Now that we’ve dispensed with Jon Miller‘s antics (since when did we give up the cherished taboo on saying "no hits" in the middle of no-hitters in progress?), on to Georgia… OFFENSE For the first time in their post-’45 history, the Cubs didn’t lead the league in scoring to get themselves into the playoffs. Their…
OFFENSE The Astros boast a multi-faceted attack that is the National League’s best. In previous years, the team depended almost exclusively on leadoff hitter extraordinaire Craig Biggio and slugging first baseman Jeff Bagwell, and not much else. This year, the “Killer B’s” have been joined by a solid supporting cast, and the results have been…
OFFENSE Yankees Chuck Knoblauch 2B Derek Jeter SS Paul O’Neill RF Bernie Williams CF Tino Martinez 1B Chili Davis or Tim Raines DH Darryl Strawberry LF Jorge Posada C Scott Brosius 3B Rangers Tom Goodwin CF Mark McLemore 2B Will Clark 1B Juan Gonzalez RF Rusty Greer LF Pudge Rodriguez C Lee Stevens or Mike…
Big Hurt Hurt… But Not As Bad As You Think One of the great pleasures of baseball in the 1990s has been watching Frank Thomas hit. A lethal package of bat speed, raw power, and plate discipline, "The Big Hurt" has put up a string of seasons that have let us talk about him in…
We’ve been hearing all year about the dominance of the Yankees, and about how they should just go ahead and get fitted for their World Series rings, given that no other team in baseball could possibly compete against them. Well, I don’t expect most of the mainstream media to really think through this issue too…
OFFENSE The Red Sox offense somehow outscored the Indians this year, but they did it with mirrors that are unlikely to work as well in the playoffs. The only position at which the Red Sox are clearly better offensively is shortstop, with MVP candidate Nomar Garciaparra. Comparing lineups, you see so many strengths for the…
Sometimes the most innocent conversations can lead to discovery. I was sitting next to the TV Tuesday night, on one of my regular long-distance chats with co-author Joe Sheehan discussing everything from the Giants’ wild-card hopes to whether the major leagues should establish a salary cap on new draft picks. The talk led to a…
ANAHEIM ANGELS Recalled C Ben Molina from Vancouver. [9/17] Purchased C Chad Kreuter from the White Sox. [9/18] Placed C Charlie O’Brien on the 60-day DL (broken thumb). [9/18] With Phil Nevin’s sprained ankle and O’Brien’s season over, the Angels scrambled to fill in behind the plate, and the Sox were nice enough to oblige….
There is a wonderful scene in the movie Under Fire, written by Ron Shelton a few years before he became famous in baseball circles for Bull Durham. Nick Nolte and Joanna Cassidy are American journalists in Nicaragua during the last days of the Somoza regime. They meet up with some Sandinista revolutionaries, who immediately latch…
ANAHEIM ANGELS Activated INF Craig Shipley from the DL. [9/4] Recalled LHP Jarrod Washburn from Vancouver. [9/8] Acquired 1B Mark Johnson from Cincinnati for a PTBNL. [9/11] Nothing too surprising here, although Washburn, like Steve Sparks, earned better consideration than he’s gotten for the Angels’ rotation down the stretch. I’m at a loss to explain…
Playoff Pitching Update The Astros, Braves, and Padres are all neck and neck, and it’s anyone’s guess who will have the league’s best record once the season ends. But earlier this year, circumstances looked much more favorable for the Braves and Padres than they do now as far as postseason pitching goes. At the break,…
Virtually everybody involved in baseball analysis believes in using park factors in evaluating player performance. However, its a lot more difficult to get anyone to agree on how to calculate park factors. The major dispute revolves around how many years of data are needed to calculate park factors. Some people argue that you need multiple…