Snake Bytes: 03/22 - New Wrinkles

Diamondbacks news

[Arizona Sports] D-backs’ Josh Rojas stays hot in spring training tie with White Sox

We love that, of course, but we probably loved this even more:

[AZ Central] Tyler Clippard’s injury creates opportunity in Diamondbacks’ bullpen

“I pride myself on being that guy who’s healthy,” Clippard said Sunday. “And now I’m not. So I’m bummed.”

Clippard was diagnosed with a capsule sprain in his right shoulder and will not throw for six weeks, an injury that likely means the Diamondbacks will be without their newly added veteran reliever for at least the first two months of the season.

[AZ Central] Bumgarner on adding new wrinkles to his game: ‘It makes too much sense not to do it’

Bumgarner going the Greinke way. Velocity will probably not come back then.

[Arizona Sports] D-backs make 6 roster moves, option RHP Riley Smith to Triple-A Reno

Most notable of the six is RHP Riley Smith who was optioned to Triple-A Reno. LHP Taylor Guilbeau, RHP Keury Mella and RHP Carlos Navas were assigned to minor league camp as well. They are joined by catcher Jose Herrera and outfielder Jake McCarthy.

[Arizona Sports] Diamondbacks re-assign RHP Ben Heller to minor league camp

The team announced right-handed pitcher Ben Heller has been reassigned to minor league camp. As a result, the D-backs are now down to 39 players at spring training camp.

[milenio.com] Three Mexicans looking to pitch in the MLB for the Diamondbacks (google translate)

Joakim Soria, Miguel Aguilar and Humberto Mejía had a video-call with Mexican reporters last week.

[mlb.com] Here are the D-backs’ 2021 Top 30 Prospects

The D-backs hold steady at No. 9 as the farm system continues to become more balanced on both sides of the ball. While the organization’s top four prospects are position players, the next six are pitchers. Jim Callis predicts a future D-backs outfield “that’ll be fun to watch”.

Around The MLB

[mlb.com] Greinke on getting Opening Day start: ‘Never cared about it’

Greinke being Greinke.

[CBS Sports] MLB roundtable: Should Major League Baseball ban the infield shift?

Yes, no and I don’t know.

[CBS Sports] Royals extend Salvador Perez with largest contract in franchise history

With $82 million in new money, Perez’s extension is the largest contract in Royals history, surpassing the four-year contract worth $72 million the club gave Alex Gordon in 2016. The $20.5 million average annual value makes this the third-richest catching contract in history, trailing only J.T. Realmuto ($23.1 million) and Joe Mauer ($23 million).

MLB, Youtube renew partnership for third year as first two seasons attracted viewers from more than 88 countries

MLB and YouTube have built a audience on the platform, with more than 2.2 billion views, and amassing 2.7 million subscribers on the primary MLB YouTube channel. The agreement has been renewed for a third consecutive season. Fans will be able to vote for the YouTube Player of the Game.

[Yahoo Sports] Curt Schilling says he’s leaving Boston after 14 years to find ‘people that are nice’

Controversy for beginners: let’s write another article on Curt Schilling.

Across The Wall

[Chile] Chile’s Southern Pacific League takes baseball to new areas

The independently-run Southern Pacific League (LPS, Liga del Pacifico Sur) is growing the game in the southern Bio Bio Region.

Says Cristian Becker: “I became a baseball fan thanks to cable TV,” he told the WBSC. I became a fan of the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB).”

He started playing when he entered the University of Bío Bío. “By the middle of the 1990s, there were four or five teams active,” added Becker. “Interest went down, and by the end of the decade, the only activity was within the University. We were the most southern baseball club in the country, and we had to travel at least 500 kilometres to find some competition. That’s why we started promoting baseball in the area.”

Across The Pacific

[Japan] Yu Darvish speaks out about anti-Asian racism in America

“There was a little racial discrimination before this against Asians in America...but I feel it’s increased,” he said.

[Japan] Cron makes good impression...off the field

Kevin Cron earned his share of Brownie points with the Hiroshima Carp coaching staff by turning up at an optional practice on Thursday in Hiroshima. Cron has hit .091 in 22 preseason at-bats.

He looks bigger than normal, right?

[Korea] KBO amends rules to speed up game

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) said a batter leading off an inning must enter the box within one minute and 55 seconds, compared to two minutes and five seconds previously. The hitter who takes more than two minutes to get there will be fined 200,000 won (US$177).

[Korea] New coach for newly named KBO team embraces opportunity to teach (text interview)

Knight has been working mostly with the Landers’ two new foreign pitchers, Artie Lewicki and Wilmer Font. His main responsibility during the regular season will be to keep working with them.

“I have a few things I constantly tell pitchers: fastball command down in the zone, pitching inside and pitching to contact,” Knight said. “If you do those three things in this league and if you can do it consistently, you’re going to be successful.”

“A lot of foreign pitchers that are successful are guys who throw two-seam fastballs,” Knight said, referring to the pitch with late-breaking action. “It’s because most of the hitters in the KBO still continue to have what I would consider more of an old-school swing. With that, and also the fact that the strike zone is not as high in the KBO, throwing something that you can work down in the zone and that moves just enough, that’s something I want to be able to teach and help out minor league guys.”

Across The Atlantic

[Spain] Dreaming of an MLB game in Spain (google translate)

One of the biggest cities in Europe has just one baseball field. Keep on dreaming, buddie.

[Switzerland] Switzerland’s first-ever e-baseball champions crowned

Livio Bundi and Bruno Albrecht are the first champions of the Swiss Baseball E-Sports League (SBEL), Europe’s first-ever official e-baseball competition, which launched following WBSC’s green lighting and recognition of e-baseball/softball competitions in late 2020. Bundi won the Junior (U-34) 12-team league, as his Zurich Barracudas defeated the Therwil Flyers, 7-4.

The live-stream on Twitch, YouTube and Facebook had over 5,000 unique viewers, who logged in over 14,800 minutes of viewing time.

Seems like they were playing MLB The Show. Unlike the Japanese that were playing some funny looking Konami game.

Your random Diamondback

[Marquee Sports Network] Ildemaro Vargas’ inspiring journey to be part of the Cubs’ roster

I think everyone should just read this piece; what a great story.