Jeff J. Snider, Author at Baseball Essential

Pablo Lopez accidentally made history

Jul 7, 2021

Last Friday, July 2, the Atlanta Braves hosted the Miami Marlins for the first game of a three-game series, with Pablo Lopez taking the mound for the Marlins against Drew Smyly for the Braves. After Smyly worke...

Should the “Character Clause” Only Be Invoked for Bad Character?

Jeff J. Snider

Feb 4, 2021

Atlanta Braves, Features, Hall of Fame

Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Dale Murphy Hall of Fame Case When it comes to voting for the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the discourse each year is less and less about a player's on-field ...

There’s Room for Compromise Between MLB and Union — If Anyone is Interested

Jeff J. Snider

Feb 2, 2021

Features, Major League Baseball

In most situations, blame or credit can accurately be apportioned between multiple parties. If two cars collide, responsibility is divvied up between the drivers -- Driver A was going three miles an hour over t...

No One Has Been a Hall of Famer Longer Than Sandy Koufax

Jeff J. Snider

Jan 19, 2021

Baseball History, Features, Hall of Fame

On January 19, 1972, former Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Just three weeks past his 36th birthday, "The Left Arm of God" became the you...

Sadly, There’s No Photo of the First High-Five

Jeff J. Snider

Jan 18, 2021

Baseball History, Features, Los Angeles Dodgers

If the legends are to be believed, the high-five was invented on October 2, 1977. Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Dusty Baker came into the final weekend of the season sitting on 29 home runs. Thirty homers w...

It’s Not Your Imagination: There Have Been Way Too Many Hall of Fame Deaths This Year

Jeff J. Snider

Dec 3, 2020

Features, Hall of Fame, Headlines, Major League Baseball

I will not be the first one to point out that 2020 has been a unique year, and not in a good way. While there have been good things to happen -- especially for a Dodger fan like me -- both the real world and th...

2020’s Top Ten Gifts for the Baseball Fan in Your Life

Jeff J. Snider

Nov 24, 2020

Features, Hall of Fame, Major League Baseball

The holiday gift-giving season is upon us, and if you're reading this, there's a good change you know (or are) a baseball fan. Whether you're looking for a gift for a loved one or just want something cool to pu...

Garry Templeton’s Disappearing — and Reappearing — Record

Jeff J. Snider

Feb 11, 2020

Baseball History, Features, St. Louis Cardinals, Statistics

UPDATE: We received word on April 17, 2020, that the stats at Retrosheet (and, at some point, Baseball-Reference) will be updated soon to reflect the research in this article. About three years ago, I wrote ...

My Six Favorite Things from Last Night’s Dodgers Comeback

Jeff J. Snider

May 30, 2019

Features, Los Angeles Dodgers, Opinions & Predictions

Last night, as the crowd at Dodger Stadium stood to sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" in the middle of the seventh inning, the Los Angeles Dodgers were down, 8-3, to the New York Mets. The Dodgers hadn't score...

Standardized Performance Bonuses: A Startlingly Simple Way to Pay Good, Young Players

Jeff J. Snider

May 8, 2019

Features, Opinions & Predictions

I've had a lot of ideas lately. Back in February, I wrote about five little tweaks I'd like to see made to Major League Baseball, including at least one or two that I was 100 percent serious about. In March, I ...

Author Jeff J. Snider