tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226784082024-03-07T22:00:30.750-05:00Baseball For ThoughtBaseball For Thought --- Helping baseball fans procrastinate at work since 2006!Doug Silverstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779268289932936749noreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22678408.post-1161823466827011382006-10-26T00:01:00.000-04:002006-10-25T20:44:26.853-04:00How to Survive the Baseball Offseasonby Scott SilverstenNow what?For those that haven’t noticed, the baseball season ends this weekend. On Saturday night, we turn back the clocks so that darkness falls by 5 p.m. Halloween is only days away, and winter is fast approaching. It’s the worst time of the year … The Baseball Offseason.I know there is always the Hot Stove League: Will A-Rod be traded? Are the Marlins trading Willis? IsDoug Silverstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779268289932936749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22678408.post-1160833514829958762006-10-16T00:01:00.000-04:002006-10-15T23:47:49.013-04:00Let's Go Mets!Doug Silversten and Alan Eliot are on vacation this week and their columns, "The Big Picture" and "The Stories We Tell", respectively, will return here in their normal slots in two weeks. However, they want to remind the media who keep playing up the fact that the Tigers lost 119 games three years ago that the Mets lost 91 themselves just two years ago. Anyway, enjoy Game 5 of the NLCS tonight.Doug Silverstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779268289932936749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22678408.post-1160544712300183662006-10-11T01:28:00.000-04:002006-10-11T01:31:52.323-04:00The Harder They Come, The Harder They Fallby Sam SowlWe all thought it. This was the best lineup we had ever seen, maybe the best of all time. They were supposed to put up 9 runs a game, just blow every one else out of the water. Instead, they completely failed; they went 20 innings without scoring a run, 5 innings without a single baserunner in game 4. How could this happen? I thought A-Rod was their 3B, not Scott Brosius. Here Sam Sowlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082298062084175795noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22678408.post-1160100508661242262006-10-06T00:01:00.000-04:002006-10-05T22:09:28.606-04:00Movie Review: "Pride of the Yankees" The Critical Fanby Matt SandlerNote: Columnist Matt Sandler is off this week and thus we are republishing one of his best columns to date...a review of the 1942 classic, "Pride of the Yankees". He'll return with an all-new book or movie review in two weeks.As a die-hard Mets fan, I am constitutionally obligated to hate the Yankees, and I take this duty seriously. However, there are three times Doug Silverstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779268289932936749noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22678408.post-1159585774018865202006-10-02T00:01:00.000-04:002006-10-01T22:54:58.636-04:00Attention all NY Mets Fans: This Column is For You.by Doug SilverstenWednesday night it all begins. After completely dominating the National League this year during the regular season, Wednesday night begins our road to the NL pennant. A lot has been written about what would it mean if the Mets struggle in the playoffs and don’t reach the World Series, or even the NLCS. Does it diminish what we did during the regular season? Does it mean our Doug Silverstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779268289932936749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22678408.post-1159449340038681572006-09-28T00:01:00.000-04:002006-09-28T09:15:40.066-04:00Baseball's Great Debatesby Scott SilverstenFor those who wax poetic about the grand old game, one of the great allures of baseball has always been the way it lends itself to debate. Baseball is a pastime, we are often told, and the game’s rhythms are perfect for historical comparisons and barstool arguments.And without failure, there are two baseball debates that arise, like clockwork, once a season.The first occurs in Doug Silverstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779268289932936749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22678408.post-1159336324940404572006-09-27T01:45:00.000-04:002006-09-27T01:57:00.256-04:00Stratby Sam SowlI’d like to start this column with a prediction that will hopefully bode much better with my critics from San Diego than my previous predictions did: the San Diego Chargers will not make the playoffs this year. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way…Strat-O-Matic Baseball. To those of you who know what this means, the sentiments expressed in this column will surely resonate deeplySam Sowlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082298062084175795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22678408.post-1158802639275871992006-09-21T00:01:00.000-04:002006-09-20T21:37:19.306-04:00Welcome to the Baseball World: Joshua and Sean!Scott Silversten’s column, "Age of Reason" will not appear this week because he became a father on Tuesday! He and his wife Jill welcomed Joshua and Sean Silversten. They were announced as "the newest Yankee fans," although as the boys’ aunt and uncle, we will do our best to tear them away from the Evil Empire. We have very little confidence that it will work. But baseball fans are baseball fans,Doug Silverstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779268289932936749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22678408.post-1158719350208755142006-09-20T00:01:00.000-04:002006-09-20T06:58:14.073-04:00Shock