1. Fangraphs posted a nice interview with Scott Diamond. We, rightfully, complain a lot about the clone army - but the fact is that a guy who throws 87mph probably needs to just be who he is. Diamond acknowledges the tension between the value of strikeouts and that fact in this rather nice interview.

“That said, you can throw too many strikes. I’ve had that problem. I faced the Rangers two starts ago and kind of got myself into that. I’m learning to do a better job of throwing fewer strikes to expand the hitter’s strike zone.”

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/qa-scott-diamond-twins-control-artist/

2. Here's a statement which should be totally uncontroversial that I suspect the team is less than a month away from acknowledging. Oswaldo Arcia is better than Chris Parmelee right now. He hasn't started making better contact or drawing walks at the improved rate he showed last year yet, but he's shown the ability to hit MLB pitching hard and Parmelee really hasn't yet.

That doesn't have to be a big deal yet. Doumit's been struggling and has seen sporadic playing time. If he stays hot after last night's big, fat day then I think a simple switch in roles with Arcia and Parmelee is in order. Parmelee is bat off the bench. Arcia is starting RFer. And Doumit goes back to a simpler time share of DH/C.

3. There's been a couple bad nights for the pen lately, but truthfully I rather like this group. Also, not a lot of help on the farm at the moment. Guerra was ready to help when he got the black plague (or shoulder problems or whatever) during the WBC. Michael Tonkin is somebody on the 40 man to keep an eye on and he's pitching really well at AA, but not so well that it demands a call-up. And I assume somebody in the organization feels a moral obligation to make a decision on Anthony Slama, but he's been shitty so far this year.