This Great Game Opinions

Dating back to 2005—when our first opinion piece raised hackles by claiming the Colorado Rockies would never win a World Series, and why—This Great Game has provided our predictions, reviews and commentary on all sorts of baseball-related topics. Catch up on the latest scribes or go back in time to see what was on our minds; the below list is presented in chronological order, from the most recent post to the earliest.

Baseball’s Best, Worst and Most Surprising: The 2024 Season in Review

Posted November 3, 2024
A look back at the best, worst and most surprising players and teams during the 2024 major league season.

I’m Not Wild About the Wild Card

Posted September 21, 2024
Six of Major League Baseball’s 12 postseason teams are wild card participants. The more, the merrier? Count me out.

Ten Things I Hate About Baseball (2024 Edition)

Posted July 12, 2024
Baseball is still a beautiful game, but these 10 irksome flaws keep it from making the experience even better.

Baseball’s Best, Worst and Most Surprising: The 2023 Season in Review

Posted November 5, 2023
A look back at the best, worst and most surprising players and teams during the 2023 major league season.

Season of Change: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly About Baseball’s New Rules

Posted March 27, 2023
Here’s our breakdown of MLB’s new rules for the 2023 season—and whether we like them or not.

Can’t We Just Leave the Hall of Fame to the Immortals?

Posted January 7, 2023
Why are the legends at Baseball’s Hall of Fame surrounded more than ever by ‘very good’ players? Here’s some thoughts on an unfortunate trend.

Baseball’s Best, Worst and Most Surprising: The 2022 Season in Review

Posted November 6, 2022
A look back at the best, worst and most surprising players and teams during the 2022 major league season.

MLB vs. Aliens 2022: The Perfect Nine to Save Mankind

Posted April 6, 2022
Here’s the impressive cast representing Baseball’s All-World team as it once again comes to the rescue to save the world.

What if Rule 8.04 Was Enforced?

Posted November 24, 2021
How much faster would a baseball game go if MLB simply enforced an existing rule? We found out.

Baseball’s Best, Worst and Most Surprising: The 2021 Season in Review

Posted November 5, 2021
A look back at the best, worst and most surprising players and teams during the 2021 major league season.

Let’s Abolish Baseball’s Automatic Gift Runner on Second Base

Posted April 27, 2021
Why baseball’s dumbest rule needs to be purged yesterday.

Aliens vs. MLB 2021: The Perfect Nine to Save Mankind

Posted March 19, 2021
When it comes to defending the planet, the Avengers and Justice League have nothing on baseball’s 2021 All-World team.

Baseball’s 2020 Postmortem: Why It May Get Worse Before It Gets Better

Posted November 6, 2020
Looking for a return to normalcy in the baseball world? You may have to wait until 2023.

Fun Facts About Your All-Time Hit Leaders

Updated July 25, 2020
So you think you’re smarter than the next trivia buff when it comes to major leaguers at the top of numerous hit lists? Here’s 22 questions to prove it in this 2020 update.

Can the Teasers of 2019 Prove They Belong in 2020?

Posted February 24, 2020
Here’s the 10 call-ups who best excelled at the end of 2019. Will they eventually become All-Stars, or quietly fade away?

Bad, Astros, Bad!

Posted January 18, 2020
The Houston Astros’ toxic front-office culture finally got the best of them, but one significant figure seems to have escaped baseball’s guillotine.

Ninety Years of Teaching, Learning and Leading

Posted January 15, 2020
This Great Game’s Ed Attanasio looks back at the life of his father and how he taught his children life’s rules through the prism of baseball.

The Wildest Wild Pitches of the 2010s

Posted November 26, 2019
Seriously—did that really happen? A look back at some of the craziest things that took place in the baseball world from 2010-19.

Baseball’s Best, Worst and Most Surprising: The 2019 Season in Review

Posted October 27, 2019
A look back at the best, worst and most surprising players and teams during the 2019 major league season.

Should Baseball Consider Pro/Rel?

Posted September 13, 2019
It may seem too foreign and potentially chaotic, but the use of promotion and relegation could increase baseball’s competitive verve.

Baseball 2019: This Great Game’s Fearless Predictions

Posted March 18, 2019
Who will reign as the best, worst and most surprising baseball teams for the upcoming 2019 season? Read our predictions here and see if you agree.

Can the Teasers of 2018 Prove They Belong in 2019?

Posted March 6, 2019
A look at 10 ballplayers who got their first taste of the major league life late in 2018—and their chances of sticking around in 2019.

Baseball’s Best, Worst and Most Surprising: The 2018 Season in Review

Posted November 3, 2018
A look back at the best, worst and most surprising players and teams during the 2018 major league season.

