

• I often forget Miguel Tejada was still in his prime as an Oriole...

• Thoughts?

• Bad news for Addy...