The Greatest Youngster Around

Hey baseball fans! Let’s get something straight: not all Hall of Famers have a World Series ring. For example, Ernie Banks never got one because he played on the Cubs. Harmon Killebrew almost got a ring in ’65 with the Twins, but never got that close to a championship again in his career. Finally, even the great Ted Williams never got […]

The Original Iron Man

Generally, the term “Iron man” in baseball is reserved for the player who has played in the most consecutive games in major league history.  Currently, Cal Ripken holds that title by playing in 2,632 consecutive games.  Breaking the record of 2,130 games formally held by Lou “The Iron Horse” Gehrig.  Wiley Piatt was the first […]

Clearing The Bases

Well all of the fantasy rankings have been completed, it’s time to talk about real life baseball. There will be very little fantasy talk in this column as I will be making predictions on how the divisions will end. Predictions are never all that easy and in some cases completely useless once the season begins […]

Kazmir Gets Headlines as Indians’ Fifth Starter, And Dylan Axelrod Earns Same Job With White Sox

While disappointments always show up this time of year as major league teams trim their rosters to the 25-man Opening Day limit, Independent Baseball got a double dose of good news this week in learning that two of its recent pitchers have nailed down No. 5 starting roles in rotations. Scott Kazmir has drawn so […]

We Declare Peace on War

The 2013 Major League Baseball season begins Sunday night. In preparation for another exciting campaign, the founders at 60ft6in.com has introduced a new pitching metric called Pitcher Evaluation ACE (PEACE). This new tool compares each pitching season to the average historical season. The structure of PEACE is similar to Factor12. However, adjustments have been made to account for […]

Clearing The Bases

Well all of the fantasy rankings have been completed, it’s time to talk about real life baseball.  There will be very little fantasy talk in this column as I will be making predictions on how the divisions will end.  Predictions are never all that easy and in some cases completely useless once the season begins […]

Kevin Pillar: How the Toronto Blue Jays’ Prospect is Raking His Way Through the Minor Leagues

The Toronto Blue Jays traded a significant amount of their minor league talent to the Miami Marlins this past offseason in a huge trade that netted Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Josh Johnson among others. Despite the deal, their cupboard is far from bare. Outfielder Kevin Pillar is one of the organization’s best young players […]

Fair Trade?

March 17, 2013 something bizarre occurred in major league baseball.  Mike Cisco, the grand son of Galen Cisco, former MLB pitcher, and pitching coach , was traded to the Los Angeles Angels.  So, what was so unusual about that?  The Angels acquired the Philadelphia pitching prospect for nothing! Mike Cisco, a prospect, pitched at Reading […]

Boston Red Sox Pitching Prospect Matt Spalding is Looking to Make His Mark

The more advanced prospects of the Boston Red Sox have received a lot of attention this spring. While it is certainly an impressive group, the team also has a lot of valuable young players in the lower levels of their minor league system. One of those rising players is right-handed pitcher Matt Spalding, who just […]

ML”what would”B: What if Tex was a Red Sox Part Two

Hey baseball fans! I just put up another ML”what would”B post on More Than a Fan. In every ML”what would”B alternative history post, I discuss what would have happened if a famous event in baseball history had gone differently than it did in reality. For my latest post, I continued the discussion I started back in February […]

Clearing The Bases

Welcome to the first day of spring and if you live in the Northeast well then you know it’s about 30 degrees and snowing, not exactly good news for MLB, when the season will begin in about 10 days.  Today we will complete our rankings with the outfielders.  I’m not going to rank designated hitters […]

What Irony If Chris Colabello and Curt Smith End Up Competing for Same Job With Twins

It was only a week ago in this space that I found myself praising the WBC performances of Chris Colabello and Curt Smith.  I hope that cruel irony does not step in for this pair. Minnesota gave Colabello, the longtime Can-Am League standout (Worcester, MA and Nashua, NH) only two at-bats after Team Italy was […]

Lonely at the Top–Jeffrey Loria’s Vision for Baseball in South Florida

Jeffrey Loria’s lawsuit against the only two remaining season ticket holders in the Miami-Dade area has sparked a debate about the worst owners of professional baseball teams over the years. Charlie Comiskey was an early favorite in the race based on his penurious handling of payroll that some have argued was the reason for the […]

Wamby Pulls a Dandy

Hey baseball fans! I’m pretty sure you’ve all heard of a triple play before, but have you also heard of an unassisted triple play? If you haven’t, let me explain: an unassisted triple play is when one player on the field makes all three outs of a triple play without any help, for example no […]

Recalling the Death of Tim Crews and Steve Olin in 1993 Spring Training

A few years ago I looked back at the Cleveland Indians’ speedboat wreck in Florida on March 22, 1993, that killed Steve Olin and Tim Crews, and nearly killed Bob Ojeda. The 20th anniversary of the tragedy is this week. If any in the Seamheads audience remember the tragedy and your reaction to it, I’d […]

March Gladness: Further Thoughts on the World Baseball Classic

It isn’t always pretty, the timing stinks, the umpiring is spotty, the pitch count limits are a drag, many of the games are half-attended and God only knows what the TV ratings are, but I’d still rather watch The Kingdom of the Netherlands battle Chinese Tapei in the World Baseball Classic than one inning of […]

Springtimes Past and the Changes They Have Wrought

Watching Anthony Rendon play third base for the Nationals last week in Kissimmee, Florida reminded me of so many past Spring Training games. Osceola Stadium, where the Astros train in March each year, is one of my favorite places to watch major league baseball. It is the closest ballpark to Viera, FL where the Washington […]

