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Extremism Can Be Good

© Harold Friend

The New York Yankees won 101 games in 2004, finished first in the American League's Eastern Division, and never made it to the World Series. The Boston Red Sox won 98 games in 2004, finished second, became World Champions, but still haven't finished with the American League's best record and won the World Series in the same season since 1918.

Many in the media think that the Yankees are chasing the Red Sox. How can that be? The Yankees finished three games ahead of the Red Sox in 2004 and have won the Eastern Division title every season since 1998. The last time the Red Sox actually finished ahead of the Yankees was when they won the Division title in 1995. The Yankees are chasing their twenty seventh World Championship, not the Red Sox.

It is so different in the 21st century. Since the year 2000, the only World Series in which both participants were division winners was 2001 and what is worse, the wild card team has won the last three World Series. Being best during the regular season or being fourth best during the regular season have become the same thing. In baseball's new math, one equals four.

Teams must be structured differently today because finishing first after 162 games is less important than merely qualifying for the playoffs. The Minnesota Twins are an excellent illustration because they are much more dangerous in a short series than over a six months schedule.

The Twins have an average on the field team. Their projected 2005 starting lineup is as follows:

Shannon Stewart LF Joe Mauer C Lew Ford DH Justin Morneau 1B Torri Hunter CF Jacque Jones RF Michael Cuddyer 3B Jason Bartlett SS Luis Rivas 2B

That does not ring of Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield, Hideki Matsui, and Bernie Williams or of Johnny Damon, David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Edgar Renteria, Bill Mueller, Trot Nixon and Jason Varitek. While the Twins line up is decent, it is a far cry from those of the Yankees or Red Sox. If all three teams were in the same division, the Twins would almost certainly finish third and miss the playoffs.

The key is that the Twins have Johan Santana, who can pitch with Curt Schilling or Randy Johnson. In any given game Santana has the ability to shut down the Yankees or the Red Sox. No one knows if Santana is better than Johnson or Schilling, but no one can argue that he is younger, has outstanding ability, and has as much of a chance of beating them as they have of beating him. CBS Sportsline ranks Santana, Johnson, and Schilling as the top three pitchers in baseball. We are talking about the best of the best.

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