Wednesday Wallpaper: Albert Who? Adam Jones and Advanced Metrics, Ty Cobb’s Monster Day, Mirabelli’s Police Escort Redux

With the 34-year-old Rafael Furcal (.407 wOBA) hitting leadoff and 35-year-old Carlos Beltran (.450 wOBA) often manning the two-hole, Scott Miller of CBS Sports points out that the first-place Cardinals do not seem to miss relative youngster Albert Pujols, 32, all that much. 

Someone in Baltimore — Dan Duquette? Buck Showalter? — is providing Adam Jones and other Orioles players with access to wOBA, UZR, and other advanced metrics. In an interview with David Laurila of Fangraphs, here is what Jones had to say about how the most recent edition of the Fielding Bible grades his defense:

Data like that shows you what you need to improve on. If I showed up here and wasn’t willing to improve, then why am I showing up? It means I have something to work on, and I will. I think I’m still a work in progress and trying to get better. We have a really good outfield here. We have some really good guys and as a team we’re consistently trying to get better.

Meanwhile, Grantland’s Rany Jazayerli asks whether the Orioles’ winning ways are likely to continue.

Sweet Spot’s David Schoenfield looks back at Ty Cobb’s 6-for-6, 3-HR afternoon in 1925 and the myth that rose from that stellar performance.

Remember the drama accompanying the 2006 trade that brought Doug Mirabelli to Boston? In a pregame ceremony yesterday honoring retired knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, the Red Sox had Mirabelli return to Fenway Park in similar fashion.