The Fan Files
@thefanfiles.bsky.social
New writing about baseball every week.
www.thefanfiles.com
www.thefanfiles.com
This past August, an angry Willson Contreras upended a bucket of Hi-Chew onto the field following a strike call. Here's a quick look at the history of Hi-Chew and how this Japanese candy found its way into MLB dugouts.
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/hi-chew-mlb-baseball-japan
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/hi-chew-mlb-baseball-japan
November 11, 2025 at 4:04 PM
This past August, an angry Willson Contreras upended a bucket of Hi-Chew onto the field following a strike call. Here's a quick look at the history of Hi-Chew and how this Japanese candy found its way into MLB dugouts.
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/hi-chew-mlb-baseball-japan
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/hi-chew-mlb-baseball-japan
Ellen Lindner makes comics about the history of non-male figures in baseball. In this interview, we chat baseball fandom, research methods, and how the history of women in baseball spans way beyond A League of Their Own.
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/baseball-comics-women-history-ellen-lindner
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/baseball-comics-women-history-ellen-lindner
An interview with baseball cartoonist Ellen Lindner
Cranklets, Lost Diamonds, and the history of non-male figures in baseball
www.thefanfiles.com
November 4, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Ellen Lindner makes comics about the history of non-male figures in baseball. In this interview, we chat baseball fandom, research methods, and how the history of women in baseball spans way beyond A League of Their Own.
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/baseball-comics-women-history-ellen-lindner
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/baseball-comics-women-history-ellen-lindner
In the Japanese Ballpark is a perfect intro to Japanese baseball. In this week's interview, author Robert Fitts speaks to how the book came about & how folks who are interested in NPB can get started.
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/npb-japanese-baseball-differences-mlb-author-interview-robert-fitts
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/npb-japanese-baseball-differences-mlb-author-interview-robert-fitts
An insider’s look at Japanese baseball
An interview with Robert K Fitts
www.thefanfiles.com
October 28, 2025 at 3:05 PM
In the Japanese Ballpark is a perfect intro to Japanese baseball. In this week's interview, author Robert Fitts speaks to how the book came about & how folks who are interested in NPB can get started.
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/npb-japanese-baseball-differences-mlb-author-interview-robert-fitts
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/npb-japanese-baseball-differences-mlb-author-interview-robert-fitts
Last week, Canadian pilot Dimitri Neonakis flew a special flight in the shape of the Blue Jays logo. Here's how he did it, why he loves the Blue Jays, and the most complicated flights he's done so far.
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/blue-jays-logo-flight-pilot-dimitri-neonakis
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/blue-jays-logo-flight-pilot-dimitri-neonakis
Flying the Blue Jays logo
How a Canadian pilot drew the Blue Jays logo in the sky
www.thefanfiles.com
October 21, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Last week, Canadian pilot Dimitri Neonakis flew a special flight in the shape of the Blue Jays logo. Here's how he did it, why he loves the Blue Jays, and the most complicated flights he's done so far.
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/blue-jays-logo-flight-pilot-dimitri-neonakis
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/blue-jays-logo-flight-pilot-dimitri-neonakis
Base on Board is a tabletop game that aims to simulate the strategy and chance that goes into a real baseball game. We chatted with Matt JS Kho about the project, where the idea came from, and what baseball fans might learn from playing.
thefanfiles.com/articles/baseball-board-game-base-on-board
thefanfiles.com/articles/baseball-board-game-base-on-board
Designing a Baseball Board Game
Roll for your outcomes
thefanfiles.com
October 14, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Base on Board is a tabletop game that aims to simulate the strategy and chance that goes into a real baseball game. We chatted with Matt JS Kho about the project, where the idea came from, and what baseball fans might learn from playing.
thefanfiles.com/articles/baseball-board-game-base-on-board
thefanfiles.com/articles/baseball-board-game-base-on-board
Baseball and... poetry? Here's how the National Baseball Poetry Festival came about and how founder Steven Biondolillo sees it growing in future years.
