I'm told my official certificate from the North American Society of Linking is still "in the mail," so until further notice you'll just have to trust that I know what I'm doing...
– So I wouldn't be surprised if Dirk Hayhurst's advice to just-drafted baseball players is the best thing like this that's ever been written. Dirk can be brutally honest, and sometimes people have a problem with that. But brutal honesty is sometimes, if not often, exactly what people need. I know! It's a conundrum!
– Have we seen more great prospects than usual, already this season? And if so, is it more than just a fluke? Grantland's Ben Lindbergh answers these questions and (of course) many, many more.
– Before Thursday night's annual Congressional baseball game at Nationals Park, FanGraphs' Nathaniel Rakich analyzed the opposing squads as only he could (and quite possibly as no one else would). Rakich didn't really make a prediction, but he did point out that Cedric Richmond (D-La) would easily be the best player on the field ... and indeed, Rakich pitched a complete game to beat the R's, 5-2.
– Does it make sense for Dominican kids to quit school for a 2-percent chance of making the big money in Major League Baseball? There aren't any easy answers, and of course every kid and every team are different. But this Vice Sports video is worth watching (especially if you never saw Sugar).
– Finally, gotta say that I've been wondering for years if stadium naming rights was really worth all that money. Now, I'll admit that my curiosity rested atop a solid, impenetrable layer of antipathy; I despise corporate names for stadiums. Granted, some more than others. Anyway, turns out I was probably right: It seems there is little or not actual data to suggest the corporations get any sort of return for all those millions. Gotta love it when a plan comes together.
