Overthinking It

Overthinking It: This Offseason’s Generic-Brand Bargains

Smart GMs don't pay for the brand name, but for the product. These players might have baggage but they get the job done as well as their expensive counterparts.

Overthinking It: What Chipper Jones’ Retirement Gifts Were For: A Short Story (Updated)

by Ben Lindbergh 11/02

In 2012, Chipper Jones received an assortment of strange gifts from each opponent he played on his last trip around the league. In 2031, he will finally figure out what to do with them.

Overthinking It: Predicting the First Offseason of Qualifying Offers

by Ben Lindbergh 10/26

Teams will have more difficult decisions to make if they want free-agent compensation this year. Here's how it will likely go.

Overthinking It: Baseball’s Most Immovable Players

by Ben Lindbergh 10/18

According to reports, the Marlins may have interest in Alex Rodriguez. Where does he rank among baseball's most difficult players to deal?

Overthinking It: What Teams and Players Predicted About Themselves

by Ben Lindbergh 10/11

What every team predicted about itself before this season, and whether those predictions came true.

Overthinking It: Baltimore’s Best Bet to Beat Texas

by Ben Lindbergh 10/05

If the Orioles want to extend their surprise season beyond the wild-card game, they should make the most of what got them there.

Overthinking It: The Tiebreak That Would Bring Baseball to its Knees

by Ben Lindbergh 10/02

Ever wondered what would happen if five teams tied for a division title? Don't expect any answers: the scary thing is, no one knows.

Overthinking It: Mourning Manny Acta

by Ben Lindbergh 9/28

Manny Acta has never done anything but lose. Is this the sort of thing that should get a manager fired?

Overthinking It: The Injuries That Decided Divisions

by Ben Lindbergh 9/27

Health can play a big part in which teams win and which go home. In the AL East and AL Central, lost WARP can help explain the standings.

Overthinking It: The 2012 All-Fringe-Prospect Team

by Ben Lindbergh 9/25

Which minor-league full-season statistical leaders were mostly mirage?

Overthinking It: No Ace, No Problem?

by Ben Lindbergh 9/20

Is there anything to the notion that teams need an ace to compete in October, or is it just another in a long line of flawed theories about post-season success?

Overthinking It: The Surprisingly Hard-to-Hit Pitches of 2012

by Ben Lindbergh 9/19

Having a great pitch doesn't make you a great pitcher, as the PITCHf/x leaderboards show.

Overthinking It: Chicken Soup for the Pirates Fan’s Soul

by Ben Lindbergh 9/13

The Pirates are in the midst of a late-season swoon much like their freefall from last season, but Pittsburgh fans still have at least nine reasons to smile.

Overthinking It: All I Really Need to Know About Baseball, I Learned from Bill Veeck

by Ben Lindbergh 9/12

Perhaps the best book written about baseball in 2012 was written in 1962.

Overthinking It: The Mechanical Flaw Fixers

by Ben Lindbergh 9/08

Your team's struggling star just made a mechanical tweak. Is a rebound just around the corner?

Overthinking It: Feasting on the East

by Ben Lindbergh 9/07

The Orioles' success story isn't totally separate from the tragic seasons of the Blue Jays and Red Sox.