Too Soon…To Panic?

Too Soon…To Panic?

I worked on a movie that came out last week (note: you should see it, it is really funny). The premise of the film is that three parents venture out to stop their daughters from losing their virginity on prom night. As we confront this over-protectiveness, we are forced to grapple with the question: “How soon is too soon?”…

By Dan Freedman May 2, 2018 0

California Tie-Breaker: Not the End of the World

California Tie-Breaker: Not the End of the World

If you have ever coached a youth tournament game, you are familiar with the California Tie-Breaker. The genesis of the name is unknown, but one must assume it got its moniker on the fields of the Golden State because more youth baseball is played there than anywhere else. For the uninitiated, the California Tie-Breaker works…

By Dan Freedman May 2, 2018 0

2018 Season Preview: Oakland Athletics

2018 Season Preview: Oakland Athletics

It’s a beautiful Saturday night in April, and you can think of ten different places you would rather be. But propriety and parental obligation find you walking into your kid’s school spring fundraiser. You do a quick assessment of the bar to the left (they gave you two whole drink tickets for your $65 admission…

By Dan Freedman May 2, 2018 0

The Call

The Call

There was a blood red moon – fitting he thought – which brightened the sky and symbolized this glorious moment. The road ahead – as far as the eye could see – was straight and dark. The hum of the tires could not drown out the cacophony in his head. Just a little while ago,…

By Dan Freedman February 11, 2018 0

Hall Worthy: You Decide

Hall Worthy: You Decide

  My father has his own blog. In it, he writes his thoughts, feelings, and opinions, and concludes with “that is my take – you decide.” I have always thought this a clever writing tool, as you make the reader an active participant. So, as with apples and trees, I want to let you decide.…

By Dan Freedman January 19, 2018 0

Free Agency Has Begun: The QO Rule

Free Agency Has Begun: The QO Rule

Last year I wrote about the Qualifying Offer (“QO”) rule, and how it affected player mobility. And just when you thought you had a handle on how it worked, the owners and players went ahead and renegotiated the CBA. In the process, they bolloxed up the QO in a way that hardly anyone can comprehend. However, if you…

By Dan Freedman November 17, 2017 0

Roy Halladay: 1997-2017

Roy Halladay: 1997-2017

I have suffered a great deal of loss in my years. I have attended more funerals, and delivered more eulogies, than most people do in a lifetime. And when someone dies, we, as a society, have an immediate reflex to turn the deceased into a saint, a hero, a flawless soul who graced this mortal…

By Dan Freedman November 17, 2017 0

It’s Better to Be Lucky Than Good (or Smart)

It’s Better to Be Lucky Than Good (or Smart)

The Dodgers and the Astros are two of the most analytically-driven organizations operating in baseball today. Andrew Friedman has a background in finance, and ran the low-budget Rays for years on a diet of limited dollars and copious spreadsheets. Jeff Luhnow came to the Astros (from the Cardinals) in 2011, armed with degrees in Economics…

By Dan Freedman November 6, 2017 0