MLB Season Recaps (Sample)
by Michael Aubrecht, Copyright 2005
Written each year for Baseball-Almanac: Year In Review, All-Star Game, World Series

OFF THE FIELD:

2005 will be remembered as a year in which the world seemed to be peppered with natural disasters including floods, earthquakes, mudslides, wild fires and even a tsunami (late December 2004). Tropical storms reached an all-time high as the National Hurricane Service ran out of letters from the English alphabet for naming them. The eleventh, christened "Hurricane Katrina," first made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane in Miami, Florida on August 25, 2005 and then again on August 29th, along the Central Gulf Coast near New Orleans, Louisiana, as a Category 4 storm. The hurricane resulted in several breaches of the levee system that protected New Orleans from Lake Pontchartrain, and most of the city was subsequently flooded by the lake's waters. This and other major damage to the coastal regions of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama made Katrina the most destructive and costliest natural disaster in the history of the United States. In the end, Katrina was responsible for $200 billion dollars in damage, and over 1,200 deaths. In addition, more than one-million people were left displaced, creating a humanitarian crisis unlike anything experienced in modern times.

"Operation Enduring Freedom" marked its fourth anniversary, as American military and coalition forces continued their global war on terrorism. Originally launched in October of 2001 (as both a counter attack and pre-emptive strike, following the attacks on September 11th), the Allied Forces targeted far more than al Qaeda training camps and facilities and the repressive Taliban regime in Afghanistan. The ongoing battle against insurgents in Baghdad, the liberation of the Iraqi people, the drafting of an Iraqi Constitution, and the trial of captured dictator Saddam Hussein were just a few of the major issues in an ongoing war that sparked both controversy and debate around the world.

NASA finally returned to space, after a 2½ year absence, following the accidental explosion and loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia and her seven-member crew (STS-107) over Texas in February of 2003. After a year of investigation, resulting in the institution of several new safety features and protocols, the Space Shuttle Discovery launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on July 26, 2005. STS-114 included breathtaking in-orbit maneuvers, tests of new equipment and procedures, and a first-of-its-kind space-walking repair. NASA later announced that the next Shuttle mission, STS-121, was targeted for March of 2006 and would be the second test flight to the International Space Station in the "Shuttle Return to Flight" series.

IN THE AMERICAN LEAGUE:

Baltimore Oriole and Dominican superstar Miguel Tejada was awarded the "Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award" for his efforts in leading the American League to a 7-5 victory over the National League in the 76th All-Star Game in Detroit. In doing so, Tejada became the fifth Latin-American born player among the last eight MVP winners. The victory increased the American League's unbeaten streak to nine and netted its third straight home-field advantage in the World Series.

2005 was also the seventeenth (and final) big-league season of one of baseball's perennial journeyman, John Olerud. With a stellar career as a Toronto Blue Jay, New York Met, Seattle Mariner, New York Yankee, and Boston Red Sox, Olerud's resume boasted a .295 average, with 2,239 hits, 7,592 at-bats, two World Championships, three Gold Gloves, and one batting title. Retiring as a first-baseman with the Boston Red Sox, Olerud left behind a wonderful "blue-collar" legacy as both a players' player and a fan favorite. Well known for not having played a single game in the minor leagues, Olerud moved directly to the majors after an outstanding career at Washington State University where he was a pitcher. Drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the third round of the 1989 Amateur Draft, he had to wear a batting helmet in the field because of a brain aneurysm in younger life.

Following in the footsteps of the "Cinderella-story" 2004 Boston Red Sox, the Chicago White Sox shocked the baseball world after winning the American League pennant en route to their first World Series since 1959. The forty-six year gap between appearances was the longest in American League history and offered a rare opportunity for some long-overdue redemption for "Shoeless Joe" Jackson and his infamous "Black Sox" - who were found guilty of throwing the Fall Classic in 1919. The Windy City's south-siders had advanced to the postseason on three other occasions, in 1983 when they lost three of four games to the Baltimore Orioles, in 1993 when the Toronto Blue Jays beat them in six, and in 2000 when the Seattle Mariners dumped them in three. Their last World Championship title had come eighty-eight years earlier when they defeated the New York Giants in 1917.

