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Articles by Bill Chuck
THE SUNDAY BILLY-BALL POST-POSTSEASON POSTS BEGIN
The Billy-Ball post-postseason posts begin today. In today’s edition, we look at the November calendar and share a terrific, timely recollection of a Bob Ryan story from 2000 that you don’t want to miss. Then subscribers can play our quiz, which includes a question from Sen. Tim Kaine, our baseball WORDLE, the Sunday Funnies, and more. Enjoy! Tonight (ESPN, 8:30 p.m.): Rawlings Gold Glove Awards announcement Nov. 2: Louisville Slugger announces Silver Slugger finalists Nov.
GLORY DAYS FOR THE BREWERS
It was 4-1. Both the final game score and the 2026 World Series score between the Brewers and the Rays. The incomparable Sarah Langs told us that these are the catchers who won the World Series MVP: 2026 William Contreras 2015 Salvador Perez 1992 Pat Borders 1983 Rick Dempsey 1982 Darrell Porter 1981 Steve Yeager (co-MVP) 1976 Johnny Bench 1972 Gene Tenace Sarah added that William Contreras and Willson Contreras are the 10th set of brothers to win the World Series (min.
STREAKING TO GAME 4
All games on FOX/FOX Deportes/FOX One at Milwaukee 3, Tampa Bay 2 at Milwaukee 5, Tampa Bay 4 Milwaukee 10, at Tampa Bay 1 Tuesday at Tampa Bay Wednesday at Tampa Bay (if necessary) Friday at Milwaukee (unlikely) Saturday at Milwaukee (enjoy your Halloween) We haven’t seen a World Series sweep since 2012 when the Giants broomed the Tigers. In all best-of-seven postseason series, teams with a 3-0 lead have won 42 of 43 times (98%), with 33 of those series ending in sweeps.
SUNDAY IS A SERIES FUNDAY
Just a reminder: Twenty-six out of the 30 MLB team owners are billionaires. Baseball’s owners seem willing to sacrifice a season if it forces a salary cap and ultimately makes them more money. For context, look to the 2004-05 NHL season, when no regular-season or playoff games were played. The issue was a salary cap. A 4-0 lead, even with your ace on the mound, isn't enough to stop the Brewers. Just ask the Dodgers who thought that their NLCS Game 4 would be like the Red Sox ALCS Game 4 in 2004.
A WS COLUMN YOU DON’T NEED (BUT WILL ENJOY)
The Rays traveled 1,095 miles from Tampa to Milwaukee. In baseball, that number means little unless you are Drew Maggi or Guilder Rodríguez. Drew Maggi holds the record for the most minor league games before his MLB debut. Maggi debuted for the Pittsburgh Pirates at 33 on April 26, 2023, after 1,154 minor league games over 13 seasons. He broke the record held by Guilder Rodríguez, who also played 13 minor league seasons before debuting with the Texas Rangers in 2014.
Series-ly Speaking
1. This is a first-time champion’s World Series 2. This is the 4th World Series with two expansion teams 3. This is a “no wild-card team” series 4. The Brewers were 103-59 this regular season 5. Each team led their respective leagues in wins 6. Each team had the best records at home 7. Each team had the highest BA in their league 8. Each team stole over 160 bases 9. Each team led their league against teams .500 and over Those are the headlines; here are the stories behind them.
SUNDAY IS WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH
The three surviving baseball teams are all from small markets; the large-market teams definitely need help. What will the owners do to help the New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago teams? The Series is tied 2-2. Each team is 1-1 at home, so the Rays once again have home-field advantage. How big a deal is that? Well, the Rays tied for the best home-field record in the majors at 55-26. How big a deal is the fact that the Rays tied for the best home-field advantage in the majors?
GLORY DAYS FOR MILWAUKEE
“They may have a bunch of Hall of Famers, but we got a bunch of gamers, and the gamers won this week.”, Pat Murphy, postgame in the clubhouse, and then champagne filled the air. If you don’t love the way the Milwaukee Brewers play ball, you probably don’t love baseball. I really don’t think it matters whether you like the Brewers. It doesn’t matter whether you are a Dodgers fan, a Cubs fan, a Red Sox fan, a Yankees fan, a Guardians fan, or a Rays fan; you just have to love the way this team plays.
THE LCS BEGINS TONIGHT
FROM THE BILL CHUCK FILES THE DAYS OF WORKOUTS ARE OVER AND… FINALLY… The LCS begins. BEST OF SEVEN POSTSEASON SERIES Looking at best-of-seven postseason series, including both the LCS and the World Series, the historical data shows: Teams winning Game 1 win the series 64.3% of the time. When the home team wins Game 1, they go on to win the series 68.2% of the time. When the road team steals Game 1 on the away turf, they win the series 59.0% of the time.
