Adam Hyzdu: The Former Boston Red Sox Outfielder’s Hard Road to Success

When Adam Hyzdu came out of high school he was a hot shot prospect, selected in the first round of the 1990 MLB draft by the San Francisco Giants. The future looked promising for the slugging outfielder as he started his professional career. Few people, including Hyzdu, would have guessed that it would take him 10 years […]

The BBWAA “Report Card” for the 21st Century

The CAWS Career Gauge (CCG) has ranked all of the outstanding players of the modern era (since 1920) according to the numbers that they produced on the field.  (CAWS is an acronym for Career Assessment/Win Shares.)   In addition, the CCG has also created a series of benchmarks to determine whether a player seems to have […]

How Has Bryce Harper’s Contract Impacted Mookie Betts’ Quest for a New Deal?

The recent signing of free-agent outfielder Bryce Harper to a record-breaking 13-year, $330 million contract by the Philadelphia Phillies sent shock waves across baseball. Although the star slugger will continue making his home in the National League, the deal may have a surprising impact on the Boston Red Sox—specifically in their pursuit to retain their […]

Examining Bryce Harper’s Free-Agent Contract With the Philadelphia Phillies

A major source of lingering drama in Major League Baseball has been resolved with the news that star free-agent outfielder Bryce Harper has agreed to a 13-year, $330 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. With Spring Training already in full swing, the announcement sets the sport on its ear, as a major domino has fallen and changed the power […]

ESTIMATING PARK FACTORS FOR THE NEGRO LEAGUES

Most serious baseball fans understand that ballparks can have a large impact on statistical performance. However, trying to measure that exact impact often proves difficult. In work we’ve done on Major League ballparks at Seamheads.com, it takes about three full years of data, regressed by about one additional season worth of games, to get a […]

How a Runaway Taxi Temporarily Saved Casey Stengel’s Managing Job

Before he became the legendary skipper of the New York Yankees, winning 10 pennants and seven World Series, Casey Stengel was a pretty good outfielder for 14 big league seasons and a second division manager for the Brooklyn Dodgers and Boston Braves. So uninspiring was his leadership of the Braves, that in 1943 he missed more than […]

WAR and JAWS – Exaggerating Fielding Value

In an earlier post, I pointed out that Matt Chapman’s WAR value for 2018 (8.2) seemed to indicate that he had the third best season of any major leaguer – behind only Mookie Betts and Mike Trout. Of course, any serious fan looking at the numbers would know that this assertion is not believable. There […]

Is the MLBPA Losing Sight of its Mission?

When Marvin Miller worked with a committed corps of Major League players to create the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, the players both individually and collectively were truly a disadvantaged group. A few well-known players got big paydays, but almost every player held an off-season job to […]

A Problem with WAR = Defensive Value

My primary research interest has always been determining which players had the best seasons—and the best careers.  That is why (since the publication of WIN SHARES in 2002) I have used win shares as the basis for my system of evaluating a player’s career (CAWS Career Gauge). As a mathematician, it is difficult for me […]

Jalal Leach: A Giant Testament to Perseverance

When baseball players sign their first professional contract they have stars in their eyes and no doubts in their mind as they are certain they will play in the major leagues. Unfortunately, the majority of these young men see their careers end short of their goal. However, a small number make it, which is a […]

The Four CAWS HOF Benchmarks for Pitchers

In a previous post re Koufax and Kershaw, I mentioned one of the benchmarks created by the CAWS Career Gauge to help establish whether a pitcher posted HOF numbers during his career.  As a result of that post, I have been asked to list all of the benchmarks for pitchers. (CAWS  =  career assessment/win shares). […]

The “technically …not” Hall of Fame

In 2006, a Baseball Hall of Fame Special Committee on Negro Leagues, made up primarily of expert blackball scholars, elected 17 Negro Leaguers to the Hall of Fame, almost doubling the total number of players and executives whose careers were primarily in the Negro Leagues from 18 to 35. If we use Sol White and […]

