SnakeBytes April 30, 2010: Last Call for April

 Well, the great thing about day games is that if you lose, you've got the whole evening to forget about it.  And, in the case of a day like today, possibly drink away the memories.  Yikes.  But if you feel like reminding yourself just how bad it was, here's the gory details:

Recaps:

• [AZCentral.com] Chicago Cubs recover, pull away from Arizona Diamondbacks - "Alfonso Soriano hit a three-run homer and the Cubs connected for four in all while rallying to beat the Diamondbacks 11-5 on Friday."

• [mlb.com] Cubs provide Piniella offense he asked for - "Starter Randy Wells benefited from the most runs the Cubs have scored at Wrigley this season."

  If you'd like to remember that not all baseball is full of pain and suffering, you can find some more stories after the jump.

Player and Team News:

• [dblog.mlblogs.com] Stange Makes Big League Debut - "I don't think he really cared, he's pretty gritty," Manager A.J. Hinch said of Stange. "He didn't look any different yesterday than the times I saw him pitch in the minors."
• [Sports Illustrated] Arizona Diamondbacks manager A.J. Hinch is settling into his role - "I was never uncomfortable in this position or doubted whether I could handle the job. The tornado around me has gone away."

• [examiner.com] Arizona's Johnson experiencing "Desert Revival" - "Johnson’s case proves that sometimes, a player’s fortune is tied more to his luck than it is to his ability"

• [Scout.com] Ian Kennedy Learns from 1st Career Win - "Our offense was great. It gave me a big cushion. Snydes had a great game plan."
• [dbacks.com] Webb uses drill to regain comfort on mound - Webb is practicing his throwing motion with a towel, good news on Benson, and Chris Snyder likes to do his own scouting on opposing batters.

• [FanGraphs] Ian Kennedy Settling Into the National League - FanGraphs talks about Kennedy's return to the skill he showed in the minors now that he's not in the AL East anymore.

Around Baseball:

• [nbcsports.com] Baseball 'neighborhood' a lot smaller these days - snakecharmer mentioned this article in the GDT, so I went and found it. Given how aggravating the neighborhood call can be, I approve of this development.

• [AZCentral.com] Alex Rodriguez seems to find ways to get into hot water on the field - After yesterday's discussion that you don't mention a no-hitter, this article seemed appropriate to include.

• [Sporting News] Launching Pad: Opening night for M's Lee - Cliff Lee returns from the DL tonight. He didn't feel safe until Chris Snyder was two time zones away.

• [Phoenix Business Journal] Tax cut, Cubs stadium plans fall flat at Arizona Legislature - Unless the Legislature calls a special session, it seems that the July 12 deadline will pass without a plan, allowing the Cubs to negotiate with other cities.

• [Yahoo! Sports] Bo Jackson's new 'baseball glove' shoe - Bo Jackson was the only cool Raider ever. He was cool enough that he could play for the Royals and still be cool. He was cool enough that he hung out with Wayne Gretzky and Michael Jackson and solved crime.  Yeah, so I think these shoes are awesome.

• [Purple Row] Ok, so he’s good, but how good? The PLUS metrics - Purple Row takes a look at some advanced stats.  What, fielding percentage isn't good enough for you guys anymore?

• [Fanhouse.com] Roto Rush: D-Train Back on Track? - He stole a Rookie of Year award from Webb and a nickname from me, but Dontrelle Willis looks like he might be getting back into form as a pitcher.

Now, go enjoy the rest of your Friday. Wait, what do people normally do on a Friday night with no baseball?