defector-orange-no-empty-space

lede_post_card_default

lede_post_card_stacked

lede_post_card_featured_post

lede_post_card_featured_posts_hero

lede_post_card_featured_posts_sidebar

lede_post_card_highlighted_post

lede_post_card_horizontal_a

lede_post_card_horizontal_c

lede_post_card_related_post

lede_article_featured_16x9

lede_article_featured_3x2

lede_article_featured_flexible

lede_article_content

lede_article_content_wide_width

lede_article_content_full_width

lede_byline_avatar_post_card

lede_byline_avatar_highlight

lede_profile_coral_avatar

lede_logo

lede_logo_banner

lede_logo_footer_banner

lede_logo_simple_header

lede_sponsorship_logo

lede_sponsorship_logo_river_card

lede_sponsorship_homepage_card_logo

lede_sponsorship_homepage_card

Footer Legal

Header - Categories

Header Menu

The last good website.

Topics

This is Defector, a new sports blog and media company. We made this place together, we own it together, we run it together. Without access, without favor, without discretion, and without interference.

defector-no-empty-space

Defector

The Defector Crewneck Sweatshirt Is Back In Stock

back-in-stock-for-a-limited-time

Merch v3

Profile Pic

Chris Thompson

A much younger Juan Soto celebrates a dinger in the Nationals dugout.

Juan Soto’s Megadeal Ends A Long Goodbye

Patrick Dubuque is a writer and editor at Baseball Prospectus.

Patrick Dubuque

American baseball pitcher Wilbur Wood, of the Chicago White Sox, demonstrates his 'knuckle ball' at the club's Comiskey Park stadium in Chicago, Illinois, 30th July 1973.

Wilbur Wood, American Baseball Pitcher

The Last Pitcher

-b9trzb

Lauren Theisen

A Delta Air Lines banner ad for Pride Night is seen behind Casey Mize #12 of the Detroit Tigers as he pitches

Detroit Tigers v Atlanta Braves

End MLB Pride Nights

image

Kathryn Xu

World Series – Los Angeles Dodgers v. New York Yankees – Game Five

Shohei Ohtani Reverse Tungsten-Arms His Way Into A World Series Ring

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 30: Tommy Edman #25 of the Los Angeles Dodgers scores the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Mookie Betts #50 during the eighth inning of Game Five of the 2024 World Series against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on October 30, 2024 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

World Series – Los Angeles Dodgers v New York Yankees – Game 5

The Humble Sac Fly Wins Championships

Will Smith #16 of the Los Angeles Dodgers tags out Giancarlo Stanton #27 of the New York Yankees at home plate.

World Series – Los Angeles Dodgers v New York Yankees – Game 3

If This World Series Ends In A Sweep, I Will Launch The Yankees Into The Sun

ratto-ray_400x400

Ray Ratto

CHIMCHIME, ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES - 2024/10/13: (EDITORS NOTE: Image taken with drone) In this aerial view, the domed roof at Tropicana Field, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays, is seen ripped to shreds from Hurricane Miltonís powerful winds in St. Petersburg. The storm passed through the area on October 10, 2024, making landfall as a Category 3 hurricane in Siesta Key, Florida. (Photo by Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

(EDITORS NOTE: Image taken with drone) In this aerial view,

Where Should The Rays Play?

Max Muncy of the Los Angeles Dodgers watches his home run sail out to right field in Game 3 of the NLCS in New York.

Championship Series – Los Angeles Dodgers v New York Mets – Game 3

The Dodgers Are More Than Advertised

Mark Vientos rounds first base after hitting a grand slam

New York Mets defeated the New York Mets 7-3 to win game 2 of the NLCS.

Mark Vientos Blew The Dodgers Away

A screenshot of Thursday's game on TNT, showing the action pushed over to the left side of the screen.

Thursday View 2

MLB’s Television Product Is Getting Shittier In Exciting New Ways

Division Series – Philadelphia Phillies v New York Mets – Game 4

Francisco Lindor Has Been Waiting Years For This

San Diego Padres mascot Swinging Friar poses with a "Beat LA" sign

Division Series – Los Angeles Dodgers v. San Diego Padres – Game Three

Don’t Underestimate The Power Of Spite

Fernando Tatis Jr. of the Padres screams triumphantly in the outfield at the end of his team's Game 3 win in the National League Divisional Series on October 8, 2024.

The Padres Keep Getting Louder

MLB: OCT 07 ALDS Tigers at Guardians

Tarik Skubal Didn’t Need Much Help

Visual Editor. Runs <a href="http://defectorstore.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">defectorstore.com</a>. Philadelphia-based, if you couldn’t tell.

DFmBbTQF_400x400

Dan McQuade

VictorPortraitWClaw

David Roth

Businessmen stop and watch a televised Phillies Mets game on a Zenith TV on May 08, 1963.

ny-businessmen-watch-game

A Phillies/Mets NLDS Preview, In The Classic Shopping Mall Format

Dave McKenna

An illustration of a little league baseball player trying to swing an oversized gavel as parents look on

Little League

Life's Rich Pageant

A Very Ugly Year In The Life Of A D.C. Little League

Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres celebrates after hitting a two run home run against AJ Smith-Shawver #32 of the Atlanta Braves.

atlantaBravesLOSEpadres

Well Well Well, Not So Bad To Have A First-Round Bye Now, Is It

The Detroit Tigers celebrate after beating the Astros

Wild Card Series – Detroit Tigers v. Houston Astros – Game Two

They Let The Cats Get Hot!!

Jorge Soler of the Braves smokes a cigar after his team clinched a playoff berth.

Jorge Soler

The Shambling, Half-Dead Braves Have Gone Far Enough

Boston Red Sox 2B Vaughn Grissom slides to home plate past the tag by Tampa Bay Rays C Logan Driscoll in the third inning.

red-Sox-Rays-Flop!

The 81-81 Red Sox Weren’t The Most Mediocre Team Of The Season

Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds dives head first into home plate during a game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field during the early 1970s in Chicago

Cincinnati Reds v Chicago Cubs

Pete Rose, All-American

Members of the New York Mets celebrate after defeating the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on Monday, September 30, 2024.

New York Mets v. Atlanta Braves

The Mets And Braves Played All Summer In A Day

Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers after hitting a single against the San Diego Padres in the sixth inning at Dodger Stadium.

ohtani5050baseball

Shohei Ohtani Ends His Season Dismantling The Entire Concept Of The Decimal System

Matt Thaiss of the Los Angeles Angels strikes out swinging during the fifth inning against the Chicago White Sox on September 26,2024. His helmet's all wonky on his head.

MLB: SEP 26 Angels at White Sox

Woof, The Angels

<a href="https://twitter.com/johnwilmeswords">John Wilmes</a> is a writer and professor in Chicago. His work has appeared in The Ringer, GQ, Chicago Reader, and The New Republic, among other places. He is the author of the novella Jad&#8217;s Dad Milo.

John Wilmes

Andrew Benintendi gives a kind of grim looking thumbs-up in profile after completing a TV interview following his walk-off hit in the Chicago White Sox's win on September 24.

baseball