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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.

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Defector

Protect The Head That Reads Defector

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Merch v3

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Ray Ratto

APR 28 1968; READY FOR ROCKET-TICKET CAMPAIGN; Jack Grunwald, right, will serve as general chairman of the Denver Rockets' season-ticket drive that will be launched with an organizational dinner meeting for 60 area businessmen Monday evening at the Denver Athletic Club. Grunwald headed last year's drive that set an ABA high of nearly 700 season tickets. Mapping plans are, from left. Rockets owner J. W. Ringsby, cochairmen Max Moore and Frank Byrne.; (Photo By The Denver Post via Getty Images)

APR 28 1968; READY FOR ROCKET-TICKET CAMPAIGN; Jack Grunwald, right, will serve as general chairman

It’s An Upset That The Nuggets Exist

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Patrick Redford

An engraving depicting Robert Houdin's automaton - chess player. 19th century. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

An engraving depicting Robert Houdin’s automaton – chess player

Chess

A Non-Exhaustive History Of The Theory And Practice Of Cheating In Chess

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David Roth

Marlins reliever Richard Bleier looking incredulous after being called for the last of three straight balks in a game against the Mets on September 27, 2022.

Miami Marlins v New York Mets

Richard Bleier Balked Himself Into Red-Ass History

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Lauren Theisen

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Rays Week

How Seattle Fell In Love With The Worst Hitter On A Doomed Expansion Team

<p>Marc Normandin currently writes on baseball’s labor issues and more at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.marcnormandin.com/">marcnormandin.com</a>, which you can read for free but&nbsp;<a href="https://www.patreon.com/marcnormandin">support through his Patreon</a>. His baseball writing has appeared at SB Nation, Deadspin, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, Sports on Earth, The Guardian, The Nation, and TalkPoverty.</p>


Marc Normandin

An employee rolls out the new Sony PS5 in Japan.

Video Games

Gaming’s All-Digital-Everything Future Threatens To Erase The Past

Antique dueling pistols, on view at The Grange, the home of American Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton in New York, New York, 1933. These pistols were not used in Hamiltons's fatal duel.

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Senators Week

A Somewhat Comprehensive History Of U.S. Senators Who Have Died In Duels

<div id=":g4.ma" class="Mu SP" title="January 26, 2021 at 2:34:42 PM UTC-5" data-tooltip="January 26, 2021 at 2:34:42 PM UTC-5"><span id=":g4.co" class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/GoStevenGoldman">Steven Goldman</a> is a former BP editor-in-chief and current consulting editor. He is the author of the Casey Stengel biography <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Forging-Genius-Making-Casey-Stengel/dp/1574888749">Forging Genius</a> </i>and host of the long-running <a href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/show/the-infinite-inning/"><i>Infinite Inning </i>podcast</a>, which sits at the crossroads of baseball, history, politics, and culture. He also co-hosts the Bob Dylan career retrospective podcast <i><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/everything-is-broken/id1522797671">Everything is Broken</a>, </i>and is one of the panelists on the ongoing baseball and politics podcast <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/say-it-aint-contagious/id1549209775"><i>Say It Ain&#8217;t Contagious</i></a>.</span></div>
<div id=":g5.ma" class="Mu SP" data-tooltip="January 26, 2021 at 2:34:45 PM UTC-5"></div>


Steven Goldman

The late Don Sutton holding three baseballs marked to reflect the 324 games he won during his Hall of Fame career.

National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Don Sutton

The Secret Success Of Don Sutton


<p>Defector visual editor. Runs <a href="http://defectorstore.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">defectorstore.com</a>. Philadelphia-based, if you couldn’t tell. dhm@defector.com</p>


Dan McQuade in front of a march madness basketball court

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Dan McQuade

A collage of newspaper headlines about George Ringo, the Wrestling Beatle. Overlaid with them is a photo of George Ringo from the Los Angeles Times, and another of a poster from an advertisement that says George Ringo, with Jayne Mansfield, manager, vs. Gary Hart

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Pro Wrestling

The Short And Winding Road Of George Ringo, The Wrestling Beatle

Dave McKenna

Elgin Baylor receives award from Lakers

The Case For Elgin Baylor High School

A goat rodeo, with a tweet from Jon Rothstein on it, it says "College basketball scheduling in 2020: Wilder than a goat rodeo"

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College Basketball

Unpacking Jon Rothstein’s Latest Catchphrase, “Wilder Than A Goat Rodeo”

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