Hardball Bob - Articles

Major League Relief Pitchers – Bullpen Stars of the 1960s

Baseball's reliance on relief pitching can be traced back to the 1960s, when the relief specialist emerged and saves started being tracked as a measurable statistic. Here is a list of the Top 10 relief pitchers from the 1960s. Read

By: Hardball Bob | 06/11/2009 | Baseball

Major League Gold Gloves - Ranking the 1960s Best Defensive Players

The pitching-rich 1960s also featured a number of fine defensive players whose skills in the field helped keep the decade's ERA so low. Here are the 10 best players from the 1960s, who frequently ways to impact a game's outcome with their gloves or their arms. Read

By: Hardball Bob | 06/11/2009 | Baseball

Are some baseball players victims of Hall of Fame prejudice?

Does the Baseball Hall of Fame have a prejudice against players from the 1960s? Four of the best players from that decade -- Ron Santo, Jim Kaat, Vada Pinson and Bobby Richardson -- had careers with Hall of Fame numbers, but are they being snubbed by the Hall's Veterans Committee despite their accomlishments as players? This article makes the case for their inclusion, based on statistics that rank them with current HOF members. Read

By: Hardball Bob | 12/10/2009 | Baseball

Baseball First Basemen – Who Were the Best of the 1960s?

The 1960s featured some of the best power-hitting first basemen in majo eague history. Here is list of the Top 10 first basemen of the 1960s, based on their performance both in the batter's box and in the field. Read

By: Hardball Bob | 12/10/2009 | Baseball

The Super Trades of 1960s Baseball

Back in the 1960s, before the arrival of free agency, teams improved during the off-season not by over-paying marginal talent, but by making shrewd trades that rewarded teams with with an eye for talent, and not simply the biggest regional TV contract. Here is a list of the 10 most significant trades of the 1960s, trades that re-shaped the competitive landscape of major league baseball nearly a half-century ago. Read

By: Hardball Bob | 12/10/2009 | Baseball

Major League Relief Pitchers – The Top 10 Bullpen Stars of the 1960s

Where would baseball be today without the parade of relief specialists who are called upon to close games? Prior to the 1960s, the bullpen was full of pitchers in transitions: young stars on their way up (to earn a spot in the starting rotation), and grizzled veterans on their way down (pitching more on guts and savvy than "stuff"). That started to change dramatically in the 1960s, when the reliever really came into his own with a clearly defined role. Here are the ten best from that decade. Read

By: Hardball Bob | 06/10/2009 | Baseball

Baseball Left Fielders – The Best of the 1960s

A rundown of the best major league left fielders of the 1960s. Read

By: Hardball Bob | 04/09/2009 | Baseball