Major League Baseball, 2003
 

Welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen to 2003. What a great year we had last year. The Anaheim Angels stunned baseball and won the World Series defeating the San Fransisco Giants. Proving to the world and the nation that the underdogs are the team to beat.

After a offseason of controversy, Major League Baseball and newly elected commissioner, Jon Manson, has changed the rules and broke tradition. After former commissioner, Allen "Bud" Selig was impeached on the grounds of embezzelment, and Manson was elected unanimously to reform baseball.

In the first twenty-four hours as newly elected commissioner, Manson made two of the most controversial rule changes in the history of baseball. The first of these rules came after a nation-wide poll of baseballs biggest fans. In the poll, fans where given the choice to, a) Abolish the DH, b) Keep the DH the same and c) Put the DH in the National League. After a winter of voting and debate, the Nation decided to completely abolish the DH.

The second major rule change in Major League Baseball was to implement a salary cap. The salary cap of $80 million was voted on by the Players Association and the newly formed, League of Owners. After overwhelming support by the Players Association and a small portion of the League of Owners, the salary cap was to be implimented immediatley.

The League of Owners was implimented following the 2002 season to become a bargaining tool when facing the Players Association during labor talks.

Along with the departure of Selig, both Carl Pohlad and George Steinbrenner are no longer owners of their respected teams. Pohlad and Steinbrenner where both convicted of insider trading and no longer of control of their teams. Both teams where taken over by new ownership and will continue on their quest for a title.

It was a marvelous first week of the season of the newly revived Major League Baseball. The first week saw many firings and hirings, releases and signees and a few trades. Commissioner Jon Manson allowed the three teams with salaries over $95 million to renegotiate contracts with several of there players - and now all 30 teams have contracts that are beneath the high salary cap. "The salary cap will not always stay at $95 million. As we progress and reevaluate, we will change," Manson said at a recent press conference.

Standings:
In the American League, there are two undefeated teams. Both the Boston Red Sox and the Minnesota Twins have yet to be defeated. While the Tampa Bay Devil Rays have yet to win. The Twins are 2 games up of the Kansas City Royals while the New York Yankees are 2.5 GB the Red Sox. Anaheim Angels, Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners are all within a game of eachother.

The National League is a little tighter than the American League. Arizona Diamondbacks and Randy Johnson are 2.5 games ahead of the San Diego Padres. The Eastern Division have two tied at the top with the New York Mets and the Florida Marlins tied with a record of 4-2. The Cincinatti Reds and the Philadelphia Phillies are the worst teams in the National League with a record of 1-5.

--First Week Highlights:--

Milestones:
It wasn't a normal day at Shea Stadium. The Chicago Cubs were visiting the Mets on the third of April. Steve Trachsel was pitching for the Cubs when Slammin' Sammy Sosa came to bad. Sosa decided it was long overdue to hit career homerun #500. Sosa debuted in 1989 and since then has hit almost 2000 hits. Sosa is almost a shoe-in for the Hall.

Signees:
Kevin Barker, 27 year old first basemen was signed by Seattle after playing for Milwaukee Brewers in 99 and 00 and then San Diego in 2002. Barker is a career .246 hitter in 236 at bats. The other signee of the week was free agent Kevin Olore. Olore was released earlier in the week by Seattle and picked up by the Angels to a minor league contract.

Trades:
There were three major trades this week. Two of which included the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals look as if they are playing for the future, trading away salary for minor league contracts. Alex Ochoa and 3B Travis Hanson were traded to Toronto Blue Jays for 1B Josh Phelps. An early trade analaysis, St. Louis and there newly acquired Josh Phelps seem to have gotten the edge on the deal acquiring a young 1B in Josh Phelps. In their other trade of the day, St. Louis acquired young stars Marvin Seale, Rob Malek and Jon Slack for 29 year old Right Fielder Eli Marrero.

What do Toby Hall, Omar Daal and Daniel Cabrera all have in common? Well, as the header says, they were all, TRADED. Omar Daal, Daniel Cabrera all went to Tampa Bay in a trade of "lower-level" teams. Daal is a career 65-67 with an ERA of 4.38. As a 27 year old, Hall's career has spanned three years he has had 530 AB with 11 homeruns and an average of .270.

--First Week Lowlights:--

Drops:
Some of the big name drops, are Scott Erickson (Baltimore), Dave Burba (Cleveland), Jason Bere (Cleveland), Matt LeCroy (Minnesota), Aaron Sele (Anaheim), Luke Prokopec (Cincinnati), Dave Mlicki (Milwaukee), Jeff Suppan (Pittsburgh), Ron Coomer (Los Angeles), Kazuhisa Ishii (Los Angeles), Dustin Hermanson (St. Louis), Mark Grudzielanek (Chicago Cubs). However, in the first week of baseball, several dozen players were dropped.

Injuries/Suspensions:
There were no major injuries this week in baseball. However Jeff Weaver was suspended for one week for off field misconduct. Weaver was in a bar fight on the first day of April. Many thought it was an April Fools joke, but it was anything but that.

Honors of the Week:
Minnesotan Torii Hunter was honored as the first Player of the Week in Major League Baseball. Hunter went 11-25 with four homeruns and 11 RBIs. His .440 batting average placed him third in hitting in the AL. Hunter is also tied for first in homeruns, first in RBI and first in OPS. Hunter was unbelievable for the Twins leading the Twins to a 6-0 start against Tigers and Toronto.

National League Player of the Week was Aaron Boone. Boone went 14 for 23 for an average of .348. Boone hit 4 homeruns and 14 RBIs. Nobody could get Boone out this week but pitchers sure could get his team out. Cincinnatti started the year out going 1-5 and are 4 games back of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

NICE!!!!!!!! Lets go Bucs!!!

thanks for reading :p

if anyone wants to know about a players, team, league leaders, just ask, i'll try to respond quickly <:)

week two coming soon (other computer out of service right now ;))