DownSwinging.com

Time for an all-encompassing around-the-MLB story. As we get closer and closer to July, we inevitably end up thinking about the fact that we are getting closer and closer to the trade deadline, and pretty soon early deals will start to come through as some teams who know they are out will try and get the most value they can out of a player of current value.

The San Francisco Giants are far behind in their division race, but are tied for the NL Wild Card and appear to be looking for a a middle-of-the-lineup kind of guy. I think the Giants definitely are right in there, especially if they can add someone.

More problems on the Joe Girardi front. No one is really sure what went on with the A-Rod benching, but rumor has it that A-Rod and Girardi got into some sort of argument. Also, C.C. Sabathia made a reference to his high pitch totals being a factor towards his injury, which could indicate that he is unhappy with Girardi too. For the first time, I’m reading stories that have begun to question how safe Girardi is in his post. If the Yankees fail to make the playoffs again, you have to wonder if he will be the Yankee skipper for much longer…

This is the best story I read today. It’s analyzing whether David Ortiz’s recent “power surge” has really been him hitting better of just getting lucky. Ultimately the author finds that while Ortiz has had a few lucky home runs, he also has had a lot more unlucky fly balls than he was having in the beginning of the season, which is a good sign for Papi.

A funny pie chart on the Cleveland Indians, and if you go to the home page of this website you will find many more clever but also very informative infographs

Also, here’s a note on how the Rangers and Tigers upgraded their defense and why it paid off. It seems the move of Michael Young to third base to make way for Elvis Andrus was an excellent one, despite the fact that it ruffled some feathers in the Young camp.

Lastly, I think it’s cool that Pedroia and Kinsler are battling out the second-base spot at the All-Star Game. The two of them were teammates at Arizona State, and Kinsler eventually transferred because Pedroia took his starting spot, but here they are.