Category Archives: Baseball

TROUT VERSUS CABRERA—2013 (COMMENT).

TROUT VERSUS CABRERA—2013 (COMMENT). Dick Weisfelder commented: “What does sabermetrics tell us about this year’s races for MVP?” Last year there was a debate in the baseball world over the choice of Most Valuable Player in the American League—a debate … Continue reading

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HOW JOHN UPDIKE WATCHED BASEBALL.

HOW JOHN UPDIKE WATCHED BASEBALL. I have to go on my memory on this because I have not been able to find the passage on the internet. I recall an essay by John Updike where he described how he used … Continue reading

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THE PACE OF BASEBALL IS JUST FINE.

THE PACE OF BASEBALL IS JUST FINE. This article by Benjamin Hoffman in the New York Times appears to be about the new instant replay rules. However, Hoffman dwells not on the improvement from getting decisions right but on whether … Continue reading

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GOOD NEWS—MORE INSTANT REPLAY FOR BASEBALL.

GOOD NEWS—MORE INSTANT REPLAY FOR BASEBALL. Major league baseball is greatly expanding its use of instant replay next year. I have posted several times, for example here, in favor of more instant replay in baseball.

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WHY NOT PLAY THE GAME UNDER PROTEST?

WHY NOT PLAY THE GAME UNDER PROTEST? In the July 24 game between the Twins and the Angels, in the ninth inning the Angels were clinging to a one run lead. The Twins had runners on first and second with … Continue reading

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CATCHING A GRAPEFRUIT DROPPED FROM A GREAT HEIGHT.

CATCHING A GRAPEFRUIT DROPPED FROM A GREAT HEIGHT. The news reports on catching a baseball dropped from a helicopter reminded me of a story I read in Baseball Digest in my youth. It’s about Wilbert Robinson, who played in the … Continue reading

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CATCHING A BASEBALL DROPPED FROM A HELICOPTER.

CATCHING A BASEBALL DROPPED FROM A HELICOPTER. This article by Blair Johnson and the accompanying video recount the feat of Zack Hample over this weekend of catching a baseball dropped from a helicopter hovering 1050 feet overhead. He broke Hall … Continue reading

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YU DARVISH’S DECEPTIVE MOTION.

YU DARVISH’S DECEPTIVE MOTION. This gif illustrates the variety of pitches Yu Darvish can throw with the same motion. Here is the link.

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MIGUEL CABRERA’S PLATE COVERAGE.

MIGUEL CABRERA’S PLATE COVERAGE. Lee Bryant sent me a gif from the kottke web site of Miguel Cabrera which illustrates how he can drive pitches from any part of the strike zone. Here is a link. Here is another analysis … Continue reading

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HOW THE WHITE SOX-CUB RIVALRY CHANGED NELSON ALGREN’S LIFE.

HOW THE WHITE SOX-CUB RIVALRY CHANGED NELSON ALGREN’S LIFE. The Crosstown Cup, as it is now known, is going on this week with White Sox fans and Cub fans seated peaceably together. Nelson Algren’s life is evidence of how intense … Continue reading

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