27 Results for dusty baker

A game filled with crossroads

Buster Olney

The moment Nick Swisher lifted the ball over the infield, Angels reliever Brian Fuentes shot his arm into the air, that arm driven by the exultation o...

ESPN Insider Blog Entry | Conversation | October 23, 2009

How the Yankees can slow the Angels

Buster Olney

The Yankees' internal conversation about how to slow down the Angels' running game in this postseason started a little while back -- before spring tra...

ESPN Insider Blog Entry | Conversation | October 16, 2009

Manuel's faith in Lidge pays off

Buster Olney

The fates of managers and pitching coaches are tied to their pitchers, and when a pitcher starts to go bad, some staffers instinctively separate thems...

ESPN Insider Blog Entry | Conversation | October 13, 2009

La Russa may be leaving St. Louis

Buster Olney

Nobody will know how the St. Louis Cardinals' season might have ended if the third out hadn't escaped them in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 2...

ESPN Insider Blog Entry | Conversation | October 11, 2009

The catch heard 'round the Rockies

Buster Olney

There were no tangible advantages working in favor of Rockies second baseman Clint Barmes in the ninth inning late Sunday afternoon as he turned to pu...

ESPN Insider Blog Entry | Conversation | September 28, 2009

The King becomes a craftsman

Buster Olney

It wasn't the optimal situation for a new pitching coach to get to know a star pitcher. In spring training, Felix Hernandez was away from the Mariners...

ESPN Insider Blog Entry | Conversation | September 25, 2009

The overlooked stars of the season

Buster Olney

Zack Greinke is battling for the Cy Young Award, and that standing has hoisted him out of the second division and into the national conversation. Simi...

ESPN Insider Blog Entry | Conversation | September 14, 2009

Inside another great Colorado run

Buster Olney

There was gleeful jumping and running and hat-tossing and a pig-pile kind of thing, and this was all taking place about 1,500 miles away from the Litt...

ESPN Insider Blog Entry | Conversation | August 25, 2009

The biggest holes for trades to fill

Buster Olney

With just one full day and a chunk of hours before the trade deadline, these are the biggest holes remaining for teams that have been looking for help...

ESPN Insider Blog Entry | Conversation | July 30, 2009

Eight reasons for Halladay to be a Phillie

Buster Olney

Eight great reasons the Blue Jays and Phillies should work out a Roy Halladay trade: Maximizing value: Halladay will have very high trade value for t...

ESPN Insider Blog Entry | Conversation | July 23, 2009

A cheap Halladay alternative

Buster Olney

Here are the statistical lines for two starting pitchers, compiled over a season: Pitcher A: 132 innings, 124 hits, 2.73 ERA, 17 walks, 113 strikeou...

ESPN Insider Blog Entry | Conversation | July 21, 2009

Dodgers second to Yankees in offseason spending

Buster Olney

Now that Manny Ramirez has signed, we're close to putting a bow on the free agent spending of the offseason. Mark Simon of ESPN Research compiled thes...

ESPN Insider Blog Entry | Conversation | March 05, 2009

Liriano 'more of a complete pitcher now'

Buster Olney

Francisco Liriano's delivery always will have mechanical potholes, the kind of flaws that can wreck the undercarriage of a long, prosperous career. Th...

ESPN Insider Blog Entry | Conversation | March 03, 2009

Break from baseball sickening

Buster Olney

You'll have a great time with the kids at Disney World, my friends told me. It'll be so much fun, they said. A nice break from baseball, they told me....

ESPN Insider Blog Entry | Conversation | March 02, 2009

Baseball's strengthening code of conduct

Buster Olney

A club official stood by a batting cage this spring, as some of his players hit, and he spoke with relief about how great it was to have a troublesome...

ESPN Insider Blog Entry | Conversation | February 26, 2009