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/the-national-baseball-poetry-festival
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/the-national-baseball-poetry-festival
October 7, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Baseball and... poetry? Here's how the National Baseball Poetry Festival came about and how founder Steven Biondolillo sees it growing in future years.
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/the-national-baseball-poetry-festival
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/the-national-baseball-poetry-festival
Dr. Eric White is a top scholar on the Gutenberg Bible, but in his free time, he's been studying one of baseball’s biggest mysteries – Who are the unnamed artists behind the classic Topps baseball cartoons?
thefanfiles.com/articles/topps-baseball-cards-cartoons-comics-cartoonists
thefanfiles.com/articles/topps-baseball-cards-cartoons-comics-cartoonists
Who drew the comics on the back of Topps baseball cards?
Princeton University’s Dr. Eric White has used a canny eye to solve a decades-long mystery
thefanfiles.com
September 30, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Dr. Eric White is a top scholar on the Gutenberg Bible, but in his free time, he's been studying one of baseball’s biggest mysteries – Who are the unnamed artists behind the classic Topps baseball cartoons?
thefanfiles.com/articles/topps-baseball-cards-cartoons-comics-cartoonists
thefanfiles.com/articles/topps-baseball-cards-cartoons-comics-cartoonists
Reposted by The Fan Files
Working on Basher I hadn’t even considered being interviewed about it. Let alone on an actual baseball specific site. Definitely shows I am far more knowledgeable about baseball films than the actual game.
Give it a read and let me know your favorite baseball film.
Give it a read and let me know your favorite baseball film.
Director Ben Trandem and screenwriter John Ungaro are making a slasher. The villain? The homicidal mascot of the local baseball team.
Read this week's interview with the creators of Basher:
thefanfiles.com/articles/basher-baseball-slasher-horror-interview
Read this week's interview with the creators of Basher:
thefanfiles.com/articles/basher-baseball-slasher-horror-interview
Making a baseball slasher
Watch out for Basher
thefanfiles.com
September 16, 2025 at 11:51 PM
Working on Basher I hadn’t even considered being interviewed about it. Let alone on an actual baseball specific site. Definitely shows I am far more knowledgeable about baseball films than the actual game.
Give it a read and let me know your favorite baseball film.
Give it a read and let me know your favorite baseball film.
Reposted by The Fan Files
Fascinating great interview. Love the Baseball Statues Database; curious which players get immortalized and which get left out. Thanks for sharing!
September 23, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Fascinating great interview. Love the Baseball Statues Database; curious which players get immortalized and which get left out. Thanks for sharing!
Dr. Chris Stride is a statistician at the University of Sheffield - he’s also behind the Baseball Statues Database. In this interview, we chat trends that popped up over the years, what kinds of players get statues and what kinds don't.
thefanfiles.com/articles/baseball-statues-history-database
thefanfiles.com/articles/baseball-statues-history-database
Sporting Statues
An interview about baseball statuary with statistician Dr. Chris Stride
thefanfiles.com
September 23, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Dr. Chris Stride is a statistician at the University of Sheffield - he’s also behind the Baseball Statues Database. In this interview, we chat trends that popped up over the years, what kinds of players get statues and what kinds don't.
thefanfiles.com/articles/baseball-statues-history-database
thefanfiles.com/articles/baseball-statues-history-database
Director Ben Trandem and screenwriter John Ungaro are making a slasher. The villain? The homicidal mascot of the local baseball team.
Read this week's interview with the creators of Basher:
thefanfiles.com/articles/basher-baseball-slasher-horror-interview
Read this week's interview with the creators of Basher:
thefanfiles.com/articles/basher-baseball-slasher-horror-interview
Making a baseball slasher
Watch out for Basher
thefanfiles.com
September 16, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Director Ben Trandem and screenwriter John Ungaro are making a slasher. The villain? The homicidal mascot of the local baseball team.
