A frustrating but inevitable part of blogging is the relative lack of control you have over which posts your audience reads. For example, some of the most popular posts on this site have been things that were whimsically thrown together in minutes, trivial rants, or substantial but uncreative lists. There’s absolutely a place for these sorts of things (or else they wouldn’t have been published), but sometimes I wish I could direct you to the pieces that mean the most to me, required great thought, or are just plain fun. So, this is that. This is my possibly futile effort to expose you to my personal favorites from the last two and a half (editor’s note: wow) years, which may or may not have been buried deep in the archives. I welcome your comments on these pieces even more than I already do for the others.
- The Relationship Between Fielding Effectiveness And Balls In Play – an analysis of the oft-espoused idea that fielders field better when more balls are put into play around them
- About Devan Downey – a look at the South Carolina guard’s role in the upset of #1 Kentucky, at the reaction to Downey’s play, and at his flawed but necessary skills
- Is Ty Lawson Better Than Chauncey Billups? – an entirely too long comparison of the Nuggets’ starting and backup point guards
- A Christmas Miracle – my brush with death on the 1 train
- The Granderson Trade, And Other Thoughts On The Off-Season – a fairly detailed analysis of the Yankees’ trade for Curtis Granderson
- Being Fair In Evaluating Belichick’s Decision – discussion of and reaction to the media outrage surrounding the Patriots’ coach controversial decision
- This, Is A Great Impression… Of Ron Jaworski – a fantastic impression of ESPN’s quirky, distinctive, and excellent NFL analyst
- 27 – the Yankees win the 2009 World Series
- Slumbering Umpires – an anecdote set in the only place an umpire and a Jesus freak might cross paths: the New York City subway system
- Jim Tracy’s Incompetence Costs Rockies The Series – a walkthrough of Tracy’s inept bullpen management in a high stakes playoff game, and why the closer role protects managers from blame
- Gus Johnson Opens The NFL Season, In His Own Inimitable Style – CBS’ prolific broadcaster simply goes bonkers, revealing the genuine exuberance that makes him the best play-by-play man around
- Yankees’ Postseason Fate Closely Tied To A.J. Burnett’s Performance – my realization that, even in my statistics-induced objectivity, I have a favorite baseball player, and he’s probably going to determine if the 2009 Yankees go to the World Series
- Fan Interference’s First Poll – a tongue-in-cheek poll brought on by an unexpected interest in Plaxico Burress’ attire. Voting remains open.
- Bronson Arroyo: My New Favorite Baseball Player – an analysis-free endorsement of the Cincinnati Reds’ pitcher’s candid assessment of steroids in baseball
- Releasing The Names On “The List” Would Accomplish Nothing – a plea (to no one in particular) and explanation for why the identities of the baseball players who tested positive for banned substances should never be revealed
- Randy Johnson : Bird :: Colonies : Great Britain – a Fourth of July video tribute to Randy Johnson’s total on-field obliteration of some poor bird
- Mixed Messages Inhibit Soccer’s Growth In America – my first soccer-related post, detailing the duplicitous nature of American soccer fanhood
- Problems Arise When Perceptions Become Axioms – a synopsis (with examples) of how hard it is for the sports media to shake analytical stereotypes once they become ingrained
- Yankees’ Deployment Of Gardner And Cabrera Indicates Wishful Thinking – a fine example of a time I was utterly, astoundingly wrong
- Modern Bullpen Management Hurts Teams’ Chances Of Victory – my original bullpen management manifesto
- DUI Manslaughter Is Worse Than Steroid Use… Right? – a somber illustration of the bizarre difference in disdain that we have for athletes who drive drunk versus those who cheat
- The Yankees Had A Better Winter Than The Red Sox – a point-by-point takedown of the idea that the Red Sox’ offseason bargain-hunting improved their team more than the Yankees’ high-profile additions
- Steroid Scandal Reveals More About Us Than The Players – quite honestly, the piece with which I’m most satisfied. My thoughts on where we’ve been, where we are now, and where we should be going with respect to performance-enhancing drugs in baseball.
- Alonzo Mourning’s Legacy Should Be Mixed – a reflection on Alonzo Mourning’s troubling and inspirational career
- The Slow Death of Literacy, Pt. MMMMMDCLXXVIII – an unremarkable acknowledgement of the English language’s death, except ESPN’s Keith Law linked to it, which still tickles me
- Mike Mussina Belongs In The Hall Of Fame – a statistics-laden argument for the pitcher’s inclusion
- Friends Don’t Let Friends Use Batting Average Or RBI – an old and cantankerous plea for the elimination of batting average and RBI in baseball analysis, as well as explanations for their uselessness