IN THE NATIONAL LEAGUE:

Bobby Abreu, of the Philadelphia Phillies, broke the record for most round-trippers after putting up twenty-four in the first round of the Century 21 Home Run Derby during the 2005 All-Star Game. The Venezuelan slugger opened the night by slugging a record twenty-four homers in the first round. He then went on to finish second in the second round (8-6) while earning a spot in the finals. Showing no signs of fatigue, he later added eleven more (another record) en route to the title. His longest homer in the final round was four-hundred fifty-eight feet. When totaled, Abreu's forty-one homers combined to travel an estimated distance of seventeen thousand five-hundred sixty-five feet!

After falling short of the postseason in their first forty-two years of existence, the Houston Astros finally weathered the storm, beating the perennial National League East division winners, the Atlanta Braves as well as the National League defending champion St. Louis Cardinals en route to the 2005 World Series. Along the way, Houston and Atlanta set a Major League postseason record with a five hour and fifty minute marathon (sixty seconds longer than a Boston Red Sox-New York Yankees playoff game from the previous season). It ended at 7-6, with a game-winning (and Series ending) home run in the eighteenth-inning, courtesy of Houston's Chris Burke. Aces from both teams combined to throw a whopping five-hundred fifty-three pitches, (Astros: three-hundred, Braves: two-hundred fifty-three) as a forty-three year-old Roger Clemens came unexpectedly "out of the bullpen" for his first relief appearance since 1984. Usually a starter, "The Rocket" was forced into a closer's role and allowed one hit in three scoreless innings to earn the win.

In a year filled with parody and mediocrity, the San Diego Padres finished the season with an 82-80 record to avoid becoming the first playoff team to ever finish the season at .500 or under. The Padres actually won more games in 2004 (eighty-seven) and recorded back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1991 and 1992. Overcoming a seemingly never-ending string of injuries and ailments, the Padres held on to win the National League West, but were later swept 3-0 by the defending National League Champion St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Divisional Series.

AROUND THE LEAGUE:

Fed up with the lack of initiative by Major League Baseball with regard to the latest steroid scandals, the House Government's Reform Committee took its first step toward intervention, by holding a congressional hearing focusing on the problems of doping in baseball. Following the ongoing investigation into the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative known as BALCO, the committee called several past and present players to testify regarding their own knowledge and/or experience with performance-enhancing drugs. (BALCO is a California nutritional supplements company accused of distributing human growth hormones and steroids, as well as Jose Conseco's controversial biography entitled "Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big.") Former All-Time, single-season homerun champion Mark McGwire, Baltimore Orioles stars Rafael Palmeiro and Sammy Sosa and Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling appeared in front of a panel made up of state representatives. Schilling and the Chicago White Sox' Frank Thomas, who gave a statement via videoconference, were invited because of their outspoken views against steroid use. Ultimately hurting the cause more than helping it, Sosa crafted an opening statement in which he said he had never used illegal performance-enhancing drugs. McGwire refused to answer any questions directly, assuming a Fifth Amendment-like stance that ultimately tarnished his legacy in the eyes of many fans. And Palmeiro vehemently denied having used steroids. Unfortunately, "Raffy" later went on to become one of the first players to test positive and receive a multiple game suspension. In retrospect, it appeared that the most unpopular member of the panel, Canseco, was apparently the most (if not the only) honest witness.

The newly relocated Washington Nationals (formerly the Montreal Expos) ended their first season since returning to the nation's capital with an 81-81 record. Even before the 2005 Spring Training season had ended, manager Frank Robinson promised that the Nationals would be a competitive franchise, despite having one of the lowest payrolls in baseball. With a surprise ten-game winning streak, starting in late May, the Nationals proved they were a competent team, capable of playing 500+ ball. By July 3rd, Washington became the third team in baseball to reach the fifty-win plateau and was on a pace to win one-hundred games. The Nationals remained in Wild Card contention until the New York Mets eliminated them from the race on September 25th.

The 76th Midsummer Classic returned to Detroit in 2005, but those in attendance (and watching on TV) spread far beyond the boundaries of Comerica Park and the "Motor City." On the eve of this "internationally flavored" All-Star Game, Major League Baseball had announced the debut of the World Baseball Classic in which Major League players from each team would participate in a 16-country tournament in March of 2006.

