Retro World Baseball Classic, Revisited

The World Baseball Classic features ballplayers from various geographical regions competing in a tournament which culminates in bragging rights for the winning team and the country that they represent. I devised a slight twist on this theme back in 2017 to retroactively create a computer-based simulation of the best baseball players in the World based […]

Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – SSI Computer Baseball

This is the first entry in a series focusing on computer baseball simulations to supplement the chapter “Play Retro Baseball Video Games In Your Browser” from my Hardball Retroactive book along with the corresponding post at Baseball Analytics. The series will focus on baseball simulations – games in which the primary emphasis is on managerial […]

State of the Game – Mike Port on Umpiring, Rule Changes and Analytics

Mike Port’s professional baseball career spanned more than four decades, from 1969 to 2011. When his aspirations to play in the big leagues ended with an injury shortly after signing with San Diego, he accepted a position in the Padres’ minor league system and worked his way up to the role of Farm Director. In […]

Identifying the Largest Gaps Between Teams and Their Farm Systems

In the process of conducting research for the “Minors vs. Majors” chapter for my upcoming book “Hardball Retroactive,” I tabulated the overall won-loss records among the minor league affiliates for every Major League franchise since 1963. Further investigation allowed me to ascertain the largest gaps between MLB teams and their farm systems, divided into two […]

Hardball Retrospective – Addendum 2014 to 2016

The following article supplements my research for Hardball Retrospective, providing retroactive standings based on WAR and Win Shares for each “original” team over the past three seasons (2014-2016). Team totals from 2010 – 2013 are included for reference purposes. Teams that fail to meet the minimum requirements (4000 PA and 4000 BFP) in any given […]

Baseball Birthplaces and the Retro World Baseball Classic

Upon the conclusion of the 2017 World Baseball Classic (the fourth iteration of the tournament which began in 2006), I started to wonder how the rosters would have looked in previous years. Using stricter rules for roster construction (basing all rosters on birthplace alone, 20-year periods between tournaments and additional stipulations outlined in the Methodology […]

BABIP by Location

Are there any factors that influence batting average to various locations on a baseball diamond? Does batter or pitcher “handedness” provide any advantage? Can we identify traits among the leaders in each category? “Batting Average on Balls In Play (BABIP) measures how often a ball in play goes for a hit. A ball is “in […]

Rotisserie vs. Reality

Are the standard Rotisserie Baseball categories an accurate way to measure what it takes to put together a winning team in real life? Using Sean Lahman’s baseball database (specifically the totals from the “Teams” file), I imported the following information into R Studio in order to explore this question further: Year, League, Team Name, Rank […]

Park-Neutral Home Runs

“The ways in which the ballparks alter the game and therefore the statistics of the players who play there are so massive that it is impossible to perceive the abilities of the players accurately without constantly adjusting the lens.” – Bill James, The Bill James Baseball Abstract 1983 The outcomes of batted balls in baseball […]

Hardball Retrospective – 1917 Season Replay

In “Hardball Retrospective: Evaluating Scouting and Development Outcomes for the Modern-Era Franchises”, I placed every ballplayer in the modern era (from 1901-present) on their original team. Therefore, Rogers Hornsby is listed on the Cardinals roster for the duration of his career while the Pirates claim Red Faber and the Giants declare Art Fletcher. I calculated […]

Hardball Retrospective – The Worst In-Season Trades Since 1950

The in-season deal in modern baseball is typically proposed under the following circumstances: A team may wish to trade a potential free agent that will likely sign with another team in the upcoming off-season. The expected return is minor-league talent. Two teams wish to make a deal to upgrade at a specific position without weakening […]

Hardball Retrospective – 1916 Season Replay

In “Hardball Retrospective: Evaluating Scouting and Development Outcomes for the Modern-Era Franchises”, I placed every ballplayer in the modern era (from 1901-present) on their original team. Therefore, Stan Coveleski is listed on the Athletics roster for the duration of his career while the White Sox claim Happy Felsch and the Yankees declare Urban Shocker. I […]

Hardball Retrospective – The Journey From Expansion to Competitive Team

In the comments section from one of my recent articles, “nocaBall” posed the following query: “I would like to ask your opinion of how many years it takes an expansion team to develop a complete team? I do not mean using players who were part-timers, or who pitched less than a full season, but a […]

