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Dear Pennant Readers:
We are pleased to announce that the Pennant has made the long awaited transition from print to the Internet. We encourage you to check out the online edition. At the Pennant we enjoy tackling controversial and interesting issues and would like to encourage you to get involved with the Pennant. We feel in this more public forum, you will be able to have your voice heard on more current issues. The world of sports is an ongoing drama, and your involvement will make it all the more interesting.
Sincerely,
Alex Attinson and Tommy Crawford
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By Katie Corrado
In recent years it has become evident that the game of baseball is no longer recognized solely as our nation's pastime. Its fame of late has come from harboring players using illegal steroids. If you have recently turned on ESPN or scanned the sports section of The Star Ledger, you are probably familiar with the steroid related controversies among retired and present Major League ballplayers of who cannot be named due to an ongoing federal investigation-and because of the obvious nature of their identities. As a fan of the game, one has a good idea as to who is bulking up and the consequences they will face: legally, physically and mentally as a result of their poor judgment. It is common knowledge that taking steroids can, and will, have a numerous amount of adverse side effects on the user.
There are physical effects that cause grotesque masculinity, including severe acne. Steroids also increase the probability of fatal heart attacks and strokes. If you inject anabolic steroids with an infected needle, you run the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS or hepatitis. In addition to physical side effects, users may suffer from mania, delusions, irritability and aggression, which are all side-effects of steroid use.
Most athletes are smart enough to know that because of their illegality and the bodily harm they cause, that steroids are best left to Jose Canseco-whose illustrious resume includes being hit in the head by a fly ball and renting himself out while under house arrest. Other athletes manage to find ways to legally achieve their physique using steroid alternatives and stimulants.
Stimulants such as caffeine and other drugs are widely used throughout baseball, giving the user an instant energy boost, improving their mental focus, and burning body fat by metabolizing it for energy. Ball players in particular rely on caffeine to improve performance, strength and focus. Ephedrine is another stimulant often linked to baseball; it was a contributing factor in the death of Baltimore Orioles pitcher, Steve Bechler, who died from heat stroke two years ago.
After reading about the many dangers brought on by steroids and their "safer" alternatives, one must wonder why do players use steroids? They are obviously unsafe. It is unfortunate that the desperation to win or cash in that multi year contract exceeds the necessity for one to care for their health and body. Babe Ruth did not use or need steroids to become "The Sultan of Swat", so why are steroids depended upon by ballplayers in this day and age? Those who use performance-enhancing drugs are certainly receiving the desired effects, but their cons outweigh their pros.
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By Dennis Clark
Which moment was it when everyone knew The Curse was doomed? It is unclear exactly when it became apparent that the Red Sox weren't going to lose. There are several moments that ring a bell, and a majority of them rest in the final four games that agonized half the people in New York while delighting all the people in Boston.
Was it when David Ortiz homered off of Paul Quantrill in the twelfth inning on that early October morning?
Was it earlier that night, when Dave Roberts stole second base behind Mariano Rivera?
How about when Tim McCarver and Joe Buck nicknamed the bloody sock of Curt Schilling the "red sock," while millions of people saw it on that Fox Sports camera?
Was it the second Kevin Brown threw a pitch in Game 7, or as soon as Johnny Damon's grand slam ball hit the stands?
Regardless of the exact moment, at some point between games one and seven of the ALCS the attitudes of Yankee fans shifted from bounding confidence to genuine doubt.
With each game of the World Series, Yankees fans tried to shrug it off as the Red Sox rattled off win after win at Fenway and in St. Louis. They thought, "Well, they need to win four, and they haven't done that yet." Even when they were up 3-0, Yankees fans believed, "Impossible that two teams could come back from a 3-0 deficit in one postseason."
With Edgar Renteria up, all Yankees fans just knew he'd hit a homerun. When he hit a grounder to Foulke, they knew he'd boot it and become the new Bill Buckner. And when Doug Mientkiewicz pumped his arms in the air and leapt into Foulke's embrace, they knew it was a dream. It had to be a dream. How could it not be a dream?
Maybe acquiring Randy Johnson will bring solace to Yankees fans. Or maybe the only thing that will requires turning back time. It certainly can't dampen the spirit of the Red Sox Nation. They'll be happy if they don't win another World Series for another 86 years. All they wanted was one, and they got it. Now millions of people are truly happy.
It must've been destiny. All of those years, the baseball gods looked down on New England and laughed. Until finally, one of them turned to the others and said, "I'm bored of their anguish." The others shrugged their shoulders, nodded, and the Bambino's ghost was finally allowed entry to the afterlife.
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By Paul Platzman
After the conclusion of every season, team management starts planning out the best ways to improve in the off-season. Yet by the start of Spring Training, a few teams will stand above the rest. This year among those teams are certain to be the Yankees and the Mets.
For the Yankees, this off-season was all about acquiring pitching. They added 3 new starters, but no one more notable than the Big Unit: Randy Johnson. Johnson came over in a trade from Arizona that sent Javier Vazquez, Dioner Navarro, and Brad Halsey, among others, with cash, to the Diamondbacks. The Yankees hope that Johnson will become the anchor of the staff and be the go-to-guy come playoff time. The Yanks also signed free agent starting pitchers Jaret Wright from Atlanta and Carl Pavano from Florida. Pavano was a leading candidate for the NL Cy Young award for much of '04 before having a sub-par September, but he still ended up with a very nice 18-8 record and a 3.00 ERA. Wright, 27, comes from the Braves after a surprising 15 win, 3.28 ERA season, but both he and Pavano have had injury concerns in the past and have only really had one good year: 2004.
