BY J.A. SCHWARTZ Fandom. What does it mean to be a fan ? Why do we care so much about the exploits of men and women we don’t know as they play games that have no redeeming social value for our amusement ? We invest our own hard earned money …

BY J.A. SCHWARTZ There are literally hundreds of major league baseball players who qualify as free agents this offseason. With the obvious caveat that no insider information informs these musings, here are my best guesses as to where the top 15 most impactful players will land, and for how much. …

BY J.A. SCHWARTZ From 2011 through 2013, the Houston Astros were the worst team in baseball. They lost 106, 107 and 111 games in that three year stretch, going a combined 162-324. Those results were not entirely unexpected, as the franchise embarked upon a “rebuilding” process that would begin in …

BY J.A. SCHWARTZ Stanford’s Andrew Luck was the top overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft by the Colts. Indianapolis earned the #1 pick in that draft after going 2-14 in 2011, and Luck paid immediate dividends. Starting every game as a rookie, he led the Colts to an 11-5 …

BY J.A. SCHWARTZ What defines success in the eyes of a baseball fan ? There is a heated rivalry between the supporters of the Dodgers and the Giants. Their fan bases are imbued with a deep-rooted contempt for their counterparts. When these two teams and their partisans reflect on the …

BY J.A. SCHWARTZ The New York Yankees come to town to play a three game set with the A’s Tuesday night, bringing with them the best record in baseball and a stranglehold on the AL East division. The A’s continue to battle for a Wild Card berth, one game behind …

BY J.A. SCHWARTZ With Houston enjoying a 9.5 game lead over the A’s and rolling to a third straight division title as they arrive in Oakland for a four game weekend series, the Astros pitching philosophy has become the cornerstone of their sustained success in the AL West. But what …

BY J.A. SCHWARTZ Most of the attention around the trade deadline is rightfully focused on the teams that are in contention for a playoff berth, and whose roster machinations in search of the perfect combination of talent and opportunity drives the news cycles in late July. It was wonderful theatre …

BY J.A. SCHWARTZ With the A’s standing at 61-47, holding the second Wild Card position in the American League, just 1/2 game ahead of Tampa and 7 1/2 games behind the West leading Astros in the division race, Oakland GM Billy Beane has made multiple efforts to strengthen his team’s …

BY J.A. SCHWARTZ The Twins rallied dramatically for two runs in the bottom of the ninth off A’s closer Liam Hendriks Sunday afternoon, winning the final game of the four game set 7-6 in a back and forth affair. Max Kepler drilled the winning hit to left field, following an …