The proclamation could not have come at a better time as baseball had once again found itself at odds with many of its fans. A Congressional investigation into the illegal use of Steroids, continued disputes between the players and media, as well as the sport itself being dropped as an Olympic event had left many with a bad taste in their mouths - similar to the seasons that had followed labor disputes.

One positive standout during the first half of the 2005 season was the welcome arrival of parody around the league. Similar to the NFL, Major League Baseball finally "shook up the playing field" as the perennial juggernaut known as the New York Yankees struggled to play 500-ball, yet the newly established Washington Nationals dominated their division. The refreshing change in the standings pleased everyone except Yankees fans and of course, Mr. George Steinbrenner.

The Opening Ceremonies echoed those following the events of September 11th as baseball, and ultimately the country, paid tribute to our allies in Great Britain who had suffered a deadly terrorist attack in the week previous. A giant Union Jack waved gloriously on the Jumbotron as a military brass band played their national anthem first.

Fans around the world were anxious to see what the line-ups on both sides would do especially after Monday night's CENTURY 21 Home Run Derby in which Bobby Abreu of the Philadelphia Phillies broke the record for most round-trippers after putting up twenty-four in the first round.

Most analysts agreed that both teams appeared evenly matched on the mound, but that the American League had a distinct advantage at the plate with a roster not seen since the days of Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente and Reggie Jackson. This would later prove true as the American League went on to win its ninth Midsummer Classic in a row and its third home-field advantage ruling for the World Series. (The Nationals had not tasted victory in a Classic since 1996.)

Dominican superstar Miguel Tejada of the Baltimore Orioles got things started right away with a home run - then got the defense rolling with a Gold Glove-caliber play - and later walked away with the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet. He was the fifth Latin American-born player among the last eight MVP winners and just one example of the stellar play by the American League.

With Abreu, on first base for the Nationals after a leadoff single in the first inning, Carlos Beltran knocked a scorcher off American League starter (and winning pitcher) Mark Buehrle up the middle for what appeared to be a surefire single. Immediately Tejada sprang a few feet to his left, knocked the ball down and flipped it to his Orioles teammate, Brian Roberts, while on the ground for a rally-stifling, highlight-reel double play. It would not be his last effort to end up on the "Plays of the Week" segment at ESPN.

Showing what it truly means to be a "complete player," Tejada got the scoring going with an epic solo shot off Atlanta Braves ace John Smoltz, crushing an 0-1 fastball over 436 feet into the left-field seats for his first career All-Star Game home run. World Champion Red Sox slugger David Ortiz added to the American's lead with in the third with an RBI single off the wall in right field against Roy Oswalt. Tejada returned to the plate and drove another run in that inning with an RBI fielder's choice, and Japanese outfielder Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners kept the pressure on with a two-run single in the fourth against Livan Hernandez.

After two quality shutout innings by Buehrle, manager Terry Francona gave the ball to the Anaheim Angels ace Bartolo Colon who threw a strong third inning before yielding to Johan Santana, Matt Clement and Jon Garland. All three kept the Nationals quiet through the sixth, while their line-up continued to wreak havoc on their opponent's pitchers.

Batting righty, switch-hitting, first baseman Mark Teixeira of Texas Rangers slammed an opposite-field, two-run home run off Dontrelle Willis, who was in the middle of an epic season. Surprisingly, Teixeira was leading the league at the All-Star break with 25 round-trippers, but every one of them had been hit left-handed. It was just one example of the modern day "Murderers' Row" that sported the AL logo and included the league's Most Valuable Player, Vladimir Guerrero, and Alex Rodriguez, who was an annual 50-homer threat.

Even though the Americans had built an early lead, the game still managed to provide a few dramatic moments such as when the host-team Tigers staged a moving video tribute to their longtime, Hall of Fame radio man Ernie Harwell which was met with a standing ovation. In stark contrast, cheers turned to boo's after the door to the AL bullpen opened for baseball's newest "Public Enemy #1", Kenny Rogers, the Texas Rangers pitcher who caused controversy and garnered a 20-game suspension after a recent physical confrontation with television cameramen.

