The life of defending champions, in any sport, is never easy. This is especially true at the beginning of the next season. Either one begins said campaign hotter than the surface of the sun or colder than the Arctic Ocean. There are very few middling or even mediocre starts to seasons right after winning major […]

Pittsburgh Pirates All-Time Team Last Word on Baseball is running a tournament pitting all 30 all-time rosters against each other. Here is the Pittsburgh Pirates All-Time Team. The Pirates have one of the longest and richest histories in baseball, beginning play with the American Association in 1882 as the Pittsburgh Alleghenys. They joined the National […]

When Jacques Plante, the former goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens, used the first practical goalie mask during a game he was considered a coward. He had previously been using one during practice. But when he took a game-time puck to the face, enough was enough. Plante refused, after getting stitched up, to go back on […]

Ironically enough, number four on the Baseball-Reference list of comebacks also takes place in 2001. In another odd bit of coincidence, it takes place between a dominant team and a not-so-dominant one. Yet a third space and time-bending oddity are that the lacking squadron is the subject of this comeback. So…this writer is wondering whether […]

One has a tendency to think of steel when one thinks of Pittsburgh. The city is known worldwide as Steel City. And Pittsburgh steel has built such memorable landmarks as the Brooklyn Bridge, the Chrysler Building, and the Empire State Building. So, when it comes to sports team names, the Pittsburgh Steelers are the pinnacle […]

Diamondbacks 11, Pirates 6 PHOENIX, July 20 — The Arizona Diamondbacks used an eight-run seventh inning to rally from a 5–1 deficit and clobber the Pittsburgh Pirates, 11–6, Tuesday night. Josh VanMeter, who entered the game in a double switch in the fourth, went 3-for-3 — falling a home run short of the cycle — […]

Diamondbacks 4, Pirates 2 PHOENIX, July 19 — Caleb Smith scattered six hits across 6 2/3 innings while the Arizona Diamondbacks smashed three home runs to nip the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4–2, Monday evening. Caleb Smith pitched himself out of a jam in the top of the second. One-out singles by catcher Jacob Stallings and second […]

Dave Martinez Throws Base over Another Runner’s Lane Interference Call Welcome to Week Seven 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 […]

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 […]

It is no secret that the Pittsburgh Pirates are going through the process of rebuilding, but as you will see in this 2021 Pirates season preview, they have the potential to win some games. It is never easy to trade away your best players and exchange them for young players with big potential. However, when […]

1980s Major League Baseball Just Say No To The 80s The 1989 World Series between the Oakland Athletics and the San Francisco Giants, dubbed the Battle of the Bay, concluded on October 28th, thus ending what some claim to be a forgettable decade in the history of baseball. But why does 1980s Major League Baseball […]

The New York Yankees have acquired another pitcher with the addition of Jameson Taillon from the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Yankees have been active recently in signing DJ LeMahieu and Corey Kluber to contracts. The Pirates will receive four prospects in return including their 15th-rated prospect Miguel Yajure. Ken Rosenthal reported the original agreement, while Bob […]

In a three-team deal, the San Diego Padres acquired Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Joe Musgrove. Jeff Passan of ESPN was the first to report the news on Twitter. The New York Mets were the third team involved in the trade. The San Diego Padres are in agreement on a deal to acquire right-hander Joe Musgrove […]

In the latest Corey Kluber news, the free agent held a workout Tuesday to showcase his progress to interested teams. Approximately 60 scouts from 25 different teams appeared to watch Kluber, who is entering his age-35 season, throw 30 pitches at the Cressey Sports Performance facility in Florida. The general consensus is that Kluber impressed […]

It is no secret that re-signing DJ LeMahieu is the New York Yankees’ top priority. The general consensus on the Yankees hot stove and around MLB is that they will bring the MVP finalist back into pinstripes for the foreseeable future. First baseman Luke Voit took it a step further during his Tuesday appearance on […]

The Pittsburgh Pirates are a team in need. Just name a facet of the game and the Bucs are likely in at least a moderate need in that area. They are one of the lowest payroll teams in MLB which forces them to rely heavily on their farm system. Unfortunately, the farm system isn’t producing […]

When it comes to pitching, 300 wins is the equivalent to 500 home runs; or, at least, this is what a certain school of thought espouses. It is the gold standard, the pinnacle of what any pitcher can accomplish. Winning 300 games involves a lot of dedication and a lot of practice. It means showing […]

For the first time in what seems like forever, the Los Angeles Angels are winning, and they’re winning big. For the first time in what seems like forever, the Angels pitching staff is shoving lineups left and right; up and down. The Halos offense is relentless, and the stars have all finally started to click […]

Jorge López has had a new calling as a closer. So far, this “new calling” has turned out to be a success for the Baltimore Orioles. As of this writing, the 29-year-old right-hander has four saves, three wins, and a 1.06 ERA. The former starter has seen his career change dramatically for the better. Always […]

If you’ve followed the Oakland Athletics at all this year, you’d know that the A’s bats have been a glaring weakness of the team. The A’s came into Monday’s action in Detroit as losers of nine straight–with a team batting average of .200. The team’s OBP hadn’t faired much better. The A’s packed their bags […]

Things do not look good in the city of brotherly love. The Philadelphia Phillies, who once again spent big this past offseason on free-agent outfielders Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber, find themselves below .500, and 5.5 games behind the division-leading New York Mets. The Phils have slowly clawed their way back up the standings and […]

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 16. These statistics aim to further measure effectiveness of relief pitchers. Scoreless Outing Percentage, which first appeared in this piece, is based […]

Rangers 7, Angels 4   ARLINGTON, Texas, May 16 — The Texas Rangers‘ bats came to life on Monday, as they beat the Los Angeles Angels by a final score of 7–4. Rangers’ catcher Jonah Heim homered to help lead them to the win. On a night when the Angels jumped out to an early […]

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 […]