Earlier this year I wrote a post about how several Major League Baseball teams were opting for a retro look with their alternate uniforms. This week we saw several teams turn back the clock and wear uniforms specially designed to match the ones from the old days.

Chicago Cubs



The Cubs commemorated the 60th anniversary of their first broadcast on WGN with these pinstripe-less threads. You can see that the Cubs' current design has been around in some incarnation for many years.

Atlanta Braves



The Braves opposed the Cubs in these uniforms from 1948, which also happens to be the last year the Braves won the pennant in Boston. It was the second of only two they won in Beantown, but that Billy Southworth-helmed team featuring star third baseman Bob Elliott and the "Spahn and Sain and pray for rain" pitching staff was a special one.

Baltimore Orioles



They did it! They did just what I suggested on this blog! They celebrated the 25th anniversary of their last World Series title by wearing throwbacks with elastic waistbands! The Orioles organization has made a lot of mistakes in recent years, but this is one thing they definitely got right.

San Francisco Giants



The 70's was not a good decade for the Giants, but the 1978 team that these uniforms are a tribute to was memorable for being in first place most of the year until tailing off in August and finishing in third. Like the Orioles, it's good to see a team that doesn't ignore the elastic waistbands in their uniform history.

San Diego Padres



The Padres remembered the 30th anniversary of the first squad in franchise history to finish with a winning record by donning these throwbacks that actually feature the full team name. The Padres prove why I keep bringing up the elastic waistbands though, because these uniforms would be more accurate if they had them.

Cleveland Indians



Unlike the alternates that only had a retro feel to them, these are actual replicas of the 1978 Indians' uniforms (minus, all together now, the elastic waistbands). Why they'd want to honor that sixth-place team led by Andre Thornton I'm not sure, but the uniforms themselves don't look half bad.

Why do I love throwbacks so much? Why am I such a stickler for accuracy? Why do I want to remind everyone that the goofy elastic waistband uniforms ever existed? I guess it's just the sports history buff in me. No matter how ugly some teams' uniforms used to be, there's something about seeing them that stirs up my romanticism for baseball. That's another reason America's Pastime is my favorite sport; it's the only one that has that effect on me. Here's to the future and the eternal remembrance of baseball's rich history.

A new baseball season is just around the corner, and right now every team has the chance to make this year something special. At least, that's what they want you to believe. Is there reason for you to have hope? Sorry, but no. This just isn't going to be your year. Whichever team you root for, here's why it ends for them after Game #162.

AL West:

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. They have too many mediocre players in their lineup. With injuries to their two best starters this early in the season there's no way they're going to be able to get the momentum going that they need to make the Playoffs.

Oakland Athletics. They had a losing record last year and then gave away most of their good players. What are they going to do, improve?

Seattle Mariners. Last year's 88 wins were an illusion. They actually allowed more runs than they scored. You can get lucky like that once, but it's hard to do it two years in a row. The rain outside Safeco this year will match the tears inside.

Texas Rangers. They have below-average hitting and below-average pitching. Put it together and you get a below-average team. When September rolls around the Cowboys will be the only team in town anyone is talking about.

AL Central:

Chicago White Sox. OK, so they improved their bullpen. It doesn't change the fact that their roster is full of guys who are living off their past reputations. It's going to be another long year on the South Side.

Cleveland Indians. After coming within one game of the World Series last year they basically stood pat during the offseason. That's a good way to fall behind other teams. Don't be scratching your head in October wondering why the exact same guys as last year didn't make the Playoffs.

Detroit Tigers. Yeah, they've got a great lineup, but you know they aren't going anywhere with that underachieving pitching staff of theirs. Enjoy the slugfests Tiger fans, because they're all you're going to get.

Kansas City Royals. They're the Kansas City Royals, also known as "That Team That Never Makes the Playoffs".

Minnesota Twins. Other than Francisco Liriano they have a weak starting rotation, and their lineup isn't good enough to pick up the slack. Get ready for the Lousiest Show on Turf.

