This is the year that shaped the rest of the decade for baseball, for two reasons. One, the final third of the season, including the World Series, was wiped out by a player strike (or owner lockout; I never care to remember which is which). This fateful event severely disillusioned fans, many of whom were not quick to return to the ballpark when play resumed next spring.
     On the field, the offensive explosion of the late 1990's took off this year. Three players had slugging percentages above .700, a feat that had not been accomplished since 1957. Two other players were on pace to either match or break Roger Maris' home run record. Presumably, the ball was juiced, or perhaps the bats were juiced, or perhaps it was some combination of the two.

     Frank Thomas won the MVP Award, and was clearly the best hitter in the league. His season was a throwback to another era, something you would expect to see from Ted Williams or Lou Gehrig, even Babe Ruth. Thomas had earned the nickname "The Big Hurt" by clearly establishing himself as one of the best hitters ever to play baseball. At this writing, Thomas' career has been slowed by injuries, but he still ranks among the best hitters in the game.
     There were some other guys who had big seasons. Albert Belle had already established himself as one of the best power hitters in the league; this year, he pumped his numbers up a few more notches to MVP-calibre, where they have remained until his permature retirement at age 33. The only blemish on Belle's record was a strange incident in which one of his bats was confiscated, and discovered with cork inside. But the bat was stolen, apparently by a stadium worker who crawled through a heating duct and broke into the umpires' room, replacing the offending weapon with an imposter. The scam was uncovered, and Belle was suspended for ten days.
     Once in a while, a player will make a sudden improvement in mid-career. Paul O'Neill was 31 years old; he spent eight years in Cincinnati, where his highest average was .276. When he joined the Yankees in 1993, O'Neill began to hit for average, and this year was a surprise winner of the batting title. And it wasn't a fluke; O'Neill remained one of the best hitters in the league late in his career, and was a key member of four Yankee championship teams.
     Ken Griffey Jr. was on pace to challenge Roger Maris' home run mark when the season ended prematurely. As a home run hitter, Griffey had proved himself to be the real deal, and he was runner-up in the MVP vote. Another centre fielder who had a great season was Kenny Lofton, Belle's teammate in Cleveland. Lofton was a brilliant defensive outfielder; his .350 average, walks and stolen bases combined to make him an exceptional leadoff man.
     Entering this season, Roberto Alomar and Carlos Baerga had already established themselves as brilliant young second basemen. This season, Chuck Knoblauch added his name to that list. Knoblauch was the league's Rookie Of The Year in 1991, and had played steady ball since then. Now he took a step forward as a hitter, and was one of the best players in the league. Knoblauch followed this season with two more brilliant ones, batting as high as .341 in 1996.
     Knoblauch was dealt to the Yankees in 1998, and stayed with the club until 2001, winning four pennants and three World Series. Though he did a good job as the Bombers' leadoff man, his tenure in New York was marked with difficulties. Knoblauch hit well, but not at the same level that he had in Minnesota. He also won a Gold Glove in his final year with the Twins, but Knoblauch's defense at second base deteriorated badly with the Yankees. A mental block affected Knoblauch's ability to make the short throw from second base, and his error total doubled in 1999. By 2001, Knoblauch was forced to move to left field.