Justice was served though after Rogers was tattooed by the Braves' Andruw Jones, the Major League leader in homers at the All-Star break with 27. The blast cut the American League's lead to 7-2. Things continued to favor the Nationals in the eighth when Miguel Cabrera hit an RBI fielder's choice off Joe Nathan to make it 7-3, and his teammates added two more in the ninth on a Luis Gonzalez double against B.J. Ryan and a Carlos Lee fielder's choice.

Just as things were starting to get interesting, enter "The Sandman", closing legend Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees, who proceeded to step atop the mound and throw three blazing cutters for the final out and a 7-5 victory. It was his second All-Star save. In the end, there was no denying the domination of the American League who were more likely to produce runs at six of the nine offensive positions. (The Nationals still led overall in the contest from their own stretch of dominance from the mid-1960s into the early 1980s.)

The following day, one reporter captured the essence of the 2005 Midsummer Classic. He wrote, "There is no overstating how good this (American League) lineup was. It looked like it was drawn up, not by a manager, but by a higher power, an entity with even more sweeping powers than the Commissioner."

2005 will always be remembered as "The year of redemption in the Windy City." That was the season in which the Chicago White Sox shocked the baseball world after winning the American League pennant en route to their first World Series since 1959. The forty-six year gap between appearances was the longest in American League history and offered a rare opportunity for the long-overdue emancipation of "Shoeless Joe" Jackson and his infamous "Black Sox" - who were found guilty of throwing the Fall Classic in 1919. The "South Siders" had advanced to the postseason on three other occasions; in 1983 when they lost three of four games to the Baltimore Orioles, in 1993 when the Toronto Blue Jays beat them in six, and in 2000 when the Seattle Mariners dumped them in three. But their last World Championship title had come eighty-eight years earlier when they defeated the New York Giants in 1917.

Over the last few years, as baseball marched into the 21st Century, both parody and unpredictability became the norm, as many teams who were perennial no-shows in the postseason were now in the hunt for vindication. As a result, Chicago's milestone seemed even more fitting following another "Cinderella-story," known as the Boston Red Sox, who had broken their own eighty-plus year drought in the previous Fall Classic. Ending the regular season with an impressive 99-63 record, Chicago finished first in the American League Central, beat the defending World Champion Red Sox in the American League Divisional Series three-games-to-none, then moved on to defeat the Los Angeles Angels 4-1 in the American League Championship.

Surprisingly, Chicago's '05 roster consisted of a relatively "unknown team" that began the season with a revamped and unproven lineup. However, those who doubted the "new and improved" version of their team quickly turned confident, as at one point the Sox held an epic fifteen-game lead in the American League Central. Although a dry spell in August and September watched their advantage drop to a 1½ game lead over the Cleveland Indians, Chicago rose to the occasion down the stretch and finished the race with the best starting pitching in the American League, and a solid bullpen that came close to matching that success.

One of the key components in the rebirth of the Chicago White Sox was the passionate, yet humble managing style of skipper Ozzie Guillen. With a down-to-earth approach and total team (not individual) focus, Guillen was able to form a well-balanced group, as opposed to a band of egotistical, free agent superstars. Both a fan and media favorite, Ozzie was applauded for his simplicity and blue-collar approach to baseball. With an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" attitude, the former White Sox legend let his players performance on the field do the talking for him.

After falling short of the postseason in their first forty-two years of existence, the Houston Astros finally weathered the storm, beating the perennial National League East division winners, the Atlanta Braves, as well as the National League's defending champion St. Louis Cardinals for a ticket to the World Series. Along the way, Houston and Atlanta set a Major League postseason record with a five hour and fifty minute marathon (sixty seconds longer than a Boston Red Sox versus New York Yankees playoff game from the previous season). It ended with a 7-6 game-winning (and Series ending) home run in the eighth inning courtesy of Houston's Chris Burke. Aces from both teams combined to throw a whopping five-hundred fifty-three pitches, (Astros: three-hundred, Braves: two-hundred fifty-three) as a forty-three year-old Roger Clemens came unexpectedly "out of the bullpen" for his first relief appearance since 1984. Usually a starter, "The Rocket" was forced into a closer's role and allowed one hit in three scoreless innings to earn the win.

