Table of ContentsHeres the table of contents for todays edition of the Daily Notes.

1. An Idle Deliberation over Imperfection2. Todays Notable Games (Including MLB.TV Free Game)3. Todays Game Odds, Translated into Winning Percentages

An Idle Thought Tank Carder Jersey on ImperfectionInspecting Tuesdays single-game xFIP leaderboard (among starting pitchers only) a thing which is now po sible after FanGraphs CEO and star of each and every nightmare David Appelman added a Yesterday split towards the leaderboards here at the site the first is not surprised, within the wake of his 14-strikeout effort against Houston, to locate Yu Darvishs name at the very top.

One is also compelled to note in the number of ways Darvishs game was imperfect an imperfection that's amplified, undoubtedly, for its proximity perfectly.

First, heres the table under consideration:

NameTeamIPxFIPYu DarvishRangers8.20.02Marco EstradaBrewers5.01.80Hyun-Jin RyuDodgers6.11.99Hisashi IwakumaMariners6.02.11Madison BumgarnerGiants8.02.89Trevor CahillDiamondbacks5.22.98David PriceRays6.03.48Lucas HarrellAstros6.03.76R.A. DickeyBlue Jays6.04.48Jorge de la RosaRockies4.14.53Jaime GarciaCardinals5.24.57Justin MastersonIndians6.04.85Jason HammelOrioles6.05.13Jarrod ParkerAthletics5.06.65

One already knows that Darvish came within one out of a perfect game, and something hit of the no-hitter. After being relieved by Michael Kirkman within the wake of Marwin Gonzalez single, he also (i.e. Darvish) came just an out shy of a complete-game shutout. Of some amusement towards the kind of nerd who is reading these words is also how xFIP an otherwise entirely innocent ERA estimator compounds the sense of imperfection by suggesting that Darvishs line would typically function as the sort to concede not zero, but 0.02, runs. You were very good, says xFIP (impo Emmanuel Ogbah Jersey sible, of course, it being inanimate). But perfect? Not so much.

It is too convenient, given Darvishs origins, the author was recently brought to the concept of wabi-sabi. So far as I understand it and its very po sible that I dont comprehend it wabi-sabi is a popular aesthetic point-of-view in Japan, by the terms of which an object are beautiful because it's flawed, or at least through the way that is flawed.

Ive witne sed enough foolish romanticization and willful misunderstanding of exotic Eastern concepts to acknowledge that Im unqualified to go over wabi-sabi in more detail. But even the likely bastardized version Ive submitted here is compelling by itself terms, I think.

Perfect games are inherently interesting for 2 reasons. First, is because a pitcher is always looking to get every batter out, anyway. When he succeeds in actually doing that, it represents a clear case of one player having exerted his will completely on a group of others. Second, of course, is due to how infrequent perfect games are. Thereve been only, what, 23 of these ever within the majors? Thats a part of the games ever to po se s been played. Perfect games are rare, and rare things and events are usually attractive for their rare-ne s.

Ultimately, though, those reasons have no relation to the spectators own personal experience of the big event, or relationship with it that are ultimately the terms on which the first is prone to a se s the beauty of an event or object. In the way that, according to Tolstoy, unhappy people are unhappy in their own individual way, so might be imperfect events or objects imperfect in their own individual way. This makes them even more rare, really, than their perfect counterparts.

Why are you even talking about this? is a reasonable question for the reader to ask at this time. I dont precisely know, is the most reasonable answer. One other po sible answer, though, is most likely how a celebration such as this where one, like Darvish, has come not far from scaling the heights of perfection, but failed seems to demand commentary. Perfection speaks for itself, perhaps, whereas failure must be couched inside a narrative, such that the spectator can become comfortable with its otherwise potentially painful or disappointing implications. Because failure is much more of the rule, anyway, than succe s and failures, like Darvishs, which occur on the large stage, are the type that we look for cues regarding how to make our own failures more palatable Larry Ogunjobi Jersey . Thats probably why I, personally, am referring to this.

