I'm Pete du Pont with the National Center for Policy Analysis. With all the grim realities we've had to deal with since September 11, it's been nice to have an escape. As Frank Deford noted in an essay on NPR, while certain songs were taken off the radio, and movies held back, nobody had to apologize for sports, and nowhere was it better than this year's baseball season.
We witnessed three thrilling divisional playoffs. Saw Barry Bonds break the home run record, and Ricky Henderson break Ty Cobb's runs record and get his 3,000th hit. There was great pitching galore: Matt Morris, Roger Clemens and the twin terrors of the desert, Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson. There was a nifty comeback season by the Rangers' Reuben Sierra. Except for the A.L.West there were nailbiter division races, right down to the last day. Albert Pujols rewrote the rookie record book, and at the other end of the career chain, we saw the curtain drop on two of the game's best, Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken, jr. Definitely, a great season for the great game.
Those are my ideas, and at the ncpa we know ideas can change the world. I'm pete du pont. Next time, the wartime president.