Need Drama? Check Out Baseball
| Published 10/01/04

Graphic by: Tim Tuley

In the National League East, the Atlanta Braves defied expectations in winning their 13th straight division title. Despite lowering payroll and letting many of their key veterans walk during the off-season, the Braves still managed to make a huge second half run to take the title and advance to the postseason. Now, they take on the task of trying to shed the "Buffalo Bills of baseball" label and win only their second World Series during their remarkable run.

The St. Louis Cardinals have overcome a shaky pitching staff to become the dominate team in baseball in 2004. Led by a trio of MVP candidates, (Albert Pujols, Scott Rolen and Jim Edmonds), the Cardinals have over one-hundred wins on the season. St. Louis should be considered the NL favorite to make their first World Series appearance since 1987.

In the wild National League West, a great three team race has shaped up with the surprising San Diego Padres and two long time rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants. Separated by less then three games, the first place Dodgers are trying to hold off the pesky Giants. The Padres are treading water, 4.5 games out going into Monday, but still have a legitimate shot at the NL Wild Card.

The National League Wild Card is, perhaps, the most exciting race of all. Four teams are separated by less then three games. The Padres stand 2.5 games back. The surging Houston Astros are only 1.5 back. The Giants and Chicago Cubs are separated by just a half game with seven games left to play. The Cubs have endured key injuries all season long to Mark Prior, Sammy Sosa, Kerry Wood and most recently Nomar Garciaparra, but they yet still have the lead for the final playoff spot.

Outside of the NL Wild Card, baseball's second best race is in the American League West. Three teams are separated by just two games. The Oakland Athletics are attempting to make another appearance in the playoffs, but the Anaheim Angels and Texas Rangers have their own agenda. The Angels, led by newcomer and MVP candidate Vladimir Guerrero, refuse to go away and would like nothing better then another run at a World Series. The Rangers have overcome the trading away of arguably the best player in baseball in Alex Rodriguez, an extremely young group of players and a very shaky pitching staff and are within two games of shocking the baseball world by winning the AL West. It won't be easy, though. Texas will be forced to play the remainder of the regular season without shortstop Alfonso Soriano, who was acquired from the Yankees in the Rodriguez trade. Soriano is suffering from a hamstring pull and will likely only return if the Rangers can make a run into postseason.

The American League East has shaped up just as everyone expected: the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox and everyone else. The Red Sox have chipped away at the Yankee division lead and have it down to 3.5 games with seven to play. Boston, baring a colossal collapse, will be in the playoffs regardless as the AL Wild Card representative setting up another potential thrilling American League Championship Series match-up with the Yankees. The Minnesota Twins just keep on winning. Despite having one of the lower payrolls in baseball and surviving Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig's horrible plan of contracting the team a few years ago, the Twins won their third straight division title. Led by a young core of players like Torii Hunter, Jacque Jones and rookie sensation Justin Morneau, the Twins will be attempting to make their first appearance in the Fall Classic since their World Series win over the Braves in 1991.

While the team races are certainly exciting, there is a lot of drama surrounding an individual player these days -- and no, his name isn't Bonds. Ichiro Suzuki is within six hits of George Sisler's all-time single season hits record of 257. Sisler has held the record for over eighty years. Ichiro has given Mariners fan a reason to still show up in Seattle despite a very disappointing season that has them 28 games out of first place.

Will the lovable losers, the Chicago Cubs, make it back to the World Series? Can the Boston Red Sox finally shake the "Curse of the Bambino" and win a World Series? Will the Yankees return to greatness with another World Series win? Can Ichiro top a 84 year old record? No matter if you're a casual fan or a baseball fanatic, there are plenty of intriguing story lines to follow this fall.