REO Speedwagon to Open Rays Summer Concert Series

Iconic classic rockers REO Speedwagon are kicking off the Tampa Bay Rays summer concert series this year on April 30th immediately after the game against the Los Angeles Angels. This is the fourth year Tampa Bay has had post-game concerts and considering the Rays are under .500 it couldn’t come at a better time since […]

Lessons from a Legend

One of the most compelling aspects of sports or reality television is that while they are simply games, life lessons are readily available. That is the premise of Lang Whitaker’s “In the Time of Bobby Cox.” A native Georgian turned New Yorker, Whitaker gives Cox credit for shaping many of his views. Read this book […]

2011 Pre-Season Preview: NL East – Atlanta Braves

Braves 3B Chipper Jones The Braves begin the new season without long-time manager, Bobby Cox, who stewarded the team to a succession of fourteen consecutive division titles (from 1991-2005, absent the strike-shortened 1994 season), five World Series appearances and a world championship in his 20+ years at the help. The 2011 season will usher in […]

Clearing The Bases

It’s that time of year again where all of us fantasy players are gearing up for our fantasy draft.  Some of us may have already had a draft or two as some leagues like to get it out of the way early.  Personally I prefer drafting as late in spring training as possible so that […]

Fantasy Baseball Outlook: Top Five (Starting) Pitching Prospects For 2011

Tampa Bay’s Jeremy Hellickson is targeted for stardom. By the end of 2012 he will slide into the #2 spot in the rotation to create a dynamic duo, along with David Price. In articles such as this, many websites give readers a list of the best overall prospects at a given position, but the intention […]

Fantasy Baseball Outlook: Top Five 1B Prospects For 2011

    In articles like this, many websites provide readers with the best overall prospects at any given position, but the intention here is to focus on those prospects that are likely to provide the greatest fantasy impact in the 2011 season; thus, while Oakland 1B prospect Chris Carter may have some long-term potential, he […]

2011 MLB Power Rankings, The Ides of January Edition (Part III, #1 – #10)

With most of the top free agents now signed and teams starting to take shape as we approach spring training, I thought I would share my pre-pre-season perspective on the relative strengths (and weaknesses) of all 30 major league teams. I have broken the article down into three installments, and will publish one of the […]

Atlanta Acquires Uggla, Florida’s Return Unimpressive

Lost amongst a multitude of trades, award announcements, and rumors was a relatively significant trade that was completed just two nights ago. The timing was slightly ironic as just a few days prior I had taken a look at what teams could potentially be the most likely suitors if the Florida Marlins decided to deal […]

The Ultimate Seven-Game Fall Classic: Game Seven

In part one of my Ultimate Seven-Game Fall Classic series, I featured Game One of the 1988 World Series between the Oakland A’s and Los Angeles Dodgers, won by the latter on Kirk Gibson’s walk-off two-run homer off Dennis Eckersley, ironic because it was Eck who coined the phrase “walk-off piece.” Part two featured an […]

Buster Posey, Neftali Feliz Win Two-Man Races For Willie Mays Award

The battle for the Willie Mays Award, given by the Baseball Bloggers Alliance to the top rookie in each division, turned out to be a two-man affair in both leagues, with Texas Rangers closer Neftali Feliz and San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey finishing solidly ahead of their closest competition, Detroit Tigers outfielder Austin Jackson […]

The Mysterious and Tragic Death of Don Wilson

In the spring of 1968, a magazine called SPORTS STARS OF 1968: BASEBALL named Houston Astros hurler Don Wilson one of its “Stars of the ’70s” based on his rookie season performance in 1967 when he went 10-9 with a 2.79 ERA and tossed a no-hitter at the Atlanta Braves on June 18, fanning 15 […]

MLB Team Snapshots

The Beautiful Mind level insanity around the AL Previews formula I’ve been tinkering with and referred to in these two posts should (hopefully) be done today. In an effort to not let the homework slow down our production, we thought it would be fun to take another stroll around the Major Leagues and see what each […]

Brownsten finding his way

Cory Brownsten is right where he belongs. The Lockport, New York native will board an airplane with his destination set for Orlando, Florida – home of the Atlanta Braves training complex. He will spend the next few weeks in the MLB fall instructional league and prepare for the 2011 baseball season.

Braves endure schizophrenic campaign

No wonder Bobby Cox is retiring: he can’t stand the schizophrenic play of his ballclub. The Atlanta Braves have had a nine-game losing streak. They have also had a nine-game winning streak. Their long-time icon, Chipper Jones, said he would retire at the end of the season if he didn’t hit better than he did […]

The Test of Leadership

“Management is doing things right,” the late management guru Peter Drucker once said. “Leadership is doing the right things.” I was reminded of that sage phrase after being emailed recently by Wanda Burbach, the wife of former New York Yankee pitcher, Bill Burbach. Born in 1947, in Dickeyville., Wisconsin, Burbach played parts of three seasons […]

Ty Cobb Returns to Georgia!

