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What The Baseball Hall of Fame Can Learn From Pro Football's Hall of Fame
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of visiting the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. That was a place I had always wanted to visit — and am so glad I finally did. My experience there was amazing. The Football Hall of Fame is an outstanding place to celebrate football's great history, to remember the big games and the legends, and to be inspired by greatness. I loved every minute I was there.
World Series MVPs Who Were Traded Midseason
The consensus is that this year’s MLB trade deadline was a big dud. Not one Top 100 prospect was traded and only two All-Stars (Tanner Scott and Isaac Parades) were traded. Good teams consider making deadline trades to position themselves for a World Series run. Do deadline-traded players ever win the World Series MVP?
Can New York Yankees Aaron Judge Reach 500 Home Runs?
Aaron Judge’s power output over the last three seasons is indescribable. The English language lacks powerful enough adjectives and baseball history has no relevant measuring stick. The only players in his class were PED users in the late 1990s and Babe Ruth himself.
Johnny Bench, G.O.A.T Catcher: His Four Greatest Cards
Many baseball historians consider Johnny Bench the best catcher to play the game. And honestly, it’s pretty difficult to argue against that. We’ve seen many great catchers come and go since, but very few have had the staying power and consistency of Bench, and also Carlton Fisk.
New Leadoff Hitter Could Help Braves Close Gap
When they rolled to 104 wins, 370 home runs, and a record .501 slugging percentage last summer, the Atlanta Braves got plenty of production from the leadoff spot. That was the home of Ronald Acuña, Jr., who not only had 41 home runs and a club-record 74 stolen bases but also a career-best .337 batting average, second in the National League.
Talk of the Trades . . . or, Who Put the Zonks Into The Deadline?
Sometimes, you’d think the only thing missing from any annual run-up to baseball’s official trade deadline is Monty Hall brought back from the dead to moderate. That, of course, begs the question of whom among baseball’s big dealers comes out with the big deal(s) and whom, with zonks.
Detroit Tigers: Trade Deadline Reflections
The 2024 trade deadline has come and gone, and the Detroit Tigers were once again sellers for what they hope is the last time. In four trades during deadline week, Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris flipped catcher Carson Kelly, outfielder Mark Canha, and pitchers Andrew Chafin and Jack Flaherty for seven prospects.
Almost Every Major League Baseball Team Is Probably Going To Regret What They Just Did
There’s an old saying in baseball: flags fly forever. It’s a maxim that’s never better on display than during trade deadline season. Prospect chips are being pushed to the center of the table to get extra ammunition as teams decide just how much of their future to sacrifice for a present-day title chase. Many fans might even tell you that this is the most exciting time to be a baseball fan…although I would humbly submit that those fans need to get out more. Still, it’s hard to deny that something is fascinating about watching all the dominoes fall every July. If your team is trying to win, it’s high theater. If your team is being strip-mined for parts, it can feel a bit like watching a trainwreck.
Ten Teams — Ten! — Vie For National League Playoff Slots
Thanks to a system that allows 12 teams to reach the playoffs, the race for the National League’s three wild-card slots is gaining steam like a runaway locomotive. Entering play Wednesday, the free-falling Atlanta Braves barely maintained the top spot but were hotly pursued by the Cardinals and Mets, who held the second and third spots. The Padres, D-backs, Pirates, Cubs, Reds, Giants and even the Nationals were within five-and-a-half games.
Notes to Remember From Monday Roundtable
One-liners that surfaced during the Monday Roundtable that ended Hall of Fame weekend:. A former Double-A catcher who spent 18 years in the minors (11 as a manager), Jim Leyland said, “I hope I’m an inspiration to other guys out there not to give up”
A Great Career Began on This Day in 1975
The other day I was talking to some younger baseball fans - young men in their late twenties. These were knowledgeable fans — they talked about the current players, the struggles the Yankees have faced in recent weeks, and seemed familiar with the history of the game. In our conversation, I asked them a trivia question about Graig Nettles, the great Yankee third baseman from the 1970s, and found out they had never heard of him.
Cav-alcade! Meet The 4 UVA Players Drafted This Year
The 2024 MLB Draft has concluded, and 615 players were selected over the three-day, 20-round affair. Of those 615 players, four hailed from my alma mater, the University of Virginia. Over the past two decades under coach Brian O’Connor, UVA baseball has churned out MLB Draft picks on an almost yearly basis, with many eventually making it to the Major Leagues.
Playing Against the Chicago White Sox Front Office in the Nicky Lopez Charity Classic
As we enter into late July, the 2024 Chicago White Sox are still on pace to tie the 1962 New York Mets for the most losses in a 162 game season. On the field, simply put, they are atrocious. However, away from the diamond, in the field of philanthropy, they are elite. Starting second baseman Nicky Lopez hosted his first annual "16 Charity Softball Classic on July 11 to raise money for Chicago White Sox Charities, The Andrew Weishar Foundation and Jwegstrong Foundation.
A Brief History of Bay Area MLB Right Fielders
In the last year in this space, we have looked at best shortstops, third basemen, second basemen, first basemen, left fielders and center fielders to have played in the Bay Area. This month we look back at the best to ever play right field in Oakland and San Francisco, to finish out our coverage of the outfield. Future articles will tackle catchers, designated hitters, starters and relievers.
Stuff This! Take the All-Star vote away from fans — again.
A fortnight ago, my friend (and Here’s the Pitch weekend editor) Dan Schlossberg wrote, “Philadelphia red will dominate the National League [All-Star Game] clubhouse in the wake of a concerted ballot-box stuffing campaign spurred by the team’s shameless promotion of sending fan favorites to the game rather than the most deserving players.”
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