FanGraphs Weekly Mailbag: May 9, 2026

One of my biggest regrets in my years of baseball is that I never found John Sterling’s list. You see, in addition to our shared love of baseball, Sterling shared my appreciation for film noir. I don’t remember how it happened, but I read about Sterling’s noir kick in the summer of 2023, when Yankees beat writer Chris Kirschner, Athletiche suggested I talk to a veteran Yankees broadcaster about it. I had never seen Sterling before, but the next day in the press box at Yankee Stadium, I introduced myself. He was thrilled to learn that this 27-year-old also likes noir, and quickly asked me what my favorites were. I just laughed In the Lonely Place, Out of the Pastagain Double Indemnitylooking back on it, it must have made me seem like a novice, like saying my three favorite Springsteen songs are “Born to Run,” “Born in the USA,” and “Dancing in the Dark.” But Sterling thought nothing of it. Or if he did, he didn’t show it. Instead, his face lit up, and in his empty voice, he was happy with Bogart and Mitchum and MacMurray. We chatted for a few minutes before I asked her for her recommendation. He had to go back to the booth – it was almost game time – but he told me to find the next seat for him and he would make a list for me. Unfortunately, I didn’t see him for a month or so, and when I did, I didn’t ask him for a list. We didn’t really know each other, and I didn’t want to bother him about something so trivial. He retired at the start of the following season.

Growing up a Yankees fan from the Hudson Valley, I listened to Sterling most of my life. His voice is woven into the fabric of my baseball fandom. It goes without saying that all those years I spent listening to him on the radio influenced my becoming a baseball writer. And yet, when I saw the news that Sterling had died on Monday at the age of 87, the first thing I thought of was the short time we spent talking about film noir in front of the press box coffee machine on that summer day in 2023. I never got the list, but I got an amazing memory. I will cherish you forever.

There is no natural transition to the post bag from there, so let’s just get to it. This week, we’ll be answering your questions about Austin Hedges’ unexpected hot start at the plate, the most effective pitchers at each position, teams registering a .500 OBP in a game, and the largest career stolen base percentage coming in a very short span. But first, I’d like to remind you that this post bag is only available to FanGraphs members. If you are not yet a Member and would like to continue learning, you can sign up for Membership here. It’s the best way to experience the site and support our staff, and it comes with tons of other great benefits. Also, if you’d like to ask a question about a future mailbag, email me at mailbag@fangraphs.com.