Cuban players have long been a mainstay in baseball. After Fidel Castro made it impossible for people to leave the island, the flow of players stopped to a drip. That changed with the defection of Rene Arocha in 1991. [more inside]
posted by reenum on Nov 8, 2009 - 4 comments

Mark McGwire was one of the most feared sluggers in the game during his career. In 1998, the home run chase between McGwire and Sammy Sosa helped baseball recover from the 1994 strike. But, when a reporter found a bottle containing andro in McGwire's locker, some chinks in his armor began to emerge. [more inside]
posted by reenum on Nov 6, 2009 - 61 comments

When people think of the pitfalls of the baseball draft, it is hard not to remember the story of Matt Harrington. Harrington was drafted in the first round of the MLB draft by the Rockies and the Padres in successive years, only to go back into the draft after failing to reach an agreement each time. As the years went by, his stock kept falling. [more inside]
posted by reenum on Nov 3, 2009 - 50 comments

Lenny Dykstra was lauded for his heroics with the Mets and Philles. After his career, Dykstra became well-known as a post-career athlete success story. Then the truth started coming out... [more inside]
posted by reenum on Oct 27, 2009 - 22 comments

"It began with a photograph. You've seen it. The new Yankee Stadium. The House Next To The House That Ruth Built. The picture showed the most expensive seats empty, with the rest of the stadium packed." Wright Thompson shares his experience splurging on a Legend Suite seat at the new Yankee Stadium. [more inside]
posted by yeti on Oct 9, 2009 - 71 comments

Flip Flop Fly Ball - Baseball infographics and other visual treats. Highlights: How tall is the Green Monster?, Assembling and dismantling the '86 Mets, and Wu-Tang Clan vs. E-Street Band.
posted by Ufez Jones on Jun 19, 2009 - 48 comments

At least one of these things is true, and possibly both: (a) This was the most tense game of baseball ever played; or (b) relations between Jews and the Klan have deteriorated dramatically since 1926. Bill Francis, a research librarian at the Baseball Hall of Fame, unearths a tantalizing newspaper clipping. [more inside]
posted by kosem on May 11, 2009 - 44 comments

How (and Why) Athletes Go Broke [more inside]
posted by ThePinkSuperhero on Apr 13, 2009 - 130 comments

The Guardian is knocked for six by American sport references in British media Creeping cultural imperialism? The effect of internet media from foreign news outlets? Or just Guardian handwringing about something no one else notices? Is British media alone in this trend?
posted by Grrlscout on Jan 20, 2009 - 111 comments

22 years after letting a ball roll through his legs in extra innings to lose game six of the 1986 World Series, Bill Buckner returned to Fenway Park to throw out the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day. Here's a post on the Curse of the Bambino and the 2004 World Series [more inside]
posted by Corduroy on Apr 8, 2008 - 39 comments

When Sports Fans Go Mad. Just in time for your NCAA Final Four weekend: a celebration of sports fans' best and worst pranks, taunts, and hijinks. This ain't no Brady Bunch episode. Some require the skills of a tattoo artist. Some are confusing. Some are about public humiliation. This one, however, really takes the cake.
posted by papoon on Mar 31, 2007 - 14 comments

Blue Heaven: a tribute to Dodgertown. [ESPN link via]. Dodgertown in Vero Beach, FL became the spring training headquarters for the Dodgers and their many minor league teams in 1948. The site, which prepares the Dodger major and minor league clubs for the season, is being abandoned by the Dodgers for presumably less green pastures in Arizona. Voiceover narration is a bit maudlin, but the photographs are excellent.
posted by Tommy Gnosis on Mar 30, 2007 - 5 comments

Baseball nerd fun: Type in which team's at bat, how many outs, which inning, how many on base, and the Win Expectancy Finder will spit out the likelihood the team wins, based on actual game data from the periods 2000-2004, 1991-1998, and 1979-1990.
posted by ibmcginty on Oct 26, 2006 - 12 comments

Baseball Race. "[A]n online application that allows you to view any Major League Baseball season, split by league or division (even wild card races), as an animated, date-by-date race between the various teams you choose."
posted by brain_drain on Sep 11, 2006 - 22 comments

Chris Creamer's sportslogos.net is a vast archive of current and historical sports logos from leagues large and small, brand new or defunct. Some of my favorite retro logos involve mascots (often anthropomorphized) performing sports-related activities. Of course, some were retired for good reasons.
posted by kyleg on Aug 30, 2006 - 14 comments

