Why intentionally walking Barry Bonds was unlike most of baseball’s statistical trends.
How to go against the saberballot and without making the internet mad.
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about how much steroids help, the best farm systems in baseball, and how they’d try to negotiate a hypothetical trade.
Writers didn’t want to induct anybody into the Hall of Fame this year, a decision with no small consequences.
AChange.org petition to ask the Hall of Fame Board of Directors to change their voting process
Jason goes looking for Hall of Famers and finds none.
A look at 10 new managerial candidates, and a conversation with Mets manager Terry Collins.
There’s not much to be gained by ranking across generations.
The Andrew McCutchen extension might help heal those still smarting over the post-Bonds era in Pittsburgh.
What kind of production do teams receive from players tabbed to replace superstars?
I grew up going to Mariners games, but while visiting family in San Francisco, I always enjoyed seeing a good team play outdoor baseball in Candlestick. I loved the Giants teams from 1985-1993. They played in the sun, they were young and good, and people came out to see them, all of which made for a dramatic difference in the amount of fun I had. While I still follow the team, I’ve never been as big a fan since 1993. Because after the 1993 season, when the Giants were the best team ever to not make the post-season, Will Clark wanted to stay in San Francisco, and it didn’t happen.
Dr. Chris Yeager: I finished my Ph.D. at Southern Miss and my study was on the biomechanics of the baseball swing–specifically the effect of the stride and weight shift in the swing. Based on that and my research is where I draw my philosophy and conclusions on how force is produced in the baseball swing.
Between the persistence of Pete Rose, the ongoing turf war between Tribune Co. and the Wrigleyville neighborhood, and the deteriorating mental health of John Schuerholz, the most oft-reported story of this winter has been the apparent deflation in the market for free agents.
I’m taking a quick break from writing my chapters for Baseball Prospectus 2003. I want to re-visit something I’ve already hit twice, because I’m a glutton for punishment. I wrote two articles where I took a crack at whether it ever makes sense to walk the 2002 Barry Bonds, first here and then on ESPN.com.
This edition of From the Mailbag includes comments on the AL Cy Young and Barry Bonds.
When I was little, I thought sportswriters had the coolest job in the world. I couldn’t wait to grow up to become a baseball beat writer, or the next great writer for Sports Illustrated, or an author who could talk about cool stuff like the 1927 Yankees. I wanted to be them.
I hate myself now for thinking that way.