Arms Race
Sports fans and experts alike will argue that baseball is still America’s favorite pastime. But those same people wouldn’t deny that “The Steroid Era” has put a dampener on the sport.
The 90’s and 2000’s in Major League Baseball consisted of high scoring games and home run records. This led to the suspicions, investigations, drug testing, admissions, and even The Mitchell Report. The document was 409-pages long, and it addressed a 21-month long investigation about the use of anabolic steroids and human growth hormones (HGH) in baseball. It also included a list of players who allegedly used at least one of the performance enhancing drugs (PEDs).
New drug testing policies have been implemented since the era began. Despite these changes, players continue to be implicated for use of PEDs, while others made public admissions of using them in order to avoid suspension for getting caught.
Why is this relevant now?
Because in the first season of a new decade, we could be in for a new era in baseball.
This MLB season has the potential to be one for the ages. Phenomenal pitching has overshadowed another strong offensive year, and we may be looking at two of the closest pennant races in recent memory.
Last season consisted of zero 20-game winners, with just 12 pitchers having double digit wins before the All-Star break. This year, 20 pitchers had 10 or more wins before the break, including Ubaldo Jimenez’s 15 wins — the most before the All-Star game since David Wells had 15 in 2000. Wells finished that season 20-8, but finished third in the American League Cy Young vote.
This season there were 28 pitchers with over 100 strikeouts before the break. Last season? Just 20 pitchers.
This season there were four no-hitters — two of which were perfect games — before the All-Star game. Last season, there were two no-hitters the entire year — neither of which were perfect games.
But beyond the emergence of multiple young, flame-throwing aces, we are also going to witness very close races for each and every playoff spot.
As of July 19, the Yankees have the best record in baseball and lead the highly competitive AL East by 3 games over the Rays. The Red Sox are beat up, but only 6.5 games back of NY. As for the AL Central, just 1.5 games separates first and third place.
The National League is much closer — and different — than it was at this time last year. The LA Dodgers had a commanding lead of the West on July 19, 2009. This year, they sit in fourth place, but only 5.5 games back of the surprising San Diego Padres, who hold the MLB’s best team ERA. St. Louis was excepted to dominate in the Central like they ended up doing last year, but it wasn’t until recently they took a half a game lead over Joey Votto and the Cincinnati Reds.
And the reigning NL champion Phillies are in third place in the East and 5.5 games back of the Atlanta Braves. Atlanta’s 20-year-old rookie sensation Jason Heyward is in the running for Rookie of the Year, but might be outdone by last year’s top pick, Stephen Strasburg. The Washington National’s starter was second in the majors with 48 strikeouts in June. He was only three behind Seattle’s Felix Hernandez’s 51, even though Strasburg pitched 18 less innings.
The close division races have created tight races for the Wild Card positions as well. The American League and National league have approximately 17 teams fighting for eight total playoff spots. Multiple teams who planned on contending will end up watching the playoffs at home.
With pitching making a comeback and all the races shaping up to come down to the wire, 2010 may end up being a season to remember.
Perhaps 25 wins for a pitcher in the Mile High City, where homeruns are used to going a mile long? How about Josh Hamilton — who once struggled with drug and alcohol issues — battling Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera for the AL Triple Crown? Or simply the fact that there are at least three divisions that will most likely come down to the final week to determine a winner.
Healthy starting pitching and depth in the bullpen have always been considered major keys to success in baseball. With contenders trying to bulk up before the trade deadline passes, look for teams at the bottom of the league to deal impact players for prospects.
And as the races begin to tighten, the cream will rise to the top, and some players will emerge as hometown heroes and franchise saviours. Others will go down as the guy who couldn’t get the job done.
No matter whom you support, try not to get your hopes up too much. If the Mets have taught us anything, it’s that you never know what will happen from now to September.
