May 21, 2022

Top Stories

Saying Goodbye to Juan Soto

May 17, 2022 · by · Leave a Comment 

Juan Soto has been the soul of the Washington Nationals since he first blasted his way through the DC organization’s minor league system as a 17- and 18-year old. In 2018 Soto brought the wide grin, the goofy setup in the batter’s box, and the infectious love of the game to Washington. And DC fans have been enthralled by him ever since. He has helped us survive the pandemic, the Trump administration, and the other recent downturns in the psychic life of our city. But alas, his tenure is unlikely to survive much past the midterms. Juan Soto has been a complete hitter since he burst upon... [Read the full story]

General

Was Lifetime Ban a Raw Deal For Benny Kauff?

April 22, 2022 · by · Leave a Comment 

BANNED FOR LIFE: The Benny Kauff Story Benny Kauff was known as the “Ty Cobb of the Federal League.” The 5-foot-8, 175-pound, left-handed hitting outfield won the FL battling titles in 1914 and 1915, hitting .370 and .342. The 24-year-old put together a sensational year in 1914 while playing for the Indianapolis Hoosiers. Besides hitting .370, he collected 211 hits, 44 doubles, 13 triples, and eight homers. He scored 120 runs, drove in 95 runs, and stole 75 bases. Kauff was a shameless self-promoter, flashy dresser, and aggressive player, particularly on the bases (he once got picked... [Read the full story]

Features

Dear MLB: Your Problem is Relevancy, Not Boredom (although that’s easily fixed, too.)

October 18, 2021 · by · 6 Comments 

Dear Major League Baseball, Much has been written recently about your “boredom problem.” Longer games with less action have resulted in declining attendance and declining television ratings, but the solution to your on-field problem is so simple that a Little Leaguer could tell you what it is, whereas a board room full of consultants obviously cannot: Deaden the ball. Don’t change the rules, change the dynamics of the game’s most basic piece of equipment. You want more defensive plays? Lessen the chance that the ball disappears over the fence. Maybe reduce those exit velocities so that... [Read the full story]

Hall of Fame

WAR and Win Shares and Charlie Blackmon

March 23, 2019 · by · 1 Comment 

It appears that WAR, in attempting to assign a single number to represent a player’s season, has a problem with fielding.   And the problem is not so much with the player’s defensive WAR score – but rather with trying to COMBINE this score with the offensive WAR.   A very good or very poor fielding score appears to seriously distort the player’s total WAR score. As an example, Matt Chapman had a great fielding season at third base in 2018 and his situation illustrates quite well why WAR does a relatively good job of evaluating his offensive value (oWAR) and his defensive value (dWAR)... [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

Was Lifetime Ban a Raw Deal For Benny Kauff?

April 22, 2022 by

BANNED FOR LIFE: The Benny Kauff Story Benny Kauff was known as the “Ty Cobb of the Federal League.” The 5-foot-8, 175-pound, left-handed hitting outfield won the FL battling titles in 1914 and 1915, hitting .370 and .342. The 24-year-old put together a sensational year in 1914 while playing for the Indianapolis Hoosiers. Besides hitting... Read more of this article

Win, Lose…or Draw? Romancing the No-Decision

April 22, 2022 by

Hall of Fame worthiness is a subjective if not downright arbitrary judgment. Why is this so-and-so in the Hall when that so-and-so isn’t? You probably have your favorite oversight, I have mine: namely, Tommy John. Brooklyn’s Leon Cadore battled Boston’s Joe Oeschger to a 26-inning 1-1 tie in 1920 before it was called due to darkness Now you... Read more of this article

A Restless Farewell

April 14, 2022 by

It’s closing time and the moment where Ted Lerner, as the CEO of the Washington Nationals, will bid adieu. His family has announced that they intend to sell the Washington Nationals team and have begun the process of inviting bids and negotiating the final sale. Dylan ends his ballad, “Restless Farewell,” about his early tribulations... Read more of this article

Andrew McCutchen – Three Steals From Some Exclusive Company

April 9, 2022 by

Andrew McCutchen Last month, the Milwaukee Brewers signed 35-year-old free agent, Andrew McCutchen. In 2021, McCutchen hit only .222 for the Philadelphia Phillies but belted 27 home runs and had 80 runs batted in. If McCutchen can steal three bases in 2022–he stole six in 2021– he will become only the 32nd player in Major League Baseball... Read more of this article

