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Sparky Anderson once told me he didn't believe in anything he saw on the field until June 1. Only after two months of baseball could he have confidence a player or team's performance was legitimate. With June just around the corner, there are seve...

Blog | May 24, 2013

What a difference one offseason can make. On May 22, 2012, the Cleveland Indians found themselves atop the American League Central, sporting a surprising 23-18 record. Today, the Indians again sit in first place with an equally surprising 26-18 r...

Blog | May 22, 2013

After another win in the Bronx last night, the Seattle Mariners are just a game below .500 and in second place in the AL West. This club was built on pitching and defense, and it's strong in both areas. However, with an offense that ranks 14th in the...

Blog | May 17, 2013

Jim Bowden takes a look at a crop of young starting pitchers, the likes of which have not been since in years....

Jim Bowden compares Shelby Miller and Matt Harvey in our side-by-side analysis.

Story | Conversation | May 15, 2013

The cream of the 2013 free-agent crop was obvious and expensive. Teams entered the offseason flush with cash and spent prodigiously. Outfielder Josh Hamilton was the best position player, while B.J. Upton and Michael Bourn followed not far behind...

Blog | May 10, 2013

No, it isn't a very happy time in Southern California. SoCal fans just watched as the Lakers and Clippers got bounced out of the NBA playoffs in the first round, while the Dodgers and Angels have looked like they might not even make the playoffs. ...

Blog | May 08, 2013

In 2011, Tampa Bay Rays pitching prospect Matt Moore and his electric left arm were lighting up the minor leagues. Between Double-A and Triple-A, Moore posted a combined 12-3 record with a 1.92 ERA and amassed a ridiculous 210 strikeouts in 155 innin...

Blog | May 03, 2013

With a month of the season in the books, rookies are making impacts on their teams across the majors. For some, their arrivals and performances were expected; others have been pleasant surprises. I'll be keeping track of this season's rookie class...

Blog | May 01, 2013

Jim Bowden takes a look at this year's standout rookie class, dominated by pitchers -- including Nick Tepesch, Justin Grimm and Joe Ortiz of the Texas Rangers....

Call it early, call it April, tell me there are still 143 games left in the 162-game schedule, but the fact is that the Kansas City Royals have developed into a legitimate wild-card contender. They're off to a relatively fast 11-8 start. They sit...

Blog | April 26, 2013

John Schuerholz spent 26 years as a general manager with the Kansas City Royals and Atlanta Braves, the last 17 of those with his Atlanta until he was named club president in the fall of 2007. His success with the Braves is well documented, but le...

Blog | April 24, 2013

During spring training, it's not easy to recognize which performances and numbers are legit and which are merely mirages. Spring numbers are never a truly accurate barometer of what to expect from a player during the season. Likewise, early-season nu...

Blog | April 19, 2013

General managers should be patient and measured. Over the course of 162 games, rash decisions don't often portend success. A team's slow start is worrisome, but making knee-jerk reactions can make things only worse. In 1995, when I was GM of the Cinc...

Blog | April 17, 2013

ESPN.com contributor and former GM Jim Bowden has an interesting post up (Insider) on why the Texas Rangers should trade top prospects with the St. Louis Cardinals. Bowden believes that because the Cardinals need a middle infielder and the Rangers co...

A bad trade can haunt a general manager for life. I say this while assessing the positions in which St. Louis Cardinals GM John Mozeliak and Texas Rangers GM Jon Daniels find themselves. Mind you, it's an enviable position; each GM is blessed to h...

Blog | April 12, 2013