Travelling Back to the Year 2000

As a history student, I have a thing for nostalgia. So I'm busy looking at my official MLB guide to the 2000 season.

It's got nuggets such as:

Millennium Men (p 28): Who will be the stars of the new millennium? Their predictions:

C: Michael Barrett, Expos (uh, who?)
1b: Paul Konerko, White Sox (he always ends up on at least one fantasy team of mine. Always.)
2B: Carlos Febles, Royals (again, who?)
SS: Alex Gonzalez, Marlins
3B: Adrain Beltre (you'll find his picture next to "contract year")
RF: Richard Hidalgo, Astros (Wasn't Hidalgo a horse?)
CF: Carlos Beltran, Royals (okay, this one's legit)
LF: JD Drew, Cardinals (no comment)
P: Freddy Garcia (no, I'm not making this up)


Long at Short:

"Young superstars Nomar Garciaparra, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez have led a three-headed revolution of the shortstop position during the past few seasons...there are, however, other upstarts who could soon challenge that talented trinity..."

Miguel Tejada 23 (sure), Athletics (Young? Tejada? I feel an Angel Berroa joke coming on...)
Alex Gonzalez, Marlins (what ever happened to him?)
Tony Batista, Blue Jays (see above)
Neifi Perez, Rockies (Not to be confused with the Rangers' young pitching prospect)
Edgar Renteria, Cardinals (he got old fast, didn't he?)
Alfonso Soriano, Yankees (well, he didn't stick at short, but dude can hit)
Rafael Furcal, Braves (I used to confuse him and Albert Pujols. Not so much any more.)


Players that were candidates for 2000 Rookie of the Year (selection copied here to save you space) (31):

AL

1B: Nick Johnson, Yankees
2B: D'Angelo Jimenez, Yankees (was in a nasty car wreck not long after)
3B: Mike Lamb, Rangers
Carlos Guillen, Mariners
SS: Alfonso Soriano, Yankees
OF: Vernon Wells, Blue Jays (he's really been around that long?!)
Michael Coleman, Red Sox
P: Kip Wells, White Sox
Danys Baez, Indians
Kazuhiro Sasaki, Mariners
J.C. Romero, Twins
Ed Yarnell, Yankees (I don't think that really worked)
Dan Wheeler, Devil Rays (Dude, isn't he the Yanks' favorite whippin' boy?)
Mike Mulder, Athletics
Dan Reichart, Royals


NL

1B: Adam Kennedy, Cardinals
SS: Adam Everett, Astros
Rafael Furcal, Braves
OF: Pat Burrell, Phillies
Corey Patterson, Cubs
Lance Berkman, Astros
P: Rick Ankiel, Cardinals (yes, that Rick Ankiel)
A.J. Burnett, Marlins
Eric Gagné, Dodgers (remember him?)
Tony Armas Jr., Expos
Brad Penny, Marlins (Can you imagine if Beckett, Burnett, Penny and Pavano were still in the same rotation? The Marlins would have been the team of the early 2000s. Maybe.)
Ted Lilly, Expos


New ballparks (41-42):

Safeco Field, Seattle:

"Fans can get "caught up" in a giant bronzed baseball mitt that sits just outside the left-field entrance...Safeco Field has an 11,000-ton retractable roof that can move as fast as six inches per second"


Enron Field, Houston:

"Another 'throw back', Enron Field will be the only ballpark in the Major Leagues with a flagpole sitting in the field of play"


Pacific Bell Park, San Francisco:

"The park's short right-field wall will mean that home runs will make even more of a splash--a well-hit dinger could actually drop into San Francisco Bay"

Comerica Park, Detroit:

"A 200-300 seat theater will give fans a chance to catch a flick at the ballpark. The theater will show films documenting Tigers history...boasts the largest scoreboard in baseball"

2010: A Base Odyssey (105-122; my edition seems to be missing the last few pages)

"Take a journey through the next decade of milestones that could be reached by today's biggest stars"

September 2000: Boston's Pedro Martinez becomes the first pitcher to win 30 games in one season since 1968 (no).

October 2000: Randy Johnson fans his 384th batter, the most strikeouts recorded since the 1800s (I don't think so, but maybe I'm wrong).

September 2001: Slugger Mark McGwire blasts a ball completely out of Shea Stadium for home run 71 (Uh, no.)

May 2002: Barry Bonds becomes the first player to reach 500 in both home runs and stolen bases (Bonds stole bases? Where was I?)

October 2002: Sweet-swinging Larry Walker strokes his way to baseball's first Triple Crown since 1967 (pretty sure this didn't happen, but Walker was a fun player to root for).

June 2003: Ivan Rodriguez nails nine baserunners in a game to break a 105-year-old record (don't remember this ever happening but my memory is shot)

October 2004: Switch hitter Chipper Jones goes deep twice from each side of the plate during an NLCS game (fairly certain the Braves didn't make the 2004 NLCS)

October 2005: Derek Jeter becomes the first player to win a batting title, MVP, Gold Glove and World Series in one year (if only...)

September 2007: Sammy Sosa becomes the first basher to launch 50 or more homers in 10 straight seasons (BAHAHAHAHAHAH)



And lastly, the 2000 season NY Yankees roster as of 1/6/00:

Pitchers

59 Bradley, Ryan
41 Buddie, Mike
22 Clemens, Roger
36 Cone, David
64 DeLosSantos, Luis
Dingman, Craig
67 Einerston, Darrell
58 Erdos, Todd
Ford, Ben
38 Grimsley, Jason
26 Hernandez, Orlando
57 Juden, Jeff
55 Mendoza, Ramiro
43 Nelson, Jeff
Noel, Todd
46 Pettitte, Andy
42 Rivera, Mariano
29 Stanton, Mike
62 Tessner, Jay
27 Watson, Alan
Westbrook, Jake
52 Yarnell, Ed

Catcher

20 Posada, Jorge

Infielders

35 Bellinger, Clay
18 Brosius, Scott
2 Jeter, Derke
59 Jimenez, D'Angelo
Johnson, Nick
11 Knoblauch, Chuck
13 Leyritz, Jim
24 Martinez, Tino
58 Soriano, Alfonso

Outfielders

17 Ledee, Ricky
84 McDonald, Donzell
21 O'Neill, Paul
Pena, Wily
47 Spencer, Shane
39 Strawberry, Darrell
51 Williams, Bernie


(Of that roster, only Posada, Jeter and Rivera are still in pinstripes. Soriano, Johnson and Westbrook are active with different teams; I'm not sure about any of the other guys; if Wily Peña is the same as Wily Mo Peña then there's another...)





Credit to: Major League Baseball 2000: The Official Guide to the 2000 Season, published by Corporate Sports Marketing Group, (c) 2000