Major League Baseball (MLB) has long been a melting pot of talent from around the world, with players from diverse backgrounds leaving indelible marks on the sport. From Asia to Latin America, the influx of international players has not only expanded the game’s popularity but also enhanced its competitiveness and cultural richness. Latin American Pioneers and Their Enduring Legacy Latin America’s impact on MLB is profound, with countries like the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Venezuela, and Puerto Rico producing some of the most celebrated talents in baseball history. Roberto Clemente, a Puerto Ri ..read more

We have one team with a 100% record in the Champions League after Mark Finbow’s 285-point week to beat the only other undefeated team. Mark overcame a disappointing week from outfielders Chas McCormick and Randy Arozarena who combined for negative two points. Despite the impeccable 4-0 start, Mark has a tough task ahead to hold off the competition; seven teams in the division have outscored him. World-famous tennis coach Brad Gilbert coined the phrase “winning ugly”, which feels like an appropriate description of Nick Wright’s victory in the Premier League, to maintain his unbeaten start to th ..read more

The legendary dream team of Jonny Gould and James Holden picked up their first win of the season with a 264-216 victory over Steve Merry in the NL West. The division is headed by Joey Mellows aka Baseball Brit, who moved to 3-0 with a win in the high-scoring clash against Raymond Walker. Paul Dearnley is the only undefeated player in the NL North, thanks to a magnificent tally of 328 points in his win over Andrew Moore. Simon Pearl also racked up 300+ points by inflicting the first defeat of the season on Matt Sutton. The AL Central saw some very tight clashes this week with Ian Blease sneakin ..read more

We’re a few weeks into the new season and the San Francisco Giants have gotten off to an inauspicious start. The stench of 2023 still lingers in the dugout, despite a new manager and many new faces on the 40-man roster. It’s fair to say things haven’t entirely clicked yet for the Giants. However, there’s one man seemingly untouched by the malaise, who has undoubtedly made a great first impression: step forward Jordan Hicks. Hicks, signed by the Giants to a four-year, $44 million contract in the winter, enjoyed a successful five-year stint as a relief pitcher with the Cardinals and Blue Jays (f ..read more

The annals of Major League Baseball are filled with pitchers whose abilities on the mound have left indelible marks on the sport. From baffling hitters with mesmerising fastballs to etching their names in the postseason record books, these athletes have defined eras, transformed franchises, and, in many instances, changed the game itself.  10. Bob Gibson: The Embodiment of Dominance Bob Gibson’s career, spanning from 1959 to 1975, was nothing short of legendary. With a career record of 251-174, an ERA of 2.91, and 3,884.1 innings pitched, Gibson’s dominance on the mound was undeniable. Hi ..read more

Last year’s Champions League champion, Adam Nicholson, is already looking ominously good with a 2-0 start to the defence of his title. He is joined by Michael Garmston, Mark Finbow, and Bat Flips & Nerds as the only unbeaten teams in the top division. However, it is last season’s highest points scorer, Richard Davidson, who is again setting the bar high with a whopping 605 points over the first two matchups. Richard is one of only two players among the 150 entrants to break the 600-point barrier, but bizarrely, he has started the season with two losses, so sits in ninth place on 0-2. If yo ..read more

The season has started so it’s time to overreact to everything that has happened thus far. It really is a great time to make bold and outlandish predictions that will make me look stupid in late September. So let’s get into these, and make them increasingly bold as we go down. Bear in mind I’m a Giants fan and will be putting that delusion to good use. 1. NL Wildcard Let’s annoy the NL West early, shall we? I’d be stupid to not have the Braves, Phillies, Dodgers and a token Central team make the playoffs. However, that’s where things get interesting. The Arizona Diamondbacks are not making ..read more

An oft-watched, grainy VHS recording of The Blues Brothers is not the most obvious place for a three-decade love of baseball in general, and the Boston Red Sox in particular, but Jake and Ellwood’s use of 1060 West Addison as a fake address which diverted law enforcement to the iconic marquee of Wrigley Field was where mine started. It took a long time to get going though. It wasn’t until fifteen or so years later in 2002, on holiday with my wife, that I visited Wrigley whilst stopping off in Chicago on a three-week train trip from the East Coast to visit friends in Minnesota. I knew very li ..read more

The opening week is in the books, and we witnessed some very tight matchups and a few exceptionally high-scoring teams. It was an unpredictable week of baseball, with Kansas City Royals’ Brady Singer and Houston Astros’ Ronel Blanco top scoring for the pitchers. I doubt either player was drafted in any of the GBFBS divisions. Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki, a guy boldly predicted to be the most productive Japanese player this season, was the highest points-scoring hitter, just ahead of Salvador Perez and Spencer Steer. Continuing from last season’s dominance, Richard Davison was one of only 11 t ..read more

Here is the final instalment of Five Bold Predictions from the Bat Flips & Nerds family. Presumably, you have already seen Gav’s 30 BOLDish Predictions (one for each MLB team) and Part 1 and Part 2. So, we’ll cut to the chase and give you Part 3 of Bat Flips & Nerds bold predictions. Kicking us off today is St Louis Cardinals correspondent Jennifer Annely. As if to reinforce the “Best Fans in Baseball” reputation, just look at the genius of her prediction number 5 Jennifer Annely The Atlanta Braves won’t win the NL East The NL Central will be the worst division in baseball The Nationa ..read more