The Oakland A’s open their 2014 season Monday night against the Indians at the Oakland Coliseum, an event unusual only for how usual it is. It’s certainly not what anyone would have predicted five years ago yesterday, when Bud Selig … Continue reading
We’re most of the way through free-agent season now, and it’s even more clear that this will be remembered as the Winter of Robinson Cano. The Mariners’ signing of the five-time All-Star not only set off cascade effects in Seattle, … Continue reading
With the Yankees’ signing of Jacoby Ellsbury, it’s officially the season to goggle at the premium price tags being placed on this year’s free agent crop. Already this year we’ve had crazy money thrown around on some store-brand names: “Jhonny … Continue reading
NBC Sports blogger Craig Calcaterra had the line of the week on Monday, when he tweeted: “With my son at the orthopedist to get his cast off. Have the Braves moved again since I left?” For sports fans and followers … Continue reading
If you’ve been sitting there wondering “What does the new baseball collective bargaining agreement mean for the Mets’ possible trade of David Wright?” then wait no longer, your prayers have been answered: The new five-year collective bargaining agreement signed by … Continue reading
Wow, it’s been ages since I last posted here. Most of that remains (as I hinted before) due to the vagaries of the dead-tree publication production cycle: Right now I have at least four articles in the can that should … Continue reading
Mets ownership wrapped up a tumultuous week by agreeing to sell off a minority stake in the ballclub for $200 million to hedge funde honcho David Einhorn. Who is this guy, and what does he want with the Amazins? Talk … Continue reading
In the wake of Mets owner Fred Wilpon’s player-dissing New Yorker interview, I explore whether holding a fire sale makes baseball — or economic — sense (subscription required): Was it really only six months ago that Mets fans were hailing … Continue reading
In which I tackle the question of whether more competition for baseball playoff spots will encourage teams to spend more on players, plus revisit the Great Attendance Drop (subscription required): Economic cause-and-effect is a funny thing. Last week, Matt Swartz … Continue reading
The baseball season isn’t even three weeks old, and six teams have already set new single-game records for lowest attendance at their current stadiums. Is this a small-sample-size aberration, or a sign that the ticket bubble is about to burst? … Continue reading