Last fall, word came that Doug Blosser, a well-regarded Royals farmhand and the brother of former major leaguer Greg Blosser, had been killed in a car accident in his native Florida. He was only 21, and inconsiderate though it was, my original reaction was to reflect on what he meant as a ballplayer by looking…
Steven Carter is taking a break from quotes. Andres Phippard will be filling in until he returns. ADVANCING "They said we couldn’t beat Johnson twice in a five-game series. Well, we beat him twice in a four-game series." —Sterling Hitchcock, Padres pitcher, after beating Astros pitcher Randy Johnson to advance to the NLCS "I believe…
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…
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…
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,…
Decline at the Deuce? In 1996, second basemen Roberto Alomar and Chuck Knoblauch were two of the six best players in the American League. Each was right in their prime, putting up a .900 OPS season and, rightly or no, hailed as defensive wizards. Alomar 1996: .328/.411/.527, .318 EQA Knoblauch 1996: .341/.448/.517, .316 EQA, 45/14…
Steven Carter is taking a break from quotes. Dave Pease will be filling in until he returns. 62 "I just hope I didn’t act foolish. This is history. " —Mark McGwire, Cardinals infielder, after breaking Roger Maris’ single-season home run record "You know what really sucks? That was his shortest of the year." —Steve Trachsel,…