We all have to go sometime. Frank Russo has an obsession, dead ballplayers. Some died in accidents, some were murdered, some couldn't take it anymore, and some were cursed. They were all human. (via HNT)
posted by caddis on Jul 9, 2006 - 14 comments

Omedetou! Japan beat Cuba 10-6 to win the first World Baseball Classic. The team was coached by Sadaharu Oh, one of the great stars of the Japanese leagues (868 home runs to boot), and featured the talents of a few Japanese players who have made the jump to American ball--Ichiro Suzuki and Akinori Otsuka. Is the World Series now an outdated misnomer?
posted by bardic on Mar 21, 2006 - 22 comments

Sports Illustrated has an excerpt from the upcoming book Game of Shadows. The book claims to have detailed evidence of heavy drug use by Barry Bonds. Tom Verducci of SI (who has a Hall of Fame vote) has suggested this will keep him out of the Hall and is damning as the Dowd Report, which lead to a lifetime ban for Pete Rose. Would this provide any kind of closure to the steroid era? If Bonds does not sue, is that as good as an admission? And although his motives can be considered dubious, did Jose Canseco end up becoming a savior of baseball?
posted by dig_duggler on Mar 7, 2006 - 78 comments

88 years in the making. The Chicago White Sox have swept the series.
posted by wfrgms on Oct 26, 2005 - 74 comments

Searching for Bartman. A sports reporter’s account of his efforts to land an interview with “the most reclusive man in sports,” Steve Bartman. Bartman is the baseball fan blamed by many Chicago Cubs fans for preventing the Cubs from reaching the World Series in 2003 when he arguably interfered with a catch at a key point in the game. He received massive attention and ridicule after the incident, but never spoke to the media about it, except he released a short statement the day after the game.
posted by brain_drain on Jul 9, 2005 - 32 comments

Well today is the opening day of one of the most popular baseball leagues in the county. A big part of the league is the The Goldklang Group, (which is partly owned by Bill Murrary.) The president and owner of the Saints is marketing genius Mike Veeck, son of the late Bill Veeck. Smell the hotdogs and taste the beer but not in that order. (More peanuts and Crackerjacks await inside)
posted by wheelieman on May 20, 2005 - 14 comments

Bonds said he unknowingly used steroids Following up on yesterday's article on Giambi's grand jury testimony, the SF Chronicle reports that Bonds admitted using steroids, but didn't know what they were at the time. Gary Sheffield said something very similar in October, and was not penalized by baseball, nor by public opinion. Meanwhile, the Yankees are reportedly trying to void Giambi's contract. What will the fallout be from the Bonds story?
posted by ibmcginty on Dec 3, 2004 - 50 comments

Yankee Star Admits Steroid Use. Jason Giambi finally came clean. Will this lead to the confession of other baseball players? Barry Bonds - the heat is on. Or are you in "the clear"?
posted by cpchester on Dec 2, 2004 - 30 comments

To Whom It May Concern: This letter is to be considered an authorization to condantiques, a seller on Ebay, to offer on auction, for the Feinstein Foundation, the 1919 Original Ruth contract to the highest bidder which exceeds the reserve. All proceeds of this sale will go to charity.
posted by anathema on Nov 5, 2004 - 8 comments

The Unsettling Origins of the "Curse of the Bambino." As of this writing, the Boston Red Sox seem to have a good chance of breaking their 86-year championship drought, popularly attributed to a curse brought upon the Sox in 1920 when then-owner Harry Frazee sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees. But as Glenn Stout writes, popular wisdom (as usual) has it wrong. A fascinating article on how misplaced anti-Semitism, Henry Ford, and an influential sportswriter in thrall to baseball's controlling interests gave birth to one of the best-known pieces of baseball mythology. [via the SDMB]
posted by Johnny Assay on Oct 26, 2004 - 45 comments

Underdog to NY Yankees --> "Who's YOUR Daddy?"
posted by omidius on Oct 20, 2004 - 88 comments

Heckling? Good Natured Fun or Verbal Abuse
The recent assault of a fan by Texas Rangers' reliever Frank Francisco with a folding chair is inexcusable, there's no doubt about that. But what about the fans who literally spend every moment at the park needling, heckling and verbally abusing the players?
There's a difference between ribbing the opposing team and calling an athlete a fat f***. Where does the line get drawn and why is any heckling permitted anymore?
posted by fenriq on Sep 16, 2004 - 85 comments

