January 17, 2019

Top Stories

Chalmer “Bill” Cissell: The $123,000 Lemon

January 14, 2019 · by · 5 Comments 

(Editor’s Note: The following first appeared on this site on October 27, 2009 and an abridged version appears in Baseball’s Untold History: The People) Twenty-four-year-old shortstop Chalmer “Bill” Cissell was so highly regarded by scout Danny Long in 1927 that he convinced White Sox owner Charles Comiskey to send what was estimated to be a record sum of $123,000 in cash and players (outfielder Ike Boone and pitcher Bert Cole) to the Pacific Coast League’s Portland Beavers for Cissell. Long considered Cissell one of the finest prospects he’d ever seen, but after... [Read the full story]

General

Braves (5) Go the Distance Again Before Sending Rockies (4) Packing in Round 2

January 14, 2019 · by · Leave a Comment 

The following are game accounts from a holiday tournament I’m participating in using Action! PC Baseball from Dave Koch Sports Inc. We’re using 2018 rosters, teams are seeded based on their record, and I’m representing the Atlanta Braves (the Red Sox were already taken by the time it was my turn to pick). Information about the tournament can be found here. Game 1: Rockies 6, Braves 3 Colorado used two-run innings in the first and third to cruise to an easy 6-3 victory in the opening game of its series against Atlanta. Trevor Story set the tone early with a 444-foot missile off... [Read the full story]

Features

Ryan Westmoreland: Former Boston Red Sox Top Prospect Talks Playing Career and New Focus

January 12, 2019 · by · Leave a Comment 

For serious fans of the Boston Red Sox, Harry Agganis and Tony Conigliaro are familiar names. Both were top young players who saw their promising careers curtailed by tragedy and unforeseen circumstance (Conigliaro was severely injured by a beanball and Agganis died as the result of a pulmonary embolism). Another top prospect for the team was outfielder Ryan Westmoreland, who seemed destined for stardom before a serious injury forced him to prematurely end his playing career. However, he has remained involved in the game and is pursuing new avenues to keep him connected to baseball in other... [Read the full story]

Hall of Fame

Rating the 2017 Hall of Fame Candidates Based on Win Shares

January 4, 2017 · by · 2 Comments 

One of the first items of business in baseball each year is the announcement of players elected to the Hall of Fame. This leads to lots of speculation and a little analysis prior to the announcement which is scheduled for January 18, 2017. Many systems exist for evaluating player performance. One such system, the Win Shares method, developed by Bill James in 2002, is a complex method for evaluating players which includes all aspects of performance – offense, defense and pitching. James has stated that, “Historically, 400 Win Shares means absolute enshrinement in the Hall of Fame and 300 Win... [Read the full story]

Minors

Principal Park: Despite City’s Size, Ballpark Has Big Impact

June 30, 2018 · by · Leave a Comment 

Minor league baseball a Des Moines, Iowa, staple at same location since 1947 Submitted by Steve Dunn Located at the confluence of the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers in Des Moines, Iowa, Principal Park and its two predecessors have hosted professional baseball since Friday, June 20, 1947. One of the more unique games in minor league history was played nearly 61 years later at Principal Park on Saturday, June 14, 2008. With widespread flooding in central Iowa, the Iowa Cubs and Nashville Sounds played a Triple A Pacific Coast League game that drew an official attendance of zero. “The only other... [Read the full story]

General

Braves (5) Go the Distance Again Before Sending Rockies (4) Packing in Round 2

January 14, 2019 by

The following are game accounts from a holiday tournament I’m participating in using Action! PC Baseball from Dave Koch Sports Inc. We’re using 2018 rosters, teams are seeded based on their record, and I’m representing the Atlanta Braves (the Red Sox were already taken by the time it was my turn to pick). Information about the tournament... Read more of this article

Ryan Westmoreland: Former Boston Red Sox Top Prospect Talks Playing Career and New Focus

January 12, 2019 by

For serious fans of the Boston Red Sox, Harry Agganis and Tony Conigliaro are familiar names. Both were top young players who saw their promising careers curtailed by tragedy and unforeseen circumstance (Conigliaro was severely injured by a beanball and Agganis died as the result of a pulmonary embolism). Another top prospect for the team was outfielder Ryan... Read more of this article

Dbacks (7) “Ex-Zach-T” Victory Over Phightins (10) in 4 Games

January 7, 2019 by

The following are game accounts courtesy of Andy Sexton from a holiday tournament I’m participating in using Action! PC Baseball from Dave Koch Sports Inc. We’re using 2018 rosters, teams are seeded based on their record, and I’m representing the Atlanta Braves (the Red Sox were already taken by the time it was my turn to pick). Information... Read more of this article

Seesaw Series Between Cards (6) and Mets (11) Won by St. Louis in Epic Game 5

January 6, 2019 by

The following are game accounts from a holiday tournament I’m participating in using Action! PC Baseball from Dave Koch Sports Inc. We’re using 2018 rosters, teams are seeded based on their record, and I’m representing the Atlanta Braves (the Red Sox were already taken by the time it was my turn to pick). Information about the tournament... Read more of this article

