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Sporting News, The, Oct 7, 2005

ATLANTA BRAVES

TEAM MVP: CF Andruw Jones finally fulfilled his promise at the plate, reaching the 50-homer mark, coming through with numerous clutch hits and carrying the club during the six-week absence of 3B Chipper Jones. Andruw Jones' big season coincided with his use of a wider stance. As usual, he aided Braves pitchers with his defensive range and still is one of the game's best in the field. BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: When the Braves acquired RHP Dan Kolb in the offseason, they believed they were getting a reliable closer. But by mid-May, Kolb had lost his confidence and his role as the ninth-inning specialist. By the season's second half, Kolb largely was relegated to mop-up duty. His struggles cost the team games early in the season and forced it to use three different closers. The Braves didn't have a reliable closer until RHP Kyle Farnsworth moved into that role in late August.--Mark Bowman

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FLORIDA MARLINS

TEAM MVP: LHP Dontrelle Willis became an elite lefthander and the Marlins' first 20-game winner. Unlike in previous seasons, Willis was strong in the second half. The reason he held up until the end is largely because of his mental and physical preparation. Willis maintained consistency in his between-starts routine--conditioning and throwing on a regular schedule. His fastball tailed off close to 2 mph as the season wore on, but he remained effective. An improved sinker and late-moving fastball made him difficult to hit. BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: Traditionally a fast starter, 3B Mike Lowell slumped from the beginning of the year, with a major dip in his average and power statistics. Though he played Gold Glove-caliber defense, Lowell said he at times had trouble seeing the ball. He repeatedly missed pitches he used to smack. Expected to hit fifth behind 1B Carlos Delgado, Lowell ended up batting seventh much of the season. He worked to refine his swing but did not improve.--Joe Frisaro

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

TEAM MVP: LF Pat Burrell was as relaxed and confident under new manager Charlie Manuel as a player could be, and it showed in his seasonlong production. His bad stretches were relatively short, and he leads the team in homers and RBIs. On a team loaded with lefthanded batters--Bobby Abreu, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Kenny Lofton--it was important for Burrell to provide balance from the right side, and he came through. BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: The only good thing you can say about 1B Jim Thome's career-worst season is that it opened the door for Howard, a rookie. Thome figured to be a big threat in the middle of the lineup, but he didn't produce. Back and elbow injuries contributed to the problem, limiting him to just 59 games. Even when he played, Thome never was healthy, and it showed in his .207 batting average and lack of home runs and RBIs. Thome's clubhouse presence and leadership were missed.--Ken Mandel

NEW YORK METS

TEAM MVP: Though 3B David Wright had a brilliant second half and established himself as the team's best player, LF Cliff Floyd was the team's best asset through the whole season. He played strong defense in left field, showing a good throwing arm. And Floyd provided power and run production as the team's biggest lefthanded threat. The best indication of Floyd's prowess this season: Nationals manager Frank Robinson twice walked Floyd intentionally with a lefthander pitching and C Mike Piazza on deck. BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: CF Carlos Beltran is an easy target because of his contract and status, though he did play with a pulled quadriceps muscle for five weeks and was injured in a collision with RF Mike Cameron. Expecting Beltran to match his 2004 home run total (38) playing in Shea Stadium was unrealistic, but his RBI total has been disappointing. Beltran's defense also failed to provide the upgrade the team expected.--Marty Noble

WASHINGTON NATIONALS

TEAM MVP: As the closer last year, RHP Chad Cordero too often nibbled around the plate. This season, he was aggressive and became one of the best closers in the game. Cordero led the majors in saves almost all season, with an ERA under 2.00. There was no secret to his success. Most of the time he threw fastballs, which were generally in the high 80s and low 90s, but they had exceptional movement. Cordero also has a slider and a changeup but seldom throws those pitches. BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: SS Cristian Guzman's struggles were baffling. Most of the year, he hit below .200; he had a career average of .266 entering the season. The team tried to fix Guzman's problems at the plate several times. First, the club thought he had a vision problem, so his contact lenses were corrected. The Nationals had Barry Larkin, a special assistant to the general manager, work with Guzman on his hitting skills, but that didn't work, either.--Bill Ladson

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Sporting News, The, Oct 7, 2005

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