Jack Flaherty’s adjustments; a Phillie Phanatic lawsuit; the umpire perfect game
FanGraphs | Craig Edwards: After high expectations to start the season and a disappointing half, Jack Flaherty seems to be shaping into form, throwing the slider even more often and transitioning to a two-seamer from a four-seamer. For a Cardinals team in the thick of the race, this is manna from heaven.
Baseball Prospectus | Justin Klugh: Right now, the Phillies are filing a copyright suit against a group claiming to own the rights to the Phillie Phantic, which means, in a flash, the beloved mascot could be gone (likely not). Yet it’s still funny to think about the unexpected hero becoming a fan favorite, when it seems like such a strange concept if it was ever launched today (except maybe Gritty).
The Ringer | Ben Lindbergh: Over the last decade, an umpire has correctly called every ball/strike for a single team just 24 times, fewer times than triple plays or no-hitters in that span. Even with correct call rates increasing, there are still calls for robot umps as fans and managers have become increasingly frustrated with umpires missing what they believe to be obvious calls.