Tyrus Raymond (The Georgia Peach) Cobb returned to his old stomping grounds of Atlanta, Augusta, Georgia and Aiken, South Carolina in the guise of Cobb impersonator and re-inactor, Norm Coleman of Half Moon Bay, California. Coleman was invited by SABR, the Society for American Baseball Research, to perform his one-man show, “Ty Cobb: The Greatest […]

SABR 40 Convention Report

By all accounts, SABR 40 in Atlanta was a big success although registration was below the total in recent years.  I know I sure had a good time. SABR is clearly in a time of transition.  Executive Director John Zajc is resigning to pursue other interests.  His replacement is Marc Appleman who has had an […]

Baseball Industry Network to Meet for First Time in Boston

The Baseball Industry Network, founded by my friend and colleague Tyrone Brooks, who serves as Director of Baseball Operations for the Pittsburgh Pirates, will be meeting for the first time on August 26 in Boston. From Tyrone: The Baseball Industry Network invites you to join us in Boston for the Baseball Industry Network Boston Meetup. To celebrate […]

Touring The Bases With…Brent Mayne

Catcher Brent Mayne was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the first round (#13 overall) of the 1989 amateur draft and made his major league debut only a year later, rapping an RBI single off Twins pitcher Scott Erickson in his first major league at-bat.  Mayne spent 15 seasons in the big leagues with […]

The All-Time Cincinnati Reds (a draft book chapter)

Who would be selected for a mythical All-Time Reds dream team roster? And how have others answered this fun question throughout the years?

Hammering Away with Henry

For much of his life, Henry Aaron has felt marginalized. Hank Aaron arguably sits atop the baseball pyramid as its home run king. But what about Henry? Blessed with baseball talent that landed him among the best all-around players ever, Hank Aaron assumed a public persona. Meanwhile, “The Hammer” effectively subjugated his private side, Henry. […]

Pair of Former Webster Yankees Get The Call

Many dream the dream. Few get a chance to fulfill it. Every kid that puts a glove on his hand or takes a turn in the batter’s box dreams of some day playing professional baseball. Earlier this week, that dream became less illusion and more reality for former Webster Yankees, Cory Brownsten (‘08) and Dan […]

NL East Serves Notice to Phillies

The Phillies open a series against the Atlanta Braves this Memorial Day only a half game up on them in leading the division. Not surprising is that the Nationals are in last place with the Marlins; what is, though, is that they are both only four games out of first place. Almost 50 games into […]

Cox preaches patience on Bad-News Braves

After making more errors than runs during a three-game disaster at CitiField this past weekend, the Atlanta Braves are poisoning the well of good will left by the pending retirement of manager Bobby Cox. Meeting with reporters before Sunday’s game in Flushing, Cox probably felt like applying the local name to most of the men […]

NL East Preview

Who can beat the Phillies?  The Braves have some of the best young talent in the game, but no one will catch them.  The arrival in 2010 of young phenoms Stephen Strasburg and Jason Heyward will be highlights in the NL East.  The ultimate story will be Roy Halladay as he carries the Phillies back […]

Remembering Moe Drabowsky

I’m one of those guys who always believed baseball was meant to be fun–REAL fun. After all, it was created as a GAME, right? Baseball currently reeks of economics; players carrying briefcases is now much more common than a good practical joke in the clubhouse. “Players seem to be more serious now,” said Moe Drabowsky […]

Home Cooking

Chemical additives have played havoc with athletics and our food.  Cooking at home is a good place to start to combat both concerns.  Some teams, notably the Braves, emphasize drafting amateurs from close to home in Georgia, then slow cook them into quality professionals in their minor leagues.  The Nationals could use a little of […]

Musings from the Manager’s Office

Where to go on a rainy day in spring training? The manager of the Atlanta Braves, always a congenial host, held court with a half-dozen journalists before the rained-out exhibition game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at ESPN Wide World of Sports. Now that he’s a self-proclaimed lame duck, Bobby Cox has answered everything two, three, […]

Milo: I’ll stay active through 2012

Milo Hamilton, whose big-league broadcast career started with the 1953 St. Louis Browns, plans to stay on the air for three more seasons. The venerable voice of the Houston Astros wants the chance to broadcast from the newest ballparks, including Yankee Stadium this June and Minnesota’s Target Field — depending on future interleague games that […]

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