My 2010 Hall of Fame ballot

...by a nasty, brutish and short decline phase that coincided with his trade from Cleveland to the Mets. What may be hurting his candidacy is that very phase: He flopped in a major market, and...

Blog Entry | Conversation | November 30, 2009

Free-agency side dishes (before the turkey)

...the Astros expect that he'll be ready to go at full speed when spring training begins. New Houston manager Brad Mills and GM Ed Wade will soon meet with Oswalt, in a get-to...

Blog Entry | Conversation | November 25, 2009

...the first inning against the New York Mets starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey (not...

Those who favored King Felix and Verlander

The AL Cy Young Award went more or less as expected, with the very deserving Zack Greinke of the Kansas City Royals running away with it, nabbing 25 o...

Blog Entry | Conversation | November 18, 2009

The market for those coming off injuries

One problem with market inefficiencies is that, once they're identified, it's usually a matter of time before they disappear as more players bid up th...

Blog Entry | Conversation | November 17, 2009

Chapman kept defection plans from kin

Aroldis Chapman simply left his room at the Domina Hotel in Rotterdam last July and went down to the lobby. The Cuban pitcher's defection during a tournament in the Netherlands lacked any of the drama a movie script writer would want.

Obstacles to a World Series rematch

...they might do the same with Phil Hughes. New York must decide whether to tender a contract to...

Blog Entry | Conversation | November 05, 2009

Six key matchups for Game 6

...It won't be anything unbearable -- the forecast is for temperatures in the mid-40s -- but as Mets fans know from his tenure with that team, Martinez might need an inning or two to reach...

Blog Entry | Conversation | November 04, 2009

Howard's slide-step hurting the Phillies

The great thing about the postseason, an evaluator noted the other day, is that you always find out what the real weaknesses of hitters are (or at lea...

Blog Entry | Conversation | November 02, 2009

Winter market forecast: A flood of non-tenders

The conversations between general managers began accelerating this week, and some have noticed a distinct trend that does not bode well for this winte...

Blog Entry | Conversation | October 31, 2009

The leftovers tell us a lot from Game 2

It has been a World Series of pitching so far, with the inevitable umpiring controversy sprinkled in. Some leftovers from Game 2: Mariano Rivera is ...

Blog Entry | Conversation | October 30, 2009

Lee's calm is the Yankees' storm

We are accustomed to seeing October tension reflected in the eyes of the pitchers. Orel Hershiser's eyes in 1988 were intense -- the Bulldog locked in...

Blog Entry | Conversation | October 29, 2009

The top matchups of the World Series

...Indian, in April and then in late May, New York was able to compel him to throw 23...

Blog Entry | Conversation | October 28, 2009

A new chapter for Lee and Sabathia

The old friends pitched against each other in the first game ever at new Yankee Stadium back in April, and then afterward, CC Sabathia took Cliff Lee to his place to...

Blog Entry | Conversation | October 27, 2009

McGwire has a road map, but also a guide

We saw again Sunday night an example of how others have talked about their past use of performance-enhancing drugs and moved on. Yankees pitcher Andy ...

Blog Entry | Conversation | October 26, 2009