Enshrined writer Leonard Koppett has an enlightening piece about a key rule change which just passed its 100th anniversary. As of the American League’s season opener on April 20, 1903, the first two foul balls hit by a batter counted as strikes. The National League had adopted the foul-strike rule in 1901, but the AL, …
When we’re not fantasizing about rebuilding a downtrodden franchise as its GM or replacing a skipper who should be run out of town, we seam-headed bloggers spend plenty of time pondering the life of a ballclub’s beat reporter. It sounds like a sweet deal: you get to see all the games, travel to all the …
The New York Times is reporting that Yankee reliever Steve Karsay, who cut short a Monday bullpen session after just 11 pitches, is probably out for the season. Karsay’s currently suffering from bursitis in his shoulder, and its believed that his back woes contributed to it by altering his mechanics and/or disrupting his conditioning. He’s …
I haven’t seen any video of this, but it sounds and looks quite comical. Cardinals first baseman Tino Martinez was hit on the shoulder by the world’s worst poet, Diamondbacks pitcher Miguel Batista, and they jawed and glared at each other. Tino took his base and was then forced out on a grounder. As he …
It’s come to my attention that one of my favorite blogs is back in the batter’s box. Pete Sommers’ Baseball News Blog went into hibernation at the end of the World Series, but it’s now up and running again, with Pete’s concise excerpts of news and blogs from around the game, and a great collection …
I’m finally back online after spending the better part of a draining week moving from a spacious and inexpensive (though grungy) East Village apartment shared with my friend to a cozy and pricey (but clean) love nest with my girlfriend. It’s an exciting transition, tempered only by the threat of me having to selectively store …
With everything else that’s been going on over the past few days, both in my life and the world of baseball, I neglected to point out something special: on April 9, The Futility Infielder turned two years old. The past year in particular has seen this site attain heights previously undreamt; my readership has nearly …
Yesterday’s Bull Durham-related controversy reminded me exactly why I don’t write about politics anymore: it angries up the blood, to borrow a phrase from Satchel Paige. Of course, he was talking about fried meats, not free speech and civil liberties, but I’ll reckon ol’ Satch probably knew a few things about those too. Anyway, there …
The National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown has cancelled a celebration of the movie Bull Durham because of the anti-war views of stars Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon. Hall president Dale Petroskey informed the actors via a letter this week that the celebration, due to take place April 26-27 has been called off: In …
Continue reading ‘Hall of Shame, or Bull Durham meets Bull Shit’ »
Since I haven’t picked on the Red Sox yet this season… over at the premium portion of Baseball Prospectus, Joe Sheehan wries about the Red Sox decision to pick up Pedro Martinez’s option for 2004. Martinez, who’s got more whine than Ernest and Julio Gallo, successfully spun the situation in his favor such that the …