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MLB Wants an International Draft. Here’s Why It Shouldn’t Happen.
The draft has driven great Puerto Rican athletes like Angel Pagan away from baseball (via SD Dirk).Major League Baseball established its amateur draft in 1965, nearly a century after the birth of the...
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The Problems Baseball’s Next Commissioner Will Face
Injuries like the one Buster Posey suffered are a Commissioner’s worst nightmare (via Eugene Kim).Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig is retiring in 2014 — and this time he probably means it....
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Billy Bean Is MLB’s Ambassador for Inclusion. What Does That Mean?
Billy Bean has a chance to make people’s time in the game easier than his was (via Greg Hernandez).During the All-Star break, Major League Baseball made a momentous announcement, naming Billy Bean as...
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The History of Baseball in One Day
Catfish Hunter (with Billy Martin and Brad Gulden in 1979) died 15 years ago today (via Jim Accordino). I’d like to propose a new national holiday: Hall of Fame Day. Sept. 9 is a crucial date in every...
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A Century-Plus of Giant Achievements
The Giants won their eighth world championship in 2014. (via Tom Musbach)Led by a dominating starting pitcher, the Giants won the World Series. They did it just last Wednesday. They did it 109 years...
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How To Improve the User Experience
Editor’s Note: This is the first in a 10-part series commemorating baseball’s new commissioner with advice for his tenure. To read more about this series, click here. While Dodger Dogs are great, the...
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How Teams Can Use Ticket Prices to Serve the Audience
MLB could benefit from kid-friendly events at parent-friendly times. (via Paul L Dineen) If new commissioner Rob Manfred reads The Hardball Times, he’s already seen our 10-part wish list of what we’d...
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Positional Case Study: The Colorado Rockies’ Starting Rotation
Ubaldo Jimenez started two Opening Days for the Rockies before he was traded. (via Bryan Horowitz)In 2013, I wrote three articles in which I evaluated how a team filled a position over the course of...
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The Meaning of a Team’s Record in Mid-May
The Cardinals had the best winning percentage (.686) on May 15 this year. (via Arturo Pardavila III) We’re a month and a half into the season, and about a quarter of the games have been played. If...
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Anniversary of a Myth: The Knickerbockers’ Most Famous Game
This is one of the first versions of a box score. (via New York Public Library) One hundred sixty-nine years ago today, the New York Knickerbockers played one of the most famous baseball games of all...
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Beyond Charboneau: The Curious Cases of Baseball Burnouts
Rick Ankiel is one of the more famous burnout cases in recent years. (via Barbara Moore) In 1980, rookie Cleveland Indians left fielder Joe Charboneau took the Mistake on the Lake by storm, opening...
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Why Are Unwritten Rules Disputed and Written Rules Ignored?
Alex Rodriguez has been in the middle of some unwritten rule controversies. (via Arturo Pardvila III) KAFFEE: Corporal, would you turn to the page in this book that says where the mess hall is, please?...
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Positional Case Study: Minnesota Twins Third Basemen
Trevor Plouffe has notched double-digit homers in four straight seasons. (via Joe Bielawa)Since 2013, I have written several pieces evaluating the way that a particular team has filled a particular...
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Sabermetric History: Using WAR to Remember Forgotten Greats
It’s hard to believe Bernard Gilkey’s 1996 was better than Manny Machado’s 2015. (via Matthew Straubmuller) This year, rated by FanGraphs WAR, Manny Machado was the sixth-best player in baseball, at...
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Happy 157th Birthday to Tony Mullane, the First Switch Pitcher
It’s hard to describe Tony Mullane in a way that does him justice. (via Goodwin and Company)Saturday was the 157th birthday of Tony Mullane, a native of Cork, Ireland, who became known as “The Apollo...
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Molars, Mustaches and Mongooses: Bygone Tales From Spring Training
The Dodgers were the first team to use a plane for spring training games in Florida. (via Bill Larkins) The gentle and nearly meaningless competition in the Cactus and Grapefruit Leagues provides a...
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Strength of Schedule: Could the Braves Give the Tigers a Playoff Spot?
Justin Upton’s former team might help his current team reach the playoffs in 2016. (via Eric Enfermero & Howell Media Solutions)A lot of teams in the National League are going to be bad this year....
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Why Don’t the Indians Win Championships? Blame the Owners.
Donald Trump almost bought the Cleveland Indians in 1983. (via Mark Taylor) The Cleveland Indians have one of the longest World Series droughts in baseball, one that owes much of its longevity to a...
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How to Lose Fans and Alienate People: The 2016 Atlanta Braves
It wasn’t long ago the Braves had a young core, which included Julio Teheran. (via Arturo Pardavila III) The Atlanta Braves are rebuilding, and they’re nearly unwatchable. They can’t hit or field and...
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The Big Red Machine Turns 40
Johnny Bench and the Big Red Machine knew how to hit the baseball. (via John VanderHaagen)Quick: can you name a starting pitcher from the 1976 Big Red Machine? On the 40th anniversary of one of the...
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