Archives › Craig Calcaterra

Bud Selig announced yesterday that, based on the recommendation of his special committee, the schedules for the 2010 League Championship Serieseseses have been shortened by eliminating an off-day between Games 4 and 5.  Inasmuch as it was a totally superfluous off-day, this is a good thing. Next up, in all likelihood, will be expanding the…

UPDATE: Upton took to Twitter Wednesday evening to explain that his ankle is “fine” and that he was pulled as a precaution.  He expects to return after a few days of rest. 5:15pm: MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert tweets that Justin Upton has left today’s Dbacks game against the White Sox with a sprained ankle.  Hard to…

Between now and Opening Day, HBT will take a look at each of the 30 teams, asking the key questions, the not-so-key questions, and generally breaking down their chances for the 2010 season.  We’re out of the playoff contenders in the AL East and into the also-rans. First up is the faster of the also-rans,…

As he faced the sun he cast no shadow . . . Susan Slusser of the Chronicle reports: The A’s have just announced that they traded recently demoted infielder Gregorio Petit to the Rangers in exchange for right-handed reliever Edwar Ramirez, sent by Texas to Triple-A Oklahoma City earlier today. Ramirez spent the past three…

I’ve been critical of Bryce Harper skipping two years of high school in order to become draft eligible this year. I’ve done so as a father who has been kind of freaking the hell out recently over just how fast his kids seem to be growing up and as a man who wonders from time…

Yes, it’s commerce, but ESPN’s commercials often stand out on their own.  The latest: Clay Buchholz, Nick Swisher and some dude sitting in a living room watching  a ballgame. Buchholz and the dude start singing “Sweet Caroline” and then try to throw it to Swisher, who responds with a “no way, dude.” You can see…

Between now and Opening Day, HBT will take a look at each of the 30 teams, asking the key questions, the not-so-key questions, and generally breaking down their chances for the 2010 season.  Now the Red Sox: Good times never seemed so good. The big question: Will the Red Sox score enough runs? Just because…

Not less than ten minutes after reading this story in which Doc Gooden offers his advice to Stephen Strasburg I read that Gooden was arrested after being involved in a crash after which he was charged with: Driving under the Influence of a controlled dangerous substance; Endangering the welfare of a child; DWI with a…

Frank McCourt was behind the relaunch of the Los Angeles Marathon which was run this past weekend.  In today’s Los Angeles Times he waxes defensive: “Not a single person in the media has asked me how my divorce affects the marathon, because it doesn’t. I understand the urge by the media to create drama around…

Between now and Opening Day, HBT will take a look at each of the 30 teams, asking the key questions, the not-so-key questions, and generally breaking down their chances for the 2010 season.  I started with the Yankees, so I bet you thought I’d go Red Sox next, eh kitty cat? But I pulled the…

Mariners’ starter Cliff Lee played catch yesterday and reported continued discomfort in his injured abdomen. The hope was that the few days of rest he’s had would have made things better, but apparently not. Don Wakamatsu put a positive spin on things, saying that he was pleased that Lee “did not feel any sharp pain…

Joel Sherman reports that the Mets are trying to trade Gary Matthews, Jr. and that the Reds are “a possibility.” Sherman thinks this could be evidence that Carlos Beltran may be back quicker than people realize, thus making Matthews redundant. Competing possibility: The Mets are just now realizing that they foolishly traded a more-than-decent reliever…

It’s unclear whether Jose Reyes will be able to make Opening Day — for what it’s worth I agree with the Post’s Joel Sherman that it would be folly to push him simply to make Opening Day  — but when he does return, Jerry Manuel says he’s likely to bat leadoff. This is a reversal…

MLB.com won’t let me (or anyone else) embed video, so you have to check it out here.  Definitely worth your click-through, though. The catch is being compared to Willie Mays over-the-shoulder catch in the 1954 World Series. Two differences from what I can see: 1. Willie Mays’ catch was only half of what made that…

Between now and Opening Day, HBT will take a look at each of the 30 teams, asking the key questions, the not-so-key questions, and generally breaking down their chances for the 2010 season.  The Yankees are the defending champs, so they have the honor. The big question:  Will age catch up to the Yankees?People have…

We live in a world in which PED hysterics say things like “ballplayers wouldn’t take HGH if it didn’t improve their performance.”  We also live in a world where ballplayers wear shiny little mylar bracelets that are “digitally encoded with a frequency that your body can tune into” and which are claimed to give you…

The New York Times has an article on the grand jury subpoena Jose Canseco tweeted about yesterday.  Three takeaways: A lawyer for Canseco said Tuesday that he had been contacted three weeks ago by a federal prosecutor in Washington who was seeking to serve Canseco with a subpoena. The prosecutor wanted Canseco to testify before…

It’s old, but it’s coooool. Especially the last four seconds of it. (thanks to The Common Man for the heads up).

ESPN’s Amy Nelson reports that Joe Nathan’s Tommy John surgery is set for Friday: Minnesota Twins closer Joe Nathan will have Tommy John surgery on his right elbow on Friday in New York, a source familiar with the situation said. The surgery will be performed by the New York Mets’ team physician, Dr. David Altchek,…

There weren’t any bad experiences during my trip to spring training, but being honest — and trying to be as fair as possible — I’ll have to say that the Mets’ facilities in Port St. Lucie were my least favorite.  I’m not saying there was anything particularly wrong the place, just that the whole setup…

There’s a new player on the NHL’s Minnesota Wild who has baseball to thank for his hockey career. He’s Casey Wellman, the son of former Giants and Royals’ utilityman Brad Wellman, and he got his start, indirectly anyway, on a Royals’ road trip: In 1988, the Royals were in Boston to play the Red Sox…

I’m opposed to the the imposition of an international draft during the next round of collective bargaining for a few reasons. For one thing, I think it will be a logistical and political nightmare, as would anything that requires even the tacit participation of a guy like Hugo Chavez. I also tend to find it…

We offer this up to you so that you can see the subject of the Twins’ “lunacy” up close and personal.  Kudos to Justin Morneau for playing reporter.  

The Indians just had three recent signees from the Dominican Republic get suspended for pre-signing PED use.  The team is as mad as hell and they’re not going to take it anymore. Indians’ scouting director John Mirabelli: “I’ve got no sympathy for these guys. They broke the law. They fraudulently tried to misrepresent their abilities…

While some folks tell us not to care about such things, the fact remains that there is a fifth starter’s race in the Bronx, so we may as well pass along the developments that transpire therein. Joba pitched in that intra-squad game yesterday giving up two runs on six hits in five innings against mostly…