The Interregnum Volume 1
Maybe “time-killer” should be part of my logo. The game ended up not meaning much, but local Tampa/St. Pete fans got to see the Cubs and Red Sox, two teams postseason-bound on a Sunday afternoon at The Trop. With just a couple of days’ notice, the game drew 20,411 fans. The Rays’ season average was 17,469. The Cubs won, 6-2. Let me tell all of you, baseball is different in that ballpark. The balls respond differently there, and the Rays understand that and play to their surroundings.
AND, IN THE END...
The first date of the 2026 MLB season was Wednesday, March 25. There were 187 days in the 2026 MLB regular season, which ends today. THESE TWO ISSUES WILL BE DECIDED TODAY • The Phillies can clinch the third NL wild card and the No. 6 seed with a win over the Rays or a Diamondbacks loss to the Padres. • The Diamondbacks can clinch the third NL Wild card and the No. 6 seed with a win and a Phillies loss.
DOWN TO THE WIRE
Including today, there are Joe DiMaggio’s #5 days of play remaining. The two Wild Card series begin on Tuesday, September 29. • 9/11 – Tampa Bay returns to the postseason after finishing fourth in the AL East with losing records the past two seasons. • 9/22 – The Rays clinched the AL East title and the AL’s No.1 seed. After consecutive fourth-place finishes, the Rays are once again AL East champions. It’s the Rays’ fifth division title in franchise history and their first since 2021.
8 DAYS OF GAMES = A WEEK
Including today, there are Cal Ripken Jr.’s #8 days of play remaining. On this date in 1998, Cal Ripken Jr. ended his consecutive games played streak at 2,632 games by taking himself out of the starting lineup against the Yankees. After nearly 16 years, Ripken said he decided the time was right to end the streak, which began on May 30, 1982. With 8 days to go in the season, I could have chosen Yogi Berra’s #8, but Cal was the right choice.
11 DAYS OF REGULAR SEASON BASEBALL LEFT
The season ends on Sunday, September 27. Including today, there are Edgar Martínez’s #11 days of play remaining. The postseason begins on Tuesday, September 29. In 2019, Edgar Martinez became the first player whose primary position was designated hitter to be elected to the Hall of Fame. MLB’s Outstanding Designated Hitter Award is named in his honor. Put a pin in that thought.
ONLY TWO TUESDAYS LEFT
The season ends on Sunday, September 27. Including today, there are Dave Concepción’s #13 days of play remaining. The postseason begins on Tuesday, September 29. Rays – 9/11 – Tampa Bay returns to the postseason after finishing fourth in the AL East with losing records the past two seasons. Brewers – 9/11 - This will be Milwaukee’s fourth straight trip to the playoffs and eighth in nine seasons.
TWO WEEKS TO GO
The season ends on Sunday, September 27. Including today, there are Davey Lopes’ #15 days of play remaining. The postseason begins on Tuesday, September 29. As mediocre as the AL has been, the teams in the AL East have the best divisional record in baseball. Seven of the top 10 teams in baseball reside in the NL. The AL Central-leading White Sox have the 11th-best record (76-72) in baseball. The AL West-leading Astros have the 12th-best record (75-74) in baseball.
WITH 17 REGULAR SEASON DAYS REMAINING
The season ends on Sunday, September 27. Including today, there are Todd Helton’s #17 days of play remaining. The postseason begins on Tuesday, September 29 I’m sorry if you are tired of hearing about Shohei again, but like always, he is the number one story in baseball. When we last met on Wednesday, September 9, Shohei Ohtani had just been put on the IL. Ohtani will be eligible to return on September 23, since his 15-day injured-list assignment was backdated to September 8.
THERE ARE JUST 19 DAYS OF PLAY REMAINING
The season ends on Sunday, September 27. Including today, there are Tony Gwynn’s #19 days of play remaining. The postseason begins on Tuesday, September 29. If you want to learn a manager’s favorite restaurant, I can recommend a Sunday column. But if you are looking for end-of-season baseball excitement, you’ve come to the right place. It’s free today for all to enjoy.
THE BILLY-BALL SUNDAY REPORT
The season ends on Sunday, September 27. Three weeks from today. Including today, there are Jim Palmer’s #22 days of play remaining. The postseason begins on Tuesday, September 29. Munetaka Murakami has the first 30-HR rookie season by a Japanese-born player.
