Foul Territory Baseball
Common Law Origins of the Infield Fly Rule
Fans hardly ever hear an announcer declare the umpires have just called the infield fly rule. Does the ordinary fan have any idea that the infield fly rule is called when first and second, or first, second, and third bases …
The Incredibly Lucky Yankees
They say in sports and in life that sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. Being in the right place at the right time can be the product of talent, planning and proficiency. But sometimes it’s just luck. And …
Baseball Magic: Dining at Pino’s with Jerry Casale
Years ago there was a southern Italian trattoria on East 34th Street in Manhattan, called Pino’s. It was owned by an ex-major league pitcher from Brooklyn named Gennaro Joseph ‘Jerry’ Casale. No doubt about it, walking into Pino’s was like …
Little League Should Avoid Emulating the New National Pastime
The Care and Feeding Column in Slate recently addressed a common issue: overzealous coaching in a league of nine- and 10-year-old boys. A league of Little Leaguers. Playing the new national pastime. One of the boys’ mother’s voiced a common …
Will the Real Tom Terrific Please Sign In?
A thought occurred to me last week during the ridiculous skirmish between Tom Brady and supporters of Tom Seaver (who participated in absentia in this disagreement since he had been diagnosed with dementia in March of this year). Which Tom …
Beltre Number, Kimbrel Keuchel Sign, McCutchen ACL, Rocker No Hitter, Haniger Rupture
Yo Adrian… The Texas Rangers had a ceremony to retire Adrian Beltre’s number 29 jersey over the weekend. He had spent the last eight of his 21 major league seasons in Texas. Beltre is a sure-shot Hall of Famer who, in …
Is It Time for the Mets to Start Trading?
I’ve been a New York Mets fan since the very first pitch thrown by Roger Craig against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on April 11, 1962. Predictably, the game was an 11-4 loss – the first of 120 …
Major League Baseball Hears the Sound of Cricket
Breaking News from The Off-Base Newsdesk* at Foul Territory… NEW YORK – In order to cultivate its global presence, Major League Baseball is always looking to expand its appeal to the fans of other sports. Cricket is the second most …
Home Runs Record, Bruce Trade, MLB Draft, All-Star Voting, RIP Buckner
Touch ‘Em All… Home runs continue at a historic pace and baseball set a calendar-month record with 1,135 home runs in May. Previously, the most home runs in a single month was 1,119 in August 2017. The 2019 season is …
Bryce Harper: Hero to Antihero?
Usually a player who has put up great (and that could be Hall of Fame-like) numbers is recognized as his team’s most dangerous offensive weapon. A star. Players like Bryce Harper, Manny Machado and Giancarlo Stanton. Yet the fans’ adulation …
