Roy Smalley, Jr.—A Baseball Classic

This past week baseball lost Roy Smalley, Jr., another member of the World War II generation that has been rapidly slipping away in recent years. He was a player, a manager, an armed services veteran, and the father of Roy Smalley III, also a major leaguer. He was part of a vanishing generation that played […]

Don’t Let Albert Pujols Fool You

Game 3 of the 2011 World Series was a signature moment in the career of Albert Pujols. The three home runs he hit placed him in elite company with Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson, as the only other players to accomplish such a feat. Pujols is undoubtedly one of the best players of all time, […]

Catching Up With Tom Shopay

Former outfielder Tom Shopay had the pleasure and the misfortune to play for either veteran or very good major league teams during his career. It allowed him to have some great teammates and experience a winning environment, but it also invariably meant that he never got much of an opportunity to establish himself as an […]

Dealing with the Red Sox Starting Pitchers

More details keep emerging about the hijinks of the top three pitchers in the 2011 Boston Red Sox starting rotation. Just when fans think it can’t get any worse, it does. Although the 2012 season is a ways off, it feels impossible to think right now about how the Red Sox can handle this situation […]

The Declining Legacy of David Ortiz

Somewhat lost in the mire of disappointment and greasy fingers from the epic collapse of the 2011 Red Sox is the continued demise of the legacy of David Ortiz. His career in Boston represents the highest of highs, but an ongoing pattern of lows. It has not necessarily been about the way he plays on […]

A Conversation with Oakland A’s Prospect J.C. Menna

Baseball requires a player to master a lot of athletic skill and precision. Most successful players focus on a specific position, either as a hitter or pitcher, so they can consistently improve on the necessary abilities.  Thus it must be daunting for those about to enter professional baseball to be asked to completely change what […]

Terry Francona Deserved Better

I will not argue with anyone who says that the Red Sox made the right move by parting ways with former manager Terry Francona following the nightmarish end to the 2011 regular season. However, with allegations surrounding his departure starting to come out in the media, I have begun to bristle at the way the […]

Fixing the 2012 Red Sox

The implosion of the 2011 Red Sox came as a surprise. It was an excruciating, agonizing surprise that played out over the course of a month, and left Boston fans at a loss for answers. The team that looked like it had an excellent chance at winning the World Series this year, went down in […]

Former Pitcher Larry Burchart Reminisces

The Los Angeles Dodgers really, really wanted collegiate star right-handed pitcher Larry Burchart. In 1967 they took him in the first round of the June phase of the amateur draft. Since he was enrolled at Oklahoma State, he did not sign. This did not deter the Dodgers, who took him again in the third round […]

Ryan Dent: The Building Block

The recent collapse of the Red Sox has brought into question the leadership of the team. Even though Terry Francona will not be returning as manager, it is clear that areas that the front office of Boston are secure in from year to year are drafting and developing their farm system. Each year they stock […]

The Bitter Farewell to Terry Francona

The Red Sox just announced that they mutually agreed with Terry Francona that he will not return as the team’s manager in 2012. This news is something I am having a difficult time trying to wrap my mind around, but I do believe that the team will come to regret this decision. Like most Boston […]

Major League Baseball’s Hypocritical Stance on Bullying

Bullying prevention has been a cause célèbre across the country during the past year. A number of bullying incidents caught on tape, and in some cases children committing suicide, brought a high level of attention to the subject. Like many other high profile entities, MLB became involved in the efforts to stop the bullying epidemic […]

Surviving Your Team’s Collapse

Until just a few weeks ago, I was traipsing down the path of the content and just, confident in my knowledge that my Boston Red Sox were well on their way to a deep run in the playoffs. They had the most dominant offense in baseball, a pitching staff that was at least adequate, and […]

Jim Gosger: Living the Dream

Playing major league baseball is the dream of many, ranging from young boys to old men. The lucky few who get the opportunity to fulfill that goal carry the memories with them for the rest of their lives, no matter if they got to play in one game or thousands. Jim Gosger was one of […]

Celebrating Mariano Rivera

Mariano Rivera just broke the all time regular season saves record when he recorded number 602 against the Minnesota Twins. Since then I have seen a number of comments and tweets stating that Rivera is now the “undisputed” best reliever of all time. It is important for me to point out that he already held […]

Tony Wolters: The Future of the Cleveland Indians

The Cleveland Indians surprised a lot of people at the beginning of the season with the way they started out of the gate. However, as the season progressed it became apparent that while the team has a good young base, there are still areas where they need to get better. One of the primary ways […]

An Interview with Mike Joyce

Some baseball players are brought to the major league after minimal time in the minors, so prepared are they to play at the highest level. Mike Joyce was one of those players. He was signed by the Chicago White Sox in 1962 as a right-handed pitcher and spent the first half of the season in […]

For Your Consideration: Justin Verlander

Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m starting to come around on Justin Verlander and his case for American League Most Valuable Player. Not too long ago I sneered in the face of popular opinion and proclaimed that Curtis Granderson was going to win the MVP over WAR darling Jose Bautista. Since then I have come to […]

