The Mariners have watched a string of players leave the organization and immediately play better for a new one. Derek Zumsteg examines the phenomenon.
The Astros have been the dominant team in 11-year history of the NL Central. Their collapse this season, however, is the final blow to an aging roster that needs to be rehauled. Joe Sheehan examines what went wrong in ’04.
Take a quick trip around the game with Dayn Perry, including a look at Brandon Phillips, a diagnosis on Sammy Sosa, and a salute to Ray Lankford.
Having embarrassed the meek, the good doctor now celebrates the strong by counting down the best-hitting pitchers in baseball.
Mark Buehrle’s on the rise, but Barry Zito’s stock is falling. And who’s to blame for Philadelphia’s shorcomings? All this and more in your Wednesday Prospectus Triple Play.
Neither sniffles nor coughs nor achiness nor sneezes can keep our man from his appointed rounds. If Pat Burrell can try and play through it–see inside–so can Will Carroll.
Note: As we’ve mentioned in the past, every so often, we lay our hands on a document that was probably not intended for public consumption. We are not at liberty to say how it is we come by these things because we do not wish to compromise our conduit thereto. Suffice it to say, we will continue to make these available to you as long as we can continue to “come by” them. Here is the latest of these intercepted internal missives.
Derek Zumsteg takes a closer look at Boston’s Mientkiewicz-to-second-base experiment, and likes the risk-taking by the Sox.
All three of these teams find themselves in the playoff race. Find out what they’re doing about it, including who their likely September call-ups will be, in today’s PTP.
The wild-card races have reached a boiling point, but there’s something being lost in the steam. Joe Sheehan points out the missing elements in today’s column.
You wouldn’t think that Doug Mientkiewicz would have something in common with Hank Aaron and Mickey Mantle. That’s why we keep Steven Goldman around.
What kind of list has Ben Sheets in between Sterling Hitchcock and Ryan Dempster? Not one you want to be on. The good doctor shines a light into some deep, dark corners of the batter’s box.
Looking for information on an injured reliever? You’ll probably find it in today’s UTK, along with news about Brad Penny, Joe Mauer and Mike Mussina. Plus, Natalie Coughlin makes her first appearance ever at BP.com.
Reaction from yesterday’s Pirates/Rockies set-to, and two of the greatest left fielders the game has ever known talk about nearing the end, in the latest The Week in Quotes.
Baseball teams show a consistent home-field advantage each season, with homer teams playing about .540 ball. Is that edge due to home teams doing a better job of taking the extra base thanks to familiarity with their environment? James Click breaks it down.
A number of young players–J.D. Closser, Jairo Garcia, and Cha Seung Baek among them–reached the majors last week. Chris Kahrl evaluates the arrivals and also dissects the Reds/Phillies trade in the latest TA.