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 70 Reasons to Watch Baseball in 1999
Posted: Sunday April 04, 1999 08:55 PM
A team effort38. New York Mets: While most of the attention in New York will be on George's boys, their rivals in Queens, the Mets, seem poised to set up the first Subway Series in more than 40 years. The Mets broke the bank to bring back Al Leiter and Mike Piazza as well as add veterans Rickey Henderson, Robin Ventura and Orel Hershiser to go along with a solid crew that nearly made the playoffs last year. 39. Anaheim Angels: On the left coast, a possible Freeway Series could be in the offing in southern California. "For almost 40 years, the Anaheim Angels have lived in the shadow of the Los Angeles Dodgers. But with the megabucks of Disney and the addition of one of the most lethal bats in the bigs, can the Angels rise above Dodger blue? It's the world of Fox vs. the world of Disney. The Angels have one of the most exciting outfields in all of baseball anchored by the bat and leadership of Mo Vaughn. Can '99 be their year to take the glitter away from the Dodgers?" - Ricardo J. Santos, Los Angeles 40. Arizona Greenbacks: Jerry Colangelo is trying to pull of a Marlins by buying a championship with the likes of Randy Johnson and Todd Stottlemyre. Will it work, who knows, considering the Dodgers' spending? If it does, will they continue to spend the money or will they have to pull off a Marlins-style fire sale? 41. Cleveland rocks: After years of mediocrity, the Indians are almost assumed to win the AL Central. They've done that during the latter part of this decade but still can't get over the hump and win the whole thing. The goal isn't winning the division anymore, it's beating the Yankees and winning the World Series. There's plenty of hope at the Jake.
42. Texas terror: The Rangers shoot for their third playoff
appearance in four years thanks to "The Latin connection in Texas:
Gonzalez, Palmeiro and Pudge" - Michael Johnson, Nashville,
Tenn. 43. San Diego Padres: Their dismantling after last year's World Series run was very disconcerting for fans who had voted them a new stadium. Will they plummet as far as the Marlins? Probably not, but it will be a long season. 44. San Francisco Giants: Sure they've got Barry Bonds and Jeff Kent, but they still seem overmatched compared to the free-spending rivals Dodgers and Diamondbacks. Yet somehow they'll always be in the thick of things thanks to Dusty Baker, arguably the best manager in the National League. The Global Game45. Life during wartime: "In the '60s, Vietnam - like Kosovo - was front page news. Baseball, meanwhile, delivered back home with amazing performances coast to coast. As America heads down war's path again, fans will bleed red, white and blue as players proudly hail our freedom fighters with spectacular blasts and fantastic feats." -Richard Yanku, Virginia Beach, Va. 46. A truly international sport: "The impact of MLB's record breaking '98 season let us believe MLB is not only for people living in America but also for people all over the world. It is one of the most popular sports in many countries including [those] in South America, Japan and Korea, thanks to players from those regions. Therefore, it is important how well these players from several countries perform and get treated." -Kee Joon Shin, New York, N.Y. It's not the NBA47. No Dennis Rodman: "A worm is something an infielder might remove from the dirt around second base, not a cross-dressing, tatoo-growing, hair-dying distraction who makes $500,000 for 50 games of rebounding and cries about it." - John Gernon, Tacoma, Wash.48. The only strikes you'll see in baseball in 1999 will be on the field. OK, so the NBA officially locked out its players. Nonetheless, the relationship between the baseball players union and the owners is much friendlier than in years past. 49. If the wind is blowing out in Wrigley Field, or if it's a normal day at Coors' Field, you might actually see more scoring at a baseball game than at an NBA game. 50. "Doctor, I just spend $50 for a heavyweight championship fight that nobody won. I have seen so much of Billy Hunter, Patrick Ewing and David Stern that I'm becoming a hockey fan. Is there hope?" "Yes. Take 2 Jim Edmonds highlights, get plenty of A-Rod and call me in the morning." - Rob Hinson, Vancouver, Wash.
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