THE FRIDAY REPORT
The season ends on Sunday, September 27. Including today, there are (Willie Mays’) #24 days of play remaining. The postseason begins on Tuesday, September 29. Happy birthday, Mike Piazza Yankees skipper Aaron Boone said, “It’s possible” that this weekend’s Yankees-Padres matchup could be the last series the New Yorkers play without Aaron Judge. Judge could be back for the next homestand, which begins Tuesday against the Rockies.
WELCOME TO SEPTEMBER
The season ends on Sunday, September 27. Including today, there are (Vladimir Guerrero’s) #27 days of play remaining. The postseason begins on Tuesday, September 29. August sorted some things out in the National League and just seemed to make things worse in the miserable American League. The Dodgers had the worst record of any contending NL team in August. It was the Dodgers’ first losing month since July 2025. No AL Central team played over .500.
SUNDAY BASEBALL WITH MERE WEEKS TO GO
The season ends on Sunday, September 27, four weeks from today. Including today, there are (Rod Carew’s) #29 days of play remaining. The postseason begins on Tuesday, September 29. My Sunday baseball melange bears no resemblance to a Jell-O mold, one of the more disgusting innovations which became especially prominent in mid-century American entertaining. I’m sure our current king enjoys them. Sal Stewart has set the record for the most RBI by a Reds rookie in their 145-year history.
FRIDAY FREEBIE
August 30 is my birthday. I’m officially very old. The good news is that, unlike two of my heroes, Ted Williams and Tug McGraw, both of whom were also born on August 30th, I’m still alive. The better news is that until the end of the season, I’m offering a special deal on Billy-Ball in which you get a terrific discount. Three months of this fabulous column for 57% less than you usually would have to pay. It makes a great gift because you will look more generous than you actually are.
A FREE WEDNESDAY DID YOU KNOW COLLECTION
The season ends on Sunday, September 27. There are Eddie Murray’s #33 days of play remaining. Billy-Ball is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. The postseason begins on Tuesday, September 29. Of the top 10 teams, right now only Arizona is not in a playoff slot. Of the top 10 teams in the majors, only Atlanta, Boston, and Arizona won last night.
ANOTHER WONDERFUL BILLY-BALL SUNDAY
The season ends on Sunday, September 27. Five weeks of regular season play remain. The postseason begins on Tuesday, September 29. Is it possible that both the AL and NL Manager of the Year awards will go to interim managers? Think about it. When Alex Cora was fired, his Boston Red Sox were 10-17 with a .370 winning pct. Since Chad Tracy took over, the Sawx are 60-42, a .588 winning pct., and on their way to the postseason as the number 2 seed.
THE NL MVP RACE WAS ON DISPLAY LAST NIGHT
The season ends on Sunday, September 27. Including today (Bartolo Colon’s) 40 days of play remain. Have a “Big Sexy” kinda day. The postseason begins on Tuesday, September 29. There are numerous races going on this season across the majors, including the one for NL MVP, where Shohei Ohtani's preeminence is being challenged by Pete Crow-Armstrong. Last night, both players put on a show. In Colorado, Ohtani proved again why he loves hitting at Coors Field.
THE SUNDAY BILLY-BALL NOTES for August 16
The season ends on Sunday, September 27. Including today, 6 weeks of play remain. The postseason begins on Tuesday, September 29. It is not too early to let you know that: The magic number for the Rays to clinch the AL East is 34. The magic number for the White Sox to clinch the AL Central is 36. The magic number for the Astros to clinch the AL West is 37. The magic number for the Braves to clinch the NL East is 37. The magic number for the Brewers to clinch the AL Central is 35.
BILLY-BALL VISITS THE BITTMAN PROJECT
That’s Mark Bittman on the right. The cute one is on the left. I like cooking. I don’t love cooking. I like cookbooks. I don’t love cookbooks. But I love Mark Bittman’s cookbooks. Okay, to be honest, I love Mark Bittman. He is one of my oldest friends (as in I’ve known him for a long time, although he is older than me and I’m older than infield dirt) and definitely one of my dearest. But even if I didn’t know him personally, I would love him because he is funny, acerbic, and is great at what he does.
NINE TO KNOW 8/11
The season ends on Sunday, September 27. Including today, there are Howie Kendrick’s #47 days of play remaining. The postseason begins on Tuesday, September 29. Let’s start with a question: Which MLB franchise/team has never lost 100 games in a season? The answer will be below’s today’s music. In last night’s win over Milwaukee, Mason Miller earned his 30th save of the season; his career high had been 28 with the A’s, then of Oakland, in 2024.
