Top News:
Andrew Keh / New York Times:
Baseball Reaches a Flipping Point — Brace yourself, baseball fans, and behold the inexorable rise of the bat flip. — Self-expression has long been a fraught issue in Major League Baseball, where impassivity — the ability to “act like you have been there before” — often feels as highly regarded as power hitting and foot speed.
Discussion:
Bluebird Banter
RELATED:
Associated Press:
Blue Jays Beat Rangers 6-3 to Win Wild Game 5 — TORONTO — Jose Bautista wiped out the need for protests or umpire reviews with the Toronto Blue Jays' biggest home run since Joe Carter's historic shot. — Toronto earned its first trip to the American League Championship Series since …
Discussion:
Baseball Prospectus
Associated Press:
Rangers Leaning on Hamels Again in ALDS Game 5 at Toronto — ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers have won their last 11 games started by Cole Hamels. — They needed each of those victories to get this far, and their season will be over without another one Wednesday against Toronto in the decisive Game 5 of the AL Division Series.
Discussion:
Bluebird Banter, Twinkie Town, Lone Star Ball, Camden Chat, Batter's Box Interactive … and MLB Daily Dish
James Carlton / Fox Sports:
Brewers hire 36-year-old Matt Arnold as vice president and assistant GM — General manager David Stearns announced the biggest move of his young tenure with the Brewers on Wednesday, hiring Matt Arnold as vice president and assistant GM. — Stearns, who officially took …
Discussion:
JSOnline, DRaysBay and MLB Trade Rumors
RELATED:
Associated Press:
Brewers hire Matt Arnold from Tampa to be assistant GM — New Milwaukee Brewers general manager David Stearns has made his first significant addition to the front office with the hiring of Matt Arnold as vice president and assistant general manager. — Stearns made it sound on Wednesday …
Discussion:
DRaysBay
Andy McCullough / Kansas City Star:
Johnny on the spot: Cueto will start ALDS Game 5, but Royals could use quick hook — Cueto gave up four runs in Game 2 against Houston Astros — KC has entire bullpen available, including Edinson Volquez — Wade Davis, Kelvin Herrera could also throw multiple innings
Discussion:
The Crawfish Boxes, Bleacher Report and Associated Press
RELATED:
Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
Rob Manfred on Utley, sliding rules: ‘Important we protect players’ — CHICAGO — Major League Baseball wants to make changes to its rule on aggressive slides to protect middle infielders, Commissioner Rob Manfred said Tuesday, with hopes of reaching an agreement with the player and umpire unions in time for the 2016 season.
Discussion:
Bleacher Report
RELATED:
Associated Press:
Dodgers Pick Kershaw to Start on 3 Days' Rest in Game 4
Discussion:
Baseball Prospectus, Amazin' Avenue, True Blue LA, Yahoo Sports, MLB Daily Dish and Dodger Insider
Danny Abriano / Metsblog:
NLDS Game 3: Dodgers at Mets, presented by GEICO
Discussion:
True Blue LA, Baseball Prospectus, Amazin' Avenue, Let's Go Tribe and Red Reporter
Nick Groke / Denver Post:
COLORADO ROCKIES / MLB — ROCKIES CUT C MICHAEL MCKENRY, LOSE RHP BROOKS BROWN TO THE DODGERS — The relief pitcher showed promise for Colorado, but he's off to L.A. — The Denver Post — Brooks Brown (51) of the Colorado Rockies pitches against the San Francisco Giants in the bottom …
Discussion:
Brew Crew Ball and MLB Trade Rumors
Bob Brookover / Philly.com:
Kim Ng is best choice for Phillies GM — It is neither a daring nor innovative move for incoming Phillies president Andy MacPhail to interview Kim Ng. A few big-league teams have been there and done that. The San Diego Padres, in fact, have done it twice.
Discussion:
The Good Phight and Redleg Nation
Paul SullivanContact / Chicago Tribune:
Where did Kyle Schwarber's monstrous home run ball land? — Chicago Tribune … Is the monstrous Kyle Schwarber home run ball from Tuesday's series-clinching win over the Cardinals sitting on top of the right field video board? — That's what WLS-Ch. 7 reported after the Game 4 win.
Discussion:
Forbes, Deadspin, NESN.com, Bleed Cubbie Blue, Washington Post, USA Today and SBNation.com
Eno Sarris / FanGraphs Baseball:
More Than a Curveball: Making Collin McHugh — “When the Mets drafted me, I had a sinker and a decent curveball,” the Astros' Collin McHugh told me earlier this year. If you wanted to be reductive, he's still almost all fastball and curveball — those pitches make up 96% of his repertoire this year …
Discussion:
The Crawfish Boxes
Josh Norris / Baseball America:
In AFL, Knapp Looks To Build On Strong Season — GLENDALE, Ariz.—During the Phillies' 2013 instructional league, just months after he was drafted in the second round, catcher Andrew Knapp felt a pop in his throwing arm and knew instantly it wasn't good. — He was right.
Discussion:
The Good Phight
Jon Heyman / CBSSports.com:
Scouts buzz about Cespedes demonstration of power and speed — NEW YORK — Mets star Yoenis Cespedes does some amazing things on a baseball field, and in Monday night's game he amazed even some of the most veteran baseball folks. The 430-foot bolt of a home run into the upper deck in left field …
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
