Fan Interference

Here’s what I think we know: There will be a 172-game season this year. There may be bumps in the road due to COVID-19, but every team is going to get as close to 162 games as they can. Last year, of course, the season was only 60 games. There were small sample sizes everywhere,…… Continue reading Preview 2021: AL East

MLB announced the AAA season will start the first week of May instead of the beginning of April. It will now coincide with the start of the A and AA seasons. That’s not why, though. MLB, at least for the first month of the season, is going to use the same alternate training site plan…… Continue reading AAA Season to Start Late

With anything like a normal 162 game season, quite a few team and career milestones will be reached this year. Let’s take a look. Position players: Miguel Cabrera is on record stating 500 home runs and 3000 hits are personal goals this year. He needs 13 homers for 500 and 134 hits for 3000. If…… Continue reading Preview 2021: Milestones

Like the Early Days Committee, the Golden Days Committee was also put off by the Hall of Fame from last year until this December. I previously put up a post profiling names of potential players for the Early Days ballot. This is to do the same for the Golden Days. As a reminder, the various…… Continue reading The Golden Days Committee

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard someone claim athlete X was sure to someday be the all-time scorer, hitter, or whatever. I usually don’t say but am thinking “no way.” It takes a long time, a lot of talent, and a whole lot of luck. The talent part is obvious. The time?…… Continue reading All Time Records Are Hard to Do

Every now and then some MLB exec demonstrates just how arrogant/full of hubris said person is. Usually they don’t take it to the point of imploding their careers. Kevin Mather, erstwhile president and CEO of the Seattle Mariners, has done just that. He spoke for 45 minutes to a Rotary Club. During that brief time,…… Continue reading Kevin Mather: Idiot

Kenta Maeda threw 22 pitches in a bullpen session today.

…at least until May. They’ve announced their first two home stands will be played at their spring training facility. TD Stadium underwent renovations that just finished last spring. The ballpark can accommodate up to 8500 fans (was 5500 before the upgrades), so will likely be allowed 2,000-3,000 fans at games, I’m guessing. Looking at aerial…… Continue reading Blue Jays Staying in Dunedin

Fernando Tatis has signed a deal that means he won’t be a free agent until he’s 36. He’s 22 now. The 14 year deal is worth $340M. That’s second in dollar value to Mike Trout’s and Mookie Betts’ deals…not bad. The deal also means the Padres are the first team to have two players with…… Continue reading Tatis Signs Big Deal

Billy Conigliaro passed away this past Wednesday at the age of 73. He was a journeyman outfielder for the 1969-1971 Red Sox, 1972 Brewers, and WS champion 1973 A’s. He was the first ever draft choice of the Red Sox in 1965. His on field accomplishments are not why I feel baseball fans need to…… Continue reading Billy Conigliaro

I’m hunkered down, weathering the second big blizzard to hit OK in 3 days. Hope y’all are safe and warm. It seems like spring and baseball are many months away, yet players are reporting this week, and the season is still projected to go off on time pandemic or no. Some teams have announced limited…… Continue reading Greetings from the Blizzard

Last month, the results of the BBWAA vote for the 2021 Hall of Fame class was announced, and *crickets*. Fortunately for the merchants of Cooperstown, they will still have a bonanza for induction week—pandemic permitting—as the large 2020 class will be there after having the 2020 induction week corona-cancelled. Among the honorees, of course, will…… Continue reading Looking Ahead at Future HoF Ballots

Last week the MLBPA rejected the league’s proposal on this season’s length, start time, expanding the playoffs, and the universal DH. This week, the two sides have agreed on COVID protocols and contact tracing, vote continuing to have double header games be seven innings instead of nine, and starting extra innings with a runner on…… Continue reading Union and League CAN Agree…Occasionally

This was a pretty eventful week in MLB. Free agents signed. Trades happened. MLB and the MLBPA squabbled. Let’s look at some: Dustin Pedroia officially retired. Really, his body had already retired him. He only played 3 games in 2018, 6 in 2019, and none this past year. He appeared to be on a Hall…… Continue reading Some Doings This Week

There has been a lot of discussion about the Hall of Fame’s character clause in recent days, since the BBWAA elected nobody to be enshrined for this year. The three best players on the ballot, among others, all have issues that cause some voters to invoke the character clause as justification for not voting for…… Continue reading Just a Quick Thought on the Character Clause