SUNDAY8/9
The season ends on Sunday, September 27, seven weeks from today. Including today, there are Mookie Betts #50 days of play remaining Yesterday, the Red Sox lost. The Athletics won. The A’s have just 2 wins in their last 14 games. Both wins are against the Red Sox. The Red Sox have just 2 losses in their last 13 games. Both losses are against the A’s. The most important race in baseball right now is going on in the National League as the Brewers, Braves, and Dodgers battle for the top two slots.
FREE! THURSDAY AUGUST 6
The season ends on September 27. There are CC Sabathia #52 days of play remaining I admit it, I know nothing about baseball. I thought I did. You thought I did. But it turns out that I don’t. For the life of me, I cannot figure out how the Red Sox have turned their season around to this degree. On June 24, the Sox were 32-46, comfortably mired in fifth place in the AL East. They had been outscored by 7 runs by their opponents. They trailed the first-place Yankees (48-31) by 15.5 games.
SUNDAY BASEBALL NOTES - AUGUST 2
The season ends on September 27. There is a Joe DiMaggio hitting streak 56 days of play remaining. The trade deadline is tomorrow, 6:00 PM ET/3:00 PM PT. I don’t want to spend a huge amount of time discussing this because there is a plethora of information already out there, but there are a few key points to this deal that I find are the most interesting. Skubal is indeed a two- to three-month rental.
WAITING FOR THE DEALS
The season ends on September 27. There are 58 days of play remaining. There is just a long weekend until the trade deadline. August 3, 6:00 PM ET. The Red Sox are at Dodger Stadium this weekend, and I think this three-game set has the potential to be better than most of the early postseason games. The Dodgers are 13-10 (.565) in July. The Red Sox are 20-4 (.833) in July; best record in MLB. The Dodgers are 7-6 at home in July. The Red Sox are 12-1 on the road in July; best record in MLB.
SUNDAY BASEBALL NOTES 7/26
The season ends on September 27. There are 63 days of regular season play remaining. The trade deadline ends at 6:00 PM Eastern, a week from tomorrow. For many teams, including today, there are seven days/nights of games left to determine the direction of the season. At no other point in the regular season is such a small sample more critical. This last week and this coming week will determine which teams: Buy. Sell. Buy and sell. Stand pat.
FREE FRIDAY STUFF
The season ends on September 27. There are 66 days of play remaining. There are 10 days until the trade deadline. Remember how close Isiah Kiner-Falefa came to scoring the winning run in the bottom of the 9th inning of Game 7 of last year’s World Series?
BILLY-BALL WORDLE - 7/19
Unfortunately, the Billy-Ball Wordle in today’s full post did not update. Fortunately, I have a replacement. Sorry for the inconvenience. You’re invited to play a WORDLE created by BILLYBALL. The clue is: “ALWAYS BASEBALL” https://www.nytimes.com/games/create/wordle/PpLqdA2IG0xi94US1SNAg9s_Z-NF1xVsGKNbMkcS0wJ1sbg90jpo5BOIdgZ73_ytBv4gDKlwApCsMw== Billy-Ball is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
THE JULY 19 SUNDAY BASEBALL NOTES
The season ends on September 27. There are 70 days remaining. The next day without any baseball on the schedule is Monday, September 28. There are 15 days until the trade deadline. Due to yesterday's inclement weather, there is a twin bill today between the Dodgers and the host Yankees. I feel bad for the folks at NBC/Peacock because the pitchers scheduled for this evening’s game they are broadcasting are pitching this afternoon instead. And, it is a great match-up.
THE FINAL DAY BEFORE THE BREAK
Here is the headline of a July 1 press release from the Dodgers Media department: “DODGERS FINISH FIRST HALF WITH LONGEST HOMESTAND OF THE SEASON” Here is the headline from a July 10 column in the Baltimore Banner: The Orioles need someone to play the hero in the second half Here’s a note from the Cleveland Guardians’ Game Notes of July 11: FINISHING THE FIRST HALF » Bibee currently owns a 2-9 record with a 4.06 ERA (48ER/106.1IP) as he enters his final start of the first half of the...
A Free NINE TO KNOW for 7/7
The Dodgers are the first team with 60 wins. Their magic number to win the NL is now 58. How balanced is this team? They have won 30 games at home and 30 games abroad. They picked up their 60th win last night in an 8-7, 11-inning win over the Rockies. It was their first extra-inning game of the season. Their streak of 90 consecutive games to start the season was the longest in National League history. The record is held by the 2005 Red Sox, who did not play extras until July 25, 2005, their 99th game.
