Baseball Therapy

So You’ve Decided to Ban the Shift$

by Russell A. Carleton 3/09

Image credit: © Cheryl Evans/The Republic

Will excising the shift matter, aesthetically or otherwise?

Don’t Bunt, Joey, Don’t Bunt$

by Russell A. Carleton 3/02

Image credit: Andrew Dieb-USA TODAY Sports

For most hitters, bunting rarely makes sense at all.

Get Your Head Out of Your Assets$

by Russell A. Carleton 2/23

Image credit: © Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK

Even from a strictly economical perspective, treating players like assets might do more harm than good.

PECOTA 2022: Why Change the Story?$

by Russell A. Carleton 2/16

Image credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

There are plenty of reasons why Trevor Story might not want to engage the idea of moving away from shortstop. There are also reasons it's worth considering.

Why We’re Going to Get the Universal DH$

by Russell A. Carleton 2/09

Image credit: © Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports

It's just a different ballgame now.

Sudden. Death. Baseball.$

by Russell A. Carleton 2/02

Image credit: © Landon Bost/The Enquirer via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Is there a feasible and equitable (to home and away teams) sudden-death scenario for ending tie games?

This War Needs Some Ground Rules

by Russell A. Carleton 1/26

Image credit: © Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

The idea of including WAR in salary calculations keeps coming up. If it's going to happen, we need ground rules.

Playing with the Playoffs$

by Russell A. Carleton 1/19

Image credit: Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Expanded playoffs are all but guaranteed in the future. So let's figure out how to do it right.

The Shift That Happened in 2021$

by Russell A. Carleton 1/12

Image credit: © Cheryl Evans/The Republic

Usage of the shift ... transformed in 2021. How, and what are the implications going forward?

Joey Votto, Shortstop$

by Russell A. Carleton 1/05

Image credit: Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

This is about imagining Joey Votto at shortstop, yes, but also about a hole in the current player valuation models.

Time to Tinker with the Strike Zone?$

by Russell A. Carleton 12/22

Image credit: © Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

Could alterations to the strike zone reverse changes to the shape of offense many fans view as boring?

Where Gameplay and Labor Negotiations Collide$

by Russell A. Carleton 12/15

The money, perhaps rightly, draws most of the attention during and after CBA negotiations. But also on the table: scheduling, gameplay, and mutually profitable ventures.