Some say that the same teams in 2005 that succeeded to reach the postseason in Major League Baseball in 2004 are old-hat. But this year, unlike past seasons, the road to success was nothing but routine for several of these perennial winners.
Although this was the third year in a row that the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox battled it out for the American League East title, they both did so huffing and puffing to the finish line. Likewise, the Chicago White Sox and the Cleveland Indians kept it interesting up until the final weekend of the season in determining the winner of the American League Central Division.
And in the end, Cleveland came up short in knocking the Red Sox out of the postseason, when Boston seized the American League wildcard on the very last day of the season. The Houston Astros, almost with a mirror image of last season's, needed every last game in holding off the Philadelphia Phillies for the National League's wildcard contest.
In contrast, the St. Louis Cardinals clinched the National League Central Division title way back on September 17th, with the Atlanta Braves following suit with the National League East Division title on September 27th. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, while not having an entirely easy season, had breathing room while also clinching the American League West title on September 27th. And the San Diego Padres limped across their finish line, securing the National League West title on September 28th, clinging to the hope they would at least end the season with a record above .500, which they did with two games above.
The win-loss records of division and wildcard winners also look quite similar in terms of numbers. The Yankees, the Red Sox, and the Angels all finished with the identical number of wins and losses of 95-67. Atlanta had a 90-72 record, Houston with an 89-73 record, and lastly, San Diego with an 82-80 record. The Cardinals finished with the best record in MLB at 100-62 and the White Sox held the best record for most of the season, while finishing at 99-63.
But it is worth it to look beyond the numbers to get a better picture of what they actually mean over the course of the season. While no team was immune from injuries, there were controversies as well overcoming adversities, in spite of their good returns. A multitude of injuries, including key players in their starting lineups, contributed to the difficulties that several of these teams suffered.
Most notably, for example, the Yankees were without four-fifths of their starting rotation at some point throughout the season. They lost the services of Carl Pavano for the last half of the season, Jaret Wright was lost for most of the season until the last couple of weeks, and Kevin Brown was lost permanently. Mike Mussina was on the DL for two months with an inflamed elbow, and was not in command of his pitches on several outings. Manager Joe Torre was extremely lucky in replacing his rotation with the likes of minor-leaguer Chien-Win Wang, retread Aaron Small with a 10-0 record with the Yankees, and former Colorado Rockies' pitcher Shawn Chacon. The trio combined won 25 games for NY and were the glue that held them together.
The Angels and the Braves missed the offensive talents of outfielder Garret Anderson and third baseman Chipper Jones, respectively, with their extended visits to the DL. And the Houston Astros lost veteran clutch hitter Jeff Bagwell to elbow surgery in June, only to reappear in the last two weeks of the season as a pinch hitter. The Padres lost second baseman, Mark Loretta for a good chunk of the season, as well.
While the Red Sox were able to welcome back World Series 2004 pitching hero Curt Schilling from offseason ankle surgery, he remained a question mark for most of the season. He spent a good part of it in the bullpen as he continued to recover. His pitching prowess of old has yet to return as he only just started games in the last couple of weeks of the season. Pitching closer and bullpen ace of 2004, Keith Foulke, was lost on the mound for a good part of the year with knee problems, and is not a factor for the postseason as he opted to have surgery the last week of the season. In addition, the perennial controversy revolving around slugger Manny Ramirez reared its head again, this time at the All-Star Break, when it was rumored Boston was looking to trade him.
Ozzie Guillen, manager of the White Sox, seemed to be a magnet for controversy all season, with his quotes in the press about his players, players on other teams, as well as his impulsive comments to the media. The White Sox also squandered the 15-game lead they held over the Cleveland Indians in mid-August in the AL Central and were just able to eek out the division title despite owning the best record in baseball for most of the season.
Ozzie was able to lean on his starting pitchers, Jon Garland (18-10), Mark Buehrle (16-8), and also turned around Jose Contreras (15-7), a former Yankee whose career was sputtering. The White Sox played what Ozzie called "small ball" all season and won the majority of their games without a formidable offense. Ozzie's shoot-from-the-hip style of communicating is perhaps his indirect way of lighting a fire under his players. If so, it worked.
San Diego was largely regarded as an embarrassment to the National League as it was deemed that the NL West division champs won by default. With its lack of division competition, San Diego has made some in the press wonder if they could win in the postseason. And for that, the club goes into it with a proverbial chip on its shoulders. Perhaps it will prove to be a silver lining, with less pressure and expectation. After all, no one expects anything from the Padres and if they are even moderately successful, they will be praised.
The Cardinals seemingly had the easiest trip to the postseason, but they have a lot to prove. They were steamrolled in the 2004 World Series by the Red Sox, with the press already anointing them World Champions mid-way through the 2004 season. They must return to the postseason with resolve, on course for redemption and must do it with less of a power punch than expected. Albert Pujols, while carrying the club all season, has been nursing a nagging leg injury for a couple of months. And they will be without third baseman Scott Rolen, lost again to shoulder surgery.
Perhaps the biggest surprise this postseason brings is the Astros. The last time a team has ever made it to the postseason after starting the season with a 15-30 record was in 1914 with the Boston Braves. But certainly to manager Phil Garner, it smacks of normalcy as his team had a similar scenario after the All-Star Break in 2004 when they were 10.5 games behind the NL Central's Cardinals and fifth in line for the wildcard. Garner then brought the Astros to within one game of winning the NL pennant.
The difference this year, though, is a healthy Andy Pettitte in the starting rotation, complementing Roger Clemens and Roy Oswalt. Pettitte was nominated for Comeback Player of the Year following his August 2004 elbow surgery and won NL Pitcher of the Month in both July and September, going 17-9 on the year with a 2.39 ERA and going 13-2 since July. Rookie of the Year candidate outfielder Willy Taveras also was a welcome surprise both offensively and on the base paths.
So, we need not obsess with stat after stat to know that the 2005 baseball season has been different than others in the past. There were arguably many more underlying stories rather than game strategies on the diamond this year. This was a season about heart and soul and about digging down deep in overcoming adversity for individual players, managers, and teams alike. Most played and managed with guts and determination. And this postseason may prove even more exciting than most, if the regular season is any indication. Batter up!
October 7, 2005
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