Ten Things I Hate About Baseball

Posted May 8, 2018
A list of pet peeves we could currently do without in an otherwise wonderful sport.

Baseball 2018: This Great Game’s Fearless Predictions

Posted March 24, 2018
Who will reign as the best, worst and most surprising baseball teams for the upcoming 2018 season? Read our predictions here and see if you agree.

Can the Teasers of 2017 Prove They Belong in 2018?

Posted March 10, 2018
A look at the best of 2017’s call-ups who impressed at the end of the season, and their chances for providing an encore over 162 games in 2018.

Baseball’s Best, Worst and Most Surprising: The 2017 Season in Review

Posted October 29, 2017
A look back at the best, worst and most surprising players and teams during the 2017 major league season.

The TGG Baseball Movie Review: “Bang the Drum Slowly”

Posted June 27, 2017
Borderline major league catcher Robert De Niro discovers he has only months to live—and star teammate Michael Moriarty does all he can to pull his friend through one final hurrah.

Why is My Team Wearing Pink—And Other Complaints About Baseball’s “Special” Jerseys

Posted June 19, 2017
While there’s good heart to acknowledge behind baseball’s special event uniforms, isn’t this an exercise in fashion that’s starting to get out of hand?

The TGG Baseball Movie Review: “Field of Dreams”

Posted May 26, 2017
Kevin Costner gets a legendary request from a mysterious voice and builds a ballfield out of a cornfield for ghostly stars to perform in this baseball movie classic.

Baseball 2017: This Great Game’s Fearless Predictions

Posted March 22, 2017
Who will reign as the best, worst and most surprising baseball teams for the upcoming 2017 season? Read our predictions here and see if you agree.

The TGG Baseball Movie Review: “Moneyball”

Posted February 27, 2017
Sabermetrics gets the Hollywood spotlight with the help of Brad Pitt, who plays Billy Beane in pursuit of trying to build a contender from a small budget.

Can the Teasers of 2016 Prove They Belong in 2017?

Posted February 22, 2017
A look at the best of 2016’s call-ups who impressed at the end of the season, and their chances for providing an encore over 162 games in 2017.

The TGG Baseball Movie Review: “Fear Strikes Out”

Posted January 19, 2017
Jimmy Piersall was a talented player bedeviled by mental illness. So who better to portray him than Anthony Perkins, right? Watch at your own risk.

The Delightful Confessions of a Spring Training Fan

Posted January 17, 2017
If you’re a big baseball fan and you’ve never made it to spring training, you’re kidding yourself. Here’s more push for you to make the pilgrimage.

The TGG Baseball Movie Review: “A League of Their Own”

Posted January 1, 2017
A terrific cast and snappy script lift this airy and entertaining look back at the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

The TGG Baseball Movie Review: “Eight Men Out”

Posted November 26, 2016
Famed independent director John Sayles delivers a fluid and very agreeable adaptation of Eliot Asinof’s novel detailing the Black Sox Scandal.

Baseball’s Best, Worst and Most Surprising: The 2016 Season in Review

Posted October 29, 2016
A look back at the best, worst and most surprising players and teams during the 2016 major league season.

The TGG Baseball Movie Review: “The Sandlot”

Posted August 27, 2016
A group of boisterous young kids learn baseball, and life, in this lightweight but highly charming tale of growing up in the early 1960s.

The TGG Baseball Movie Review: “The Natural”

Posted July 23, 2016
Robert Redford portrays one of baseball’s greatest fictional heroes, a middle-aged slugger with amazing talent and a dark past in this memorable fairy tale.

The TGG Baseball Movie Review: “Bull Durham”

Posted June 25, 2016
Crash Davis teaches raw pitching prospect Nuke LaLoosh the finer points of baseball while the two compete for the Durham Bulls’ #1 groupie in this sharp, funny look at the minor leagues.

The TGG Baseball Movie Review: “The Pride of the Yankees”

Posted May 29, 2016
Gary Cooper plays the Iron Horse bumbling his way toward fame before tragedy strikes in the kind of movie they don’t make anymore—and thank goodness for that.

Baseball: You’ve Got It All Wrong on Fixing the Strike Zone

Posted May 26, 2016
The MLB Rules Committee is talking about adjusting the strike zone to enhance the game’s offense, but umpires won’t break their habits—unless…

Baseball 2016: This Great Game’s Fearless Predictions

Posted March 27, 2016
Who will reign as the best, worst and most surprising baseball teams for the upcoming 2016 season? Read our predictions here and see if you agree.

Can the Teasers of 2015 Prove They Belong in 2016?