AL East:

Baltimore Orioles. Peter Angelos is still the owner. That's all you need to know.

Boston Red Sox. Yeah, they won the World Series last year, but the Patriots' Super Bowl loss is a clear sign that New England's deal with the devil has expired. Members of "Red Sox Nation" can only hope that the drought doesn't reach 86 years again.

New York Yankees. Their old guys are too old and their young guys are too young. This is a rebuilding year in the Bronx.

Tampa Bay Rays. I'm pretty sure the only reason the Rays were created was because the owner of last place in the AL East was tired of renting it out and wanted a buyer. Sorry, but the Rays are comfortable right where they are.

Toronto Blue Jays. They were one of the worst run-producing teams in the league last year, and they've done little to improve in that area. Their pitching staff was great last year, but they aren't good enough to lead the team to the Playoffs single-handedly. It's safe to say that baseball won't be making anyone in Canada forget that it isn't hockey season this summer.

NL West:

Arizona Diamondbacks. See my comments on the Mariners. There won't be much charming about these snakes.

Colorado Rockies. They have a talented roster, but their lack of depth is going to hurt them in the strong NL West. It's back to mediocrity in the mountains.

Los Angeles Dodgers. They have too many overrated players on their roster. Overrated players make overrated teams. Teams as overrated as the Dodgers don't make the Playoffs.

San Diego Padres. Their center fielder is 37-year-old Jim Edmonds and they actually have Mark Prior on their roster. Those are two recipes for disaster right there. Kiss this season goodbye.

San Francisco Giants. Their lineup last year consisted of Barry Bonds and little else. Now they don't even have him. When your best hitter is Aaron Rowand you have problems. Show me someone who honestly thinks the Giants will contend and I'll show you a delusional fan.

NL Central:

Chicago Cubs. They made the Playoffs last year. The last time the Cubs made the postseason two years in a row was 1908, when they won their third straight pennant and second straight World Series. Sorry, but two years in a row just doesn't happen in Wrigleyville.

Cincinnati Reds. When Dusty Baker isn't wearing out his pitchers he's encouraging his hitters to be too aggressive. The only way the Reds contend is if their youngsters develop, and that's not happening under Dusty. Does Vegas have the odds on how long it'll be before Scott Hatteberg gets released for being too patient at the plate?

Houston Astros. They've invested a lot in their lineup and bullpen, but the only reliable starting pitcher they have is Roy Oswalt. Sorry, but that's not the model for a contending team. Craig Biggio knew just when to retire.

Milwaukee Brewers. They have a lot of power, but their depth and starting pitching leaves a lot to be desired. Besides, their closer is Eric Gagne. He used to be good, but based on those 18.7 innings he pitched for the Red Sox last year he's clearly not good anymore. With all the games Gagne blows for them the Brewers will be eliminated by the All Star Break.

Pittsburgh Pirates. It'll be a while before the new management can undo the damage done by the previous regime. The Pirates have some promising young talent, but haven't we been saying that for years? This season will be just as undistinguished as any of the last ten Pirate seasons.

St. Louis Cardinals. Adam Wainwright is their only good starter who isn't rehabbing, and fewer than a handful of their hitters scare opposing pitchers. The Redbirds had a good run earlier this decade, but their time has passed.

NL East:

Atlanta Braves. The Braves stopped making the Playoffs when Leo Mazzone left. Until they bring him back they're doomed to hover around .500.

Florida Marlins. They traded the last two stars remaining from the 2003 World Series team. It's time for the Marlins to start rebuilding, not trying to win. The Fish are going to be fried in this year's NL East race.

New York Mets. Have you seen their current list of injuries? By the time everyone's healthy they'll be out of the race. They proved last year that September isn't their month, so don't expect any late-season heroics.

Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies didn't win the division last year, the Mets just choked it away. Don't believe me? Any Mets fan will tell you the same thing. Since the Phillies aren't capable of making the Playoffs on their own they'll have to watch as someone else takes the division this year.

