On the Comeback Trail

Here we are, only one month away from yet another season of Major League Baseball. What kind of season will 2008 be? Will it be one for the ages? Will it be one to be forgotten? Will it be drowned out by - or will it drown out - all of the steroids non-sense? Each week for the next several weeks, will be a part of a "What to Watch for in 2008" series. This week, we will discuss potential Comeback Players of the Year.



Each year since 1965, a player from each league has been designated as the Comeback Player of the Year. Some of early names include Al Downing, Luis Tiant, Tommy John, Willie McCovey, Lou Brock and Joe Morgan. More recently, players such as Ray Knight, Andres Galarraga, Gary Sheffield, Tim Wakefield and David Justice have won the award.

Last year, it was Washington's Dmitri Young and Tampa Bay's Carlos Pena. 2006, it was Jim Thome and Nomar Garciaparra. These players had magnificent seasons, after having an absolutely dreadful one. Whether it's coming back from an injury or from just a poor season, the real players are those who are able to comeback and continue their success, despite hitting a speed bump. Here are some candidates for comeback seasons in 2008.



Cliff Lee, P - From 2004-06, the left-hander was one of the Indians' most consistent starter. In that span, Lee won 46 games and finished fourth in the Cy Young voting in 2005. But last season, Lee had trouble staying healthy, and staying in the major leagues. After returning from an abdominal injury, Lee's performance was so shaky, he was demoted to Triple A-Buffalo. With Cleveland, Lee went 5-8 with an ugly 6.29 ERA. Lee, and the Indians are crossing their fingers that 2008 was a fluke and the real Lee will be back in 2008. If he is, he could be the first pitcher to be named Comeback Player of the Year since Chris Carpenter in 2004.



Randy Johnson, P - Randy Johnson's career has been well documented, and he's a sure Hall of Fame candidate, once he retires. But that doesn't seem to be in Johnson's immediate future. Despite having two back surgeries in the last two years, the Big Unit is determined to make another comeback in 2008, and show that he can still be one of the most fearsome and dominant pitchers in the game. He has the talent, and he has the offense and defense behind him in Arizona to back him up. The question will be, can he stay on the mound and deliver 25-30 starts this year? He is 16 wins away from 300, and could be poised for a huge comeback season.



Nick Johnson, 1B - Since 2004, at least one of the players named Comeback Player of the Year was a first baseman (Paul Konerko, Jason Giambi, Thome, Garciaparra, Young and Pena). The trend could continue in 2008, as Nick Johnson tries to come back from a broken leg that cost him the entire 2007 season. Before getting injured, Johnson was a leader on a young Nationals team, which has since improved vastly. Johnson is healthy again, and is ready to contribute. The only thing standing in his way is last year's winner - Young. They both play the same position, and manager Manny Acta and the rest of the team's front office has not determined who will be the first baseman in '08. There is a pretty good chance that one of them will get dealt before the end of spring training. But regardless of where Johnson is playing, he is certainly itching to get back on the diamond and start producing as he was in 2006.

Scott Rolen, 3B - A new team, a new manager, a new country. This is the case for Rolen coming into 2008, as he was traded from St. Louis to Toronto for fellow third baseman Troy Glaus. Rolen could not, for the life of him, get along with Cardinals' manager Tony LaRussa, nor could he stay healthy (he hasn't played at least 150 games since 2003 - his first full season in St. Louis). But he heads into the '08 season with a new attitude and reportedly healthy. Rolen's bat still as potent as ever, and he is one of the best defensive third basemen in the game today. This season could be the season for the former Rookie of the Year and five-time All Star to shine once again.

Juan Gonzalez, OF - This is more of a "Hollywood" pick. Gonzalez hasn't played a big league game since he played one game for the Indians in 2005. But Gonzalez is back, after signing a minor league contract with the Cardinals. It's no guarantee that Juan-Gone will even make the club out of spring training. But he does have 434 career home runs, and is a two-time AL MVP. So if the 38-year old can shake off the rust, perhaps he can have a rather decent season in 2008. Hey, it's Major League Baseball - anything can happen, right?

Other potential candidates:
Juan Rivera, OF, LAA
Pedro Martinez, P, NYM
Jason Schmidt, P, LAD
Adam Everett, SS, MIN
Chris Capuano, P, MIL
Bret Boone, IF, WAS

Statistical and historical information courtesy of baseballreference.com and Bullpen Wikipedia