First off, I need to apologize to Brewer fans, to the state of Wisconsin, to anyone who has ever eaten cheese or watched more than two episodes of "Laverne & Shirley." Thursday, I mentioned that San Diego was the only place where I’d witnessed tailgating at a baseball game. When the article was posted, Chris…
Yes, I know I promised more on the "walk gap," but that’s going to have to wait a couple of days. I’ll be able to do the legwork over the weekend and have more on the topic Monday. What I want to write about today is the baseball team I’ll be watching in a few…
One of the things we’re always yammering about is control of the strike zone. We evaluate players based on their on-base percentage and walk rate and pitchers by their strikeout-to-walk ratio. We emphasize–some would say overemphasize–plate discipline for hitters and control for pitchers when we talk about minor leaguers, and often tout players for no…
Yes, I know I promised more on the "walk gap," but that’s going to have to wait a couple of days. I’ll be able to do the legwork over the weekend and have more on the topic Monday. What I want to write about today is the baseball team I’ll be watching in a few…
Completing the extended tour of performances to date, here’s a glance at Double-A and below. The Erie SeaWolves are giving Tigers fans a lot of reasons for hope. They’re tearing apart the Eastern League, leading it in runs, BA, walks, and OBP, and are in middle of the pack in ERA. Shortstop prospect Omar Infante,…
Here’s a look around the minor leagues, similar to what I did for the AL and NL last week. I’ll focus mainly on Triple-A today, then the rest of the minors tomorrow. (Honest.) Alfonso Soriano has gotten a lot of attention for his play, and Tino Martinez has managed to be adequate so far, but…
I’ve gone about a week without a functioning e-mail address, but I think I’m handling it well. My last offer to get it fixed was my left arm, but I think the powers that be are holding out for the right one and a kidney to be named later. I figure we’ll have a deal…
Not long ago, with offensive levels rising and some of the greatest players in the game’s long history performing at their peak, speculation was rampant that the game’s most hallowed records–most notably Hank Aaron‘s 755 career home runs–were in severe jeopardy. Maybe not. Mark McGwire, whose 135 home runs in 1998 and 1999 made him…
(Note to anyone trying to send me e-mail: it probably will bounce for the next 12 to 48 hours. Thanks for your patience. –JSS) Walking through the parity league… Robb Nen has been alternating dominant seasons with so-so ones since 1996, but his early results so far indicate that the streak may end. Ten baserunners…
I’ve been writing "D"P for a little over a year now, and in that time I’ve run into occasional writer’s blocks of various sizes. Missing a day or turning out a column with which I’m not happy irks me terribly, while enhancing my admiration of someone like Rob Neyer, who has cranked out daily, high-quality…
Last night’s scene at the Metrodome in Minneapolis was a blot on the Twins’ great start. Some imbeciles in the left-field seats decided that the sixth inning would be a good time to test their arms, and began throwing objects at Yankees’ left fielder and ex-Twin, Chuck Knoblauch. As bad as the incident was–and I…
The early season can be a dangerous time for analysts and fans trying to make sense of player performance. There are sample-size issues, quality of opponent problems (especially this season), and a host of other reasons to look at April numbers with a skeptical eye. Compounding these problems is the natural tendency of batting averages–often…
One of the things that unifies baseball fans is poring over boxscores, a tradition that goes back more than 100 years. In the past decade, that poring tends to occur less with a newspaper and more online, but the tradition remains. I’m on Day 2 of what will be eight days of sharing a single…
Some of you may remember a play from the 2000 postseason that generated a lot of discussion. It occurred near the end of Game 3 of the NL Division Series between the Mets and the Giants. With one out in the top of the ninth, the Giants’ Armando Rios was on second base representing the…
While watching the Twins beat the White Sox–again–on Saturday, I was mightily impressed with their outfield defense, and not just because Torii Hunter made the play of the weekend. Jacque Jones is a center fielder playing left field and Matt Lawton is an underrated defender in right. All three players had above-average range factors in…
Gary DiSarcina has been unable to play so far this season, but his swinging spirit lives on in the DiSar Awards. The DiSars, named in the honor of the Angels shortstop who once stated it was his desire to go through an entire season without drawing a walk, are given to the player in each…