Remembering the Season that Was: The Top 10

Regardless of who you cheer for, it's been a great season to be a baseball fan. The year has had it's ups and downs, but if you ask me, it's been one of the more memorable seasons in recent history.

Without further ado, here's All on the Field's Top 10 from the regular season that was (in no particular order).

1. The arrival of Dice-K. Despite all the hype surrounding the gyro ball and myths of the 28-inning game he pitched one time in Japan, Dice-K proved to be rather human after all. He did win 15 games and strike out 201, but teammate Dustin Pedroia will get the nod for AL Rookie of the Year.
   
   
2. The triumphant return of Roger Clemens. Yes, I know that the dramatic comeback has become sort of an annual occurrence, but it looks like this might have been the last. At least, we can hope.
   


3. Barry Bonds' 756th home run. The recovery, sale, and subsequent branding of the ball turned out to be more dramatic than the home run itself. But the pursuit and breaking of the home run record served its purpose for the Giants, who were able to lure people to the stadium despite fielding a AAA team. Once the record had been broken in their stadium by a player wearing their uniform, the Giants decided it was time to wash their hands of Bonds.
   


4. Speaking of milestones, it was Frank Thomas, Alex Rodriguez, and Jim Thome all reaching the 500 home run milestone. Sammy Sosa hit #600. Isn't it crazy to think that Rodriguez could be the only one of that group to be voted into the Hall?
   


5. The rise and fall of Rick Ankiel. Ankiel was Roy Hobbs, the Natural, when he got called up to the Bigs in August, and the story that began to unfold (9 home runs, a .300-plus average, leading the charge in St. Louis's pennant race) was almost too good to be true. That's because it was. The day of a two-homer, 7 RBI game, Ankiel was linked to HGH shipments from 2004. That news pretty much spelled the end of his Cinderella story and the Cardinals' season.
   


6. The National League's incredible rookies, Hunter Pence and Ryan Braun. Pence was all the rage until he was sidelined by a broken his wrist, but he'll still finish the season with 17 home runs, 69 RBIs and a .322 batting average. Braun, called up at the end of May, has been ridiculous, to the tune of .324/34/97.
   


7. Johan Santana's grand finale in Minnesota. On August 19 against Texas, Santana was dominant, allowing two hits and walking none while striking out 17 in a 1-0 victory.
   It wasn't his last start of the season, but it had to be bittersweet for Twins fans to watch, knowing that he could be gone as early as this offseason.
   


8. Milton Bradley's non-baseball-related injury. Well, it was sort of related. The incident that happened last week is still fresh in our minds, so there's no need to go into any great detail. But most amazing about this story is the fact that Bradley may actually be the innocent party.
   


9. Monster seasons by Alex Rodriguez and Prince Fielder. These guys are the MVPs of their respective leagues, but it's too bad that we'll only see one of them in the playoffs.
   


10. Bizarre, back-and-forth, and down-to-the-wire pennant races. Not exactly the best baseball we've seen in recent memory, but certainly some of the tightest races to the finish. The Mets blow a colossal lead, the Cubs back into the playoffs and the Padres and Rockies need a one-game playoff tomorrow to determine the NL Wild Card winner. Gotta love it.

Surprising Struggles for USC Class of '05

Even though Texas beat USC in the 2006 Rose Bowl, anyone who had followed the Trojans knew that they were the superior NFL superstar factory.

Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart, and (to a slightly lesser degree) LenDale White seemed to be locks to make a splash in the NFL. But nearly two years after that Rose Bowl defeat, things aren't going quite as planned for the terrific trio.

Of the three, White had the most question marks entering the NFL. White came into the draft with a torn hammy, which effectively lowered his stock and relegated him to the second round. After a very workmanlike rookie season, White has rebounded a little bit this year, averaging about 16 rushes and 60 yards a game.

White leads the Titans in carries, but that doesn't make him a feature back. And quite frankly, I'm not convinced he ever will be.

