Over at @HOVG: Wisdom and Links… and also HOVG inductees!

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Two things at the Hall of Very Good: There’s my latest Wisdom and Links, which looks at the most average players in history (Randy Bush! Dave Clark! The immortal Hugh High!).

In addition, the Hall of Very Good itself has added three new members: Jim Kaat, Lee Smith, and fan/celebrity entree Randy “Macho Man” Savage (who had a promising Minor League career that was cut short by injury). In addition, later this week the Glenn Burke Memorial Courage Award will be awarded.

So, make sure you check out Hall of Very Good throughout the week. Shawn and the rest of the gang has some good stuff coming.

MVPs of the Weekend (July 24, 25 and 26, 2015)

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The MVPs of the weekend?

 

Friday’s MVP was Chris Tillman, who only gave up two hits over 7 innings but then saw the bullpen blow it.

Well, Saturday’s MVP was Cole Hamels. I mean, he threw a no-hitter. So… duh.

Sunday’s MVP was David Ortiz, who had 7 RBIs and 2 homers yesterday.

Standings, as always, after the jump:

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MVPs of the Last Two Days (July 22 and 23, 2015)

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Whoops! Forgot to do it yesterday, so…

 

Wednesday’s MVP was Joey Votto, who played very well over the course of a doubleheader.

Yesterday’s MVP was Clayton Kershaw because he’s Clayton Kershaw and he’s awesome and it’s a minor miracle he didn’t no-hit that sorry excuse for a lineup the Mets have.

Standings, as always, after the jump:

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The Latest “Wisdom and Links” is up at @HOVG!

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The latest “Wisdom and Links” is now up at Hall of Very Good. Check it out!

MVP of Yesterday (July 21, 2015): Kyle Schwarber

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Recently called back up, Kyle Schwarber fell just a triple short of the cycle last night, unlike Shin-Soo Choo, who did hit for the cycle. However, Schwarber’s near-cycle had TWO home runs, including a game-tying one in the 9th and a game-winning one during extras. So he’s the MVP of Yesterday.

Standings, as always, after the jump:

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MVP of Yesterday (July 20, 2015): Albert Pujols

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With 3 HRs and a night that saw him pass Mike Schmidt on the all-time list, Albert Pujols is the MVP of Yesterday.

Standings after jump:

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MVPs of the Weekend (July 17-19, 2015)

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The MVPs of this weekend are, in order: Wade Miley, Clayton Kershaw, and Dallas Keuchel (just beating out Greinke). A good weekend for pitchers.

Standings, as always, after the jump:

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Bizarre Baseball Culture: Marvel’s Menagerie of Yankee Stadium appearances

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In Bizarre Baseball Culture, I take a look at some of the more unusual places where baseball has reared it’s head in pop culture and fiction.

Sometimes, baseball plays a role in a piece of fiction, but not really a big enough one where I can do a full piece on it. Take Marvel, for example. The fact that 95% of their heroes are in New York City means that there are plenty of stories where heroes or villains visit Yankee Stadium but where their visit isn’t long enough or baseball-focused enough to really justify giving them the full Bizarre Baseball Culture treatment.

So, this time, I’m killing many birds with one stone and showcasing some of Yankee Stadium’s appearances in Marvel comics. Go below the jump to see some of them:

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“Deep Dream” turns baseball images into nightmares

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Hey kids, it’s Hunter Pence!

Good old Hunter Pence, sticking his tongue out and diving for the ball…. now, let’s have Google’s Deep Dream take a look at Hunter Pence! It’s meant to show how a computer looks at things looking for images and such. So, what does it see with Hunter Pence?

73de0cc0-009f-41a1-b44d-4d2d3856baf7AHHHHHHHH!

wally_laying_down_1024x768Oh, Wally. You scared me there. I was worried for a second…

8944e81b-570c-4e4b-969a-99ca298e0725AHHHHHH! PLEASE GOD GET IT AWAY FROM ME, AHHHHH!

AP_arod_alex_rodriguez_tk_130805_16x9_992Oh. Alex Rodriguez, you don’t look nearly as demonic in person as some people on the internet say…

abfe74ee-00a9-4efc-8090-d8977989a9d9I TAKE IT ALL BACK, PLEASE DON’T EAT MY SOUL!

2213852Huh, a Dodger Dog and some beer. There are worse things, I suppose…

6901315e-5cb8-40b1-92fc-a3e51ad9ab3fNOOOO DEAR GOD, IT’S BECOME LIKE A HORSE-FISH-DOG-CTHULHU THING! OH, THE HUMANITY!

MrMetOh no…

6b4972dc-3704-4111-b4dd-646b607df3c8Nonononononononononono

8e903468-e4bd-43a1-8f7b-5fe8564aac6bOhgodohgodohgodohgod…

71955ed4-6ff4-4f76-ae9e-0d317d028689WHYWHYWHYWHYWHY

ac04c43f-60c1-402a-bafc-633b8429a4d8YOU MADE THE HOME RUN SCULPTURE WEIRDER?!?! HOW DO YOU EVEN DO THAT!?!?!

2af8eb9f-0cc3-4984-bf18-170e4346a1d6THAT’S SUPPOSED TO BE A BASEBALL GLOVE NOT A MANY-EYED MONSTER BEYOND MAN’S COMPREHENSION! I’M OUT OF HERE BEFORE I LOSE MY SANITY!

…

Oh, but the Art-Deco functions and stuff are cool:

41b181df-63ff-4b87-a5a8-c3622689786eCome back this weekend for Bizarre Baseball Culture, and until then experiment with the Deep Dream stuff over at Dreamscope.

All-Star Wrap-Up and MVP of Yesterday update

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Well, that was fun.

To be sure, there have been many better All-Star Games. But there have also been many worse All-Star Games as well. And, what’s more, the festivities themselves were above average- the Home Run Derby, for example, has been reborn thanks to the brackets and time limits. It certainly isn’t perfect, but for the first time in quite awhile, I felt like I was watching the Home Run Derby beyond the first round because I was enjoying it, not simply because it was on.

And then there is Mike Trout. He batted four times last night, and in some ways the game became his showcase. He homered, he walked, he beat out a throw to first to avoid a double play. He rightfully was named MVP, his second in a row (the first player to do that), and he’s only 24. It is not out of the realm of possibility that, one day, the quote “The All-Star Game was made for Willie Mays” will instead be “The All-Star Game was made for Mike Trout.”

Not surprisingly, Trout is the MVP of Yesterday, just as he was the MVP of the game. Standings, as always, after the jump:

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