Washington Nationals. They've collected so many problematic players it'll be a miracle if they avoid 100 losses. They're continuing the tradition of incompetence started by their ancestors, the Expos.

To sum things up, don't get too excited about October. Your guys will only be there if they buy tickets. But hey, keep your head up. There's always next year.

The American League has widely been considered the stronger of baseball's two leagues for the past few years. Indeed, the AL Playoff races were wrapped up fairly uneventfully, with each team having a decent-sized lead and their clinchings being mere formalities by the time they happened. The most dramatic moment that clinched anything in the AL was the Orioles coming from behind to tie the Yankees and winning on a bases-loaded bunt in extra innings. This brilliantly-executed play assured us that the Yankees would be reduced to Wild Card winners rather than AL East Champs, little more than a small victory for Yankee-haters everywhere. Any of the four teams in the AL Playoffs (Angels, Indians, Red Sox, Yankees) will be favored to win the World Series once we know which one will be playing in it.

The National League is much poorer than its younger counterpart. The NL's best team finished with a 90-72 record (worse than any of the AL Playoff participants) and allowed more runs than it scored during the season. There's so much parity in the NL that no team finished more than 19 games out of first place. While there's no denying that the NL is the weaker of the two leagues, there is one thing it provides more of than the AL: excitement.

That 90-72 team, the NL West Champion Diamondbacks, came out of nowhere to win it. The Padres and Dodgers were most people's picks to win the division before the season began, but the D-Backs stayed above .500 all year and eventually took first place in the last two months. It still isn't quite clear how they did it. On paper they don't appear to be that great a team, but you can't deny their success. Now the question is if they can continue it against the Cubs in the Playoffs.

The Cubs themselves had a pretty exciting year. The Brewers got off to a hot start and looked like the only team that wanted to win the NL Central early on. The Cubs, despite spending a lot of money in the offseason, struggled during the first two months and looked destined for another disappointing season. After Lou Piniella had his now-famous confrontation with an umpire (once again I'll brag about it...I was at that game!), the Cubs suddenly started getting back on track. As their rise coincided with the Brewers' collapse, the Cubs eventually found themselves in first place in late August. Even when they had a 3½-game lead with six games left it wasn't over. They got swept in a three-game series with the last-place Marlins and the Brewers still had a shot. Fortunately, the Cubs got back on track and clinched the division title in their final series with the Reds. They now have a shot at winning their first pennant in 62 years and their first World Series in 99 years.

The NL East had one of the most memorable races in recent times. Going into the season most people picked either the Braves or Mets to win the division, and a lot of people picking the Braves had the Mets as the Wild Card. Those two teams battled for first place during the early months while the Phillies got off to a slow start. The Mets eventually took first place and it looked like they would never relinquish it. Then, with 17 games left and the Mets holding a 7-game lead over the Phillies, the unthinkable happened. The Mets went 5-12 to finish out the season while the Phillies went 13-4 over the same span. In the end the Phillies won the division by one game and the Mets were out of the Playoffs altogether.

Then there's the Wild Card. The Padres battled the Diamondbacks for the NL West lead most of the second half. When the Diamondbacks established themselves as the division leader the Padres looked like they'd end up settling for the Wild Card. Not so fast. The Rockies, who'd stayed around .500 most of the year but never stepped it up to make a real postseason drive, suddenly went on a tear. They won 13 of their last 14 games to force a one-game playoff with the Padres which would determine the Wild Card winner. What a game it was. Both teams fought the whole way, and it eventually went 13 innings. In the top of the thirteenth the Padres got a two-run homer which looked like it would clinch the game. The Rockies didn't give up though, scoring three runs in the bottom half to earn the title of NL Wild Card.

