Andrew Kerth 
ERA is one of the first numbers you see next to a pitcher’s name, and one of the most important stats in baseball. But what actually counts as a “good” ERA? A 3.50 might be excellent for one pitcher and merely average for another, because the answer depends on the era, the level of play, … Read more
From Little League dugouts to the Major Leagues, the baseball cap is one of the most recognizable pieces of equipment in all of sports. Every player wears one, every game, and the design has barely changed in over a century. But have you ever stopped to ask why? Why do baseball players wear hats, are … Read more
The dugout is one of the most familiar sights in baseball, the team’s home base during a game, where players wait to bat, coaches plot strategy, and managers argue with umpires. But how big is a dugout, exactly? It turns out the answer is not as simple as a single official number, and it varies … Read more
If you have watched a Major League Baseball game go to extra innings in the last few years, you have seen something that would have baffled fans a decade ago: the moment the 10th inning begins, a runner is suddenly standing on second base, even though nobody hit, walked, or reached. This is the “ghost … Read more
Tennis’s most storied list has its newest entry, and it’s a repeat one — Jannik Sinner defended his title, joining the Wimbledon gentlemen’s singles champions, a roll call running from Rod Laver through Borg’s five straight, Sampras’s seven, Federer’s record eight, and the Alcaraz-Sinner handover of the last three years. Jannik Sinner defends against Alexander … Read more
Get to a ballpark early and you will see the warmup ritual every team runs through: position players stretching their arms out to 90 feet and back, pitchers airing it out in long toss until the ball is carrying 300 feet across the grass. It is one of the few moments when you see just … Read more
A team can play a night game on the East Coast, then show up for a day game on the West Coast the very next afternoon. Over a 162-game season spread across the entire country, that kind of schedule only works with serious travel logistics. But the way a team gets from city to city … Read more
Major League teams play it safe with names like the Yankees, Dodgers, and Cardinals. The minor leagues? They threw the rulebook out the window and decided to have some fun. Down on the farm, you will find teams named after trash-eating raccoons, jumbo shrimp, flying squirrels, and prairie dogs, and the wilder the name, the … Read more
In the late innings of a close game, with the season on the line, a manager will sometimes send a fresh face to the plate in place of a struggling hitter. That substitute is a pinch hitter, and the move is one of baseball’s most dramatic and strategic weapons. Some of the most famous moments … Read more
Major League Baseball has 30 teams, but they are far from evenly spread across the country. A handful of states pack in multiple clubs, while most states have none at all, and some of America’s biggest cities are still waiting for a team. So which states actually have MLB teams, which ones do not, and … Read more