Buster Olney
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Buster Olney is a senior writer at ESPN The Magazine. A baseball reporter since 1989, Olney has covered the Padres, Orioles, Mets and Yankees. Olney, a bestselling author, joined ESPN The Magazine in 2003, after six years at The New York Times.
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December 23, 2005
An Extra Innings head-scratcher
Last Saturday, in response to questions about how to contact Major League Baseball about the proposed DirecTV deal for the Extra Innings package, I posted an e-mail address (csmedia@website.mlb.com) g...
Buster Olney | 5 hours ago
Feeling political pressure
Politicians are getting involved in baseball, in ways that Major League Baseball will like and not like: Item: The Florida governor is in favor of using public funds for the Marlins' proposed ballpark...
Buster Olney | Thursday, February 1
Hail Mary contract language
The union could -- and would -- contest the clause in Barry Bonds 's contract that would allow the Giants to void the deal if he's indicted in the BALCO case . Haven't seen the written clause, but the...
Buster Olney | Wednesday, January 31
Should Rox rethink Helton deal?
Before the deal-killing conference call with the Red Sox yesterday afternoon, before the Rockies broke off talks with Boston, Colorado owner Charlie Monfort spoke with The Associated Press. "I've been...
Buster Olney | Tuesday, January 30
Ten thirtysomethings to watch
Here are 10 thirtysomething position players whose situations are intriguing because of what is needed from them by their respective teams, or because of the crossroads they have reached in their care...
Buster Olney | Monday, January 29
We ask, Mark Teahen answers
Mark Teahen was the best prospect landed by the Kansas City Royals in the Carlos Beltran deal in 2004, and early last season, Teahen emerged as an offensive force , batting .313 in his last 316 at-bat...
Buster Olney | Sunday, January 28
Rockies talking with Red Sox about trading 1B Helton
The Rockies are in talks to trade first baseman Todd Helton to the Red Sox.
Buster Olney, ESPN The Magazine | Saturday, January 27
Helton to Red Sox?
The Red Sox are engaged in trade talks with the Colorado Rockies about Todd Helton, reports Troy Renck, with no deal imminent at this point. But you could see why this would make sense for each side. ...
Buster Olney | January 27, 2007
Whole new ball game for Barfield
An appearance on the winter caravan with the San Diego Padres means you can wear flip-flops and T-shirts, Josh Barfield mused the other day. Seventy-two degrees and sunshine. But he is with the Indian...
Buster Olney | January 26, 2007
Yankees seek working agreement with China baseball
A contingent of executives from the Yankees will fly to China next week with the hope of concluding ongoing negotiations on a working agreement with the China Baseball Association.
Buster Olney, ESPN The Magazine | January 25, 2007
Managers low on pay scale
Willie Randolph is getting a three-year extension , for $5.65 million. It's a significant raise over what he had been making, but the numbers still seem stunningly small, after a winter in which so mu...
Buster Olney | January 25, 2007
Clemens, Cano and DirecTV
Speculating on where Roger Clemens will pitch in July is almost pointless now, in January, like trying to guess who will be running for president in 2012. The context of the bidding and the negotiatio...
Buster Olney | January 24, 2007
Discontent over DirecTV deal
The news that Major League Baseball is on the verge of announcing an exclusive Extra Innings deal with DirecTV generated a ton of angry e-mail here. Here are some of the more measured responses (some ...
Buster Olney | January 23, 2007
Young players on the rise
Ten young position players who will be intriguing to watch this year (among others): 1. Howie Kendrick , Angels Playing in the big leagues for the first time was trying enough, what with a lot of pitc...
Buster Olney | January 21, 2007
The universal nature of baseball
The life experience of John Donovan -- maternal uncle to my wife, Lisa -- was otherworldly, compared to my own. He grew up on the West Coast, wandered all over distant parts of the world, surfed and f...
Buster Olney | January 20, 2007
If MLB wants answers, call Feds
Part of me sympathizes with former Senator George Mitchell and his team of investigators, and it's not the part that understands that they are racking up a lot of billable hours and are being very wel...
Buster Olney | January 19, 2007
Braves building a strong bullpen
Some of the Braves who shared in the division titles of the 1990s and 2000s have wondered privately how differently their postseasons might have gone if their bullpens had been better, deeper. Atlanta...
Buster Olney | January 18, 2007
Phillies an old-fashioned team
The Phillies are built upon old-fashioned scout values, which figures, because general manager Pat Gillick is still an old-fashioned scout, prone to traveling thousands of miles on late notice to see ...
Buster Olney | January 17, 2007
Last hurrah: Yankee Stadium to host '08 All-Star Game
Yankee Stadium will be the site of the 2008 All-Star Game, sources in baseball said, in the last year of the ballpark.
Buster Olney, ESPN The Magazine | January 16, 2007
Boston's Wily Mo quandary
Wily Mo Pena is eligible for arbitration, and the Red Sox are dealing with that . They are also dealing with the reality that Pena, an extraordinary talent who cannot improve if he doesn't get some at...
Buster Olney | January 16, 2007
Great regrets
Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson raced onto the field angrily and banged against some Patriot player, before turning to run off the field, a hit-and-run. But someone among the Patriots grabbe...
Buster Olney | January 15, 2007
Clubhouse culture of sharing
Like college students in a dormitory, Major League Baseball players share stuff. They share new shipments of bats, share gloves, lend money, etc. And they do reach into the lockers of teammates, the p...
Buster Olney | January 14, 2007
Yanks clear launchpad for Rocket
The largest hurdle for the Yankees in their pursuit of Roger Clemens last season -- had they ever gotten really serious -- might have been Clemens' preference to leave the team in between his starts, ...
Buster Olney | January 12, 2007
Too late for Big Mac to come clean
Almost 75 e-mails landed in the in-box yesterday, some referring to me as an idiot and an apologist, others agreeing that, in short, this sets up a generation of Hall of Fame votes based on steroid sp...
Buster Olney | January 11, 2007
Suspicious minds
The Baseball Writers have spoken. The precedent has been set. If there is suspicion that you've taken steroids, if you've been mentioned in a Jose Canseco book or you've gotten a congressional subpoen...
Buster Olney | January 10, 2007
On Blyleven's candidacy
Our 7-year-old has taken it upon herself to continue the family tradition of watching "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" during the holidays, and during this year's viewing, the Grinch's puzzling and pu...
Buster Olney | January 9, 2007
Top story lines to watch in '07
At the outset of a new year, we can look ahead and project some of the primary story lines we will be talking about in the season ahead: 1. Barry Bonds He is 22 home runs away from seizing the great...
Buster Olney | January 8, 2007
ESPNEWS HotList: Adrian Wilson and Buster Olney
Also: Keith Law, Mike Shula, and Mark Richt
July 26, 2006
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