These NL Playoff teams are a motley crew. None of them made the Playoffs last year, and the one that made it most recently was the Cubs in 2003. It's hard to believe that one of these four is going to be playing in the World Series this year. The AL, on the other hand, has the three teams with the league's highest payrolls playing this October (Angels, Yankees, Red Sox), and only one that has some underdog appeal (Indians). Except the Indians, all were in the Playoffs as recently as two years ago, and all but the Indians have won a World Series this decade. Truthfully, once you get past the Indians it's hard to root for any of the AL teams.

The AL may be stronger. One of their teams may end up hoisting the World Series trophy at the end of this month. They may be representative of what great baseball teams truly look like. Why would we follow sports though, if there were never any excitement? If the same teams always won easily it would be boring to follow them. If you simply want to marvel at greatness, the AL is there for you. If you want thrilling races, determination and never-say-die dramatics, the NL is the far superior league.

We're down to the last two months of baseball season. The trade deadline has passed, and by now we (mostly) know who's in it to win it and who needs to start preparing for next year. The races are heating up, and several teams are still vying for one of those coveted eight Playoff spots. It's about time for baseball fans to start thinking about who they're rooting for in the quest for October. If you're a big fan like me, you probably also have a few teams you're rooting against. I don't know who's going to win, but here's what I'm hoping for:

American League West:

I'm pulling for the Mariners. They've been a surprise team all year, and there seem to be a lot of loyal Mariner fans out there even though you don't hear much about them. While they seem to have been playing above their heads all season (their pitching and run production have been mediocre at best), they deserve credit for staying in it this long. They surprised me last season too, as I predicted that they'd lose 100 games and they ended up finishing close to .500. While conventional wisdom says the Angels are going to win it (if I had to give an official prediction I'd pick them), I'm hoping Seattle has enough left to battle it out and overtake them for the division title.

Since the Angels are the only team posing a real threat to the Mariners at this point, I'm rooting against them. I just have a hard time getting excited about the Angels. Besides, they won the World Series in 2002 and the Mariners never have. While it's hard for me to imagine the Mariners winning the World Series this year, they deserve that chance to play for it a little more in my mind.

American League Central:

If my White Sox were still in the race there's no question I'd be pulling for them. As they are not, however, I'm pulling for either the Indians or Tigers. Both teams have fanbases that I think deserve a winner, and I really don't hate either one even though they're both division rivals of my Sox. I hope one of them wins the division and the other wins the Wild Card. It doesn't really matter which, though I think the Tigers look more likely to win the division.

The team I'm rooting against is the Twins. While they seem to have a fairly loyal fanbase and the underdog factor that comes with playing in a small market, I just don't like them. They don't interest me. Also, some of that underdog appeal has been lost since they've won four division titles in the last five years. Last year it looked to be a two-team race between the White Sox and Tigers in the Central, but the Twins came from behind to win it, relegating the frontrunning Tigers to the Wild Card. I don't want to see it happen again.

American League East:

I've never made any secret about the fact that I hate the Red Sox. The way their "history" and "tradition" get shoved down our throats has gotten rather sickening. That said, I'm rooting for them to win the East this year. Why, you ask? It's all because of the team I'm rooting against.

I hate the Yankees. I want to see them win even less than I do the Red Sox. They're a thorn in the side of baseball fans everywhere. No matter what, they always find a way to make the Playoffs. Even when they were mired in a slump earlier this year I kept saying they were going to be playing in the postseason. Now they're only a few games out in the Wild Card race and within striking distance of the Red Sox. I still think they'll find their way into the Playoff picture, but (as I often find myself saying) I hope I'm wrong. If they do it's likely that either they or the Red Sox will be the Wild Card, and the Playoffs will be much more enjoyable if we don't have to hear about a potential Yankees-Red Sox ALCS.

National League West:

This is a division where I don't feel very strongly. The Giants are the only team at this point that has no real shot of winning it. If I had to choose the team I really wanted to see win it I'd say the Rockies, but of the four contenders they seem to be the one that's having the most trouble breaking through. I also kind of like the Padres, so I'd have no problem if they won it. Neither team has ever won the World Series, so there's not much to hate about them.

