Mark Simon (he/him)
marksimon.bsky.social
Mark Simon (he/him)
@marksimon.bsky.social
Editorial at Sports Info Solutions

Host: The Journalism Salute pod.link/journalismsalute

Formerly, ESPN, Baseball Tonight.

Mets notes writer. Wrote "The Yankees Index" book.

Play-by-Play: Muhlenberg/DeSales

Creator- A Lasting Legacy documentary
Pinned
Hello people. I suppose I shall be here some now.

For those unfamiliar, I'm Mark. I like baseball, the New York Rangers, Seinfeld, Peanuts comics, documentaries, thoughtful-stand up comedy, good writing & Division III sports.

Also, once a week I interview a journalist - pod.link/journalismsalute
The Journalism Salute
The Journalism Salute is a journalism appreciation podcast. We interview working journalists about who they are and what they do.Our aim is to have diverse guests, thoughtful questions, and interestin...
pod.link
Reposted by Mark Simon (he/him)
Here’s the full federal indictment for the Cleveland Guardians pitchers. Prosecutors claim Clase fixed *hundreds* of prop bets between 2023 and 2025, then he began demanding a cut in ‘25. He also roped in Ortiz this year and, crucially, used his cell phone *during* games to text the bettors.
November 9, 2025 at 8:42 PM
C'mon FloSports ... how do you not offer a single-game purchase option?

Charging monthly or yearly-only and making someone who's not following a FloSports team pay $20 to watch a Division III game is ridiculous.

@flosportstv.bsky.social
November 9, 2025 at 6:28 PM
There’s good stuff in here

- he had some very specific thoughts on why Imai is going to be a good MLB pitcher

- I liked his answer about what it was like being in such an unfamilar baseball setting

- the pickoff story was great

- the idea that there’s a 5-2 defensive whiz in Japan amazes me
We had a great conversation with NPB Fielding Bible Awards winner and former MLBer Tyler Nevin who has loved his time in Japan.

We talked about his experience, one-of-a-kind pickoff plays, future MLBer Tatsuya Imai, and how Japan's best defender is 5-foot-2.

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/n...
NPB Fielding Bible Award Winner Tyler Nevin On The Most Unusual Pickoff, Tatsuya Imai and a 5-Foot-2 Defensive Superstar
Podcast Episode · The SIS Baseball Podcast · 11/06/2025 · 24m
podcasts.apple.com
November 6, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Reposted by Mark Simon (he/him)
The Fielding Bible Award trophies are going out to the winners soon.

Here's what they look like:
November 5, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Reposted by Mark Simon (he/him)
In our Stat of the Week, @marksimon.bsky.social points out that the true winner of the World Series was great defense

He cites 3 players whose glovework particularly impressed him.

www.sportsinfosolutions.com/2025/11/05/s...
Stat of the Week - Ultimate Winner of the World Series: Great Defense
We salute a few of the most impressive defensive players from a memorable conclusion to the season.
www.sportsinfosolutions.com
November 5, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Reposted by Mark Simon (he/him)
2025 NPB Fielding Bible Award winners

Team of the Year - 福岡ソフトバンクホークス公式
Player of the Year - 森下 暢仁

1B - ネビン タイラー・ネビン
2B- 吉川 尚輝
3B- 佐藤 輝明
SS- 友杉 篤輝
LF- 西川 史礁
CF- 周東佑京
RF- 万波中正
C- 坂本誠志郎
P- 森下 暢仁
Multi-Position - 森下 暢仁

Full announcement: www.sportsinfosolutions.com/2025/11/02/2...
November 3, 2025 at 3:05 AM
Reposted by Mark Simon (he/him)
2025 NPB Fielding Bible Award winners

Team of Year- Softbank
Player of Year- Natsuo Takizawa

1B- Tyler Nevin
2B- Naoki Yoshikawa
3B- Teruaki Sato
SS- Atsuki Tomosugi
LF- Mishō Nishikawa
CF- Ukyo Shuto
RF- Chusei Mannami
C- Seishiro Sakamoto
P- Masato Morishita
Multiposition- Natsuo Takizawa
November 3, 2025 at 3:00 AM
Gold Glove Awards did a good job.

I have no major quibbles and I'm glad that Mookie Betts and Ernie Clement were rewarded with Fielding Bible Awards even if they didn't win Gold.

