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Hitting a baseball is one of the most challenging skills in sports--an art in which a 30 percent success rate is considered above average. First, hitters have to deal with […]

Last Saturday was a bittersweet day for Stanford junior right fielder Joe Borchard. The Cardinal lost the College World Series championship game to LSU in gut-wrenching fashion--an RBI single in […]

The College World Series attracts some of college baseball's most talented players. This year is no exception, as five of the top 55 picks from the 2000 draft are playing […]

St. Louis' hitting troubles: The majors' most potent lineup has two major deficiencies--making contact and hitting with runners in scoring position. But hitting coach Mike Easler doesn't seem concerned. Though […]

There have been a few early surprises in the National League, but odds are the postseason lineup will be very close to last season's. East: With Florida and Montreal starting […]

Defense wasn't a priority for Bret Boone early in his career. But after a few years, he realized he could win games with his glove, not just his bat. That's […]

It's not too early to handicap the races in the American League. East: Though the Yankees flashed mediocre starting pitching and a horrendous offense early on, they managed to stay […]

Nothing is better than taking in a game at the ballpark. Sure, you can stay home, save a few bucks and see the game on TV, but what's the fun […]

It's nice to see teams building new ballparks. Need more money and want to add luxury boxes? Great. Tired of that eyesore of a home stadium and want a retro […]

Baseball is a game of confidence. It's essential a player be absolutely sure of his ability, considering even the best hitters are unsuccessful 65 to 70 percent of the time. […]

It's a label of distinction, all right, but it can wear thin in a hurry when a phenom falls short of being phenomenal. Pressure, scrutiny and daunting situations take their […]

Taking the easy way out In the easiest region, Duke seems to have fairly clear sailing all the way to the Elite Eight, where a real challenge should await: the […]

LOREN WOODS has all the pieces to be the best big man in the college game today. But after struggling mentally two seasons ago at Wake Forest and sitting out […]

If you're tired of the Yankees and/or Braves fighting for championships every year ... well, that's too bad. Because next year, as with much of the 1990s, it will be […]

Another decade of baseball is ending, and there's precious little time to reflect upon the past 10 seasons. Barry Bonds was the best player, Greg Maddux the best pitcher The […]

The Red Sox might have had a sweep if only they had gotten a few breaks. Instead, The Curse-and the Yankees' plan-continued to hold a solid advantage. Tricky business this […]

The Astros have won three consecutive division titles, but their three futile playoff performances have certified them as "choke artists." This season, though, it wasn't their fault. As usual, Jeff […]

Chuck Knoblauch hasn't been the player the Yankees hoped he would be when they traded for him before the 1998 season, but he unquestionably has been an integral part of […]

The playoffs always are filled with individual performances that allow teams to become postseason successes. Here are some players likely to play major roles in their teams' efforts to win […]

It's a done deal: The Yankees officially have ousted themselves from the major leagues' elite group of playoff contenders, which includes Atlanta, Arizona, Cleveland, Houston and Texas. The transition from […]

It's possible Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire will top the National League MVP balloting again this season. It shouldn't happen, but it could. The award should be limited to players […]

There's no shortage of candidates for A.L. MVP--Robbie Alomar, Ken Griffey Jr., Derek Jeter, Rafael Palmeiro, Manny Ramirez and Bernie Williams, among others. While it's hard to overlook those players' […]

In a scene soaked by improbability, the American League wild-card race, featuring Boston, Oakland and Toronto, has been the league's most popular show. And though excess playoff berths would be […]

National media attention doesn't gravitate to the Astros, who have spent the majority of the past three seasons at the top of the N.L. Central. But the reason for the […]

St. Louis' J.D. Drew has muddled through his first full major league season in disappointing fashion. Even though he won't come close to meeting the demanding preseason expectations, there's no […]

The inspiring events surrounding the All-Star Game--including the touching moment when the players surrounded Ted Williams and Mark McGwire's assault on the Green Monster in the home run contest--must have […]

Psssst ... Want to make a deal? The days leading up to the trade deadline are prime time for rumor, gossip and innuendo. And we're not mining out on any […]

A magical infield If you watch the Mets, focus on the infield of Mike Piazza, John Olerud, Edgardo Alfonzo, Rey Ordonez and Robin Ventura. It's this year's best and the […]

The eyes of baseball will focus on Cooperstown this weekend when four great players of the modern era take their places beside the immortals of the game We knew them […]

Breaking Down Andy Pettitte and Steve Avery were headed in different directions when their paths crossed in the 1996 World Series. Pettitte had won 21 games and was one of […]

Providing some relief Realizing that they have an excellent chance of making the postseason, the Diamondbacks erased their one glaring weakness by trading for Marlins closer Matt Mantei. Arizona sent […]

Braves will win, again Atlanta has controlled the N.L. East this season, but the Mets still have a shot at the division title and the Phillies are in the wildcard […]

Just do it: Trade Big Mac The Cardinals should trade Mark McGwire. He's their best player and the biggest draw in baseball, but the Cards could help themselves more by […]

Heat stroke It's only their second season, but consider the Diamondbacks one of the favorites to reach the World Series. The D-backs haven't gained many admirers by piecing their team […]

Sometimes, life takes a cruel turn on a place as seemingly innocuous as a baseball field. Such was the case on April 23, when Ben Christensen, a right-handed pitcher for […]

Somewhere between spring training and the first two months of the season, the Red Sox mastered the art of illusion. So much so, the team is resembling a playoff contender. […]

The minor leagues are a constant learning process--each level offers new challenges. So far, Cardinals prospect Rick Ankiel, 19, has met all of those challenges. He breezed through Class A […]

Do pitchers own the plate? It's not written anywhere that they do, but it only seems fair-in this day of offensive fireworks-that they have first rights. After all, with the […]

Sammy Sosa spent a large part of the season in the shadow of Mark McGwire's seasonlong news conference, but the final tally is in, and Sosa has been acknowledged by […]

Mark Prior has amazing stuff: a mid-90s fastball and baffling off-speed arsenal. It won't be long before his performances force the Cubs to give him a chance in the majors. […]

Pirates catcher Jason Kendall hit a career-worst .266 last year, a mark blamed on a thumb injury that required off-season surgery. He sustained a slight concussion last week, but he […]

Michael Barrett probably wasn't drafted in many leagues. After all, he hit .239 with seven homers and 60 RBIs in 743 at-bats over the last two seasons for Montreal. But […]

Maybe Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa did save baseball last season. Maybe all baseball needed was a few months of intense interest in home runs--which, of course, was supplied by […]

As the errors come at a quickening pace and the home runs and RBIs have crept to a deadening stop, it has become more and more apparent that Cal Ripken […]

When Darryl Strawberry was arrested last week and charged with possession of cocaine and soliciting a prostitute, his tenure as a bad seed turned good was put on hold. He […]

In hitting his 400th home run last week, Jose Canseco sent his "I'm-coming-so-clear-some-room" proclamation to Cooperstown. It took a little longer than was anticipated, but if Mark McGwire is being […]

... and if a prospect possesses five of them, an evaluator has struck it rich It's the gold standard, the accepted yardstick used to rate baseball players. But what exactly […]

When the Yankees were awarded a compensation pick between the first and second round of the 1997 draft (for losing free agent John Wetteland to the Rangers after the '96 […]

It took the Cardinals just 30 days to sign outfielder J.D. Drew after making him the fifth overall pick in this year's draft. Which is pretty remarkable, considering the Phillies--who […]

History tells us that change generally is resisted. Even when it figures to be an improvement. It's the adjustment accompanying the change that causes all the fuss. In terms of […]