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

defector-present-wrapping-logo-gift-subscription-250fixed

winter 2023 gift (eyebrow)

The Defector Crewneck Sweatshirt Is Back In Stock

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

Merch v3

image

Kathryn Xu

Shota Imanaga #18 of the Chicago Cubs looks on from the dugout prior to the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Chicago Cubs.

shotaImanagaAppreciationHours3

Now Let Us Praise Shota Imanaga

New York Mets v Philadelphia Phillies

Toward A Better Or At Least Different Way Of Determining “Record Vs. Winning Teams”

Ronel Blanco #56 is walked off the field by Joe Espada #19 of the Houston Astros after being ejected in the fourth inning against the Oakland Athletics.

ronel-blanco-ejection

The Gunk Inspectors Have Nabbed Ronel Blanco And Seized His Glove

Profile Pic

Chris Thompson

The Sucky Cardinals Are Headed Into Unfamiliar But Well-Charted Waters

-b9trzb

Lauren Theisen

MLB: MAY 11 Cubs at Pirates

Maybe Paul Skenes Can Pitch In Relief Too?

James Wood rounds the bases after hitting a spring training home run.

James-Wood

Please Give Us James Wood Now, Before Joey Gallo’s Shoulder Un-Kerplodes

VictorPortraitWClaw

David Roth

Willson Contreras of the St. Louis Cardinals reacts/screams after getting hit with a J.D. Martinez swing in a game on May 7, 2024.

New York Mets v St. Louis Cardinals

Willson Contreras Broke His Arm In The Small Margins

Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates a two-run home run against the Miami Marlins.

Miami Marlins v Los Angeles Dodgers

Oh No! Shohei Ohtani Now Gets To Hit With Runners On Base!

Paul Skenes

Please Give Us Paul Skenes Now, Before His Elbow Kerplodes

2019-01-01 00:15:14.989

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Jackson Holliday #7 of the Baltimore Orioles looks on during batting practice prior to a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 12, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Milwaukee Brewers v Baltimore Orioles

Here’s How The White Sox Can Still Lose 100 Games, But In An Interesting Way

<div class="r43lxo-0 gqfcxx js_post-content">
<p class="sc-77igqf-0 bOfvBY">Vince Guerrieri is an award-winning journalist and author in the Cleveland area. He likes Lake Erie perch sandwiches, Jim Traficant and long walks on the field at League Park. His website is <a class="sc-1out364-0 hMndXN sc-145m8ut-0 kGbjEv js_link" href="http://vinceguerrieri.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-ga="[[&quot;Embedded Url&quot;,&quot;External link&quot;,&quot;http://vinceguerrieri.com/&quot;,{&quot;metric25&quot;:1}]]">vinceguerrieri.com</a>, and you can follow him on Twitter <a class="sc-1out364-0 hMndXN sc-145m8ut-0 kGbjEv js_link" href="https://twitter.com/vinceguerrieri" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-ga="[[&quot;Embedded Url&quot;,&quot;External link&quot;,&quot;https://twitter.com/vinceguerrieri&quot;,{&quot;metric25&quot;:1}]]">@vinceguerrieri</a>.</p>
</div>
<div class="sc-18b1b2r-5 eTUqHn">
<div></div>
</div>


uqhSRJSi_400x400

Vince Guerrieri

Wally and a participant in Major League Memories.

Wally

The Therapeutic Value Of Remembering Some Guys

José Altuve

Hold Off On Judging The Floundering Astros, Or Judge Away!

Garrett Crochet #45 of the Chicago White Sox delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Target Field on April 24, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

garrettCrochetWhiteSoxTwins

Here’s How The White Sox Can Still Win At Least 63 Games

Ranger Suárez #55 of the Philadelphia Phillies throws a pitch in the top of the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Citizens Bank Park on April 16, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

rangerSuarezHonestMan

Ranger Suárez Will Not Lie To You

Anthony Volpe #11 of the New York Yankees reacts after a call made by home plate umpire umpire Angel Hernandez #5 during the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at Yankee Stadium.

angelHernandezUmpire

This May Be Hard To Believe, But It Gets Even Worse Than Ángel Hernández

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 25: Interpreter Ippei Mizuhara of the Los Angeles Angels looks on against the New York Mets at Citi Field on August 25, 2023 in New York City. The Angels defeated the Mets 3-1. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Angels v New York Mets

The Wildest Stuff Alleged In The Criminal Complaint Against Ippei Mizuhara

Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers, pictured with his translator, Ippei Mizuhara, prepares for a game against the Chicago White Sox at Camelback Ranch.

Chicago White Sox v Los Angeles Dodgers

Not Even An Ippei Mizuhara Guilty Plea Will Take MLB Off The Hook

Blood pressure going up? New York – Goggle-eyed, this Dodger fan tears his hair and clenches a cigar to bits in his teeth as he listens to the battle

MLB’s Radio Streams Still Suck

<p>A Rockies fan by birth and a White Sox fan by geographic proximity, Annie Howard spends her non-suffering sports moments ardently rooting for the Nuggets and the Orioles.</p>


image_67179777

Annie Howard

an aerial view of an empty Guaranteed Rate Field

Ballparks Remain Empty On What Would Have Been Baseball’s Opening Day

How To Fix Chicago’s White Sox–Shaped Black Hole

Astros pitcher Ronel Blanco strikes a prayerful gesture after getting the last out of his no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays on April 1, 2024.

Toronto Blue Jays v Houston Astros

The More Random The Pitcher, The Better The No-Hitter

Shohei Ohtani strikes out in an uncharacteristically undistinguished and unflattering way against the San Francisco Giants. The Distraction logo is at upper right.

San Francisco Giants v Los Angeles Dodgers

Podcasts

Subtraction By Subtraction, With Ray Ratto

Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies salutes the crowd after the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Citizens Bank Park.

Cincinnati Reds v Philadelphia Phillies

A Homers-Only Diet Suits Bryce Harper Just Fine

<div dir="ltr">
<div>Zach Buchanan has covered Major League Baseball for more than a decade, for the <em>Arizona Republic</em>, <em>Cincinnati Enquirer,</em> and most recently The Athletic. He also has been published in <em>The New York Times</em>, <em>Washington Post</em>, FanGraphs and <em>Baseball America</em>. He lives in Phoenix, where he prepares for the inevitable water crisis by living off Dr Pepper instead.</div>
</div>
<div class="yj6qo ajU"></div>


zb_background

Zach Buchanan

WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 15: Houston Astros hitting coach Troy Snitker watches infielder Grae Kessinger hit in the cages during workouts for Houston Astros pitchers and catchers at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

Astros Spring Training Day 2

How Do Coaches Coach When Players Have Their Own Guys?

A screenshot of an ESPN broadcast, featuring a live win probability graphic displaying a 35-percent Dodgers win probability, and Chris Taylor making a beaver face.

chrisTaylorWinProbability2

ESPN’s Win Probability Graphic Wants To Give You Gambling Brain

Garrett Crochet #45 of the Chicago White Sox throws in the first inning of the Opening Day game against the Detroit Tigers.

Detroit Tigers v Chicago White Sox

Chicago White Sox Make Opening Day History (Derogatory)

baseball