The 2006 season is in full swing and there are many great stories brewing. Unfortunately, these stories have been forced to the backburner by Barry Bond’s chase for 714 and 715 and with the Roger Clemens soap opera. Both of those stories have been resolved, so we can move onto the other great stories that occurring in baseball. It isn’t that these stories weren’t important or compelling, but the media tends to be pretty bulimic when it comes to covering the great game.
As an Astros fan I was happy to see Clemens return, but the saga was old in March. In May and the beginning of June most of us just told the media to get back to us when a decision had been made. Believe me, as a baseball fan and avid fan of history I appreciate what Clemens has accomplished, but there were times I thought we’d be better off without him and his huge ego. Now, he is slated to come back on June 22nd and we can all move on with our lives.
Watch out this NFL season when NFL rushers begin to approach Walter Payton on the all-time list. Payton is number two you say? Well, baseball made a big hullabaloo about Barry becoming the number two home run hitter in history. This isn’t to diminish Ruth or his accomplishments. He hit home runs when no one else was hitting them. Yet, this is what happens when you’re reduced to a number. Even the steroids angle is old. By now, most of you have your opinion of what to do with Barry and his numbers, so there is little use in debating it now.
This leaves us open to follow other stories that are emerging this season. Following is a list of ten stories that are brewing in baseball that don’t directly involve Roger Clemens or Barry Bonds. I will put them in a makeshift order, but the point is not to rank them because every fan knows what interests them. Here we go.
10. Will the Kansas City Royals make a run at history?
As of this moment in time, the Kansas City Royals are on a pace to win 41 games. At first glance it would seem that the Mets are safe, but the Royals keep finding new and creative ways to lose. Additionally, their lineup is full of mediocre veterans. What happens after July 31st when those mediocre veterans have been traded to contenders? Will the young kids be able to keep up with the 1962 Mets pace? Those of you with a dark side will enjoy following this story.
9. Who is this Brandon Webb anyway?
Both Webb and Dontrelle Willis came up at the same time. Willis won the Rookie of the Year while many thought that Webb was the superior pitcher. Yet, in the waning years, Webb has languished on mediocre teams while the Marlins have been pretty competitive. Coming into this season, Webb was 31-37 despite not having an ERA above 3.59. Now, it appears he’s getting run support (currently 8-0) and could be on his way to winning a Cy Young award.
8. The Comeback Kids
Most of us were ready to write the baseball obituaries for Frank Thomas and Jim Thome. Thomas’ .229 average is not going to knock anyone over, but he does have an .837 OPS and 12 home runs. Meanwhile, Thome is staking his own claim on the AL MVP trophy. His 20 home runs and 1.091 OPS are just what the doctor ordered for the White Sox. Who knows whether this is a true renaissance or a last stand for these living legends, but it’ll be fun to watch.
7. The marvel that is Pedro Martinez
Who knows how long his labrum will hold up? Martinez will never be accused of being the most durable of pitchers, but he is the best when he is healthy. His .703 career winning percentage is the best in history and he is two Billy Wagner blown saves from being 7-1 this year. Whether he will maintain his 2.50 ERA or not remains to be seen, but if he does he could also have the best ERA+ in history.
6. Youth is served
Several teams are repudiating the free agent culture and going with young talent instead. These young players are fun to watch because you never know when you will see the next legend pop up. The Rockies have three young players (Matt Holliday, Garrett Atkins, and Brad Hawpe) that most people have never heard of. They are all hitting over .300 and have OPSs at .884 or higher. The Tigers have Justin Velander and Nate Robertson. No, not all of them are rookies, but all of them appear to be coming of age. Look hard enough and you’ll find a young player on your team ready to break through.
5. As Boston and New York turns
I put this one pretty low because I’m not a big fan of this particular story, but the Bonds and Clemens saga has made people forget this one. I hate the fact that Boston/New York has detracted from other stories, but they have finished first and second in the NL East since 1998. You can’t fabricate that kind of drama. Add in the bad blood and defections from one team to the other and you get a good rivalry. Add in the 100 years of history and you have a great rivalry. Let’s just hope Fox and ESPN realizes there are other rivalries out there.
4. Is this the end of the Braves?
When you’ve been on top of any division since 1991 you should be a big part of the news cycle. The Braves stand in second place at the moment, but they’ve come back from bigger deficits before. How will the race turn out this year? Will the Mets and their huge budget finally overtake the Braves? Stay tuned.
3. Astros and Cardinals Part III?
Yeah, you thought I wouldn’t fit this one in right? This is in my mind the second best rivalry currently going. They’ve split the last two NLCSs and have finished first and second in the NL Central every year but one since 1999. Unlike the other rivalry, there is no bad blood, just good baseball. If Houston can find a way into the playoffs you can bet we will see this match-up again.
2. Shake up in Chicago
This is a slow developing story but it could become huge before the end of the season. Everyone expects Dusty Baker to get the boot sometime before the end of the year, but could the Tribune also be seeing the door? Apparently Mark Cuban (the owner of the Dallas Mavericks) has offered 150 million more than market value for the team. Add Cuban’s penchant for making bold moves with the awesome resources from WGN and who knows where the Cubs could go.
1. The best hitter of our time?
As we stand, Albert Pujols has 25 home runs and 65 RBIs. The Cardinals have only played 53 games. So, if we project those numbers out we would get 76 home runs and 199 RBIs. Needless to say, it is a long shot that he would finish with those numbers, but if he finishes with 60 home runs and 175 RBIs he will still be off to the best six year start to any career. More fun than watching Pujols chase records is just watching Pujols hit. Even when Pujols is facing the Astros he’s fun to watch. I suspect it’s the same when he plays your team.
So, as you can see there are a number of great stories we can begin following now. I’m sure I left out a few that immediately came to your mind. That’s the great thing about baseball. No matter who you are there is always something to keep your attention. Bonds and Clemens are still compelling stories, but here’s hoping that the collective baseball community will give these stories some love from now on.
Scott Barzilla is the author of “Checks and Imbalances,” “The State of Baseball Management,” and is looking forward to his release of “On the Outside Looking” at the end of 2006.
