For many an important onlooker, the most anticipated (and scrutinized) day of the 2015 Minor League Baseball calendar won’t be Opening Day, Thursday, April 9. Instead, it will be Friday, May 1, the day that pace-of-play directives begin receiving strict enforcement at the Double-A and Triple-A levels. (more…)
On Tuesday alone: At Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, the Yankees began their scheduled 7:05 start at 7:04 p.m., before the TV broadcast was ready. At Surprise Stadium, the Dodgers played to an 11-11 stalemate against the Rangers, their fifth tie in 15 Cactus League games. At Salt River Fields, Albert Pujols grounded out by the […]
Life in Minor League Baseball is all about development. Success is measured in producing major leaguers, and this is the case for players and coaches – and also for umpires and broadcasters. (more…)
South Atlantic League Hall of Famer Ray Hathaway died a few weeks ago. He was 98. Like many others, he was the face of the local team when skippered in towns like Asheville over a 25-season career. (more…)
For a baseball lover, when does the new season begin? On Opening Day, maybe, or with the first game of spring training, or when those magical words are uttered, “Pitchers and catchers report.” Or is it, perhaps, with Truck Day — the day that Major League organizations load up all of their equipment and set […]
Besides writing for Ballpark Digest, Jesse Goldberg-Strassler tackled a big offseason project for the Lansing Lugnuts (Low Class A; Midwest League): launching a Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame. Here’s his account of the experience. (more…)
With the election of four new inductees, the National Baseball Hall of Fame still managed to generate some controversy. But this is par for the course — and may be quieting down. (more…)
There is a very good question that is asked year round, particularly in the summer: “How do I get a job in baseball?” Or, more specifically: “How do I get my foot in the door?” The answer is direct. Go to the Winter Meetings. (more…)
Temperatures are low, the wind is getting vicious, and the sunsets are arriving earlier and earlier. Tis the season for baseball fans to overreact to prospects, trades and signings — or perhaps settle into a comfortable chair with the right baseball book. (more…)
This year, the Thanksgiving season saw monetary reasons for ballplayers to give thanks. On November 24, amidst other signings, it was reported that the Boston Red Sox inked third baseman Pablo Sandoval to a free-agent deal, worth signed for five years and $95 million. On the same day, Major League Baseball announced the 2014 shares […]
We’re in the midst of baseball’s off-seasonal affective disorder: By and large, the sport has gone on hiatus, and the baseball world preps for 2015. Jesse Goldberg-Strassler mulls what this means for the average baseball fan. (more…)
Whenever baseball stumbles upon a pitching-dominant era, people get nervous. “Outlaw the spitball!” they shout. Then, fifty years later: “Lower the pitcher’s mound!” After all, it was Babe Ruth’s hitting, not his pitching, that caused increased interest, ballooning attendance, and even built a ballpark. And it was Mark McGwire’s and Sammy Sosa’s hitting, not Greg […]
In 1994, he became the inaugural voice of the Salt Lake Buzz (renamed the Bees during the 2005-2006 season). This past season, on June 24, he called his 3,000th game for Salt Lake. Today, Ballpark Digest honors Steve Klauke as the 2014 Broadcaster of the Year to kick off the annual BPD Awards. (more…)