Posted February 23, 2016
A look at the best of 2015’s call-ups who impressed at the end of the season, and their chances for providing an encore over 162 games in 2016.

Baseball’s Best, Worst and Most Surprising: The 2015 Season in Review

Posted October 28, 2015
A look back at the best, worst and most surprising players and teams during the 2015 major league season.

Baseball 2015: This Great Game’s Fearless Predictions

Posted March 17, 2015
Who will reign as the best, worst and most surprising baseball teams for the upcoming 2015 season? Read our predictions here and see if you agree.

Can the Teasers of 2014 Prove Their Worth in 2015?

Posted March 3, 2015
A look at the best of 2014’s call-ups who impressed at the end of the season, and their chances for providing an encore over 162 games in 2015.

Impostors! Great Namesakes in Baseball History

Posted January 15, 2015
Call them clones, imitators or charlatans, these common ballplayers are often confused for others with the same name and a more accomplished career.

Baseball’s Best, Worst and Most Surprising: The 2014 Season in Review

Posted October 24, 2014
A look back at the best, worst and most surprising players and teams during the 2014 major league season.

An Open Letter to Baseball, Re: Expanded Video Review

Posted April 15, 2014
An honest, heartfelt letter to the powers that be behind baseball’s failing version of comprehensive video review—and how our concept can fix it.

Baseball’s Best, Worst and Most Surprising: The 2013 Season in Review

Posted October 16, 2013
A look back at who thrived, survived and professionally died among the 30 major league teams as surprises and disappointments reigned.

A Typical Night in the Video Replay Booth

Posted June 5, 2013
Using This Great Game’s easy method of comprehensive video replay, here’s how a replay crew would spend its time at a typical baseball game.

The Legend of Sister Sandy Koufax

Posted May 10, 2013
Nobody threw a chalkboard eraser with greater velocity and movement than Sister Sandra, who would have impressed the greatest baseball pitchers of her day.

Does Florida Deserve Major League Baseball?

Posted January 29, 2013
The Tampa Bay Rays and Miami Marlins are two of baseball’s biggest headaches—for different reasons. Here’s how to clear the clouds in the Sunshine State.

After Further Review: Making the Right Call on Replay

Posted May 5, 2010
As baseball struggles to grasp video replay, here’s our suggestion on how to expand upon it and make it efficient—if not flawless.

We Aught to Tell You: Our All-Decade Awards

Posted December 27, 2009
Find out who’s the best, worst and most memorable in the new millennium’s first decade, as chosen by This Great Game and you.

Zero Tolerance on Steroids: It May Happen

Posted May 17, 2009
If major league owners are smart, they’ll soon demand a lifetime ban for steroid use on the first offense—and the clean players within the union may go for it.

Is the Strikeout Overrated?

Posted May 1, 2009
There’s an epidemic of strikeouts in baseball today, and there’s no sign of it being erradicated soon. The question is: Does anyone care?

Can the Teasers of ’08 Prove Their Worth in ’09?

Posted March 26, 2009
A look at the best of 2008’s call-ups who impressed at the end of the season, and their chances for providing an encore over 162 games in 2009.

Going, Going, Bronze: Baseball’s Statuesque Obsession

Posted August 31, 2008
The path to true greatness doesn’t end at Cooperstown, but the hierarchy of who’s immortalized in bronze—and who’s not—is a bit more puzzling.

Things to Do in Denver When You’re Wanted

Posted March 9, 2008
What happened when the guy who said the Colorado Rockies would never win a World Series was forced to make a stopover in Denver during the team’s unstoppable run in late 2007.

The All of Fame: A Primer for This Great Game

Posted January 6, 2008
Cooperstown has its Hall of Fame, but we have a whole collection of famous “Fames” for a quick glance of baseball history.

There’s Something Fishy With the Marlins

Posted December 9, 2007
No one profits from a major league baseball team more than the Marlins’ Jeffrey Loria. So why does he keep trading his best players away?

Is the Fall of Barry the Terrible Imminent?

Posted November 18, 2007
For 15 years, Barry Bonds has slugged and bullied his way into becoming baseball’s most powerful man. But the Feds may hold more power.

Give us Your Potential, Your Talent, Your Hungry

Posted September 26, 2007
Andy Rooney thinks there are too many Latinos in baseball while others think there’s not enough African-Americans. It is what it is. Deal with it.

Are These Records Made to be Broken?

Posted August 1, 2007
As Barry Bonds breaks a major milestone, how many of baseball’s other famous records are safe from future encroachment?

Altitude-Challenged: Why the Colorado Rockies Will Never Win a World Series

Posted July 15, 2005
So long as the Colorado Rockies are stuck playing half of their games in thin air, their chances of winning a World Series will be suffocated.