Tommy Davis Was “A Magician With The Bat”

April 9, 2022 by

Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver called Tommy Davis “a magician with the bat.” In 1973, former Orioles third baseman and 10-time All-Star George Kell said, “Tommy is one of the game’s few remaining pure natural hitters.” Kell admired Davis’ ability to hit to all fields, torment both lefties and righties and adjust... Read more of this article

The Pittsburgh Pirates All-Time PNC Park (2001-2021) Team

April 2, 2022 by

In 2001, the Pittsburgh Pirates moved to their beautiful new home PNC Park and many baseball fans have called it the most beautiful ballpark in America. If only the ballpark had a team worthy of it. In the 21 seasons that PNC Park has been the Pirates’ home, only four have been winning ones and only three times have the Pirates reached the post-season. The... Read more of this article

One of the Most Intriguing Players In Baseball History

March 15, 2022 by

Pete Reiser of the Brooklyn Dodgers is one of the most intriguing players in baseball history. In 1941, he batted .343 and won a batting title at age 22. He also led the National League in runs, doubles, triples, total bases, slugging, and OPS. He was the starting centerfielder in the All-Star Game and finished second in the MVP voting. Injuries and... Read more of this article

Wee Willie Sherdel: Most Underrated St. Louis Cardinal?

March 8, 2022 by

John Coulson, author of Wee Willie Sherdel: The Cardinals’ Winningest Left-Hander, says the pitcher may be the most underrated St. Louis Cardinal of all time. Sherdel won 153 games for the Cardinals between 1918-1930. “That fact that Sherdel’s record has stood for all these years is amazing,” says Coulson. “The Cardinals... Read more of this article

A Letter to Fans About the Lockout, or, The View From Left Field

March 2, 2022 by

I would prefer to have ever Major League sports franchise operated and funded by a Municipal Sports authority that supports that city’s baseball or basketball team with luxury taxes on high end real estate in the city. And furthermore, in my book, baseball’s ownership mostly voted for Trump, whereas only a large chunk of the players did. So... Read more of this article

The Little Giant’s Biggest Achievement

February 28, 2022 by

Mel Ott requires no introduction to crossword puzzle aficionados thanks to such clues as “Hall of Famer Mel _ _ _” or “NY Giants slugger Mel _ _ _” or “Baseball’s ‘Master Melvin’ _ _ _.”  Puzzle designers love prominent people with three-letter surnames. Muhammad Ali and Umberto Eco, among others, are neck and neck with Mel Ott in... Read more of this article

More Posts From General

Features

Dear MLB: Your Problem is Relevancy, Not Boredom (although that’s easily fixed, too.)

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Dear Major League Baseball, Much has been written recently about your “boredom... 

NORMALIZING NEGRO LEAGUE STATISTICS

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Most baseball fans are familiar with the concept of ‘normalizing’ statistics.... 

Major League Equivalencies for The Negro Leagues

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Major League Equivalents (MLEs) are a series of calculations designed to take non-major... 

Negro League Great, Spottswood Poles, Honored by his Birthplace

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The city of Winchester, Virginia honored early 20th century Negro Leaguer, and native... 

Trevor Bauer, Sam McDowell, and A Rod’s Birthday Cake

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So, in a fit of anger or frustration or both, Trevor Bauer heaved the baseball over... 

More Posts From Features

Hall of Fame

WAR and Win Shares and Charlie Blackmon

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It appears that WAR, in attempting to assign a single number to represent a player’s... 

The BBWAA “Report Card” for the 21st Century

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The CAWS Career Gauge (CCG) has ranked all of the outstanding players of the modern... 

WAR and JAWS – Exaggerating Fielding Value

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In an earlier post, I pointed out that Matt Chapman’s WAR value for 2018 (8.2)... 

A Problem with WAR = Defensive Value

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My primary research interest has always been determining which players had the best... 

The Four CAWS HOF Benchmarks for Pitchers

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In a previous post re Koufax and Kershaw, I mentioned one of the benchmarks created... 

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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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