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Author Archives: rightoffthebatbook
Let’s Talk about Kevin
One of the many consequences of England’s collapse to the Australians this winter has been the enforced retirement for playing for England of Kevin Pietersen, one of the most successful England batsmen ever. He’s only 33, has three, perhaps four, … Continue reading
Posted in Australia, Cricket, England, IPL, One-Day Cricket, T20 Cricket, Test Cricket
Tagged Andrew Flintoff, Ian Botham, Kevin Pietersen, Mitchell Johnson, The Ashes
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Mitchell’s Big Mo
When Australia’s cricket team thrashed England’s 5–0 in the 2013–14 Ashes series in Australia, most commentators agreed that the essential difference between the teams was one person: Mitchell Johnson. As regular readers of this blog will know, Mitchell Johnson bowls … Continue reading
Posted in Australia, Cricket, England, South Africa, Test Cricket
Tagged Dennis Lillee, Michael Holding, Mitchell Johnson, The Ashes
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Winter Ball
The baseball most North America followers and fans in the Far East are familiar with is in every way a non-winter sport. Not as “evolved” (for lack of a better word) as cricket, which is avidly followed year-round and on … Continue reading
Posted in Baseball, Cricket
Tagged German Mesa, Literature, Omar Linares, softball, Yasiel Puig
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Reflecting on Derek Jeter
With Derek Jeter’s pre-Valentine’s Day bombshell, that he will not be returning to Major League Baseball after 2014, please permit me (Evander) to reflect a few moments on aspects of his remarkable career. I have come to realize that Jeter … Continue reading
Hello, Beatles; Good-bye, Ralph Kiner
I (Evander) am endlessly fascinated by temporal coincidence: I believe it’s called synchronicity. Permit me to play kowtow to my whimsy. As we celebrate the Beatles arriving in the U.S.A. fifty years ago, we say farewell to slugger Ralph Kiner, … Continue reading
Differing Baseballs
With the New York Yankees coming to a not-altogether-surprising, massive-contract agreement with Masahiro Tanaka, it has been interesting to learn there is a difference between the baseballs used in Japan and North America. “‘It breaks better, moves more advantageously for … Continue reading
Who Is Dan Le Batard? A-Rod We Know
I (Evander) will answer my subject-line question directly. Dan Le Batard has been stripped of his National Baseball Hall of Fame voting privileges by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, for turning over his vote to Deadspin. The suspension lasts … Continue reading
Never Ask Why You’ve Been Fired Because if You Do, They’re Liable to Tell You
Broadcasting legend and American-war hero Jerry Coleman has died after a fall. He was eighty-nine. I (Evander) had the good fortune to meet Coleman two years ago. My feeling then was that he was the most sturdy, strongest man his … Continue reading
The Supremacy of Dale Steyn
One of the perennial questions that baseball and cricket fans like to ask themselves is how to measure the greatness of a player. In the case of pitchers, does their greatness lie in a low earned-run average, or the number … Continue reading
Posted in Baseball, Cricket, Right Off the Bat Website, South Africa, Test Cricket
Tagged Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander, WHIP
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South Africa Resurgent
The English team has been crushed; the Indian side are rebuilding; and the Australians are seeing some light at the end of their long, dark tunnel. For the general-interest fan, these make for interesting times about the also-rans of international … Continue reading
Right Off the Bat 