VLB Millennial Division Preview

1989 Oakland Athletics

If the '86 Mets are the rakish bad boys of the Classic Division, The 1989 Oakland A's are the clear villains of the Millennial Division, having served as the lab from which the steroids epidemic spread throughout Major League Baseball well into the current century. With over a thousand tainted lifetime home runs among them staining the record books, "The Bash Brothers," Mark McGwire (.231, 33, 95) and Jose Canseco (.269, 17, 57, in an injury-shortened 65 games), did as much as anyone to hurt the game during this era. Veterans Dave Parker (.264, 22, 97), Dave Henderson (.250, 15, 80) and Carney Lansford (.336, 2, 52, 37 SB) help make the lineup a ticking time bomb.

Jose Canseco / Mark McGwire

The Oakland rotation is rock solid, from their intense ace Dave Stewart (21-9, 3.32), to Mike Moore (19-11, 2.61), Bob Welch (17-8, 3.00), and Storm Davis (19-9, 4.36). And they have the bullpen to match, with veteran lefty Rick Honeycutt (2.35, 12 saves), and young righty Todd Burns (2.24, 8 saves) leading the support for what may be the greatest of their weapons. The remarkable Dennis Eckersley (1.56, 33 saves, 55 K, 3 BB) transitioned from all-star starter to become one of the most dominant closers in the history of the game.

Corrupt or not, this squad will be a threat to good and bad sportsmen alike in this league with their ill-gotten power coupled with a deep and reliable veteran pitching staff.

1995 Atlanta Braves

Greg Maddux / Tom Glavine / John Smoltz / Steve Avery

For fourteen straight (completed) seasons, spring training essentially extended throughout the summer for the Atlanta Braves, serving as fine-tuning for the real beginning of their season, known to other teams as the playoffs. That's the good news. The bad news is that in all of those chances, it was only these '95 Bravos who would take home the World Series trophy.

As was the hallmark of this dynasty, the thing that makes this Braves team relentless is its starting rotation, featuring the three-headed Hall-of-Fame monster of Greg Maddux (19-2, 1.63, 0.811 WHIP), Tom Glavine (16-7, 3.08), and John Smoltz (12-7, 3.18).

Offensively, "The Crime Dog," Fred McGriff (.280, 27, 93) takes a bite out of opposing pitchers, as do young outfielders Ryan Klesko (.310, 23, 70) and David Justice (.253, 24, 78). Switch-hitting rookie third baseman Chipper Jones (.265, 23, 86) provides the finishing piece to the divisional dynasty's only completed puzzle.

2001 New York Yankees

There has only been one true modern Major League dynasty, and (surprise) it's the New York Yankees, turn of the century edition. The strength of the team is its core (really five, not four) of Bernie Williams, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter.

Bernie Williams / Paul O'Neill / Derek Jeter

This playoff edition of the team carried the weight of New York City on its shoulders more heavily than others, as American society was still in shock and just beginning its long recovery from the 9/11 terrorist attacks which saw the World Trade Center towers fall in lower Manhattan, killing more than 2,500 people.

They used that emotion and determination to beat the winningest team of all time en route to a suitably dramatic seven-game heart breaker of a Game Seven World Series loss far away in the Arizona desert.

This team has a very real chance to get their championship in the upcoming VLB season. The core is productive as ever: Williams (.307, 26, 94), Pettitte (15-10, 3.99), Posada (.277, 22, 95), Rivera (2.34, 50 saves, 0.905 WHIP), Jeter (.311, 21, 74, 27 SB). The "supporting cast" includes the 'roid-fueled "Rocket," Roger Clemens (20-3, 3.51), Hall-of-Fame pitcher and professional, Mike Musina (17-11, 3.15), and former Don Mattingly replacement Tino Martinez (.280, 34, 113) manning first base.

Upon the retirement of Mattingly in 1995, the Yankees were to go without a Captain until Jeter became "The Captain" in 2003. But if not in name, teammates will tell you that Paul O'Neill (.267, 21, 70, in his final MLB season) is every bit of a captain for the Yankees of this era.

2001 Seattle Mariners

Brett Boone / Ichiro Suzuki

So. The winningest single-season team in the 150+ year history of Major League Baseball is...? Somehow not the Yankees. In fact, some (including many of the team's tortured fans) would say the distinction belongs to perhaps the least likely franchise in professional sports existence today.

That's because to the Seattle Mariners, "winning" is a relative term. It's something the franchise failed to taste (or even get a whiff of) until a generation into its existence. But when it did, the taste was sweet... and franchise saving. Unfortunately, none of the teams featuring the generational talents of Ken Griffey, Jr., Randy Johnson and Alex Rodriguez was able to reach, let alone win, a World Series.

To say it was a surprise that only after the last of these carrier ships had sailed away that Seattle baseball would achieve its greatest success is an understatement. So how did they do it? One big factor is health. The rotation takes every turn, delivering at a consistently high level, with Jamie Moyer (20-6, 3.43), Freddy Garcia (18-6, 3.05), Aaron Sele (15-5, 3.60), and Paul Abbott (17-4, 4.25) shouldering the bulk of the load. Reigning AL Rookie of the Year, closer Kaz Sasaki (3.24, 45 saves) is no sophomore slumper.

The entire club fits the same mold, with not a weakness among them. Beginning his Mariners tenure way back in the Year Two B.G. (Before Griffey), DH Edgar Martinez (.306, 23, 116) is now this club's spiritual leader and still amazingly productive at the advanced baseball age of 38. Unflappable first baseman John Olerud (.302, 21, 95) is steady as usual. Second baseman Bret Boone (.331, 37, 141) is bringing his game to a whole new level. And center fielder Mike Cameron (.267, 25, 110, 34 SB, with other-worldy defense) achieves the seemingly-impossible by more than adequately replacing "The Kid" in center field.

But the spark that puts this team over the top comes from a wildly successful experiment. Never before has a position player been imported from Japanese professional baseball into the MLB ranks. Ichiro Suzuki makes it clear that it was about time. The right fielder with the agility of Spider-Man and an arm "like something out of Star Wars," shows America what Japan has known for years, that Ichiro is their generational talent. He would take home the AL Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player Awards, and win both a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger Awards, topping the Senior Circuit with a .350 batting average and 56 stolen bases in '01.

All this would add up to 116 wins and still no trip to the Fall Classic for Seattle. Maybe this (whatever this is) will finally be the Mariners year?