January 9, 2012: Larkin Heads to Cooperstown: Today, Cincinnati Reds shortstop Barry Larkin joined Chicago Cubs third baseman Ron Santo as players inducted to the 2012 class of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Both Larkin (2010) and Santo (2006) gained entry into the Baseball Evolution Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility.


Jeff Bagwell increased his voting percentage from 41% in 2011 to 56% in 2012, his awesome lifetime numbers offsetting the controversy of his era. Jack Morris, who received two-thirds of the vote up from 53.5% last year, has two more seasons of Hall of Fame eligibility. His lackluster career numbers are being offset by feel-good intangibles.

The 2011 Giants: Defending the Title - Rarely do teams have a chance to do what the San Francisco Giants had a chance to do last season, which was to repeat as World Series Champions. The colorful Band of Misfits, that together had accomplished what no one else believed they could, had returned almost entirely intact and no one else in the NL West appeared to be an insurmountable threat.

It was easy to be optimistic in April, but things soon changed. Richard thoroughly dissects what went right and what went wrong in 2011 before suggesting what to do next for 2012.

2011: The Year of the Comeback - Jacoby Ellsbury and Lance Berkman were both very deserving of the Comeback Player of the Year Awards they received last week, but they had more competition than you may realize. The 2011 season saw the largest field of Comeback Award-worthy players in recent memory, led by NL MVP favorite Matt Kemp.

2011 NLDS Preview: Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Milwaukee Brewers - The Milwaukee Brewers won their first division title in 29 years. The Arizona Diamondbacks had a .424 winning percentage in their last 465 games before winning a division title this season. Clearly, this is a matchup of two of the more unlikely division champs in the annals of baseball.


Both teams have a good balance of offense versus defense. Both teams have been incredibly good in one-run games. Both teams benefit greatly from having their fifth starter made irrelevant by a five-game series. Both teams have a dominant back-end of their bullpen. Neither team has a wealth of postseason experience. So who the heck comes out on top?