2011
Do teams like the Rangers really choke?
In some ways the teams that collapse are remembered just as much as the teams that win. The ’51 Brooklyn Dodgers go hand-in-hand with the New York Giants who famously vanquished them. The ’78 Boston Red Sox are forever linked ... Read More »
The Braves long road to .500
On the final day of the 2011 season the Atlanta Braves experienced heartbreak. Their loss, coupled with a victory by the St. Louis Cardinals, cost the Braves the wild card spot that they had held for much of the season. ... Read More »
Gibson's winning attitude rubs off on Diamondbacks
Kirk Gibson takes competition seriously. In his first spring training with the Dodgers in 1988, Gibson famously erupted when teammate Jesse Orosco painted eye black in the band of his cap. Gibson’s intensity drove the Dodgers to an improbable World ... Read More »
How the ’11 Tigers are like the ’80 Phillies
As the 2011 season begins to wind down, the Detroit Tigers are perched atop the American League Central division, precariously some might say. Despite the fact that the division is one of the weakest in baseball. The team seems to ... Read More »
Should managers make their players available for the All-Star Game?
Ever since Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig announced in 2003 that the winning league of the All-Star Game would gain homefield advantage in the World Series, experts have debated whether he made the right decision. That decision has led ... Read More »
Why the Giants can win the World Series again
No National League team has repeated as World Series champion since Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine 35 years ago. The only team that has a chance to end that drought is the San Francisco Giants. Here’s why they can do it. ... Read More »
With Avila: Father Knew Best
In the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft, the Detroit Tigers selected a catcher from the University of Alabama with their pick in the 5th round. That news wasn’t all that noteworthy, but the catcher sure is. The catcher was Alex ... Read More »
Five biggest surprises of the 2011 baseball season
Here are the five biggest surprises so far in the 2011 season. 5. Tribe Revival The 2010 Cleveland Indians had their share of problems: they were one of the worst hitting teams in the league, their pitching staff gave up ... Read More »
Manny doesn't belong with baseball's greats
It’s fitting that on a night when the federal government narrowly averted a shutdown, Manny Ramirez announced his retirement from baseball. The half-assed deal to keep the government going is a cop-out, and much of Manny’s career was also half-assed. ... Read More »
Phillies "Big Four" could be best ever
Lebron, Wade, and Bosh? The Phillies have done one better than the Miami Heat. With the acquisition of free agent left-hander Cliff Lee last week, the Philadelphia Phillies established a foursome of starting pitchers that rival the greatest in the ... Read More »
