Category: Five-Tool Newsletter

The immediate takeaway from last night’s rainout is that the postponement benefits the Phillies, who get an extra day of rest for their pitching staff, which isn’t as deep as that...

If you thought the first two World Series games were exciting, just wait until tonight. For the first time in 13 years, Philadelphia is hosting a World Series game—and it’s...

Although last night’s game, which the Astros won 5–2 to even the World Series, 1–1, failed to match the thrill of the Phillies’ comeback victory in Game 1, it still delivered plenty...

Man, oh man, that was fun. At its best, the World Series is the perfect display of what makes our game special, and last night’s Game 1 had everything. The Phillies pulled...

This World Series matchup is full of contrasts. The Astros have Dusty Baker, in his 25th season as a big-league manager, while the Phillies have Rob Thomson, in his first. One of them...

As I sat down to write today’s newsletter, I couldn’t help but think of the title of an episode of The West Wing, “On the Day Before.” Today, of course,...

An interesting pattern is developing, though I’m not sure we can attribute it to anything more than coincidence. At the end of the last three full-length seasons, the Astros have gone...

By the end of tonight, we could have our two World Series teams. But the World Series doesn’t start until Friday, so there’s a very real chance that we will...

Bad calls live on forever. Some of the most infamous examples: Don Denkinger in Game 6 of the 1985 World Series. A.J. Pierzynski’s reaching on a dropped third strike that...

Last night’s game should have been thrilling. The two best teams in the American League playing in one of the highest-stakes games of the season. A win for the Astros meant the Yankees would...