Baseball Was “Berry, Berry Good” to Luis Valbuena—Until it Got Him Killed
Most people have heard the old SNL catchphrase of Chico Escuela, a former Cubs All-Star brought to life by Garrett Morris back in the late 1970s. Sammy Sosa used to say it to reporters, as proof that success on the …
He Gone! A Cubs Fan Says Goodbye to Hawk Harrelson
Several years ago, I wrote a list of 101 reasons why Chicago is the best baseball town in America; but I can boil all the reasons down to one statement: Chicago is divided into two warring factions, the Cubs and …
A Tale of Two Divisions in the National League
As the regular season winds toward its conclusion, almost a third of Major League Baseball’s 30 teams officially have nothing to play for. Playing out the string is going to be the order of the day from Minnesota to Miami, …
Legend and Mystery of Jimmy McMath
The year 1968 is often considered a pivotal time this country’s history. With assassinations, protests and violence in the street, it doesn’t seem like a very comfortable time to have witnessed. And I only got to see half of it, …
Sunday Night Baseball Reminds Us Why MLB is the Best
How does baseball get any better than what was displayed on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball? In my view, it can’t; at least not during the regular season. Yes, summer seems to be on its way out the door. Many kids …
Very First All-Star Game Was No “Break” for Participating Players
Now that we’ve had two straight days of Home Run Derby in our nation’s capital, an unfamilar lull settles in within MLB. No games will be played on Wednesday, as per custom, and only one primetime game is scheduled for …
When it Rains in Pittsburgh, it Pours on the Brewers
I’d like to begin these remarks by thanking the Seattle Mariners for proving me wrong. Since I proclaimed—just a few days ago—there wouldn’t be any drama in the AL wild card race this year, Seattle has stopped winning, opening the …
No AL Wild Card Race This Year
The wild card is one of those things that probably drives baseball purists mad. After all, if a team can’t win its divisional title, why should it make it into the postseason? When the creation of a wild card was …
Jesus Aguilar’s Long and Winding Road
Sometimes, all we really need is a change of scenery. Jesus Aguilar was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in late 2007 at the age of 18. For the next nine seasons, he rode buses and played in front of paying …
It’s Officially Summer Now That MLB Is the Only Game in Town
There are a million ways to define summertime, but for me, summer arrived for real on Friday when the Golden State Warriors finished off the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. The Washington Capitals won the Stanley Cup the night …
