And to the Selig apologists and enthusiasts out there (yes, all six of you…and you know who you are) who would say “hey, wait a minute…look how popular and profitable baseball has become over the last 18 years…the 18 years of King Bud’s reign”. To you I say this….baseball thrives monetarily and in popularity IN SPITE OF SELIG, NOT BECAUSE OF HIM. That’s how great our game is…a witless monkey has been in charge for nearly two decades and we’ve achieved unprecedented popularity as a sport.

In a recent http://www.dugoutcentral.com/?p=454 article I talked briefly about the mental side of hitting, better known as the approach. Now we’ll turn the coin over and do the same thing with the physical aspect, known better as the “style” of hitting.
We would all, assumedly, agree with the statement no two hitters are alike. Frank Howard, [...]

Bill Chuck’s regular column on baseball things you need to know, including, #1: Japanese umpires will start counting balls first, and then strikes, in the upcoming season as used in the major leagues. Until now in Japan a full count was 2-3, instead of 3-2 which explains why Daisuke Matsuzaka has been so comfortable going to a full-count on so many batters.

The Pull is the collection of forces that determine the direction a baseball player’s private life will go. These forces range from family to friends, from business acquaintances to fans, from groupies to total strangers. He either survives The Pull or is squashed.

What does history tell us about pitchers who have started their careers like Justin Verlander and Felix Hernandez? It’s good news for the Tigers and Mariners.

Earned Expected Runs Average (EXRA) attempts to account for many factors not included in the traditional ERA by using run expectancies instead of actual runs scored. Part I of this article looked at the 2009 EXRA for starters with at least 150 IP; Part II examines relievers. Because relievers face more high-leverage situations, they are more likely to have an EXRA different from their ERA.

Rich Langweber wonders why Sandy Koufax is generally regarded as one of the handful of greatest pitchers of all time, while Todd Helton isn’t regarded as one of the best hitters. Both were excellent players who put up Nintendo type numbers because of the parks and eras in which they played.

MONEYBALL drove home the idea that Oakland GM Billy Beane was and presumably always will be an On-Base Percentage type of guy, looking for players who will go deep into a count and take the base on balls; theYoukilis-Greek-God-of-Walks-stripe of hitter. So why in the name of Joe Morgan did he just deal for Wily Tavares, the Greek-God-of-If-I-Somehow-Make-It-to-First-I-Have-an-Excellent-Chance-of-Swiping-Second?

The Yankees will re-sign Jeter to an approximate 10-year, $200 million contract extension before, during or immediately after the 2010 season. Derek will then be a Yankee forever, and the long contract will eliminate all speculation about his future. But the key to this deal is that the Yankees won’t have to pay out the entire contract.

Writer Rick Swaine takes at look at the players who might enter the exclusive four-decade club during 2010 – and talks about the players already in it.

Former Major League catcher Brent Mayne again addresses just how important moving the game’s pace along is, and how a catcher can make it happen.

There has been talk lately around different players with performance results being tied to their respective hitting approach.
I’ve seen references to approach being one player having more walks than another, or one having more strikeouts. Some have said going to the plate with having only the thought of “crushing” the ball being the only thing [...]

Earned Run Average has long been used to measure the effectiveness of a pitcher. But the idea of an earned run has some flaws; for example, all runs that score after an error with two outs are not earned. Earned Expected Runs Average (EXRA) attempts to account for this and other factors not included in the traditional ERA.

Bill Chuck’s regular column on baseball things you need to know, including: #3. The Padres (fathers) should consider changing their name to the Hermanos (brothers) as Jerry Hairston, Jr. joins brother Scott Hairston following the San Diego Giles (Brian and Marcus) and Gonzalez (Adrian and Edgar) brother acts.

After a long hiatus, I have come out with my all-time Florida Marlins team, based on the best seasons at each position as well as starters, a bullpen, and a bench.
Starting Lineup:
Catcher: Ivan Rodriguez, 2003
Spending 1/5 of your payroll on your catcher isn’t generally recommended – even if he is considered one of the [...]