If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you know who Jack Marshall is. Lawyer, Red Sox fan, professional ethicist anti-steroid crusader and — and I mean this in the nicest way possible, Jack — outrageous pain in the neck. Pain in the neck because he routinely disturbs perfectly comfortable conventional wisdom […]

On Sept. 14, 1853 Jake Goodman was born. He is the earliest born man from that date to debut in the Major Leagues, while the latest is Delmon Young, born on this date in 1985. Richard looks back at the players who connect them.

Book review: Durocher tells it as he thought it was

Richard celebrates his return to regular column work after a brief summer vacation by looking back at notables whose birthdays were his first week back.

Sean’s looks at Ichiro’s qualifications.

On July 31, 2004 Dave Roberts was traded to the Red Sox. Though he would play only 45 games in a Boston uniform, it is his one moment in the 2004 playoffs that is remembered, to the exclusion of the rest of his career. Richard looks at similar players.

Debbie Schlussel is of the obnoxious, attention-whoring, race-baiting school of political commentary. And good for her. The First Amendment wasn’t made just for reasonable people. And though I find just about everything that she and people like her spout to be cynical at best, deplorable and hateful at worst, a certain part of my psyche […]

On July 21, 1997 Curt Schilling pitched eight innings against the Pirates, striking out 15. For his trouble, he was rewarded with a loss. That isn’t an everyday occurrence, but it does happen more than one might suspect.

There’s little good reason for so few trades

On July 14, 2009 the Major League All-Star game was held. To honor the event, even if he could take it or leave it, Richard looks back at some All-Star history of the past.