The Best Pitchers Who Never Threw A No-Hitter

The no-hitter remains one of the rarest feats in Major League Baseball as only 237 complete game no-hitters have been hurled since 1901 (roughly 1.5 no-hitters per year). Let’s examine a group of pitchers who have never twirled a no-no despite possessing excellent hits-to-innings pitched ratios. The register includes pitchers with Hall of Fame credentials, […]

Hardball Retrospective – 1915 Season Replay 

In “Hardball Retrospective: Evaluating Scouting and Development Outcomes for the Modern-Era Franchises”, I placed every ballplayer in the modern era (from 1901-present) on their original team. Therefore, Babe Ruth is listed on the Red Sox roster for the duration of his career while the Indians claim Ray Chapman and the Browns declare George Sisler. I […]

Fun Facts About Inside-the-Park Home Runs

One of the most exciting plays in baseball is the inside-the-park home run. The ITPHR is a rare event in today’s game due, primarily due to smaller field dimensions. It can involve a diving attempt at a fly ball that comes up just short, a collision between fielders, a ball that ricochets off the fence […]

Taking the Extra Base:  The Teams

The following entry complements my preceding article, “Taking the Extra Base: The Players”. I will review my findings with respect to team baserunning outcomes. Inspired by the Texas Rangers chapter in the “Bill James Baseball Abstract 1984” entitled “Running The Bases” (pages 156-159), the following study uncovers the top base running teams in the past […]

Hardball Retrospective – 1914 Season Replay

In “Hardball Retrospective: Evaluating Scouting and Development Outcomes for the Modern-Era Franchises”, I placed every ballplayer in the modern era (from 1901-present) on their original team. Therefore, Miller Huggins is listed on the Reds roster for the duration of his career while the Senators claim Clyde Milan and the Tigers declare Eddie Cicotte. I calculated […]

Taking the Extra Base:  The Players

Stimulated by the Texas Rangers chapter in the “Bill James Baseball Abstract 1984” entitled “Running The Bases” (pages 156-159), the following study reveals the top base runners in the past 85 seasons (1930-2015) with respect to taking the extra base on a clean single.* I will post a companion article in the near future to […]

Hardball Retrospective – 1913 Season Replay

In “Hardball Retrospective: Evaluating Scouting and Development Outcomes for the Modern-Era Franchises”, I placed every ballplayer in the modern era (from 1901-present) on their original team. Therefore, Rabbit Maranville is listed on the Braves roster for the duration of his career while the Superbas claim Nap Rucker and the Cardinals declare Babe Adams. I calculated revised […]

Hardball Retrospective – 1912 Season Replay

In “Hardball Retrospective: Evaluating Scouting and Development Outcomes for the Modern-Era Franchises”, I placed every ballplayer in the modern era (from 1901-present) on their original team. Therefore, Pete Alexander is listed on the Phillies roster for the duration of his career while the Cubs claim Heinie Zimmerman and the Pirates declare Max Carey. I calculated […]

Hardball Retrospective – General Manager Trading Scorecard

Inspired by the Philadelphia Phillies chapter in the “Bill James Baseball Abstract 1985” entitled “The Philadelphia Trading Record” (pages 202-206), the following study reveals the best and worst of the “wheelers and dealers” in Major League front offices for the past 65 years. I cross-referenced every trade in the Retrosheet Transaction Database with the Seamheads […]

Hardball Retrospective – 1911 Season Replay

In “Hardball Retrospective: Evaluating Scouting and Development Outcomes for the Modern-Era Franchises”, I placed every ballplayer in the modern era (from 1901-present) on their original team. Therefore, Eddie Plank is listed on the Athletics roster for the duration of his career while the White Sox claim Ed Walsh and the Giants declare Larry Doyle. I […]

Hardball Retrospective – 1910 Season Replay

In “Hardball Retrospective: Evaluating Scouting and Development Outcomes for the Modern-Era Franchises”, I placed every ballplayer in the modern era (from 1901-present) on their original team. Therefore, “Harvard” Eddie Grant is listed on the Naps roster for the duration of his career while the Browns claim Cy R. Morgan and the Highlanders declare Russ Ford. […]