How to score a baseball game. A childhood pleasure I've never given up.
posted by WolfDaddy on Jun 3, 2004 - 24 comments

Who'dda thunk it? We interrupt our usual story about how badly the Cubs suck to say that the Cubs just made the playoffs this year. Will long-suffering Cubs fans be vindicated? Is this the end of the billy-goat curse? Bonus: link to audio of Harry Caray yelling "cubs win!"
posted by answergrape on Sep 27, 2003 - 17 comments

William Ellsworth “Dummy” Hoy was the first deaf Major League baseball player. He played in four major leagues, hit the first grand slam in the American League, stole 82 bases in his rookie year, and was the first outfielder to throw out three runners at home plate in one game. He's the reason for umpires' hand signals. Gallaudet University dedicated its baseball field to him. There's a campaign to get him inducted in the Hall of Fame (here's his stats.) [via The Baseball Crank]
posted by kirkaracha on May 13, 2003 - 7 comments

It's opening day! (Forget that silly game last night.) Whether you follow the evil empire or the best barnstorming team, today is the start of another season. Old-timers, fantasy players, card collectors, men, women, young, old: all love America's pastime.
posted by ?! on Mar 31, 2003 - 19 comments

Seats...On the Green Monster? It seems that the Boston Red Sox have finalized the plan to make changes to one of Major League Baseball's most famous curiosities, the Green Monster - if not *the* most famous, as this article suggests. The stadium has the lowest amount of available seating, and is definitely, in the realm of the other stadiums in major markets, out of date. But it has a classic sort of feel to it. Here are some of the proposed plans for this and other changes to the stadium. I can't wait to see if someone falls off the back of the 'Monster trying to catch a homerun ball.
posted by djspicerack on Feb 10, 2003 - 21 comments

Want to listen to the World Series on the Web? Pay $9.95. I know, it's a sports post, so (most) everyone will hate it, but I see a disturbing trend of no more free media lunches on the Web. CNN went subscription months ago, and most other places I've gone for free video/audio are drying up. All I wanted was to listen to the game. But I can't find it anywhere. All the regular stations I listen to that carry the game are silent. And how will the Angels make a valiant comeback if I can't cheer them on? (sigh)
posted by TheManWhoKnowsMostThings on Oct 26, 2002 - 25 comments

Cosmic Baseball starts from the premise that Baseball is a metaphor for life. It celebrates individuality and creativity. Notwithstanding that cricket is the best available metaphor for life, there is loads to explore on this wacky site, not much baseball on it though.
posted by Fat Buddha on Sep 22, 2002 - 6 comments

Meanwhile in the world of sports, two idiots attacked a Royals coach during a game tonight. At least it wasn't on Fan Appreciation night. Still, what a dark night for Comiskey.
posted by RobbieFal on Sep 19, 2002 - 18 comments

Doh! Despite Homer Simpson's worst fears, the Albuquerque Isotopes will take the field next year. However, the team is not originally from Springfield, but from Calgary. The city's AAA baseball team will move to New Mexico next year.
posted by xmutex on Sep 6, 2002 - 21 comments

Commish or Capo? Commissioner of Baseball Bud Selig has been sued under the RICO Act for wire and mail fraud. The charge stems from his attempt at the contraction of two teams in Major League Baseball.

Mr. Selig can't seem to get a break from bad publicity. Does he deserve one?
posted by Argyle on Jul 16, 2002 - 6 comments

MLBFanStrike.com urges you to stay away from the ballpark on 7/11. I sympathize somewhat, but don't you think this will have little effect? And are they ripping a page out of the Charleston Riverdogs book?
posted by espada on Jul 10, 2002 - 8 comments

(Note to young sportswriters: Always make your steroid question your last question.)
Sports Illustrated Übercolumnist Rick Reilly asks Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa if he would be willing to undergo a test for steroids. After all, Sosa has said he would be "first in line" if baseball required tests for steroids. Reilly asks, "Well, why wait? Why not step up right now and be tested? You show everybody you're clean."
Sosa chuckles ruefully, pats Reilly on the back, and replies, "No, sir, that would weaken the player's union, and besides, your question is quite inappropriate."
Just kidding. Actually, Sosa yells and screams. His answer includes the word "motherfucker." "You're not my father," he tells Reilly. Journalists writing to the letters page of Jim Romenesko's Media News disagree on the appropriateness of Reilly's request.
posted by Holden on Jul 3, 2002 - 29 comments

