Minors vs. Majors: The Top Minor League Pitchers in the Expansion Era

In the process of conducting research for the “Minors vs. Majors” chapter for my upcoming book “Hardball Retroactive”, I compiled a database encompassing every player-season for the past 55 years (1963-2017) corresponding with the reorganization and reclassification of the minor leagues prior to the start of the 1963 season. Computing the statistics for each individual … Read more

Minors vs. Majors: The Top Minor League Batters in the Expansion Era

In the process of conducting research for the “Minors vs. Majors” chapter for my upcoming book “Hardball Retroactive”, I compiled a database encompassing every player-season for the past 55 years (1963-2017) corresponding with the reorganization and reclassification of the minor leagues prior to the start of the 1963 season. Computing the statistics for each individual … Read more

Hardball Retrospective: Sustained Mediocrity

About the Book In “Hardball Retrospective: Evaluating Scouting and Development Outcomes for the Modern-Era Franchises”, I placed every ballplayer in the modern era (from 1901-present) on their original team. Consequently, Reggie Jackson is listed on the Athletics roster for the duration of his career while the Mets claim Tom Seaver and the Cardinals declare Steve … Read more

Hardball Retrospective: Sustained Excellence

Would your favorite baseball team make the playoffs if player X had not been traded? Imagine your team’s roster from any particular year. Remove all of the players that your team acquired through trades and free agency. Would you be able to field a competitive team? All right, let us re-populate the roster with every … Read more