In the third and final installment of his Q&A with Toronto Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi, Jonah Keri asks about evaluating defense, winning on a low payroll, and the grind of being a major league general manager.
After weeks in exile, Neifi Perez is making his long-awaited return to the majors, where he’ll spell Nomar Garciaparra. This, and other Cubs news, in today’s UTK.
You might think that the National League, which is dominating the performance lists, is the stronger circuit this year. Nate Silver has done the research and come to a different conclusion.
The Marlins have a shot at the wild card, the Yankees have a shot at blowing a very big lead, and the Pirates have a shot at redemption.
The best player in the American League may be headed for a low finish in the BBWAA’s MVP voting. Joe Sheehan explains.
Jim Baker, five-tool writer, invents a statistic and researches preseason
predictions from the 1960s.
Nowhere else in the realm of baseball is anyone talking about Roosterkoop van Sluijterfuss. Chris Kahrl expounds upon him, and real major league ballplayers, inside.
After Derek Zumsteg and Joe Sheehan shared their thoughts on Ichiro Suzuki’s run at .400, Keith Woolner looks into Barry Bonds’ chances of turning the trick.
In Part II of a three-part Q&A, J.P. Ricciardi talks to Jonah Keri about Carlos Delgado’s tough season, new ways to evaluate pitchers, and more.
Steven Goldman, angry about being lied to, exposes the truth about Baseball Prospectus Groupies. He also takes some shots at the Diamondbacks, just because.
With just a handful of games on Monday, Will checks in with updates on the
Mets, White Sox, and a defense of his skepticism about the Cardinals.
After two seasons as a minor league player, J.P. Ricciardi became a coach in the Yankees’ system at age 23. He joined the A’s organization, climbing the ranks from minor league instructor, through multiple scouting positions, to director of player personnel under Billy Beane. Hired by the Blue Jays to be the team’s new general manager in November 2001, he’s now in the midst of a five-year contract extension that takes him through the 2007 season, after being offered the Red Sox job before Theo Epstein took over. Now in his third season with the Jays, Ricciardi has encountered both success (86-76 in ’03) and disappointment (last in the division this year). Ricciardi recently chatted with Baseball Prospectus about expectations for young players, picking the right manager, and more.
Derek Zumsteg weighs in on Ichiro Suzuki, whose two-month hot streak has produced staggering numbers and a reason to watch Mariner baseball this year.
Whether getting mad about faked beanballs or paving the way for the best player to leave, no one on either side of Chicago is happy. Find out what they’re saying in The Week in Quotes.
Returns are the order of the day, as Troy Glaus comes off of the DL, and stars such as Mike Piazza and Trot Nixon wait in line behind him. Will Carroll has all the updates–and a Jerome Benton reference–in today’s UTK.
Ichiro Suzuki is chasing an 84-year-old record that has barely even been challenged in that time. Can he get there? Joe Sheehan looks at his chances.