While you were watching the clock at work I was putting these links to help you through the holiday weekend.

Jumping Ahead

Predicted 2012 closers - NL (Part 1)
A preliminary list of who will close next season, NL version. Could it really be anyone else other than The Shark.

Manzella elected to Legends Hall of Fame
Tommy Manzella, a South Atlantic League All-Star with the Lexington Legends in 2006 who made his major league debut with the Houston Astros in 2009, has been elected to the Legends Hall of Fame.

Looking Back

40th anniversary: the lineup that changed baseball
Forty years ago today, the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates made history on the way to their world championship.

Appy Astros: Appy Astros G-Stros End of August Report
Closing remarks and a look at several players who played for the Greeneville Astros this year.

Dustin Pedroia vs. Little League - Beyond the Box Score
Ever wonder how Dustin Pedroia stacks up against the best of the best? Meaning, the best Little League players in the country?

Tejada not happy laying down bunt against Astros - Sacramento Living - Sacramento Food and Wine, Home, Health | Sacramento Bee
This tickled me, mostly from Tejada's days with the Astros and the fact that he was very good at hitting into double plays.

Statistics

Why Are Lefties Crafty? | FanGraphs Baseball
Looking for those crafty righties.

What Hitting Metrics Correlate Year-to-Year? - Beyond the Box Score
Bill Petti | Ever wanted a handy table for the year-to-year correlations of batting statistics? Well look no further.

20/20 Players Are Alive And Well - Beyond the Box Score
Over the past 50 years, the player that can hit home runs and steal bases has been increasingly more common. Things are no different this year, and it's time to investigate exactly what's up.

The UN-Luckiest Pitches in the Majors This Year - Beyond the Box Score
Broken down by pitch.