The Cleveland Indians, no doubt devoted ShysterBall readers all of them, are starting to ratchet back Chief Wahoo’s profile: Observant visitors to spring training this year to see the Indians in their new complex in Goodyear, Ariz., may have noticed something missing. Outside of the Indians’ uniforms, caps and the bustling gift shop at Goodyear […]

The Pirates have benched Andy LaRoche following an 0-14. Neyer opines: The Pirates, a week into LaRoche’s first full (maybe) season with the club, are benching him. Maybe he’s just not right, physically. That would be my guess, because I think the player who can thrive in Triple-A but can’t emotionally cope with the majors […]

This has been a truly crappy couple of weeks for baseball: Longtime Philadelphia Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas has died at age 73. Team president David Montgomery announced the death Monday a short time after Kalas passed out in the broadcast booth before a game in Washington against the Nationals. Montogomery’s voice was cracking as he […]

In December 2007 I wrote a couple of posts about the 1973 Topps set my brother got me for Christmas. There was some talk in those posts about the look and feel of the set itself, but today Cardboard Gods’ Josh Wilker lays some serious analytical lumber on it: The action photos in these 1973 […]

OK, longtime ShysterBall reader Melody (full name: Melody Blass Fisher) would probably smack me for calling her a “girl,” but since the purpose of this post is to promote her most excellent Baseball Chronicle essay, here’s hoping she cuts me some slack. As for the story, if any of you have either (a) been ripped […]

Unsure whether or not Twitter has jumped the shark? Here’s your answer, courtesy of USA Today’s Micheal Hiestand: On its Houston-St. Louis game Saturday, Fox’s baseball coverage debuted Twittering from its announcers. Fox’s Joe Buck, in a tweet, showed how the evolving online medium can deliver true candor: “Cold in the booth in STL. Tim […]

Today’s posts from the peacock: I’m puzzled that Sweet Lou is sticking with Sour Kevin as closer. Chris Dickerson got in a fight with a door and lost. Jason Giambi = Bob Horner. A smattering of the highlights and lowlights of the first week. Eddie Gaedel v2.0 and Are the Mariners for real? I think […]

I tend to handle bad news fairly well. Certainly tragedy affects me like anyone else, but I’m just kind of programmed to keep it together OK when others are not doing as well. I’m way worse about things a bit after the fact, however, as the smallest, random things can set me off. Everyday things, […]

I don’t think anyone buys the “if you build it they will come” business anymore, but just in case there were any ballparks=development deadenders out there: Baseball stadium backers promised a lively entertainment district when the D.C. government poured nearly $700 million into building Nationals Park: a hub of bustling shops, restaurants, hotels, condos and […]

The writer’s heart is in the right place, I suppose, but I find this kind of sentiment rather empty and misguided, no matter what the circumstances: They have his image on their outfield wall, his number on a patch over their hearts and his memory inscribed in a place even deeper. All classic, commendable and […]