The path to good people doing very bad things is rarely a straight downward line. At one point or another they start slowly eroding their sense of morality by making one step here, another step there, slightly off course. On … Continue reading Winning At All Costs: The Houston Astros Story (Daryll)
Over this past week of travel for work, I finished up two books that at first glance are in separate veins: Drive by Daniel Pink, and The MVP Machine by Travis Sawchik and Ben Lindbergh. Yet both of these books talk about an essential … Continue reading What Drive and Driveline Sports Have In Common (Daryll)
Baseball is a funny game sometimes, isn’t it? The 2019 has been a showcase of how just when you think you know what to expect, you realize you don’t know anything at all. While baseball is being derided for being … Continue reading Questioning Everything About Baseball – Daryll
The Atlanta Braves have been making some dramatic noises in the 2019 MLB Playoffs as they battle the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Division Series. One key contributor to this turnaround has been Adam Duvall, with a dramatic … Continue reading Braves 2019 Success Credited to…BJ Upton (Daryll)
The MLB Playoffs kick off tonight, with the Bryce Harper-less Washington Nationals have shrugged their shoulders about losing their one time wunderkind and made the playoffs anyway. Opposing them are the Milwaukee Brewers, who many might forget actually won the … Continue reading Why I Like the Wild Card Game (Daryll)
Genesis 2:1-3: 1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. 2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God … Continue reading Taylor Swift and Baseball (Daryll)
Baseball is a sport where its past is constantly intertwined with its present. It is a swirling mix of nostalgia and forward promise. We honor yesterday’s heroes while projecting them onto tomorrow’s stars when we say that “he’s got a … Continue reading 2019 SF Giants Embody Baseball As It Should Be(Daryll)
While the Braves did not get closer and All Time Braves Saves Leader Craig Kimbrel, this week it was announced that they were able to sign the other top free agent pitcher without a job in 2019: Dallas Keuchel. Let … Continue reading Atlanta Braves Sign Dallas Keuchel – Not Done Yet (Daryll)
“I [WILL] LOVE BASEBALL UNTIL THE DAY THAT I DIE, BUT MY TIME IN THE MARINES WAS MORE IMPORTANT … I HAVE FELT FROM DAY ONE THERE ARE ONLY ONE SET OF HEROES IN THIS COUNTRY, AND THEY’RE ALL DEAD. … Continue reading Baseball and Memorial Day (Daryll)
Edwin Jackson has made Major League Baseball history by now playing for his record 14th team after pitching for the Blue Jays last week following a trade from Oakland. He was a 6th round draft pick of the Dodgers back … Continue reading Edwin Jackson – Best Fourth Starter Ever? (Daryll)
Strikeouts are up again in baseball this season, and yet with more pitchers being strikeout pitchers we see less pitchers with lengthy careers. There are a few “old school” pitchers out there though like Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer and Madison … Continue reading CC Sabathia and Stephen Strasburg Reach Strikeout Milestones (Daryll)
The time has finally come for Vladimir Guerrero to join the Blue Jays and begin his Major League Baseball career. He will debut Friday according to the Blue Jays and reports. The skeptics will say he should have done this … Continue reading Vladimir Guerrero Jr to Debut Friday (Daryll)
In case you haven’t noticed, Ramon Laureano of the Oakland Athletics is quite the defensive center fielder. This catch last season is probably the one that really put him on the map: Since then Laureano has proved he is not … Continue reading A Double Play Gone Wrong – Then Right (Daryll)
When Khris Davis appeared on the scene in 2013 with the Milwaukee Brewers, it was generally assumed that HE was the other Chris Davis. That season, the Orioles Chris Davis hit 53 home runs to go along with 138 RBI … Continue reading Orioles Chris Davis Homers! (Daryll)
The Atlanta Braves energized their fanbase when this week it was announced they had signed young superstar and reigning NL Rookie of the Year Ronald Acuna Jr to a 8 year, $100M deal after just one season in the Major … Continue reading Atlanta Braves Sign Ronald Acuna Jr to $100M Contract (Daryll)