Hardball Retrospective – General Manager Scorecard

The following article represents the first of a three-part series focusing on the cumulative and average outcomes sustained by players drafted, signed or acquired via trades by every General Manager in Major League Baseball since 1950. My initial review of General Managers will be constrained to players selected in the Amateur Draft (and subsequently signed […]

Hardball Retrospective – 1909 Season Replay

In “Hardball Retrospective: Evaluating Scouting and Development Outcomes for the Modern-Era Franchises”, I placed every ballplayer in the modern era (from 1901-present) on their original team. Therefore, Ty Cobb is listed on the Tigers roster for the duration of his career while the Red Sox claim Tris Speaker and the Senators declare Walter Johnson. I […]

Hardball Retrospective – 1908 Season Replay

In “Hardball Retrospective: Evaluating Scouting and Development Outcomes for the Modern-Era Franchises”, I placed every ballplayer in the modern era (from 1901-present) on their original team. Therefore, Johnny Evers is listed on the Cubs roster for the duration of his career while the Giants claim Hooks Wiltse and the Cardinals declare “Turkey” Mike Donlin. I […]

Hardball Retrospective – 1907 Season Replay

In “Hardball Retrospective: Evaluating Scouting and Development Outcomes for the Modern-Era Franchises”, I placed every ballplayer in the modern era (from 1901-present) on their original team. Therefore, Sherry Magee is listed on the Phillies roster for the duration of his career while the Pirates claim Ginger Beaumont and the Reds declare Orval Overall. I calculated […]

Hardball Retrospective – 1906 Season Replay

In “Hardball Retrospective: Evaluating Scouting and Development Outcomes for the Modern-Era Franchises”, I placed every ballplayer in the modern era (from 1901-present) on their original team. Therefore, Freddy Parent is listed on the Cardinals roster for the duration of his career while the Superbas claim Jimmy Sheckard and the Beaneaters declare Vic Willis. I calculated […]

Hardball Retrospective – 1905 Season Replay

In “Hardball Retrospective: Evaluating Scouting and Development Outcomes for the Modern-Era Franchises”, I placed every ballplayer in the modern era (from 1901-present) on their original team. Therefore, Frank Chance is listed on the Cubs roster for the duration of his career while the Reds claim Sam Crawford and the Giants declare Christy Mathewson. I calculated […]

Hardball Retrospective – 1904 Season Replay

In “Hardball Retrospective: Evaluating Scouting and Development Outcomes for the Modern-Era Franchises”, I placed every ballplayer in the modern era (from 1901-present) on their original team. Therefore, Jack Chesbro is listed on the Pirates roster for the duration of his career while the Beaneaters claim Kid Nichols and the Superbas declare Fielder Jones. I calculated […]

Hardball Retrospective – 1903 Season Replay

In “Hardball Retrospective: Evaluating Scouting and Development Outcomes for the Modern-Era Franchises”, I placed every ballplayer in the modern era (from 1901-present) on their original team. Therefore, Mordecai Brown is listed on the Cardinals roster for the duration of his career while the Reds claim Sam Crawford and the Phillies declare Nap Lajoie. I calculated […]

Hardball Retrospective – 1902 Season Replay

In “Hardball Retrospective: Evaluating Scouting and Development Outcomes for the Modern-Era Franchises”, I placed every ballplayer in the modern era (from 1901-present) on their original team. Therefore, Wally Joyner is listed on the Angels roster for the duration of his career while the Astros claim Kenny Lofton and the Athletics declare Catfish Hunter. I calculated […]

Hardball Retrospective – 1901 Season Replay

In “Hardball Retrospective: Evaluating Scouting and Development Outcomes for the Modern-Era Franchises”, I placed every ballplayer in the modern era (from 1901-present) on their original team. I calculated revised standings for every season based entirely on the performance of each team’s “original” players. I discuss every team’s “original” players and seasons at length along with […]

Hardball Retrospective – Sustained Mediocrity

About the Book In “Hardball Retrospective: Evaluating Scouting and Development Outcomes for the Modern-Era Franchises”, I placed every ballplayer in the modern era (from 1901-present) on their original team. Consequently, Reggie Jackson is listed on the Athletics roster for the duration of his career while the Mets claim Tom Seaver and the Cardinals declare Steve […]

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