
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?
Does a higher team WAR, a value based on regular-season statistics,…

Why do games take so long?
In 2014, then-commissioner Bud Selig announced the formation…

1948: When Baseball’s Minor League Winter Meetings Came to Minneapolis
Thirteen years before Minneapolis would become home to the major-league…

“Shorty,” “Brother Lou,” and the Dodgers' Sym-phony
Rachel Robinson observed that the Brooklyn Dodgers Sym-phony…

Voices for the Voiceless: Ross Horning, Cy Block, and the Unwelcome Truth
In 1951, two unknown minor-leaguers stepped forward to challenge…

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
The baserunner’s dilemma and the fielder’s perverse incentive…

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
2014 was a record year for pitchers, but it was followed by an…

The Bats ... They Keep Changing!
Over the centuries, baseball bat shapes have undergone all kinds…

Racial Parity in the Hall of Fame
Now that MLB has been integrated for more than seven decades,…

Ron Hunt, Coco Crisp, and the Normalization of Hit-by-Pitch Statistics
Certain batters, such as the indomitable Ron Hunt, intentionally…

Home Runs and Strikeouts: Another Look
The 2017 MLB season set records for both home runs (6,105) and…

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…
