Saying that the opening week of the 2022 Atlanta Braves season has been a roller coaster is like saying that the sky is blue. It’s simple fact. On the one hand, multiple offensive components have shredded opposing pitching. On the other, multiple holes have appeared within the Braves starting pitching. It would be foolhardy to […]

Sometimes, comebacks are built upon a roller coaster, twisting and turning until one can no longer feel one’s constitution. Then, there are the times when comebacks are created from a single event, pushing a team further along the path to victory. Whether they be formed from singularities or pluralities, comebacks all have the common denominator […]

The remaining free agents will be signed in a big spending spree whenever the MLB lockout is over. Nick Castellanos is one of the best bats and is still looking for a contract. Castellanos is looking for a big deal after opting out of his contract with the Cincinnati Reds. The All-Star is coming off […]

Kenley Jansen is coming off one of the best seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 2021, Jansen was the best closer in the NL, earning 38 saves with a 2.22 ERA in 69 appearances. Before his strong campaign, Jansen struggled. He’s never had an ERA higher than 3.70, and his 350 saves rank him […]

Why the 2021 MVP Finalists Truly Were the Most Valuable MLB Network announced the awards finalists — the top three vote-getters in each league’s award category — Monday night. Each announcement provoked passionate discussion. The Most Valuable Player (MVP) finalists, heavily discussed every year, provoked unusually intense discussion. Most surprising (to some) is that none […]

For the first time since 2015, all three NL MVP finalists were eliminated from playoff contention. Bryce Harper, Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr. were the leading vote getters, all of whose teams had a disappointing 2021. There is a case to be made for each, with pros and cons to each candidate. Bryce Harper I’ll […]

A baseball field tells many stories, but none are greater than that of the comeback. Lush tales of terrific fortitude and grit surround many of the sport’s great palaces. Ironically enough, many of the greatest examples sit buried under piles of rubble and soot. Their homes long since demolished, we have only the words passed […]

Diamondbacks 4, Phillies 2 PHOENIX, Aug. 18 — Humberto Castellanos pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing one run on three hits and two walks, as the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 4–2, Wednesday night. Castellanos also went 2-for-2 with an RBI in the victory, but the story of the evening happened in the middle of […]

PHOENIX, Aug. 17 — When arriving at Chase Field for the first game of three between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Philadelphia Phillies, a familiar beard was in right field. The owner of the beard, however, was wearing grey pants with a red and white stripe down the legs. Plus, he was in the visiting […]

Diamondbacks 3, Phillies 2 PHOENIX, Aug. 17 — Shortstop Josh Rojas went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI, and second baseman Josh VanMeter hit a key sixth-inning home run to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks past the Philadelphia Phillies, 3–2, Tuesday night. Phillies Take Early Lead, Diamondbacks Even It Up The game had a quiet […]

Ejection Inspection, Week Eight: Mike Shildt Dumped after Pitcher Is Asked to Change His Hat Welcome to Week Eight of Ejection Inspection! The premise and ground rules are detailed here. The condensed version: each ejection from the previous week (Thursday through Wednesday) is listed in a table. The author – a former player/coach/umpire – analyzes […]

Three Kansas City Royals Ejected after Epic Meltdown Welcome to Week Five of Ejection Inspection! The premise and ground rules are detailed here. The condensed version: each ejection from the previous week (Thursday through Wednesday) is listed in a table. The author – a former player/coach/umpire – analyzes each ejection and assigns it an entertainment […]

Before this season began, many in the baseball world had high hopes for the National League East. It was considered to be one of the most competitive divisions in the game. One part of that remains true, as the division is only separated by a game and a half. However, those high hopes have quickly […]

Joe Girardi Goes Nuts after Two Phillies Get Plunked but Both Teams Get Warned Welcome to Week Four of Ejection Inspection! The premise and ground rules are detailed here. The condensed version: each ejection from the previous week (Thursday through Wednesday) is listed in a table. The author – a former player/coach/umpire – analyzes each […]

The 2021 MLB season is nearly upon us and it’s time to see how the Philadelphia Phillies are shaping up. Is this the squad that can end the nine-year playoff drought? Let’s see how the players and schedule lineup when the calendar flips to April. Best Division In Baseball There isn’t much debate about which […]

On paper, the National League East is the deepest division in baseball. The division boasts four teams that can plausibly contend for the playoffs. Those teams are the New York Mets, Atlanta Braves, Washington Nationals, and the Philadelphia Phillies. Even the Miami Marlins have an outside shot to be a solid team this season because […]

Rangers 7, Red Sox 1   ARLINGTON, Texas, May 15 — The Texas Rangers were able to avoid the sweep on Sunday afternoon, by defeating the Boston Red Sox by a final score of 7–1. Everything went right for the Rangers in the series finale. Adolis Garcia and Kole Calhoun hit back-to-back Jacks in the […]

Scoreless Outing Percentage and Goose Eggs, 2022 Presenting the full list of Scoreless Outing Percentage (ScOtg%), Goose Eggs (GE), and related statistics for 2022. Statistics run through the end of play on May 14. These statistics aim to further measure effectiveness of relief pitchers. Scoreless Outing Percentage, which first appeared in this piece, is based […]

Mets 5, Mariners 4   NEW YORK, May 14 — Patrick Mazeika channeled his inner Willie Mays and the New York Mets topped the Seattle Mariners 5–4 at Citi Field on Saturday evening. Fifty years to the day after Mays homered for a key Mets win, so did Mazeika. The catcher’s tie-breaking seventh inning blast on […]

Cubs 4, Diamondbacks 2 PHOENIX, May 14 — The Chicago Cubs scored three runs in the top of the ninth, propelling them to a 4–1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks Saturday night. Despite a brilliant effort from Zac Gallen, the Arizona Diamondbacks stranded 10 runners on base, including five in scoring position, en route to […]

Red Sox 11, Rangers 3   ARLINGTON, Texas, May 14 — The Texas Rangers dropped their second straight game on Saturday, as they lost to the Boston Red Sox by a final score of 11–3. It has been a rough couple of nights for the Rangers and their fans. It has been quite the opposite, […]

The Houston Astros‘ sign-stealing scandal may be well in the rear-view mirror, but not everyone has moved past it. In the spring, New York Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman made some comments about his team’s World Series drought having to do with the Astros’ sign-stealing in 2017. These comments have led to a back and […]

Diamondbacks 4, Cubs 3 PHOENIX, May 13 — The Arizona Diamondbacks socked 12 hits to rally from a 3–0 deficit and defeat the Chicago Cubs, 4–3, Friday night at Chase Field. Second baseman Ketel Marte went 3-for-4 on the evening with two doubles, an RBI, and a run scored. First baseman Christian Walker went 2-for-4 […]

Red Sox 7, Rangers 1   ARLINGTON, Texas, May 13 — The Texas Rangers lost to the Boston Red Sox by a final score of 7–1 on Friday evening. Alex Verdugo and Franchy Cordero were big contributors in this one for Boston. They each had RBI doubles to lift the Red Sox to the win. […]