baseball
Sabermetric analysis of all things baseball - on-and-off the field. Barry Bonds fan club.
Katherine Papa Stays Grounded in her Somers Upbringing
The last time we saw Katherine Papa, she was on the losing end of a heartbreaking Section One semifinal loss. Life going on, the next step at Rowan University put her in the crosshairs too, and like her love of softball, she let her instincts lead the way.
By Rich Monetti3 months ago in Unbalanced
Top Somers Quotes for 2025/2026
Scroll to end for Top 100 for 2025/2026 Somers girls lacrosse versus John Jay - Shea Mullins With an epic comeback in their sights, Shea Mullins saw destiny on the break. “I was thinking, it’s my time,” said the Tusker. And the clock struck sudden death when Mullins’ shot hit home.
By Rich Monetti3 months ago in Unbalanced
Who's Hot and Who's Not in Sports: New York/New Jersey
When I started this series on sports regions, I had to start with SoCal, because, well, that's my neck of the woods. Plus it made sense to start with one of the largest sports areas in North America. When you think Western sports, you automatically think SoCal (mainly Los Angeles). When it comes to the East, New York is the nucleus, whether some like it or not. The facts are there. At least 8.5 million people in NYC, the most populous city in the US, as well as the largest metropolitan sports market in North America. In addition, the area has not one, not two, but actually four of the most popular arenas/stadiums in the continent.
By Clyde E. Dawkins3 months ago in Unbalanced
Prime Pub Defense Leads the Way in Victory over Perillo Tours
Scroll to end for photos On Tuesday June 16, Prime Pub faced Perillo Tours at Reis Park and both teams definitely did a good job putting the bat on the ball. More so on the side of Prime, starting pitcher Bobby Russo identified the difference and it took place behind him.
By Rich Monetti3 months ago in Unbalanced
My Brutally Honest Thoughts About Justin Verlander
The first half of the 2026 Major League Baseball season will conclude on Sunday. According to multiple sources, Justin Verlander announced via his Instagram page that he'll be retiring at the end of the season. I would highlight his stats and other accolades, but since he has infuriated me so much over the years, out of respect, I decided that I wasn't going to give him any sort of props. I used to like him and thought he was one of the best pitchers that had ever played the game. However, nearly a decade after the Astros cheating scandal, I won't and will never acknowledge him as a World Series champion or Cy Young Award winner. Even if he were to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame years from now, I still wouldn't acknowledge him as a Baseball Hall of Famer either. Justin Verlander may not have been one of the masterminds behind the aforementioned scandal, but just like everyone who were part of the Astros between 2017 and 2022, all of the players are and still guilty by association. In other words, even though many players have since moved on to other teams, they'll still have the Cheater label attached to them forever. I refuse to acknowledge them as World Series champions or World Series MVPs. I don't care if the scandal happened almost 10 years ago. If a team engages in any sort of cheating for personal or professional gain, I automatically lose respect for them. The Astros should've had their title stripped; rings returned and pay back any bonuses they might have received. Also, they should've been ineligible for the Postseason the following year. Instead, the players received immunity from the league, which is basically a slap on the wrist. I have zero tolerance for cheaters, regardless of the sport. Justin Verlander was the same player who was so gung-ho about being an advocate for tougher punishments for players who used performance-enhancing drugs. Yet, he was part of a team who cheated the Los Angeles Dodgers of a World Series title back in 2017. I'm no fan of either team, but Verlander was full of hypocrisy and contradictions. I'm not going to give him a pass, just because he's retiring. None of the players who were with the Astros between 2017 and 2022 don't get a pass, either.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 3 months ago in Unbalanced
In the Spotlight: Dallas-Fort Worth Professional Sports Teams
As someone who grew up in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, winning is everything. Us sports fans don't care about our favorite teams making it to the playoffs. We do care, but anything less than a championship is considered a failure. Yes, we have very high expectations for our teams. This logic is also true for high school sports teams. Especially Friday night football. Attending these was like being at church and we do take them very seriously. I'm still waiting for the Dallas Cowboys to win their first Super Bowl in 30 something years. In this story, I'll be highlighting some of the teams from the area and how well they've performed over the years. The teams of focus for this story are the Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers, Dallas Stars, FC Dallas, Dallas Mavericks, and Frisco RoughRiders.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 3 months ago in Unbalanced
The 2007 Texas Rangers Roster Were Everything
