Volume 3, Number 10
October, 1998
Ruminations on a Baseball Season Past
By Dean Shutt
Well it's all over but the postseason. Baseball in 1998 has come storming back into the public consciousness after half a decade in the wilderness. On the backs of McGwire and Sosa the grand old game has reclaimed a spot on the sporting radar. With that in mind it's time to wrap up the '98 season with a few random sporting thoughts.
Before we get started let me just tell you all to hold your breath. I am fully aware that last month's Colts' column makes me look like a raging idiot, but you just wait until next year bunky.
I am not exactly bummed that Mac hit 70, but it would have been nice to see Sosa do it.
Mark my words, 70 in a season will not last ten years. You think the ball was juiced this year? Wait till '99.
Do you think that maybe, just maybe, that the Mariners are going to put a short rightfield porch in the new ballpark that they are building?
And do you think that Griff isn't looking at 75 dingers in a season when it opens?
Your 1998 American League Wildcard team, the Boston Red Sox.
Your 1998 New York Yankee whipping boys in the American League Championship, the Boston Red Sox.
The Red Sox just finished up their best season since 1986, (the first person to mention Bill F**king Buckner gets my foot up his ass) 92 wins, four pitchers with more than 10 wins, a viable Cy Young candidate, a potent offense... and they finish up exactly 22 games behind the Yankees. Do you need any more proof of he curse of the Bambino.
I will let Barry Bonds say it for me because I think it is really impressive coming from him, "Cal Ripken Jr. is THE MAN."
This from the man who when asked who the best player of his generation was said, "You mean besides me?"
By the way, that was not a dig at Barry. I love the fact that he has the cojones to stand up and say it. Modesty is fine, but occasionally you have to say it like it is.
To all of you who have said that Cal's streak was not really a performance based record. The man was talented enough to hold down a starting job in majors for 17 consecutive years. That means for the last 17 years he was one of the 26-30 best shortstops on the planet. How exactly would you define performance?
OK listen up, I am only going to make these picks once.
- National League Championship - Houston over Atlanta
- American League Championship - Boston over New York (shut up)
- World Series - Boston over Houston
Mo Vaughn will return to the Sox next year or Dan Duquette will find my foot up his ass.
Has anyone ever hit 56 home runs as quietly as Ken Griffey Jr. did this year?
The Seattle Mariners have once again proven the Red Sox rule. You can hit all of the home runs you want but it won't matter if your pitching sucks.
Along that line of thinking, does anyone out there understand why you let Randy Johnson get away if you are the Mariners?
If so please explain it to me.
Leave it to the San Francisco Giants to stage one of the greatest stretch runs in history when no one was watching.
That about wraps it up for me, I have to go catch the Giants/Cubs wildcard playoff.
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Red Soxhttp://www.redsox.com/home.html
http://www.sportscircuit.com/baseball/
NY Rangershttp://www.nhl.com/teams/nyr/sitehome.htm