John Henry F. Canada's largest
Boston Red Sox cable-TV provider
Answers:
George Steinbrenner, B;
Hiroshi Yamauchi, D; Rogers
Communications, F; David Glass, A; John Fisher, E; John Henry,
C.
Season Predictions: Five Things to Watch for
• It's the Year of Barry.
Looming large in the rearview mirrors of both
Babe Ruth and Hank
Aaron,
San Francisco Giants slugger
Barry Bonds will be the story
of the 2006
Major League Baseball season. With 708 homers to his
credit, he needs just seven more to pass Ruth for second place on
the career home run list, and 48 to eclipse Aaron as the all-time
champ. (We'd calculate how much ink and TV airtime will be devoted
to Bonds's pursuit, but we never got past basic algebra in high
school.)
You'd think that would be enough for one player - but you'd be
wrong. If he stays healthy and plays a full season, Bonds could
finish 2006 in the all-time top 10 for games played, runs scored,
and runs batted in. He already owns the career mark for walks, and
he could get close enough to 3,000 career hits to entice him to
delay retirement and return for the 2007 season.
Also look for:
• The inaugural World Baseball Classic. The World Series
isn't all that worldly, so baseball's titans came up with the WBC
to showcase the best teams from around the globe.
• The steroid police. Twelve players tested positive for
steroid use last season, and the policy has been strengthened since
then. Will anybody get busted this year? Will offensive production
fall? We're guessing yes on both counts.
• The St. Louis Cardinals leave Busch Stadium for … Busch
Stadium. After nearly 40 years, the old version ran into a
wrecking ball and made way for a new, $387 million gem across the
street. Same name, new address.