Braves (5) Overcome 0-2 Deficit, Win Three Straight Against Giants (12) to Advance

January 6, 2019 by

The following are game accounts from a holiday tournament I’m participating in using Action! PC Baseball from Dave Koch Sports Inc. We’re using 2018 rosters, teams are seeded based on their record, and I’m representing the Atlanta Braves (the Red Sox were already taken by the time it was my turn to pick). Information about the tournament... Read more of this article

Nats (8) Sweep Bucs (9)–Turner’s Inside-the-Parker Wins Game 2

January 4, 2019 by

The following is a game account courtesy of Jim Clouser from a holiday tournament I’m participating in using Action! PC Baseball from Dave Koch Sports Inc. We’re using 2018 rosters, teams are seeded based on their record, and I’m representing the Atlanta Braves (the Red Sox were already taken by the time it was my turn to pick). Information... Read more of this article

This Con is On Us

December 28, 2018 by

Craig Calcaterra, who is NBC Sports’ lead baseball writer, wears his journalistic principles on his sleeve. Like a badge of honor, Calcaterra’s Twitter profile notes that “journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed.” Calcaterra’s website points out he worked for such Columbus firms as Thompson Hine, L.L.P and Squire, Sanders... Read more of this article

Negro League DB Update: 1927 Eastern Colored League

December 23, 2018 by

Having brought our coverage of Negro league statistics forward to 1948, we are now going back to fill in the missing seasons from the late 1920s and early 1930s. First up is the 1927 Eastern Colored League, along with the Negro League World Series that year. The 1927 ECL opened with the same seven teams that had finished the 1926 season. But the Lincoln... Read more of this article

“Rooftop Ruppert” Jones and His 12-Year Ride in Major League Baseball

December 11, 2018 by

Ruppert Jones has one of the coolest nicknames in baseball history; “Rooftop Ruppert.” This was due to his proclivity in hitting tape measure home runs in Tiger Stadium during his lone season with the Detroit Tigers in 1984. However, this is just one part of a greater 12-year major league career enjoyed by the former outfielder. The left-handed... Read more of this article

“Field of Dreams” Changed Dwier Brown’s Life

December 7, 2018 by

Dwier Brown during rehearsals for the famous scene in “Field of Dreams” when Kevin Costner, at right, asks him if he wants to have a catch. Director Phil Alden Robinson is at left. As iconic moments go, it’s hard to beat the scene from Field of Dreams when Kevin Costner turns to Dwier Brown and, with the late James Horner’s Oscar-nominated... Read more of this article

More Posts From General

Features

Ryan Westmoreland: Former Boston Red Sox Top Prospect Talks Playing Career and New Focus

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For serious fans of the Boston Red Sox, Harry Agganis and Tony Conigliaro are... 

From the Archives: Touring the Bases with…Jim Bouton

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“You see, you spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball and in the... 

The Ballad of Mr. Cub and Leo the Lip

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The Ballad of Mr. Cub and Leo the Lip It was one of the most intriguing matchups... 

Brooks, Still the Magician

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This is a weird day for me, and probably many other similar-aged people, boys especially,... 

Say it Wasn’t So: When Shoeless Joe Jackson Became Baseball’s Number One Draft-dodger

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Here’s one you may not have heard: how Shoeless Joe Jackson was briefly... 

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Hall of Fame

Rating the 2017 Hall of Fame Candidates Based on Win Shares

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One of the first items of business in baseball each year is the announcement of players... 

Pre-Integration Era Committee Releases 2016 Candidates For Baseball Hall of Fame: Sorry, There’s No Room in the Inn

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First, let me state categorically that I love the Baseball Hall of Fame; love the... 

Posnanski Plays Race Card in His Criticism of Baseball Hall of Fame’s Pre-Integration Committee

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I have a daily Google Alert setup to receive emails on the phrase “hall of... 

Trevor Hoffman’s Hall of Fame Status Anything But Certain

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Ken Griffey Jr. and Trevor Hoffman are the headline first-timers next year on the... 

Where do the Current Hall of Fame Snubs Rank According to WAR and JAWS?

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With the 2015 Hall of Fame election results recently announced, we saw Randy Johnson,... 

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Minors

Principal Park: Despite City’s Size, Ballpark Has Big Impact

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Minor league baseball a Des Moines, Iowa, staple at same location since 1947 Submitted... 

Max Watt: The Boston Red Sox’s Power Pitching Prospect

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Scouting is an integral part of professional baseball. Teams employ and send out... 

Suns’ First Pitch Thrown By Suns’ First Pitcher

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The Hagerstown Suns of the South Atlantic League asked the retiring sheriff of nearby... 

An Interview with Boston Red Sox Prospect Nick Longhi

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Growing up rooting for a baseball team, and striving to get into position to one... 

Carroll enjoys staying on his grind

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ROCHESTER, NY – More than a decade has passed since Brett Carroll roamed... 

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