Chad Bettis: Mile High Prospect

The Colorado Rockies have traditionally had a difficult time developing successful pitchers. This has partly been luck in drafting, and partly because of the inability of many pitchers to adapt to the atmosphere of Denver. Regardless, the Rockies continue to try and find as much pitching talent as possible, and have some intriguing young arms […]

Rusty Gerhardt: The Scout

I have long thought that one of the most interesting jobs in baseball is that of a scout. In addition to the traveling, the ability to see so many games and players would be amazing for a baseball nut like me. Of course it would be grueling, especially for those with families, but in many […]

Picking an American League Rookie of the Year

Who is the American League ROY Frontrunner?               : The American League ROY race is a lot closer than what is going on in the National League. Not only have they had more ballyhooed rookies, but they have produced at a higher level as well. The crop of rookies who have become regular players this season […]

Catching Up With Scott McGregor

The recent tragic passing of Mike Flanagan served as a sad reminder of the great Baltimore teams of the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. Looking at their recent results, it is hard to fathom how far the once proud franchise has fallen over the past couple of decades. The term dynasty should not be thrown […]

An Interview with Bob Kendrick: President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

One of the more under-appreciated elements of baseball history is the Negro Leagues. Barred from playing in the Majors, black players instead played at the highest level of competition in their own leagues. Legendary players like Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and Rube Foster rivaled or exceeded the popularity and productivity of any stars in the […]

Dick Brodowski

Dick Brodowski is one of many players who passed in and out of the major leagues, never able to gain enough footing to stay for any extended period of time. He had success in the minors, but couldn’t translate that on a consistent basis at the Big League level. The right-handed pitcher signed with the […]

Who Will Win The National League MVP

The National League MVP race is coming down to a thrilling conclusion, similar to what is happening in the junior circuit. Most exciting is that most of the frontrunners are young players, just coming into their primes. These players have each made compelling cases as to why they should have a new trophy on their […]

Who Will Win the American League MVP

As the home stretch to the playoffs approaches, it is time to start thinking about the individual player awards. In particular, the American League MVP race has been tight all year, with no clear-cut candidate having completely separated themselves from the pack. Fortunately, I have evaluated the evidence and determined the current frontrunner for the […]

Creighton Gubanich: Making a Grand Entrance

Drafted in the 6th round of the 1990 baseball draft by the Oakland Athletics, Creighton Gubanich’s 6-3 200 pound build represented his identity as a power hitting catcher. Also playing a little third and first, Gubanich posted solid numbers everywhere he went in the minors, but was blocked at the major league level by All […]

2011 American League Rookies Who Will Make Biggest 2012 Impact

Sadly, the 2011 baseball season is hurtling towards its regular season conclusion. This season has seen a number of young players playing in their rookie campaigns. These rookies have had varying degrees of success, and many of them will be looked upon to become even more significant contributors in 2012. Their development may have a […]

The Music is Still Sweet: A Conversation with Frank Viola

Frank Viola was always the definition of a “silky left-handed pitcher.” With his seemingly effortless delivery, which produced excellent results during his career, he more than earned his nickname of “Sweet Music.” If injuries hadn’t effectively ended his career at age 34, it would have been interesting to see where his final numbers would have […]

What Happened to the Red Sox/Yankees Rivalry?

As a Red Sox fan, the highlight of the season always used to be the games Boston played against the New York Yankees. The regular season games in particular seemed to be the real rivalry, knowing that inevitably the playoffs would end in some sort of catastrophic fashion for Boston. Even with that fatalistic view, […]

Sam Horn: The Boston Bomber

When I was growing up my favorite type of baseball player was a slugger. Players that exhibited other baseball skills were fine, but I was geared towards the guys who posted big home run and RBI numbers. I was fascinated by guys like Pete Incaviglia and Joey Meyer, and took a lot of pleasure in […]

Why the Rangers Won the Trade Deadline

Carlos Beltran and Hunter Pence may have been the sexiest pick-ups at the 2011 MLB trade deadline, going to the Giants and Phillies respectively, but by the time the season is finished, the Texas Rangers have a good chance of being able to claim that they made the best deals. The Rangers, already armed with […]

David Holtzman: Kansas City Royals Director of Media Relations

Have you ever wondered how where the information you get from the media about your favorite baseball team comes from, or who set up that great interview with the new rookie? If you have, then wonder no more, because I have tracked down someone who is responsible. His name is David Holtzman, and he is […]

Hall of Fame Pitchers and the Little Known Hitters Who Loved Them

Every pitcher has at least one hitter who they dread facing. For pitchers who are in the Hall of Fame, it is easy to assume that their most difficult match-ups were fellow inductees, but quite often it was actually just the opposite. For as great as they were, Hall of Fame pitchers always seem to […]

The Sad Passing of Hideki Irabu

It was reported earlier this week that former Japanese baseball and Major League pitcher Hideki Irabu was found dead on July 28th, at age 42, of an apparent suicide. A star pitcher in Japan who moved on to the Major Leagues, Irabu was disliked and ridiculed for much of his American playing career. His tragic […]

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