Archive for June, 2011

Swinging Graphs Rather than Bats

Posted by Mark On June - 30 - 2011 0 Comment
Brendan and Mark sitting in the SABRmetrics class Chris is teaching.

By Chris Glover The number of different ways to enjoy a game of baseball seems to increase by the day as social media adds a layer of interactivity and new live-data allows fans to better understand the story playing out on the field. One of my favourite things to follow during a game are FanGraphs’  [ Read More ]

Categories: C. Glover, Featured, Slider

The end of the Upton and Beckham Eras

Posted by Mark On June - 28 - 2011 3 Comments
BJ is the Hipsters' 1st pick, Centerfielder, and Mascot.

Several weeks ago, the fellas over at The Platoon Advantage, decided to embark on a pretty cool project.  They expanded Major League Baseball to create the Brooklyn Hipsters and Portland Webfoots.  This not only ended all talk of Rays’ relocation (anyone sick of that conversation?) but it also moved the Rays into the new AL  [ Read More ]

Categories: Featured, Slider

A Short Q-and-A with Steve Berthiaume

Posted by Mark On June - 27 - 2011 17 Comments
Berthiaume BBTN

I emailed Steve Berthiaume last Thursday and asked if he would mind doing a quick Q-and-A after my response to his piece on relocation generated such vigorous debate in the comments section. Steve agreed and the Questions and Answers are below.  I kept it to 4 questions for two reasons.  First, these questions are based  [ Read More ]

Categories: Featured, Slider

In Response to Steve Berthiaume

Posted by Mark On June - 23 - 2011 49 Comments
James Borchuk St. Petersburg Times

When I woke up this morning and checked my Twitter feed, I was snowed under with 140-character responses to this piece Steve Berthiaume wrote for the Sweet Spot blog last night.  I have promised over-and-over that this space will be reserved for baseball, not business, but I feel compelled to at least respond to Steve.  [ Read More ]

Categories: Featured, Slider

This F-ing Game

Posted by Mark On June - 21 - 2011 8 Comments
bull-durham-1

In my effort to quote Crash Davis once a week, I was thinking about his adroit analysis of the game this morning while pondering Jeff Niemann’s return from the DL: “Well F— this F—-ing game.  I quit.” Every time I get my arms around this game, it moves. Here’s what I knew at 6:30 p.m.  [ Read More ]

Categories: Featured, Slider

Balderdash: Rays Addition

Posted by Mark On June - 20 - 2011 5 Comments
Screen_shot_2009-09-05_at_24915_PM-586x389

I am at the beach this week with my wife’s family and, last night we engaged in a rousing game of Balderdash.  Balderdash is a game where players create fake definitions or biographies for obscure words or people and then try to guess which definitions are fake and which are real. Apparently, I am terrible  [ Read More ]

Counterpoint: Get it Right.

Posted by Mark On June - 17 - 2011 2 Comments
curtain

By Brendan Gleason Mark, you unfair, Lance Armstrong loving, Derek Jeter “homerun” grabbing, Tuck Rule agreeing cheater. Some instant replay isn’t good enough. There needs to be more. There needs to be most. Whatever it takes to get the call correct. AJ Pierzynski’s trot to first base after striking out against the Angels in the  [ Read More ]

Point: Throw the Flag

Posted by Mark On June - 17 - 2011 3 Comments
Dan-Aykroyd-300x168

Brendan, you Big Brother loving, newspeak talking, class of 1984 fascist.  What is this, Minority Report? You want to entrust our national pastime to some anonymous overlords watching the game in a booth somewhere?  This is America.  What would John Hancock say about such a concentration of power?  This is exactly the kind of thing  [ Read More ]

Categories: Point-Counterpoint

Point-Counterpoint: Under Review

Posted by Mark On June - 17 - 2011 0 Comment
PointCounterpointbq

Justin Ruggiano’s run that wasn’t in Detroit has brought the issue of instant replay in Major League Baseball back into our collective consciousness. We kicked around the idea of debating whether or not baseball needs expanded review.  But neither Brendan nor I wanted to argue against that proposition.  So, this week’s Point-Counterpoint offers two competing  [ Read More ]

Counterpoint: It Takes a Villain to Raise MLB

Posted by Mark On June - 16 - 2011 1 Comment
curtain

[this is Brendan's counterpoint from last Friday.  We had some technical issues getting it published.  Sorry.] By Brendan Gleason Mark, you sesame street watching, “we are the world” singing, triple ply with aloe softee.  Villains are a cornerstone of baseball. Some of the best players in history have been villains. Barry Bonds. Ty Cobb(at least  [ Read More ]

Featured Posts

banner

The Concession Stand

Today is the day we have been waiting for since October.  The first day of ...

Yankees Rays Baseball 1

I'm so Excited

The Sweet Spot is running its first full Spring Training preview item today that will ...

Charlotte Sports Park

Baseball. Drama Free.

Thank goodness the Rays got Joe Maddon's deal done so efficiently.  Thank goodness it is ...

Rays Fans

Comment of the Week: Weekend a

Merrill is worried about me.  Somebody go poke Mark and make sure he’s still alive. I ...

devile-rays-manager-joe-maddon-ap

Get a Deal Done Already

I was just reading the latest turn in the Bucs' coaching search in the morning ...

Sponsors