Todays Notable Games (Including MLB.TV Free Game)Detroit at Minnesota | 16:10 ET ***MLB.TV Free Game***All 31 writers who led to the current sites staff predictions for 2013 chose the Tigers because the probable winner from the AL Central. That same club carried out with the best cumulative projected win total by the methodology utilized in our positional power rankings. Regarding this game particularly, Anibal Sanchez (179.0 IP, 4.05 ERA, 2.7 WAR projected line, per Steamer) faces Kevin Correia (130.0 IP, 4.88 ERA, 1.1 WAR).

Readers EJ Bibbs Jersey Preferred Broadcast: Detroit Radio.

San Diego at New York NL | 19:10 ETIn 10 starts last season, Mets right-hander Matt Harvey (147.0 IP, 3.91 ERA, 2.4 WAR projected line, per Steamer) struck out nearly 29% of the batters he faced. Also, he finished withing the top-10 of this springs SCOUT pitching leaderboard an accomplishment that translated into succe s for last springs pitching leaders. He faces Clayton Richard (189.0 IP, 3.89 ERA, 2.8 WAR).

Readers Preferred Broadcast: Ny NL Television.

Colorado at Milwaukee | 19:10 ETYoung and hard-throwing Juan Nicasio (118.0 IP, 4.26 ERA, 1.9 WAR projected line, per Steamer) faces even younger and more hard-throwing Wily Peralta (95.0 IP, 4.56 ERA, 1.0 WAR).

Readers Preferred Broadcast: Milwaukee Radio.

Todays Game Odds, Translated into Winning PercentagesHere for purposes entirely of entertainment and not for gambling, which is a Scourge of Propriety are of Tuesdays games with moneyline odds (from relatively sharp sportsbook Pinnacle Sports) translated into projected winning percentages (and adjusted to take into account the vigorish).

Games indexed by Pacific Time for reasons that are unclear even to the author and presented so as, first, of National League and then American League and, finally, then interleague play.

GameTeamsStartersLineWin%4:05 PMMiami MarlinsKevin Slowey3.3629.2%PTWashington NationalsGio Gonzalez1.3970.8%4:05 PMChicago CubsEdwin Jackson2.2044.6%PTPittsburgh PiratesWandy Rodriguez1.7755.4%4:10 PMSan Diego PadresClayton Richard2.2843.0%PTNew York MetsMatt Harvey1.7257.0%4:10 PMPhiladelphia PhilliesRoy Halladay2.1545.6%PTAtlanta BravesPaul Maholm1.8054.4%5:10 PMColorado RockiesJuan Nicasio2.1545.6%PTMilwaukee BrewersWily Peralta1.8054.4%6:40 PMSt. Louis CardinalsLance Lynn2.0448.0%PTArizona DiamondbacksBrandon McCarthy1.8952.0%7:10 PMSan Francisco GiantsTim Lincecum2.1645.4%PTLos Angeles DodgersJosh Beckett1.7954.6%11:10 AMKansas City RoyalsErvin Santana2.3242.3%PTChicago White SoxJake Peavy1.7057.7%11:10 AMTexas RangersAlexi Ogando1.5663.0%PTHouston AstrosPhilip Humber2.6537.0%1:10 PMDetroit TigersAnibal Sanchez1.6758.6%PTMinnesota TwinsKevin Correia2.3741.4%4:05 PMCleveland IndiansUbaldo Jimenez2.6137.6%PTToronto Blue JaysBrandon Morrow1.5762.4%4:05 PMBoston Red SoxClay Buchholz2.0448.0%PTNew York YankeesHiroki Kuroda1.8952.0%4:10 PMBaltimore OriolesWei-Yin Chen2.2743.2%PTTampa Bay RaysJeremy Hellickson1.7356.8%7:05 PMSeattle MarinersJoe Saunders2.2743.2%PTOakland AthleticsTommy Milone1.7356.8%4: Dennis Parks Jersey 10 PMLAA AngelsC.J. Wilson2.1545.6%PTCincinnati RedsMat Latos1.8054.4%