Kris Medlen for Cy Young? Not So Fast.

Without a runaway winner, baseball award outcomes often come down to the players who have hot streaks occur the latest in the season. One of the most recent players to ride such a surge of late-season success is Atlanta Braves right-handed pitcher Kris Medlen, who has started hearing his name mentioned in the National League […]

Red Sox Fans May Want to Temper Their Expectations for 2013

The disaster that has been the 2012 season for the Boston Red Sox is about to turn into another winter of discontent. Despite the lackluster play, jettisoning of high-priced players, and general uncertainty swirling about the team, the general feeling of fans seems to be that it is only a one year set-back and the […]

Picking the National League’s Top Starting Pitcher Cy Young Candidate

With the regular season winding down there are few playoff spots or post season awards that have been definitively decided. One of the most interesting sprints to the finish is that of the National League Cy Young Award. There are two relievers very much in the hunt for the award, but the top starting pitcher […]

How Yunel Escobar Showed Baseball is Failing to Represent Itself as America’s Pastime

It was announced this week that another major league player had been caught and subsequently reprimanded for offensive language/behavior. The player in this most recent incident was Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Yunel Escobar, who wrote a Spanish gay slur on his eye black, which he wore during a game. Major League Baseball reacted quickly, investigating […]

MVP? Buster Posey May Not Even Be the Best Catcher in the National League This Season

Recently a groundswell of support has pushed Buster Posey to the forefront of the 2012 National League MVP race. After all, he is putting up great numbers in a San Francisco Giants lineup that lacks pop and lost outfielder Melky Cabrera to a 50 game suspension. There is no arguing that Posey is having a […]

Baseball Shifting Path of Consumption

As baseball grew into the American pastime it was all about being as close to the game as possible. This was achieved by actually attending a game or meticulously following the action through the flowery accounts of newspapers. Fans swore allegiance to specific teams and individual players that represented their community or because they liked […]

Return of Roger Clemens is All Show and No Substance

With two scoreless outings with the independent league Sugar Land Skeeters under his belted paunch, 50 year old Roger Clemens is poised to attempt a comeback to the majors with the Houston Astros, either this year or next. Already possessing 354 career wins, Clemens has had one of the most successful, albeit controversial, careers of […]

Interview with New York Mets Prospect Brandon Nimmo

Ownership controversy, unwise free agent signings, and a weak farm system have all been emblematic of the recent struggles of the New York Mets. Playing in the largest market in America, the Mets have been stuck in a rut of mediocrity, unable to match the success and popularity of the cross-town Yankees. Sometimes it takes […]

For Your Consideration: Adrian Beltre

  Last week, Adrian Beltre of the Texas Rangers, was a regular fixture on ESPN SportsCenter, becoming the only major league player other than Joe DiMaggio to have a three home run game and hit for the cycle in the same week. Despite being a consistently good player for nearly 15 years, it’s been rare […]

Red Sox Reboot Creates Many Questions

Boston Red Sox fans have agitated for the better part of the 2012 season for the team to facilitate major change as a way to address their disappointing play since the end of last year. News reports of a completed earth shattering trade suggest that the front office has finally heeded those wishes. Adrian Gonzalez, […]

Lou Gehrig Talks Baseball

Baseball icon Lou Gehrig became truly legendary because of his production, durability, and finally his untimely death at the age of 37 in 1941. His name still resonates with fans today, and despite playing many years with Babe Ruth, he was able to stay out of his shadow and create his own enduring legacy. Much […]

Greed as the Driving Force in Baseball

Baseball has long marketed itself on the narrative that it is the national pastime, where the true players play for the love of the game over any other alternative gains. To play is to personify purity, gamesmanship, and national pride, among other superlatives. While those things may have occasionally been true, they have been used […]

The Yankee Way: A Review of Pinstripe Empire

As a Red Sox fan I thought I had heard it all when it came to the glory of the New York Yankees and their 27 World Series titles. It’s a refrain frequently presented in a matter of fact tone to anyone with the audacity to challenge the place of the Yankees at the top […]

Former Brooklyn Dodgers Pitcher Glenn Mickens Recalls a Wonderful Career

For every star player with a lengthy major league baseball career, there are dozens who only have a “cup of coffee.” The experiences of those short-time players run the gamut of having a moment or two of glory to playing for hapless second division teams. Glenn Mickens was one of those “cup of coffee” players, […]

How the Red Sox Can Build Off a Lost Season

With about two months left in the 2012 season, the record of the Boston Red Sox stands at 54-55, a mere 5 games behind the leaders for the two American League wildcard spots. Although not ideal, many teams would feel comfortable being in such a position with so many games left to play, but for […]

Chatting with Red Sox 2012 1st Round Pick Deven Marrero

The 2012 season has been just as tough for the Boston Red Sox as the last month of their 2011 campaign. Although fans have endured significant recent disappointment, the future appears bright given the way that the team has continued to smartly draft and sign young players. The consensus jewel of their 2012 draft is […]

The 2012 All-Underrated Team

As Major League Baseball heads into the second half of its season chatter increases about the frontrunners for various end-of-year awards. Although these awards recognize some of the greatest players in the game, there are others who toil in relative obscurity despite their own excellent production. They are not overlooked because of unfairness, but rather […]

