Odds and Ends

Some random lunchtime reading for you:

• Paul Oberjuerge speaks with Bill James.  James equates steroid use to the traveling rule in basketball.
• This is an older post from Seth Mnookin, but you may not have been aware of Coco Crisp’s remarkable defensive turnaround, in the eyes of James.  Mnookin recently named Crisp the team’s first half MVP because of this.
• McCovey Chronicles discusses what the Giants could get for Matt Morris. 
• Viva El Birdos points out the lack of payroll flexibility the Cardinals have for 2008.
• New WHIFF profile of Kyle Lohse up over at the STATS, Inc. blog.  Tom Koch-Weser attempts to use pitch data to determine why Lohse is so frustrating. 
• FishStripes discusses Scott Olsen’s latest fight, this time with Sergio Mitre.  Mitre sounds like a good guy, if the story is true.  I don’t think this behavior will get Olsen traded, but it could be a small factor.
• Kenny Williams’ order of preference for trading: Jose Contreras, Javier Vazquez, Jon Garland.  I really think Vazquez could be a difference-maker; he’s the best available starter right now.
• The Dodgers have shifted away from adding a power hitter.
• For the fantasy geeks, a look at the hitters who have added the most loft to their swings this year.  Jason Michaels is tops.
• Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune is offended that the Cubs announced the Jason Kendall trade on television rather than to reporters.