Tom Gibbons, Author at Baseball Essential

Idea: Return to the Split Season of 1981, but Intentionally

May 10, 2021

This is an idea I’ve been toying with for decades, a revamp that I think would add excitement and drama to the MLB regular season. ESPN has already made a deal to televise an expanded postseason. The players...

A season is a season, but a game isn’t a game when it comes to no-hitters

Tom Gibbons

May 3, 2021

Headlines, Major League Baseball

It was called "The Year of the No-Hitter." The 1990 season saw nine no-hitters thrown in MLB, eclipsing the previous high of seven in 1917 by one. That last sentence doesn’t add up, does it? Keep reading. Th...

The Padres’ first no-hitter should have come in 1982

Tom Gibbons

Apr 19, 2021

Baseball History, Features, Headlines

San Diego Padres fans had to wait 52 years for the franchise’s first no-hitter -- about 39 years too long, the way I see it. On June 2, 1982, Juan Eichelberger was credited with throwing a one-hitter in a 3...

The Sounds of Silence: No Radio in the Bay Area for Oakland Athletics Games

Tom Gibbons

Jul 23, 2020

Major League Baseball, Media, Oakland Athletics, Radio

The Oakland Athletics added a wrinkle to this already weird season, becoming the first MLB team since 1938 to have no local radio broadcasts of games in English. They still employ Ken Korach and Vince Cotro...

Takeaways from this year’s Hall of Fame voting

Tom Gibbons

Jan 23, 2020

Hall of Fame, Headlines

1. Schilling is not a slam dunk to get in Curt Schilling reached the 70% mark in the BBWAA voting announced Jan. 21. Historical voting patterns indicate that if you get that close and have time left on the bal...

The Face of the Rockies, Nolan Arenado, is Wearing a Scowl

Tom Gibbons

Jan 22, 2020

Colorado Rockies, Major League Baseball, Opinions & Predictions

The Colorado Rockies signed third baseman Nolan Arenado to an eight-year, $260 million deal before the 2019 season, and both sides have reason to be unhappy less than a year later. Arenado wants out. And...

The Shocking Part of the Sign-Stealing Scandal? Someone Was Punished

Tom Gibbons

Jan 19, 2020

Hall of Fame, Houston Astros, Major League Baseball, Opinions & Predictions

Gaylord Perry was 35 and had pitched 12 seasons in the big leagues when he decided to make a stunning confession in an autobiography, writing: “On May 31, 1964, I became an outlaw in the strictest sense of the ...

A play for its time: Ron Swoboda’s catch in the 1969 World Series

Tom Gibbons

Oct 24, 2019

Baseball History, Features, Hall of Fame, New York Mets

For baseball fans of a certain age, the play is etched into our memories. It is the top of the ninth inning of Game 4 of the 1969 World Series. Brooks Robinson of the Baltimore Orioles hits a drive that lo...

DJ LeMahieu and Ketel Marte Show How Versatility is Now a Virtue in MLB

Tom Gibbons

Jul 19, 2019

Major League Baseball, Opinions & Predictions

The All-Star Game is a showcase for baseball's best players. This year it also served as a showcase for a trend: versatility. The starting second baseman for each team, the Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte ...

Montreal-Tampa Bay Idea is Nuts, But the Shared-Franchise Model Might Fly Elsewhere for MLB

Tom Gibbons

Jul 8, 2019

Major League Baseball, Opinions & Predictions

There’s a common plot point in TV shows and movies that are billed as “madcap comedies,’’ where one character comes up with a stupid idea and another character says, “That’s just crazy enough that it might work...

Author Tom Gibbons