Twins = wins times ten, British baseball news, All Star Nominations and book reviews

Lots going on in baseball this week on both sides of the Atlantic and lots going on at BaseballGB.co.uk : MLB news and comments, All Star Game nominations, British baseball, European baseball, fantasy baseball and book reviews.

‘Weekly’ Hit Ground Ball 2008 – Week Thirteen – The Twins’ winning streak comes under the BaseballGB microscope.

All Star Game 2008 – Third basemen – Two difficult choices.  Or maybe not.

Strike Four: Adventures in European Baseball by Jeff Archer – Joe Gray reviews a little-known book about an American’s experience of baseball in Europe.

BBF Baseball Bulletin and European baseball news - The British Baseball Federation kindly provides us with news of what’s been happening in British baseball (and softball) over the last couple of months, as well as giving us a ‘heads up’ on what’s on the horizon.  All in one pdf.

New name for British baseball’s top flight - News of a welcome change to avoid ‘National League’ confusion in the future.

All Star Game 2008 – Second basemen - Keystone considerations.

All Star Game 2008 – First basemen and DH - Who deserves to be manning first base at Yankee Stadium on  15 July?

A Starter For Ten - The latest installment on a Fantasy baseball challenge. 

News from the National League - What happened in the British league last weekend?  The answer can be found with one click on your left mouse button.

Weaver on Strategy by Earl Weaver with Terry Pluto - A book review of this classic on the art of in-game baseball strategy.

Sackings, switch-hitting and spending money

‘Weekly’ Hit Ground Ball 2008 – Week Twelve – Three managers are sacked.  One GM goes and maybe two more will follow? 

Switch-hit meets Switch-pitch – Highlighting the story of the Yankee’s minor league pitcher Pat Venditte

Beckhams get all the money – The Rays signed their number one pick for a lot of money, which can’t help but seem a little strange to British fans used to players having success at the professional level before banking millions.

Bash Brothers, Bronx Bombers, and Baseball in Europe – Plenty of baseball books are set to be released in the near future.  Here’s a rundown of some of the most appealing.

Switch-hitting cricketers – Kevin Pieterson’s switch-hit casued a stir this week and also showed how baseball and cricket have a fair amount in common.

Griffey’s ball, MLB in Europe, British baseball history and Book reviews

‘Weekly’ Hit Ground Ball 2008 – Week Eleven – Griffey is ‘the Natural’.  What does that make Bonds?  And no surprises that there’s a legal battle over the 600 ball. 

Rangers and Runs – If you like seeing runs, you’ll like watching the Rangers.

Brewers’ European ‘tryout’ camps – MLB takes a look at baseball talent in Europe.

Fantasy dreams - Sam Walker took on the experts in Tout Wars.  This is a much more modest challenge, but there could be a prize at the end of it (and a mention on TV!). 

National League: Eagles eye first finals - A look back at the results from last weekend’s round of British National League games, with an eye towards the Final Four tournament.

Watching Baseball Smarter by Zack Hample - A book review of this Amazon.com/.co.uk favourite

British Baseball history news - It’s just not cricket?  True, but baseball has more links with the sport than many would realise.  Read about a proposed exhibition on this topic that will be on display at Lords and also in Cooperstown in the future.  Also, MLB.com has made a film about baseball’s past, with particular reference to its British roots.  Find out more by clicking the link.

The Official Rules of Baseball Illustrated by David Nemec -  A book review of this title.

Amateur draft, bench-clearing brawls and British League news

This past week at BaseballGB.co.uk :

‘Weekly’ Hit Ground Ball 2008 – Week Ten – Baseball pitchers deliberately hitting batters and how this compares to cricket.

Yankee upstaged by statistical oddity – 6 for 6, or four 2-1’s in a row?  You decide.

More on Condensed Games and Clickable Linescores – Extolling the virtues of two great features on MLB.com that have (thankfully) reappeared this week.

Amateur Player draft 2008 – A British commentary on all three hours of the first round of the Player draft.

Condensed Games are back – MLB.com answer the prayers of many MLB.tv subscribers by bringing back this much-loved feature.

The day before – Looking ahead to the draft once again

2008 Amateur draft preview – no cryptic titles here, a brief preview of the draft.

National League: home runs rain down on London  - Joe Gray’s review of last weekend’s action in the British National League, with particular emphasis on the home run race.

News from the Netherlands  – Bench clearing brawls, suspensions and surgeons.

Bruce, Bonds, Book Reviews and Pete Doherty

This week at BaseballGB.co.uk:

‘Weekly’ Hit Ground Ball 2008 – Week Nine – Jay Bruce is leading the Reds’ revolution.

The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball by Tom M Tango, Mitchel G Lichtman, and Andrew E Dolphin – A book review of The Book

Foam bats and Kool-Aid, Bands, Balco and Bonds – Steve Bartley compares ‘loveable drug addict’ Pete Doherty to the case of Barry Bonds.

Hitting streaks in 7-inning and 9-inning baseball – Inspired by the book review below, Joe Gray conducts an analysis of hitting streaks and how they relate to the seven inning baseball seen in Britain.

Joe DiMaggio: The Hero’s Life by Richard Ben Cramer – A book review of a great biography about a truly great ballplayer

Billy Beane interview  – links to and comments on the three-part interview conducted by Athletics Nation with the A’s GM.

National League: brief update from Bank Holiday weekend – results from last weekend’s British National League games