Catching Up With New York Mets Prospect Travis Taijeron

The past few years have been difficult for the New York Mets. The Fred Wilpon ownership debacle, expensive free agents like Jason Bay not panning out, and the departure of franchise stalwart Jose Reyes have all left fans reeling. The hope that the team can turn things around is largely built on their young player […]

Royals Prospect Terrance Gore is Speeding His Way Through the Minors

The recent success of Cincinnati Reds’ speed-burning prospect Billy Hamilton has given new life and respect to what players with his skill set can bring to the game. If utilized properly, speedsters can wreak havoc, not only on the base paths, but with potentially game-changing defensive range. It’s not easy for teams to find such […]

A Few Questions with John Morlan

From the time he started his collegiate baseball career with Ohio University, John Morlan was one of the top pitching prospects in the game. He had been drafted in 1965 (8th round by the Reds), 1967 (1st round by the Pirates, and 1968 (4th round by the Indians), but passed on signing each time in […]

Chatting with Boston’s “Other” Kendrick Perkins

Many Boston sports fans were upset last year when popular Celtics’ center Kendrick Perkins was traded away. Although he is gone, Boston should prepare for another Kendrick Perkins. This one plays baseball in the Red Sox organization and looks like he could become even more well-regarded than his eponymous predecessor. The baseball playing Perkins is […]

When Honus Wagner Had to Really Prove Himself…

For most fans of baseball history, Honus Wagner represents one of the most respected and mythic figures the game has ever known. The “Flying Dutchman” spent all but three seasons of his 21 year major league career playing shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates before being an inaugural inductee to the Baseball Hall of Fame in […]

Taylor Guerrieri: The Next Big Thing in Tampa

The Tampa Bay Rays are the model small-budget franchise for Major League Baseball. They eschew going after big ticket free agents in favor of methodical young player development. In recent years they have had particular success in cultivating starting pitchers in their farm system, producing quality young arms like James Shields, David Price, Jeremy Hellickson, […]

Meet Detroit Tigers Prospect Joe Rogers

The Detroit Tigers are known for mega stars like Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder, and Justin Verlander, but they can’t rely only on players signed through free agency, so young player development is an important component of the organization. One of the prospects from the 2012 MLB draft they are most excited about is Joe Rogers, […]

Breaking Down the AL Cy Young Race

Having already profiled the Rookie of the Year races, it is time to turn my attention to the early showing in the arms race- the Cy Young Award. While the American League has had a number of stand-out pitchers this season, I am not as impressed with the logjam of candidates in the National League. […]

Breaking Down the 2012 N.L. Cy Young Race

Pitching in the National League this season has seen its fair share of surprises; both the good and the bad. Former stalwarts have seen injury (Roy Halladay) and inexplicable decline (Tim Lincecum), but into those voids have stepped other hurlers looking to establish their own legacies. The result has been some inspired pitching, contributing to […]

Looking Back on Kevin Youkilis’ Career with the Boston Red Sox

Baseball trades often leave fans feeling reflective; in the way one may have felt after having a good friend move away during grade school. Sunday’s announcement that the Red Sox had sent corner infielder Kevin Youkilis to the White Sox in a glorified roster purge to get full time at bats for rookie phenom Will […]

Early Thoughts On the 2012 National League Rookie of the Year Race

Last week I outlined how the American League Rookie of the Year race is shaping up and now it’s the National League’s turn. While the NL has also introduced a strong crop of rookies this year, the level of production has not been quite as high as their AL counterparts. Bryce Harper has gotten the […]

Early Thoughts on the 2012 AL Rookie of the Year Race

While still early, the 2012 major league baseball season is now more than a third over, and many rookies have made intentions about being up to stay clear through their play. It’s never too early to start speculating about the Rookie of the Year race, and the American League has a number of impressive candidates. […]

Reviewing The Baseball Hall of Shame: The Best of Blooperstown

Let’s face it; for many of us baseball fans the game is not always about who won or lost. It’s about the story and the journey of our favorite teams and players, which are comprised of plays; the unusual, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Perhaps more than any other sport baseball has a […]

Jose Cruz, Jr.: Carrying On His Family’s Baseball Legacy

Talented baseball players who have fathers who played in the major are often viewed as the gold standard when evaluating player development. On top of their innate ability, the access to elite instruction and being exposed to what it takes to be a big leaguer puts them at a major advantage over other prospects. The […]

Chatting with the Royals’ Christian Colon

A long spate of losing seasons has put the Kansas City Royals in the position of drafting high in the MLB drafts over the past two-plus decades. However, it has only been recently that the organization has been recognized for accumulating one of the best collections of prospects in the game, with the hope that […]

Can They Keep Up Their Hot Starts?

The first third of the baseball season is just wrapping up and has already been marked by numerous injuries, slow starts, and surprises galore. In particular there are some players who have come out of relative obscurity and are well on their way to posting seasons beyond what even the most optimistic analysts predicted during […]

An Interview with Minnesota Twins Prospect B.J. Hermsen

Although the Minnesota Twins often seem to find success no matter how flashy their roster or how little they spend in free agency, there is little doubt that they are currently in rebuilding mode. In particular their pitching staff is in dire need of an infusion of talent. The team hopes that some answers can […]

An Interview with ESPN’s Baseball Insider Jerry Crasnick

ESPN has grown from a cable sports news channel to a media conglomerate over the past few decades. They have been able to accomplish this by providing comprehensive analysis in the world of sport through all forms of media- print, online, television, radio, and anything else I may be forgetting. As one of the major […]

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