Jul 11, 08 1:30 PM CDT
The American League is just flat out better than the National League, writes Darren Everson in the Wall Street Journal. The AL has had a lock on All-Star games for a decade, has won 11 of the last 16 World Series, and it dominates interleague play. Why the disparity? Everson explains that it's a combination of factors such as the DH rule, a flood of new talent and new stadiums, better drafting, and just plain luck. More »
Jul 2, 08 12:20 PM CDT
Report card time! Here’s how the rambunctious kids of MLB are doing so far, in Yahoo Sports’ Steven Henson’s estimation.
A students—Rays, Red Sox, Cubs, Angels, White Sox
Particular kudos go to the Rays, the poor kid who went to the head of the class.
B students—Cardinals, Brewers, Twins, Phillies, Yankees, Athletics, Marlins, Orioles
The Cardinals have a slight edge in the wildcard race. The Yankees, meanwhile, barely scrape together a B. More »
May 25, 08 3:33 PM CDT
With the help of modern air travel, Major League Baseball should seriously consider expanding across the Pacific, writes Jim Caple for ESPN. Such a move could be both profitable and intriguing, and keep Japan from hemorrhaging its best talent. Though, as Red Sox manager Terry Francona points out, "Saying it would be fun and making it work are two different things." More »
May 19, 08 12:32 AM CDT
A source with knowledge of the investigation tells the Chicago Tribune that questions about signing bonuses and how they were distributed to teenage Latin American prospects were behind the firing of David Wilder, the Chicago White Sox senior personnel director, and two of his scouts. Authorities are seeking to determine if Wilder and the scouts were skimming from those payments. More »
May 18, 08 7:24 AM CDT
Major League clubhouses are not what they used to be, reports Detroit Tigers reliever Todd Jones on his blog for the Sporting News. Years ago, players used to arrive late and leave even later after games, sometimes hanging out together til 3 in the morning. Now players arrive way earlier than needed and leave right after the game. Issues with the team are settled before the game rather than in long bull sessions after. More »