When the San Diego Padres signed Manny Machado to a 10 year contract this off-season, they surprised many people and even many of their own fans(myself included). The last time the Padres had a player in the top 10 of … Continue reading San Diego Padres Young Pitching Makes Strong Start (Daryll)
Baseball fans had been waiting for this winter of free agent talent for a few years now already. Manny Machado! Bryce Harper! Maybe Clayton Kershaw! In the end it came down to Machado and Harper, which became a long drawn … Continue reading Teams Locking In Talent – What Is The Impact? (Daryll)
I wrote just about a month ago that baseball was ruining pitchers and catchers report day. A lot has happened in the few weeks since then. First Manny Machado signed with the Padres. Then a few tantalizing days later Bryce … Continue reading MLB Opening Day Is Almost Here (Daryll)
With our prediction articles already completed, now we get to the really fun part. You’ve seen what we think about the soft NL West, crowded NL Central, and super talented NL East. You’ve read about the defending Championship team in … Continue reading 2019 MLB Postseason Predictions (Daryll and Giuseppe)
With Opening Day drawing nearer and nearer by the day, the writers of Doubleday Double Talk have predicted the National League East, Central, West, and the American League East, Central, and West, all before a single regular season pitch has been thrown. … Continue reading 2019 MLB Awards Predictions (Daryll & Giuseppe)
The American League saw a pennant race it didn’t predict last season. The surprising Oakland A’s made things interesting in the second half, while the Seattle Mariners made the first half much more interesting than many thought. Of course – … Continue reading American League West Preview (Daryll and Giuseppe)
This division was pretty sleepy last season…and looks about the same this year. While other divisions saw previously mediocre teams like the Padres and Reds spend money, the Royals, Tigers, and rumored active but in the process not White Sox … Continue reading American League Central Preview (Daryll and Giuseppe)
The American League East will inevitably come down to two teams in 2019, the New York Yankees and the reigning World Series champion Boston Red Sox. The Rays were quietly good in 2018 while the Orioles and Blue Jays were … Continue reading American League East Preview (Daryll and Giuseppe)
A division that has been owned by the Dodgers for more than half a decade is finally starting to stand up to the big bad wolf of the division. With the Rockies coming within one game of winning the West … Continue reading National League West Preview (Giuseppe and Daryll)
The National League Central has not been seen as a strong division in some time, but in 2019, it looks like it could be the best in baseball where arguments can be made that every team has a legitimate shot … Continue reading National League Central Preview (Daryll and Giuseppe)
In what many consider the strongest division top to bottom in all of baseball, it will be difficult for the Atlanta Braves to repeat as NL East Champions after they surprised the baseball world by winning the division last season. … Continue reading National League East Preview (Giuseppe and Daryll)
Similar to last year, all 30 Major League Baseball teams will play on Opening Day, with the day being on March 28 this season, making it the earliest Opening Day in MLB history. With the season rapidly approaching, it is … Continue reading Doubleday Double Talk MLB Season Predictions 2019 (Daryll and Giuseppe)
Major League Baseball teams promised 3 players a lot of money over the past two weeks. First, Manny Machado broke the winter free agency thaw with a surprise 10 year deal worth $300M with the Padres. That helped set the … Continue reading Analyzing the Contracts of Manny Machado, Bryce Harper, and Nolan Arenado (Daryll)
One of the biggest free agents on the market – Manny Machado – has reportedly agreed to a 10-year, $300M deal with the San Diego Padres as first reported by Jeff Passan. This ends a long saga that saw the … Continue reading San Diego Padres Sign Manny Machado: What Now? (Daryll)
Right now, baseball is undergoing some serious soul searching about ways to change the fundamental nature of the game itself to make it more appealing. We are asking questions about speeding things up between innings, after pitches, during at-bats, even … Continue reading Why We Care About Statistics (Daryll)
