baseball
Sabermetric analysis of all things baseball - on-and-off the field. Barry Bonds fan club.
My 2018 MLB Season Predictions for the American League
The 2018 MLB season is just around the corner! In two days, a new season of baseball will start and 30 teams will all have the hope of playing deep into October and win a world championship. The offseason was made with some significant moves and some teams come into the new season with big aspirations. Who will come on top this year? Who will disappoint? It's now time for my 2018 MLB season predictions. I will start today with the American League.
By Jean-Philippe Fournier9 years ago in Unbalanced
Braves Country
America’s team, The team of the 90s, the Bravos, the Atlanta Braves. My grandfather’s team, my father’s team, my team. I grew up during the Chipper reign, starting at the tail end of the Braves's 14 year success, but that didn’t stop me from being a loyal fan for years to come. Chipper is my favorite player, Smoltzie is my favorite pitcher. The Ted is my favorite ballpark.
By Isaac Johnson9 years ago in Unbalanced
Best Rookie Seasons in MLB History. Top Story - March 2018.
It's incredibly difficult to break into professional sports. In baseball, the chances of even making it to the major leagues are slim to none. But for those blessed with enough talent, they will be remembered forever in the baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. With such great careers, it's hard to remember what these players did as a rookie. These are the best rookie seasons in MLB history.
By Rob Gordon9 years ago in Unbalanced
Why the Yankees Will Disappoint This Year
When the New York Yankees traded for last year's NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton, they became the unanimous pick to win the World Series this season. With Stanton now complementing Aaron Judge, last year's Rookie of the Year and AL MVP runner-up, the new Yankees lineup is likely the most powerful in years.
By Dave Schneider9 years ago in Unbalanced
Worst Managers in MLB History
It's unfair to pin all of a baseball team's struggles on the manager. Sometimes it can be a good thing when a team struggles. It shows that the team is growing. It's about how the team reacts to this growth and how they adjust. That's where the manager's role comes into question.
By Nick Paroni9 years ago in Unbalanced
Toronto Blue Jays Have Bright Future With Prospects Vlad Guerrero Jr and Bo Bichette
The Toronto Blue Jays have had several productive seasons in the past few years, advancing to an ALCS in 2015 and losing in the division series in 2016. Last year, though, was a disappointment for Toronto, failing to make the postseason. One thing they have lacked in past years is talent that the Jays have drafted and brought up through their minor league system. But now there is Vladimir Guerrero Jr and Bo Bichette.
By Quinn Allen9 years ago in Unbalanced
Twins Preview
Last year, the Minnesota Twins shocked Major League Baseball with a historical turnaround and a run to the American League Wildcard Game. The Twins went from being the worst team in baseball with over 100 losses to an 85 win season and a playoff berth. However, the Twins were knocked out of the playoffs in the first round by the New York Yankees, another surprising team. With Opening Day less than a month away, it is a good time to look at this year's Minnesota Twins.
By Wesley Franklin9 years ago in Unbalanced
Shohei Ohtani Has a Brighter Future on the Mound
Shohei Ohtani is a franchise-changing player. Tons of Major league clubs were bidding for the Japanese star, with the LA Angels eventually signing Ohtani. Major League Baseball hasn't seen a two-way star like Ohtani in ages. In fact, Babe Ruth was the last successful one to master his art on the mound and at the plate. It's a dicey topic. When you play 162 games in a season, and you have a guy who can bring it on the mound but also rake at the plate, how are you going to get him into the lineup on a consistent basis? Since Ohtani ended up on an American League team, he does have the possibility to DH. Ohtani hit very well in the Nippon Professional Baseball League in Japan, compiling a .286/.358/.500 slash across five seasons for the Nippon Ham Fighters, hitting 48 homers in that span with 166 RBI's. His biggest season at the dish was in 2016 when he hit .322 with 22 bombs.
By Quinn Allen9 years ago in Unbalanced
The Time to Shine Is Now for the Young White Sox Rotation
White Sox GM Rick Hahn has made some strategic moves in the last couple of years in order to rebuild this organization with young, exciting talent. Most notably the names like Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech, and Lucas Giolito come to mind.
By Quinn Allen9 years ago in Unbalanced
Jim Thome's Case for Hall of Fame
The Baseball Hall of Fame honors the all-time greats of the game. For over 80 years, the best of the best (and some not so best) have been enshrined into the highest honor of the game. Players from the all-time greats of Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, and Cy Young, to those of “lesser” pedigree, as Phil Rizzuto, Bill Mazeroski, and Dave Bancroft have all found their way into the doors of the Hall. In all, 319 people have called the Baseball Hall of Fame home. Although the qualifications and requirements for enshrinement can be subjective at times, there is no doubt that being called into the Hall of Fame is a truly high honor for any person. There has been resistance to those persons who have been proven or accused of “cheating the game,” with stars ranging from ‘Shoeless’ Joe Jackson & Pete Rose to Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Sammy Sosa. With a glut of worthy candidates on the way in the future ballots, one name that stands out as truly worthy, and hopefully is rewarded with a first-ballot enshrinement when the results of the upcoming 2018 are announced, is Jim Thome.
By James Roller9 years ago in Unbalanced
How Dock Ellis Pitched a No Hitter While High on LSD
Often times one can find a bit of history that is truly amazing. Like the invention of the airplane or the telephone or the first person who combined Jack Daniels with Coca-Cola. This story, much like the man with no legs who climbed Mt. Everest, or even that one time you should have been arrested but weren’t somehow because the cops got an emergency call and couldn’t waste their time with you, is in a word, unbelievable. This story is one of the greatest sports legends in not just the history of baseball, but in the history of the world. In 1970, Dock Ellis threw one of the game’s most notable no hitters, but the story starts much earlier than that.
By Regular Person9 years ago in Unbalanced
