MLB – STAND-OUT STORIES OF EARLY SPRING 2015

Barry Bonds is Marlins new hitting coach; Pablo Sandoval is still fat; New MLB Rules changes; Big Papi wants a standing ovation from the fans & the Orioles ban pies in the faces. | Mar 2, 10:55pm ET

MLB – RACHEL BALKOVEC & HER SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH LATINO PLAYERS

There is a perfect pairing taking place in MLB: A female strength & conditioning coach working with Latino players, each trying to break down their own barriers. | Feb 29, 5:37pm ET

MLB – DH TO THE NATIONAL LEAGUE WOULD BE A WIN-WIN

If adding the DH to the National League brings more offense back to baseball and more fans as a result, it’s a win-win for all. | Feb 27, 1:49pm ET

MLB – 2015 OFF-SEASON TRADES & ACQUISITIONS THAT WILL BE IMPACTFUL

Some of the stories that stood out to me: Dave Roberts hired as Dodgers Manager, Byung Ho Park to the Twins, David Price to Boston & Jordan Zimmerman to the Tigers. | Dec 4, 2015 @ 09:16am ET

MLB – ROYALS WORLD SERIES WIN MAKES THE 2015 ALL STAR BALLOT LEGIT

When the Royals won the WS, it legitimized the much criticized All Star Ballot voting process in 2015. So, who's got the last laugh now? | Nov 2, 2015 @ 8:59am ET

MLB – REMEMBERING YOGI BERRA (1925-2015)

The greatest MLB catcher of all time died this past week at age 90. There are many amazing facts about him worth noting. | Sep 23, 2015 @ 9:45am ET

MLB – LACK OF NETTING IN BALL PARKS & THE “BASEBALL RULE LAW”

If you plan to attend a ball game & sit near home plate beyond the required netting area, beware the “Baseball Rule”, which limits owners’ responsibilities to fan safety in the “zone of danger" . | June 8, 2015, 12:18pm ET

NFL – TOM BRADY’S LEGACY AND DEFLATEGATE; SUGGESTED RANKING SYSTEM FOR SPORTS CHEATERS

After the "Deflategate" scandal, I came up with a ranking system that focuses on rating cheaters in pro sports based on the damage they may have caused to the integrity of their sport. | May 12, 2015, 4:42pm ET

MLB – WILL OWNERSHIP OF ANALYTIC DATA BE AN ISSUE?

Legal problems may be an issue with a new form of physical analytics soon to be used by MLB teams to help prevent injuries, unless the parameters are clearly laid out ahead of time. | March 27, 2015, 3:54pm ET

MLB – WHY PETE ROSE SHOULD NEVER BE REINSTATED

The matter of what to do about Peter Edward “Pete” Rose just took a more serious turn for finality recently. New MLB Commissioner (Rob Manfred) confirmed that Rose has formally filed for reinstatement. Not that we didn’t see this coming. For the past 25 years, Rose has been skulking around the sidelines of baseball ...

MLB – IT’S TIME TO OFFICIALLY TEST THE AFFECTS OF PINE TAR ON A BASEBALL

MLB is unsure how exactly pine tar affects the movement of a baseball, especially for pitchers. So, why not test the sticky stuff in a controlled, laboratory type of setting? | April 29, 2014, 1:57pm ET

MLB – NEW RESEARCH TO SUPPORT AN ELECTRONIC STRIKE ZONE

Now that instant replay has been expanded in MLB to include about 90% of all on-field plays, it seems logical that the next area up for consideration to use reviewable technology would be the strike zone. While I have been a staunch proponent of getting all calls right in baseball, the idea that we could soon be ...

MLB – NEW HOME PLATE COLLISION RULE PROBLEMATIC

I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around the new Home Plate Collision Rule which Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Player’s Association (MLBPA) recently adopted. While I love that this issue is finally being addressed by the sport in any context, I find the parameters of the new rule to be ...

MLB – WHAT DEREK JETER’S LEGACY MEANS TO ME

It’s easy to gush about Derek Jeter, especially if you’re a lifelong Yankees fan like me. Over the course of his 19 years in MLB, Jeter has amassed an incredible statistical record so far: 3,316 Hits (1st Active; 10th Career); 2,470 Singles (1st Active; 6th Career); 4,527 Times on Base (1st Active; 16th ...

MLB EXPANDS INSTANT REPLY, BUT THERE’S A CATCH

Last week, when Major League Baseball announced that it had unanimously approved “expanded instant replay” for the 2014 season, I secretly rejoiced. In the past, MLB had been slow to accept the idea of expanding instant replay beyond that of home runs and in fact, has been notoriously slow to change any of its rules ...

MLB – THOUGHTS ON A-ROD’S OFF-SEASON FIGHT WITH MLB

Now that the MLB post-season is here, the sad reality is starting to set in for me.  Soon there will be no baseball for 6 long months. Generally, I’ve managed to make it through previous long winters without baseball by absorbing myself into the NFL and College Football coverage.  However, when those distractions ...

