The Best of FanGraphs: June 18-22, 2018

Each week, we publish in the neighborhood of 75 articles across our various blogs. With this post, we hope to highlight 10 to 15 of them. You can read more on it here. The links below are color coded — green for FanGraphs, brown for RotoGraphs, dark red for The Hardball Times and blue for Community Research.

MONDAY, 6/18
An Experienced Fan Explores the Fan Experience, by Frank Jackson
An excerpt: “My first Fan Experience occurred during the 1950s when most teams played in “classic” ballparks with all the nostalgia and lack of amenities that adjective implies. No retractable roofs, no fixed roofs–no roofs, period. Outdoor baseball was a redundancy. It might be a beautiful day for a ballgame, or it might be…windy and chilly…hot and muggy…damp and drizzly. You want climate control? Go to the movies.”

The Importance of Pride Month in MLB, by Sheryl Ring
Pride began as a riot led by Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, two trans women of color. Now, years later, Sheryl evaluates the event’s importance in the context of Major League Baseball.

What Do You Think of These Ten Surprising Hitters?, by Jeff Sullivan
They’re good. Also, they’re bad. Back to you, Jeff.

Royals Hastily Trade Kelvin Herrera to Nationals, by Jeff Sullivan
Jeff says, “In the current era of baseball, it’s almost impossible to have too many good relievers.” The Nationals specifically have *definitely* not reached the “too many” mark, not even after the addition of Herrera.

TUESDAY, 6/19
Retroactive Review: You Know Me Al, by Alexandra Simon
An excerpt: “The games themselves are likely fictional, as Jack describes winning the “world serious” with the White Sox that year. Chicago did not take the championship until 1917, three years after Lardner’s stories first started appearing in the Saturday Evening Post and a year after they were collected for his book. That the baseball players and games played and series won—or lost—seem so realistic is a credit to Lardner’s expertise as a sports columnist and his skill as a writer.”

Jason Heyward’s Latest Change Is Making a Difference, by Craig Edwards
From beyond the grave, Craig talks about his favorite hill.

What Was Marcell Ozuna Thinking?, by Craig Edwards
In the words of a should-be famous radio call from the Washington Nationals rag-tag early years: “Logan, WHAT IS HE DOING? What was Nook Logan thinking? What was he watching? Where was he going! I can’t believe it!” Just replace Ozuna with Logan.

Shohei Ohtani and the Implications, by Rahul Setty
You know, because of *the implications.*

Jonathan Loaisiga and the Yankees’ Player Development Machine, by Travis Sawchik
What’s happening in the basement of the Yankees organization? Loaisiga is another line in risky players turned successes.

WEDNESDAY, 6/20
Some Physics of Ballpark Demolition, by David Kagan
An excerpt: “Most ballparks are very different from regular buildings when it comes to the forces the ground exerts on them. The weight of the building is supported by and uniformly distributed to internal posts; the ground provides upward forces on these posts to keep the building from collapsing.”

The Manager’s Perspective: Buck Showalter on the Changing Game, by David Laurila
The latest entry in a series that explores managers ideas and thoughts on a quickly evolving sport.

THURSDAY, 6/21
How Do You Solve a Problem Like the Padres?, by Tim Ryder
How do you catch a cloud and pin it down? And should you?

Pitcher Spotlight: Chad Kuhl May Have Figured It Out, by Nick Pollack
The elusive “it” that always needs figuring out.

FRIDAY, 6/22
Domingo German Gets Whiffs Like Shohei Ohtani, by Nathan Lazarus
Ok, but does he have moves like Jagger? (Sorry, sorry, sorry.)

Fruitful Franchise: The Savannah Bananas, by Chris Gigley
An excerpt: “Because now fans in the greater Savannah area are trained. They get their tickets weeks early and often for a chance to see a show that includes the team owner roaming the stands in his signature yellow tuxedo and the players—yes, the players—performing choreographed dances between the second and third inning.”