ClimbingSky

Why Baseball, Books, and the Grateful Dead matter


mlb

  • Cal Raleigh and Yankee Bias

    Cal Raleigh finished the season with 60 Home Runs. He managed to do this while he caught the third most innings of any catcher in the Major Leagues in 2025. In spite of all of that, the AL MVP award this year went to Yankees’ oaf, Aaron Judge. Modern baseball metrics are powerful tools, but they are not neutral. Read more

  • Now that a month has passed and the regular season dust has fully settled, it is time to look at a few of the 2025 Regular Season numbers that contributed to a poor season for my Local 9, the Minnesota Twins. Let’s start with one of my favorite plays in baseball, the Sacrifice Bunt. Last Read more

  • Last September here, I wrote a post about my attempt to understand and appreciate the “new” baseball stat of WAR, or Wins Above Replacement. Here is a link to that article. Now, after a year more of struggling to understand it and why it has become so widely accepted, here is how I am thinking Read more

  • 2025 Baseball Diary

    It has been another great season for me watching baseball this year. Here is what 2025 looked like for me for In-Person Baseball : 2025 BASEBALL DIARY April 16th – Target Field, Minneapolis, MinnesotaMinnesota Twins 4 – 3 New York Mets (10th Inning victory) May 9th – Target Field, Minneapolis, MinnesotaMinnesota Twins 3 – 1 San Read more

  • A Rough Season

    Today is the final game of 2025 for my Local Nine, the Minnesota Twins. It was rough season that led to a salary dump at the trade deadline. What Went Wrong? What Went Well? What Does Next Year Promise? I for one can’t wait! Read more

  • A Weird Way to End the Season

    For the most part, inter-league play is one of the best ideas that Major League Baseball ever came up with. But having said that, for some reason the American League Central Division Minnesota Twins are ending their season this year with a 3-game series at the National League Eastern Division Philadelphia Phillies. That makes no Read more

  • When I tune into an away game and see that Byron Buxton is batting leadoff for my local nine, the Minnesota Twins, I always feel like the Twinkies have a chance. Nothing sets the tone of a game like a 1-0 start. As readers of ClimbingSky may know, my favorite leadoff hitter of all time, Read more

  • James “Red” Bird

    On September 17th, 1921, James “Red” Bird, at the age of 31, pitched in his first and last Major League game for the Washington Senators. Red Bird was born in Stephenville, Texas, on April 25th, 1890. Today Stephenville, in North-Central Texas, has a population of 20,000. In 1890, when Red was born, it had less Read more

  • Mickey Tettleton

    On September 16th, 1960, catcher Mickey “Fruit Loops” Tettleton was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Mickey Tettleton came up with the OAKLAND Athletics in 1984. He is primarily remembered though as a Detroit Tiger. In his 14 year career he also played for the Baltimore Orioles and the Texas Rangers. Tettleton’s nickname was “Fruit Loops.” Read more

  • Joe Nuxhall

    On June 10th, 1944, pitcher Joe Nuxhall of the Cincinnati Reds became the youngest player in major-league history. Nuxhall, only 15 years, ten months old, pitched one-third of an inning in an 18-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. He managed to give up five walks and two hits before manager Bill McKechnie took him out. I am not Read more