baseball
Sabermetric analysis of all things baseball - on-and-off the field. Barry Bonds fan club.
Is the AL Wild Card Race Bringing Out More Fans?
The AL Wild Card race has been a crazy mess of ups and downs and teams going in and out. The two-team system that has been in place since 2012 was designed to make more teams try and compete and hopefully drive up attendance for those teams that are still in the hunt. If there were ever a time to know if the model is working, it’d be now when eight teams are competing for the second wild card spot in the AL.
By Owen McGrattan9 years ago in Unbalanced
Miguel Montero Cost Miguel Montero His Job, Not Trea Turner
Miguel Montero had quite the fall from grace. After a very rough night behind the plate, allowing 7 steals by the Nationals (including 4 by rising Nationals superstar Trea Turner), Montero gave a very candid post-game interview, blasting battery-mate Jake Arrieta on his slow delivery:
By John Edwards9 years ago in Unbalanced
Charlie Blackmon Goes Golfing
Baseball players have been known to have a fondness for golfing. After all, it’s just like baseball, except nobody’s trying to throw the ball past you. Famous baseball golfers include Yoenis Cespedes, John Smoltz, and, as we now know as of last Thursday, Charlie Blackmon.
By John Edwards9 years ago in Unbalanced
Replacing Gleyber Torres
The city that never sleeps received another piece of bad news Monday — the reeling Yankees, who have lost 6 straight to west-coast teams that they were supposed to steamroll, learned that top prospect Gleyber Torres would be undergoing Tommy John surgery.
By John Edwards9 years ago in Unbalanced
Dodgers Add Familiar Value
This last month has been stocked with trade rumors revolving around Brian Dozier and the LA Dodgers. What will or has happened can only be determined by baseball media tweets or by official team press releases, respectively. What “would have happened” based on rumors is Dozier would be looking for an LA apartment, but what “has happened” is Logan Forsythe is a Dodger — an entirely different reality.
By Vismay Pandia9 years ago in Unbalanced
How Mike Trout Can Get Even Better
OF Mike Trout is undoubtedly the best baseball player of the 21st century. He even makes a strong case for best player ever — no player has ever accumulated more WAR through their age-24 season than Trout. Not Ty Cobb, not Mickey Mantle, not Alex Rodriguez — it’s Mike Trout.
By John Edwards9 years ago in Unbalanced
Give Edgar Martinez His Due
There is no position more debated than that of the designated hitter. Ever since its introduction to the American League in 1973, fans have been split — should the National League introduce it? Should the AL take it way? Should the DH remain in the AL only to maintain variety?
By John Edwards9 years ago in Unbalanced
We’ll Be Back: The Most Intriguing Prospects You Didn’t Notice in the MLB Draft
You’ve probably heard a few names tossed around in relation to the MLB Draft, which wrapped up earlier this week — Hunter Greene, the pitcher/batter extraordinaire, Brendan McKay, Louisville baseball standout, and Darren Baker, son of Dusty Baker and the second biggest example of nepotism in Washington.
By John Edwards9 years ago in Unbalanced
Todd Frazier Pulls a Switcheroo, Joins Yankees Instead
The dominant narrative of the Todd Frazier trade market has been that he was going to the Red Sox. Indeed, the Sox were in desperate need of a 3B, having just DFA’d free-agent-mistake Pablo Sandoval. But in a sudden turn of events, the Red Sox’s biggest rivals, the Yankees, landed Frazier and White Sox RPs David Robertson and Tommy Khanle in exchange for Tyler Clippard and a wealth of prospects. Let’s break this trade down.
By John Edwards9 years ago in Unbalanced
Red Sox Acquire Affordable 3B in Smart Move
Eduardo Nunez is not Yoenis Cespedes. He is not J.D. Martinez. He isn’t Carlos Beltran, or Jonathan Lucroy, or anything like the impact bats that we’ve seen moved around before the trade deadline that help teams make the playoff push.
By John Edwards9 years ago in Unbalanced
With Clayton Kershaw Out, Justin Verlander Could Be the Answer for the Dodgers
The LA Dodgers have been on fire this season. They currently boast the best record in all of baseball at 71 and 31, an astounding 40 games over .500. This past week their starting pitching took a hit though when ace of the staff and arguably the best pitcher in baseball, Clayton Kershaw, went on the shelf for 4 to 6 weeks with a back strain. Just a short time before that, they also lost Brandon McCarthy to the disabled list.
By Quinn Allen9 years ago in Unbalanced
