by Ken Napzok “I’m out it for a little while and everybody gets delusions of grandeur.” – Han Solo, hero and scoundrel. My apologies. I was a little out of sync and finished the month’s third column a little later than planned due to an illness and a car accident. I’m fine. My 2004 Camry is not. I returned to the fold having missed most … Continue reading THE BIG HIT | Punishment Time
by Ken Napzok Ha. I mean, really now. Haha. The most bizarre and troubling baseball offseason in most recent memory has finally come to a close. Pitchers and catchers have reported to camps. Yasiel Puig is still looking for work. And it’s time to not just look ahead — but move ahead. But… yeah…. wow. The crown jewel trade of Mookie Betts and David Price … Continue reading THE BIG HIT | What The Forkball?
by Ken Napzok Have you ever heard that ole’ proverb about the two bulls standing on a hill? You know the one. The two bulls are staring down into a pretty green pasture full of beautiful cows. So, like, the young bull says to the old bull… what does he say… oh yeah… I want to run down this hill and f**k one of them … Continue reading THE BIG HIT | Dodgers Win the Offseason
by Ken Napzok “That escalated quickly.” – Ron Burgundy, legendary newsman. We all saw this storm forming far off the coast, but we just didn’t know how hard it was going to smack the shoreline. Then it hit and the winds of scandal, drama, gossip, and good ole fashion conspiracy theories slammed into the sport with the speed and ferocity of Pete Rose breaking Ray … Continue reading THE BIG HIT | So Much for a Quiet Offseason
Rob Manfred has spoken. Houston Astro General Manager Jeff Luhnow and Field Manager AJ Hinch have been suspended for a year without pay. The club had their 1st and 2nd round picks in the next two amateur drafts (or whenever they next have those picks) whisked away. And a five-million-dollar fine will be collected. This is the official cost for an unprecedented sign stealing operation … Continue reading Houston Astros Penalized in Cheating Scandal but was it Enough?
by Ken Napzok Baseball. Cheating. The timeless game and the eternal sin. Since the dawn of the game, no matter how rudimentary of a state the sport was in, cheating has been present. In fact, it just might be fair to say that baseball and cheating have one of the longest, most functional relationships in history. Love gurus and relationship therapists should whip out their … Continue reading THE BIG HIT | The Legacy of Cheating
By Ken Napzok THE BIG HIT It’s the baseball award season! So gather ‘round, friends, and let’s get ready to crown the legends of 2019 and lock them away forever. All votes are in (and have been since the regular season ended), so let’s start looking at the players currently clearing space on the shelves of their dens. By the time this column falls into … Continue reading THE BIG HIT | It’s Award Season
by Ken Napzok The greatest moment of the 2019 baseball season did not take place on a Major League field. There wasn’t a multi-million dollar stadium full of fans watching and it was not broadcast on a major network with Joe Buck’s voice taking us through it. It was not in the World Series or down the stretch run days of September. There was no … Continue reading THE BIG HIT | The Greatest Baseball Moment of the 2019 Season
By Ken Napzok When I was a kid obsessed with the game, rooting for my heroes, and dreaming about taking the field myself, the Sporting News put out a couple of books called The Series: An Illustrated History of Baseball’s Postseason Showcase. The first one I procured was after the 1990 World Series and they updated it each year for a few seasons. (So go … Continue reading THE BIG HIT | The Story Has Been Told
by Ken Napzok Though I am very well-studied in baseball history (I think I’ve watched the third inning of Ken Burns baseball 42 times alone) and there is nothing more historic than the World Series. Every at-bat is history in the making. It’s a living document that connects the present day all the way back to the first series in 1903. And though I am … Continue reading THE BIG HIT | The 5 things the Astros and Nationals need to do to win the World Series
