Michael went to his first game at the age of four and has been hooked ever since. He lives in Queens with his fellow Mets fan wife, their son, three cats and bearded dragon. He’s worked in the past for MLB.com as an editor. Connect with Michael on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjgfreelance/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">LinkedIn</a>.
Michael Griffin 
Last Updated: June 17th, 2026 by Michael GriffinKirby Puckett, all 5’8″ of him, was a smiling imp who won over Minnesota the moment he took the field. Built more like a bowling ball than a center fielder, Puckett defied every expectation of what a ballplayer was supposed to look like—and then made you forget about it with that megawatt grin, boundless energy, and a knack for making magic when the Twins needed it most. Here …
Last Updated: June 17th, 2026 by Michael GriffinWhen Eddie Murray was playing, he was as cool as the other side of the pillow. He’d stand at the plate, on either side, quietly ready to hit whatever pitch came his way—hard. He was a switch-hitting force of nature, reaching milestones no one else has with his approach. Here are 12 examples of just how legendary he was. 12. 504 Home Runs: Power from Both Sides of …
Last Updated: June 17th, 2026 by Michael GriffinI’m going to be that guy again. I heard of Mike Mussina well before he reached the Majors. It was the late 1980s, and I worked as a counselor at a Little League Baseball Camp—a satellite camp of the main one in Williamsport, mostly for tweens. It was in Hillsgrove, PA, and to say it was in the middle of nowhere would be an understatement. One of the …
Last Updated: June 17th, 2026 by Michael GriffinWant to know something incredible about Billy Wagner, the lefty who hurled thunderbolts to close games? To quote Inigo Montoya from the classic movie “The Princess Bride”: “I am not left-handed.” Yup. Wagner is right-handed, but since he broke his dominant arm twice at a young age, he taught himself to throw lefty. Pretty impressive results, huh? Here are 10 feats that he accomplished in a career that …
Last Updated: June 17th, 2026 by Michael GriffinFirst things first: How did Fred McGriff get the nickname “Crime Dog”? For those not in the know, there was a commercial for CrimeStoppers featuring a dog mascot named McGruff. He wore a trench coat, and his motto was “Take a Bite Outta Crime!” The Hall of Famer believes it was Kirby Puckett, a fellow Cooperstown inductee, who first came up with the moniker. There’s video of the …
Last Updated: June 17th, 2026 by Michael GriffinOn the surface, baseball seems like a simple game. There are nine players on the field, including the pitcher. Each side tries to get three outs an inning, and there are nine innings in a game. However, there are many complex strategies at play during each contest that might go unnoticed by the uninitiated. For example, before the pitch clock era, Pedro Martinez would vary the time between …
Last Updated: June 17th, 2026 by Michael GriffinThis turned out to be a pretty interesting thought exercise for me. I decided to eliminate several players who are already shoo-ins once they retire, like Miggy Cabrera, Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, and Clayton Kershaw. Instead, I’m focusing on players who, while they have put together a good resume, need things to go their way to solidify their chances. Then there are some younger ones, like Pete Alonso, …
Last Updated: June 17th, 2026 by Michael GriffinIf you attend or watch a baseball game on TV, you’re going to see a ceremonial first pitch. Most are thrown by local community members or celebrities. But sometimes, the marketing department thinks outside the (batter’s) box and brings in some… unusual choices. Here are 10 examples of those. 10. Darth Vader Throws Out the First Pitch Can Darth Vader get the ball over the plate? The Dark …
Last Updated: June 17th, 2026 by Michael GriffinSandy Koufax was the embodiment of the phrase, “You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.” He was dominating hitters one day, and the next, he announced his retirement at age 30. Arthritis robbed baseball fans of seeing him build on his numbers to the point that he might have reached 4,000 strikeouts before Nolan Ryan. Then again, he could have declined as well. Let’s appreciate these …
Last Updated: June 17th, 2026 by Michael GriffinI’m gonna be that guy: I saw Frank Thomas before he was “The Big Hurt.” It was 1990, I was a freshman at Boston University, and saw the Red Sox clinch the division by beating the White Sox. There was a huge Chicago player on deck, and I later looked up that it was Thomas. So, that’s my first take on watching the guy who had the most …
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