The 2003 Major League Baseball season proved to be exciting right down to the final weekend, but now the real theatrics start as the American League Division Series start September 30.
The New York Yankees (101-61) bring the best record in the American League into their best of five series with the Minnesota Twins (90-72). The Yankees have dominated the Twins in the past 13 games, and Game One starter Mike Mussina has personally gone 20-2 lifetime against them, but none of those wins came during the Twins’ current run.
With players like Jason Giambi and Alfonso Soriano powering a potent New York offense, and a superb starting rotation, New York is the best team on paper. The Twins are the hottest team in baseball, sporting the best record since the All-Star break. With many comparing this year’s Twins to last year’s Anaheim Angels, the Yankees will be leery of a repeat performance.
The Central Division Champion Twins are not only the hottest team in baseball, but also the hottest home team in baseball. The Metrodome provides one of the greatest home field advantages in all of sports, as the loud crowds and difficult playing conditions can cause real problems for a visiting team. The Twins can also take advantage of the Yankees’ most glaring weakness, the bullpen.
While Mariano Rivera is back to his dominant form, getting to him has been a real problem. The Twins have one of the most fundamentally sound teams, relying on doing the little things as opposed to resting on the shoulders of a few superstars. Shannon Stewart along with Johan Santana, the Twins’ top pitcher, have been the catalysts for the team’s late season success.
The Oakland A’s (96-66) captured the American League West crown and now will host the Wild Card-winning Boston Red Sox (95-67) in the other half of the ALDS. Oakland will face the challenge of playing this series without their top pitcher Mark Mulder, who will be out due to an injured hip. The A’s can still rely on 2002 Cy Young Award winner Barry Zito, as well as Tim Hudson, to anchor their playoff hopes.
Like the Twins, Oakland used a second-half run to reach the playoffs after starting slowly. Eric Chavez and Miguel Tejada will need to continue hitting as well as they have since the All-Star break to help the A’s counter Boston’s strong offensive attack.
The Red Sox bring the Major League’s most prolific offense into the series. Bill Mueller and Manny Ramirez finished at the top of the American League batting charts, and teammates Nomar Garciaparra and Trot Nixon were not far behind. David Ortiz is the best clutch hitter on the team, seemingly at bat every time the Red Sox rallied late in a game to win. With such a potent offense, the Red Sox pitching staff has been a little shaky.
After Pedro Martinez, Boston has some concerns. Derek Lowe is a solid pitcher, but the rest of the staff, especially the bullpen, has often times let the Red Sox down this season. Oakland took the season series four games to three, including a dominant pitching performance from Hudson as the A’s beat Martinez in the only match-up of the teams’ top two pitchers.
