Tag Archives: Baseball

Saturday video break: The Altuve Polka

Posted on October 28, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

We interrupt the procession of cover/same name songs to bring you this, the most important video of 2017: If the Astros don’t adopt that as their official team song, they are badly mistaken. This is easily the best Houston-centric sports … Continue reading →

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Is MLB expansion on the menu?

Posted on October 24, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Before I answer the question in the headline, let me say Congratulations to the Astros, the first team ever to win the pennant in both leagues. (The Brewers, who won the AL flag in 1982, is the only other team … Continue reading →

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The Rangers and the Astros

Posted on August 30, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Oh, come on. The historic flooding in Houston caused by Tropical Storm Harvey will displace the Astros for at least three games and most likely the entire six-game homestand they had scheduled for this week. For at least their three-game … Continue reading →

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Who still misses the National League?

Posted on July 17, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron’s Brian Smith makes the case for acceptance of the Astros’ league change. Admit it: You don’t think about the old National League that much anymore. I devote a lot of my daily brain space to the Astros, and … Continue reading →

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More about the hack of the Astros

Posted on February 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Fascinating stuff. A federal judge has unsealed details about former St. Louis Cardinals executive Chris Correa’s hacking of the Astros’ email and player evaluation databases, clearing the way for Major League Baseball to impose sanctions against the Cardinals as soon … Continue reading →

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Bagwell, Raines, Pudge elected to Hall of Fame

Posted on January 20, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Congratulations! The most exclusive team in sports has five new members. Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines and Ivan Rodriguez join John Schuerholz and Bud Selig as the Class of 2017. Today’s Game Era candidates, John Schuerholz and Allan H. “Bud” Selig … Continue reading →

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Bud Selig elected to MLB Hall of Fame

Posted on December 6, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Ugh. Bud Selig, the folksy former commissioner of Major League Baseball who presided over an unprecedented period of expansion, innovation and turmoil in the sport, was elected to the Hall of Fame on Sunday by the hall’s restructured veterans committee … Continue reading →

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MLB All Star Game will no longer determine World Series home field advantage

Posted on December 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Hallelujah. The Associated Press reported early Thursday morning that, as a part of the new collective bargaining agreement, home-field advantage in the World Series will no longer be determined by the All-Star Game. Home-field advantage will now be awarded to … Continue reading →

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Hall of Fame 2017 ballot

Posted on November 25, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The end of the year always brings a new Hall of Fame ballot with it. Prominent names, old and new, highlight the annual ballot for the National Baseball Hall of Fame, which was released Monday and mailed to eligible members … Continue reading →

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NCAA removes all championship games for 2016 and 2017 from North Carolina

Posted on September 13, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Actions, they have consequences. Based on the NCAA’s commitment to fairness and inclusion, the Association will relocate all seven previously awarded championship events from North Carolina during the 2016-17 academic year. The NCAA Board of Governors made this decision because of the cumulative actions taken … Continue reading →

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Hall of Fame revamps Veterans Committee

Posted on July 30, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Sounds reasonable, but we’ll see. Baseball’s Hall of Fame has again revamped its veterans’ committees to increase consideration for more contemporary players, managers, umpires and executives. Under the change announced Saturday by the Hall’s board of directors, there will be … Continue reading →

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Astros hacker sentenced to 46 months

Posted on July 19, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Away he goes. Former St. Louis Cardinals executive Christopher Correa was sentenced Monday to 46 months in prison for illegal incursions into the Astros’ computer database, wrapping up a case of sports-related cybercrime that a federal judge and prosecutors summed … Continue reading →

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Stop the “Save America’s Pastime Act”

Posted on July 5, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Pay minor league players a livable wage, I saw. When you think of overpaid athletes rolling in the dough at the expense of others, baseball players in the minor leagues are not usually the first people that come to mind. … Continue reading →

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Take transit to the game

Posted on April 15, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

If you can, you should. The transformation of downtown from a work place that empties after dark to a true community is finally underway in earnest, with residents, retail shops, and restaurants that remain open long after the lunch rush. … Continue reading →

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Are we finally headed towards a universal DH?

Posted on January 24, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe. Those in favor of the designated hitter becoming universal in Major League Baseball were given new reason for hope on Saturday. Speaking at the St. Louis Cardinals Winter Warmup event on Saturday, general manager John Mozeliak says there’s increased … Continue reading →

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Astros-hacker pleads out

Posted on January 9, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

One chapter closes in of one of the stranger sagas I’ve seen in sports. The former scouting director of the St. Louis Cardinals pleaded guilty in federal court Friday to hacking into the player database and email system of the … Continue reading →

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Griffey and Piazza reach the Hall, Bagwell and Raines come close

Posted on January 8, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Congratulations to the new inductees. Ken Griffey Jr., the sixth-leading home run hitter in history and one of the most complete players of his generation, and power-hitting catcher Mike Piazza were elected Wednesday to baseball’s Hall of Fame. Griffey set … Continue reading →

