General

Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – SSI Computer Baseball

September 3, 2022 by Derek Bain

This is the first entry in a series focusing on computer baseball simulations to supplement the chapter “Play Retro Baseball Video Games In Your Browser” from my Hardball Retroactive book along with the corresponding post at Baseball Analytics. The series will focus on baseball simulations – games in which the primary emphasis is on managerial... Read more of this article

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An Open Letter to Rob Manfred

August 30, 2022 by Frank Jackson

Native American, Louis Sockalexis Dear Mr. Manfred: I’m sure you are gratified by the decision of the erstwhile Cleveland Indians to rebrand themselves the Cleveland Guardians. At the same time, I’m sure you are disappointed that the Atlanta Braves stood pat, so the winds of change are batting .500. The focus on Native American nicknames, however,... Read more of this article

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Manny Mota Mojo

August 20, 2022 by Frank Jackson

I’ve amassed a large collection of autographed baseball cards (around 3,000) over the years, but my policy has generally been to avoid paying for autographs and catch the players at the ballpark, on the practice fields at spring training, or at off-season fan fests, winter warm-ups, caravans, or whatever they call them. Recently, however, I went to... Read more of this article

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Pitching Legend Failed to Harness “A Gift from God.”

August 20, 2022 by Barry Sparks

If ever there was a baseball legend, it’s Steve Dalkowski, a life-long minor leaguer, whose combination of speed (the fastest pitcher ever, according to many) and wildness endlessly frustrated those who tried to harness his incredible potential.The authors of Dalko: The Untold Story of Baseball’s Fastest Pitcher write that Steve “had... Read more of this article

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Stories Over Stats

August 8, 2022 by Austin Gisriel

While on our way to breakfast Saturday morning, the subject of former Oriole, now newest member of the Houston Astros, Trey Mancini, came up. All of Orioledom was sad to see Trey go, but happy that his first three hits for Houston were all home runs, including a grand slam. You don’t even have to be a baseball fan to know that Mancini had to sit out... Read more of this article

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First Dibs . . . Second Thoughts?

August 7, 2022 by Frank Jackson

First-round draft picks always attract attention. There are 30 of them in the amateur draft every year, and the deck gets reshuffled annually. Great expectations abound, and being a first-round draft pick can be a burden. The same is true of expansion drafts. Every expansion team gets a first-round pick who attracts a lot of attention because he becomes... Read more of this article

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Aaron Judge in a Nationals Uniform?

August 3, 2022 by Ted Leavengood

No, I did not predict Josh Bell going to San Diego, but who did? In my defense, just about everything else about the generational trade of Juan Soto yesterday, went down remarkably close to my crystal ball projections on July 22.  One has to give DC General Manager Mike Rizzo credit for getting C.J. Abrams and Luke Voit added to the mix of players,... Read more of this article

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Bringing Back Fond Memories of The Rock

July 23, 2022 by Barry Sparks

The first baseball season I remember was 1960. As an 11-year-old, that season was very memorable. One of the first big baseball stories that year was the Cleveland Indians trading Rocky Colavito to the Detroit Tigers for Harvey Kuenn. How could Indians GM Frank Lane trade the American League home run champ, even if it was for the batting champ? It caused... Read more of this article

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Weekending With Weirdos

July 9, 2022 by Frank Jackson

Even if you’ve never been to Austin, Texas, you have likely heard the phrase “Keep Austin Weird.” If you haven’t actually heard anyone say it, you might have seen it on a bumper sticker, coffee mug, T-shirt, or some other trinket. Austin has long had a reputation for attracting genuinely creative folks (especially musicians) as well as poseurs,... Read more of this article

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SNAFU and FUBAR: A Comedy of Errors

July 2, 2022 by Frank Jackson

Josh Devore would have been a perfect candidate for SNAFU+ and FUBAR+. I’m sure I’m not the only baseball fan whose eyes have glazed over while contemplating the welter of statistics out there. Every time I encounter some new statistic, my usual reaction is “arrrghhhh, just what we need, another statistic and another acronym.” Now, however,... Read more of this article

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