A more compelling storyline of late has been that of Matt Leinart, who was benched late in last week's game against the Ravens. Leinart claims it's still "my team" and Cardinals' coach Ken Whisenhunt says Leinart is still the starter, even while behaving as if he doubts about Leinart's status as the franchise quarterback.

But most unexpected has been the plight of former Heisman winner Reggie Bush, who has devolved from super-utility back to jack of all trades, master of none. After a solid but not stellar rookie campaign, Bush (and the rest of the Saints) have been abysmal this year. Bush hasn't even hit the century mark in yardage for the season.

Why the struggles for these three? It could be nothing more than growing pains, and they may all be on their way to stardom. But it could be that the NFL is a very different game than college, and being a star at the one level doesn't necessarily guarantee success at the next.

Combines and video clips and Wonderlic tests tell a story, but it's not always the whole story. While the nation watched googly-eyed at the finesse and speed and power of Leinart, Bush and White, the Longhorns did what it took to win the football game.

And in Tennessee, Vince Young is having the last laugh once again.

Who is South Florida, and What Do They Do?

Let's try a little exercise. Name the top four football programs in the state of Florida.

There's Florida, Florida State, the University of Miami, and....

There's a new team in the mix, and they're better than two of the three programs listed above. If you read the title, you know I'm talking about the University of South Florida.

USF began playing football in 1997 and has only been a NCAA Division I-A since 2001. The program doesn't even have its own football stadium, but since the university is located in Tampa, they worked out a deal to play in the Bucs' Raymond James Stadium. Could be worse, right?

After brief stints as an independent school (a la Notre Dame) and in Conference USA, the Bulls (that's their mascot) have been making waves in the Big East since 2005.

With a win over then-ranked Auburn on September 8, USF began to draw some national attention. After a victory over the University of North Carolina, the Bulls are up to #18 in both the AP and Coaches polls.

If you're wondering when USF will get its first big-time test, look no further than tomorrow night: the Bulls host #5 West Virginia. My prediction is WVU by 10, which would be only a minor setback for USF.

At this point, they should still be grateful for the publicity.

Update: A good win for USF Friday night, but the game probably hurt West Virginia more than it helped the Bulls.

USF shut down the Mountaineers' offense, limiting Heisman-hopeful Steve Slaton to 54 yards on 13 carries, and knocking quarterback Pat White out of the game with an injured thigh just before halftime.

But it was a rather ugly affair for both teams, really. WVU turned the ball over six times and USF four, but the key was that the Bulls held onto the ball in the second half.

Look for USF to crack the top 15 in the polls, and if they're unlucky, for the Mountaineers to slide out of it.

Clemens Sets Stage for Postseason Heroics

When Curt Schilling pitched through an injury in Game 6 of the ALCS in 2004 -- the "bloody sock" game, as we have come to know it -- the sports world watched in wonder.

But if Roger Clemens was out there watching, or at least caught the highlights on SportsCenter, he had to feel a little jealous. After all, he is the power pitcher of this decade (and the last one) and he is the one that lives for the spotlight.

Three years and two un-retirements later, it may finally be Roger's moment.

Clemens has been "shut down" by the Yankees for the rest of the regular season because of a hamstring injury that just won't go away. I guess when you're 45, things tend to linger.

But Clemens is "confident" that he will be ready for the first round of the postseason, which in Clemens-speak translates roughly as: "I kind of like this hero role, and no tender hammy is going to stop me from playing it."

So the stage is set, and I can picture it now. The Yankees pencil in an ailing Clemens for Game 5 of the ALDS, and we see him walk gingerly out of the bullpen at Angels Stadium. Fans, commentators, and even Joe Torre are uncertain as to how deep he'll be able to go. In the back of our minds, though, we all know what will happen.

It has all the ingredients of postseason heroics, equalling if not surpassing Schilling's performance in 2004. But before we get all gung ho about this, I have one quick question.

