2005 Top Stories, Who Knows What 2006 Has in Store
When I compiled my list of the top stories of 2005 it hit me that I really hadn’t anticipated most of them.
Which leads me to the conclusion: baseball is the one sport where the unexpected happens no matter how carefully one prepares for the season.
Two reasons: one is the injury factor, you never know who is going to get hurt during the season. Two, the length of the baseball season, which in actuality begins in February, gives plenty of opportunity for things to happen correct themselves, then happen again.
My number one story for 2005 is the White Sox world championship. I said last winter that they had made the most definitive moves of the off season, but who saw the dominance from day one in April all the way through to the dismantling of the Astros in the world series in late October for their first crown since 1917.
Click below for the remainder of my top 10 list of the most significant stories of 2005.The steroid controversy was looming over the sport as the season started. Many of the top players came into spring training in “great shape”. The loss of bulk was noticeable from Ivan Rodriguez to Sammy Sosa to Erubiel Durazo to Ryan Klesko, the winter diets sure worked.
Rafael Palmiero and Mark McGwire took the biggest hits during the congessional hearings. McGwire’s place in baseball history is now officially clouded. By not definitively stating that he was clean during his playing days, McGwire effectively adopted Jose Canseco’s account of the steroid use on the A’s teams of the 90’s.
Palmiero burned his HOF chances for the immediate future by declaring that he was steroid free when he tested positively weeks after his national procalmation.
What a PR disaster form the Orioles, especially when Palmiero blamed Miguel Tejada for giving him a “dirty” B-12 shot claiming that was the cause of his unwitting positive test.
Now with advanced drug testing ready to be put in place for 2006, you can bet that more players will lose weight during this off season. You can expect more surprise suspensions during 2006 too.
Barry Bonds looked like a lock to break Babe Ruth’s record and seemed a good shot to come close to Hank Aaron’s 755. By not playing until September Bonds’s absence cost the Giants any shot of winning the West. Bonds missing 140 games was quite a shock and a top story of the year.
You think you spend 200 million and you win the pennant, not so fast. The Yankees not getting to the world series once again is a major news story.
Now with an all star lineup ready for 2006 we’ll see if the Yankees mediocre starting pitching and their “sign everyone in sight bull pen” can win the AL East.
Putting the World Baseball Classic into operation ranks as a top story for 2005. Let’s see who shows up, who plays like it matters, and whether the public embraces the concept.
Will Cuba be allowed to play in the States? What a travesty if they are kept out of the tournament. They might be the most compelling team to watch in the whole tourney because they will be in shape and really want to win at all costs.
Spring training is pretty mundane compared to the regular season, my guess is the Classic will create a lot of interest in March, but won’t be anywhere near the competitive level seen during the championship season unless Cuba is in the finals, then I’ll go to San Diego to see that game for sure.
The demise of Paul DePodesta was a story. For some reason the young personable GM couldn’t work with what was left of the LA front office without alienating everyone in sight. He also couldn’t handle the press which ultimately led to his demise. Standing firmly behind the overrated Heep Seop Choi when it was obvious he couldn’t hit big league pitching was a deal breaker too. Two years and out, that was a surprise.
Baseball’s trend of hiring young GM’s continued even though DePodesta failed in LA. Theo Epstein threw a hissy fit and quit in Boston, however it looks like he might come back since everyone in Beantown, writers included, is begging him to come back.
Jon Daniels has done a good job retooling the Rangers while Josh Byrnes in Arizona seems to have an idea about putting a winner on the field. I like the move sending Troy Glaus to Toronto for Orlando Hudson.
I predict big things for Texas and Arizona over the next couple of years if these young guys are given the freedom to build from the ground up. They are light years ahead of their predecessors.
I predicted Roger Clemens would be the flop of 2005. Way off on that one. Clemens had perhaps his most remarkable season, getting to the world series before his aging hamstring took him down. Now Clemens is a major 2006 piece of the puzzle for Texas, the Yankees, the Astros or maybe the Red Sox.
Manny Ramirez continues to befuddle the Red Sox from the manager to the fans to the front office, repeatedly acting out through unacceptable team behavior or by demanding a trade to another team.
With all that Ramirez still drove in big runs and led the Sox to the playoffs. I say he gets traded this month especially if Miguel Tejada is the player on the other end.
Two new Hall of Famers: Ryne Sandberg and Wade Boggs. Sandberg wore down the voters who resisted his election in years past while Boggs most deservedly got in on his first try.
This year I expect Bruce Sutter to get in with Goose Gossage a strong possibility too.
The A’s were sold and talk of a new stadium is still as muddled as before. Whatever the long range plan is for the franchise they still haven’t shared it with the rest of us in the Bay Area.
Losing legendary broadcaster Bill King was a shock for all in the Bay Area. King perhpas the most versatile sportscaster of all time will be sorely missed every day of the 2006 season.
