Playoff time has rolled around again for Major League Baseball, and that means for eight teams and their fans, the next month will be extremely exciting.
It must not feel good to be one of the 22 on the teams on the outside looking in, right?
It’s not all bad. There have been many individual and team achievements that have made for a fascinating season. Records have fallen, teams have made amazing comebacks and have, snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, and there have been great individual achievements.
Randy Johnson, the 41-year old, 6-foot 10-inch lefty of the Arizona Diamondbacks, provided 16 of the team’s 51 wins. He provided the one high-point of the season for the Diamondbacks on May 18, when he threw a perfect game against the Atlanta Braves.
Ichiro Suzuki is another player who has provided a spark for a losing team. The hitting artist from Japan shattered the record for hits in a season, tallying 262. The record was previously held by George Sisler of the St. Louis Browns, who had 257 hits in 1920. Ichiro had three 50-plus hit months, including a record 56 hits in the month of August. He also led the league in hitting with an average of .372, 30 points ahead of second place Melvin Mora.
Barry Bonds also set records this year, but only because pitchers are afraid to pitch to him. He led the majors with 232 walks, 120 of them intentional. His 120 intentional walks were more than every team other than the Giants. He led the National League in hitting, with a .362 average. Bonds, perhaps the opposite of singles king Ichiro, only had 135 hits, a record low for a batting champion.
The Houston Astros and the Anaheim Angels both made amazing comebacks in the second half of the season, capturing playoff spots in their respective divisions. The Astros were 56-60 on August 14, but went 36-10 in their last 46 games to snatch the NL Wild Card spot from the Chicago Cubs and the San Francisco Giants.
The Oakland A’s and the Cubs collapsed at the end of the season, each dropping out of the playoffs due to terrible play. Oakland lost five of their last eight games, including three of four to the lowly Seattle Mariners. The Cubs, who once appeared to be a lock for the NL Wild Card, lost their offensive push late in the season, and their pitching could not compensate.
These accomplishments are nothing to turn your nose up at. So keep this in mind next year, whether your team starts the season 2-8, or finishes the season 29 games out of the playoffs; there’s still a chance.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the individual writer and are not necessarily held by The Poly or the sports department.
