If you’re excited about baseball’s spring training season getting underway, you’ve likely heard about a new development. It’s called ABS and has nothing to do with your car’s anti-lock braking system. ABS is an acronym for the automated ball-strike challenge system. It’s being tested this year during spring training. It could take effect in the…
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This year’s World Series is finally set. The Yankees and Dodgers will face off in a best-of-seven series. It’s another matchup pitting two of baseball’s most successful franchises. They’ve both been there tons of times, or have they? I’m a lifelong Cubs fan, so I’m programmed to dislike both teams. And since they’re always in…
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My wife and I were watching the college baseball World Series, and she asked me why it was a double-elimination tournament. I had no idea, so I searched for the answer. There are hundreds of stories about how double-elimination tournaments work, but no explanations for why. I can think of numerous examples in the baseball…
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While I understand the economics of sports, I honestly wonder why each league tries to keep extending the length of their schedule. Sure, more games mean more chances to make money. But sometimes, that doesn’t make sense. Take baseball as an example. Why are we playing games right now in most northern cities? It’s too…
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The International Olympic Committee announced they are adding five sports to the 2028 Olympic games in Los Angeles: cricket, squash, lacrosse, baseball/softball, and flag football will issue medals in 2028. Baseball/softball returns after a short absence, while cricket returns for the first time in over 120 years. The addition that makes no sense to me…
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We live in a very divided world. Every day we hear news of more boycotts and protests. Fans of the Oakland A’s are angry too. They’re tired of a team owner who won’t spend the money to put a winner on the field. The owners claim they need a new stadium to help them make…
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Major League Baseball has been struggling for years. The game that we called America’s pastime has become less relevant. Young people say it’s too long and it’s boring. So the MLB has been making changes. This year, they hope to shorten the games and increase scoring. Two weeks into the season, the new changes are…
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This week, Major League Baseball announced the players elected to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. And rather than celebrating the announcement, many complain about who didn’t get elected. Perhaps this proves that it’s nearly impossible to be an objective fan. While many people root for the players they like, more prefer to take a…
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These days, we all have shorter attention spans, or at least it seems that way. And nearly every sport has tried to speed up the game to keep modern fans interested. But I cringe whenever I hear the phrase, the play is under further review. While it’s imperative to make sure every judgment call is…
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Most of us have towels in rooms throughout our house, big ones, and small ones, but we don’t pay much attention to them. In football, Pittsburgh is famous for its Terrible Towels. But when did they become an item in baseball? I’ve noticed that nearly every team in the baseball playoffs has a rally towel…
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