It happened last week. On May 2, the Braves came back from a 6-0 deficit to defeat the Phillies and Roy Halladay. Then, after an intervening 4-2 loss, they came back from 5-0 down to beat the Rockies on May 4 and from 6-0 down to win on May 5. That’s three big comebacks in […]

Mets 5, Phillies 2: I had been agitating for Jonathan Papelbon to pitch more. Specifically in tie games.  Well, he did here and gave up a game-losing three-run homer to Jordany Valdespin. I suppose we’ll let Cholly run the team from here on out. Marlins 4, Astros 0: Carlos Zambrano with the three-hit shutout pushes his ERA […]

10,000 days ago, the Cincinnati Reds got a new owner: Marge Schott. Her reign would prove to be one of the most controversial in the annals of recent American sports ownership. As to the controversies around Schott (oh, wear to begin). Let’s start with the obvious ones. She owned a Nazi armband and once told […]

In my earlier analysis of Ubaldo Jimenez’s mechanics, I noted that his initial separation from the glove was extremely early, terminating momentum and reducing athleticism out of the glove with his pitching arm. However, people said that his velocity was up in his start on Sunday against the Texas Ranges and Yu Darvish, and a […]

Orioles 9, Red Sox 6: Just your standard 17-inning affair in which a first baseman is the winning pitcher, after throwing two shutout innings and and an utfielder is the losing pitcher after giving up a three-run homer . Chris Davis shut out the Red Sox for the 16th and 17th innings, striking out two. […]

Thirty years ago today, one of baseball’s greatest milestones was achieved. On May 6, 1982, veteran spitballer Gaylord Perry won his 300th game, becoming just the 15th pitcher to do so. Making it even more impressive, Perry was the first pitcher to win No. 300 since Early Wynn 19 years earlier. From 1963-81, the 500 […]

A year ago, looking at the carnage of the first month of the baseball season, I suggested to my colleagues here at The Hardball Times that there sure were a lot of star players injured, and that one of our writers should do an article about how unusual it was. Several told me cool my […]

I’m reading John Grisham’s new book, Calico Joe. As the name, and certainly the book’s cover, indicate, this is not his latest legal thriller. It’s a quick (208-page) piece of baseball fiction for which his publisher has the gall to charge $25. (Thank goodness for libraries.) A full review may be forthcoming, but for now […]

Pirates 6, Cardinals 3: Erik Bedard struck out 11 men in five innings. At one point he fanned seven in a row. Overall, Pirates pitchers struck out 17 Cardinals. Pedro Alvarez went 2 for 4 with a homer. Two weeks ago he was hitting .074. Now he’s at .257 and he’s slugging over .600 on […]

Yes, I’ll get to the Weaver no-hitter in a minute. But it’s already a Hardball Talk top story and we have some supporting stuff too.  And besides, there was some clairvoyance going on last night, and that’s way more rare than a no-no, so first: Braves 15, Phillies 13:  Dudes, not gonna lie. I turned this […]