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THE SPORTS JOURNAL | NEWS FILE |
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3 stories we will be talking about in October
Moss | Sunday, March 7 2004 Not since the late 1990’s has baseball seen so much hype surrounding the beginning of the season. This off-season baseball has stolen the spotlight from the NFL playoffs and now seeks to steal the spotlight from March Madness. Stories ranging from the A-Rod signing to the Barry Bonds steroid watch have been plastered on the front pages these winter months. The Marlins seem doomed to repeat the 1997 sellout, and all signs point towards destiny and the fact that maybe this could be the year of the Cubs. So what will be the biggest story this year? What story will everyone be talking about come October? I have three headlines in mind, and one of them may just come true.
A-Rod Wins MVP
Yes I know it seems I’m going way out on a limb here by picking A-Rod, oh wait, you mean I’m not going out on a limb? Anyway, A-Rod will in fact win the MVP this year. I would expect nothing less from this all-world third baseman. Yes that is right, all-world third baseman. Seems strange doesn’t it? However, I feel that Alex will adjust nicely in his new role, and has the athletic ability and on-field genius to pull the switch off. I wouldn’t even be shocked if A-Rod were to come close to winning a gold glove. Derrick Jeter need not look behind his back because his job is safe. That is as long as the Yankees are winning.
Winning is what the Yanks should do this year. With a lineup that will probably score over a thousand runs and a halfway decent pitching staff they would have to work hard to lose. Alex is right in the heart of that lineup and pitchers will not have the liberty of walking him often. I expect A-Rod to drive in at least 125 runs, score at least 100 runs, and hit at least forty homers. Just for the fun of it he may bat .310 or above. All of those credentials and the Yankees storming into the playoffs and possibly to the World Series will hand A-Rod his back-to-back MVP award.
Steroids, Steroids, Steroids
Barry Bonds, Garry Sheffield, and numerous other non-baseball athletes have been linked to the current steroid scandal. This scandal has the potential to undermine every single modern-day mark, if in fact; the scandal hasn’t already achieved that effect already. The fact that today’s greatest baseball player, Barry Bonds, has even been mentioned in the scandal can only mean bad things for baseball. No record book in the history of sports is more revered then the baseball record book, but steroids is tarnishing those records and the history of this most storied sport.
I have heard people comparing the use of steroids to the smoking of cigarettes. They claim that steroids don’t help you that much, and don’t hurt you that much. Yet I fail to see their point. Smoking is a perfectly legal thing to do, but it kills thousands every year. Using steroids is illegal, and it also kills many people each year. The fact of the matter is that taking steroids is illegal and no act of civil disobedience regarding taking steroids is ever going to be condoned. I hope that all who have indeed used steroids come clean, and I hope all of those who haven’t used steroids get a clean rap sheet and are not falsely accused.
The Curse is Lifted
Two of the most cursed teams in baseball improved their already playoff teams this off-season. This will be the year that either the Cubs or Red Sox win a World Series crown. No I’m not being sarcastic or acting delirious, I am dead serious. Well at least halfway serious. One hundred and eighty combined years of curses is hard to overcome. Not to mention the destruction of the Bartman ball has to have Cubs fans on the edge of their collective seats, yeah right. Fans of each team know that destiny awaits them, but fans of both teams also know that destiny is a very patient universal object.
So which team will it be? Which team will finally hoist the crown? My bet is on Mark Prior, Kerry Wood, and the Cubs. Sure Boston added Curt Schilling, but they failed to land the big prize. A-Rod went to their archrivals and it will come back to haunt the Sox. The Cubs rivals, and the entire National League did not do much to increase the strength of their teams. The team that ousted the Cubs last year lost its catcher and gave their best pitcher a pay cut. Hardly moves that signify an improving baseball franchise. All the Cubs have to do is win a hundred games, make it to the World Series, and overcome come the curse of only God knows what. Quite simple isn’t it?
We are less then a month away from opening day. In a month A-Rod will get his first at bat as a Yankee. In a month Barry Bonds can continue his assault on the Babe and Aaron, and finally put the steroid talk to rest. In a month the Marlins will start their defense of the second World Series crown, and the Cubs and Sox will start their quest to overcome history. If the regular season is anything like the off-season, this year is gong to be remembered in the annals of time. I cannot wait, GO TWINS.
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