Welcome!

For those of you who are new to my site, thanks to the excerpt published in the 2009 Hardball Times Baseball Annual, I thought I'd offer you a short introduction to what I've been doing here for the past three-plus years. Feel free to browse around, comment, or e-mail me with any feedback.


END-OF-YEAR AWARDS:

11/13/08: The 4th Annual Whiz Kid Awards
Some usual, some unusual.
11/12/07: My Awards 2007, Part 2
The 3rd Annual Whiz Kid Awards (2 parts)
10/10/06: 2006 Awards
The 2nd Annual Whiz Kid Awards (2 parts)
10/5/05: The Awards Go To Somebody ...
The 1st Annual Whiz Kid Awards (4 parts)


GAME RECAPS:

10/12/08: NLCS Game 3 Running Commentary
My first experiment with a live blog.
10/2/07: Rockies 9, Padres 8
A one-game playoff for the ages.
8/8/07: A Birthday at the Ballpark
Back to the GABP, this time with pictures.
7/26/07: Reds Win? An Evening at the Ballpark
A stream-of-consciousness evening at the Great American Ballpark. A laid-back night, until Pedro Lopez gets hit in the face by a pitch.
5/1/07: Yankee Stadium: April 19, 2007
My first (and only) visit to the stadium culminates in a Yankee comeback capped off by an A-Rod walkoff homer against Joe Borowski.
10/26/05: 5 hours, 41 minutes ...
Game 3 of the 2005 World Series. I decided to try calling the game as an announcer, using just my own little tape recorder. It turned out to be the longest game in World Series history.

TRADES/FREE AGENCY:
12/31/06: Ringing in 2-007 with a Vodka Martini
A close look at the Zito contract. And: the union leaves the players' drug test results unprotected.
12/6/06: Deal or No Deal Redux
I was right about Padilla but wrong about Lugo.
11/19/06: Orgy of Spending
Jim Hendry unleashes the pocketbook, and more.

10/2/05: Bits and Pieces

Free agent news from the 2005 offseason, including some since-learned lessons about relief pitching.

PRESEASON PICKS REVISITED:
11/17/08: Preseason picks revisited
Let us not speak of this again.
11/16/07: Preseason picks revisited
So I was wrong about the Cubs.
10/13/06: Reflections on Preseason Predictions
Also included: a comic rant on the WebMD Injury Report.
10/03/05: Preseason Predictions

In which I actually picked the Rangers to win the division. But I got some stuff right, too.


THE BASEBALL CULTURE:

9/23/08: Hitting Curveballs
What Zack Greinke and I have in common. And it isn't a good pitching arm.
7/17/08: Oh My Blog
Weighing in on the Leitch/Bissinger fracas.
4/14/08: Rules is Rules
They either are or they aren't.
11/15/07: A-Rod and Barry
Alex opts out and Bonds is indicted.
5/5/07: Hancock and Alcohol
A discussion of baseball, alcohol and responsible reactions.
4/12/07: The Number 42
Discussing the "un-retiring" of Jackie Robinson's number.
12/30/06: Best Case/Worst Case
A comic guess at what 2007 meant for each team.
10/8/06: Dear Alex
In which I weigh in on "clutch."
1/18/06: The World Baseball Classic
This could also qualify as a rant.

10/27/05: Latino Legends

The insulting PR mess that was the Chevrolet Presents the Major League Baseball Latino Legends Team."

THE HALL OF FAME:

6/5/08: I am Ozzie, Hear Me Roar
Not only did this get me into the annual, it includes my Hall of Fame discussions of Manny Ramirez, Ken Griffey, Jr. and Omar Vizquel.
9/18/07: Jim Thome
Is 500 HR enough anymore?
8/9/07: Milestones
A series of milestones raise more Hall of Fame questions.
1/12/07: Future HOF Classes, Part 2
A look at future Cooperstown ballots (2 parts)
11/29/06: My 2007 Hall of Fame Ballot
There's a lot here.

11/27/06: Hall of Fame Arguments

I try to un-dismiss the McGwire candidacy.

10/1/06: Trevor Hoffman

A 2006-look at the Hall-worthiness of the closer.

2/17/06: Sammy Sosa

I discuss the Hall of Fame case for the embattled slugger.