Unlike their American League opponents, Houston boasted a roster of proven veterans and future Hall of Famers, who finished their season with an 89-73 record. Slugger Lance Berkman led the team at the plate with a .293 batting average, while teammate Morgan Ensberg posted thirty-six home runs and one-hundred ones runs batted in. On the mound, Roy Oswalt tallied twenty wins, and Clemens led the rotation with a 1.87 ERA and one-hundred eighty-five strikeouts. Things did not always appear promising though, as Houston began the season with a nightmarish list of problems, as nearly one third of their roster was hit with everything from knee surgery, to the flu, to pneumonia, to upper respiratory infections, that swept through the Astros' clubhouse. Amazingly, Houston somehow managed to recover from an abysmal start to go 74-43 for the rest of the year (a .632 winning percentage over four months). Repeating their performance from the 2004 season, they held on to win the National League Wild Card on the final day of the regular season.

Game 1 opened the Series in Chicago, thanks to the dominant performance of the American League in the All-Star Game. However, despite having the home field advantage, most analysts and so-called experts heavily favored the visiting Astros (in the opener) who started their perennial postseason ace, Roger Clemens. Much like the regular season though, futurists everywhere were proven wrong as the age defying and indestructible "Rocket" was forced to depart after a mere two innings, with a strained left hamstring. Taking advantage of the struggling legend, the White Sox had tagged him for three runs on four hits, including Jermaine Dye's first-inning opposite-field home run. It was the first White Sox home run in World Series competition since Ted Kluszewski's three-run shot in the fourth inning on Oct. 8, 1959. The historic blast was a sign of things to come. And although Houston's lineup was able to get some wood on the ball, Chicago's newest ace Jose Contreras and relievers Neal Cotts and Bobby Jenks remained strong from start to finish and were obviously not affected by the two-week layoff since their last postseason appearances.

The Astros did their own part to help the cause by stranding six base runners, at the worst possible times. Only Lance Berkman was able to take advantage of an open opportunity, when Contreras opted to pitch to him with runners on second and third and two outs in the third inning. Berkman doubled to right, tying the game at 3 all. With the game still tied in the fourth, Joe Crede delivered a one-out home run to left-center field off reliever Wandy Rodriguez. It was his third postseason home run and landed just out of the reach of Willy Taveras, providing the margin of victory. When it was over, the vindicated Contreras picked up his third postseason victory and his first career World Series win, allowing three runs on six hits over seven-plus innings. The 5-3 victory was sweetened, as statistically the winner of the first game of the World Series had gone on to win the Fall Classic sixty percent of the time. That was the case in seven of the last eight World Series beginning in 1997, with 2002 (Anaheim rebounding against San Francisco) being the lone exception.

The second game of the Series pitted another postseason veteran in an Astros uniform, named Andy Pettitte, against Chicago's Mark Buehrle. As with Game 1, a former Yankees' ace was favored, but this time he lived up to the hype. After posting six solid innings of work, Houston's younger "hometown hero" left the mound and his team in good position. The 4-2 advantage did not last long though, as the Astros bullpen stumbled, thanks to less-than-stellar performances by Dan Wheeler and Chad Qualls who combined to blow a two-run lead in the seventh inning. Down but not out, Houston managed a comeback in the ninth inning, when Jeff Bagwell tagged Bobby Jenks for a single and Jose Vizcaino, pinch-hitting for Adam Everett, knocked a first-pitch single to left, scoring the infielder as well as Chris Burke (who had walked previously). With the game now tied 6-6, a euphoric enthusiasm spread across the "Astros-Nation," but with one out in the ninth inning, Scott Podsednik knocked a solo homer to center field off Brad Lidge to lift the Chicago White Sox to a 7-6 win.

Perhaps the most shocked of all was Lidge, who now had allowed two dramatic home runs in his last two outings, including a three-run blast courtesy of St. Louis' Albert Pujols (in Game 5 of the National League Championship), and this homer to Podsednik, who had tallied zero round-trippers during the regular season. The dramatic "movie-script" win put Chicago in a statistically superior position as thirty-eight out of the fifty teams to lead a Series 2-0 went on the win the title. Even more promising, eleven out of the last twelve (with the exception of the '96 Atlanta Braves) had also gone on to win the championship.

