“Moneyball” review: Not just a great baseball movie – a great movie, period

“Moneyball” is terrific. On the surface, it’s the story of the Oakland Athletics 2002 season and General Manager Billy Beene’s attempt to compete against the big-money likes of the Yankees. That alone is a great story, but Brad Pitt’s production runs at deeper levels. It probes the challenges of defying traditional wisdom not just in […]

The pleasures of day baseball

Back in our old neighborhood in Alameda today, a friend and I decided there could be no better way to spend the day than by making the short drive to the ballpark. My friend, my younger son and I were rewarded with an entertaining game at the coliseum in Oakland. The Kansas City Royals pounded […]

The West Coast: A wasteland for baseball offense

AL, NL, all around the game: the West Coast is a barren landscape for hitters in Major League Baseball. I’m most acutely aware of the offensive struggles of the San Francisco Giants, the defending world champions who rank last in runs, 28th in hits and 25th in home runs. The Giants play a lot of […]

Inter-league baseball games have their charms, but there is a tradeoff

This is the first weekend for inter-league games in baseball this season, and there’s been plenty of buzz in a number of places as neighboring franchises like the Reds and Indians, Athletics and Giants, and Yankees and Mets fight it out. But my heart sank a little when I heard that the Cubs were playing […]

What’s the best time zone for baseball fans?

Road trips are rough on major league teams, particularly when making the big leap from Eastern time to Pacific time or vice versa. It’s also an issue for us baseball fans, who have to show nimble ingenuity to catch the broadcasts of our favorite teams. This week it’s been a trade-off for me: the San […]

Memorable opening days in Major League Baseball

The two most memorable opening days in my memory are marking significant anniversaries this year. Forty years ago, on April 8, 1971, an unheralded rookie named Gomer Hodge drove in the winning run in the Cleveland Indians’ home opener. Somewhere in a scrapbook I have clippings from that game, the exciting finish of which I […]

Labor troubles, the NFL and a bit of perspective

National Football League owners and the players’ union broke off negotiations today, and a whole lot of stuff I don’t understand will follow. What I do understand is that if the football season is delayed or scrubbed, I will survive and life will go on. That’s a lesson I learned from the long Major League […]

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 Duchsherer signing, Baltimore Orioles get a glimmer of hope

If he can stay off the injured reserve list, Justin Duchsherer can shore up the pitching rotation for the Baltimore Orioles. Duchsherer, who seemed forever on the DL in his years with the Oakland Athletics, signed with the Orioles this week. I never saw Duchsherer pitch at the Coliseum, but he made many a quality […]

Jason Giambi keeps hanging in there

Like the drips falling off icicles on the eaves, baseball news comes in slowly but steadily during the month of January. I just did a quick check of the latest deals on MLB.com and chuckled when I read that the Rockies have reached a minor league deal with Jason Giambi. If Giambi finds a way […]