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2014 Pittsburgh Gameday HQ

BASEBALL PREVIEW @GameDayHQ GameDayHQ Editor in Chief Ming Wong Design Director Kengyong Shao Contributing Writers Alex Bracetti Michael Bradley Jon Cooper Brian Giuffra Darryl Howerton Andy Jasner Jorge Martin David Williams Production Managers Ashley Dethlefsen Will Kilcommons Alycia McCarthy Jacklyn Zuch A GameDay HQ publication GameDay HQ, its logo and associated graphics are the trademarks of GameDay HQ. All rights reserved. Copyright 2014. Editorial and publication headquarters are at 519 Eighth Avenue, 25th Floor, New York, NY 10018 and at 212-697-1460. All e-mail inquiries can be directed to: info@gamedayhq.com COVER PHOTOS BY: JOHN WILLIAMSON (2); JOE ROBBINS; BRACE HEMMELGAM; ANDY HAYT; ROB TRINGALI (2); ROB LEITER; EL NUEVO HERALD; TIM UMPHREY; OTTO GREULE JR.; JIM MCISAAC; JOE SARGENT; BRIAN D. KERSEY; MICHAEL IVINS/BOSTON RED SOX; ROB CARR (2); G. FIUME (2); CHRISTIAN PETERSEN; MIKE MCGINNIS; JAMIE SABAU; FRED VUICH; RONALD C. MODRA/SPORTS IMAGERY; ROBERT BECK; THOMAS B. SHEA/GETTY IMAGES Contents 2014 Season Preview Until October rolls around, the Boston Red Sox will continue their reign as champs, but as another spring is upon us, every team has a renewed sense of hope over the next 162 games. While some stand a better chance—hopefully the team you have a vested rooting interest falls under that category—theoretically, every team has a shot at autumn glory—at least in April. Perfect Cinco In the Moneyball era of baseball, scouts and GMs have put blinders on for the player who can get on base and hit for power, virtually ignoring the rare baseball demi-god, the five-tool player who can hit for average and power, leave a vapor trail in his wake when he runs the bases or field, field every ball that ventures in his territory and gun down an overambitious baserunner with his arm. The five-tool player is back in a big way and they certainly command every bit of your attention whether they have a bat or glove in hand. First-Class Ticket The 2014 Hall of Fame class is exactly that: class. Led by a pair of aces that defined an era of arms superiority in Atlanta, Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine were the pitching backbone of an incredible run by the Braves that was managed by fellow inductee Bobby Cox who guided the team to an unprecedented 14 straight division titles. Joining the ATL trio is a hitter whose slugging prowess matched his size, Frank Thomas, who put a big hurt in his fair share of pitchers throughout his 19 years in the big leagues. Lastly is Joe Torre and Tony La Russa, two of the game’s greatest tacticians who managed teams to multiple World Series victories. His Way or the Highway In an exclusive Q&A with the newly minted Hall of Famer with the fourthmost wins by a lefthander (305), Tom Glavine talks about his stubborn approach to the game that would lead him to the most hallowed honor, his longtime teammate and fellow inductee Greg Maddux and playing for HOF manager Bobby Cox. Recoding Baseball Baseball’s rules date back over a century ago and along with it, some of the lesser-known “rules” of the game. Like the largely unchanged official rulebook, the unwritten code of baseball has remained the same. But should it? We explore a few of the “rules” from the point of view from an old-school baseball lifer and a new jack player to see if any of them hold any credence or should some things be amended. The Winning Formula We can’t guarantee you’ll win your fantasy baseball league this year, but if you follow our month-bymonth guide to the long season, we can ensure that you’ll be in the thick of your league from April through September.


2014 Pittsburgh Gameday HQ
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