Cole Frenzel: Seeking His Opportunity with the New York Mets

The New York Mets face a bleak situation with their offense as the 2013 season nears. Other than third baseman David Wright and first baseman Ike Davis, they lack any above-average bats, but hope that help may be on the way courtesy of their minor league system. One player who could be in the mix […]

Orioles Emphasize Scouting Independent Leagues And It Is So Evident in Their Minor League Camp

The best place for an Independent Baseball fan to hang out this month—at least aside from a major league spring training site where many a hopeful is playing—might be at the Buck O’Neil Baseball Complex on the south side of Sarasota, FL. At one time, this same site hosted the Kansas City Royals’ innovative Baseball […]

Clearing The Bases

Third base is loaded with great players at the top but declines rather quickly.  The top five players will be gone by the end of the 2nd round and although the second tier has some interesting players with some upside, they also come with quite a few warning flags, everything from injury concerns, to one […]

The Fan’s Guide To Spring Training

Even though Spring Training is already well under way, here are some cool facts to chew on. Source: Sports Management Degree Hub

Clearing The Bases

The position of shortstop is traditionally weak, and this year is no exception.  The first 3-4 players are studs, next two I wouldn’t mind having, then everyone else is pretty much a dartboard throw, hoping they help me more than they hurt me.  What I mean by that is that if I take someone like […]

Clearing The Bases

Position scarcity seems to be the first phrase that comes to mind when discussing second base.  Hard to argue with the logic, after the top 6-7 players the talent dries up quickly.  Robinson Cano is in consideration for the fourth overall pick in fantasy drafts, but no other 2B will be taken in the 1st […]

An Interview with Sports Illustrated’s Steve Rushin

Nationally known sportswriters can become voices of generations if they ply their craft with enough skill and passion. Grantland Rice, Red Smith and Bob Ryan represent just a few of the scribes who captivated readers during their careers.  Even though shifting media trends have driven writers to be more versatile and knowledgeable on a variety […]

Brooklyn Dodgers, Jackie Robinson and the 1946 Pennant

I’m currently in the middle of reading a handful of Jackie Robinson/Branch Rickey/Brooklyn Dodger themed books. The reason being is that I am pumped to see the movie “42” next month. After watching this trailer, how could you not get excited? Recently, one of the books went through Robinson’s 1946 season with the Montreal Royals […]

NJBM Kids’ Hot Korner: Ichiro Suzuki

Hey baseball fans! I just put up my latest post in the Kids’ Hot Korner section of New Jersey Baseball Magazine.  This one is in honor of my aunt Rie Suzuki’s favorite player. Can you guess who it is?  If you want to read more about my aunt’s favorite MLB player from Japan, just click here. And […]

Steve Carlton

Hey baseball fans! I recently thought to myself: “Who was the best pitcher ever on the worst team?” I didn’t want to write something about Walter Johnson, because his name regularly appears in my articles, so I decided to go with the next best person: Steve Carlton. Steve Carlton was a very tough competitor, which is why […]

Underdogs, Yes, But Independent-Packed Team Spain Players Are Used to Fighting for Approval

Spain seems to be a long shot among the 12 teams remaining in the third World Baseball Classic, but there were plenty of smiles and expressions of hope when I tracked down several of the 13 current or former Independent Baseball players on the 28-man roster shortly before they left Florida for their first round […]

Clearing The Bases

Now we get to a position in which I would spend an early pick or high dollar amount on.  First base is deep, but not with as many top tiered players as there have been in the past.  New York Yankees 1B Mark Teixeira was taken off this list as he suffered a strained list […]

Can You Over-hype the Nationals?

Bryce Harper has put on 10 pounds to hike his playing weight for 2013 to 230.  I remember Jim Callis at Baseball America coming on our podcast a few years ago and quoting some scouts who believe Harper will one day have more of an Adam Dunn footprint than a Mickey Mantle one.  I don’t […]

Can’t Anybody Here Play This Game…Without Getting Injured in a Bizarre Fashion?

I finally figured out how Cal Ripken Jr. managed to play 2,632 consecutive games for the Orioles. Evidently he didn’t wrestle his dog, take his kids shopping or shovel his driveway during the streak. “The Iron Man” was fortunate to stay relatively healthy, but he was also smart enough not to leave anything to chance. […]

Clearing The Bases

Catcher is yet another position that I will wait on in my draft.   I love Buster Posey, he’s a great player, but I’m not spending $40 in an auction or using a 1st or 2nd round pick to select him.  The reason is simple.  Catchers are at a much higher risk of injury than any […]

Kurt Heyer: Seeking to Go from College World Series Champ to the Majors

The St. Louis Cardinals have received recognition in recent seasons because of the excellent pitching prospects that have been winding their way through their minor league system. Shelby Miller, Trevor Rosenthal and Lance Lynn have all received a lot of attention and varying levels of success and exposure at the major league level. It appears […]

NJBM Kids’ Hot Korner: Mike Schmidt

Hey baseball fans! I just put up my latest post in the Kids’ Hot Korner section of New Jersey Baseball Magazine.  This one is extra special, since it’s about my all time favorite player, Mike Schmidt. If you’d like to read the article, just click here. And tune in again real soon for more of “all the buzz […]

My Top Five Baseball Families

Hey baseball fans!Matt Nadel here with another dose of baseball history. In today’s post, I will be telling you all who I think are the top five families in baseball history.  (Note that I originally posted this for Big Leagues Magazine, a really great online magazine that I write for. Hope you check it out.) Number […]

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