Don't expect too many cheers this season as Barry Bonds pursues Hank Aaron's home run mark of 755, perhaps baseball's most important record.
But expect controversy as the San Francisco Giants outfielder faces accusations of steroid use, taunts for alleged cheating and likely boos in every game he plays on the road.
There's no feel-good story to be found here.
Bonds, 42, enters the season with 734 career home runs and if he stays healthy could pass Aaron sometime mid-summer. That buys commissioner Bud Selig time to decide how he'll handle the final days of the chase and how, or if, to acknowledge the feat when it happens.
Things were kept low-key last season when Bonds ripped No. 715 to pass Ruth for second all-time, after a book detailing his alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs was released. Major League Baseball could justify its silence then by saying no record was broken.
They can't do that this time and that's why how the whole saga unfolds tops this list of 10 things to watch this season.
MITCHELL PROBE _ The whole investigation into steroids by former U.S. senator George Mitchell remains ongoing and a report is due at some point. And the allegations linking Angels outfielder Gary Matthews Jr. to human growth hormone are a reminder that the issue won't be going away anytime soon.
MILESTONES _ Frank Thomas needs 13, Jim Thome 21, Manny Ramirez 30, Alex Rodriguez 36 and Gary Sheffield 45 to reach 500 career home runs; Craig Biggio needs 70 and Bonds 159 to reach 3,000 career hits; Bonds needs 70 for 2,000 career RBIs; Tom Glavine needs 10 and Randy Johnson 20 for 300 career wins; Trevor Hoffman needs 18 for 500 career saves.
ROCKET LAUNCH? _ Sometime in May, Roger Clemens will decide if he'll give either Houston, the Yankees or Boston the privilege of paying him a small fortune to pitch half-a-season. Whatever course the Rocket takes will affect both pennant races and the trade market.
HOUSE OF CARDS _ So the St. Louis Cardinals win the World Series and then change three of their five starting pitchers. Little wonder observers feel the NL Central is wide open. The key holdover is Chris Carpenter, the only arm they can count on. Behind him are Kip Wells, Anthony Reyes, converted reliever Adam Wainwright and Braden Looper.
PRICEY CUBS _ Chicago's lovable losers dished out nearly US$300 million in contracts this winter to Alfonso Soriano, Aramis Ramirez, Ted Lilly, Jason Marquis, Mark DeRosa, Henry Blanco and Cliff Floyd, among others, in hopes of shedding that label. The heavy spending means the Cubbies are expected to win but that's no guarantee for a still underwhelming roster.
TEAM TURMOIL _ Derek Jeter was notably silent last season while fans and media lambasted Yankees teammate Alex Rodriguez while he struggled. Then A-Rod, for no good reason, publicly confirmed a rift between the two, saying they were no longer ``blood brothers.'' You can bet that comes up again this summer when the inevitable turmoil turns up a notch in the Bronx.
SHOWALTER SHAKE _ The last two times Buck Showalter was replaced as manager, his former teams went on to win the World Series ('96 Yankees, '01 Diamondbacks). Can the Texas Rangers, now with Ron Washington as manager, follow suit? Their lineup is among the game's best but the big question is whether they'll pitch enough (as it is every year in Arlington). Starters Kevin Millwood, Vicente Padilla and Brandon McCarthy must lead the way.
THE $100-MILLION CLUB _ Fourteen players have been signed to contracts worth more than $100 million, four of them this past winter. Alfonso Soriano ($136 million, eight years from the Cubs), Vernon Wells ($126 million, seven years from Toronto), Barry Zito ($126 million, seven years from San Francisco) and Carlos Lee ($100 million, five years from Houston) will all face new levels of scrutiny this season and how they cope will be key for their clubs.
MONEY MEN _ The salary figures for an underwhelming free agent crop this past winter were astronomical. Just imagine where the numbers go after this season when players like Andruw Jones, Carlos Zambrano, Mariano Rivera, Torii Hunter, Jorge Posada, Ichiro Suzuki and Jermaine Dye could hit the open market. Big 2007 seasons will only make them richer.
