2013 Yankees Fall Just Short of 1990 Reds

The New York Yankees opened the 2013 season having won 19 straight games in which they scored first. That streak ended May 21 when the Yankees fell to the Baltimore Orioles in 10 innings. Only two teams had done as well in that regard as New York—the 1990 Reds (20-0) and 1902 Pirates (19-0). That [...]

Houston Astros’ Rebuilding Process Being Helped by Prospects Like Mike Foltynewicz

With a 1962 New York Mets-esque 13-33 record, the Houston Astros have a lot of holes they will need to fill if they want to have any chance of respectability in the future. Fortunately, they have thrown themselves into rebuilding through player development, and have a number of young prospects who are looking like they [...]

The All-Star Ballot

Major League Baseball has a huge problem and anybody who plays fantasy baseball has experienced a similar scenario as a manager. Call it what you want, jumping the gun, premature or a plain “too early” but baseball needs to wait on when they release their All-Star ballots. Any smart fantasy manager knows you can never [...]

Clearing The Bases: AL News & Notes

Baltimore Orioles: The O’s are having some problems in their bullpen of late. Closer Jim Johnson has blown three straight saves after nailing 35 straight. There have always been some doubts about Johnson’s ability to be the closer long term, the question is, are those doubts coming to fruition earlier than first thought or is [...]

For Two Bits: A Ball Game and Farce Rolled Into One Good Time

Minor league baseball in the early 20th Century in America was not the same as today. Yes, it was a step below the big leagues, but the Class A teams were only a little step from the big leagues, not the giant step it is today. Many players in these Class A leagues were in [...]

Baseball Notes for May 20, 2013

I had such a good time going over baseball history links last week that I decided to do it again! Here’s hoping this can become a regular feature, as the cool nuggets just continue to pile up. I’ll try to continue bringing a blend of topics to keep it fresh and interesting. As usual, thanks [...]

NJBM Kids’ Hot Korner: Sam McDowell

Hey baseball fans! I just put up my latest post in the Kids’ Hot Korner section of New Jersey Baseball Magazine. This one is about Sam McDowell, a pitcher on the Indians in the 1960′s and 1970′s. If you want to read more about Sam, just click here. Check back in a couple of days for more of [...]

An Interview with Yankees Reporter Ken Davidoff

Hey baseball fans!I have a really cool interview for you today! It’s with BBWAA member, Ken Davidoff! “Ken Davidoff?” you ask. “Who is Ken Davidoff?” Well, if you read the following paragraph and interview, you will find out.Ken has been a member of the BBWAA since May 2001 (and was even its President).  He now [...]

Can-Am League Welcomes Second French City As 32 More Independent Baseball Teams Start Season

Thirty-two of the 46 Independent Baseball teams in the five most established leagues start their season within the next 24 hours or so, but it is difficult to imagine any one place where the initial intrigue will be any higher than at venerable Stade de Quebec.  The Can-Am League has had to settle for one [...]

Clearing The Bases

Baltimore Orioles: The Orioles depth in their starting rotation is certainly being tested. First they had to give Freddy Garcia a start and now with Wei-Yin Chen heading to the DL they will call upon Jair Jurrjens. Jurrjens has fallen a long way since a hot start to the 2011 season and somehow I don’t [...]

Baseball Notes for May 13, 2013

Baseball in just about any context is a good thing. During the regular season, the attention of fans is typically riveted to the on-field action, but there are many fascinating nuggets of baseball awesomeness hidden all over in the form of its history. You just have to know where to look to find them. To [...]

Kid Blogger’s Interview with Mets GM Sandy Alderson LIVE!!!!!

Hey baseball fans!  I have another interview for you. It is with Mets General Manager Sandy Alderson. I actually got to interview him live at his office in Citi Field and the video of the interview is on YouTube. So, please click here to see me interview Sandy. I’m not sure that you all know about Sandy’s [...]

Even a Dominant Scott Kazmir Could Not Make Sugar Land Much Better

Scott Kazmir was masterful this afternoon (Thursday) with 10 strikeouts (no walks) among his 18 outs in six innings of one-run pitching to lead Cleveland to a 9-2 triumph against Oakland, but even if the veteran left-hander still was with Sugar Land,TX for a second season it seems doubtful the Skeeters would be doing much [...]

Clearing The Bases

Arizona Diamondbacks: Looks like closer J.J. Putz will be lost to the DBacks for a bit of time and possibly even the rest of the season due to an elbow strain. In his absence Heath Bell will get first crack at the job with David Hernandez most likely next in line. If you’re looking for [...]

A Bird in the Hall of Fame?

Hey baseball fans! Remember in my Gary Carter post where I said to stalk my blog like a hawk for new posts? Well, the reason I said that was because I was making a reference to another Expo Hall of Famer,Andre Dawson! Andre “The Hawk” (got his nickname because his uncle said that he attacked ground balls [...]

Clearing The Bases

Clearing The Bases May 7, 2013 by George Kurtz Baltimore Orioles: For those of you dying for a 2B Brian Roberts update, it’s not good, he’s still having problems with his knee and is visiting a specialist to find out what’s wrong…..How on Earth did SP Freddy Garcia almost throw a no-hitter over the Angels [...]

Bill Deane’s Baseball Briefs

Inspired by Bob Davids’s “Baseball Briefs,” since the mid-1980s, I have compiled statistical and other tidbits of each baseball season, usually submitting them to BASEBALL DIGEST.  They typically publish some or all of them; my 2012 version (which they coincidentally entitled “Baseball Briefs”) appears in the current May/June issue.  Following are those which didn’t make [...]