SPORTS FILM REVIEW – “Trouble With the Curve”

I never saw a baseball film I didn’t like. That’s just who I am. Even if a film isn’t very good, I’ll still like it if it’s about baseball. I have a simple explanation why:  Like chocolate and peanut butter, our national pastime and film go together like a match made in Heaven. Baseball is filled ...

MLB – THE BIOGENESIS SCANDAL & ITS EFFECTS

Yesterday, Major League Baseball levied heavy suspensions on 13 players for their connections to a Miami clinic (Biogenesis) which is accused of supplying them with performance enhancing drugs (PEDs). Among the players suspended are three current All-Stars, as well as New York Yankees third baseman, Alex Rodriguez, the ...

MLB – COULD PARAGRAPH 5 BE CREATING AUTHORITARIANS OUT OF HOF VOTERS?

This year, zero players have been elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame.  That hasn’t happened since 1996. A shocking outcome, considering that 37 players were eligible for the honor. Perhaps that was the point, though. Among others, the 2013 HOF ballot included first time candidates allegedly linked with ...

MLB – 2013 MID-SEASON NL REVIEW

It’s officially mid-season in Major League Baseball for 2013.  How have my pre-season National League predictions held up?  And, what do I foresee the rest of the way to the playoffs? NL EAST MY ORIGINAL PRE-SEASON PREDICTIONS (TO FINISH): Washington Nationals (Win Division) Atlanta Philadelphia NY ...

MLB – 2013 MID-SEASON AL REVIEW

It’s officially mid-season in Major League Baseball for 2013.  How have my pre-season American League predictions held up?  And, what do I foresee the rest of the way to the playoffs? AL EAST MY ORIGINAL PRE-SEASON PREDICTIONS (TO FINISH): NY Yankees (Win Division) Baltimore Toronto Tampa Bay Bosto...

MLB – WHY I LOVE LISTENING TO BASEBALL GAMES (ALMOST) MORE THAN WATCHING

Since I was a small child, baseball has been my favorite sport. And, when I wasn’t watching baseball as a kid, I was playing it with my Dad & my brother in the backyard or out on the street in front of the house when we needed more room. But, perhaps even better than watching and playing ball for me, is ...

MLB – 2013 PRE-SEASON NL PREDICTIONS

NL EAST – Nationals*; Braves (wild card) NL CENTRAL – Reds NL WEST – Dodgers; Giants (wild card) *WS Finalist NL EAST 1.     Washington Nationals The Nationals finished 2012 with the best record in baseball (98-64), clinched the division, and became the first Washington-based team to advance to the ...

MLB – 2013 PRE-SEASON AL PREDICTIONS

AL EAST WINNER – Yankees AL CENTRAL WINNER – Tigers*; Indians (wild card) AL WEST WINNER – Angels; A’s (wild card) *World Series Winner AL EAST 1.     New York Yankees The Yankees won this division 13 out of the last 17 years.  They’ve secured a wild card berth in every other year except ...

MLB – THE QUICK AND DIRTY 2013 PREDICTIONS

AL EAST WINNER– Yankees AL CENTRAL WINNER– Tigers*; Indians (wild card) AL WEST WINNER – Angels; A’s (wild card)   NL EAST WINNER – Nationals*; Braves (wild card) NL CENTRAL WINNER– Reds NL WEST WINNER– Dodgers; Giants (wild card) *World Series Teams WORLD SERIES WINNER – ...

MLB – WHY THE YANKEES WILL WIN THE 2013 AL EAST

A funny thing happened to the American League East division during the off-season.  Suddenly the Toronto Blue Jays became the favorite to take the division from the New York Yankees and win the World Series. How can that be when in 2012 the Blue Jays finished 22 games behind the Yankees, who incidentally had the best ...

MLB – UNCERTAINTY LOOMING FOR YANKEES FANS

I’m a Yankees fan and I feel insecure about the future.  There, I’ve said it.  It’s hard to admit a thing like that. Frankly, I’ve never really felt this way before. As a lifelong New York Yankees fan and someone in their 40s, I’ve only ever known feelings of hope and security when a new season was on ...

MLB – THE KEY TO WINNING IN BASEBALL IS…

About a decade ago, I heard Don Zimmer say something which I haven’t been able to get out of my mind. It was during a Yankees pre-game broadcast when Zimmer, the Yankees bench-coach at the time, sat down with a reporter to answer questions, most of which were the run-of-the-mill kind.   But, then, the reporter asked ...

SPORTS FILM REVIEW – “The Stratton Story”

Outside of watching sports, another passion of mine is film.  Old movies, new movies, I like 'em all.  And, well, if I can watch a film about sports, then Heaven seems just a few doorsteps away... Recently,  I came upon a little gem on Netflix which I'd like to recommend to fellow sports fans called "The Stratton ...

MLB – LACK OF FAIRNESS AND THE 2013 HALL OF FAME BALLOT

The 2013 MLB Hall of Fame ballot was just released this week.  And, to say it will be a controversial issue until Jan 9 when the new inductees are to be announced is an understatement. Among the 37 players included on the new ballot for the first time were Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Sammy Sosa.  Those players, ...