Ryan Ford Detroit Free Press Published 10:00 p.m. UTC Jul 21, 2018 A whopping six players will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on July 29 in Cooperstown, N.Y. (Four were elected by the Baseball Writers Association of America; two were selected by the Veterans’ Committee.) So who’s on deck for the Class of 2019, which will be announced next January? Free Press sports writer Ryan Ford takes a look at five possible candidates: DH Edgar Martinez The case for: Put simply, he is baseball’s greatest designated hitter. The award given out by MLB to the best DH every season is literally named after him. A seven-time All-Star and five-time Silver Slugger, he hit .312 for his career with a .418 on-base percentage and a .515 slugging percentage. Martinez is one of just 19 HOF-eligible players in history with at least 4,000 plate appearances and a slash line of .300/.400/.500. 15 of them are in the Hall of Fame. The four that aren’t: Manny Ramirez (PED … [Read more...] about Baseball Hall of Fame: Who’s on deck for the Class of 2019?
Baseball
Robbie Grossman says baseball has changed a lot even since he came up in 2013
The motion was quick, reflexive, a nearly imperceptible flick of the bat. For most of his career, Robbie Grossman had a habit that had become ingrained, albeit one so subtle, you probably wouldn’t notice unless you were looking for it: The instant a pitcher went into his motion, Grossman would flash the barrel of his bat over his helmet and in front of his head. That minuscule trigger is gone now. And the reason, Grossman says, has more to do with the sport he plays than the way he hits. “I stopped doing that about a month and a half ago. I needed more time to see the ball,” Grossman said. “Everybody is throwing 100 [miles per hour] now, and I had to do something to improve my chances.” He’s getting results, and perhaps the missing bat-flick has something to do with it. Whatever the reason, Grossman, batting only .219 on May 30, hit .290 from then until the All-Star break, including .395 in July. It’s all part of the give-and-take of … [Read more...] about Robbie Grossman says baseball has changed a lot even since he came up in 2013
BASEBALL: Rubino, Guilford upset Stamford in Legion tournament opener
By Scott Ericson Updated 3:38 pm CDT, Saturday, July 21, 2018 window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-5', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 5', target_type: 'mix' }); _taboola.push({flush: true}); window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-10', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 10', target_type: 'mix' }); _taboola.push({flush: true}); window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-15', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 15', target_type: 'mix' }); _taboola.push({flush: true}); window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-20', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 20', … [Read more...] about BASEBALL: Rubino, Guilford upset Stamford in Legion tournament opener
Dan Shaughnessy: Baseball’s data scientists are inventing new ways to suck the life out of the game
Visit The Boston Globe Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Comment on this Scroll to top of page Dan Shaughnessy Globe Staff July 21, 2018 Picked up pieces while making hotel reservations for Chicago in October (Sox-Cubs, finally), Atlanta in February (I’ll wear my 28-3 shirt), and San Francisco in June (Kyrie vs. Warriors, again) . . . ■ Red Sox vice president of pitching analysis Brian Bannister inadvertently explained what is killing baseball when he told the Globe’s Alex Speier, “Essentially, baseball has become a game full of data scientists. We’re finding ways to get better at what we do, and to provide the players with better information and better recommendations on everything we do on a daily basis . . . The biggest change in the game is the mind-set of ‘Get a hitter out in three pitches or less.’ Efficiency was the most prized thing in baseball. Now the whole art of pitching is the science of the swing … [Read more...] about Dan Shaughnessy: Baseball’s data scientists are inventing new ways to suck the life out of the game
APSU Baseball Govs in the Pros: The Midway Check
July 21, 2018 | APSU Sports Information Clarksville, TN – Eleven Austin Peay State University (APSU) baseball alumni continue to play professional baseball at Major League Baseball’s All-Star Break, the official midway point of the baseball season. The formidable list includes a pair of Governors – the ageless A.J. Ellis and Shawn Kelley playing at the major league level. Austin Peay State University alumnus Tyler Rogers with the Sacramento River Cats. (APSU Sports Information) Meanwhile, five APSU alums are playing in the minor leagues, with reliever Tyler Rogers continue to wait for his call up from the Triple-A level. Finally, another four Govs are playing in independent leagues, each seeking to make their way back to affiliated baseball. A.J. Ellis, San Diego Padres Ellis entered the 2018 campaign as the third wheel in the Padres catching corps and saw limited action in the season’s first three weeks. But he got hot at the end of April and went on a tear … [Read more...] about APSU Baseball Govs in the Pros: The Midway Check