Koufax and Kershaw and the Hall of Fame

Consider a pitcher who recorded the following distinctions during his career: Won the Cy Young Award three times Won the ERA title five times Was an All Star seven times Was voted MVP (Most Valuable Player) Sandy Koufax did all of these things in twelve seasons in the major leagues with the Dodgers.   And, of […]

“A Million Dollar Deal”

In 1965 the Cincinnati Reds dealt Frank Robinson to the Baltimore Orioles.  Here’s an article I wrote almost 12 years ago that examines that historic trade. May you forever rest in peace, Mr. Robinson.  December 9, 1965: Reds right fielder Frank Robinson to the Orioles for Milt Pappas, Jack Baldschun and Dick Simpson. When Cincinnati […]

THE BALLPARK CHRONICLES

Soon a new version of the classic ballpark book “Green Cathedrals” will be issued by SABR (Society for American Baseball Research). After having researched over 400 specific Blackball parks for the updated book, here are a few interesting ballpark facts I discovered. Philadelphia Mysteries Pencoyd Park was the home of the 1928 Philadelphia Tigers of […]

Baseball Hall of Fame Voting Peculiarities of the Past

The 2019 Baseball Hall of Fame election results were recently announced, with Mariano Rivera, Mike Mussina and Edgar Martinez all receiving the requisite number of votes. In particular, Rivera gained national headlines by becoming the first person to be named on 100 percent of the ballots that were cast. While he was a wonderful pitcher and completely deserving of the honor it […]

Braves (5) Go the Distance Again Before Sending Rockies (4) Packing in Round 2

The following are game accounts from a holiday tournament I’m participating in using Action! PC Baseball from Dave Koch Sports Inc. We’re using 2018 rosters, teams are seeded based on their record, and I’m representing the Atlanta Braves (the Red Sox were already taken by the time it was my turn to pick). Information about the […]

Ryan Westmoreland: Former Boston Red Sox Top Prospect Talks Playing Career and New Focus

For serious fans of the Boston Red Sox, Harry Agganis and Tony Conigliaro are familiar names. Both were top young players who saw their promising careers curtailed by tragedy and unforeseen circumstance (Conigliaro was severely injured by a beanball and Agganis died as the result of a pulmonary embolism). Another top prospect for the team was outfielder Ryan Westmoreland, who […]

Dbacks (7) “Ex-Zach-T” Victory Over Phightins (10) in 4 Games

The following are game accounts courtesy of Andy Sexton from a holiday tournament I’m participating in using Action! PC Baseball from Dave Koch Sports Inc. We’re using 2018 rosters, teams are seeded based on their record, and I’m representing the Atlanta Braves (the Red Sox were already taken by the time it was my turn to […]

Seesaw Series Between Cards (6) and Mets (11) Won by St. Louis in Epic Game 5

The following are game accounts from a holiday tournament I’m participating in using Action! PC Baseball from Dave Koch Sports Inc. We’re using 2018 rosters, teams are seeded based on their record, and I’m representing the Atlanta Braves (the Red Sox were already taken by the time it was my turn to pick). Information about the […]

Braves (5) Overcome 0-2 Deficit, Win Three Straight Against Giants (12) to Advance

The following are game accounts from a holiday tournament I’m participating in using Action! PC Baseball from Dave Koch Sports Inc. We’re using 2018 rosters, teams are seeded based on their record, and I’m representing the Atlanta Braves (the Red Sox were already taken by the time it was my turn to pick). Information about the […]

Nats (8) Sweep Bucs (9)–Turner’s Inside-the-Parker Wins Game 2

The following is a game account courtesy of Jim Clouser from a holiday tournament I’m participating in using Action! PC Baseball from Dave Koch Sports Inc. We’re using 2018 rosters, teams are seeded based on their record, and I’m representing the Atlanta Braves (the Red Sox were already taken by the time it was my turn […]

This Con is On Us

Craig Calcaterra, who is NBC Sports’ lead baseball writer, wears his journalistic principles on his sleeve. Like a badge of honor, Calcaterra’s Twitter profile notes that “journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed.” Calcaterra’s website points out he worked for such Columbus firms as Thompson Hine, L.L.P and Squire, Sanders & Dempsey. […]