and Awe: September 18, 2006, Padres vs. Dodgersby Doug SilverstenThis week's Wild-Card Wednesday is going to be short, because I am in awe and I don't know what to say. Given the circumstances, perhaps the greatest regular season game EVER was played on Monday night, and I feel it is not getting the attention it deserved. After a great regular season game, my father always comments to me, "If that was played in the postseason, they would be Doug Silverstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779268289932936749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22678408.post-1158515654249415402006-09-18T00:01:00.000-04:002006-09-18T01:06:14.520-04:00Beane Does It....Againby Doug SilverstenAwhile ago, I wrote a column stating that the best GM in the game is Billy Beane, and it is not even close. I’ve been accused of being a “Billy-Lover,” “Beane-Obsessed,” etc. However, how can you not be in awe of a guy who puts winners on the field every year, makes incredible moves- and does all this with none of the advantages that the perennial contenders enjoy? This year, heDoug Silverstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779268289932936749noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22678408.post-1158124378503265192006-09-13T00:01:00.000-04:002006-09-13T01:34:19.376-04:00NL Wild Card Race (Ryan Howard is Awesome)by Sam SowlAt this point, I don't care about the AL Wild Card race. If the White Sox deserve it, they'll win it. If they don't, the Twins sure as hell deserve it. Of course, there's a good chance both teams will make the playoffs and it will be the Tigers that fall off (which is my prediction). There's really not much else to say about it; three of the top teams in baseball, two spots (one Sam Sowlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082298062084175795noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22678408.post-1157214271542558182006-09-04T00:01:00.000-04:002006-09-03T22:05:28.906-04:00Yanks vs. Mets: A Subway Series Previewby Doug SilverstenIt is hard to believe, but it was just a few short weeks ago that there was a real question of whether or not the New York Yankees streak of eleven consecutive years of making the playoffs was going to come to an end. Well, there answer is now clear. As painful as this realization is for the entire Yankee-hating world, the answer is…“Yes.” The Yankees will be playing October Doug Silverstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779268289932936749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22678408.post-1156904088242284382006-08-30T00:01:00.000-04:002006-08-29T23:27:09.316-04:00Dye for MVP?by Sam SowlNot long ago, we here at BFT decided to expand our roster by one, and to add a columnist to our Wednesday slot. We put out the word, waited for all of the applications to arrive, and then chose our newest columnist. Today, we are thrilled to introduce Sam Sowl (rhymes with bowl, not bowel)! Sam's a good midwestern boy from Wisconsin, and like the rest of us here at BFT an obsessed Sam Sowlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082298062084175795noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22678408.post-1156113183717656952006-08-25T00:01:00.000-04:002006-08-24T21:23:25.423-04:00Movie Review: Fever Pitchby Matt SandlerThere often seems to be a fine line that separates fandom from some sort of mental affliction. I consider myself a dyed-in-the-wool, true-blue, diehard Mets fan, but my passion for baseball and my favorite team does not, thank God, approach the level achieved by Ben Wrightman (Jimmy Fallon) in Fever Pitch (2005). In this highly enjoyable, sweet, and funny movie, we are somewhat Doug Silverstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779268289932936749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22678408.post-1156297931876347172006-08-23T00:01:00.000-04:002006-08-23T07:47:31.660-04:00Questions for Doug Silverstenby Sarah (The Fanatic's Wife)For this week’s Wild Card Wednesday, I have decided to conduct an interview with my husband (the fanatic) in the hopes that I can continue to gain a deeper understanding of his baseball obsessed ways. Q: Doug, would you give up your left pinky to ensure that the Yankees would never again win the World Series? A: [Pause] No…(I am slightly worried about the pause and Doug Silverstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779268289932936749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22678408.post-1155864824166360122006-08-21T00:01:00.000-04:002006-08-20T20:37:00.063-04:00Hawaii: A Baseball Fan's Paradiseby Doug SilverstenHawaii? A baseball fan's paradise? "No way," you say. You are probably asking yourself if this is some sort of weird April Fool's Joke in August? Nope. I recently returned from 11 nights in Hawaii and I can assure you I mean it when I say that for a baseball fan, especially a fantasy baseball player, it doesn't get any better than Hawaii.For starters, the weather is almost Doug Silverstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779268289932936749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22678408.post-1155862765200192222006-08-18T00:01:00.000-04:002006-08-17T21:54:06.683-04:00Guest Columnist: The Steroid Snowball Effectby A.Y. ParkStop blaming the players. It’s not their fault. Yes, it appears many players have used performance-enhancing drugs over the course of the last decade. Yes, it is considered