| 2007: A Year Full of Milestones |
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| Written by Troy Chuinard | |
| Tuesday, 04 September 2007 | |
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The 2007 season is almost in the books, and it is safe to say that fans have definitely been treated this year given all of the memorable highlights from several players across the league. Well it may have been a mere coincidence, the number of achievements this season seems to have far surpassed any other year, and a few more may still be looming. 
Let’s start off one of the game’s most premiere players, Alex Rodriguez. At just thirty-two years old, he has become the youngest player in Major League Baseball history to hit 500 home runs. Undoubtedly one of the greatest hitters of all time, A-Rod has given New York fans every reason to be excited, or has he? With the possibility of him opting out of his contract after the season’s end, Yankee fans have to be trembling in their seats. After all, it was just a year ago that A-Rod was getting booed out of town for not coming through in the clutch. Well he did respond right away by tying the single-month home run record (14) earlier this April, it will be interesting to see if Rodriguez tests the off-season market or stays loyal to the pinstripes. Either way, belting 500 homers at just 32 years old is something that every baseball fan should appreciate. Let’s move on to Tom Glavine. As one of the craftiest pitchers to ever play the game, Glavine has gained the respect of many. Though he has struggled a bit this year with the Mets organization, his presence in the clubhouse has not gone unnoticed. In addition, he has done a tremendous job throughout his career of maintaining his composure. Leading up to his 300th victory, nobody would have thought that this man was about to reach such a milestone. When it finally did occur against the Chicago Cubs, it was clearly one of Glavine’s more memorable moments. Wrigley fans also showed signs of respect by cheering for the him when he left the game despite seeing their team suffering. It is clear that Glavine’s days may soon be numbered, and he will definitely go down into a class of athletes that defines excellence. We can’t go on to forget about the success of Barry Bonds, if success is what you want to call it. On August 7, 2007, Bonds put an end to all the suspense by hitting his 756th career home run, tying Hank Aaron for the all-time record. Despite this phenomenal reach, it is questionable as to whether or not Bonds is deserving of such a prestigious milestone. It sure seems like MLB Commissioner Bud Selig doesn’t think so. Either way, baseball fans will have to accept that Bonds now possesses one of the most notable records in the game. Hopefully, the MLB will learn its lesson and implement a more effective method of filtering out any suspicious athletes. After all, we don’t want this type of fiasco to happen again now, do we? While we are talking about debatable players, why not touch on Sammy Sosa? When Slammin’ Sammy decided to return this year, it was uncertain as to whether or not he would make an impact after taking a year off to settle down. He was fortunate enough to knock out his 600th home run, and can you guess who it was against? That’s right, the team that made him the icon that he is now: the Chicago Cubs. I am sure Jason Marquis will look back on it as one of the worst moments of his career, watching Sammy do the skip-hop after belting a letter-high fastball over the right field wall. Texas fans have sure grown to love his presence, and it may be that Sammy came back just so he could reach this personal landmark. Sosa is not the only icon from the windy city that has made a mark in history. Frank Thomas also crushed his 500th career dinger, and it may be that he is in the same boat as Sosa in trying to make the most out of his final days as an athlete. His impact this season with the Toronto Blue Jays is very much appreciated, but unfortunately the Blue Jays probably won’t make it to October. Chicago fans certainly miss Big Frank, as a large portion of those 500 bombs were witnessed in what is now referred to as U.S. Cellular Field. Enough talk about homers, though. We can’t forget about the Craig Biggios and Kenny Loftons that have made the game worth watching. After recording his 3,000 hit, it was clear that Biggio felt a feeling of personal glory. Watching Jeff Bagwell come and congratulate him on the field was a moment that Astros fans will never forget. As far as Kenny Lofton is concerned, after swiping his 600th stolen base, Lofton has fallen nothing short of one of the game’s most feared lead-off hitters. Cleveland fans were treated when he returned to the organization that shaped him as one of the game’s greatest contact hitters.
So where does that leave things now? Well the season isn’t over yet, the milestones may be. Or will they? Jim Thome is inching closer to hitting his 500th career home run, and Ken Griffey Jr. just may knock out number 600. If not, there is always next year as well. Either way, 2007 has already gone down as one to never forget.
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