Raimel Tapia making the most of his major-league playing time

The Call-Up: Raimel Tapia | Baseball Prospectus

This is a good, strong, analysis of glee-bringer Raimel Tapia's call up that also includes a solid scouting report. But it's linked here mostly because it supports my hypothesis that the word "preternatural" will appear in more articles about Tapia than any other player in the majors.

What single word best describes the other players on the team's roster?

The article also has the oft-observed nugget about Tapia's swing: "it shouldn't work, but it does." It's rare for these things to happen. Still, the fact that Tapia is living it will allow me to dream, at least for one offseason, about Jack Wynkoop's future Cy Young season, when his fastball averages 83 mph, but he walks fewer than 10 batters in over 200 innings pitched.

The story of David Dahl and Raimel Tapia encapsulated in one perfect moment | BSN Rockies

Drew Creasman has a nice description of one of those "the future is here" moments from the other night, when David Dahl drove in Raimel Tapia with a sharply hit single. Dahl and Tapia overlapped for in the minors in 2014 in Asheville and earlier this season in Hartford. They've also played together the last few springs.

Dahl is a sure thing to begin the 2017 season in the majors, but Tapia is only up now because of expanded rosters. Otherwise, the crowded outfield would keep him in Triple-A. Whether or not Tapia begins 2017 with the Rockies will partially depend on how the outfield gets sorted out.

Sunday Notes: Richie Martin, Miller’s HRs, Gordon, Twins, more | FanGraphs Baseball

I had missed this when it happened earlier this season. David Laurila and Rays' replay coordinator Jeremy Sowers discussed a play that took place between the Rockies and Rays on July 20. With Mark Reynolds on third and one out, Charlie Blackmon hit a fly ball to the outfield. Reynolds tagged up but was thrown out at home. The Rays had no reason to challenge, but the Rockies did. They won the challenge and got a run.

During the review, the umpires determined that catcher Curt Casali didn't tag Blackmon. It got complicated when the replays, according to Sowers, also showed that Blackmon missed home plate. Despite that, he was called safe. Sowers told Laurila: "When we asked for clarification on the rule, we were told that if this play happens, the runner will be safe unless the fielding team indicates to the umpire that they want to challenge the touching of home plate. That would be done as an appeal play." It was a baseball play with a recorded outcome purely due to technicality.

Stephen Cardullo Honored by Former Team as Playoffs Approach | Rox Pile

Stephen Cardullo and the Rockland Boulders, the unaffiliated baseball team Cardullo used to play for, and still supporting one another. The Boulders are heading to the Can-Am League postseason, and everyone who attended their home game yesterday got a ticket compliments of Cardullo. The left field bleachers, around where Cardullo played in 2015, have also been named "Cardullo's Corner." Unaffiliated rosters turn over quite a lot. It's fun to see that Cardullo's name might give some permanence to an independent ball club.

Rockies treat 96-year-old fan Florence Overton | MLB.com

In a nice gesture, the Rockies welcomed one of their most senior fans and provided her with a lot of special moments. She met Tony Wolters, for example.