J.P. Hoornstra
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J.P. Hoornstra
@jphoornstra.bsky.social
National Baseball Writer for Newsweek Sports
The Big Lead
Sometimes SportsNetLA
BBWAA
Dad to 凯禮思, 爱佳
Husband to 懐葳
Tips: [email protected]
Author of “The 50 Greatest Dodgers Games of All Time”
Pinned
If you happen to be perusing the Orion Shobo Lumine Tachikawa Store in Tokyo today:
Reposted by J.P. Hoornstra
Retrosheet is pleased to announce its second semi-annual release of 2025, which includes play-by-play files for the 1910 and 2025 seasons, box-score files for the 1898 season, and a deep dive into the 1935 Negro League season.

www.retrosheet.org/fall2025rele...
Fall 2025 Release
www.retrosheet.org
November 28, 2025 at 1:47 AM
Ate some of these things today #immaculategrid
November 28, 2025 at 4:12 AM
Reposted by J.P. Hoornstra
remember, folks,
November 27, 2025 at 10:22 PM
NFL: here's arguably the best rapper and guitarist of their generation playing the halftime show, together, in their home city
MLB:
The only thing this game is missing is a Jonas Brothers concert
November 27, 2025 at 8:10 PM
It’s back
November 27, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Reposted by J.P. Hoornstra
Man, what a loss. George Altman played for Buck O'Neil and Casey Stengel, and shared an outfield with Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Willie Mays, Stan Musial, Orlando Cepeda, Frank Robinson — in one game! #RIP
A former Mets, Cardinals and Cubs All-Star outfielder died
An outfielder who made three National League All-Star teams in his career with the Cubs, Mets and Cardinals died.
www.newsweek.com
November 26, 2025 at 12:20 AM
Man, what a loss. George Altman played for Buck O'Neil and Casey Stengel, and shared an outfield with Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Willie Mays, Stan Musial, Orlando Cepeda, Frank Robinson — in one game! #RIP
A former Mets, Cardinals and Cubs All-Star outfielder died
An outfielder who made three National League All-Star teams in his career with the Cubs, Mets and Cardinals died.
www.newsweek.com
November 26, 2025 at 12:20 AM
Not sure if this is out there already, but Eliezer Alfonzo's minor league contract with the Dodgers includes an invitation to spring training.
Dodgers Invite Recently Signed Free Agent to Spring Training
The catcher, who made his Triple-A debut in 2025 and is currently playing Winter ball, has a path to major league playing time in 2026.
www.si.com
November 25, 2025 at 11:01 PM
My analysis of the Sonny Gray trade is that the Red Sox can absolutely come out the winner depending on how they use that $20 million, and more specifically how much of it goes to Rich Hill.
November 25, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Reposted by J.P. Hoornstra
Willy Wonka's "golden ticket": a comprehensive view of MLB's lifetime pass. ourgame.mlblogs.com/the-golden-t...
The Golden Ticket
Not that of Willy Wonka but MLB’s lifetime pass
ourgame.mlblogs.com
November 24, 2025 at 2:33 PM
More unexpected 1-for-1 trades of established veterans, please. What a fun November this is turning out to be.
Mets make trade, acquire three-time All-Star in blockbuster swap
The New York Mets put a jolt into baseball's hot stove season. Outfielder Brandon Nimmo is heading to the Texas Rangers, and two-time All-Star second baseman Marcus Semien, is heading to Queens, in a…
www.thebiglead.com
November 23, 2025 at 10:47 PM
Reposted by J.P. Hoornstra
Prep talk: A simple act of sportsmanship prevails after South Gate-Dorsey playoff game
Prep talk: A simple act of sportsmanship prevails after South Gate-Dorsey playoff game
South Gate quarterback Michael Gonzalez does what he learned to help console Dorsey players after they lost to Gonzalez's team in a playoff game.
www.latimes.com
November 23, 2025 at 8:41 PM
“flying commercial won’t get you from your Davos breakfast on empowering African girls with credit cards to your crypto-for-good dinner in Aspen.”

dang
I realize there are only like 5 people who may do this but I would strongly suggest giving this a read.

Gift link

www.nytimes.com/2025/11/23/o...
Opinion | How the Elite Behave When No One Is Watching: Inside the Epstein Emails
www.nytimes.com
November 23, 2025 at 7:55 PM
The YouTube algorithm couldn’t insult me more with this ad.

Computers didn’t look like this until 1984.
November 23, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Good news @ericstephen.bsky.social: it’s delicious too
November 23, 2025 at 12:33 AM
I'm told Luis Campusano took a slight pay cut from the Padres ($900,000 base salary in 2026 vs. $1 million in 2025) after a down season 0-for-21, 11 strikeouts in 10 games.
Padres Sign Former Top Prospect After Poor 2025 Season, Non-Tender Two Pitchers
The Padres brought back an arbitration-eligible former prospect who played only 10 games for them in 2025 while non-tendering two other players.
www.si.com
November 21, 2025 at 11:28 PM
With at least four NPB players being posted this winter, here's a clip I came across while researching my story on the recent death of Bart Shirley. A fringy Dodgers infielder from the 1960s, Shirley later played and coached in Japan.

www.newsweek.com/sports/mlb/f...

This is from 1978:
A former Dodgers and Mets infielder passed away
A veteran of four seasons in Major League Baseball with the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets died at 85.
www.newsweek.com
November 21, 2025 at 2:18 PM
If you’re on mobile it’s listed under “data privacy”
November 20, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Hyun-Jin Ryu
Effectively Wild mentioned Jose Ramirez being the leader in MVP award shared without ever having won the actual MVP, so I looked up the leaders for both MVP and Cy Young shares without ever having won the award-
November 20, 2025 at 4:55 PM
As part of the changes coming to the Home Run Derby, Netflix will encourage batters to swing away until a giant doll in center field swivels her animatronic head around and, hey, who knows what will happen next?!
November 20, 2025 at 1:36 AM
As I understand it, all the Angels have to do to “win” this trade is get four years of above replacement-level starting pitching from Grayson Rodriguez.

All the Orioles have to do is acquire three starting pitchers and contend for the World Series over the next 11 months.

Seems fair.
November 19, 2025 at 3:58 AM
Reposted by J.P. Hoornstra
Here is a baseball take:

Fernando Valenzuela belongs in the Hall of Fame and the veterans committee should put him in. Amazing pitcher. Global phenomenon. Cool screwball. Kept going for decades even after his arm practically fell off. And you can't tell the story of the sport without him.
November 19, 2025 at 2:58 AM
Just informed my 5-year-old of the existence of Jimmy Gobble. Now he cannot stop laughing.
November 19, 2025 at 1:29 AM
Michael Toglia and J.J. Bleday, both first-round draft picks in 2019, were among the players who lost their 40-man roster spots today.
November 18, 2025 at 11:57 PM
Paul DePodesta's first trade as a head of baseball operations since he sent Joe Thurston to the Yankees at the 2005 deadline.
And as part of their flurry of moves, the Sox have dealt lefthander Brennan Bernardino to the Rockies for a minor leaguer.
November 18, 2025 at 11:16 PM