Today the Oakland A’s are the first MLB team to have their pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training. Normally by now, we know where all the big free agents have gone and which teams might be the “surprise” team … Continue reading Ruining Pitchers and Catchers Report Day (Daryll)
Last Sunday the world watched the New England Patriots win their 6th Super Bowl in 18 seasons, as Tom Brady became the first NFL player to win 6 Super Bowls. It was quite an accomplishment to be sure – but … Continue reading SU(b)PAR Bowl (Daryll)
The hottest two catchers in the Major League Baseball market this off-season were Yasmani Grandal and J.T. Realmuto. Yet as statistics help redefine what we perceive as valuable in baseball, it does beg the question just what we value in … Continue reading What is a Good Catcher like J.T. Realmuto Worth? (Daryll)
A “Wanted” sign floats in the wind, maneuvering itself in and out of the offices of Major League Baseball agents who represent shortstops. Occasionally the poster is grabbed and held up to the light: “Wanted: Shortstop for the San Diego … Continue reading In Search of a Shortstop (Daryll)
The 2019 MLB Top 100 Prospect List came out this week, and that is great news for fans of teams looking towards tomorrow. Teams like the Padres who have 10 players on the list and the White Sox point to … Continue reading What Good Are Prospects? (Daryll)
In his first year of eligibility Roy Halladay was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame last week. Sadly Roy will not be able to attend in person as he passed away in a plane crash in November of 2017. … Continue reading Roy Halladay Elected to MLB Hall of Fame (Daryll)
Who says the era of one team players is coming to an end? After Chipper Jones was elected last year, this year we see both Mariano Rivera and Edgar Martinez elected into the Hall of Fame. This was the final … Continue reading Seattle’s Finest: Edgar Martinez Elected into HOF (Daryll)
During our trip to Cooperstown in July, we had a conversation about everyone’s favorite baseball movies and why we enjoyed them so much. This prompted Daryll and Giuseppe to go on a major baseball movie watching binge and compile their … Continue reading Doubleday Double Talk Writers Rank Their Favorite Baseball Movies
The Oakland Athletics drafted Kyler Murray with the 1st round, 9th pick in the 2018 Major League Baseball draft. They were excited. Murray could have been drafted in the first round three years ago but wanted to go to college … Continue reading Kyler Murray Declares for Draft – Good for Baseball? (Daryll)
It is now just about a month away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training – and the world waits to find out who Manny Machado and Bryce Harper will be signing with. Yet unlike last season when free … Continue reading Baseball Still Waiting on Bryce Harper and Manny Machado (Daryll)
The Yankees have added again to their infield depth, adding former Rockies second baseman DJ LeMahieu. They signed him to a 2 year deal for $24M according to multiple reports and first by Jon Heyman. Many in the media have … Continue reading Yankees Sign LeMahieu – Still Room for Machado? (Daryll)
Bob Gibson. Nolan Ryan. Roger Clemens. Jack Morris. Randy Johnson. Madison Bumgarner. These are pitchers who are men. Who fight, push, and claw their way to a victory for their team. Fireballers who don’t just pitch, but inspire and carry … Continue reading What the Short Start Means for Bullpens
Soon 2018 will be just a memory. The answer to the trivia question “What year did Shohei Ohtani make his rookie debut?”. Before then though, we look back on the 5 most popular articles published on DoubleDay Double Talk. Giuseppe … Continue reading DDDT Looks Back on 2018
As we are now past the shortest day of the year, it is only a matter of time until pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training and another baseball season will begin. Baseball is off another great season full of … Continue reading How Vacation and Baseball Go Together (Daryll)
The MLB off-season is in full swing, and several teams are already making some big waves as we look ahead into 2019. While last year free agency stalled all winter, this year there has already been some significant activity while … Continue reading NL East Not Defined by Bryce Harper (Daryll)
