
Becoming a Contract Jumper: Deacon Jim McGuire’s 1902 Decision
In the first years of the American League, its eight clubs added…

WAR and the World Series: Is WAR an Indicator of October Success?
Introduction
The statistic Wins Above Replacement, or WAR, is…

Why do games take so long?
This article is based on the presentation I gave at SABR 48 in…

1948: When Baseball’s Minor League Winter Meetings Came to Minneapolis
It was an event The Sporting News said featured “Paul Bunyan…

“Shorty,” “Brother Lou,” and the Dodgers’ Sym-phony
If Bob Sheppard, longtime public address announcer for the…

Voices for the Voiceless: Ross Horning, Cy Block, and the Unwelcome Truth
"The general public, or baseball fan, when he thinks of baseball…

1908’s Forgotten Team: The Pittsburgh Pirates
The 1908 National League race is best remembered for the “Merkle…

The Rise and Fall of the Deadball Era
If a modern fan could be transported back to a baseball game…

Revisiting the Origin of the Infield Fly Rule
What is a catch? A player grasps the ball. At some instant the…

Ties in Baseball (and Beyond)
It’s often said that there are no ties in baseball. If a game…

The Specialized Bullpen: History, Analysis, and Strategic Models for Success
A great deal of attention has been given to the baseball closer,…

Offensive Explosion: Trends in Hitting Production in Major League Baseball
Abstract
2014 was a record year for pitchers, but it was followed…

The Bats … They Keep Changing!
Heinie Groh of the Cincinnati Reds had one of the most distinctive…

Racial Parity in the Hall of Fame
Historical Backdrop
Although the first all-professional baseball…

Ron Hunt, Coco Crisp, and the Normalization of Hit-by-Pitch Statistics
It’s a basic rule that’s familiar to all baseball fans: A…

Home Runs and Strikeouts: Another Look
Introduction
The 2017 MLB season set records for both home runs…

Why Has No True DH Been Elected to the Hall of Fame — Yet?
The Designated Hitter has been the way of life in the American…
