The Birthday All-Stars

The concept for my birthday piece, in which I selected the best team of ballplayers who share my December 25 birthday (compiled via Baseball-Reference’s birthday feature), has been spreading around the baseball blogosphere like wildfire, with folks like Baseball Blog’s Aaron Gleeman, The Cub Reporter’s Christian Ruzich, Only Baseball Matters’ John Perricone and Bobby’s Sports …

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The Cooperstown Class of 2003: Infielders

Moving around the horn, there are three infielders on the BBWAA ballot (and none of them futilitymen), second baseman Ryne Sandberg and shortstops Alan Trammell and Davey Concepcion. These three could build a pretty good trophy case to hold their Gold Gloves and other honors; Sandberg won an MVP in 1984, Trammell finished second in …

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The Cooperstown Class of 2003: First Basemen

The BBWAA ballot contains three holdover first basemen who are superficially attractive candidates, in Steve Garvey, Keith Hernandez, and Don Matttingly. Added to this ballot is Eddie Murray, whose credentials are considerably stronger. Cutting straight to the chart of the matter: H HR RBI AVG OPB SLG AS MVP GG HOFS HOFM WS Top 5 …

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The Cooperstown Class of 2003: Starting Pitchers

Around this time last year, I put together a two-part review of candidates on the Baseball Writers Association of America ballot for election to the Baseball Hall of Fame. The pieces were possibly the most popular of any I’ve written for this site (one was a Clutch Hit), and were very well received. Since my …

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Happy Birthday to Me, Rickey Henderson, and 64 Other Ballplayers

It’s my 33rd birthday today. Given the timing and my resolve never to work on my birthday, I’m simply re-running the column I did last year. Happy holidays to everybody celebrating something today, and enjoy the following encore presentation… December 25 marks a holiday for most of this country and probably, for most of my …

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