| 2007: Year in Review |
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| Written by Troy Chuinard | |
| Tuesday, 02 October 2007 | |
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Now that the regular season has finally ended, it is amazing to think about how far some teams have come. Here is a look at this year’s most fascinating surprises: Sleeper Team: Colorado Rockies On Monday night, the Rockies secured their playoff berth by defeating the San Diego Padres in what will certainly go down as an instant classic. In a 13-inning epic that highlighted a number if heroes, the Rockies could not have found a better way to cap off their astonishing season. Just two years ago, this ball club finished with 95 losses, tying for the highest in franchise history. However, the Colorado youth movement has definitely seemed to pay off. Young superstars Troy Tulowitzski, Brian Fuentes, and Ryan Spilborghs have provided the spark that this team has need for several years. In addition, MVP candidate Matt Holliday has served as the team’s respected leader, and even finished off the season earning Player of the Month honors for September. Do these youngsters have what it takes to compete in the postseason? We will soon find out. From Fist Fights to Playoff Sights One, they are the lovable losers. Two, they were 8 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers earlier this season. When it seemed that the Chicago Cubs had everything going against them, Sweet Lou and his multimillion dollar off-season payroll managed to escape failure. Playing in one of the worst divisions in baseball, it appeared silly for the Cubs to choke against the opposition with the extraordinary talent that made up their roster. After a few lineup tweaks, Sweet Lou has put together one of the most exciting, unique ball clubs in franchise history. However, team chemistry has been a problem, as was seen when pitching ace Carlos Zambrano argued with both Michael Barrett and the 40,000 fans at Wrigley for underperforming. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if the Cubs could end the 98-year drought and bring a trophy to the North Side of Chicago. Met Meltdown Once regarded as the most feared team in the National League, the New York Mets found every way to blow their commanding division lead. After losing 12 of their last 17 during the regular season, the Mets struggles led to a division title for the Philadelphia Phillies, putting a frown on the faces of all Mets fans. This club has always been known as the Amazin’ Mets, and it really was Amazin’ how they managed to perform poorly at the most crucial time in the season. Regardless of their misfortunate, the organization has promised skipper Willie Randolph that his job is secure. As far as some of the players are concerned, there is no telling what the off-season will bring to this ailing New York ball club. Yankee Doodle Sinking to their lowest point in the season at 21-29 on May 29, the New York Yankees managed to climb back up the standing in the AL East, going 73-39 since that time. For the most part, the offense has been the hero, as the team has outscored its opponents by 172 runs (since May 29). In addition, MVP candidate Alex Rodriguez has put together a career year to help lead his team to victory. Surprisingly, the $28 million investment in Roger Clemens did not seem to be the missing piece that the club needed to come together. Instead, a little fire to rattle up the offense proved to be the recipe for success. On the other side of things, the rotation may still be an issue, as Andy Pettitte and Chien-Ming Wang have been the only starters to pitch well on a consistent basis. Well Yankees fans may be excited about the postseason, it would not be surprising if it were short-lived.
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