Next month will mark 25 years of me being a die-hard Texas Rangers fan. Also, next year will mark the 20th anniversary of one of the best games in Rangers history. I'll highlight that in a moment. The year 2007 was an important one for me, because that was when I graduated from high school. The Rangers roster from that year was everything, but record wise, not so much. They finished the season with a record of 75–87 and placed fourth in the American League West. The manager at the time was Ron Washington, who served in that role from 2007 to 2014. He led the Rangers to back-to-back American League pennants and World Series appearances. Unfortunately, they didn't win either of those titles. He held coaching positions with the then Oakland Athletics and Atlanta Braves, finally winning a World Series title with the latter team in 2021. Washington was named the Los Angeles Angels manager in late 2023, his first managerial job in over a decade. Unfortunately, after three seasons as skipper, the Angels announced that the then 73-year-old wouldn't return for another season. He and Jeff Banister, who succeeded Washington, are two of my favorite managers. Banister was the Rangers manager from 2015 to 2018. He won the American League Manager of the Year in 2015 and led the team to back-to-back American League West titles in 2015 and 2016. They would lose to the Toronto Blue Jays in both appearances in the ALDS.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 3 months ago in Unbalanced
Who's Hot and Who's Not in Sports: Southern California
I've been considering doing this exact series for a long time, mainly because I talk a lot about sports markets--mainly who the top teams and the "black sheeps" are in each area. Regarding how I'll do this, I had to think about how I would go about cooking up this series, but after careful consideration, here's how it'll go:
By Clyde E. Dawkins3 months ago in Unbalanced
Jaylen Brown: NBA Champion, Finals MVP, and Modern Icon
In today's NBA, few players embody excellence on and off the court as completely as Jaylen Brown. Known for his elite athleticism, championship pedigree, intellectual curiosity, and unwavering personal philosophy, Brown has evolved from a promising young prospect into one of basketball's most respected stars. As an NBA champion, Finals MVP, entrepreneur, activist, and cultural figure, Jaylen Brown represents a new generation of athletes who refuse to be defined by a single identity.
By Mr How4 months ago in Unbalanced
CMDR Wins Defensive Battle versus Garafolo Holding Corp
See Photos Below On Monday June 8, Garafolo Holding Corp and CMDR hooked up at Onatru Farm Park and notched a defensive pitcher’s duel. A 2-0 game in the top of the seventh, GHC was obviously hoping to get the lead off batter on, and Jess Van Galen’s sinking bloop into right center seemed to deliver. But Laura Whitten wasn’t buying.
By Rich Monetti4 months ago in Unbalanced
Tokens of Appreciation: Twice is Nice
Greetings, baseball nerds! As the first half of the 2026 Major League Baseball season nears to a close and the All-Star Game in Philadelphia just weeks away, there are two players that are worth acknowledging. Both are from the National League and play for different teams. So far, we've seen high scoring games, immaculate pitching gems, and exciting walk-off wins. Most recently, the two players I'll be discussing in this story hit for their first career cycles.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 4 months ago in Unbalanced
My Thoughts About a 100-Pitch Count Minimum
The arm of a pitcher in Major League Baseball is like a weapon: they have to take good care of it. If they overwork their arm, in many cases, they'll opt to have Tommy John surgery. The timetable recovery from it takes between 12 to 24 months. Baseball fans haven't been gung-ho about many of the rules the league has implemented over the years, such as the pitch clock. Legendary pitchers such as Nolan Ryan and Greg Maddux were known for going deep into games. Those kinds of pitchers were known as workhorses, pitching between seven and nine innings. Also, the aforementioned pitchers threw 100 pitches or more. In today's game, strict pitch counts are placed on pitchers. Many fans believe that this is a dying art. Recently, Max Scherzer proposed an idea that he would like to see as a requirement for all pitchers in the league: a 100-pitch count. He wants to see pitchers stay in games longer before being pulled out. The response online to the two-time World Series champion and future Hall of Famer's idea wasn't popular with fans, with a few stating that it'll never happen. If you've watched videos of Max's immaculate pitching performances from previous years, they're always a treat to watch. However, he's not the same pitcher he was years ago. Scherzer is currently in his 19th MLB season and if there is a next season and also whether or not he returns for another season, that season would be his 20th. If he wants to come back for another season and still feels good, all respect to him. If he wants to call it a career at the end of this season, I will respect his decision. The accolades may not matter to him or couldn't care less about being complimented, but his glowing resume shows that he's Hall of Fame worthy. I still regard him as one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball, despite the regression of his pitching performances.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 4 months ago in Unbalanced
