Federer and Djokovic

This year, there will be four different grand slam winners in tennis. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, this would happen all the time. Well the sport in those days was dominated by specialists.

Mr. November

My favorite Derek Jeter story comes from a time that, I fear, no one will understand in a few years. Maybe no one understands now. It comes from a time of newspapers and early columns and running columns and crushing deadlines. I have tried to explain the newspaper deadline concept to my daughters but…

Yo Joe! Unanimity, Stadium Names, Field Goals

From Brilliant Reader William:

Yo Joe! You have written a lot in the past about the Hall of Fame voting process, and I’ve been wondering: Is there any chance Jeter or Mariano get 100% of the Hall of Vote? Was wondering if…

A Royal Pennant Race

It is September 8 in the Heartland’s City of Fountains, and do you know where your Kansas City Royals are? They are in a most unfamiliar spot, first place, two games up on Detroit in the standings, a game and a half up in a version closer to reality, 20 full games to go. The Royals enter the…

Replaying the replay

There are many things that bug me about instant replay in sports, but I would say the thing that bugs me most is that replay tends to burn a lot of the fun out and instead turn our games into boring side-session arguments about technicalities. This was never more true than Saturday…

A Royals Toast

In the afterglow, I find myself trying to remember the low moment, the moment that summed up all of what it meant being a Kansas City Royals fan the last 20 years or so. I think of the time Tim Belcher was named the Kansas City Royals pitcher of the year despite the somewhat limiting fact that he had…

Yo Joe! Football and Rock ’n Roll WAR

From Brilliant Reader Ed:

Yo Joe! Can football be saved? Right now the physical toll on the players and the violent culture are dragging the game down.

Joe:

ERA, FIP and Kershaw

Sure, I’ll admit it: I don’t know exactly what to do with FIP — the Fielding Independent Pitching numbers that analyze a pitcher based entirely on strikeouts, walks and home runs allowed. On the one hand, I believe the Voros McCracken discovery that most of a pitcher’s value is tied up in…

Yo Joe! Bowling, Jays, College Kicks

From Brilliant Reader Alex:

Yo Joe! If the Jays and Royals both miss the playoffs (Jays almost certainly will, and you never go wrong betting against the Royals), whose fans should be more disappointed? The obvious answer is the Royals ……

Yo Joe! Getting to the heart

Happy September 9. On this day 15 years ago, Cal Ripken hit into his 329th career double play, breaking Henry Aaron’s record. There’s a very good chance that, before he’s done, Albert Pujols will pass Ripken.