This is a post worth reading: David Appelman of Fangraphs responds to Tyler Kepner’s criticism of UZR and other advanced fielding stats. I don’t think fielding stats are perfect, by any means, but I go nuts when mainstream writers just dismiss them out of hand. I took Buster Olney to task for this a few […]

Until 2003, Brian Kingman had a niche for himself: the last man to lose 20 games in a season. He became a bit of a celebrity, and would get a series of interviews each year (most notably with Jayson Stark) about two-thirds the way through the season as some pitcher somewhere lost his 12th or […]

Tonight at 11:59 PM is the deadline for major league teams to sign their selections from the 2009 MLB Draft. Baseball America has an updated status on all remaining unsigned picks from the top 10 rounds. Among these players are number one selection Stephen Strasburg (Washington), number two Dustin Ackley (Seattle), number three Donovan Tate […]

David Wright may be done for the year, the fourth Met batting star out of action. Major League News for August 17 Player News Yesterday’s Results Today’s Games Standings Top Minor League Performances You can always find the most recent THT Daily at http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/content/thtdaily/ Player News Player Headlines are courtesy of Rotoworld The Mets said […]

We all know umpires make mistakes, especially when calling balls and strikes. While some people will argue that those mistakes are part of the game, there are few who are able to make a convincing argument to support that. On the other hand, the blogosphere is littered with arguments against umpires and for a computerized […]

How many column inches each year are dedicated to analysing who the greatest baseball player is? Thousands. Flick through any recent Hardball Times Annual and I guarantee that you’ll see at least two articles on the issue. Peruse this site and no doubt you’ll find many more. The problem is that cross era comparisons are […]

As a Braves fan I was deeply concerned when among the cadre of prospects traded to bring Mark Teixeira to Turner Field was Neftali Feliz. At the time Feliz was a 19 year old flame thrower with a toasty fastball but suspect command. However, he had that whiff of something special about him. And although […]

For decades fans have grasped the need for advanced analysis of the numbers behind baseball in hopes of better understanding the game. Now, there are three young pitchers who have come out and said that they use saber-esque stats in analyzing baseball, and sometimes their own game: Brian Bannister, Ross Ohlendorf, and Max Scherzer. Their […]

The Cubs currently haven’t won a series against a team with a winning record since early May. (Based on current record, not record at the time of the series). Over the season, they have a .660 record when playing teams with a losing record, but only .403 versus teams .500 or better. Well, then again […]

Team records, beginning with the Fourth of July: WAS 19-20 (.487) LAD 18-19 (.486) Keep in mind, LA still has the NL’s best record and Washington is still worst in the NL. This has no point, but I found that info rather fun.