On Sept. 26, the Oakland Athletics (A’s) played their final game in the storied yet crumbling Oakland Coliseum ahead of their relocation to Las Vegas, defeating the Texas Rangers 3-2 in a bittersweet victory. Despite the triumph and a sold-out stadium, the Coliseum was filled with a kaleidoscope of emotions,[Read More…]
Tag: MLB
Trib Explains: Shohei Ohtani’s contract, net present value, and MLB’s competitive balance tax
On Dec. 9, the day after a social media frenzy where Toronto Blue Jays fans tracked a Shark Tank investor’s private jet from Anaheim to Toronto, thinking that prized free-agent Shohei Ohtani was on his way to sign with the Jays, the reigning AL MVP announced his signing with the[Read More…]
An ode to Dusty Baker
The creator of the high five. The winner of a Gold Glove, World Series, and two Silver Sluggers. The first African American manager with 2000 victories and the first manager in Major League Baseball (MLB) history to lead five different teams to division titles. On Oct. 26, following their elimination[Read More…]
Can the Toronto Blue Jays make a deep postseason run?
With 162 games in total, the Major League Baseball (MLB) season can seem draining to some fans. From May to September, the games can feel quite meaningless, with fans just waiting for October to roll around and for the playoffs to finally begin. For Toronto Blue Jays fans, this postseason[Read More…]
Major League Baseball has a “nutting” problem
Professional sports leagues across North America all face the familiar practice of tanking: When teams underperform on purpose. They trade away their best players, neglect fan experience, refuse to sign franchise players to extensions, and intentionally make the team worse. The motivations behind tanking can vary. Oftentimes, the reason to[Read More…]
MLB’s new rule changes: Should we be excited?
Baseball fans, it’s finally here––a new era of the sport is on the horizon. With the average game length coming in at three hours and four minutes, a plummeting fanbase, and offensive output on a steady decline since the juiced ball of 2020, Major League Baseball (MLB) finally recognized its[Read More…]
We’re talking about Fightins!: Inside the Philadelphia Phillies improbable World Series run
On June 3, with a record of 22–29, Joe Girardi was fired from his job as manager of the Philadelphia Phillies. Five months later, the Phillies would face off against the domineering Houston Astros in the World Series, culminating in one of baseball’s greatest Cinderella stories. Being an underdog is[Read More…]
Albert Pujols and Aaron Judge are making history without chasing it
The last half-decade of big league baseball has been riddled with sweeping rulebook changes, suspensions, and blockbuster trades that have kept the sport in constant flux. Amidst the chaos, one of baseball’s purest elements—the home run—has convincingly held its place at the core of the sport. The 2019 season alone[Read More…]
What on earth is going on with Major League Baseball?
Baseball is a game of highs and lows. In a game where a player hits a grandslam and makes an amazing catch in the outfield, they can also spend a significant amount of time wallowing in the dugout. While there was reason to be hopeful for the state of baseball[Read More…]
An axe to grind: It’s time for Atlanta’s ‘chop’ to go
The transition away from dehumanizing caricatures of Indigenous peoples within the sports world has been marked by many teams dropping their blatantly racist names. After years of activism, McGill changed the moniker of their men’s varsity teams to the “Redbirds” in 2019. The Washington Football Team eliminated their degrading nickname[Read More…]
