The All-Star rosters are assembled in a convoluted way, so to analyze the teams, you have to look at what each group of selectors did.
Joe takes a look at a team he hasn’t written about in a while, the San Diego Padres.
The importance of the “little things” may be overstated, but that doesn’t mean they don’t affect the course of a game…or even one critical inning.
All eyes are on the AL Central, but the team leading the AL East is the hottest one in baseball.
The White Sox are powering their way through the season, and the media coverage correctly points out their success is due to the long ball. What’s that you say? There’s no such coverage? Joe looks at why that’s the case.
On the night a seven-time Cy Young Award winner made his season debut, a pitcher with no hardware stole the show.
Parity reigns supreme in the NL West so far this year. Joe takes a closer look at how they compare using both their actual W-L records and their underlying run elements.
A disastrous sweep at the hands of the Red Sox has the Braves just about dead in the NL East.
Joe wonders about the Mets’ chances to end the Braves’ run of dominance, and his investigation eventually leads him to New York’s strong outfield defense.
The Diamondbacks’ 0-6 run since the Grimsley story broke is about on-field factors, not off-field ones.
Joe wants some restraint–and some facts–brought to the steroids discussion.
Things have changed in the AL, where the biggest series of the week may have been played far away from the Bronx.
Despite a mediocre pitching staff, the Yankees are in first place. Joe takes a look at the main reason why.
Two Rodriguezes lead the way on Joe’s AL All-Star ballot.
After collecting and losing ballots throughout May, Joe finally got around to submitting his yesterday at Dodger Stadium.
A glance at the standings from one year ago provides an interesting prism through which to view today’s.