Book Review: Imperfect: An Improbable Life

After reading Jim Abbott’s book, it became obvious that it was not just a baseball biography.   Sure its initial appeal is to baseball fans, especially those of the Yankee persuasion, but it is much more than that.  I would recommend that anyone who has ever felt self-pity to make time and read this.  After reading [...]

Baseball Notes for May 6, 2013

Cheating has a long and interesting history in baseball. From sharpened cleats, corked bats, banned substances and doctored pitches, players and teams are seemingly always in search of an edge. As former Chicago Cubs’ first baseman Mark Grace once famously said, “If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying.” That being said, there can be a [...]

Stash for a Smash

We are now into the Sweet Spot time period starting in May and going through June where impact rookies will get called up from the minor leagues. Guys that will make an impact both for their team and YOUR team. Here are four guys who haven’t seen the majors in 2013 that could be starters [...]

My First Ever Movie Review

Hey baseball fans! I’m sure you’ve all heard about the movie “42″ that recently came out in theaters. Well, I decided to do a movie review of it! The movie “42: The True Story of an American Legend” is the story of how Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier and joined the major leagues, the first black [...]

“Take Me Out to the Ballgame”

There are three songs that put a smile on my face.  They are “Happy Birthday,” “It’s a Small World” and “Take me out to the Ballgame.”  When you sing or hear “Happy Birthday”, the smile is expected.  After all it is all about you.  When I hear “It’s a Small World,” it’s normally when traveling [...]

Astros Off to Rough Start in April

The first month for the Astros in the American League was not a good one.  There were a few bright spots such as a 9-1 win in Yankee Stadium and taking two series from the Seattle Mariners but the Astros were on the losing end in most of the other games, finishing with a record [...]

Mike Augliera: Boston Red Sox Pitching Prospect Talks Baseball

The Boston Red Sox have some of the better-known pitching prospects in baseball with Rubby De La Rosa, Allen Webster and Matt Barnes all leading most peoples’ lists. It turns out that they are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Boston’s farm system, as there are a number of other promising [...]

Half a Dozen Bridgeport Players Had a Year Off, Yet Fulchino, Krum and Bluefish Are Doing Well

The roster the Bridgeport (CT) Bluefish are using to dominate the early going in the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League has a rare twist to it.  Nearly one-fourth of the team—six of the 26 players—were virtually nowhere to be seen one year ago. Such former Independent players as Seattle closer Tom Wilhelmsen and newly-prized [...]

Clearing The Bases

Arizona Diamondbacks: Seems to be only a matter of time until closer J.J. Putz loses his job even though manager Kirk Gibson has come out and said he is safe for now. Problem for fantasy owners is the, who is next in line, David Hernandez or Heath Bell. Hernandez is the better pitcher at this [...]

Jackie Robinson Glove Auction Hits $310K In First Hours‏

Spirited Bidding in First Four Hours of Auction… High Bid Already At $310,835 On Authentic Game-Worn Glove Used By The Immortal Jackie Robinson At Steiner Sports (http://auction.steinersports.com) “Ground-Breaking Auction”; Continues Through June 2 ***Only Known Rawlings From 1955-56 Seasons Authenticated by Dennis Esken*** New York, Wednesday, May 1, 2013—Let the bidding war begin! In the [...]

So Much Theft He Should Be Arrested

This year Yahoo! leagues have added a new NA spot to their rosters. Much like adding a player on the DL, fantasy owners can pick up Minor Leaguers and set them aside, making zero impact on their roster size. Up until this season, if you wanted to stash a top prospect he had to take [...]

Clearing The Bases

Baltimore Orioles: Well I guess the news about SP Dylan Bundy is good, he had a platelet rich plasma injection earlier this week and has been advised to rest his pitching arm for six weeks. That takes us to early June and he will certainly need some kind of rehab stint before he is ready [...]

The Case for Denard Span

Denard Span is no Michael Morse. Morse had the Kung-fu warm up cut–immortalized in his bobble-head doll—and there was his A-Ha walk-up music. Denard Span had large shoes to fill on many levels. It did not get easier when Morse ripped up the Cactus League for 9 home runs and a .357 batting average in [...]

The Baseball Historian’s Notes for April 29, 2013.

The length of a baseball team’s disabled list can have such a strong impact on the outcome of their season. Injuries not only deprive teams of talented players, but alter the chemistry that was so carefully constructed during the offseason and spring training. The ability of backup players, minor league prospects and the length of [...]

The Stamp of Disapproval

Usually I’m calling out players and giving them my stamp of approval, but not today. There are four guys I talk about who might be on your team that are sure to disappoint you in the very near future. Two of them are pitchers that you can hear me rant on in the podcast and [...]

Through the Eyes of a Somerset Patriots Fan: From the Press Box, Part II

It is a Thursday evening (4/25/2013) and once again, I am sitting up in the press box of the Somerset Patriots.  Tonight is the final game of the series between the Sugar Land Skeeters and the Patriots. Our Patriots dropped the first two of the series, so the hometown fans are anticipating a much-needed victory [...]

DYNASTY League Baseball: Where Heroes Come Back To Life

A while back I was invited to play in a DYNASTY League online baseball league with fellow baseball fanatics such as MLB Network’s Brian Kenny (1942 Cardinals), former National League All-Star Brian Jordan (1999 Braves), Steve Gardner, Senior Fantasy Editor at USA Today (1970 Orioles), Mike Wilner of Toronto’s The Fan 590 (1993 Blue Jays) [...]

Lee Elia’s Rant: 30 Bleepin’ Years Later

WARNING: ADULT CONTENT BELOW (SERIOUSLY) For those who are not familiar with the history of Chicago baseball it will likely come as a surprise to learn that there was a time when Wrigley Field was not so cool, fun, and controversial. Thirty years ago Wrigley was considered by most to be a baseball cemetery.  The [...]

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