Just about every achievement is some combination of luck and skill. The timing of any particular opportunity is mostly a matter of luck, but with appropriate skill and planning, you can put yourself in position to take advantage when the time comes. We all know Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman

You know how dads are. They always have these quirky little projects they're working on and rarely finishing. That bookshelf for the bedroom that's been under construction for three years. The bench for the porch that is only half finished and already rotting out in the yard. No one seems

The last new episode of "Seinfeld" aired more than 20 years ago, but it remains a crucial cultural touchstone for a broad swath of Americans. Hang out with any group of people over the age of 30 and you'll likely hear at least one reference to the show. In that

Bryce Harper is a superstar because he does a lot of things really well on a baseball field. He's a good fielder. He has a strong arm. He has an incredible eye at the plate. But what makes Harper stand out is his power. That's been the case since he

You know, from watching him on TV, that Pete Alonso is a dinger-mashing machine for the New York Mets. You know that he also has a thing for polar bears and likes taking his shirt off. But do you actually know the real Peter Alonso? The man behind the tater-throttling

If you were a Nationals fan on the morning of May 24, 2019, you probably weren't too happy. You'd just watched your team get swept in a four-game series against the Mets at Citi Field to fall to 19-31 -- 10 games back in the NL East, with just a

Spring Training is usually a serene, relaxing time. Baseball is played out during sunny afternoons while veterans play a few innings then spend their afternoons "working out" (I assume that means margaritas by the pool) while youngsters try to impress their coaches and their front office. But on Tuesday, a

In between hitting home runs that crushed an entire region and becoming the Yankees skipper, Aaron Boone had a pretty good gig doing ESPN broadcasts. The reason for that may be because of practice he had as a kid. Getting to hang out on the field in full Angels gear

Physics, man. Has there ever been a time that it's been helpful to us? Whether it's the coffee cup dropping out of your hand, falling in just the right way to spray brown dirt juice all over your brand new clothes, or gravity and force combining to steal your glove

Look on the back of a dollar bill. See that eagle? Yeah, well, call up the US Mint because it's time for a rebrand -- courtesy of the new USS Cooperstown. The newest combat ship from the U.S. Navy -- named after the town where the Baseball Hall of Fame

"Parasite" cleaned up the 2019 Oscars, earning plaudits and love from fans and critics alike. And while we're only three months into 2020, we've already found the film that's going to clean up at next year's Academy Awards. Sorry every other movie. Katie Jo Paxton, who is married to Yankees

Ever wonder what it's like to be in the batter's box facing Major League pitching? 95-mph fastballs, Hell-dropping curveballs, mind-numbing changeups? Most of us won't get the opportunity -- either because we're too scared or not very good at baseball -- but thanks to a mic'd up at-bat by Kris

When you think of Harvard, you think of perfection. You think of the smartest students on Earth; you think of the eight U.S. presidents the school can tout as its alumni; you think of the highest SAT scores, top-notch facilities, the best of the best in every aspect of life.

Have you ever seen that movie "Like Mike," where a magical pair of shoes turned Lil' Bow Wow into an amazing basketball player? Yeah, I'm guessing this is like that, but with socks. On Saturday, New Mexico State junior infielder Nick Gonzales went deep an astounding five times across a

Tim Tebow had a pretty good day on Tuesday when he crushed a dinger during Mets Spring Training. It was his first in a big league uniform and, as with anything the Mile-High Messiah does, the internet went crazy. But baseball is a brutal, humbling game. And on Friday, with

When Hawk Harrelson retired at the end of the 2018 season, you may have thought we were in a new era of baseball broadcasting. Perhaps you thought we were in a sadder one, one filled with far fewer colorful phrases or needs for ridiculous soundboards. Thanks to Keith Hernandez, color

Film? That's so 20th century. But here, in the future, GIFs are where it's at. Who has time for a two-hour movie when we can get every emotion we could possibly desire in one simple, endlessly repeating GIF? And one of the very best came when former Angels pitcher Jered

Mitch Lively has pitched all over the world. He was drafted by the Rockies in 2007, toiled around the Minors for three different organizations until 2015, played in Venezuela, Mexico, Japan and now he's a member of the Chinatrust Brothers in the Chinese Professional Baseball League in Taiwan. And, well,

I don't remember anything. I don't know my wife's phone number, I couldn't tell you what I had for lunch on Monday. But this kid Will, featured in the below video, does remember things. In fact, he remembers the score of every single Yankees game over the last five seasons.

Spring Training is barely getting underway: There have only been four days of games, teams are still tweeting "baseball is back," there hasn't even been an insane, terrifyingly-nightmarish bee attack yet. But while most players are getting warmed up and remembering how to throw a baseball, Brock Holt is already

Listen, there are a lot of good shortstops going right now. You have the flash of Francisco Lindor. There's the glove-wielding wizard that is Andrelton Simmons. Fernando Tatís Jr. is just beginning to show off his skills. But what about Sis Bates? Have you heard of Sis Bates? You need

It may sound crazy, but Spring Training is here. Joey Votto is very much enjoying Photo Day, weird injuries are abound and games -- yes, baseball games -- will be happening this weekend in Florida and Arizona. But Florida and Arizona weren't always the main locations for Spring Training. Over

“Here’s the thing about baseball, and all else: everything changes. Whether it’s the slow creep of glaciers dripping toward the sea, or the steady piling of cut stones rock upon rock until the wall reaches chest high, nothing is still. Sometimes change comes as quick and catastrophic as a line

In polite society, you're not supposed to be excited about what you did in the bathroom. Our parents probably taught us that. But on Tuesday, the entire Rangers organization cheered when they -- collectively -- went to the bathroom. Why's that, you ask – as a look of shocked disgust

Oh, Joey Votto. How long and cruel the winter months were without him in our lives. We missed him tossing baseballs clear out of the stadium just to troll some fans, taking part in absolutely perfect interviews and dancing his way into our hearts.