How a Chicagoan views Bellinger trade As a lifelong Chicagoan and a long-time observer of our beloved Cubs, the recent trade of Cody Bellinger to the Los Angeles Dodgers has left a bitter-sweet taste in my mouth. Here in Chicago, where the North Side bleeds Cubbie blue, every significant move by the team is scrutinized…
Ichiro in the Hall? Not so fast As a baseball fan and analyst, I find myself in the uncomfortable position of questioning Ichiro Suzuki’s candidacy for the Hall of Fame, despite widespread support for his induction. While Ichiro’s career was undoubtedly impressive, there are several factors that give me pause. Firstly, Ichiro’s career WAR of…
Ticket for “Golden At-Bat” should remain unpunched Rob Manfred’s “Golden At-Bat” idea? Give me a break. This isn’t Little League, folks. It’s Major League Baseball, where the best of the best compete, not some carnival sideshow where everyone gets a participation trophy. Let’s call this what it really is – a desperate attempt to inject…
Johnny Callison never became “the next Mickey Mantle” Few players enter Major League Baseball with the burden of being labeled “the next Mickey Mantle.” Johnny Callison, a left-handed slugger and outfielder, carried that weight from the moment he made his big-league debut in 1958. Hailing from Oklahoma, much like Mantle himself, Callison’s five-tool talent and…
Jim Bowden’s “nonsense” in The Athletic When The Athletic hired Jim Bowden to write a column focusing on MLB’s personnel moves, it seemed a welcome development. Bowden had been baseball’s youngest General Manager when hired at age 31 by the Cincinnati Reds. The team had some success under Bowden, finishing in first-place in 1994 and…