cheating and morally questionable. Yes, every sports site you look at has at least one columnist sitting on his high horse, talking about how disgusting these cheaters are for using steroids, and how Barry Bonds Doug Silverstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779268289932936749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22678408.post-1155518038571812512006-08-14T00:01:00.000-04:002006-08-13T21:14:32.343-04:00Last Chance: Become a Columnist!Michael Carlucci's Column, "Yankee Diary," will appear here in its regular slot in two weeks. Today, in its place, we re-publish our call for a new columnist. Reminder: The deadline is tomorrow, August 15th! We will then review all submissions. If you have any questions, feel free to email us at baseballforthought@gmail.com. Thanks!Dear loyal BFT reader,For nearly five months, and through over Doug Silverstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779268289932936749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22678408.post-1153881860483838742006-08-07T00:01:00.000-04:002006-08-07T00:12:41.753-04:00"...the Braves go to the World Series..."by Doug SilverstenWhat’s your favorite baseball moment? Bill Buckner? Kirk Gibson? Bobby Thomson? Bucky Dent? Chris Chambliss? Luis Gonzalez?All excellent choices. But for me, it is none of the above. There has always been one baseball moment that has risen above all else in my mind. It manages to encapsulate, in just a few seconds, so many reasons why I love baseball and why it is the best game Doug Silverstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779268289932936749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22678408.post-1154316810753985662006-08-02T00:01:00.000-04:002006-08-02T03:41:36.506-04:00Steal of a Deal for YanksThis week on Wild Card Wednesday, columnist Doug Silversten discusses the best trading deadline deal:At this year's trading deadline, once again, the rich got richer.Give Brian Cashman credit. He made the deal of the deadline. On Friday night, what were the Yankees two pressing needs? They needed a right fielder who at least would be a solid stopgap solution until Gary Sheffield came back in Doug Silverstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779268289932936749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22678408.post-1153450422575837052006-07-24T00:01:00.000-04:002006-07-24T18:40:40.976-04:00A Trip Down Memory Laneby Doug SilverstenI recently started reading a book about the history of Strat-o-Matic baseball called, Strat-o-Matic Fanatics by Glenn Guzzo. I am not far enough into yet to provide a book recommendation to readers, but I will say, that even 100 pages in, it certainly has sparked fond memories of my childhood. However, not so much of Strat-o-Matic baseball: while I certainly grew up in a Doug Silverstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779268289932936749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22678408.post-1153448754406347372006-07-21T00:01:00.000-04:002006-07-21T14:12:43.316-04:00Classic Shots - Part 1by Rob HymanThe home run derby has been a mainstay in All-Star week since 1985 when Dave Parker of the Cincinnati Reds won the competition in the Homer Dome in Minneapolis. In honor of that, over the next two columns, I’m going to attempt to showcase the most memorable home run for all 30 teams since 1985. Obviously for most teams, it will be a post-season home run as only three teams since 1985 Doug Silverstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779268289932936749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22678408.post-1153191422837614922006-07-19T00:01:00.000-04:002006-07-20T19:10:10.760-04:00The Best YouTube Baseball VideosA few weeks ago, ESPN’s Bill Simmons listed his favorite YouTube videos. It was a great article, and I encourage anyone who likes Simmons’ writing to read it. However, we here at Baseball For Thought primarily only care about one thing...Baseball, of course! And while we appreciate Simmons throwing in classic YouTube videos from the Entertainment world, or other sports, our baseball crazed Doug Silverstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779268289932936749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22678408.post-1153104453190370782006-07-17T00:01:00.000-04:002006-07-16T22:48:54.356-04:00Remember When - Subway Series 2000Michael Carlucci's Column, "Yankee Diary," will appear here in its regular slot in two weeks. Today, in its place, we take a look back at one of our first columns at Baseball For Thought - columnist Doug Silversten's look back at the 2000 World Series between his beloved Mets and hated Yankees.From time to time, I'd like to think back at what I was thinking during some of the big moments in Mets Doug Silverstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779268289932936749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22678408.post-1152497845541896072006-07-10T00:01:00.000-04:002006-07-10T21:14:41.000-04:00Top 5 Reasons to Watch Tomorrow Night’s All-Star Gameby Doug SilverstenIt seems every year the All-Star Game comes around and it is greeted by a collective big yawn by the baseball world. Granted, I’d much rather be watching a game that counts than an exhibition. For whatever reason, I’d still rather tune in to even a meaningless Pirates-Royals interleague match-up than the All-Star Game. Maybe it is because that at least in that match-up, the Doug Silverstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779268289932936749noreply@blogger.com1