Stealing Home – The Hardball Times

Episode 26: Home Field Advantage

Episode 25: The Things Baseball Brought Us

Episode 24: Randy and Harland

Episode 23: When the Sparrow Sings

Episode 22: Those Other Leagues

Episode 21: The Ones That Got Away

Episode 20: Mascots

Episode 19: Another Beginning

Episode 18: Intrigue!

The latest episode of Stealing Home deals with the presenters, those that are responsible for getting us the game we love in all the formats we need.

Stealing Home returns for Season 2 on a down note, as it were, by looking at some of the big losers in the game of baseball.

Stealing Home returns to full-length episodes by looking at some players, teams, and plays that can be overlooked in baseball. There are many from which to choose, but I look at four.

The bullpen can seem to be a word all its own sometimes, so I spoke with Twins closer Glen Perkins to get the scoop on just what goes on in that little section behind the outfield.

Take the total number of hits, and divide by the total number of at-bats. That's batting average. It's been with the game almost as long as bats and balls. It was adapted from a cricket stat of the same name. For all its faults, it's still the standard measurement for a hitter's ability. If a player leads the league in stolen bases for a season, they are the stolen base leader. Strikeouts, home runs? Same thing. Leader. But batting average is so entrenched in the game, such a litmus test for hitting, that if a player has the best batting average at the end of season, he's not the leader, he's the champion. He owns a batting title.

Episode 12 of Stealing Home deals with three stories from three buildings, all having something to do with the All-Star Game.