October 3, 2025

Top Stories

A Legendary Southpaw South of the Border

September 7, 2025 · by · Leave a Comment 

If you ever visit the Baseball Hall of Fame or spend any time reading about it, sooner or later you will probably hear the inductees referred to as immortals. It is, of course, an exaggeration. On the other hand, that bronze plaque in the hall might qualify as immortal, as it will surely be there long after the player so honored is designated for permanent assignment. George Brunet of Rojas del Aguila de Veracruz in the Mexican League. Cooperstown is not the only place in North America to honor the immortals of baseball. Consider El Salón de la Fama del Béisbol Profesional de México in Monterrey.... [Read the full story]

General

Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Computer Statis Pro Baseball

August 12, 2025 · by · Leave a Comment 

This is the second entry in a series focusing on computer baseball simulations to supplement the chapter “Play Retro Baseball Video Games In Your Browser” from my Hardball Retroactive book along with the corresponding post at Baseball Analytics. The series focuses on baseball simulations – games in which the primary emphasis is on managerial strategy and the ability to replay entire seasons with a degree of realism. Baseball video games that are strictly arcade representations of baseball (based solely on reflex and hand-eye coordination) are excluded. Publisher – The Avalon... [Read the full story]

Features

Gold Glove, Golden Memories: So long, Brooks

September 27, 2023 · by · Leave a Comment 

I have dreaded this day since I was old enough to truly appreciate the perspective that mortality brings. I just heard that Brooks Robinson has died. It must be true because something is gone inside of me. Maybe the last vestiges of childhood innocence that have hung around for these 66 years. Maybe the ultimate rejection of that fantasy that somehow Life will go back to the way it was, and once again we’ll be in the early morning of our hopes and dreams. Yes, this baseball player meant that much to a generation of Baltimoreans; a ballplayer about whom as Gordon Beard, a former AP sports writer... [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

Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Computer Statis Pro Baseball

August 12, 2025 by

This is the second entry in a series focusing on computer baseball simulations to supplement the chapter “Play Retro Baseball Video Games In Your Browser” from my Hardball Retroactive book along with the corresponding post at Baseball Analytics. The series focuses on baseball simulations – games in which the primary emphasis is on managerial... Read more of this article

When Walk-Up Music Walked Tall

July 12, 2025 by

White Sox owner Charles Comiskey The seeds were planted on the South Side of Chicago in 1913, when the White Sox installed a public address system. Only three years old at the time, Comiskey Park was renowned as “The Baseball Palace of the World.” The park was originally dubbed White Sox Park, so it might be that Charles Comiskey wanted to make... Read more of this article

Computer Baseball Sims – Conducting a Solo Draft

May 1, 2025 by

I recently posted a number of tutorial videos on my HardballRetro YouTube channel offering a step-by-step walkthrough for conducting a draft using various computer baseball simulations. You can view the playlist here or click on the individual links to access the videos. I usually break them into two parts: the first video discusses how to create a... Read more of this article

Promise Unfulfilled…But Why?

April 27, 2025 by

Some seamheads check the TRANSACTIONS web sites on a regular basis. Me, I check Baseball Almanac, not for transactions, but for obituaries. When a Hall of Famer (e.g, Rickey Henderson) dies, it makes the news. Lesser players receive less airtime or column space. Sometimes much less. Yet Baseball Almanac dutifully records the death of anyone who ever... Read more of this article

Minor League Ball; Major League Brawl

March 1, 2025 by

Two-team MLB markets have built-in rivalries. Even before inter-league play, the Yankees were, in a sense, competing against the Mets, and before 1958, against the Dodgers and the Giants, though the Yanks never played them in a regular season game. The same had been true for the Cubs and the White Sox since 1901, as well as other cities (Philadelphia,... Read more of this article

Tommy Lasorda: Magnifique Moundsman Of Montreal

January 18, 2025 by

There is not much one can say or write about Tommy Lasorda that hasn’t already been said or written…raconteur, comedian, linguini lover, show biz schmoozer, coach, manager, goodwill ambassador for baseball…and the game’s greatest bullshit artist, though I don’t believe Sabermetrics has advanced to the point where any statistics can be adduced... Read more of this article

Do You Feel Lucky?

October 12, 2024 by

In 1995 Nicolas Cage won a Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of a man committing incremental suicide by alcohol in Leaving Las Vegas. Today a more appropriate remake might be titled Leaving Oakland, which is lacking in alliteration but an accurate description of the professional sports scene in the East Bay. Unlike Nicolas Cage, teams aren’t leaving... Read more of this article

The League of Mysterious Baseballists

September 3, 2024 by

Twenty-First and Lehigh is a painting by Thomas Kolendra When I was growing up, I lived in a National League metro area.  The only games I saw in person were Philadelphia Phillies games, and all I heard on the radio or saw on television were Phillies games.  There was a Game of the Week with Dizzy Dean on CBS but it was not available in Philadelphia... Read more of this article

Barry Shetrone: O’s Bright Prospect Whose Promise Was Unfulfilled

August 4, 2024 by

Speedy outfielder was once compared to Vada Pinson Barry Shetrone was one of the Baltimore Orioles’ brightest prospects when they signed him for $4,000 after he graduated from Southern High School in 1956. Although he became the first Baltimorean to play for the modern-day Orioles (1954 to present), he never fulfilled his promise.  He played... Read more of this article

Baseball’s First Phenom

July 6, 2024 by

Nary a season goes by without the chattering classes of our national pastime heralding the arrival of one or more phenoms. The phrase “can’t miss” is bandied about with the self-assurance of racetrack touts. If you’re keeping score at home, however, you have probably noted how many can’t-miss players fail to live up to their billing. Sooner... Read more of this article

More Posts From General

Features

Gold Glove, Golden Memories: So long, Brooks

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I have dreaded this day since I was old enough to truly appreciate the perspective... 

Cheap and Ugly in the Capitol

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Calvin Griffith (AP Photo/John Duricka )   Upon Googling: “Cheapest Baseball... 

Making the Game Fun Again

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As the season loomed large in the late winter months, a friend who had prepared a... 

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... 

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... 

More Posts From Hall of Fame

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