Who were the best relievers in baseball in 2011? Jose Valverde and J.J. Putz

The Baseball Bloggers Alliance gives the Goose Gossage award each year to the best relievers in baseball, and here’s my ballot. I have nominations for the American and National leagues. American League 1. Jose Valverde, Detroit Tigers – The best in baseball in 2011 based on number of saves, and I think that’s an accurate reflection […]

Salary cap for baseball? It’s not the American way

FOX Sports ran a commercial today during the Cardinals-Phillies game on TBS that got under my skin in a bad, bad way. It was a misty-eyed paean to the Yankees, with lots of images of Derek Jeter and Reggie Jackson implying that the Bronx Bombers own October. I hate that. Let me say that again: […]

Manager of the Year? Give an arm pump for Kirk Gibson of the Arizona Diamondbacks

Can there be any choice but Kirk Gibson for manager of the year? After inheriting a dreadful Arizona team from 2010, he led the Diamondbacks to the NL West title. How can anyone top that? Not only did the D-Backs win the West, they put the defending world champion San Francisco Giants out to pasture. […]

Baseball is better when the pitchers hit

A recent spate of inter-league play has gotten me thinking again about the designated hitter rule. It’s not that I’m anti-DH per se. It’s simply that I think baseball is more entertaining when the pitchers hit. When kids play the game of baseball, everybody hits. You’re supposed to hit. Baseball is a game that tests […]

Brian Wilson blows a save – and his cool

Brian Wilson blew a save in Detroit last night, and just about everyone in the world has seen this great AP photo of him whaling on a Gatorade cooler. I’m not going to cast any stones against the bearded one, as I’ve rather famously – among a close circle of friends and family – blown […]

Remembering – fondly – Jim “Grand Slam” Northrup of the Detroit Tigers

Jim Northrup, a power-hitting outfielder with the Detroit Tigers for many years in the 1960s and early 70s, died today at age 71. I read the sad news on my wife’s iPad just before dinner. As a kid growing up in Cleveland, I saw Northrup and the Tigers play many, many times, at Cleveland Municipal […]

Is this another “Year of the Pitcher” in Major League Baseball?

In the past few days we’ve had two no-hitters in baseball, and one has to wonder whether we’re in for another outbreak of no-no’s as we had last year. Pitchers seem to have gained the upper hand again as the Steroids Era that produced the astronomical power numbers of just a few years back fades […]

Alcohol and baseball: A dangerous combination

Austin Kearns of the Cleveland Indians was pulled over on a drunk driving charge in Kentucky. Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers was picked up in Florida for alleged DUI. And on Tuesday night this week, Coco Crisp of the Oakland Athletics was picked up on DUI and other charges in Arizona. This has not […]

With “Jesus” at his side, Manny to be Manny in Tampa Bay

Multiple reports tonight citing unnamed sources say that Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon will be reunited this season as members of the Tampa Bay Rays. While the news isn’t quite as big in 2011 as it would have been a few years ago, it’s still worth a “wow.” Manny and Johnny, the former with his dreads […]

Matt Garza no-hits the Tigers

[picapp align=”center” wrap=”false” link=”term=Matt+Garza&iid=9263262″ src=”http://view4.picapp.com/pictures.photo/image/9263262/tampa-bay-rays-matt-garza/tampa-bay-rays-matt-garza.jpg?size=500&imageId=9263262″ width=”500″ height=”365″ /] Matt Garza entered his named in the record books at Cooperstown as he threw a no-hitter against the Detroit Tigers tonight. In the old days, I’d have been lucky to catch the game late at night on the radio if the right stations with the right wattage […]