There are very few Wes Ferrells out there. Rob Neyer on pitchers who can hit. (ESPN.com)

Homer-happy Reds get three more from Boone. They swept four from the Cardinals. (ESPN.com)

Mike Kiley: "How about Antonio Alfonseca [for Shea Hillenbrand]?" (Chicago Sun-Times)

Christian Ruzich: "As far as getting Hillenbrand for Alfonseca, I'd say it worth more than talking over. It's a great trade for the Cubs. It will also never happen, because Theo Epstein isn't an idiot. Heck, might as well see if he's interested in trading Nomar. These sorts of trade 'suggestions' are why I don't read the MLB forums. I certainly don't expect to see them from a professional reporter." (The Cub Reporter)

Alex Belth interviews Rob Neyer, Part I. (Bronx Banter)

Alex Belth interviews Rob Neyer, Part II. (Bronx Banter)

Fish Fry, Week 5. "[A.J.] Burnett’s injury has brought new attention to the 'theories' behind pitch counts, but mostly in a 'sound bite' situation—which is mostly what the subject is good for, given the paucity of actual cause-and-effect evidence." (Big Bad Baseball)

Prospectus Triple Play: Mets, Rockies, Orioles.

It's time for the Mets to move on, to get someone with a player development background in the GM's seat and cut ties with the team that almost went all the way in 2000. The key is that the Mets must commit. They can't get caught up in the same cycle that the Madison Square Garden teams have in their sports, unable to rebuild for fear of alienating the fan base. The Mets have to sacrifice a year or two of relevance to be ready to take the city back in 2005, when the Yankees' backloaded contracts and own aging roster force them into a similar position.

(Baseball Prospectus)

From the Mailbag at Baseball Prospectus. Jonah Keri: "It's not like any one Angel suddenly hit 57 homers when the previous career high was six, but a huge number of them took significant steps up all at once. The team was also extraordinarily healthy all year long. While it's possible those two events could repeat themselves, it's highly unlikely that the breadth of improvements and health match or even approach what we saw in 2002."

Jim Mudcat Grant's Homepage. Twelve African American pitchers have won 20 games in a season. How many can you name? Click the "12 Black Aces" button for the answer. (I got 9, but I admit I wouldn't have remembered Grant if he hadn't been the one asking the question.)

Bobby's Sports and News Bloggy has been all baseball since at least April 25. Check it out.

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