When it comes to Nippon Professional Baseball, the most persistent topic of discussion tends to be the names of the players who are going to try and make the jump to Major League Baseball. There… Read more »
Posts by Bill Thompson
Many months back I sent an email to my editors here at Banished to the Pen pitching the idea of relegation being brought to Major League Baseball. They were receptive, but then in my research,… Read more »
Scrolling through the all-time best seasons in sWAR found on the Seamheads Negro League Database, the name Dick Lundy doesn’t appear until the 40s, and in total he only makes the one appearance. It’s not… Read more »
When discussing the great Negro League players one gets used to hearing about the same group of players. Satchel Paige, Bullet Rogan, Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, and a few others are the mainstays of… Read more »
For the longest time, the Negro Leagues were more myth and legend than they were fact. Stories were told about players, teams, leagues, seasons, managers, and careers that painted many as legends more than they… Read more »
The purpose of this series has always been to shed light on aspects of the Negro, and associated, Leagues that deserve recognition. Great seasons that have never gotten their due, excellent careers that went unnoticed,… Read more »
Baseball is a game with a rich and voluminous history. Much of that history happens to be white, which may piss some people off but is the reality of the situation. The overwhelming majority of… Read more »
Baseball is a game of history. History frames much of what we know and think about the game. Baseball leagues the world over are all about creating new history and establishing a legacy that will… Read more »
I think that all of us, myself definitely included, fall in love with dominant seasons from a pitcher. Or rather, I should say, we fall in love with a given pitcher thanks to their dominance…. Read more »
One of my favorite things to do is to spend a lazy day looking up stats. More often than not my resource of choice is Baseball Reference. The Play Index feature makes it so easy… Read more »
For myself and other like-minded baseball fans, there are generally three websites we use for the majority of our baseball information and statistics. Baseball Prospectus and FanGraphs are the go-to sites for modern analytics, while… Read more »
Every now and then I will randomly think of a player and wonder why they aren’t in Major League Baseball. More often than not it’s because they’ve retired, or haven’t made their way through the… Read more »
Ryan Verdugo is not a name that rolls off the tongue of most Major League Baseball fans. Having only played one MLB season (2012 with the Kansas City Royals), it’s not surprising that Verdugo isn’t… Read more »
The legend of Babe Ruth extends beyond his mammoth home runs. One of the lasting impacts of Ruth is his ability as a two-way player. So much so that throughout the years teams have continued… Read more »
To say that I am a fan of baseball would be an understatement. If you’re reading this article not only do you know that statement is true, but you know that statement applies to you… Read more »
It’s no secret that Rob Manfred, and everyone involved with Major League Baseball, want baseball to be a global sport. Well, I take that back, they want MLB to be a global sport, not so… Read more »
One of the themes I hope I’m conveying through my work is that I am a fan of professional baseball, period. I recognize that Major League Baseball is the crème de la crème of professional baseball…. Read more »
Affectionately known as “Sugar” by his teammates and friends, Mariners reliever Edwin Diaz is a man worthy of a different nickname. It’s not that “Sugar” is bad, it’s just that there really isn’t anything sweet… Read more »
The Chicago Cubs’ decision to decline Jason Hammel’s 2017 club option is about many things. It’s about what the Cubs want to do with the starting rotation moving forward. By declining Hammel’s option the Cubs… Read more »