The biggest story leading up to Game 3 was not the predicted action that would take place on the field, but the controversy regarding the field itself. As the Series shifted to Houston, a heated debate arose over the Astros' newest stadium, Minute Maid Park, which featured one of the newly developed retractable roofs. Statistically, Houston had posted a better record while playing at home "indoors" and the question arose as to whether the Commissioner's Office would consider that an advantage. As the media fanned the flames of protest, the discussion focused on the Astros' 53-28 home record, which left them tied for the second-best in the Major Leagues. Eventually people remembered that a World Series was actually going on and their attention quickly returned to the game at hand. And what a game it was: a historic, record-setting, fourteen-inning (five hour and forty-one minute) marathon that tested the nerves of even the most casual of fans. Houston started off strong, posting a 4-0 lead, but the Sox came back even stronger with five runs of their own in the fifth inning. The Astros returned fire in the eighth to tie the game and both teams remained locked in a stalemate for the next six innings. As both franchises exhausted their lineup cards and their bullpens, an unlikely hero name Geoff Blum stepped up to the plate to face Houston's seventh pitcher, Ezequiel Astacio. With two outs Blum, who was batting for the first time in a World Series, sent a 2-0 pitch down the right field line and over the wall for a 7-5 triumph. It seemed only a matter of time, as the Astros had nothing left to offer. In fact, after Jason Lane's game-tying double with two out in the eighth inning, Houston never got another hit. From the ninth inning on, the Astros struck out eight times and walked eight times. The victory gave the White Sox an amazing 10-1 record in the postseason and left them just one more win away from a record that would match the 1999 Yankees' 11-1 run as the second-best playoff ledger in baseball history (first held by the 1976 Reds, who posted a perfect 7-0).

Game 4 literally belonged to the visitors, as the White Sox dominated the fledgling Astros from the first pitch to the last. No one in a Houston uniform could have possibly predicted that Jason Lane's RBI double in the eighth inning of Game 3 would be the last time they would score in 2005. Unbelievably, the Astros played the final fifteen innings of their magical season without plating a single run. Chicago on the other hand, clearly entered the contest confident of an impending sweep. Neither Houston starter Brandon Backe nor White Sox hurler Freddy Garcia allowed many scoring opportunities during their seven scoreless innings apiece. Backe gave up five hits and struck out seven, including five straight in the fourth and fifth innings. Garcia allowed four hits and walked three, one intentionally, while striking out seven. But the game's only run came in the eighth inning, with two outs, off Houston closer Brad Lidge. Pinch-hitter Willie Harris, who didn't even know if he would still be part of the organization at playoff time, opened the frame with a two-strike single to left and was sacrificed to second by Scott Podsednik. Pinch-hitter Carl Everett followed suit with a ground ball to second base that moved Harris to third. And a ground single up the middle from Jermaine Dye, the World Series Most Valuable Player, moved the White Sox one step closer to history. Relief men Cliff Politte and Neal Cotts combined to pitch out of a two-on, one-out jam in the eighth inning, by retiring Morgan Ensberg as well as pinch-hitter Jose Vizcaino and shortstop Juan Uribe nailed Vizcaino by one-half step with the tying run on third. Moments later, Uribe finished the job (and the season) by fielding pinch-hitter Orlando Palmeiro's broken-bat grounder up the middle for the final out.

Echoing the sentiments in Boston during the previous season's climax, generations of fans from all walks of life erupted in a jubilant celebration across the Windy City's south side. It was a win for the ages and the nineteenth four-game sweep in World Series history that gave the franchise its first World Championship title since 1917. In retrospect, Chicago's only regret of the 2005 season was that the clinching victories for the American League Central, the Division Series, the American League Championship Series and the World Series came while on the road in Detroit, Boston, Anaheim and Houston, respectively. Perhaps the proudest "White Sock" of them all was manager Ozzie Guillen who had played 1,743 games for the White Sox and never won a title. To date, only one man had appeared in more games for a team and then managed that team to a World Series title: Red Schoendienst for the Cardinals (1,795 games, World Series title in 1967).