Do Bill James’ Hall of Fame tests still apply to today’s players?

Allen Barra lays the lumber to Derek Jeter: This will be Jeter’s 14th season (not counting 1995, when he only played 15 games), and judging from the blogs and radio call-in shows, Yankee fans are assuming that he is a walking Hall of Famer, but I don’t necessarily think that’s true. If he pulled a […]

Well, a Hall of Fame: Rafael Palmeiro, who infamously wagged his finger at Congress four years ago while denying he used steroids only to test positive a few months later, was elected to the College Baseball Hall of Fame . . . . . . The college hall, run by the Lubbock, Texas-based College Baseball […]

A look three recently inducted Hall of Famers. Their career values might surprise you.

In the wake of #38’s retirement, Jason compares the Hall of Fame candidacies of Mike Mussina and Curt Schilling. I haven’t analyzed it — mostly because I have close to zero in the way of analysis skills — but I tend to think that they’re both Hall-worthy, with Schilling being the better player overall. His […]

Hall of Fame third baseman, ten time All-Star, and 1949 batting champ George Kell has died. I knew him best as the play-by-play guy for Tigers’ games on WDIV in the 70s and 80s. He was paired with Al Kaline in those days, which made a rare double Hall-of-Fame broadcast combo. Kaline’s unsure commentary made […]

A couple of years ago I may have scoffed at the idea of depositing my money someplace simply because of a baseball connection, but in light of recent events, it may not be the worst idea in the world: Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan and investment firm founder Don Sanders, co-principal owners of the […]

Last week The New York Times ran an article about how the Republican Party is trying to derail Jim Bunning’s potential 2010 reelection campaign. Seems Bunning has become a cranky loose cannon, and even in the presumably safe state of Kentucky, his record, behavior, and temperament have folks worried that he’ll lose. As all hacky […]

On March 8, 1984, Richard Barbieri was born. He’s unlikely to see any time in the major leagues, but plenty of others born on March 8 have. Richard picks the best of them.

Sean Smith’s historical WAR database allows us to compare the careers of three great catchers: Mike Piazza, Johnny Bench, and Pudge Rodriguez. It’s nearly a dead-heat in career value, with Piazza’s edge in hitting countering Pudge’s edge behind the plate, and Bench’s combined talents leaving him perhaps a smidge ahead of both.