The Baseball Chronicle

Archive

Essays

Essays

Ron

By Todd Cosner

A tribute to a legendary Cub, beloved as a player and broadcaster.

Essays

A Response to Bill James' “Cooperstown and the 'Roids"

By Jeb Stewart

Last July, Bill James published an essay of his thoughts on steroid use and baseball's Hall of Fame. Ultimately, James concluded, steroid users of recent decades will not only be enshrined, but also hailed as "pioneers." But James' arguments are less than convincing.

Essays

The Greatest Hitter of All Time

By Rick Soisson

Greatness is all in the definition, and hitting greatness is no different. By average, it's Ty Cobb. By streak, it's Joe DiMaggio. But defined another way the greatest hitter ever is: Joe Sewell?

Essays

Indian Pirates on the High Seas

By Rick Soisson

It may sound like a joke, but sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction: The Pirates really did sign two Indian kids who'd never played baseball. Could the Lucknow Fireballer be coming to a ballpark near you?

Essays

Defending the Indefensible

By Michael Webb

Cheating is an inseparable part of baseball. It has always existed, and it always will. That doesn't make cheating right, but it does make it easier to understand.

Essays

The Mick

By Dennis Feller

Who's the best you've ever seen? For some, there is no more subjective question. For others, it's pure mathematics. Feller answers with a player sure to please both camps.

Essays

Who's The Best?

By Michael Webb

Who's the best you've ever seen? Webb crosses enemy lines to answer with a batter, but stays closer to home with his pitcher of choice.

Essays

Shakespeare and the Park

By Eric Nusbaum

Baseball has often been called the most literary of sports, a claim the writer can only support. In a long and winding essay, Nusbaum reflects on his personal reading history—and finds his loves of baseball and literature deeply entwined.

Podcast

Podcast home | Subscribe in iTunes

Archive

Or browse the whole thing, on a single page.

About

The Baseball Chronicle is an online magazine that celebrates the narrative. We publish personal stories, essays, journalism and more—great stories, of all varieties, about our favorite game.

Tell your story today.