Baseball Blogs and Web Sites | The Baseball Zealot

Chicago & Illini Sports blog

Warren Silver has a blog that caters to fans of Illini AND Chicago sports fans out there. Chicago & Illini Sports is big on Cubs, Bulls, Bears and Illini coverage. Warren admits that he’s a bit light on Sox side but hey, no harm done there, eh? Kidding aside, it looks like a pretty cool … Continue reading “Chicago & Illini Sports blog”

Kidding aside, it looks like a pretty cool site and since we do get a fair amount of Illini/Chicago readers breezing through here, I thought I’d put Chicago & Illini Sports on our blogroll.

I just need to convince Warren to step up that Illini Baseball coverage. Two weeks from today, their season starts.

Top 100 Cubs coming to a close at Bleed Cubbie Blue

I’ve been keeping an eye on Bleed Cubbie Blue lately. To keep away the winter blues, Al Yellon has been counting down the top 100 all-time Cubs during the off-season. Thursday was #18. Greg Maddux. It’s really worth a look with a great summary of his career plus three interesting pictures of him. The first … Continue reading “Top 100 Cubs coming to a close at Bleed Cubbie Blue”

I’ve been keeping an eye on Bleed Cubbie Blue lately. To keep away the winter blues, Al Yellon has been counting down the top 100 all-time Cubs during the off-season.

Thursday was #18. Greg Maddux. It’s really worth a look with a great summary of his career plus three interesting pictures of him. The first two are unique because they appeared back-to-back on his rookie card. While both showed him in action on the field, neither showed him pitching,

The other photo, well, you will have to see for yourself.

Today’s? #16 Mark Grace.

Off of the top of your head, can you think of fifteen better Cubs than Grace and Maddux? I’m sure I could if given the time. You’ll find the archive here (with a list to-date along the left side). By the way, Ed Reulbach was #17.

Thanks to Al for doing this. It’s been fun going back in Cubs history.

Chicago Bears

The Super Bowl. The Chicago Bears play the Indianapolis Colts. Two midwestern cities within 3 hours of each other. The East Coast sports media can stick it. Go Bears! If you’re a Bears fan, check out Bearscast.com. It’s a podcast in the same vein as Cubscast.com but they cover… yeah, the Bears. (Before the … Continue reading “Chicago Bears”

bears

The Super Bowl. The Chicago Bears play the Indianapolis Colts. Two midwestern cities within 3 hours of each other. The East Coast sports media can stick it. Go Bears!

If you’re a Bears fan, check out Bearscast.com. It’s a podcast in the same vein as Cubscast.com but they cover… yeah, the Bears.

(Before the Sox fans start whining, there is also a Soxcast.com which believe it or not, I listen to once in a while. It’s pretty good if you’re into the Sox kind of thing).

Anyway, best of luck to the Bears.

Big League Baseball Report does Pat Hughes

Cub fans may want to take a listen to Big League Baseball Report’s latest show. They interview Cubs’ radio man Pat Hughes. He is always interesting to listen to. Also, Hughes is plugging his latest effort, Baseball Voices which is a CD collection which commemorates some of the best broadcasters in the business. Cub fans … Continue reading “Big League Baseball Report does Pat Hughes”

Cub fans should also check out A Cub Fan’s Obsession by Phil Zuber, one half of the BLBR team (Joe Aiello is the other half). It’s a relatively new site and chock full of true blue info on the Cubbies.

What does a guy have to do?

During our interview with baseball-reference.com’s Sean Forman, we got talking about his Cup of Coffee feature. That lists all players who have played in exactly one game in the bigs. No one has hit a homer in their only appearance in the majors. However, some have made the most of their short time. John Paciorek … Continue reading “What does a guy have to do?”

During our interview with baseball-reference.com’s Sean Forman, we got talking about his Cup of Coffee feature. That lists all players who have played in exactly one game in the bigs.

No one has hit a homer in their only appearance in the majors. However, some have made the most of their short time. John Paciorek comes to mind. John had a pretty good game in his only MLB appearance in 1963.

John Paciorek’s linescore:

3 for 3, 4 runs, 3 rbis, 2 BB

There is actually a web page at astroland.net dedicated to John’s efforts. Which is probably good because stats tell only part of the story.

