Tuesday Morning Hot Links

It is Tuesday, December 15. Not much is happening [in the world of baseball, everywhere else, everything is happening all at once], but let's see what there is to see:

*Dusty Baker got on a Zoom call with reporters and said the team is looking for bullpen depth and rotation help for 2021 and beyond. Dusty:

We're talking to some people now. You know, there hadn't been a bunch of movement, not a bunch of players signing, but I imagine the next couple of weeks there will be more movement, and once some of the big boys - so-called big boys - get signed, then everybody else will probably check to see how the market is.

*Dusty will wait to decide if he wants to continue managing until after the 2021 season. Dusty:

It depends on how I feel. Depends on how the team feels about me. You never know what changes could come about in life.

*Brian McTaggart ranked the five best seasons by an Astros pitcher. SMH at the disrespect for Travis Blackley's 2013 season. 1986 Mike Scott got the nod for the Astros' best individual pitching season.

*Here's a nice little update on Astros' #4 prospect Jeremy Pena (2018 - 3rd Round) and how he's killing it in the Dominican League.

*Not that the top end matters so much for the 2021 Astros, but here are MLB.com's Top 100 prospects for the 2021 Draft.

*Yankees President Randy Levine didn't even finish his opening statement in arguing against the release of the so-called Yankees Letter before getting interrupted by Judge Gerald Lynch. The attorney for DraftKings, who is filing suit, David Golub:

The letter establishes when electronic sign stealing first occurred. That's a factual issue in the case, when did it start. The letter also establishes this was denied by Major League Baseball, and it's actually denied by the Red Sox in their brief, that Major League Baseball would ever conceal anything about electronic sign stealing.

*Former Astros Great Jason Martin (2013 - 8th Round), who was part of the package to Pittsburgh to acquire Gerrit Cole, has signed a minor-league deal with the North Waxahachie Ramgers.

*A couple of personal things: I had a very enjoyable chat with Keith Law about writing, reading, James Click, Cristian Javier, Forrest Whitley, and the Houston Astros. And I did a deep dive on the 1856 Caning of Charles Sumner, or when a member of the House of Representatives beat the absolute dog piss out of Senator Charles Sumner.

*Pitchfork: The 100 Best Songs of 2020.

*New York Times: She stalked her daughter's killers, one by one.

*After 51 years, the Zodiac Killer's cipher has been cracked.

*A Musical Selection:

Tuesday Morning Hot Links

Good morning. Verlander Day has come early. You know it's October when it seems like JV is pitching every other day 1911-style. The Rays are doing an opener, with Diego Castillo getting the call to start the 1st.

As for yesterday afternoon, we got Morton'd, Greinke got shelled, and the Astros couldn't get anything started with the bat. The Astros are now 1-4 in the Trop this season.

However, the Astros are confident Game 4 is theirs. Here are the upcoming keys to the game.

Here were some of the winners and losers across all of the postseason yesterday.

Will Harris has been irreplaceable this season.

The Astros really want to stay under the luxury tax threshold, so let's enjoy Gerrit Cole while we have him.

Ken Hoffman writes about how Houston really needs a better broadcast crew for October.

Why the Astros and Yankees would be a perfect ALCS.

The New York Times is looking ahead for an Astros-Yankees ALCS as well. And Houston is even better this time.

Which pitcher had the most dominant start for the Astros in their history: Mike Scott, Justin Verlander, or Gerrit Cole?

Here's a fun little story about the acquisition of Yordan Alvarez.

Everybody seems to have space helmets now. Here's how to get one.

Monday Morning Hot Links

By the time you are reading this, the Astros will play soon. Like, "break the lineups if A.J. wasn't still sleeping" type of soon. Personally, the MLB making us play in Ohio after going up 2-0 in the series is kinda tough but fair I suppose since when we sweep today, we're not giving The Man as much profit as possible. A little cruel, but I mean I get it.

Anyways, we got three baseball games in total today since the Braves held on to win and stay alive against the Dodgers. Thanks to that, we'll be able to glide straight into a (former Houston Astros great) Mike Foltynewicz start right after our game wraps up, so that's pretty cool.

Let's see what pregame links I can dig on up here:

The bigger the stage, the brighter Bregman shines.

Brian McCann is adjusting to the new role he has on this playoff roster.

Good news, Jose Altuve says his knee is feeling fine.

Jake Kaplan writes about why Ryan Pressly is the most important weapon out of the bullpen. ($)

Marwin Gonzalez is filling that hole that Carlos Correa has currently left and I am one proud superfan. Reddick too, but mostly Marwin. 😊

Speaking of Carlos, A.J. Hinch defended his shortstop at media day yesterday.

And speaking of Marwin, the Washington Post wrote about how he tweaked his approach at the plate and why he's killing it from the right hand side now.

Artist Matt Burt made some pretty cool playoff artwork that you should check out.

Dallas Keuchel is savoring these playoffs with the Astros, as it might be his last.

Gerrit Cole is an Astro now.

Sports Illustrated almost made me feel bad for the Indians. Almost.

If the Indians want any shot to win this series, here are some ways they could do it.

Chinedu loves his Astros so much, he would get fired for them. I felt this.


On This Day in Baseball History

In 1956, Don Larsen threw the first perfect game in World Series history.

In 1967, 19 year old Red Sox pitcher Ken Brett became the youngest player to appear in a World Series.

In 1986, Mike Scott struck out an Astros postseason record 14 in a 1-0 win over the Mets.