Michael Cox

Guten tag, damen und herren, and welcome to the last Baseballhead of 1999 (we'll have a wonderful classic episode of Baseballhead for you next week), where we wish you and yours a very happy (insert denominational holiday here).

As our last transgression against the 20th Century, my crack staff (hey -- no jokes) and I have compiled the best and worst of the past season, decade, and millennium. And the envelope, please:

Player of the Year
Because unlike certain BBWAA (pronounced "baba wawa") members, I consider pitchers to be baseball players. Therefore, the only possible choice for Player of the Year is Pedro Martinez. He dominated the competition like no other player this season, with only Randy Johnson coming close. Others coming close but receiving no Cubans are Manny Ramirez, Chipper Jones and Mark McGwire.

Player of the Decade
This one is kinda tough, because there were a few deserving nominees. Let's see: Cal Ripken, Jr. saved baseball. Then, Mark McGwire saved it all over again. My personal feeling is that 1) Baseball did not need "saving," and 2) Attendance and TV ratings are still way below where they'd have been if there was no strike. So you have to ask yourself: what about baseball did they save, anyway?

Then there's Greg Maddux. He was unquestionably the best pitcher of the decade, and second on my list. However, no single player has had an effect on baseball fans this decade like Ken Griffey Jr. From his early days as "The Kid" to today, no single active player has been so popular. He brought kids back to the game (although a great deal of that attraction was the value of his rookie cards). Save for a homer that was taken back because rain stopped a 1996 game that was not yet official, he would have matched Mac's three consecutive 50-homer seasons last year.

Even the furor over whether or not he would appear in the optional All-Star Home Run Derby pointed out how important to fans he had become. Much of the slamming in the press, both then and now, is unwarranted (see below), but remember this -- he put Seattle on the sports map to an extent which no one else, team or individual, has ever managed, and that's a job in itself.

Player of the Century
Strangely enough, this one is the biggest no-brainer of the three "Player of" awards. Babe Ruth, natch. He was the game's greatest hitter, won a World Series as the Red Sox' ace pitcher, and he was a grade-A character to boot.

In fact, it could be argued that The Bambino really did save baseball, ascending as he did after the Black Sox scandal. Fortunately, he lived in a time long before antisocial, hygiene-challenged men were forced to eat up three-hour shifts speculating about players' motivations on sports-talk radio. If he had been alive now, he'd have certainly been treated to a Griffey-like backlash.

That is not to say that there weren't others who rate mention as the elite of all time, including Ted Williams, Walter Johnson (the only player to inspire a Jonathan Richman song), Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb, Willie Mays, Honus Wagner, and on principle, Jackie Robinson. It's a testament to Ruth that as a player and as an attraction, Ruth stands head and shoulders among even that crowd.

Most Overrated Player of 1999
Geez Louise. Ivan Rodriguez. Duh.

I'm beginning to wonder whether the sportswriters believe that the Rangers are so crappy that to win their division must always be the result of a single, superhuman effort which overcomes all their other shortcomings. Well, I guess this year they figured Raffy Palmiero's fielding didn't hurt, either...

Most Overrated Player of the Decade
This one's a little tougher. You could even make a slight argument that Griffey was highly overrated, after sportswriters led us to expect that he would eventually cure cancer and make the blind see.

However, I'm going to swerve and award this prize to that poor misunderstood soul, Albert Belle.And not for throwing things at sportswriters. Not for throwing things at fans. Not for smashing clubhouse thermostats or televisions, running down trick-or-treaters or for demanding "some love." No, Albert gets this award because although his overall stats have been amazing, he has had a habit of acquiring them by waiting until his team has either clinched the division (Indians, 1995) or been declared down for the count (White Sox, 1998; Orioles, 1999), then going on a monster tear.

Belle had little competition for this title, with Joe Carter coming closest. A case could be made for Juan Gonzalez as well, but Belle's shortcomings were so cleverly hidden that he fooled even the statheads.

Most Overrated Player of the Century
Ten years ago, this would have been a much closer race. However, with the sudden, recent groundswell of support for "all he's done for baseball," Pete Rose takes this one by a nose, nipping the late Joe DiMaggio at the finish line.

Okay, Rose broke Ty Cobb's hits record. However, Rose did it through longevity, not a greater measure of skill. Sure, I believe Rose should be in the Hall of Fame, because I think the Hall should be about on-field accomplishments only. But the evidence indicates that Rose should never be allowed to work in professional baseball again, because actually working in the sport must necessarily be based on one's trustworthiness as well as one's skill.

Rose benefited from a great Big Red Machine team, including one of the great managers of the century, which is probably more fondly remembered than any club since the 1927 Yankees. He was a damn good hitter, and he was as gutsy a player as there was in his era. However, he was no Willie Mays, no Henry Aaron. Heck, he wasn't even a Joe DiMaggio.

And I know I'll hear it from the DiMaggio fans out there, but I don't understand how the man could look at himself in the mirror after having himself introduced as the "Greatest Living Player" while Ted Williams was standing on the same field.

Others deserving some consideration include Nolan Ryan, Brooks Robinson, and Carlton Fisk. Ooo, I'm gonna get letters...

Manager of the Year
Hmm. I think I'll give it to Joe Torre, for once again making Darryl Strawberry a contributing member of society. For now.

Manager of the Decade
Considering that Bobby Cox was the only manager to stay on top all decade long, it seems automatic. Perhaps if it hadn't been so difficult for Davey Johnson to find work, he might have taken the title.

Manager of the Century
Now, I'm really at a loss when it comes to comparing guys like Cox or Sparky Anderson with the likes of Casey Stengel or John McGraw. Should I go with winning percentage, or do I deduct points for teams who could manage themselves?

I'm going to punt, and give this award to Connie Mack, because although McGraw's teams performed better, McGraw also generally had better players to work with than Mack.

And finally, one last award...

Myth of the Century
"I remember when baseball was pure and there was no greed." Hands down.

Have a happy New Millennium, and no matter whether you believe that it starts next year or not, hey, it's one helluva excuse for a party, eh?

You might have seen Michael Cox on television -- he's "The Giver" on those inane ads for yet another on-line retailer. Offer ideas for a website than would need a spokesperson called "The Sneezer" to mc@strikethree.com.

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