Every year there are teams, players, and fans that set themselves apart from all others in one way or another. With no further ado, here are this year’s award winners.
Baseball’s Most Pathetic Franchise: The New York Yankees. With a budget that is up to 5 times more than other AL playoff teams, the Yankees have somehow gone through this century without winning a World Series. Give the Yankees’ budget to any other team in baseball, and you’d get a perrennial World Series champion. The Yankees somehow manage to throw their money out the window, flush it down the toilet, and cut it up and put it in the salsa for the team’s luncheon buffets. I heard one person say that if the Yankees win it all in 2006, they will be getting themselves “off the hook”. Off the HOOK???? After losing World Series’ to the MARLINS and the DIAMONDBACKS??? After not even MAKING it to the World Series every other year of this century???
If the Yankees win it all in 2006, they will have accomplished the equivalent of a drop in a bucket to make up for their failures the last 5 years with a budget that is beyond unfair to every other team in baseball.
Baseball’s Best Story: The Detroit Tigers. After becoming one of the worst teams in history just a few short years ago, they made the playoffs in 2006, and with their pitching, they will only get better! Verlander, Bonderman, Robertson, and Ledezma could be the best starting 4 in the AL for years to come!
Team With The Most Potential For 2007: The Cleveland Indians. Just look at this team. Grady Sizemore in center field. Marte, Peralta, Inglett, and Garko will be the infield third to first. Victor Martinez behind the plate, with Kelly Shoppach as his backup! Travis Hafner; the best hitter in the AL this year, at DH! A starting four of Sabathia, Sowers, Lee, and Westbrook! If the Indians can shore up their bullpen, they will easily overtake Minnesota, Detroit, and Chicago and run away with the central division next year. You heard it here first.
Most Disappointing Team Of 2006: The Chicago White Sox. They won the World Series last year. On paper, they were a BETTER team THIS YEAR!!! So what happened? The starting pitching fell apart. Just goes to show that the best offense in the World (which the White Sox pretty much had in 2006) won’t win you a thing without starting pitching!
Most Overrated Player Of 2006: Derek Jeter. This guy is a below average fielder who gets accolades from the media because he plays for the Yankees and he gives them quotes. People were all excited about his RBI total this year. 97. That’s right: 97!!!!
That’s 97 RBIs hitting in a lineup with Johnny Damon, Robinsom Cano, Alex Rodriguez, Jason Giambi, Bobby Abreu, and Jorge Posada all hitting around him! With Jeter’s .344 average, he should have had 130 RBIs!! By the way, he only hit 14 homers, and his slugging percentage was… drum roll please… .483!!!! If Jeter wins the MVP, it will be the biggest crock of all time.
Player Who Was Named Barry Bonds But Didn’t Act Like It: Barry Bonds. Amazing what being off of performance inhancing drugs will do to a player, isn’t it?