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Five Worst First-Round Draft Picks By Dodgers
Many writers have a favorite Shakespeare quote, and this gem from Hamlet is near the top of my list. "There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so." The five former ballplayers listed below were all in their own way quite good. They were better at the amateur level than most of their peers, which is why the Los Angeles Dodgers drafted them. However, none of them came close to reaching the expectations that accompany a first-round draft pick.
Topps Hits Home Run With Gorgeous Series 2
Collecting baseball cards used to be easy. Topps charged a nickel a pack and kids eagerly spent parts of their allowances on what sometimes turned into cardboard gold. Things are considerably more complicated — and more expensive — these days. But things are also more fun, with so many more varieties and selections of cards.
How To Make A Great Baseball Book Cover
Authors don’t have total control over publishers before baseball books go to press. That is why I am so grateful to Jason Katzman, my editor at Sports Publishing, for allowing me to pick the colors and cover pictures for the next edition of The New Baseball Bible.
Injuries Decimating Major League Baseball in 2024
In the world of professional sports, it has been said that injuries are a part of the game. Pretty much every team in every major sport will suffer injuries to key players at some point during their season. Overcoming these injuries, often through what has become known in recent years as the “next man up” philosophy, is what makes or breaks a successful season.
All-Stars Who Started at Multiple Positions Are Hard to Find
En route to the Hall of Fame gallery, Robin Yount joined Hank Greenberg and Stan Musial as the only players to win MVP awards at multiple positions (A-Rod did it later.) Yount, who spent his entire career with the Milwaukee Brewers, won as a shortstop in 1982 and as a center-fielder in 1989.
Bad-News Braves Can’t Even Beat The Bad Teams
In baseball, the way to sew up a pennant is to beat the bad teams and play .500 against the contenders. Apparently, the Atlanta Braves forgot that time-tested adage. All of a sudden, they’re easy prey for the Washington Nationals, the team universally picked to finish last in the National League East.
Remembering Chris Short's Breakout 1964 Season For Philly
The year 2024 sees the Philadelphia Phillies riding high with, at this writing, the best record in baseball. Sixty years ago, the 1964 Phillies were also riding high, fielding a pennant-contending team for the first time in more than a decade. That 1964 team infamously built a 6 1/2 game lead by Sept. 20, only to collapse with a 10-game losing streak and cede the pennant on the final day of the season to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Mostly True Brooklyn Baseball Stories from My Grandparents
I was born 25 years after the Dodgers left Brooklyn, but when they returned to New York this weekend to play the Yankees, it brought back an unexpected flood of memories. My grandmother was a jilted Brooklyn Dodgers fan. When they departed for Los Angeles, she couldn’t join my grandfather and my father in rooting for the Yankees, nor did she adopt the Mets five years later. She simply gave up on baseball.
Chicago Dogs Have Big Advantages Over Other Four Local Minor League Baseball Clubs
The Chicago Dogs exist in a very crowded local marketplace. They compete against four other minor league clubs (Gary-Southshore Railcats, Kane County Cougars, Schaumburg Boomers and the Windy City Thunderbolts) and two Major League franchises (Chicago Cubs, White Sox) for attention from Chicagoland baseball fans. Although the Sox, literally on pace to finish with the worst record ever for a team playing 162 games, barely deserve to keep that designation at this point.
Quiet guys like Marcano screw up, too; it isn’t just the Pete Rose types who bet on their own teams
[Editor’s Note: Earlier this week, Major League Baseball officially absolved Dodgers DH Shohei Ohtani of gambling infractions after his interpreter allegedly stole $16 million from the slugger’s account to pay for bad bets on baseball.]
The New York Twins (or Something Like That)
As a baseball fan, I love to look at rosters of teams. I enjoy seeing what players played for each teams and such. This probably comes from my days collecting baseball cards as a kid and spending far too many hours reading the backs of the cards. (As a young student of the game, I found that the smaller the print, the better, because it meant that there was a lot more to learn.)
Negro League Stats Added To MLB Record: A Complex, Landmark Decision
The RBI became an official statistic in 1920. There were official scorers that did not understand the rule, leading to errors and irregularities in the records. When it comes to counting historical records in baseball, it’s complicated.
Chicago Cubs Becoming a Bonded Pair with Local Animal Shelter
The Chicago Cubs continue to strengthen their bonds with PAWS Chicago, a leading local animal shelter. Last week the team hosted a pet-friendly animal adoption event at Gallagher Way, adjacent to Wrigley Field. The event which saw three shelter dogs find new homes, included free pizza and live music by Chicago-based band The Allstars.
Major League Baseball Draft Prospects in the NCAA Postseason
Well, for those who are fans of college baseball, it certainly is. The College World Series (CWS) regional playoffs began Friday and will continue with super regionals next weekend before the eight teams that make up the CWS contingent in Omaha begin the pursuit of an NCAA Division I baseball championship.
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