"Slow News Day": the Batting Stance Guy riffs on MLB reporters and broadcasters

With many thanks to this tip from The Big Lead, we bring you "Slow News Day," which is a brilliant and hilarious riff by the "Batting Stance Guy" on various MLB broadcasters and reporters:



My favorite is definitely Tim Kurkjian, but I also really enjoyed his impressions of Buster Olney, Ken Rosenthal, Craig Sager, and Pedro Gomez.  Peter Gammons and Jon Heyman are okay too, but not his best efforts.  And I'm not sure Rex Hudler belongs in this group, although that sentiment might be due to my geographical bias and to be fair, he is ripe for mocking.

In general, though, the most impressive aspect of this clip is his ability to pick up on the little things (Olney's constant references to two dozen media sources, the camera view on Rosenthal, Sager's habit of looking at everything but the interviewee and the audience, etc.) that will make every baseball fan nod their head and laugh.  Good stuff.

The Real Problem with the Edinson Volquez Suspension

I'm sure everyone heard about a mystery player who was going to be suspended for PEDs. Then it was a New York player. Then definitely not a New York player. Then an NL player. Then a pitcher. And finally it was revealed by SI's Jon Heyman as Reds injured pitcher Edinson Volquez (picture from the article). So he's caught, he's suspended 50 games, he learns his lesson, and all's good (well, except for the children who lose a role model)...well not quite. Why? Craig Calcaterra of HarballTalk explains why the suspension starting immediately doesn't work in this instance:

[Volquez] cannot pitch and would not be able to until at least July, due to recovery from Tommy John surgery.  The suspension, in contrast, will be over in June.  Sure, his pay will be docked, but he will miss exactly zero games that he otherwise wouldn't have missed...Volquez will essentially have no change whatsoever in his recovery and return...

Not that his fine will be insubstantial -- he'll be docked roughly $137K of his $445K contract this year, plus some fines I imagine -- but his baseball life will not be altered one bit by the suspension.

Think anyone is going to have a problem with this?  Oh, yes. Yes they will.

I certainly do. Volquez is basically getting off because of "time served". He's getting a free pass because he's injured now. If Volquez was suspended for hitting a guy with a pitch, the suspension would start once he comes off the disabled list (unless he was Cliff Lee, of course). But because of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, it starts right now.

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Hal Steinbrenner, Phil Hughes, Jack-O and Other Yankees Links

• Peter Abraham on Hal Steinbrenner: "The Yankees once had the most outspoken owner in sports. Now they have one of the quietest. Widely respected within the organization, Steinbrenner emerged as his family’s leader and the caretaker of an empire."
• Joel Sherman on Hal Steinbrenner: "Obviously, winning is the strongest inducement for fans. But part of that four million going through the turnstiles annually was about George Steinbrenner's penchant for making his organization must watch."
• Rob Neyer and Marc Craig both agree that Phil Hughes has been brilliant as a reliever but should ultimately be a starter. And Neyer says something I've been harping: "With all due respect to all the fine and wondrous relievers out there in Baseball Land, isn't Hughes yet another nail in their coffin, value-wise? Good relief pitchers are merely failed starters"
• According to Buster Olney the Yankees have the fourth hardest road to the playoffs in the American League. The good part? The Red Sox have a harder schedule. The bad part? The Rays have an easier schedule. The hardest part: "The Yankees actually have two West Coast trips remaining, including one more visit to their own private hell in Anaheim."
• Chop-n-Change has an interview with Jack-O of Bill Simmon's B.S. Report fame. Heeeerrrrre's Johnny! "The attention I've received from appearing on the BS Report has been kind of surreal, but very, very fun. As Bill and I have commented to each other, the conversations that we have are ones that we would have anyway (although there would probably be more swearing and political incorrectness) so it's funny that people seem to enjoy listening in."
• Erik Boland of Newsday says that despite injuries and inconsistencies, the Yankees are actually in good shape. "For a team that has suffered significant injuries to the lineup (Alex Rodriguez), the rotation (Chien-Ming Wang) and the bullpen (Brian Bruney) and a horrendous early-season slump of one of its three prize free agents (Mark Teixeira), the Yankees enter the second half with the second-best record (51-37) in the American League and lead the wild-card race. Really, that's the bottom line."
• Jon Heyman doesn't think that the Yankees are going to get Roy Halladay because the Blue Jays won't trade within the division. Even if they did, Heyman doesn't think the Yankees want to clear out their farm system of the best prospects: " and/or The Yankees are reluctant to "gut their system,'' according to one rival executive. The Yankees could easily form a nice trade package by including one of two young talented right-handers -- Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes -- plus catching prospect Jesus Montero and outfield prospect Austin Jackson."

Vote: Should Wang Stay In the Starting Rotation?

The new poll is up over to the right.

Wang's line tonight: 5 IP, 6 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, 4 Ks, 1 LONG HR, and 91 pitches. It's his longest outing of the season and he looked good up there. He was killed in his last inning by bad defense (a drop by Ramiro Pena), a bonehead play (Melky diving for a ball he could never catch) and bad calls (he had an out at first that was taken away from him).

Jon Heyman said on Twitter: "i wish they would stop grading chien-ming wang on a curve. he went out losing to the nationals. this is not good"

Peter Abraham said on his blog: "Given the improvement, I’d be surprised if they dropped him from the rotation. He gave up three runs and it easily could have been one or two. He did pretty well, all things considered."

My vote is for giving him few more starts and see if he continues to improve. This is like Spring Training in some ways for Wang who is increasing his arm strength again. This guy was a big-time starter and you can never have too many starters. The Red Sox are about to have 6 and I don't think it'll hurt the Yankees to have the same.

So I say keep him in there, but keep him on a short leash. This is about "what have you done for me lately" and if Wang can continue to improve, I think you keep him as a starter...for now.