Playoff fever has returned
The 2001 MLB season has been one for the ages. Individual records and team accomplishments highlighted a historic season. Now, the playoff series have kept up the fever pitch in baseball.
By Mason Williams Sports Central Columnist
It's early October, the leaves are turning, the temperature is dropping, and baseball is warming the hearts of fans across the nation.
The 2001 MLB season has been one for the ages and it keeps getting better. The playoffs are stacked with eight great teams that all have a legitimate chance to take the World Championship title. This is a great cap to an already mind-blowing season of records, team accomplishments, and individual highlights.
The playoffs began with great pitching performances by Arizona Diamondback, Curt Schilling, and St. Louis Cardinal Woody Williams.
In the ALDS, Roger Clemens, Mark Mulder, Tim Hudson, and Andy Pettite have battled for New York and Oakland.
Atlanta's Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz have shown their mettle while facing a tough, hard-fighting Houston Astro team.
Cleveland and Seattle continue to play dramatic games that showcase some of the league's best players. Bret Boone, Ichiro, Juan Gonzalez, Bartolo Colon, and Jim Thome have sparked their teams.
Going into the weekend, Seattle and Cleveland are tied at one game each. The Yankees trail the A's fun bunch 2-0. Houston and Arizona played to a 1-1 standoff. Finally, Atlanta has reasserted their dominance by blanking the Astros 2-0.
The playoff run has been a perfect chaser to an already amazing 2001 season.
First and foremost, Barry Bonds assaulted the baseball record book with felonious intent. He broke the single season homerun mark, broke Babe Ruth's slugging percentage mark, broke the single season walks mark, and put up gargantuan numbers.
The Seattle Mariners tied the all-time single season record for wins, which the Chicago Cubs held for 95 years.
Rickey Henderson broke the all-time records for runs scored and walks, only to be capped off by belting his 3,000th hit on the final day of the season.
Ichiro set records for rookie hits and singles in a season,while Roger Clemens won 16 games in a row for the second time in his career.
Finally, baseball bid farewell to two great players who represented the game with class and competitive excellence for years -- Cal Ripken, Jr. and Tony Gwynn. Cooperstown is waiting for them now.
The records and accomplishments came from everywhere in 2001.
Inevitably, the playoffs will culminate in a great World Series that might extend all the way into November. Baseball has been great and is recharged. The fever is back.
Article courtesy of Sports Central.
It's early October, the leaves are turning, the temperature is dropping, and baseball is warming the hearts of fans across the nation.
The 2001 MLB season has been one for the ages and it keeps getting better. The playoffs are stacked with eight great teams that all have a legitimate chance to take the World Championship title. This is a great cap to an already mind-blowing season of records, team accomplishments, and individual highlights.
The playoffs began with great pitching performances by Arizona Diamondback, Curt Schilling, and St. Louis Cardinal Woody Williams.
In the ALDS, Roger Clemens, Mark Mulder, Tim Hudson, and Andy Pettite have battled for New York and Oakland.
Atlanta's Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz have shown their mettle while facing a tough, hard-fighting Houston Astro team.
Cleveland and Seattle continue to play dramatic games that showcase some of the league's best players. Bret Boone, Ichiro, Juan Gonzalez, Bartolo Colon, and Jim Thome have sparked their teams.
Going into the weekend, Seattle and Cleveland are tied at one game each. The Yankees trail the A's fun bunch 2-0. Houston and Arizona played to a 1-1 standoff. Finally, Atlanta has reasserted their dominance by blanking the Astros 2-0.
The playoff run has been a perfect chaser to an already amazing 2001 season.
First and foremost, Barry Bonds assaulted the baseball record book with felonious intent. He broke the single season homerun mark, broke Babe Ruth's slugging percentage mark, broke the single season walks mark, and put up gargantuan numbers.
The Seattle Mariners tied the all-time single season record for wins, which the Chicago Cubs held for 95 years.
Rickey Henderson broke the all-time records for runs scored and walks, only to be capped off by belting his 3,000th hit on the final day of the season.
Ichiro set records for rookie hits and singles in a season,while Roger Clemens won 16 games in a row for the second time in his career.
Finally, baseball bid farewell to two great players who represented the game with class and competitive excellence for years -- Cal Ripken, Jr. and Tony Gwynn. Cooperstown is waiting for them now.
The records and accomplishments came from everywhere in 2001.
Inevitably, the playoffs will culminate in a great World Series that might extend all the way into November. Baseball has been great and is recharged. The fever is back.
Article courtesy of Sports Central.
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