Rawlings Official Major League Baseballs

What can best be remembered about the 2007 Major League Baseball season though? It’s hard to say until the season is over and passed, but the changes are greater than ever. First, the competition. For the first time in years, the level of competition in Major League Baseball has reached an all time high.

The Boston Red Sox have ended an 11 year streak of Eastern Division titles by the New York Yankees, winning their first such title in more than a decade. Many consider the Red Sox to be the strongest team in the major leagues and with one of the best pitching lineups in baseball and some of the best rookies in professional sports this year, they stand the best chance of going all the way.

But it is not just the Red Sox this year that have surprised this year. The Chicago Cubs are poised to win the division for the first time in years and the Milwaukee Brewers are almost back from the brink of last place with a winning season and the Seattle Mariners – despite a late season collapse – managed to end in second place behind the outrageously good Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

The Records

The obvious event that was best known to the rest of the world from baseball this season was the hitting of homerun number 756 by Barry Bonds. The most hallowed record in baseball was broken this year by the most controversial personality in sports. The man who once was considered one of the best players in all of baseball, and can arguably still be compared to them now, broke the record but not without a shadow over his head. Barry Bonds has long since become a pariah of the steroid controversy since it was made known that he likely broke the record with the use of some kind of steroids. Further compounding the controversy was the purchase of the record setting baseball by Mark Ecko and the decision of the public to have the ball marked with a permanent asterisk.

Additionally, other players broke milestones in record numbers. Three players hit their 500th home run over the course of the season, an event that will not likely happen again for many more years. Additionally, Tom Glavine reached his 300th win, Roger Clemens his 350th and Sammy Sosa reached his 600th home run. Read the rest of this entry »

     Bonds, who has been crucified in the media for steroid use, is currently being investigated by a federal grand jury for possible perjury when he appeared before the BALCO grand jury in 2003, denying that he ever used steroids.

     “I don’t know whether he used steroids or not,” stated former Giants manager Roger Craig, “but even if he did, to hit those homers is incredible. He gets one pitch a night and he hits a homer. This guy has some skills and athletic ability you only see once in a lifetime. You’re watching something you may never see again in sports.”

     It may not be a completely celebratory atmosphere Tuesday night if Dodgers fans vent their hostility towards Bonds.

     “It would be very disheartening and disappointing,” Giants center fielder Dave Roberts said. “It’s something that’s going to be showed over and over again. With Hank (Aaron), you saw guys run on the field, and everyone’s going crazy. That’s the way it should be.

     It’s the greatest record of all time. For it to be charred with that kind of acceptance would be disappointing at any ballpark. I would hope it wouldn’t be like that.”

     For New York Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez, Tuesday night’s game against the Chicago White Sox could garner a major career victory. With 499 runs under his belt, Rodriguez, 32, could easily become the youngest player ever to hit 500.

     Bonds, who needs two home runs for his career highlight, showed angst for Rodriguez during Sunday’s game against Baltimore. Read the rest of this entry »