Outside The Confines: To name or not to name

As I prepared today’s links post I was watching the Rays/Yankees game in the background, and during a few key moments while I found myself focused on the TV, I would watch the Yankees make great plays and have to wait for the announcer to remind me just who was making the play.

The Yankees are one of a small handful of teams that do not put player names on the back of their jerseys. And frankly, it makes me absolutely crazy. While I understand they take the “legacy” of being a Yankee very seriously, and that just wearing the jersey is meant to be reward enough without your name on the back, it feels like it robs the players of their identity, and it just bothers me.

I know it’s a small thing to be annoyed by, but it gets under my skin whenever I happen to catch them playing. And more than just want it means to player identity, it just makes it hard to know who is making each play, especially when you don’t follow the Yankees closely. Am I the only one who gets rankled by this?

• Emma Baccellieri shines a spotlight on the most fun-loving player in baseball, Rays’ outfielder Brett Phillips.
• Robert Orr tries to measure the “bad decision rate” of players swinging outside the zone.
• Just how many baseballs are actually used in a regular game? Jason Lloyd decided to count. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Mike Petriello looks at the slugging collapse of Vladimir Guerrero Jr and what it might mean for his long-term career.
• If you’ve watched a game on Apple TV+ you know it has its own unique set of probability stats. Ben Clemens takes a look at those numbers.
• Yes, it’s too early, but Thomas Harrigan is already trying to figure out who might win Rookie of the Year in 2022.
• David Schoenfield offers a look at some of the biggest disappointments early in the year.
• In case you’re wondering, yes he did immediately shave his beard into a very 70s-vibe mustache.

• Bryan Hoch has Carpenter’s reaction to joining the Yankees.
• Speaking of razors, Joon Lee suggests that a shave might be responsible for the Red Sox turning things around.
• Ken Rosenthal spoke to Jason Kipnis about how the former MLBer is feeling in terms of officially saying goodbye to his major league playing days. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Dan Szymborski looks at some young players who should be getting big extension offers if their clubs are smart.
• Ray Liotta, who was part of the iconic baseball film Field of Dreams, passed away at age 67. Henry Palatella remembers the actor and his baseball-themed role.
• Mark Sheldon looks at the monster 20-run game for the Reds.
• Moneyball came out 11 years ago, but apparently, Jeff Bagwell just got around to seeing it, and he wasn’t impressed. Story by Daniel Chavkin.
• Given pitcher injuries this season, maybe just keep this as-is.

And tomorrow will be a better day, Buster. Make it so.