About three years ago, ESPN.com baseball columnist Rob Neyer told me he was planning to start his own Web site, one on which he could write about things that didn’t fit into his ESPN.com column. One of those things was our Kansas City Royals, which tended to occupy more space in his column than a…
WORLD SERIES "When you’re a little kid, you think about the seventh game of the World Series. It didn’t matter how the hit came." —Luis Gonzalez, Diamondbacks outfielder, on his Series-winning hit in Game Seven "I wouldn’t move on the bench. I wanted to get up and watch for the whole inning, but I was…
I’d imagine that many of you reading this column played baseball growing up. I did, as well as playing softball, and stickball, and Wiffle ball, and stoopball…basically anything that looked, smelled, or tasted like baseball was a good use of my time. Well, I thought so, anyway. In playing those games when I was very…
I know I’m supposed to fill this space with cogent analysis about the World Series, but I really don’t know what I can say. I’m not operating as an analyst right now, not at 9:49 on Thursday night, not after having watched the most incredible back-to-back World Series games since 1991. I’m just a fan…
He deserved to lose. I’ve spent most of the evening exchanging e-mails with my BP colleagues, e-mails with subject lines like "Silliness" and "Bob Brenly is an idiot." Believe me, I didn’t expect to be doing this: Brenly’s decision to start Curt Schilling on short rest was, to me, a decision to win the World…
And just like that, we have a series. Last night’s game was another in the endless string of pitchers’ duels this October, which comes as something of a surprise to the many people–OK, to the me–who dismissed Brian Anderson as a hunch play who had no business starting a World Series game. He ended up…
Stuff bouncing around my brain as I wonder how we might contract by 30 owners, not two: I’ve been reading about how the Diamondbacks are going to lose $50 million this year, and how they’re going to suffer in the future because of all the deferred money they have to pay, stretching into 2008. This…
The Arizona Diamondbacks are keeping it simple. Their philosophy of winning is not at all complicated. It isn’t predicated on some strange brand of aggressive baserunning, or a managerial zeal for sound fundamentals, or the ticking-time-bomb brand of big-inning baseball practiced by the Oakland A’s. No, the Diamondbacks’ theory on winning is this: hand the…
The contraction drums are beating. Just recently, you may have seen this trial balloon: Contraction would begin to reverse the damage done by two dumb and dumber expansions that cost nearsighted owners many times more than the relatively few pennies they pocketed. — Peter Gammons, Oct. 26, 2001. This is really a two-part statement, so…
Deja vu, anyone? In 1996, the Atlanta Braves opened the defense of their World Series title by beating the New York Yankees 12-1 in their Series opener. The Braves led 8-0 after three innings thanks to a couple of Andruw Jones home runs. Hard-throwing right-hander John Smoltz–not the best pitcher on his team, but one…
WORLD SERIES "I feel real good I didn’t throw a lot of pitches tonight. If I have to come back on three days’ rest, I’ll be ready." —Curt Schilling, Diamondbacks pitcher, on his seven-inning start in Game One "A lot of my moves worked–for the other team." —Joe Torre, Yankees manager, on Game One "My…
Anyone else feel disappointed? I don’t mean just Yankee fans–although Game One was pretty lousy for us–but those of you who might not have a rooting interest in the World Series. I really expected a pitching duel, something akin to the battles Curt Schilling had with Matt Morris in the Division Series, something that would…
How important is Game 1? Statistically speaking, what are the odds that a team that lost Game 1 of a best-of-seven–in this case, the Yankees–can come back to take the series? To examine the issue, let’s simplify the question. Instead of looking at a best-of-seven, let’s start with a best-of-three series, like the one played…
The Baseball Prospectus staff is divided in their World Series predictions. The only consensus is–and we’re not guaranteeing this, Lou–that the series will stretch into next weekend. Jeff Bower:: Nobody has ever gotten rich picking against the Yankees in the World Series. The advent of the wild card and the expanded postseason means that even…
The Diamondbacks’ starting rotation for the World Series is a popular topic. Bob Brenly has announced this as his intent for the first four games: Curt Schilling Randy Johnson Brian Anderson Miguel Batista Assuming this holds, you can expect Schilling and Johnson to start Games Five and Six, with either Anderson or Batista in Game…
I’m a marketing snob. I’m over-educated on the topic, have too high an opinion of my own marketing skills, read and enjoy haughty, peer-reviewed journals, and tend to be way too quick to criticize what I perceive as shortcomings in the planning and execution of others when it comes to marketing. I have a relatively…