Giancarlo Stanton Was Not What the Yankees Needed
Last year the Yankees weren’t expected to make the post-season. But they surprised everyone, won the wild card game, beat Cleveland in the Division Series—winning the final three games of the five game battle—and advanced to the American League Championship …
Remembering 9/11
I used to think it was weird when older people said they remember exactly where they were when Kennedy was assassinated. How could something that happened to someone else, and that was so far away from almost everyone, have such …
The Man Who Changed Baseball
Most baseball fans have heard the name Branch Rickey, but they’re unaware just how much he was responsible for the modern game of baseball. Perhaps they’ve even seen pictures of his ministerial glare. The quintessential taskmaster. But behind the conservative …
Keep Your Eyes on the Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays have not lost very many games in the second half of the season. As a matter of fact, they have the fourth best record in the American League since the All-Star break (see chart below). They …
You Want Speedier Games? Limit Pitching Changes—Part II
This is the second installment of a three-part series taking a look at baseball’s pace of play. See Part I. Last May 2017, Brett Gardner of the Yankees dug into the batter’s box in Wrigley Field, amidst the creeping shadows deepening …
You Want Speedier Games? Limit Pitching Changes—Part I
This is the fist installment of a three-part series taking a look at baseball’s pace of play. See Part II. In many ways baseball seems like it hasn’t changed since it established its modern rules in the 1880s. Since the …
You Want Speedier Games? Limit Pitching Changes—Part III
This is the third installment of a three-part series taking a look at baseball’s pace of play. See Part I and Part II. So, what can be done to address the problem? Some baseball people are urging that baseball institute a …
A Look Back at a Friday Night Baseball, 1961
It’s true, when I switch on a baseball game, I’m not only stepping outside the rhythms of everyday life, but there’s a feeling of safety and comfort, and I can almost feel my grandfather’s arm around my back as we …
Baseball History: When Batters Were Called Strikers
In The Washington Post online edition of 17 August 2018, there’s an article on a podcast entitled, The Long-Lost “Laws of Baseball.” It’s a thoroughly enjoyable 4:32 broadcast. I happened upon the podcast in one of my my daily journeys through The Post. …
There Was Joy in Mudville During the 1980s
Remember, there’s no joy in Mudville when the mighty Casey strikes out. The fans may even stop attending games if they’re robbed of their one-thousandth of a second of joyful glee when the ball’s smacked anywhere between the foul lines. …
