The Bullpen: R.A. Dickey is in a world of his own | TheStar.com

Nice little piece about R.A. Dickey:

"I cannot think of another athlete with a world view and personal priorities quite like this pitcher that is arriving in uniform with the Jays on Wednesday. There was debate about whether he was a clubhouse leader or was just looking out for himself in the Mets’ room. That point is moot."

How Much Time the Pitchers Took | FanGraphs Baseball

A very interesting piece on which pitchers work fast and which ones work slow. Among the quick workers include new Toronto Blue Jays Mark Buehrle and R.A. Dickey, including these two games that I recall vividly from last season:

"It’s worth noting that Mark Buehrle and R.A. Dickey went head-to-head twice last season, on April 25 and September 22. The first game lasted two hours and 29 minutes, while the second game lasted two hours and 26 minutes. Last year’s average Marlins game lasted two hours and 57 minutes, while last year’s average Mets game lasted two hours and 56 minutes. That, of course, is with Buehrle and Dickey starts included. That would’ve been some nicely-tempoed baseball, between sometimes unwatchable teams."

Pitcher Noah Syndergaard has the stuff big league dreams are made of | The Star-Telegram

A nice little piece on New York Mets pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard:

"I didn't think I'd be traded, but being traded for the reigning Cy Young winner is pretty cool," said Syndergaard, who reported to Mets spring training in Port St. Lucie, Fla., on Monday.

"Now I'm going to do whatever I can to contribute to the Mets' organization and try and help them win the World Series."

Good luck Noah! As the #3 prospect in the Mets organization, I hope you're right.

NY Closers: Keep Your Eye On Mariano Rivera, Bobby Parnell | CBS New York

This is cause for concern:

"Parnell, you see, has all the confidence of a Mark Sanchez. In other words, he’s a tad shaky upstairs."

Not good. Not good at all.

Turning Boiling or Hot Water into Snow at -13°F (-25°C)

This is very cool (no pun intended):

Bridging cultural divides in sports and in life.

A fascinating article in The Los Angeles Times about Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and his fully bilingual upbringing:

"Born in the United States to Mexican parents, Gonzalez is fluent and literate in English and Spanish, having been raised on both sides of the border in a blend of the cultures.

"I'm Mexican and I'm American," he says.

That's evident in his tastes. While he admired how former Dodger Fernando Valenzuela broke down cultural barriers, his childhood hero was San Diego Padres Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn. Gonzalez watches both football and futbol, supporting the San Diego Chargers and Mexican striker Javier Hernandez. He sings to his 13-month-old daughter in Spanish during the day and watches reruns of "The King of Queens" at night."

Very interesting, especially with the changing demographics in America today.

Shark-eating seal among rare and stunning scenes documented off South Africa

I've never read anything like this before:

"The seal consumed the stomach and livers of the first two sharks, before killing three others."