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Coming February 8
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Blog Entries |
Wezen-Ball: The Williams "Double Header" |
A look at a 1950 pinball-style baseball game.
February 6, 2012 8:38 pm
BP Unfiltered: The Weakest Of The Weak |
Voting results for The Hall Of Famously Weak Arguments are in.
The votes have been tabulated, and five nominees have been deemed worthy of enshrinement in the Hall of Famously Weak Arguments. Here they are in descending order of support:
February 3, 2012 4:52 pm
BP Podcast: Episode 81: I Don't Want To Drink This Anymore |
Let's keep it short. Let's just do an intimate show. Those were my thoughts heading into Thursday night, and all I really learned is that Jason and I don't know how to stop talking. Our listeners came up big in the email department, we have lots of prospects to talk about, and with the Cubs signing Gerardo Concepcion and the Josh Hamilton story breaking, we had some current events to discuss as well. As always, we hope you enjoy.
Let's keep it short. Let's just do an intimate show. Those were my thoughts heading into Thursday night, and all I really learned is that Jason and I don't know how to stop talking. Our listeners came up big in the email department, we have lots of prospects to talk about, and with the Cubs signing Gerardo Concepcion and the Josh Hamilton story breaking, we had some current events to discuss as well. As always, we hope you enjoy.
Note: We do alert you to the presence of the occasional adult language and subject matter. Don't say we didn't warn you.
February 3, 2012 1:43 pm
Wezen-Ball: Friday Fun - Popeye and PEDs |
Evidence of rampant PED use in 1937.
On a Friday afternoon when all the "baseball talk" around the web has been decidedly not about baseball, how about a little fun?
They say the PED problem in baseball is a recent issue in baseball, with most experts placing it's emergence to somewhere around Jose Canseco's career. Well, as this 1937 video shows you, it's been around for far longer than that.
February 2, 2012 4:38 pm
Future Shock Blog: Edwin Jackson and the Fall of 2003 |
The signing of Edwin Jackson brings back some memories of the prospect that once was.
The story of the day, in what has been a slow news week, is Edwin Jackson signing a one-year deal with the Washington Nationals. There are plenty of people out there doing the smart, prudent thing by talking about what this means for the team in 2012, and how a crowded fight for the final spot in the Nationals rotation will work out. Unfortunately, that's not how my mind works. When I think about Edwin Jackson, the first thing I think about is September 9, 2003.
February 1, 2012 12:28 pm
BP Unfiltered: Jaffe Versus Bowa |
In which old school and new school find some common ground on Clubhouse Confidential.
I wasn't always a Larry Bowa fan. I grew up rooting for the Dodgers in the late 1970s, during the time of their heated rivalry with the Phillies. The two teams tangled in the 1977 and 1978 National League Championship Series, with the Dodgers winning twice and advancing to the World Series, only to meet their doom at the hands of the Yankees. That Phillies team, anchored by future Hall of Famers Mike Schmidt and Steve Carlton, slugger Greg Luzinski, fireman Tug McGraw, speedster Garry Maddox and backstop Bob Boone, didn't lack for memorable players. Bowa was the slick-fielding starting shortstop, a slappy contact hitter and a fiery competitor whose visible intensity wasn't likely to gain the affection of fans of opposing teams, and in my case, it didn't. His abilities were nonetheless respected enough by the writers that he placed a strong third in the 1978 NL MVP voting in on the strength of a season in which he hit .294/.319/.370 with 192 hits but just three homers and 43 RBI. Bowa was worth a runaway career best 4.6 WARP that year, good for 23rd in the league, but still requiring some amount of narrative grease to outdo the higher rankings of teammates Schmidt, Luzinski, and Maddox, not to mention fourth-place finisher Reggie Smith (.295/.382/.559, 6.0 WARP) of the Dodgers.
February 1, 2012 9:00 am
Between The Numbers: Fact-Checking Scott Boras |
Are the super-agent's statistics damned lies? And is he any more credible if he's technically telling the truth?
Combing through Scott Boras' statements for inaccuracies is a little like tilting at windmills (or so I assume—it's been years since I've seen a windmill, let alone tilted at one). That’s because Boras' greatest ambition isn't impeccable candor; it's getting the most money for his clients (and by extension, of course, himself). Telling the truth is often a good way to get paid, since no general manager likes to be lied to. Sometimes, though, the best way for an agent to stretch his wallet is to stretch the truth. That’s why every offseason, each team can expect to receive a hefty booklet about the latest big Boras free agent, explaining why Oliver Perez is the second coming of Randy Johnson or how Prince Fielder isn't fat, he's just big-boned. There's nothing wrong with these tall tales, so put down your pitchforks. Boras is just doing his job, and he’s doing it better than anyone else. (Just ask Fielder.)
Still, it doesn't hurt to hold him accountable for some of his more glaring leaps of logic. That’s why alarm bells went off in my head when I read a quote of his from a couple weeks ago:
January 31, 2012 11:43 pm
Wezen-Ball: Topps Honors Special "Animal" Moments |
A look at a few "official" Topps cards from 2012 honoring great animal moments of the past.
The 2012 Topps Baseball Card set hits the store shelves on Wednesday. Earlier this week, an image of one of the set's most creative cards was released to the public:
January 30, 2012 11:38 pm
Wezen-Ball: John McGraw & Christy Mathewson: Out-of-Copyright Authors |
A look at five turn-of-the-century books written by baseball stars of the time that are now available on your ebook reader.
I'm always in awe of the digital age we live in. Everything is on demand and at your fingertips. Music, movies, television, video games - they can all be enjoyed anywhere you are almost instantly. Books are the same way, with all the various e-book readers on the market now. In fact, instantly downloadable electronic books are so prevalent that each and every one of us can even read books about baseball written by turn-of-the-century Hall of Famers with just a few clicks of a mouse button.
Currently, there are at least five different baseball books available free on Google Books written by early-20th century baseball stars, including legendary Hall of Famers John McGraw and Christy Mathewson. These books are also available in other ebook stores, but the prices and availability differ.
January 30, 2012 4:09 am
Baseball Prospectus Book News: Extra Innings: More Baseball Between the Numbers Available for Pre-Order |
The sequel is finally coming.
It is my pleasure to announce that, at long last, Extra Innings: More Baseball Between the Numbers, is available for preorder.
January 27, 2012 12:07 pm
BP Unfiltered: Marking My Debut |
Introducing our newest analyst and author, and our first regular contributor from across the pond.
Hi, I'm the new guy.
January 26, 2012 6:11 pm
BP Podcast: Episode 80: He Hit Both Basins |
It's the return of Jason and a very long show as we have lots of prospect lists to discuss, as well as my unhealthy obsession with baseball media in the digital age. To help us conquer the latter, we enlist Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated to discuss the new world of breaking news and then to Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors about his position as the gatekeeper for breaking stories. It's a fascinating subject, and both guests are up to the task. As always, there's your emails and the goofy stuff, and set aside about three hours, as this is a long one.
It's the return of Jason and a very long show as we have lots of prospect lists to discuss, as well as my unhealthy obsession with baseball media in the digital age. To help us conquer the latter, we enlist Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated to discuss the new world of breaking news and then to Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors about his position as the gatekeeper for breaking stories. It's a fascinating subject, and both guests are up to the task. As always, there's your emails and the goofy stuff, and set aside about three hours, as this is a long one.
Note: We do alert you to the presence of the occasional adult language and subject matter. Don't say we didn't warn you.
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