Remembering Pittsburgh from the “We Are Family” Era

Back when Fisher Bodies were made of steel that was cooked in blast furnaces in Pittsburgh, there was a great baseball team that played along the Allegheny River called the Pittsburgh Pirates. Despite the fact that cars are made of plastic now and the city of Pittsburgh is a high-tech center supported by three top-of-the-line […]

The Glory Days: Six Pitchers with Hall of Fame Credentials

Okay, I’m just going to throw some numbers out there for you. They are pitching numbers, the heart of them etched in the 1960s and 70s. Before we start, keep in mind that three of the six pitchers statistically chronicled here are in the Hall of Fame. (a) 14 years, 209-166, 2.95, 49 shutouts, 3432 […]

IBWAA Selects No One In 2012 Hall Of Fame Vote

The alternative Baseball Hall of Fame vote came up a little different than the Official Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA). The official group for Cooperstown election came back with only one inductee—lifelong Cincinnati Reds shortstop Barry Larkin. I would like to congratulate Mr. Larkin as well on a stellar career that I was able […]

Rating the 2012 Hall of Fame Candidates Based on Win Shares

One of the first items of business in baseball each year is the announcement of players elected to the Hall of Fame.  This leads to lots of speculation and a little analysis prior to the announcement which is scheduled forJanuary 9, 2012. Many systems exist for evaluating player performance.  One such system, the Win Shares […]

“All In” – Starting Pitchers and the Hall of Fame

With the induction of Bert Blyleven into the Hall of Fame in 2011, every starting pitcher in the second half of the 20th century who has HOF numbers is now in Cooperstown. Let me be a bit more precise.  According to the CAWS Career Gauge, every starting pitcher whose career began after World War II […]

A Chat with Baseball HOF President Jeff Idelson

Believe it or not, despite the fact that I have been an ardent fan of baseball for many years, I have never made a trip to the Hall of Fame. Located in Cooperstown, New York, The Hall of Fame is a shrine to America’s game, holding numerous artifacts, exhibits, and other holdings that represent the […]

Just How Good was Bert Blyleven?

Bert Blyleven is in the Hall of Fame at last!!  It took fourteen years on the ballot to do it but the writers finally saw the light.  This was a true victory for sabermetrics – as recognized in the following clip from the Associated Press. “The great curveballer won 287 games, threw 60 shutouts and […]

Aquel pitcher imberbe que resonaba en la oscuridad. (That baby face pitcher who resounded in the darkness.)

Este miércoles 5 de enero de 2011, la noticia de la entrada al Salón de la Fama del camarero Roberto Alomar con sus 10 guantes de oro, sus .300 de promedio ofensivo en 17 temporadas, sus 4 bates de plata, sus dos campeonatos de Serie Mundial con los Azulejos de Toronto, sus 3 lideratos defensivos como segunda base y aquella combinación de filigrana que formó con Omar Vizquel a finales de los noventa en los Indios de Cleveland, relumbró en las cavernas de mi mente, sin embargo el anuncio de que Bert Blyleven había asegurado un nicho en Cooperstown, me templó hacia el pasillo posterior de la casa de mis padres en la calle La Florida.

Check Yes or No

The difficulties sportswriters seem to have with multiple-choice questions after the jump.

The 2011 HOF Ballot – How Many REAL Hall of Famers?

The BBWAA 2011 Hall of Fame Ballot contains the names of thirty-three players that the baseball writers may vote for if they feel they belong in the Hall of Fame.  Of the thirty-three players, I view sixteen position players and four pitchers as “serious candidates.”  They are mentioned below. As we all know, the writers […]

Serie Mundial inédita. (An original World Series)

Las sombras de Polo Grounds persiguen al pequeño centerfielder de los Gigantes de Nueva York que corre como un velocista de 100 metros. Lo único que se ve es el 24 burbujeando en la zona de seguridad, Willie Mays estiró el guante y la pelota aterrizó en la malla, parecía estar leyendo un libro. Giró y lanzó al cuadro en medio de su caida, a un lado flotaba la gorra.

Hall of Fame’s Best Outsiders

the best team composed of non-Hall of Fame players who have been eligible for at least one HOF vote