Innings Count Not the Answer for Young Pitchers

This year it’s Joba Chamberlain. Other years it was David Price, Mark Prior, Cole Hamels, and any other high-ceiling starting pitcher under age 25 making the jump from the minors or returning from injury. The innings count. That imaginary line in the sand baseball people draw that’s supposed to define how a pitcher builds long-term [...]

Baseball Defies Tradition with Late Season Rule Change

Instant replay is long overdue in baseball. The traditionalist customs of Americas pastime held the sport back from making the game better through technology long enough. All major sports take advantage of replay, even tennis. But if baseball waited this long, over twenty years after the NFL first attempted using instant replay, why rush to [...]

Costas Now Brings Out Stars, Lacks Controvesy

Hank Aaron and Willie Mays on stage with Bob Gibson in the audience. Few shows, or hosts, can attract baseball diety like Bob Costas. Wednesday’s second townhall format of Costas Now brought more star power, better timed panel discussions, but failed to replicate the controversy that Buzz Bissinger and Will Leitch stirred – though the [...]

Fox Ruins All-Star Introductions

Interleague play and free agency has robbed the All-Star game of many special qualities. It may mean something with home field on the line, but the game still feels different. Opening introductions are one of the few special moments that remain. What will the crowd reaction be? For the player, his one moment to bask [...]

Inject Interest Back Into The Derby: Integrate Community and Sponsors

News circulated late this week that batches of empty seats remain on sale for Monday’s Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium, despite baseball stating that the event is sold out. Especially with the ultra-inflated prices of this year’s All-Star week festivities, why would 55,000 people want to buy through the roof to watch a handful [...]

Lay Off Willie

Forget yesterday’s reprieve, Willie Randolph is managing his last games for the New York Mets. Omar Minaya and ownership are using Randolph as the primary scapegoat for last season’s collapse, and the disappointing start this year. Few players have come to his defense, contrary to the Yankees treatment of Joe Torre. All Mets management did [...]

Let’s Go to the Video Tape Baseball

Three missed calls on would be home runs within four days forced baseball to act on the age-old instant replay question this week. Reports say MLB will trial instant replay during the Arizona Fall League, then continue in the World Baseball Classic and spring training next March, before deciding to implement during the season. Talk [...]

EPL TV Rev Sharing Idea Could Work

Last week English Premier League (EPL) TV revenue figures showed how the league distributed the record $1.6B it brought in this season. The way I understand the system, each team receives a flat fee as part of the negotiated television contract. Then teams receive additional funds based on incentives, such as national television appearances and [...]

Piazza Rides Into the Sunset

Twenty years after signing as a 62nd Round LA Dodgers draft pick, a favor by family friend Tommy Lasorda, Mike Piazza quietly retired yesterday as a sure fire first-ballot hall of famer. His final two seasons spent in relative anonymity in Oakland and San Diego, arguably the greatest hitting catcher ever finishes with a .308 [...]

Joba Fist Pump

David Delucci doesn’t like it. Frank Thomas could care less. Yankee fans say its pure emotion, Yankee haters claim its bush league. One thing seems clear, the Joba Fist Up is here to stay.
After a key strikeout of Dellucci in Thursday’s game to end the eighth inning, Chamberlain gave an emphatic fist up, yell, and [...]