Check out this soccer/baseball stadium. You can fold the baseball field and roll in the soccer one. Animation here. Amazing.
posted by sikander on Jun 1, 2002 - 17 comments

Still No Homosexuals In Baseball "Not officially, anyway," notes AP sports writer Jim Litke. Exaggerated rumors in Monday's NY Post actually had Mike Piazza telling reporters yesterday, "I'm not gay. I'm heterosexual." The spark was an upcoming Details article, which asks Mets manager Bobby Valentine, "Are baseball clubhouses ready for an openly gay player?" His answer: "Probably." Has U.S. society really gotten to the point where an openly gay athlete could survive in pro sports?
posted by mediareport on May 22, 2002 - 27 comments

High Standards, High Expectations For the Select Few ""We have three or four kids that need to be under control when they do something wrong," Ruben said. "The pressure isn't coming from the coaches. It's self-induced. That should be gone by now. When they are 7 or 8, you can chalk it up and say they are only 7 or 8. 'They are 10' doesn't wash anymore."" Somehow, some of us used to have fun playing baseball.
posted by owillis on May 9, 2002 - 4 comments

Top 10 Wierd Baseball injuries. With the death of a fan at an NHL game, is sport the new axis of evil? I've pulled my hamstring a couple of times and broken a couple of ribs, but I have never slept on my eye 'wrong'.
posted by Frasermoo on Mar 20, 2002 - 8 comments

If you were a reader of Who's Who in Baseball or The Sporting News back in the late '70's and early '80's you probably recall seeing ads for the amazingly intricate APBA Sports games, arguably the forerunner of Fantasy Baseball and the like.I was always fascinated by themyet I never ordered a set. I imagined that in the age of the GameCube, they had gone the way of many outdated amusements. I couldn't have been more wrong, apparently.Judging by the number of fan sites and league sites,(not to mention APBA shareware)the hobby seems to be alive and well. Makes me wanna go buy a set and start a league.
posted by jonmc on Mar 18, 2002 - 7 comments

What if they threw an All-Star game and nobody came? In one of the most devistating blows to Commisioner Bud Selig's controversial reign, the MLB players are threatening not to attend this year's game in Milwaukee.

Selig owned the Milwaukee Brewers before handing it over to his daughter in order to be Commissioner, and in this battle over revenue-sharing, it would be almost too easy not to boycott the game due to Bud's connection with the host city. Conflict of interest around Selig's quasi-ownership and quasi-commissionership make him the ideal target for this fascinating threat, and probably the most exciting thing to happen to Milwaukee since "Laverne & Shirley."

posted by tsarfan on Mar 5, 2002 - 14 comments

Two new baseball stadiums for New York! At a time when NYC seems to be barreling towards huge debts, public workers aren't getting raises and the city needs to be rebuilt, the Yankees and the Mets -- two of the richest teams with the highest attendence -- are getting brand new stadiums courtesy of the city budget. Giuliani wants the deal finished as he leaves office.
posted by argybarg on Dec 27, 2001 - 45 comments

Goodbye Trust (Hello Shyster?) After 60+ years of Yawkey ownership and a year's worth of politicking, the Red Sox have been sold to a group headed by the current Florida Marlins owner and the man who presided over a fire sale as owner of the Padres (and is pals with Satan). The local heroes dropped out of the group today after a spat. The new owners' remaining local talent consists of former senator George Mitchell and Les Otten, a man who had trouble making money in the ski business. And staying out of trouble.
posted by yerfatma on Dec 20, 2001 - 17 comments

This man and this man will be working together next year. Think this man is feeling better about his decision to quit?
posted by yerfatma on Dec 18, 2001 - 22 comments

This ruined my day. The Yankees are going to buy another World Series. If I ever hear that the Yankees do not buy championship again I am going to poop my pants. They do buy championships. Man, do they suck.
posted by aj100 on Dec 6, 2001 - 58 comments

Baseball Owners Vote to Cut Two Teams Has the popularity of baseball peaked or will MLB just move these two to better markets?
posted by Oxydude on Nov 6, 2001 - 37 comments