Rick Kaplan
Staff Writer

OAKLAND (May 30) – Measuring greatness is tricky business.

Bill James, writing in his epic New Historical Baseball Abstract in 2001 called Craig Biggio “the best player in major league baseball today.”

Not Barry Bonds. Not Ken Griffey, Jr. Not Ichiro. Not fellow Houston Astro Jeff Bagwell.

James instructs us that we can dismiss Griffey’s 56 home runs in 1998 – Biggio had 20 – and concentrate on Biggio’s lead in doubles (51-33) and singles (137-88). By the time we are done with Biggio’s margin in steals and hit-by-pitches, Griffey has practically retreated to journeyman status on James’ mysterious index of true baseball value.

Click below for more! [Read more →]

Inside Baseball with Marty Lurie – Week in Review: Top Team – Mets, Frank Robinson crying?, Detroit: Surprise team of the year?, and Randy & the Yanks: Too old now?.

Segment one : Marty, Bruce Magowan and Bruce Jenkins(San Francisco Chronicle sports columnist).
Segment two : Marty, Bruce Magowan and Bruce Jenkins.
Segment three: Marty, Bruce Magowan and Rick Hurd(national baseball writer from the Contra Costa Times).
Segment four : Marty and Bruce Magowan.

[Read more →]

Hall of Fame righthander Jim Palmer, the Orioles top pitcher on their AL championship teams during the 60’s and 70’s understands the intricacies of baseball.

Palmer told me that the last three outs of a ballgame are the toughest outs to get.

I believed him until this year.

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Ray Ratto Interview May 24, 2006

Listen to San Francisco Chronicle Sport Columnist rant & rave with Marty. [Read more →]

Major League Baseball is seriously thinking of retiring Roberto Clemente’s #21 uniform
and installing the number in all 30 MLB parks
(just like Jackie Robinson’s #42).
The idea is good and this is why I think it will happen.

By Amaury Pi-González [Read more →]

Rick Kaplan
Staff Writer

OAKLAND (May 25) – If you want to get a sense of what the crowds will look like at the proposed new mallpark in Fremont, take in an Angels’ game in Anaheim, or even go right over to the Giants’ Phone Bill Park . . . But bring your sunglasses, because the white-out is more intense than in the middle of a blizzard in the High Sierra.

The Oakland Coliseum, on the other hand, hosts crowds that are among the most integrated, and least gentrified, in all of baseball . . . On May 15, The Oakland Tribune gave front page space to a sleazy voice known as asbaseballofremont.com which claims there is concern in the burbs about “the A’s bringing crime with them to Fremont” . . . Considering that many A’s fans from the Coliseum – presumably the souce of “crime” this website refers to – won’t be able to afford the tickets and the gas to get to Fremont, imaginary crime from Oakland is one thing the I-880 Athletics won’t have to worry about . . . Unless they happen to be referring to some bases getting stolen, which is even less likely at an A’s game now, since Jason Kendall suddenly seems to be able to reach second base regularly and the A’s offense has no speed to speak of . . .

Rather than calculating how to cater to the suburban paranoia, the A’s owners could identify their urban market and do a lot more to fill the Coliseum with these loyal fans . . . And don’t think that the A’s are running some kind of charity operation in Oakland.

Click below for more of Rick’s article. [Read more →]

May 23, 2006

BARRY BONDS’ problems with the media – or, vice versa – began early in his Giants career.

Early in the 1993 season, Sports Illustrated assigned a writer to do a cover story on Bonds. SI writers are accustomed to being treated like royalty when they come to town. Athletes who are uncooperative with the local writers will talk effusively to the magazine writers, because they know it will be a national story.

Not this time. Bonds kept the SI writer waiting for six days before he was willing to be interviewed.

The result: The magazine the next week featured a picture of Bonds on the cover with the headline, “I’m Barry Bonds and you’re not.”

Click below for more of Glenn’s excellent perspective on Barry Bonds..Marty [Read more →]

Rattle the Lumber with “the Captain” Ken Korach Interview May 21, 2006

Listen to the call of #714 and Sunday’s Rattle the Lumber With the A’s broadcaster. [Read more →]

Inside Baseball with Marty Lurie and Shooty Babitt – Bonds hitting 714: Is he coming to the A’s next year?, The division races: at the quarter pole, Baseball Brawls and Inter-league games.

Segment one: Marty, Shooty, Vince Cotroneo and Mr. C (from Heaven).
Segment two: Marty, Shooty, Vince Cotroneo and Mr. C.
Segment three: Marty, Robert Buan, Rich Lieberman, Vince Cotroneo and Mr. C.
Segment four: Marty, Robert Buan, Rich Lieberman, and Vince Cotroneo.

[Read more →]

It’s not just the specter of using steroids that has turned public opinion against Barry Bonds.

It’s not simply the idea that Bonds will pass the home run total of one of the great icons of American sports, the legendary Babe Ruth.

The real reason for the negative feelings is what Barry Bonds represents.

Click below for more!

[Read more →]