Will we ever see someone pitch a complete World Series game again?

We’ve seen some outstanding performances by starting pitchers in the league championships and the World Series this year, but has anyone pitched a complete game? No. The closest anyone came was Justin Verlander, who went 8 and two-thirds as the Tigers defeated the Yankees in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series. Barry Zito […]

Manager of the year in baseball? Bob Melvin

Who was the best manager in baseball in 2012? I’m going with Bob Melvin of the Oakland Athletics. My criteria are twofold: I go with the skipper whose team is a winner and whose team achieved its success in disproportion to its expectations and talent. By those standards, Melvin is a slam dunk (and I […]

Baltimore-Washington wins the 2012 Major League Baseball metro-area title

Which metro area had the most successful baseball season? After listening to the Athletics overtake the Rangers on my way home from work last evening, I was all set to declare the Bay Area the cross-league, total victory champions. But then I remembered that Baltimore-Washington is eligible, and a check of the standings this morning […]

Which former Philly is faring worse on the West Coast?

Listening to the Dodgers-Giants game last evening (thanks, ESPN Radio!), I got to wondering which of the Phillies traded to the two NL West teams was performing worse: Shane Victorino or Hunter Pence? Neither has set the world on fire. Pence is hitting just .225 for the Giants and has an on-base percentage of .290, […]

A pitching matchup to skip work for

The most intriguing pitching matchup in baseball today has to be Tim Lincecum and Stephen Strasburg. The game will be played in the sunshine at AT&T Park in San Francisco this afternoon, and I’d love to be there. Lincecum has gone from being one of the undisputed top few pitchers in the game the past […]

Did R.A. Dickey get hosed by not being named National League starter for the All-Star Game?

I was a bit late in catching up to the news today that Matt Cain was named National League starter for the All-Star Game tomorrow in Kansas City. That surprised me, because I figured R.A. Dickey of the New York Mets would likely be chosen by virtue of his higher victory total. What didn’t surprise […]

Getting the number right on the uniform

Something’s been bugging me this season about the San Francisco Giants, and I finally figured it out while watching the game tonight. Brandon Crawford wears No. 35, and that’s wrong for a shortstop. A shortstop ought to have a number in the teens or single digits. The mid-30s? No. Give that to an outfielder or […]

My National League West prediction for the 2012 season

With a heaping helping of faith and wishful thinking, I’m picking the San Francisco Giants to win the National League West this year. Even as I typed that sentence, the nagging voice in my head was saying, “What about the Diamondbacks?” The pick comes down to arms versus bats, and the Giants have the better […]

Not to blaspheme against spring training, but I’m still waiting for the real baseball season

The sun was shining and baseball was on the radio again this weekend, and that’s marvelous. But it’s not the real thing. I listened to bits of a couple of games, and I enjoyed hearing the sounds of the ballpark again: the crack of the bat (yes, the Giants got some hits!), the banter of […]

Ready for the season with the MLB At Bat app

With the first exhibition games about to start this afternoon, I downloaded the MLB At Bat app last night onto to my smartphone. I had Sirius satellite radio for a couple of seasons, which enabled me to listen to the home broadcasts of all the major league games. But I only had access in my car. Last […]