While I'm not actively rooting against the Diamondbacks, they don't particularly excite me. I haven't found myself rooting against the Dodgers either, but they seem to have the most to root against. Big market, six World Series titles, fans that leave the games early...yeah, I guess if I'm rooting against anyone in this division it's the Dodgers. Still, it's hard to hate them completely when you have a father who grew up rooting for them on the side.

National League Central:

I'm a Cubs fan. Take a wild guess who I'm pulling for. Is this finally "next year" for the Cubs? We can always hope, but the Cubs have to make the Playoffs first. It's a shame that the they're contending in a year where the team they're battling for first is the Brewers. After all, Brewers fans haven't had much to cheer about in recent times. It's not that I hate our friends up in Milwaukee, it's just that they're blocking my team's path to the Playoffs. If the Cubs can overtake them for first I hope the Brewers win the Wild Card. I could even live with it if they won the division and the Cubs won the Wild Card, but it's cooler to say your team is the division champion.

The team I'm rooting against is none other than that bunch who won the World Series last year. While the Cardinals admittedly look horrible this year, teams that you count out can come back to bite you. While I'm not too worried about the old Redbirds I still root for them to lose every game...just in case.

National League East:

One of my favorite teams in this division has always been the Phillies. Of the 30 Major League teams they're one of seven that hasn't made the postseason since the switch to the three-division format. They're right in the thick of things, so hopefully this year we'll be able to cross their name off that list.

There are two other contenders in this division, and they're known as the Braves and Mets. I've hated the Braves ever since they won the 1995 World Series, and the Mets I hate just because they're from New York. While I don't hate either of these teams as much as say, the Yankees, I can't really root for either one in good conscience. The truth is though, that these two teams currently look like the ones to beat in the National League. If Philly's going to pull it off it'll be an uphill battle.

To sum up, my ideal Playoffs look like this:

National League:

West: Colorado
Central: Chicago
East: Philadelphia
Wild Card: Milwaukee

American League:

West: Seattle
Central: Detroit
East: Boston
Wild Card: Cleveland

I know that they likely won't look this way (especially the NL), but what's a pennant race without something to hope for?

My nightmare Playoffs look something like this:

National League:

West: Los Angeles
Central: St. Louis
East: New York
Wild Card: Atlanta

American League:

West: Los Angeles
Central: Minnesota
East: New York
Wild Card: Boston

It's almost scary how much more realistic my nightmare scenario looks, but that's just life when you root for the underdog.

Anyway, that's what I'm hoping for. How about you?

Today (Sunday) two of the greatest players from the 80's-90's era will officially be added to the ranks of their sport's immortals when the Baseball Hall of Fame holds the induction ceremony for Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. Both of these men undoubtedly belong there and have several noteworthy achievements to their names. Gwynn was a 15-time All Star (10-time starter), career .338 hitter, 5-time Gold Glover and 8-time batting champion. He spent his entire 20-year career with the San Diego Padres and was the only Padre to play for both the 1984 and 1998 pennant winners. Ripken was a 2-time MVP, 2-time Gold Glover, 19-time All Star (starting 17 times), and holds baseball's record for most consecutive games played with 2,632. He played 21 years, all with the Baltimore Orioles, and led them to their last World Series championship in 1983. Both were still in their primes when I first started following baseball, so I have plenty of memories of them from their playing days.

I was always a big Tony Gwynn fan. Whenever I thought about the Padres back in the 90's Tony Gwynn was always the first guy to come to mind. He was "Mr. Padre," the face of the franchise for most of his career and still probably their greatest player to this day. You could count on him to contend for the batting title every year, because he was one of the most studious hitters of his era. He struck me as a guy who truly loved baseball, and I always enjoyed hearing or reading his thoughts. I'll never forget the image of him crying with Ted Williams at the 1999 All Star Game. I loved seeing a guy who appreciated the science of hitting honoring one of its pioneers.

