The power structure didn't change much in the American League this year. The four teams that made the playoffs — New York, Cleveland, Texas, Boston — were the same ones that appeared in the 1998 postseason. The Yankees won another pennant, and another World Series, bringing their 20th century total to 25.
        Meanwhile, the MVP vote was a very close one. Ivan Rodriguez of the Rangers won the Award, though pitcher Pedro Martinez of Boston received the most first place votes. Debate over the whether pitchers should be eligible for the MVP award reared its ugly head again, but little was solved.

         I have excluded pitchers from MVP voting, which saves me from worrying about whether Martinez should have been the winner. The truth is, I don't know whether Martinez was more valuable than Rodriguez; it's like comparing apples to avocados. You can criticize me if you like, but consider this: in the actual MVP vote, Martinez received the most first-place votes, but was left entirely off two ballots. At least I've come to a decision about who is eligible for what.
        Rodriguez had a lot going for him. His team won, and in Texas, that's not something that happens often. Pudge is often considered one the greatest defensive catchers ever; certainly, he is widely acknowledged as the most athletically gifted. Rodriguez has sometimes been criticized for his handling of pitchers, though his reputation in this department got a boost after he led the Marlins to the World Series in 2002. So you have (perhaps) the best defensive catcher ever, coupled with 200 hits, 35 homers, 100 runs scored and RBI... those are tough numbers to argue with.
        But Derek Jeter has that argument. He took a couple of strides forward as a hitter, and for the first time had a better year than either Nomar Garciaparra or Alex Rodriguez. He finished sixth in the MVP vote, which was nuts, the result of some sort of crazy logic that says that the Yankees were such a great team that they could have won without Jeter in the lineup.
        By the time he turned 30, Jeter had already attained mythic status among fans and (especially) the media. Often, his reputation as a player was much more impressive than his performance on th field. But this year, he deserved every accolade; he was durable, a fantastic hitter and a solid defensive player. He was the best player in the league on the best team in the league, and I don't know what else you could want.
        All three of the great young shortstops were great, but Nomar missed a couple of weeks with injury. Alex Rodriguez also suffered an injury early in the season that knocked him out for over a month, but he managed to hit 40 homers anyway.
        You can also throw into that mix a great comeback season by Roberto Alomar. Not that there was much wrong with Robbie the past two seasons, but this was his first MVP-calibre season since 1996, and it put him back on the fast track to the Hall Of Fame. This was Alomar's first year in Cleveland, where he was united with his brother Sandy, and a new double play partner, Omar Vizquel. Vizquel had his best year at the plate, which combined with his stellar defense gave the Indians their strongest double play combination since Boudreau and Gordon were around in 1948.
        Slugging outfielder Manny Ramirez was the best hitter in the league. Manny's RBI count was the most by any player since Jimmie Foxx had 175 in 1938. Ramirez was 27 years old; since his terrific rookie season in 1994, he has been among the most consistent and dangerous hitters in baseball. Manny hits for average, has tremendous power, draws walks, and drives in runs. He is one of the great hitters in the game; he may also challenge Lou Gehrig's record of 21 career grand slams one day.
        Ramirez' partner in destruction was Jim Thome. Ramirez and Thome combined to lead the Tribe to five consecutive postseason appearances in the late 1990's. Jim's batting averages weren't quite as high as Manny's, but he drew a huge number of walks, and they both had enormous power. Ramirez enters the 2004 season with 347 home runs, Thome with 381. Both are in their prime, and both will be remembered as two of the best hitters of their generation.
        And speaking of good hitters, Rafael Palmeiro threatened to win the Triple Crown. Palmeiro was 35 years old; he had knee surgery before the season, spent the whole year as a Designated Hitter (and won a Gold Glove!?) and had his best season. Palmeiro began his career with the Cubs, but was dealt because he lacked power. From 1988-89, Rafael hit only 16 home runs in over 1000 at bats. But like many line drive-hitting left-handers, Palmeiro developed power as he aged, and now has 447 homers in his career. He also has over 2400 hits, and is still at his peak as a hitter; he was one of the best hitters of the 1990's, and a spot in the Hall Of Fame is a strong likelihood.