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Pete Rose remains banned from baseball

Posted on December 15, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

No argument from me. Rob Manfred, the commissioner of Major League Baseball, has decided not to lift the permanent ban imposed on Pete Rose more than a quarter-century ago, meaning the player with more hits than anyone else in the … Continue reading →

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2016 Hall of Fame ballot

Posted on November 14, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The other election of importance going on right now. Under new voting rules established this summer by the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the annual Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot was released Monday on the earliest date in recent … Continue reading →

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Cardinals identify a fall guy

Posted on July 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The latest Hacked-Stros news. The St. Louis Cardinals have terminated the contract of their scouting director, Chris Correa, as investigations continue into alleged hacking of a Houston Astros database. A Cardinals’ lawyer, James G. Martin, confirmed the move Thursday, saying … Continue reading →

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The latest Pete Rose revelations

Posted on June 24, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

He bet on Reds games while he was still a player, despite his loud assertions to the contrary. For 26 years, Pete Rose has kept to one story: He never bet on baseball while he was a player. Yes, he … Continue reading →

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“Roguish behavior”

Posted on June 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Saint Louis Cardinals admit they hacked the Astros’ proprietary database. Thursday’s tacit admission by St. Louis Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt Jr. that someone in his organization was involved in hacking the Astros continued a saga that holds the potential … Continue reading →

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The Hacked-Stros

Posted on June 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

WTF? The F.B.I. and Justice Department prosecutors are investigating whether front-office officials for the St. Louis Cardinals, one of the most successful teams in baseball over the past two decades, hacked into internal networks of a rival team to steal … Continue reading →

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RIP, Tal’s Hill

Posted on June 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

One of the more distinctive features of Minute Maid Park is going away. In the relatively short, rapidly changing history of Major League Baseball in Houston, nothing in recent years has represented the Astros’ brand of baseball more distinctively than … Continue reading →

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Losing our sports history

Posted on February 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This is sad. The original championship banners for the Rockets and the WNBA’s defunct Comets remain on display at Toyota Center, as do banners saluting both teams’ representatives in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. After that, Houston’s legacy … Continue reading →

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Hall calls for Biggio

Posted on January 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Third time’s the charm. Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz and Craig Biggio were elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame on Tuesday, the first time since 1955 writers selected four players in one year. Johnson, Martinez and Smoltz earned induction … Continue reading →

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I’ll see you in C-U-B-A

Posted on December 19, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Among the many likely winners of the new US policy towards Cuba will be the city of Houston. As an established travel gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean, Houston is positioned to benefit from any potential easing of tourism … Continue reading →

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The frontlogged Hall of Fame ballot

Posted on November 30, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Here are all of the eligible candidates for the MLB Hall of Fame class of 2015: Here are the first-time eligible players, in alphabetical order: Rich Aurillia Aaron Boone Tony Clark Carlos Delgado Jermaine Dye Darin Erstad Cliff Floyd Nomar … Continue reading →

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Rob Manfred to succeed Bud Selig as MLB Commissioner

Posted on August 16, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

There will be a changing of the guard for Major League Baseball. Rob Manfred was elected baseball’s 10th commissioner Thursday, winning a three-man competition to succeed Bud Selig and given a mandate by the tradition-bound sport to recapture young fans … Continue reading →

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Maybe the Hall of Fame voting procedure changes aren’t so bad

Posted on August 5, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I admit, when I heard the news that the MLB Hall of Fame changed its voting procedures to reduce eligibility from 15 years to 10, I was outraged. That’s my usual reaction to things the HOF does, since most of … Continue reading →

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More MLB-to-San-Antonio rumors

Posted on July 16, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Believe them at your peril. Could the Oakland A’s find a home in San Antonio? At least one Oakland elected official thinks so, but Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff says San Antonio sports fans shouldn’t hold their breath. “There’s nothing … Continue reading →

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“The luckiest man on the face of the earth”

Posted on July 4, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Seventy-five years ago today, Yankees great Lou Gehrig said farewell to baseball and the fans at Yankee Stadium with one of the most memorable speeches of sports history. Here’s an old newsreel of Gehrig’s career and a clip from his … Continue reading →

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Somebody doesn’t like something about the Astros

Posted on May 31, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I’m still not sure what we’re supposed to conclude from this long but mostly unsourced screed about how the Astros are running their team. The Astros have become one of baseball’s most progressive franchises as they try to rebuild and … Continue reading →

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Ralph Garr

Posted on April 12, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

On the anniversary this week of Hank Aaron’s 715th home run, the Chron profiles his teammate and resident of nearby Richmond, Ralph Garr. With Henry Aaron sitting on 714 career home runs as the Braves prepared to play the Dodgers … Continue reading →

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