Negro League DB Update: 1927 Eastern Colored League

Having brought our coverage of Negro league statistics forward to 1948, we are now going back to fill in the missing seasons from the late 1920s and early 1930s. First up is the 1927 Eastern Colored League, along with the Negro League World Series that year. The 1927 ECL opened with the same seven teams […]

“Rooftop Ruppert” Jones and His 12-Year Ride in Major League Baseball

Ruppert Jones has one of the coolest nicknames in baseball history; “Rooftop Ruppert.” This was due to his proclivity in hitting tape measure home runs in Tiger Stadium during his lone season with the Detroit Tigers in 1984. However, this is just one part of a greater 12-year major league career enjoyed by the former outfielder. […]

“Field of Dreams” Changed Dwier Brown’s Life

As iconic moments go, it’s hard to beat the scene from Field of Dreams when Kevin Costner turns to Dwier Brown and, with the late James Horner’s Oscar-nominated score supplying the appropriately tearful mood, asks, “Hey Dad, you wanna have a catch?” “I didn’t understand the profundity of it,” recalls Brown, who served as the keynote speaker this past […]

The Baseball Hall of Fame Case for Fred McGriff

Voting for the 2019 class of the National Baseball Hall of Fame is due shortly. As always, there will be much debate over who should and shouldn’t get in, and a wheelbarrow load of whys. Contributing to this muck and mire is the following discussion of a player who is sure to get some votes, […]

Negro Leagues Database Update: East-West All-Star Games Added

We have now added 22 new games to the Negro Leagues Database – the 16 East-West All-Star games played annually at Comiskey Park in Chicago from 1933 through 1948, plus 6 ‘second all-star games’ that were played at various eastern ballparks (two at the Polo Grounds, two at Yankee Stadium, one at Griffith Stadium and […]

Lots of Dollars But No Sense

Guess how much each member of the Boston Red Sox who was voted a full playoff share for winning the World Series is getting? Over $416,800. Not bad. Here’s what is bad: at a time when our national pastime is doing financially well, when each team is valued at more than $1.52 billion – that’s […]

Boston Red Sox Radio Announcer Tim Neverett Discusses His Career and 2018 World Series

The Boston Red Sox enjoyed a magical 2018, winning 108 games in the regular season, on their way to steamrolling through the playoffs and defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. It was also one of their most entertaining seasons, as in retrospect they seemingly cruised to the title right from the start. […]

“Field of Dreams” is Still a Heavenly Movie…Even if Isn’t Always Faithful to Its Source Material

Okay, so you know the real “Shoeless” Joe Jackson batted lefty and threw righty, but that Ray Liotta bats right-handed and throws with his left in Field of Dreams. And that he was semi-illiterate, rather than the raconteur Liotta played him as. Okay, so you know that the real Archie “Moonlight” Graham died in 1965—making […]

The Road Less Traveled By…

The Washington Nationals have reached a familiar decision point. In 1969 Bowie Kuhn stood at a similar divergence. He had to chose between Bob Short’s desire to purchase the Washington Senators and almost certainly move them somewhere else, or go with a local ownership group of unknown ability to hold the fort. Bob Short came to […]

Vance Law Discusses His Life In Baseball

Vance Law had access to big league baseball that most kids can only dream about. His father Vern had a 16-year major league career as a star pitcher. Not surprisingly, Vance went into the family business and his in the midst of a 40-year (and still going) baseball career. Vance has an 11-year career (1980-1991) playing in the […]

Three Free Agents That May Interest the Boston Red Sox This Off-Season

Now that the 2018 baseball season is over and Boston Red Sox players have retired to their couches and golf courses to enjoy the off-season, eyes shift to 2019. While the team will return an impressive core, there is always a desire to explore available players who may be able to improve on what is […]

Whitey Ford, Chairman of the Board and the Greatest Living Yankee

There is something magical, lyrical even, about the man and his moniker. Whitey Ford. Chairman of the Board. For longtime Yankees fans, the native New Yorker – Ford was born in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens and will turn 90 on Oct. 21 – is not only the “Greatest Living Yankee,” he is as synonymous […]

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