June 1, 2023

Top Stories

Hank Aaron And Bob Dylan: Searchin’ High, Searchin’ Low For Dignity

May 26, 2023 · by · Leave a Comment 

Someone showed me a picture and I just laughed Dignity never been photographed Or so Bob Dylan says in “Dignity,” a song he wrote in 1988 after learning of the death of basketball great Pete Maravich. Dylan has a point. Dignity isn’t an item or commodity that can be replicated and mass-produced. It’s a quality of fortitude and bearing, guiding one on how to respond whether the news is good or bad. The one possessed with dignity feels for others and thinks carefully on the consequences of his or her actions. Sometimes a dignified action doesn’t pay off materially. It can also be misunderstood.... [Read the full story]

General

A Most Memorable Memorial Day

May 27, 2023 · by · Leave a Comment 

Connie Mack’s “Iron Curtain” Infield (Boston Globe June 1, 1948) In the United States Memorial Day has traditionally marked the beginning of summer.  Typically, MLB used to accommodate the fans celebrating the holiday by scheduling double-headers.  Weather permitting, fans would respond en masse.  In fact, Memorial Day 1948 set a one-day record for major league attendance.  The AL drew 192,300, the NL 145,456 for a grand total of 337,756.  That works out to an average of 42,220 per ballpark.  75 years later, that average is still impressive. As you might expect, some teams... [Read the full story]

Features

Stories Over Stats

August 8, 2022 · by · Leave a Comment 

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 the 2020 season while undergoing treatment for Stage 3 colon cancer. I remarked that “Baseball needs more Trey Mancinis and fewer Alex Rodriguezes.” And therein lies the core problem with Major League Baseball. MLB seems to think that the sport... [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

A Most Memorable Memorial Day

May 27, 2023 by

Connie Mack’s “Iron Curtain” Infield (Boston Globe June 1, 1948) In the United States Memorial Day has traditionally marked the beginning of summer.  Typically, MLB used to accommodate the fans celebrating the holiday by scheduling double-headers.  Weather permitting, fans would respond en masse.  In fact, Memorial Day 1948 set... Read more of this article

A Salute to the Senior Class

April 25, 2023 by

I recently came across an article about Art Schallock, the oldest MLB veteran still living.  Art debuted in 1951 with the Yankees and just turned 99 years old.  Perhaps a rousing rendition of “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall” should accompany “Happy Birthday.” MLB has not had a centenarian alumnus since Eddie Robinson died in 2021.  Robinson... Read more of this article

1996 Orioles Set Major League Home Run Record

April 23, 2023 by

The 1996 Baltimore Orioles and their home run totals (left to right) Roberto Alomar (22), Todd Zeile (25), Chris Hoiles (25), Cal Ripken Jr. (26), Eddie Murray (22), Bobby Bonilla (28), B.J. Surhoff (21), Brady Anderson (50) and Rafael Palmeiro (39). The 1996 Baltimore Orioles featured a star-studded lineup with unprecedented power. The club bashed... Read more of this article

Cleveland’s Brookside Park: Not a Mistake and Not on the Lake

April 18, 2023 by

White Autos vs. Johnstown, PA on October 3, 1915 An old saying pertaining to Detroit is, “It’s like Cleveland without the glitter.” When it comes to economy of language, this quote is a gem, as it puts down two Rust Belt cities in one six-word sentence. For the purpose of this essay, however, let’s park Detroit and take Cleveland out for a spin. In... Read more of this article

A Deep and Interesting Dive Into the World of Scouting

April 15, 2023 by

Baseball scouts usually fly under the radar. While fans follow the exploits of their favorite players, few know anything about the scouts who signed them. Good teams and die-hard baseball fans, however, understand and appreciate their contributions. Author Lee Lowenfish takes a deep, interesting dive into the world of scouts in Baseball’s Endangered... Read more of this article

Retro World Baseball Classic, Revisited

April 1, 2023 by

The World Baseball Classic features ballplayers from various geographical regions competing in a tournament which culminates in bragging rights for the winning team and the country that they represent. I devised a slight twist on this theme back in 2017 to retroactively create a computer-based simulation of the best baseball players in the World based... Read more of this article

Out Of The Park 24 Available Now!

March 26, 2023 by

NEW FOR THIS SEASON Huge visual improvements! Get deeper into the action with new 3D animations and visual improvements that bring the game to life! A new audience model will react to the action on the field, while new fielding, pitching, running, and batting animations make OOTP 24 the smoothest and most visually pleasing version in history.... Read more of this article

Making Singles Sexy

February 27, 2023 by

2022 MLB Singles Leaders Do you know who led the majors in singles in 2022?  If so, go to the head of the class: you are the ultimate stat geek. If not, don’t feel bad. The one-base hit is the least sexy safety. Just check the stat sheets. Go to the Baseball Reference web site and dial up the stats on any hitter. You will readily see that columns... Read more of this article

Shedding Light on a Sunshine State Curse

January 16, 2023 by

The phrase “pitchers and catchers report” resounds throughout the land in the middle of February. All well and good, particularly if you live in Arizona or Florida, but if you are a college baseball fan, the simultaneous opening of the Division I season may be more meaningful. Some of the less heralded divisions start playing as early as late January... Read more of this article

Bogo Baseball: When Double-Headers Attack

January 2, 2023 by

Zack Taylor (L), Rogers Hornsby, and Charlie Robertson (R) The number of seamheads who have ever attended a double-header is rapidly dwindling. Once a Sunday afternoon fixture on MLB schedules, the double-header is now a rarity, often a last resort in rescheduling a rainout. Better drainage, Doppler radar, and domed stadiums have resulted in fewer postponements,... Read more of this article

More Posts From General

Features

Stories Over Stats

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While on our way to breakfast Saturday morning, the subject of former Oriole, now... 

Aaron Judge in a Nationals Uniform?

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No, I did not predict Josh Bell going to San Diego, but who did? In my defense, just... 

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... 

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... 

More Posts From Minors

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