Hamstrings don't bleed, do they?

Mike Tyson Isn't Very Good at Life

Mike Tyson is in trouble with the law yet again.

Tyson, known as much for his rap sheet as his right hook, pleaded guilty yesterday to driving under the influence of alcohol and cocaine in December of 2006. Tyson also plead guilty to possession of cocaine, which is a felony punishable by up to four years in prison.

For the former heavyweight champion, it's just another chapter in a sad and bizarre life story.

We all know about the rape, the ear-biting incident, the two failed marriages and seven children (that we know of), the ridiculous facial tattoo, and the bankruptcy. And of course, there are the legendary interviews.

The limelight is probably too much for a man like Tyson, who for all of his athletic ability, lacks the mental capacity and emotional stability to function as a normal human being.

Tyson knows this.

In 2005, he told USA Today, "My whole life has been a waste - I've been a failure." At this point, it's hard to argue.

End of an Era: The Legacy of Barry Bonds

Nearly a month ago, San Francisco presented Barry Bonds with the key to the city. Friday, the Giants gave Bonds the keys to the street, announcing that the free agent-to be won't be back next season.

In the press conference announcing the decision, Giants owner Peter Magowan and general manager Brian Sabean lamented the need to part ways with the aging slugger, but both agreed that the time had come.

Now that Bonds is finally gone, though -- albeit one season too late -- we can dissect the merits of his legacy in San Francisco.

Bonds' 15-year reign in the City by the Bay did include some good things.

For starters, Bonds put butts in the seats, first at Candlestick and later at PacBell/ SBC/AT&T Park. Love him or hate him, the guy did some exciting stuff on the baseball field. The statistics are worth checking out.

Bonds had shoulders broad enough to carry the franchise at times. The Giants won the Wild Card in 2002 and the NL West in 1997, 2000, and 2003. And who can forget 1997? When the Giants clinched the division at Candlestick, Bonds stood on the dugout and celebrated with the fans. It's one of my best memories as a Giants fan. And even though San Francisco choked away its World Series hopes in 2002, Bonds was a huge part of the reason the Giants got as close as they did.

And of course, Bonds will be forever associated with the home run ball. The assault -- and I mean assault -- on McGwire's record in 2003 was exhilarating, naive though I was to assume it was legitimate. And though many had grown tired of Bonds' circus act coming into this season, #756 seemed a fitting reward for the remaining loyal fans.

But for all of the seemingly wonderful things that took place on the field, Bonds has been a nightmare off it. For 15 years, it was Barry's world and his teammates, managers, the media and the fans were just living in it.

Jeff Kent was the lone Giant to stand up to Bonds, but I think Kent's frustrations about Bonds' selfishness were the rule rather than the exception. He just happened to be brave enough to act on them. Rick Reilly captured it pretty well back in 2001.

In addition to the dissension Bonds stirred up, a dark, shadowy cloud has followed him around for the past three or four years. Game of Shadows, Love Me, Hate Me, and dozens of other books and articles have implicated Bonds with steroid use. Debate it all you want, but the rumors and legal proceedings have become such a distraction that what happens on the field has become of secondary importance.

Lastly, there is this uneasy sense -- at least in my mind -- that Bonds has inhibited the Giants franchise from moving forward by his insistence upon staying in the game. There is no doubt that Bonds can hit, and it could be argued that he still is the Giants' best hitter. But with the number of games he plays these days, and the lack of turf he covers in left field when he does, Bonds has become a liability.

And when the franchise has to allocate $16 million for 125 games and a headache, that's going to prevent the team from getting better.

Make no mistake about it, Barry Bonds is a heck of a baseball player, and I think he'll be a first ballot Hall of Famer. But he has overstayed his welcome in San Francisco, and as Magowan finally realized, "there comes a time when you have to go in a different direction."

Goodbye, Barry. Goodbye and good riddance.