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Joe Posnanski
Joe Posnanski
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blog January 22, 2013

BBWAA Project: Starting Pitchers

Starting pitcher may be the toughest position to make sense of when it comes to the BBWAA's baseball Hall of Fame standards. Are the writers overvaluing pre-World War II pitchers? What does it all mean for Curt Schilling, Roger Clemens and Jack Morris? More»
musial_1980x1100 article January 20, 2013

Remembering The Man

Maybe it is right that Stan Musial, after a long and happy life, passed away Saturday night, after a week in which the sports news was so disagreeable. Maybe this is a good time to remember Stan "The Man," who lived to make people happy. More»
Earl_Weaver article January 19, 2013

The Earl of Baltimore

Earl Weaver was a pioneer who revolutionized the way baseball was played. But it wasn't just his genius that we'll remember with his recent passing -- it's his passion for the game. As he once told sports columnist Tom Boswell, "On my tombstone, just write 'The sorest loser who ever lived.'" More»
blog January 18, 2013

BBWAA Project: Right Field

Our look at the BBWAA's Hall of Fame standards moves to right field, where the gap between the various Veteran's Committees and the writers may be the most pronounced of any position. What does that say about the Hall chances of Larry Walker and Sammy Sosa? More»
blog January 16, 2013

BBWAA Project: Third Base

We continue our series looking at the BBWAA's Hall of Fame standards with third base, a position that has very high standards and has had the Veterans Committee go all over the map. When judged against third basemen, how does Edgar Martinez compare? More»
blog January 16, 2013

The Greatest Comeback Ever

Jason Lezak is retiring. And, for those who may not be familiar with the name, allow us to remind you: When Michael Phelps was going for his eight gold medals in Beijing, Lezak was the swimmer anchoring his 4X100 freestyle relay. The rest you have to see (again and again) to believe. More»
blog January 15, 2013

BBWAA Project: Shortstop

The position-by-position look at the BBWAA's Hall of Fame standards continues with shortstop, where clouded gut memories of Alan Trammell have obscured the fact that his career numbers compare favorably to shortstops voted into Cooperstown. More»
blog January 15, 2013

BBWAA Project: Second Base

As we continue to examine the BBWAA's Hall of Fame standards -- as opposed to those of the various Veterans Committees -- we look at second base, where the writers have set an almost ridiculously high bar. How Craig Biggio compares might surprise you. More»
blog January 15, 2013

Parsing the Playoff Commercials

If you're watching the NFL playoffs, you've seen many of the same ads over and over again. Herewith, some surprisingly and perhaps alarmingly in-depth thoughts about the Aaron Rodgers State Farm spot, the Bud Light 'Visitor,' and bumping phones. More»
blog January 14, 2013

BBWAA Project: First Base

We're looking at the the players voted into the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA, position by position, to figure out what the Baseball Writers' standard has been through the years. Today, we look at the BBWAA's chosen first basemen and how this year's candidates stack up. More»
blog January 14, 2013

The BBWAA Hall of Fame

I've written before that I wished the Hall of Fame had an "inner circle," to separate the Willie Mayses and Babe Ruths from the Jesse Haines and High Pockets Kellys. Then I realized: It's already true. There are two Halls: the BBWAA's, and the other one. More»
gonzalezgraphic article January 11, 2013

The Missing Piece

There had never really been a glamorous tight end in the NFL before Tony Gonzalez. But after a career in which he has surpassed just about every other player at his position in history, there's something else he wants. And that remains elusive. More»
JeffIdelson article January 11, 2013

Patience and Virtue

Jeff Idelson has learned, in his tumultuous time as president of the Baseball Hall of Fame, that you can’t ever get too caught up in the moment. The Hall of Fame is about history. History takes time. Time takes patience. But he does, still, have faith in the process. More»
950x538_HOF_nobodygetsin2 article January 10, 2013

Playing the Percentages

There were no full-blooded “winners” on this year’s Hall of Fame ballot. But a look at the results suggests that some won more than others. We know WHY these guys didn’t get elected. What’s more interesting now is: What happens next? More»
HOFgraphic article January 9, 2013

Hall of Fame Live Chat

Cooperstown will look mighty empty this year. As debate erupts over the qualifications of Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa and other suspected PED users, our expert is here to take all the questions and comments you have about the ballot brouhaha. Join in the conversation! More»
blog January 9, 2013

On Richard Ben Cramer

If you take a quick spin around the Internet today, you can read a bit about an amazing man and writer named Richard Ben Cramer, who died Monday. I knew Richard, and I will remember his kindness for the rest of my life. But right now I want to talk about his writing. More»
1980x1100_2013_hof_2b_article article January 9, 2013

Hall Pass

Let's start with this: Nobody is getting into the Hall of Fame through the Baseball Writers door this year. And it isn't just the ferocious reaction to steroid use that will make this year's ballot a blank slate. No, there's something else involved. More»
blog January 8, 2013

The Hall and Percentages

What can we learn from the percentage of Hall of Fame votes that eligible players have gotten over the years? And what if anything can those numbers, and the journeys of players like Ralph Kiner, tell us about Hall voters and the chances of players on the current ballot? More»
HOF_Part3_Graphic article January 7, 2013

Final Verdict

It may be the most controversial Baseball Hall of Fame ballot of all time. Does Barry Bonds deserve induction? Sosa? Clemens? In the final installment of his three-part series, see which 2013 candidates received Joe Posnanski's "yes" votes -- and who missed the cut. More»
blog January 5, 2013

The Topps Numbering System

From now until Wednesday at 2 p.m., I'm going to write lots and lots of Hall of Fame things. I've got a whole bunch of smaller Hall of Fame thoughts, observations, questions, suggestions... beginning with Topps Numbering System. More»

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