Paciorek had had problems with his back throughout 1963, and sometime during his 1964 season (spent at Durham and Statesville) had back surgery performed. He was inactive in ’65, then tried to come back in 1966. But bad back or no, it looks like Paciorek had a problem hitting for any kind of average, although the power seems to have been there.

Tom Paciorek was rumored to quip that John was the better player in the family.

Congrats to Batgirl!

A belated congratulations to Batgirl (her most awesome baseball blog covers the Twins). She has just had a baby boy over the holidays! Nice timing by her to get this taken care of during the off-season. Just kidding! Congrats, Batgirl!

A belated congratulations to Batgirl (her most awesome baseball blog covers the Twins). She has just had a baby boy over the holidays!

Nice timing by her to get this taken care of during the off-season. Just kidding!

Congrats, Batgirl!

Day-by-Day Database going back in time

David Pinto from Baseball Musings has been during the holidays. His stats database Day-by-Day Database now includes stats that go back to 1965. I’ve used the Day-by-Day Database a fair amount and it’s pretty incredible. If you are into analyzing batters’ splits, comparing two batters or anything stat related, check it out. Hmm, just noticed… … Continue reading “Day-by-Day Database going back in time”

David Pinto from Baseball Musings has been during the holidays. His stats database Day-by-Day Database now includes stats that go back to 1965.

I’ve used the Day-by-Day Database a fair amount and it’s pretty incredible. If you are into analyzing batters’ splits, comparing two batters or anything stat related, check it out.

Hmm, just noticed… Alfonso Soriano has hit .160 in Wrigley Field.

But it was a small sampling, right?

Marvin Miller and Curt Flood

For their last show of the year, Baseball Prospectus Radio had a “Best of 2006” episode airing some of their best clips from the past year. One clip was Marvin Miller, former players’ representative. For as much influence he’s had on the game (negative or positive, it’s your call), it’s hard to believe that he … Continue reading “Marvin Miller and Curt Flood”

For their last show of the year, Baseball Prospectus Radio had a “Best of 2006” episode airing some of their best clips from the past year. One clip was Marvin Miller, former players’ representative. For as much influence he’s had on the game (negative or positive, it’s your call), it’s hard to believe that he retired in 1984. The clip was interesting enough for me to go back to BPR’s
archive and check out the whole interview.

Much of the interview was devoted to the Curt Flood and reserve clause. That reminded me that my wife gave me as a Christmas gift, the book A Well-Paid Slave: Curt Flood’s Fight for Free Agency in Professional Sports.. I look forward to reading it. It’s second in my book queue at the moment (right now, I’m reading Bill James’ Whatever Happened to the Hall of Fame? I always enjoy reading Bill James.
I don’t always agree with him but his books are a good read).

Curt Flood never won his case and aside from a short stint with the Senators, never made it big in the majors after his case despite his immense talents.

Baseball Digest Daily’s Best Sites of 06

For the new year, Baseball Digest Daily has come out with their Top Web Sites of 2006. There aren’t a lot of surprises on this list as the usual suspects are included. Those of you who are looking for a good repository of baseball web sites on one page, check it out. That said, their … Continue reading “Baseball Digest Daily’s Best Sites of 06”

For the new year, Baseball Digest Daily has come out with their Top Web Sites of 2006. There aren’t a lot of surprises on this list as the usual suspects are included.

Those of you who are looking for a good repository of baseball web sites on one page, check it out.

That said, their tabletop gaming bias is showing in #14, though. Strat-O-Matic apparently rules at Baseball Digest.

Big Ten Hardball

College baseball fansites are far and few between and ones dedicated to the Big Ten are even rarer. So that’s why I was happy to run across Big Ten Hardball. It’s been since January 2005 covering diamond news for the Big Ten conference. To be honest, I found out about it because they linked to … Continue reading “Big Ten Hardball”

To be honest, I found out about it because they linked to Baseball Zealot Radio’s interview of Illini shortstop Shawn Roof. If you haven’t heard it yet, take a listen.

By the way, Brian the blogger for BTH, also puts out Beyond Boxscores, a sports blog with a Detroit bent.