SnakeBytes, 8/12: D-backs head East

Team news

[dbacks.com] High-energy David Peralta giving D-backs dose of zest - In an otherwise disappointing season for Arizona fans, Peralta has been an exciting breath of fresh air -- and yet no one knew who he was just three months ago. "I was playing the game like it was my last one of my life," Peralta said. "It doesn't matter if we're in first place or we're in last place. I know we're not doing well right now, but I'm going to keep playing my game like it was the last game of the World Series."

[AZ Central] Diamondbacks slugger Mark Trumbo lighter on his feet - When Trumbo returned to the lineup in July, manager Kirk Gibson noticed he was moving a lot better than before. Gibson assumed a healthy foot had something to do with that, but Trumbo doubled down on improvements. While on the DL, he dropped nearly 10 pounds, down to 226 from about 235. "I wanted to move a little better in the outfield," Trumbo said. "I thought if I could play at a little lighter weight, it would save a little strain off my lower body in particular."

[FOX Sports] D-backs to lighten Montero's workload - Mentioned yesterday, but going by these additional quotes, I get the feeling Montero isn't too happy about it. "Obviously I have personal goals as well that I would like to accomplish, RBI, homers," Montero said. "The only way to do it is playing. But I respect the decision. Let's see how long it lasts. You have to live today, and then you find out what you are going to do tomorrow. You don't know what tomorrow is going to be. That's probably an excuse, saving him for next year. I don't believe that" it is necessary.

[Inside the 'Zona] Roundup: Roster Shuffling; Anderson and Peralta Dominate; Who Put the Lamb? ... and Jake Lamb puns. LOTS of Jake Lamb puns...

And, elsewhere...

[ESPN New York] It's getting harder to find hope for Yanks - Ah, the sweetest words I read this morning. "The 2014 Yankees are not a playoff team. They are not good enough to be a division champion. They are hardly good enough to sneak into October as the second wild-card team -- and even if they do, it is highly unlikely that will be anything more than a one-day delay of their winter vacation."

[HardballTalk] Happy 20th Anniversary, 1994 baseball strike! - Ballplayers went on strike on August 12, 1994. They didn’t come back to work until April 2, 1995. The work-stoppage cost nearly 950 games and, more importantly, led to the cancellation of the playoffs and the World Series. For those of you old enough to remember it, it was a total drag.

[FiveThirtyEight] Baseball Scouts Use Numbers, Too - an interesting look at the history and use of the 20 to 80 scale used by scouts to grade the ability of prospects in various areas.

[SI.com] Derek Jeter sixth on all-time hits list, though official records up for debate - For as much as we tend to see baseball statistics as static and permanent, the history of those numbers is full of many battles over the results of countless hours of research. Jeter might still trail Cap Anson, depending on the specific source you trust.

[AP] Royals win 8th in row, top A's, take Central lead - The Royals trailed the Tigers by eight games on July 21, but their 16th win in 19 games wiped away the deficit and gave them the lead at the latest point in a season since 2003.

[LA Times] Yankees barred Kate Upton from wearing a Tigers cap at Yankee Stadium - She said, "When I walked in. The Yankees told me, ‘You’re not allowed to wear a Tigers hat. You’re not allowed to wear any Tigers gear.’ It’s like a bad breakup." Expect widespread criticism of the Yankees in 3...2... Oh, hang on: I forgot, that only happens when the Diamondbacks do things.

[Democrat & Chronicle] Pitchers combine for oddest no-hitter in Wings history - The first person Logan Darnell texted after Monday night's no-hitter was Trevor May, the former Red Wings pitcher now with the Minnesota Twins. May and Darnell combined on the oddest no-no in Wings history (and maybe baseball history). May no-hit the Durham Bulls for three innings on July 24 in Durham before rain forced the game to be suspended until Monday in Rochester. The no-hitter which resulted thus encompassed two cities, two months and two pitchers, one who left the team before it was completed.

Finally, I hope I'm as athletic when I'm 65 as this Wrigley fan. Also worth noting: while he threw A ball back on to the field, in line with Cubs tradition, it wasn't actually the home-run ball...