Michael Baumann, The Ringer

Michael Baumann

The Ringer

Houston, TX, United States

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Recent:
  • Unknown
Past:
  • The Ringer
  • Grantland

Past articles by Michael:

Can Barcelona and Manchester United Right Their Financial Ships?

While Man U can see the light at the end of the tunnel, Barcelona executives keep digging their hole deeper and deeper. Will the club ever be able to find its way out? → Read More

The 2022 Pre-Playoff Race MLB Power Rankings

With just over a month left until the postseason, here are the teams that are rising, falling, and setting records—for better or worse → Read More

The New Edition of the Dodgers-Padres Rivalry Is About to Be Appointment Viewing

After all of San Diego’s upgrades at the deadline—namely Juan Soto—the balance of power in this Southern California battle may be shifting → Read More

The Two-Man Battle That Could Define the 2022 Tour de France

Tadej Pogacar is the reigning two-time Tour champion and a cycling phenom. But the man he beat two years ago—Primoz Roglic—has the team and skill to take back what was nearly his in 2020. → Read More

The Alien Sidekick Matrix

From TV to movies to video games, alien sidekicks are some of the best pop culture friends you can find. But who’d be most fun to hang with at a bar? Which character gets the best lines? And what even constitutes a true alien sidekick? → Read More

The Formula One Circus Hit Miami and Produced an Event Unlike Any Other

From a fake marina to a celebrity-packed grid walk to an NFL art gallery, the Miami Grand Prix set new levels of spectacle, even for F1 → Read More

Eight Takeaways From MLB’s Opening Weekend

The Nationals are winning the jersey battle, Steven Kwan is having a dream debut, and pitchers are hearing voices—in a good way. That and more from the first MLB series of the season. → Read More

The 2022 MLB Preseason Power Rankings

After a long, chaotic offseason, Opening Day is finally almost here. Which teams are ready to make serious runs this year? Which are retooling for future seasons? And which team kept the Dodgers from the no. 1 spot? → Read More

10 Takeaways From the Opening Weekend of the 2022 Formula 1 Season

New regulations, a one-two finish from Ferrari, and a resurgent effort from Haas headlined the Bahrain Grand Prix. But it remains to be seen whether Mercedes can stop porpoising—and Red Bull can stop shutting down on-track. → Read More

The 27 Most Influential People of the 2022 Formula 1 Season

How will the new car regulations work? Can the FIA regain the trust it lost last year? And who’ll win the world championship? These people hold all the answers about how this F1 season could shake out. → Read More

Opening Day Is Canceled. MLB Has No One to Blame But Itself.

MLB’s self-imposed deadline(s) have come and gone, and now the season’s start date has officially been pushed back. How will this lockout end? And what will the league look like once it does? → Read More

The Irreparable Harm of Kamila Valieva’s Olympic Experience

The Russian figure skater came into these Games being lauded as one of the greatest of all time. But after a positive test for a banned substance and a free skate program that carried the weight of that result, the 15-year-old will be remembered very differently. → Read More

Daryl Morey Didn’t Start the Process—but He May Have Just Finished It

In 2013, Sam Hinkie kicked off a team-building system that still defines the Sixers today. But now, after the trade that sent James Harden to Philly and Ben Simmons to the Nets, that path may have been completed by Hinkie’s mentor. → Read More

The Perfect Hyperbolic Eagles Team for the NFL’s Most Hyperbolic Fan Base

Philly fans can we a little odd and unpredictable—and at last they’ve got the team to suit them → Read More

The Year Jamie Dornan Leveled Up

After ‘Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar’ and ‘Belfast,’ the former Christian Grey is must-watch → Read More

Max Verstappen’s Formula 1 Championship Was the Perfect Encapsulation of a Wild F1 Season

A neck-and-neck battle with Lewis Hamilton ended in controversy. At least it made for great television. → Read More

Coldplay—and Especially “Fix You”—Deserve a Better Legacy

Yes, the mammoth single became wildly overexposed. But it got so big only because it connected with such a large group of people—and is that such a bad thing? → Read More

Is This the Last Ride of Carlos Correa and the Astros?

Correa has been the face of the Astros throughout their five-year ALCS run. But now, with the shortstop on the verge of free agency, his time in Houston may be nearing its end. → Read More

The Blackhawks’ Past and Present Actions Show That Hockey Always Matters Most

The team brass’s handling of Kyle Beach’s report in 2010 showed that they valued winning above all else. And even today, after 11 years and a lengthy investigation, that attitude seems to persist. → Read More

Was This Red Sox Season a Sign of Things to Come, or Just a Surprising One-off?

Boston’s playoff run was just the cleanse many fans needed to forget about last season. But things may not be all that sunny on the horizon. → Read More