1/12/06: Bruce Sutter

I argue against the induction of Sutter into the Hall and argue in favor of Goose Gossage.

10/18/05: Time to Leave
The players I would take OUT of the Hall of Fame. I've mellowed on several of these guys since then.
10/17/05: Cooperstown Worthy?
My Top 10 list of players who belong in the Hall but aren't in (2005 version).

A SHORT HISTORY OF EXPANSION:

12/13/05: An Expansion Pre-History

Prologue (1800s-1960)

12/14/05: Expansion, Pt. 2

The New Washington Senators

12/16/05: Expansion, Pt. 3
The Angels

1/2/06: NL Expansion: 1962

Part 4: The Mets

1/6/06: 1962: Houston Astros
Expansion Series Part 5

1/8/06: 1969 Expansion

Part 6: The Royals

2/7/06: 1969 Expansion, Pt. 2

Part 7: The Pilots/Brewers

2/13/06: 1969 Expansion, Pt. 3

Part 8: The Expos/Nats

2/16/06: 1969 Expansion, Final Part

Part 9: The Padres

5/17/06: 1977 Expansion (Updated)
Part 10: The Blue Jays

5/21/06: 1977 Expansion Pt. 2

Part 11: The Mariners

5/25/06: 1993 Expansion

Part 12: The Rockies

5/28/06: 1993 Expansion, Pt. 2

Part 13: The Marlins

6/1/06: 1998 Expansion (preview)

Part 14: Realignment

6/5/06: 1998 Expansion

Part 15: The Diamondbacks

7/19/06: 1998 Expansion Part 2

Final Part: The (Devil) Rays

BASEBALL BOOKS:

10/23/08: Weaver on Strategy
A fantastic baseball resource.
7/12/08: More Baseball Books
Including an extended discussion of Built to Win by Jon Schuerholz.
2/8/08: My Baseball Bookshelf
My favorite pastime.
12/17/07: Mr. Rickey
The wit and wisdom of Branch.
12/27/05: The Hardball Times Baseball Annual

A look inside.

STEROIDS/PEDS:

5/20/07: Giambi in the Hotseat
Buster Olney takes down Jason Giambi, and I attempt to rebut him.
6/7/06: Jason Grimsley
In which I predicted the public would freak out about HGH about a year before it actually happened.
3/31/06: Steroid Investigation

My first response to the announcement of the Mitchell Commission.

3/7/06: Game of Shadows

The forthcoming book about Barry Bonds and PEDs leaks out. Plus, a mention of the late Kirby Puckett.



THE PROCESS:

10/13/08: Javier Vazquez: Big Game Pitcher?
Ozzie Guillen challenges Vazquez's manhood. I check the facts.
4/26/08: How to Write a Baseball Play
Or at least, my experience in trying.
11/17/05: Turnover
Question: How much does roster turnover correlate with the future success of a World Champion?

11/5/05: Run Production

In which I chart run production throughout MLB history and learn a hell of a lot.

10/3/05: My Stats Background
My background as a baseball fan and what led me into sabermetrics and blogging.



RANTS:

3/25/08: ESPN.com Polls
An answer to some polls includes a defense of young players wanting their money now.
2/13/08: A Lesson in Hyperbole
Howard Bryant turns the Congressional hearings into a doomsday scenario. I beg to differ.
12/13/07: Mitchell
The Mitchell Report is released.
11/5/07: Pirate Shi*
Frank Coonelly makes an offhand remark that gets my dander up.
6/16/07: Selig Doesn't Get It
The sad progress of the Mitchell Commission and a sad note about Vince McMahon and Chris Benoit.
10/14/06: Hope and Faith

About the supposed lack of competitive balance in baseball.

8/21/06: DHL Hometown Heroes

Seriously, what was that about?

7/21/06: Fire Jim Hendry
This one doesn't look so hot today. But I stand by my analysis of his initial years as GM.

10/21/05: Current Players, Pt. 3

Two rants included: one on how overrated Ken Griffey, Jr. was, and how he wasn't a whole lot more valuable than Bernie Williams. Two, on how race influences our perceptions of players, particularly in response to Albert Belle.

Enjoy the read, and feel free to leave comments or observations.

Thanks a lot,

Aaron "WK" Whitehead