The ultimate cop out column
Originally compiled 3.31.04
AL EAST
New York
Boston
Toronto
Baltimore
Tampa Bay
AL CENTRAL
Cleveland
Chicago
Minnesota
Kansas City
Detroit
AL WEST
Oakland
Anaheim
Seattle
Texas
Wild Card: Boston
NL EAST
Florida
Philadelphia
New York
Atlanta
Montreal
NL CENTRAL
Houston
Chicago
St. Louis
Pittsburgh
Cincinatti
Milwaukee
NL WEST
San Francisco
Los Angeles
San Diego
Arizona
Colorado
Wild Card: Chicago
AL Divisional PLAYOFFS: New York 3 Cleveland 0
Oakland 3 Boston 2
NL Divisional PLAYOFFS: Chicago 3 San Fransisco 1
Florida 3 Houston 2
ALCS: Oakland 4 New York 2
NLCS: Florida 4 Chicago 2
World Series: Oakland 4 Florida 3
AL MVP: Vlad Guerrero
AL ROY: Joe Mauer
AL CY Young: Tim Hudson
AL Manager of the Year: Eric Wedge
NL MVP: Barry Bonds
NL ROY: Kaz Matsui
NL CY Young: Josh Beckett
NL Manager of the Year: Jack McKeon
Final Thoughts: Pitching wins championships. In the AL, the Yanks slug their way to the league's best record. But Kevin Brown breaks down late in the season. Kenny Lofton gets traded, a Bronx zoo atmosphere. Contreras shaky at best - a Cuban Irabu with his inconsistency. Browns injury shatters any pennant hopes. Cleveland's young talent matures a year early - Jody Gerut, Travis Hafner, Casey Blake ignite a 2002 Anaheim Angels-like offense. CC Sabathia matures into an ace. The Tribe wins a weak Central, not enough talent to get by Yanks. Rich Harden plays D'artagnan to the Three Musketeers - Hudson, Zito, and Mulder. Jermaine Dye rebounds from his injury. Chavez has monster season. Crosby fills in nicely for Tejada. Beane makes a trade for a big bat and a closer by midseason, and Oakland pulls away from Anaheim in the second half. Boston's 1-2 tandem of Schilling and Pedro has Boston in first place by midseason. Then Pedro breaks down (then signs with the Yankees in the offseason). The Redsox slide into second, escape with the wild card. Oakland's Big 4 gets the Best of Boston in Division Series. David Ortiz leads the AL in homers. In the ALCS, the A's pitching baffles the Yankee offense. Oakland wins with pitching depth - advances to the World Series for the first time since the Bash Brothers era.
In the NL, Florida silences the naysayers by winning the NL East. The Marlins, not the Redsox, Yankees, Cubs, or Astros boast the league's best pitching staff. Josh Beckett wins 20+ games. Brad Penny, Dontrelle Willis provide depth, and AJ Burnett returns to give the Fish another power pitcher for the postseason. Houston wins the Central - Pettite, Clemens, Oswalt, and Miller win at least 60 games combined. Aging lineup suffers from injuries throughout the season. Dotel solidfies closer role. San Francisco wins race in the NL West. Bonds reaches 700 homers. Jason Schmidt competes for the CY Young. Kirk Reuter wins 15 games. Brian Sabean makes needed moves before July 31st deadline. Prior's injury slows the Cubbies out of the gates. Chicago wins wild card easily over Philadelphia (Bowa fired by July). Prior and Wood carry staff in second half. Bullpen dominates. LaTroy Hawkins takes over closer role before the season is over. Chicago's 1-2 punch quiets the Giants in Round 1. Florida and Houston lock up in a pitcher's duel of a series. Youth prevails, as the Fish swim into the NLCS. Miguel Cabrera blossoms into a superstar. Beckett and Burnett not Bartman haunt the Cubs for another offseason. Florida wins with speed, defense, and pitching.
In the World Series - baseball rejoices. Two small markets. Oakland vs. Florida. Beckett outduels Hudson in game one. Zito and Mulder win games two and three. Benitez blows game 4. Marlins rebound to win games 5 and 6. But the A's take Game 6. The two teams play to a scoreless tie in game seven. Until Armando Benitez walks in the winning run in the 10th. Oakland wins in 7, Mark Mulder wins Sereies MVP.
Epilogue: Moneyball returns to the NY Times Best seller list. Steinbrenner fumes in New York. Epstein wonders how to keep Boston in contention next season. Nomar contemplates playing 2B for the Yanks. Cubs fans seek out Steve Bartman from the witness protection program, and the steroid scandal is true, hence causing irreparable harm to the game.