I remember seeing a segment on "This Week in Baseball" where they asked players which pitchers their first Major League hits and home runs were against. At one point they asked Tony Gwynn about the subject and he said that he'd always break the ice with new players on the team by asking them questions like that. He said that every guy always has an immediate answer for you, but there was one guy (I can't recall who he said it was) who told him "I don't remember." He was shocked by that answer. "What?? You don't remember your first Major League home run?" I always love stuff like that because it gives you a glimpse of how big leaguers think about the game.

I've read some stuff from sabermetricians saying that Gwynn is an overrated player. I understand where they're coming from. He was mainly a contact hitter without much power. He didn't draw a lot of walks and only 763 of his 3,141 hits went for extra bases. He started out as a stolen base threat, but in the second half of his career he put on weight (perhaps from spending too much time watching film) and mostly lost that aspect of his game. Back in my less analytical days I didn't think much about that stuff, but now that I'm older I understand the value of looking at it.

Overrated or not, there's no denying that Tony Gwynn was great at what he did. He was one of my favorite players as a young baseball fan and still is to this day. Congratulations on making the Hall, Tony. Baseball is better for having had you.

Then there's Cal Ripken Jr. I have to confess that there was a time when I didn't like Cal. The media gave him this status as some sort of untouchable figure who transcended the game, which annoyed me. I felt that he was overrated because of the consecutive games streak and I was tired of him constantly being shoved down my throat. Over time I've grown to appreciate, respect, and even like him, but because I strongly disliked him at one point I won't be able to look back on his career as fondly as Tony Gwynn's. Still, there's a lot of good to say about him.

I remember when he broke the streak. Back in those days my family had satellite TV. Even though we didn't get the baseball package, the satellite company gave it to everyone for free at the end of the 1995 season. It was nice being able to watch any ballgame I wanted to for about a month. I had the opportunity to see the streak be broken, so how could I pass it up? I only watched the first few innings before I got bored, because I didn't think there was anything else to see. I wasn't an Orioles or Angels fan, after all. Still, that's a record that won't be broken anytime soon, if ever. I was glad that I got to witness it.

They made a big deal about Cal Ripken's last season, since it would be the last time anyone got to see him play. I was in the stands for his last game at Comiskey Park on July 1, 2001. I think it was actually "Cal Ripken Day" at the ballpark, and I guess I figured it'd be kind of cool to say I was there. Fans must have felt that Ripken wasn't quite as legendary as he was made out to be, since the game wasn't even a sellout. My father and I had seats in the upper deck, and we kept moving as the shadows crept in (it was cold in those shadows). I also remember a foul ball being hit right to the spot where we had been sitting a few minutes after we moved. Darn the luck. The Sox ended up losing, so Ripken got to win his last game in Comiskey.

Many credit him with revolutionizing the shortstop position. He didn't fit the mold of the small, speedy, light-hitting, defense-oriented shortstop as he was a 6'4" power hitter. He wasn't the first slugging shortstop, as players like Honus Wagner, Vern Stephens, Ernie Banks and Rico Petrocelli all preceded him, but they've been more common since Ripken played than they were before. Most of us remember earlier this decade when Derek Jeter, Nomar Garciaparra, Alex Rodriguez and Miguel Tejada were known as the "Big Four," though they aren't called that anymore because two of them no longer play shortstop. Still, we take the slugging shortstop for granted today, but it was fairly unusual in Ripken's time. I remember all the talk when he moved to third base (which he actually played when he first came up), because he was so well-known for what he did at shortstop. He's one of those guys who will always be in the debate for best ever at his position.

You could argue that Ripken is overrated (if only because he's thought so incredibly highly of), but he was definitely a great player. Congratulations, Cal. You earned your place in history.

These two men are icons for their respective franchises and are finally getting the ultimate honor bestowed upon their careers. Some Hall of Fame selections are questioned down the road, but I doubt either of these will be. The Hall of Fame will never be complete as long as baseball is still being played, but it never would be without these two.