Read this week's interview with the creators of Basher:
thefanfiles.com/articles/basher-baseball-slasher-horror-interview
Read this week's interview with the creators of Basher:
thefanfiles.com/articles/basher-baseball-slasher-horror-interview
Jane Leavy has a plan to fix baseball. In this week's interview, we chat with Leavy about what she thinks are the most urgent and underappreciated issues facing baseball today, as well as the hidden work that went into her new book Make Me Commissioner.
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/jan...
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/jan...
Jane Leavy wants to fix baseball
"It's not just a different game, it's a worse one."
www.thefanfiles.com
September 9, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Jane Leavy has a plan to fix baseball. In this week's interview, we chat with Leavy about what she thinks are the most urgent and underappreciated issues facing baseball today, as well as the hidden work that went into her new book Make Me Commissioner.
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/jan...
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/jan...
Reposted by The Fan Files
This is a very well written article (about an awesome subject). You should read it and share it with your friends...
Every day, @polyesterunis.bsky.social shares his love of vintage colorful polyester baseball uniforms with the online public. Here's how he got started, his (current) favorite uniform, and what he's learned along the way.
thefanfiles.com/articles/spencer-hodes-vintage-jerseys-and-hats
thefanfiles.com/articles/spencer-hodes-vintage-jerseys-and-hats
You spelled 'awesome' wrong
A fan’s love for colorful polyester uniforms
thefanfiles.com
September 2, 2025 at 4:34 PM
This is a very well written article (about an awesome subject). You should read it and share it with your friends...
Every day, @polyesterunis.bsky.social shares his love of vintage colorful polyester baseball uniforms with the online public. Here's how he got started, his (current) favorite uniform, and what he's learned along the way.
thefanfiles.com/articles/spencer-hodes-vintage-jerseys-and-hats
thefanfiles.com/articles/spencer-hodes-vintage-jerseys-and-hats
You spelled 'awesome' wrong
A fan’s love for colorful polyester uniforms
thefanfiles.com
September 2, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Every day, @polyesterunis.bsky.social shares his love of vintage colorful polyester baseball uniforms with the online public. Here's how he got started, his (current) favorite uniform, and what he's learned along the way.
thefanfiles.com/articles/spencer-hodes-vintage-jerseys-and-hats
thefanfiles.com/articles/spencer-hodes-vintage-jerseys-and-hats
On a sunny summer's day at the ballpark decades ago, @zackquaintance.bsky.social almost got beaned by a foul ball hit high into the sky by Barry Bonds - here's how he remembers the experience.
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/bar...
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/bar...
The Fan Files
One fan's memory of nearly being beaned by a Barry Bonds foul ball
www.thefanfiles.com
August 26, 2025 at 3:03 PM
On a sunny summer's day at the ballpark decades ago, @zackquaintance.bsky.social almost got beaned by a foul ball hit high into the sky by Barry Bonds - here's how he remembers the experience.
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/bar...
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/bar...
Making history happen is great, but what about the work it takes to broadcast=? Last week, the Los Angeles Dodgers broadcasting team spoke about the experience of covering Shohei Ohtani's 50-50 day. Here's what they shared.
www.thefanfiles.com/shohei-ohtani-50-50-dodgers-broadcast-broadcasting
www.thefanfiles.com/shohei-ohtani-50-50-dodgers-broadcast-broadcasting
How the Dodgers broadcasting team prepared for Shohei Ohtani’s 50-50 game
Juggling storylines, broken records, and more - live on air
www.thefanfiles.com
August 19, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Making history happen is great, but what about the work it takes to broadcast=? Last week, the Los Angeles Dodgers broadcasting team spoke about the experience of covering Shohei Ohtani's 50-50 day. Here's what they shared.
www.thefanfiles.com/shohei-ohtani-50-50-dodgers-broadcast-broadcasting
www.thefanfiles.com/shohei-ohtani-50-50-dodgers-broadcast-broadcasting
Reposted by The Fan Files
I wasn’t asked this question but I would’ve said the time Homer saved the day after Daryl Strawberry screwed everything up
We asked #SanDiegoComicCon attendees who their favorite baseball players are, and what superhero they should play.
