3 UP: JOBA'S ROLES, JOBA'S RULES AND MATSUI  —  Yes, I am on Twitter.  —  1. In today's Post I wrote about why I believe it is wise to limit Joba Chamberlain's innings.  Here is something else to consider: Let's say in late July 2007, the Yankees had done what was the popular thing and traded …

Sox acquire Alex Gonzalez  —  The Red Sox have completed a trade with the Cincinnati Reds, bringing shortstop Alex Gonzalez back to Boston.  —  Gonzalez is not expected to join the team until tomorrow in Texas.  The most likely move would involve the Sox releasing infielder Chris Woodward to make room for Gonzalez on the roster.

The Dan Murphy Myth  —  Last year, a determined and serious young man leapfrogged over AAA into the big leagues and became a fan favorite for his hustle, energy, and line-drive bat.  Perhaps most importantly, Danny Murphy was “home-grown” — a ballplayer drafted by the Mets and developed in their farm system.

Rockies manager credits Bucs' front office  —  DENVER - Rockies manager Jim Tracy looks at the Pirates dugout and sees only a handful of players he recognizes.  —  It hasn't been a full two years since Tracy was fired as the Pirates manager after two in a long run of losing seasons.

Mets lift Parnell's pitch limit  —  Jerry Manuel capped Bobby Parnell's first major-league start at 68 pitches last weekend in San Diego because the rookie had been working in relief since getting promoted last September.  —  Parnell managed to record only seven outs against the Padres …

Players not only ones moving in trades  —  Families forced to make big adjustments after Deadline deals  —  Jarrod Washburn had been hearing the whispers for over a year, and two weeks ago they finally turned into a scream.  —  After revitalizing his career at the age of 34 with a 2009 season …

Adrian Beltre to DL, could be lost for season with injured testicle  —  4:30 p.m.: This is no laughing matter, despite the jokes that will inevitably fly after news of this breaks.  It turns out that Mariners third baseman Adrian Beltre injured his testicle last night after a groundball took a bad hop and hit him in the groin area.

Duquette on Statistical Analysis & Decision Making  —  Readers of the site know about some of the spirited debate going on here regarding statistical analysis.  I questioned our good friends at Amazin Avenue, who tend to look at the game from a very numbers centric perspective.

Harang tries to notch back-to-back W's  —  Cincinnati (50-64) vs. Washington (40-75), 7:10 p.m. ET  —  CINCINNATI — Aaron Harang had a big weight lifted off his shoulders in his previous start against the Giants.  For the first time since May, Harang added a win to his total, a span of 13 starts.

Is This Person The Wrigley Beer-Tossing Hand Job?  —  I imagine that since we're very close to identifying the man who soaked Shane Victorino last night at Wrigley, that the Chicago PD are close as well.  —  One tipster claims that the man seen in the above photo — his “friend” …

Kuo a marvel of persistence  —  Dodgers reliever is ‘pitch to pitch’ with battered elbow  —  PHOENIX — Here's what medical marvel Hong-Chih Kuo, with four elbow operations already on his resume, thinks after also overcoming a mysterious case of the yips earlier this year to land back in a pennant race with the Dodgers.

WAR and WSAB  —  Long-time readers of the Hardball Times may know that I've done a lot of work with Win Shares, creating Win Shares Above Bench and ranking the all-time greats.  —  Wins Above Replacement, or WAR, is newest win-based stat of choice (I'm still a fan of WPA, too).

D'Backs Offered Davis An Extension?  —  The D'Backs appear to have offered Doug Davis a one-year extension, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.  Davis, who has been the subject of trade rumors since the Brewers claimed him on waivers, confirms that the D'Backs approached him with …

Aaron's vote: Bonds is champ  —  Asterisks won't work, Braves great says  —  By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel  —  When introduced at the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in Cooperstown, N.Y., a couple of weeks ago, Hank Aaron was announced as “the people's home run champ.”

For Dunn, a Return to Where It Started  —  Adam Dunn, back in 1998, was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds.  He debuted in the majors with them as a 21-year-old.  He played 1,087 games for them.  —  But last year, on Aug. 11, Dunn was traded by the only organization he ever knew …