Last Week in Baseball: Small Sample Sizes and Flipping the Bird

Hello friends, my name is David Brown and I'd like to welcome you to my weekly baseball column. Welcome! While the column doesn't have a name yet (I was considering "Down Goes Brown" but that appears to be taken), if all goes well I will preview what is to come, while reviewing and "spinning forward" what already has happened in Major League Baseball. It could get confusing, as I am already dizzy from all of the spinning. Now, if I can find my credentials, I will assure you that I'm not just any charlatan in a sportswriter's wrinkled clothing. OK, here they are:

• Infiltrated the Baseball Writers Association of America in December 2013. I voted for Mike Trout for AL MVP in 2014, and Paul Molitor for AL Manager of the Year in 2015. I probably should have voted for Ned Yost. For both awards.

• I've been a sportswriter for 20 years, having worked at CBS Sports Eye on Baseball in 2015, and having helped to create and edit Yahoo's Big League Stew starting in 2008. I've covered World Series(es), All-Star games and semi-meaningless games between the Indians and Mariners, and not just because Trevor Bauer was on my fantasy team. OK, maybe that was why. I'm based in Kansas City, grew up in Chicago and never liked Ron Kittle of the White Sox after he refused me an autograph in 1983.

All right, enough about me. What about the 2016 season? Well, it's over, with the league leaders, team champions and award winners already determined based on Small Sample Size. Congratulations to the Cubs for beating the White Sox in the World Series, to Aledmys Diaz of the Cardinals for winning the NL batting crown with a .468 average, and to NL MVP Bryce Harper for driving in every run in the majors. (Also: Congratulations to yourself if you spelled "Aledmys" correctly on the first attempt.) Jose Altuve, possibly the shortest human ever to play Major League Baseball, led the entire league with an 1.081 OPS. And who would have thought Mark Trumbo would have hit .359 all season?!

OK, the season isn't really over. It goes on and on and on, as any fan knows. April showers bring May flowers, possibly even Tyler Flowers. Speaking of whom, Flowers is one of many Braves players to have hit zero home runs. Their collective lack of sluggitude is probably a big reason the Braves lead the league in losses (LLL). Going into Atlanta's game against the Red Sox on Wednesday night, the Braves had combined to go deep three times — until Freddie Freeman changed all of that:

Freeman's home run was so epic that it encouraged Braves announcer Chip Caray to channel Harry Caray, his famous grandfather, with a "Holy Cow!"

Here are some hopefully correct numbers that further illustrate Atlanta's power dearth:

Prior to Freddie Freeman's homer in the 7th, #Braves had hit just 1 HR in team's prior 774 PA dating back to the 4th inning of Opening Day.
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) April 28, 2016

So, the Small Sample Size Beast has given us results that are highly unlikely to continue (Aledmys Diaz hitting nearly .470), results that possibly could continue (the Cubs being the best team in the league), and are likely to continue (the Braves being a stinky pile of suck).

What else can Small Sample Size tell us? That it only takes one obscene gesture to get yourself sent to the minor leagues. Outfielder Tyler Collins of the Tigers lost a ball in the lights at Comerica Park on Monday night, a misplay that prompted some fans to boo and for Collins to respond by unfurling his left middle finger at anyone in the crowd giving him the business. Here's the raw footage:

Reaction on the Internet was mixed. Some fainted on their couches, others became Tyler Collins fans for life. It wasn't right for Collins to swear at fans in sign language, and the fans who booed should have cut him some slack for losing a ball in the lights. It could happen to any outfielder. Although he couldn't unring the "F-U" bell, Collins profusely apologized afterward, telling reporters:

"Nobody wants that ball to get lost less than me. That hurts. And to be at home and to hear boos after that play, it hit a trigger inside of me, and I lashed out, completely inappropriately. I'm absolutely embarrassed that happened and I'm very sorry to everybody in Detroit. I just want you guys to understand that I love this team and I want to win, so when we come home and get booed, it's tough to swallow. But like I said, I apologize completely and I'm embarrassed at myself and I know my family is embarrassed at me and I'm sure these guys are, too, so I'm sorry that happened."

Two days later, Collins was on his way to Triple-A Toledo because the Tigers needed to return closer Francisco Rodriguez to the active roster. Manager Brad Ausmus said the demotion had nothing to do with Collins losing his mind in a moment of weakness and telling the crowd what it could do with itself. Collins also was 2 for 20 when the Tigers sent him down, so what Ausmus said might be true.

Aside from the gesture, Collins might have made a second mistake by copping to it. He should have said that everyone misunderstood, that he was flipping everyone "The Bird," Tigers legend Mark Fidrych, in an effort to lighten the mood during a disappointing moment. This photo lends credence and clearwater, to that missed supposition:

This weekend: There will be 2,430 regular-season games, and real fans will watch every single one. In particular, the debut of left-hander Sean Manaea is scheduled to occur for the Oakland Athletics on Friday night. Not only is Manaea one of the top 50-60 prospects in MLB, but he's got tremendous hair:

Manaea came over from the Royals organization in the Ben Zobrist trade. Zobrist helped the Royals win the World Series in 2015. Manaea will help the A's win too, until he has to be sold off for the next young affordable thing.

All right. There's even more games, so watch them all and report back here next week.