12-1-24 How many of you can name the baseball player that won 16 straight gold gloves. 16 straight, that's amazing. It's also a record for a non pitcher (Jim Kaat also won 16 straight). I'm talking about perhaps the best defensive third baseman of all time, Brooks Robinson. He could hit too but it was his defense that was special. One of my earliest baseball memories is watching Brooks in the World Series make incredible play after incredible play. Here is a nice video "Brooks Robinson's defense was SPECIAL (16 straight Gold Gloves, one of best third basemen ever)".
12-8-24 There have been some outstanding defensive third basemen. Last week we saw Brooks Robinson, perhaps the greatest of all. Mike Schmidt and Scott Rolen are a couple more. Another was Adrian Beltre. He made some amazing plays while generally playing under the radar for his defense. His bat was his calling card. Here is a video featuring his defense. Check out "DEFINITIVE Adrian Beltré defensive highlight reel!".
12-15-24 We've been on a little defensive player highlight the last few weeks. Shortstop is perhaps the most glamorous of the defensive positions. It is typically where you defense means more than hitting. One of the best shortstops of all time is the Wizard of Oz, Ozzie Smith. He was a tremendous athlete. His back flips are legendary. Take a look at this highlight film featuring the "ULTIMATE Ozzie Smith Defensive Highlight Reel!".
12-22-24 Some really unexpected news just broke. Rickey Henderson has passed away. The all-time MLB stolen base leader and perhaps the best lead off hitter of all time was just 65. He died from pneumonia. Rickey was a fixture in the FBN when many of us were first in the league. Anyone who wanted a classic lead off hitter knew Rickey was the man. Even in his later years he still provide many positives. Take a moment to remanence about "Rickey Henderson: 1958-2024".
12-29-24 Some players have a great year than drift back to average the next season. A few can piece together a couple of seasons. Only superstars can dominate the game for 3 or more seasons. Pitchers are especially prone to ups and downs. One pitcher dominated the game for six years. He was Sandy Koufax. It took injuries to end his run, something not unusual with pitchers. If he did not get injured who knows how long he would have dominated the game. He was that good. Check out "For a Six-Year Span, Sandy Koufax Ruled Baseball".
1-5-25 The Los Angeles Dodgers have been spending a ton a money on players recently. Their payroll is by far the largest in the game and they also have a lot of deferred money due players. Players love the money but they also want a good working atmosphere. Dodger Stadium is the third oldest stadium in baseball. Like a lot of old stadiums it needs updates. To help keep the players happy the Dodgers a doing a huge renovation and upgrade to their clubhouses. It really hasn't been published much but it is happening. Take a look at "Dodger Stadium QUIETLY digging $100M Clubhouse Upgrades".