10 Reasons Why Baseball Is Back

Unable to afford top-tier free agents in the off-season because of debt on loans for purchasing the team and building the stadium—the interest alone, according to Towers, is $14 million annually—the Padres signed low-price pitchers David Wells, Ismael Valdez, Antonia Osuna and Akinori Otsuka and traded for All-Star catcher Ramon Hernandez. Shortstop Khalil Greene, called up last September, has joined three fellow homegrown products: third baseman Sean Burroughs and pitchers Brian Lawrence and Jake Peavy. Assuming Wells earns near his maximum of $5.75 million in performance bonuses, Towers improved the team while raising the payroll by only $10 million, to $62 million. No player is signed past 2006.

People in San Diego took to the new Padres and their fan-friendly, downtown ballpark. The season-ticket base jumped from 11,000 to 20,000; attendance will improve from two million to about three million; and revenues will jump from $85 million to $150 million-enough that San Diego may become a payer in the revenue-sharing system.

Towers may even have the cash to add a frontline player, such as Diamondbacks center-fielder Steve Finley, before the July 31 trade deadline. San Diego ranked second in the league in ERA through Sunday but was 27th in runs, partly because spacious Petco Park has played bigger than anticipated.

"We budgeted for 2.85 million fans and are on pace for 2.95," Towers says. "With a September race we have a shot at three million. When all is said and done, we could even make a little money this year."

7 Three Hall of Fame-bound pitchers are as dominant as ever.

Call them the ageless aces. The Astros' Roger Clemens, the Mets' Tom Glavine and the Diamondbacks' Randy Johnson-all 38 or older—are proving they're as good as ever in the twilight of their careers. In his first season with Houston, the 41-year-old Clemens (10-2,2.73 ERA through Sunday) has performed like a touring Bruce Springsteen, entering and leaving most of his starts to standing ovations, even on the road. Glavine, 38, is on pace to set career bests in ERA (2.11) and opponents' batting average (.200). But of the overachieving old-timers, no one has been more surprising than the 40-year-old Johnson, who on May 18 became the oldest pitcher to throw a perfect game. In 2003 he looked as if he were done, going 6-8 with a 4.26 ERA in 18 starts and spending 14 weeks on the disabled list because of an injured right knee that required surgery. "Last year I was pitching on one leg," says Johnson, who has virtually no cartilage in his right knee and takes injections to lubricate the joint.

Johnson was 9-5 with a 3.10 ERA, led the majors in strikeouts (121), ranked second among starters in opponents' batting average (.188) and was eight strikeouts shy of 4,000. In his 17th season the five-time Cy Young Award winner has expanded his pitching repertoire to compensate for the velocity he's lost on his fastball. "He's a much different pitcher than he was two or three years ago," says Diamondbacks manager Bob Brenly. "He's incorporated a two-seam fastball, throws a few more splitters, and has some off-speed pitches to complement his fastball and slider."

Glavine has bounced back from a subpar 2003 (9-14 with a 4.52 ERA) by slightly altering his delivery, which has helped him gain nearly 5 mph on his fastball and improve his command. Clemens has lost little velocity on his fastball, and his dipping split-finger has baffled hitters.

In the second half of the season the biggest challenge the three pitchers face is making sure that they don't break down. "I've been backing off some stuff I've been doing [in the weight room] so I have more energy on the diamond," says Clemens. "This is the time of year when I really need to monitor my workouts. You don't want to leave too much of it in the gym."

For these golden oldies, leaving it all on the field has never been less of a problem.
—A.C.