Here are their answers. What are yours?
#baseballfan #sdcc #sdcc2025 #mlb
Here are their answers. What are yours?
#baseballfan #sdcc #sdcc2025 #mlb
August 15, 2025 at 5:57 PM
I wasn’t asked this question but I would’ve said the time Homer saved the day after Daryl Strawberry screwed everything up
Updated the website with categories so you can more easily find the kind of baseball article you'd like to read! Check it out!
www.thefanfiles.com
www.thefanfiles.com
August 15, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Updated the website with categories so you can more easily find the kind of baseball article you'd like to read! Check it out!
www.thefanfiles.com
www.thefanfiles.com
Reposted by The Fan Files
Vladdy! I'd cast him as Black Bolt!
July 29, 2025 at 11:57 PM
Vladdy! I'd cast him as Black Bolt!
Reposted by The Fan Files
Ichiro, OMAC
We asked #SanDiegoComicCon attendees who their favorite baseball players are, and what superhero they should play.
Here are their answers. What are yours?
#baseballfan #sdcc #sdcc2025 #mlb
Here are their answers. What are yours?
#baseballfan #sdcc #sdcc2025 #mlb
July 30, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Ichiro, OMAC
Reposted by The Fan Files
Looking forward to reading more from the @thefanfiles.bsky.social!
its snoopy's bday week. read my chat with @benjaminlclark.com re: peanuts and baseball
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/cha...
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/cha...
Charles Schulz's Peanuts and baseball — The Fan Files
An interview with Charles M Schulz Museum curator Benjamin Clark
www.thefanfiles.com
August 12, 2025 at 10:51 PM
Looking forward to reading more from the @thefanfiles.bsky.social!
To celebrate Snoopy's birthday this week, check out our new chat with the Schulz Museum's @benjaminlclark.com about Schulz's love of baseball, Charlie Brown's favorite player, and what Willie Mays has to do with the Peanuts animated films
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/cha...
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/cha...
Peanuts and Baseball
An interview with Charles M Schulz Museum curator and author Benjamin Clark
www.thefanfiles.com
August 12, 2025 at 3:03 PM
To celebrate Snoopy's birthday this week, check out our new chat with the Schulz Museum's @benjaminlclark.com about Schulz's love of baseball, Charlie Brown's favorite player, and what Willie Mays has to do with the Peanuts animated films
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/cha...
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/cha...
Last week, a horde of Angels fans donned heavenly gear and took over the outfield seats at The Big A. Here's how it all happened and what you can expect next from the Halo Boyz:
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/ang...
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/ang...
Angels in the Outfield
Ya gotta believe!
www.thefanfiles.com
August 5, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Last week, a horde of Angels fans donned heavenly gear and took over the outfield seats at The Big A. Here's how it all happened and what you can expect next from the Halo Boyz:
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/ang...
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/ang...
We asked #SanDiegoComicCon attendees who their favorite baseball players are, and what superhero they should play.
Here are their answers. What are yours?
#baseballfan #sdcc #sdcc2025 #mlb
Here are their answers. What are yours?
#baseballfan #sdcc #sdcc2025 #mlb
July 29, 2025 at 11:06 PM
We asked #SanDiegoComicCon attendees who their favorite baseball players are, and what superhero they should play.
Here are their answers. What are yours?
#baseballfan #sdcc #sdcc2025 #mlb
Here are their answers. What are yours?
#baseballfan #sdcc #sdcc2025 #mlb
Reposted by The Fan Files
Mike Armstrong once made nerdy dreams come true as part of the team behind #NYCC Now he's doing the same for a different demographic at #FanaticsFest. Here's a convo with my old colleague re: Fanatics Fest, SABR research and more
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/fanatics-fest-mike-armstrong-interview
www.thefanfiles.com/articles/fanatics-fest-mike-armstrong-interview
New York Comic Con to Fanatics Fest
An Interview with Mike Armstrong
www.thefanfiles.com
June 20, 2025 at 11:23 AM