Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of Daily Notes.

1. Early Returns on More First-Round Picks
2. Notable MLB Games (Including MLB.TV Free Game)
3. Today’s Complete Schedule

Early Returns on More First-Round Picks
What Happened Yesterday
In yesterday’s edition of the Notes, we looked at first-round picks from the recent draft who had not only (a) already signed with the organizations by which they were selected, but also (b) been assigned to, and started playing for, minor-league teams within those organizations.

Regarding the Public, Their Reaction to That Post Yesterday
The public reacted to yesterday’s post with praise, mostly. Effusive praise, one might say. Overwhelming praise, another one might say.

What’s Happening Today
What’s happening today is that same thing as yesterday — except, whereas yesterday we looked at picks from the top half of the first round, today we look at picks from the bottom half.

What the Public’s Reaction Is Likely to Be
More praise, one imagines. Fawning praise, perhaps. Unending praise, also perhaps.

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Episode 204
FanGraphs managing editor Dave Cameron, as per usual, makes his weekly appearance on FanGraphs Audio and analyzes all baseball.

Discussed:
• How the Oakland A’s have outscored all other teams in June — and why such a thing has happened.
• The Kevin Youkilis trade, a lot about that.
• What Josh Hamilton, Dayan Viciedo, and Jason Heyward do and do not have in common.

Don’t hesitate to direct pod-related correspondence to @cistulli on Twitter.

You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or other feeder things.

Audio after the jump. (Approximately 38 min. play time.)

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With the exception of a seventh inning that saw him concede three well-struck hits — including a homer to Garrett Jones — and two runs, Detroit right-hander Justin Verlander was excellent on Sunday in Pittsburgh, striking out seven, walking just one, and inducing weak contact all day (box).

Indeed, despite the fact that Verlander entered that seventh inning having allowed two hits already, it’s not outside the realm of possibility that he could have entered same in pursuit of his 13th no-hitter, or whatever number he’s on now. For, of the two hits that the Pirates recorded between innings one and six, neither left the infield — and, notably, both were hit in the direction of third baseman Miguel Cabrera.

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Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of Daily Notes.

1. Very Early Returns on Some First-Round Picks
2. Notable MLB Games (Including MLB.TV Free Game)
3. Today’s Complete Schedule

Very Early Returns on Some First-Round Picks
What This Is
It has come to the attention of the author that a number of first-round picks from the recent draft have not only (a) already signed with the organizations by which they were selected, but also (b) been assigned to, and started playing for, minor-league teams within those organizations.

What This Is, Part II
With the above in mind, the author has made use of his Google machine — in addition to sites like Baseball America, Minor League Central, Baseball Reference, and (of course) the present one — with a view to compiling a list of signed draft picks, along with the minor-league clubs and levels to which they’ve been assigned, and also their very earliest statistical returns.

Regarding What Is the Point of This
To change the world, mostly.

Regarding What Else Is the Point of This
For reference sake, also.

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Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of Daily Notes.

1. Featured Game: New York AL at New York NL, 20:00 ET
2. Other Notable Games (Including MLB.TV Free Game)
3. Today’s Complete Schedule

Featured Game: New York AL at New York NL, 20:00 ET
Some of the News That’s Fit to Print
Some news that’s fit to print in the present electronic pages is how R.A. Dickey starts tonight for the Mets in their game against the Yankees.

Some News That’s Probably Less Fit to Print
Some news that’s less relevant to these pages, for example, is how British novelist Martin Amis is bringing “macho literary firepower” to Brooklyn.

Regarding Dickey, His Season This Season
Here’s R.A. Dickey’s season line to date (with ranks among 110 qualified starters in parentheses): 99.0 IP (10th), 27.5% K (4th), 5.6% BB (23rd), 53.1% GB (16th), 2.55 SIERA (2nd), 70 xFIP- (3rd), 2.6 WAR (6th).

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Fun-Loving? Check. Totally Sentient? Double-Check.

Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of Daily Notes.

1. Featured Game: Atlanta at Boston, 19:15 ET
2. Other Notable Games (Including MLB.TV Free Game)
3. Today’s Complete Schedule

Featured Game: Atlanta at Boston, 19:15 ET
Regarding the Title of This Post, What It Refers To
The title of this post refers to how left-hander Franklin Morales is making his second start of the season — and over, like, the last four seasons — for the Boston Red Sox tonight.

The Title of This Post, To What Else It Refers
Apparently, the film Destry Rides Again, is what, a 1939 Western starring Marlene Dietrich and James Stewart.

The Title of This Post, To What the Author Thought It Referred
Herbie Rides Again, actually, a 1974 comedy film about a fun-loving and totally sentient Volkswagen Beetle.

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Episode 203
RotoGraphs contributor and real-live Fantasy Expert™ Ben Pasinkoff is the guest on this Fantasy Friday edition of FanGraphs Audio.

Discussed:
• This question and the answer to it: “How good does a reliever — one who’s not getting saves — how good does have to be to roster in a traditional 5×5 league?”
• Three starters who’ve recently made MLB debuts — their near and less near futures.
• Three players about to make their season debuts — what sort of a damn they’re worth.

Don’t hesitate to direct pod-related correspondence to @cistulli on Twitter.

You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or other feeder things.

Audio after the jump. (Approximately 37 min. play time.)

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Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of Daily Notes.

1. Featured Game: Colorado at Texas, 20:05 ET
2. A Very Notable Other Game (With a Note on the MLB.TV Free Game)
3. Today’s Complete Schedule

Featured Game: Colorado at Texas, 20:05 ET
Regarding This Game, What the Big Deal Is
The big deal regarding this game is that 34-year-old right-hander Roy Oswalt is starting it for Texas.

Some Relevant Information Regarding Roy Oswalt
In terms of Roy Oswalt, these are facts about him:

• His most recent regular-season start was on September 27 of last year (box).
• His velocity was in the 88-92 mph range last season before back problems forced Oswalt to the DL. Upon his return, Oswalt’s velocity increased slightly, sitting more around 91-95.
• A free agent after 2011, he signed with Texas at the end of May.
• Two or three minutes’ worth of internet searches suggest that Oswalt’s fastball is probably sitting in the low-90s at the moment — or, at least that’s what it was doing in his second-to-last warmup start.
• He posted this line in a total of four minor-league starts between Double- and Triple-A: 15.1 IP, 13 K, 4 BB, 1 HR.

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Episode 202
David Laurila, curator of FanGraphs’ Q&A Series, talks with Marlins outfielder Justin Ruggiano about the latter’s baseball-related travels, including stops in Taiwan, Mexico, Venezuela, and… Ogden, Utah.

Don’t hesitate to direct pod-related correspondence to @cistulli on Twitter.

You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or other feeder things.

Audio after the jump. (Approximately 16 min. play time.)

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Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of Daily Notes.

1. Featured Game: Tampa Bay at Washington, 19:05 ET
2. College World Series: Elimination Games Abound
3. Today’s MLB.TV Free Game
4. Today’s Complete Schedule

Featured Game: Tampa Bay at Washington, 19:05 ET
A Note on Who’s Pitching, First
This game features hard-throwing left-hander Matt Moore (75.2 IP, 103 xFIP-, 0.6 WAR) against other hard-throwing left-hander Gio Gonzalez (78.2 IP, 75 xFIP-, 3.0 WAR).

Regarding These Left-Handers, How Hard-Throwing They Are
In terms of fastball velocity, Moore (94.2 mph) and Gonzalez (93.4 mph) have the second- and third-highest average ones among all qualified left-handers, according to PITCHf/x.

Regarding Left-Handers, Generally
With regard to left-handers, generally, both etymology and probably also science somehow teach us that they’re (i.e. left-handers), by definition, sinister.

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