Shortstop and multi-position were tough votes for us. Those guys won em there. The guys who won Gold were deserving too
November 3, 2025 at 2:28 AM
I like that Pete Crow-Armstrong gave a shout-out to MLB's burst/jump stats (he had a slightly different explanation on what it is, but it was similar - "first 10 steps")

The top 2 in the burst stat this year were the CF Gold Glove winners- Pete and Ceddanne Rafaela
November 3, 2025 at 2:21 AM
Let's go Rangers!
November 2, 2025 at 4:49 AM
The thing that I liked most about that game is that you can have all the buildup to "Ohtani is gonna bat in the 9th in the tying run" and you can hype and hype and hype it.

But in baseball, other players get a turn too...
November 2, 2025 at 4:37 AM
3rd World Series ending DP

1921 had a 4-3-5!

and 1947 had a 6-4-3
Just putting this out there, for later. Only @marksimon.bsky.social can recite them all from memory!
November 2, 2025 at 4:27 AM
I think it's really brutal to try to rank Game 7s. Better to group them.

1925 is its own class

This one goes with 1924, 1960, 1991, 1997, 2001, 2016, and I suppose 1975.

They're all amazing (hopefully not missing one - list was off top of mind)
November 2, 2025 at 4:24 AM
Still true, but also still time for more craziness...
No matter what happens today, I don’t think it will top 1925 Game 7 in which

- the field was set on fire
- the umps couldn’t see, used fans to help
- commish wanted to shorten the game
- AL MVP went goat-hero-goat in 1.5 innings
- best pitcher ever allowed 9 R

Read:

sabr.org/journal/arti...
A Dark, Rainy Game Seven: The Pirates Defeat the Big Train in the 1925 World Series – Society for American Baseball Research
sabr.org
November 2, 2025 at 3:54 AM
Defense wins
November 2, 2025 at 3:53 AM
Reposted by Mark Simon (he/him)
That's just the 2nd game-tying HR in the 9th inning or later of a winner-take-all postseason game

The other was Johnny Bench off Dave Giusti in Game 5 of the 1972 NLCS
November 2, 2025 at 3:21 AM
Reposted by Mark Simon (he/him)
Game-tying home runs to tie a game in the 9th inning of World Series Game 7:

Miguel Rojas tonight
End of list!
November 2, 2025 at 3:23 AM
Now to top that, IKF has to hit a homer to win it
November 2, 2025 at 3:18 AM
Last out prediction: Flyout to center field

A home run robbery would be cool
November 2, 2025 at 2:53 AM
That wasn't just Gold Glove defense by Daulton Varsho

That was Fielding Bible Awards 2024 Defensive Player of the Year Daulton Varsho
November 2, 2025 at 1:22 AM
Still true
November 2, 2025 at 1:20 AM
What would be the 2025 equivalent to this?
No matter what happens today, I don’t think it will top 1925 Game 7 in which

- the field was set on fire
- the umps couldn’t see, used fans to help
- commish wanted to shorten the game
- AL MVP went goat-hero-goat in 1.5 innings
- best pitcher ever allowed 9 R

Read:

sabr.org/journal/arti...
A Dark, Rainy Game Seven: The Pirates Defeat the Big Train in the 1925 World Series – Society for American Baseball Research
sabr.org
November 1, 2025 at 4:16 PM
No matter what happens today, I don’t think it will top 1925 Game 7 in which

- the field was set on fire
- the umps couldn’t see, used fans to help
- commish wanted to shorten the game
- AL MVP went goat-hero-goat in 1.5 innings
- best pitcher ever allowed 9 R

Read:

sabr.org/journal/arti...
A Dark, Rainy Game Seven: The Pirates Defeat the Big Train in the 1925 World Series – Society for American Baseball Research
sabr.org
November 1, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Not a huge fan of this ump ... Hope he has a good day today
World Series Game 7- Home Plate Umpire: Jordan Baker

He has 2 different strike zones.

For left-handed hitters, he's pitcher-friendly on both high and inside pitches

For right-handed hitters, he's hitter-friendly on both high and inside pitches

Red=more strikes than expected
Blue=fewer
November 1, 2025 at 3:49 PM
November 1, 2025 at 1:06 PM