Twenty years ago today, Frank Tanana entered the inner circle of ultimate baseball trivia. He did something that made him half of the answer to my all-time favorite baseball trivia question: Who are the only two pitchers to surrender home runs to both Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds. And yes, Frank Tanana is half of […]

Major League Baseball’s intent to suspend the players linked with the Biogenesis investigation raises some interesting questions. I reviewed some of them in this piece. I also discussed the logistical difficulties with suspending 20 or more players at the same time in a second, concluding that these cases are best heard in the offseason. This […]

Another year, another Home Run Derby. One of baseball’s oldest exhibitions isolates, singles out and puts on display one of the most entertaining aspects of the game: the long ball. In the “post” steroid era, home runs league wide have not been as prodigious as they were 15 years ago. The 40-home run hitter is […]

These were the last baseball games that count—despite the claim about the All-Star Game counting, which it certainly does not in any real sense—until Friday. That’s some b.s. right there. Why don’t they play the All-Star Game with only 25 guys on a team and let the rest of the league play regular games with […]

Forty years ago today, Nolan Ryan had an utterly dominant performance, even by his standards. On July 15, 1973, he threw a no-hitter. Now, as I’m sure everyone out there in reader-land knows, Ryan kind of had a thing for throwing no-hitters. While no one else in baseball history had more than four, Ryan had […]

Forty years ago today Steve Carlton had about as dominating a game as a pitcher could have. It was the sort of day that scarcely required any help from his teammates. Carlton threw a complete game shutout and hit a home run, guiding the Phillies to a win seemingly single-handedly. On July 14, 1973, the […]

50 years ago today, one of baseball’s most prestigious clubs gained a new member. On July 13, 1963, Indians pitcher Early Wynn finally notched his 300th win. Finally indeed, as he’d been stuck on No. 299 for a little over 10 months. On Sept. 8, 1962, then-White Sox Early Wynn defeated the Senators for his […]

Yankees 8, Royals 4: Jeter returns. And got a hit! And an RBI! And scored a run! And left with a strained quadricep! Oy vey. Braves 6, Reds 5: Freddie Freeman wins the Final Vote, then goes out and has himself a nice night (3 for 4, 4 RBI). Bad news, though: Jason Heyward left […]

Another leak sprang from Major League Baseball the other day about its plan to suspend more than 20 players for alleged links to a reputed performance-enhancing drug distributor firm Biogenesis. This time, the news is that baseball will be ready to announce its suspensions shortly after the All-Star Game. Last column I discussed why the […]

Angels 13, Cubs 2: It’s almost as if Josh Hamilton hadn’t totally forgotten how to play baseball or something. Go figure. Two homers and five RBI in this romp. One of his homers was back-to-back with a Pujols home run. First time that’s happened this year. Nationals 5, Phillies 1: The Nats hit four homers […]