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70 Reasons to Watch Baseball in 1999

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Posted: Sunday April 04, 1999 08:55 PM

Jim Abbott's comeback enters unchartered territory -- the batter's box. Todd Warshaw/Allsport

Personalities/players to watch

18. Three for the Hall: Nolan Ryan, George Brett and Robin Yount lead one of the most heralded Hall of Fame classes in recent history. They'll all get their tributes throughout the season. If you think Brett and Yount's Miller Lite ad was funny, let's see what will happen in Cooperstown.

19. Brotherly love: There are three sets of brothers playing for the same team this season - Roberto and Sandy Alomar in Cleveland, Vladimir and Wilton Guererro in Montreal, and Ramon and Pedro Martinez in Boston.

21. Vladimir Guerrero: Possibly baseball's least known superstar. Playing in baseball obscurity up in Montreal, he hit .324 with 38 homers and 109 RBIs and he's just 23. Luckily for the Expos, they signed him to a long-term deal, making him the franchise player. Should the team move to Washington, D.C., they've already got a marketable star.

22. J.D. Drew: Two years ago, his (or most likely Scott Boras') stubbornness (or greed) made him baseball's least liked player. What was this draft pick doing holding out from the Phillies for money reserved for established veterans?

After the Cardinals took a chance on him in the '98 draft, he quickly turned heads, tearing up the minors then slamming five homers during a September call-up obscured by McGwire's tear.

He'll be starting in left field and hitting ahead of Big Mac in the lineup. He's also the odds-on favorite for National League rookie of the year. The spotlight will be back on him. Dates to watch: Aug. 9-11 - Drew makes his first and only appearances in Philadelphia.

23. Albert Belle: Baseball's most intriguing personality. There are many questions swirling around the reigning Iron Man. Will he pop off again on a reporter/fan/teammate/thermostat? Will he "reform" with someone like Cal Ripken in the clubhouse? And the big question ... how many homers will he hit in the cozy confines of Camden Yards?

24. Alex Rodriguez: The third 40-40 player in history (joining Jose Canseco and Barry Bonds) and he could do it again. He could challenge the 50-50 mark. Just imagine how much publicity he would get if there weren't guys like McGwire, Sosa and Griffey out there.

Here's a prediction from one of our users: "Alex Rodriguez wins the quintuple crown - average, HRs, RBIs, runs, stolen bases." --Dan Amano, Fairfield, Ct.

25. Jim Abbott: He was out of baseball for a couple of years after going a horrific 2-18 with the Angels in 1996. He returned last year to win all five of his starts with the White Sox. So what's next? The pitcher with one hand is now with the Milwaukee Brewers - in the National League. Thus, we'll actually get to see him hit. He was supposed to have been a good hitter during his college days at Michigan. Can he pull it off again in the majors?

26. Cancer comebacks: Speaking of comebacks, last year, Eli Marerro and Eric Davis made courageous returns from cancer to have productive seasons. This year, Joe Torre, Darryl Strawberry and Mike Lowell all hope to make similar recoveries. Hopefully, Andres Galarraga will be added to this list next year.

27. Jason Kendall: In just three seasons, he has become the heart and soul of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Now he becomes the first catcher to bat leadoff on a regular basis since Craig Biggio did so in the early '90s.

28. Craig Biggio: Speaking of which ... From the mass of pine tar on his helmet to the constantly dirty jersey, he exemplifies the "scrappy" ball player. He, along with Jeff Bagwell, will be counted upon even more to ignite the Astros offense, especially with Moises Alou out for the year.

29. Greg Maddux: Even if he has laser eye surgery and ditches the glasses, he still looks like a professor. Thus it makes it even more surprising that he's baseball's best pitcher, slicing and dicing you to death with his arsenal of pitches. Plus, he works quickly, making games move much faster.

30. Nomar Garciaparra: Another of baseball's rising stars at the new center of talent in the AL - shortstop. He's been in the league just two years and is already one of the game's premiere hitters. He now has to carry a greater share of the load with Mo Vaughn gone to Anaheim.

31. Mark Wohlers: After a disastrous 1998 season, he could be ready to recapture his old closer's role back now with Kerry Ligtenberg gone for the season. He still has a long way to go before returning to his old self, but Braves fans are hoping he gets there.

32. Making Roger proud: Two of the AL West's rising stars - Anaheim's Darin Erstad and Texas' Rick Helling - hail from the most unlikely of places for major league talent, North Dakota. They hope to be as successful as that state's greatest baseball hero - Roger Maris.

33. Larry Walker: The Canadian crusher has hit .360 each of the past two seasons, despite playing with a variety of injuries and some questions about his future with the team. Now armed with a long-term contract, he's ready to put up even gaudier numbers in the thin air of Coors Field.

34. David Wells: The cult hero of the Yankees' 1998 squad was dealt to Toronto in the Roger Clemens deal. He was very upset to leave, considering how much he wanted to be a Yankee. His first appearance at Yankee Stadium will be one for the ages for sure.

35. Curt Schilling: The most durable pitcher in the majors today (averaging 261 innings the past two seasons) and one of the best power pitchers in the game (breaking the 300-strikeout mark in 1997 and 1998), yet somehow he is still toiling in Philadelphia. He has been rumored in many deals, most notably to Cleveland. How long will he stay a Phillie is the big question.

36. Bernie Williams: George Steinbrenner paid more than $87 million to keep him in pinstripes. It was definitely a high price and now he'll have to prove he is worth the money. He is a great all-around player and team performer but will he press himself more to put up numbers that might legitimize his new salary?

37. Andruw Jones: He's already in his fourth season in the majors and he's just 21 with still plenty left to go. "He had an 'off-season' last year (31 HR, 27 SB)! Just think of what he'll do if he had a 'good season.'" -Tommy Coleman, Atlanta

 

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