Baseball’s Unlikely, League-Leading Leadoff Man | The Ringer
Ben Lindbergh brings his trademark style to the Rockies’ bearded Player of the Week winner Charlie Blackmon. Specifically, Ben is interested in answering the question, “How does a leadoff hitter come to lead the league in runs batted in?” It’s a deep and fascinating dive.
MLB Power Rankings: Time to reset our thinking with one third of the season gone | CBSSports.com
Matt Synder uses the conventional "Wait until Memorial Day to watch the standings" wisdom and tries to parse out which teams are for real and which teams are likely to fade. We can no longer say "It's early," as a catch-all excuse. Spoiler: he sees the NL West maintaining this level of performance
Blog Pile
Bud Black talks baseball's unwritten code, showboating | Rox Pile
Kevin Henry got to talk to Bud Black about his feelings about the brawl that took place between the Giants and Nationals on Monday (see below).
Blackmon: “I’m trying not to be bad… Sometimes I’m good” | BSN Rockies
One of the best things about Charlie Blackmon is his on camera persona. Jake Shapiro got a taste of his dry wit in a quick Q&A on Tuesday.
Whether he's hitting or not, it's all about winning for CarGo | Mile High Sports
Aniello Piro caught up with Carlos Gonzalez about his recent struggles, winning games, and the importance of having a good supporting cast on a team. It sounds like a lot of boilerplate stuff but it's pretty interesting to hear it from the horse's mouth
Around the NL West
The 2017 Arizona Diamondbacks: Enjoy the ride! | AZ Snake Pit
We're not the only fanbase wrestling with new success. Our neighbors to the southwest have similarly been wandering through the desert (pun!) of non-contention for a while only to be one of the best teams in baseball in 2017. Jim McLennan has some insight into how their fanbase can and should enjoy the winning that would apply to those who may be teetering on the edge of a knife with the recent losing.
Rubbing Mud: Kershaw, and Greatness vs. Greatest | Baseball Prospectus
Look, I know he plays for the rival Dodgers and could be the force that would ultimately be responsible for preventing the Rockies from winning their first ever division title (apologies to the D-backs), but Clayton Kershaw's level of performance and excellence deserves appreciation. Even if he gets grouchy if the game is delayed 77 seconds.
What were all the other Giants up to during the fight? | McCovey Chronicles
Old friend Doug Bruzzone brings some delightful, GIF-filled analysis of the Memorial Day brawl between the Giants and Nationals
TFHS Closer Look: 2017 Padres Memorial Day Hat | Gaslamp Ball
"The Friar's Hat Stash" is an ongoing series at Gaslamp Ball that is very concerned with hat culture, of which I, too, am quite interested in. It's more about the design and look of the hat. However, if you're getting the creeping suspicion that MLB might be teetering on the edge of crass profiteering on a holiday like Memorial Day, Bless You Boys assures you you're not alone.