SUNDAY BASEBALL NOTES JULY 5
Politicians release bad news on Fridays to minimize media coverage, taking advantage of the public’s shift toward weekend activities and fewer journalists being at work. This tactic, commonly known as a “Friday News Dump”, allows them to bury controversial information. Major League Baseball apparently viewed the naming of its All-Star team in much the same fashion.
TUESDAY BASEBALL GEOGRAPHY
The Pirates beat the Phillies yesterday, 11-7, in a game the Phils led 5-0. That’s the largest lead the Phils have blown this season. Speaking about blowing, Aaron Nola was on the mound for the Phils. Last season, Nola had a 6.01 ERA; this season, it’s 6.04. He started by throwing three scoreless innings and ended up allowing eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits and two walks in 4.1 innings.
THE SUNDAY BASEBALL NOTES FOR JUNE 28
The A’s - The A’s lead the majors with 8 occasions of hitting back-to-back homers. • The Jays - The leading All-Star first round vote getter in each league gets an automatic inclusion to the roster, bypassing the second round of voting. I know you couldn’t have been surprised that Shohei Ohtani got the honors in the NL and will be the league’s DH.
TUESDAY TREATS
“No, Who’s on first.” There are still a bunch of very good ballplayers out there looking for contracts, starting with some decent pitchers: LHP Framber Valdez, RHP Zac Gallen, RHP Lucas Giolito, RHP Zack Littell, RHP Griffin Canning, RHP Chris Bassitt, LHP Jose Quintana, and RHP Justin Verlander. There’s also F Max Kepler, OF/DH Miguel Andújar, and DH Marcell Ozuna.
A FEBRUARY FUNDAY
Look what awaits us: the Olympics on February 6, the Super Bowl on February 8, and, on February 20, Spring Training begins. Because this month begins on a Sunday in a non-leap year, the entire month fits perfectly into 4 clean weeks. No extra row. The next time this will happen is 2037.
January 20-Something
It is still bitterly cold. We still have snow everywhere, and we really need to get rid of the ICE. But Billy-Ball persists with a few baseball items to warm the cockles of your heart (are they near the ventricles or the auricles?). Harrison Bader is one of those players I really like. He seems to play hard, is enthusiastic, is a good defender, and he is pretty consistent at the plate.
FUNDAY SUNDAY
José Ramírez, the third baseman of the Guardians and one of the best players in baseball, apparently has agreed to a seven-year extension that will keep him in Cleveland through 2032. The deal would pay Ramírez an additional $106 million across four seasons. Ramírez is already signed through the 2028 season, with salaries of $21 million, $23 million, and $25 million. This new deal will pay him $175 million over the next seven seasons, with $10 million in deferred compensation each year.
THE METS LIVE
Remember the scene in Goodfellas when Joe Pesci’s character demanded Michael Imperioli’s (pre-The Sopranos) character, Spider, to dance and then ended up shooting him in the foot? Well, that’s what it feels like the Mets are doing these days with the Dodgers. “You guys think you’re so tough? You think no one will challenge you for NL supremacy? Think again, big guys.
TWO FOR TUESDAY: BELTRAN AND JONES
Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones were elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Beltrán succeeded in his fourth try on the BBWAA ballot and Jones in his ninth. Needing at least 75% support on the BBWAA ballot, Beltrán was named on 84.2% of ballots submitted, while Jones received 78.4%. I’m certainly not celebrating these selections. I think as players, they are both deserving. I think neither should be honored as humans.
SUNDAY FUN
On January 10, the Cubs signed Alex Bregman. Bregman will turn 32 in late March and will solidify the Cubs’ infield at third. They have Michael Busch at 1B, Nico Hoerner at 2B, and Dansby Swanson at SS. This also means that Matt Shaw will have time to develop as a backup and a right-wing ideologue. On January 13, the Diamondbacks acquired future HOF third baseman Nolan Arenado from the Cardinals. The biggest shock to me in this deal was realizing that Arenado is only 34.
THURSDAY TIDBITS
Finally, the Red Sox spent some free agency money. Boston, the last team to sign a free agent this offseason, has signed free agent starting pitcher Ranger Suarez to a five year $130M deal with no opt-outs. The signing came within days of the Sox losing a player they needed even more than Suarez, Alex Bregman. The Red Sox front office truly believed it had Bregman in the bag for weeks. The bag had a hole, the size of the Chicago Bean. They didn’t lose Bregman because of money.
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