Daily Thoughts

I have been on two camels in my life. Unfortunately I can't find a photo of this. It's only important because every Wednesday someone at work posts a picture of a camel by the water fountain for hump day. If I had a picture of myself on a camel, I would certainly post it by the water fountain. In related news, riding a camel is awful and you feel violated after. Maybe it's better than a donkey ride, but not by much. Happy hump day!

•  If you needed or wanted another reason to hate the Yankees, I have something for you! Brian Cashman is a huge Kentucky fan. He's not a Kentucky fan in the way LeBron likes the Yankees as he was born in Lexington, KY but I imagine there is a lot of overlap on people who hate the Yankees and Kentucky (specifically their basketball program, not the state). 

• Other Yankees notes: Girardi is liking ARod as their DH. Tanaka is having a nice spring and will be their Opening Day starter. Sometimes the Yankees do have fun, here they are recreating a scene from the Sandlot.

• While baseball lends itself to analytics and has largely led the way in the sports world, there is still a lot much to learn. One aspect is pitching where we struggle to fully separate pitching from defense and just good old luck. Beyond that there is the poker game that is pitching. Ben Lindbergh's piece on Grantland talking about the poker game and pitch sequencing of pitching is a must read. 

• Javier Baez has a lot of power and with that, a large hole in his swing. The league average strikeout rate is around 20%. Baez struck out 30% of the time, in AAA last year and in the majors that jumped to 41.5%. That's a lot. I don't expect Baez to whiff at that rate but if he doesn't cut it down he won't stay in the majors. But in the majors he will start as Baez will still make the roster. Baez' power/steal combo in the minors was tantalizing  but his cup of coffee last year exposed a big weakness. It will be interesting to see if/how Baez can adjust. I think it will happen but whether it's this season and whether he turns into Jose Hernandez or an all-star will frustrate Cubs fans along the way.

• The Dodgers did Dodgers things yesterday, signing Cuban Hector Olivera for $62.5 million. He will likely play in the majors this year (if his elbow holds up) but the real play here is for Olivera to play second or third next year. These are the luxuries you can afford when you're the Dodgers. $60+ million for an asset that might be of use next year.