Ironically his last broadcast was the A’s last also on 610 AM KFRC, the station would not renew the baseball contract after it was sold to religious programmers last May.
What a waste of a great radio signal.
Those are my top stories of 2005.
Did I see these stories coming last January?
Absolutely not other than liking what the White Sox put together during the winter.
So 2006 much awaits your new year.
Barry Zito, Manny, Miguel, Barry Bonds, Matt Clement, Mark Prior, Felix Pie all names that might be in the news soon.
Will the Yanks win? How about the Sox (both)?
Who will win the pennant, the divisions, the all star game, who will be the surprise team (KC?)?
The story of 2006 awaits and trust me it will be full of surprises.
What do you think?
0 comments
Marty
one other 2005 story –Jason Giambi reclaimed his strength and established himself in NYC, under very adverse conditions –the guy has been under his dad’s Yankee myth since childhood, probably really wanted to stay in Oakland –and even his Oakland career was affected by McGwire and others—he had a very rough time but came thru it all this year–it seems impossible for anyone in Oakland to forget how special this guy was to the As and still is to baseball, Jason is the anti-Palmeiro -sure he screwed up, but he reclaimed himself just by facing up to everything
also agree with you about Cuba in the March tournament — still remember the great Cuban players like Pascual, Ramos, Oliva, Zoilo Versalles, Tony Perez —Cubans truly LOVE this game, and to put on a tournament like this while excluding them makes the whole thing pointless. —wonder if Livan and Contreras would play with them if they come
The anti Cuban bias created by those in power in this country who are punishing the Cuban players because of their dislike for Castro goes back to the early 1960’s when the Dominican Republic National team played their annual series against the Cuban players who were residing in the states.
Baseball commisioner Ford Frick fined the Dominican Republic veterans $250 for participating in the seven game tournament (vets couldn’t play winter ball if they had two years major league experience without club permission) to try to stop the series which had gone back at least twenty years at that point.
The series took place and the Dominicans won 4 games to 3 beating players like Pedro Ramos, Camilio Pascual, and Joe Azcue.
Felipe Alou was very outspoken about the fine and he and Juan Marichal paid for most of the travel expenses bringing the Cuban players to DR for the series.
I just feel politics should stay out of baseball. There are other ways for the politicians to exert their influence other than depriving the world from seeing outstanding athletes.
Baseball commissioner Ford Frick was used for political purposes in the 60’s just like the Baseball Classic is being used now. Can you imagine if the Japanese govt banned US players from playing in Japan because of the US’s political leanings? We would be outraged.
So I say let the Cubans play and let them donate the money earned to Hurricane relief if in fact their monetary gain is the issue.
Castro will not be in power forever and things will be different no doubt after his death. Until then I don’t see a legitimate reason to ban international baseball competition from this country for politcal gain.
Marty
Marty, have I missed something, or have the A’s yet to officially announce their flagship station for ’06? I would have thought by this point we’d know. Of course, conventional wisdom says that it’s going to be 1550 with perhaps an FM thrown in for good measure.
I still remember the last years of the Finley ownership where we wouldn’t know what the station would be until opening day. OR LATER, in the case of the one year the A’s were on Cal’s tiny FM station for a few games. One of their play by play guys was now Giants exec Larry Baer.
If 1550 falls through, then what? Are the A’s considered that undesirable a radio product? Not a good omen for the stadium negotiations.
Rob
I’ve already made my deal with 1550 for 2006 so without a doubt I think the A’s will be there next season.
Right Off The Bat will be one hour in length each game, I’m exploring ideas for some new features for the show.
More than likely the A’s will have a powerful station in the Valley which will cover Livermore, Pleasanton, etc.
I can’t say what the South Bay coverage will be but I’m sure they will come up with something.
The 2006 network will actually cover more territory than before, you just have to find your spot on the dial.
I’ll also be doing ROB from spring trianing, I haven’t done that since 2001.
Inside Baseball will be back on Saturdays too.
So unoficially that’s what I expect to happen with an announcement this month.
By the way the Fan Fest is coming up Jan. 28th, I’ll be at the A’s Fantasy Camp in Arizona that week and will miss FF for the first time.
Marty
Marty,
Too bad kyou doesn’t reach the South Bay that well; I have tried listening to the Inside Baseball shows but every time the static is too much.
Is there a way to get them on podcasts like your others?
I’ll see if I can get Inside Baseball on an MP3 and then put it with the podcasts on the site.
Marty
Marty – podcasts of your prior broadcasts on this site would really be a blessing.
Have you checked out the podcasts that I have recorded so far? You can click on the list on the home page. I added my thoughts about the hall of fame voting which will be announced Jan. 10th as the subject of this weeks show.
Marty
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