The Yankees also tried to help out their bullpen with the additions of relivers Buddy Groom, Felix Rodriguez, and the return of Mike Stanton. These three will try to take some pressure off of Tom Gordon, Paul Quantrill, and Mariano Rivera, as it was quite evident that these three tired towards the end of last season from over-use.
The Yanks brought back another familiar face from their championship days; first baseman Tino Martinez, and he is expected to be the backup barring any unforeseen setbacks with Jason Giambi's recovery from illness and injury. Finally, Tony Womack was signed from the Cardinals, as he will replace Miguel Cairo, a free agent after last season, at second base.
Speaking of Miguel Cairo, he signed with the New York Mets and will be a utility infielder, but that was hardly the highlight of the Mets' off-season. GM Omar Minaya went out made a major splash in the free agent waters by finally signing two marquee players - something that the club has failed to do in recent years - outfielder Carlos Beltran and pitcher Pedro Martinez, and he spent over $ 170 million between the two.
Beltran comes over from the Astros after having a year in which he hit .267 with 38 Home Runs, 104 RBI's, 121 Runs, and 42 Stolen Bases. However, his stock really rose in the playoffs, when he hit over .400 and slammed 9 HR's.
Martinez comes over from the World-champion Red Sox after winning 16 games with a 3.90 ERA and compiling 227 strikeouts.
The Mets also resigned starting pitcher Kris Benson for $7 million a year, a move which was desperately needed considering how much they gave up for him when they initially acquired him last July. The Mets also dealt with the Yanks, shipping off reliver Mike Stanton to receive left handed specialist Felix Heredia in return.
The Yankees and Mets are on entirely different planets; one team is a perennial contender while the other is struggling just to become relevant again, but one thing is clear: they both want to improve. No off-season more clearly demonstrates that desire than this one, and both teams have reason to look forward to 2005.
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By Devin J. Kharpertian
I'm sure that many of you are eagerly anticipating your fantasy drafts for this year. After all, this is the time of year when the baseball fan inside of you begins to burst out of his shell. Football fans, take a seat, because baseball is back.
The two sections of this article will pay attention to good value picks and bad value picks. Good value picks are players that can be had later than their value this year would suggest. Bad value picks are the opposite; players that are taken much earlier than they should be.
5 Worst Value Picks of 2005
5. RF Sammy Sosa. Those that are waiting for Sosa to return to those magical 1998-2002 days are over. Sosa is a shell of his former self; and, despite its reputation as a hitter's ballpark, Camden Yards is actually bad for average hitters-Sosa's average is likely to plummet to .250.
4. SP Roy Oswalt. Some league-members are likely to draft Oswalt in the second or third round in some drafts. Don't be that guy. Over the last four years, Oswalt's ground ball to fly ball rate has been going down, which means more home runs in cozy Minute Maid Park. The average against him has gone up every year, while his control has gotten worse.
3. SS Bobby Crosby. Look for a sophomore slump, which means that he'll hit even lower than the .239 he hit last year. He struck out 141 times last year, so look for him to be on a short leash with the plate-discipline-loving A's.
2. SP Mike Mussina. If you're in a league with a lot of Yankee fans, pass on Mussina and let someone else have him. Mussina due to the run support he's gotten over his career. His ERA has always been in the mid-3's, low-4's range, which should go much lower than he does.
1. 3B Alex Rodriguez. Sometimes considered to be the #1 pick, he did nothing to warrant that in 2004. When he was a shortstop in a hitter's haven, hitting 50 home runs a year, he was the #1 pick without question (except maybe Randy Johnson). Moving to the Big Apple, his hitting numbers aren't even top 10 in the league. He's still a first-rounder, but there's no way he should go in the top 3 with the numbers he has.
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5 Best Value Picks of 2005
5. SP Nate Robertson. His K/9 has exploded over the last two years, and he's always had a huge amount of ground balls. He gave up a lot of home runs last year due to luck (or lack thereof), as he gave up more HR per fly ball than any other pitcher in the majors last year. As he pitches in Detroit's Comerica Field, a pitcher's park, expect a decline in home runs, and for his walks and K's to get better.
4. SS Jose Reyes. Don't let the injury history fool you; Reyes not only had a strong showing in 52 games of winter ball but is now working out with Carlos Beltran. The workouts consist of flexibility and reaction training, which will strengthen his hamstring and make him a top threat at short in 2005.
3. SP Zack Greinke. The Royals top pitching prospect exploded onto the scene last year, becoming the best KC pitcher at the mere age of 20. He has a high fly ball rate, which worries me, but these things tend to get better with age. Expect Greinke to be a top-20 pitcher by the end of the year.
2. SP Jeremy Bonderman. The former A's prospect is now a fireballer for the Detroit Tigers, who improved by leaps and bounds from 2003. His strikeouts shot up, his HR's and hits allowed went down, the average against him went from .294 to an astounding .242, and he's only 22 years old. He's a much different pitcher than Greinke, but they are both huge candidates to bust out this year.
1. SP Pedro Martinez. Pedro has a good chance to be the absolute best pitcher in baseball in 2005. His ERA in 2004 was 3.90, which was a good year by normal standards but a terrible year for Pedro standards. His ERA from 1997-2003 was 2.20, by far the best in baseball. He's moving from a tough division in a big hitter's park in a hitter's league to a weak division in a big pitcher's park in a pitcher's league. Expect Pedro to post Cy-Young numbers, and while your friends laugh when you take him in the second round, you'll have the last laugh in the end.
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