Here’s a look at some of the NL action this weekend.

Marlins@Mets – Mets sweep second straight series

• It was the best of times – the Mets now 8 game win streak is tied with the 1986 world championship team for the earliest streak of that length in franchise history, both starting in the 6th game of the season.
• It was the worst of times – the Marlins, touted by some as NL East favorites, have stumbled to a 3-10 start; their only worse beginnings were at 2-11, two seasons ago en route to a 13-41 mark on May 30, and in 1998 after their post-championship fire sale

More after the jump.

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On this Jackie Robinson day, I’ll look at the Dodgers’ series with the Mariners and the other inter-league action this week.

More after the jump.

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This post is for voting and discussion in the 91st round of balloting for the Circle of Greats (COG).  This round adds to the list of candidates eligible to receive your votes those players born in 1900. Rules and lists are after the jump.

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The 90th round of voting for the Circle of Greats inducts Hall of Famer “Bucketfoot” Al Simmons, winning election in only his third round on the COG ballot as he edged out contemporaries Carl Hubbell and Paul Waner in a close three-way race. Simmons was a fixture on the powerhouse As teams of the late 1920s and early 1930s, recognized as one of the top hitters in the game and also one of the better outfielders. His manager Connie Mack, hardly known for sentimentality, kept just one picture of a former player in his office – Simmons’. When asked which player had been most valuable to the As, Mack replied “If only I could have had nine players named Al Simmons.” 

More on Al Simmons after the jump.

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Two series into the new season, and the AL Central leads the way with two unbeaten clubs. A review of the weekend action in the junior circuit after the jump.

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Filling in for my partner, John Autin, here’s the season’s first installment of Game Notes.

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We’re off and running on another season. Here are some of the more unusual occurrences this opening day.

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This post is for voting and discussion in the 90th round of balloting for the Circle of Greats (COG).  This round is the second of two adding players born in 1901 to the list of candidates eligible to receive your votes. Rules and lists are after the jump. Continue reading →

The 89th round of voting for the Circle of Greats inducts Hall of Famer Mickey Cochrane, winning election in only his third round on the COG ballot. After solid support in his first two ballot appearances, it was only a matter of time before voters gave the nod to Cochrane, who edged out teammate Al Simmons in a runoff election following a tie vote on the main ballot. Cochrane backstopped the Athletics and Tigers to consecutive pennants, earning a World Series ring and league MVP honors for both franchises.

More on Cochrane after the jump.

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For decades in major league baseball, a predictable inverse relationship existed between the number of substitutions made during a game and the likelihood of winning that game. Teams that didn’t make substitutions were more likely to win than teams that did, with that winning percentage declining with each additional substitution made.

In today’s game, with at least three pitchers (starter, setup man, closer) in every team’s game plan everyday, the expanded pitching staffs necessary to sustain that approach have reduced bench size and, presumably, limited opportunities to use tactical substitutions on offense. Or, have they?

After the jump, more on the relationship between player substitution and winning.

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