| Eighty-six years after the infamous
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| | White Sox will fancy their chances of
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| "Black Sox" scandal, the Chicago White
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| | retaining the title. They have only
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| Sox are again the champions of baseball,
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| | gotten stronger in the off-season, adding
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| while the game is again on the verge of
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| | Javier Vazquez and Jim Thome to an
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| disgrace. The BALCO hearings in 2005
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| | already-dominant squad. A potent pitching
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| brought to light the rampant steroid
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| | staff should shut down other teams with
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| abuse in the major leagues, a problem
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| | little trouble, while Thome, Paul Konerko
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| that many people suspected for years.
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| | and Jermaine Dye offer plenty of pop at
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| Fans once cheered as seemingly
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| | the plate. The White Sox may not be the
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| insurmountable records were toppled by
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| | most popular team in their own city, but
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| seemingly superhuman players. Now they
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| | they're still the best team in the league
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| are jeering the exploits of these
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| | and should prove it again this season.
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| juiced-up antiheroes.
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| | Two other teams expecting to challenge
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| At the center of the controversy is Barry
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| | for the World Series will renew their
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| Bonds, the 41 year-old San Francisco
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| | legendary rivalry again this year. The
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| Giant who needs only six home runs to
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| | Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees have
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| eclipse Babe Ruth's lifetime total, and
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| | already sparred in spring training, with
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| 48 to surpass Hank Aaron as baseball's
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| | the number of hit batsmen on the rise
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| home run king. A book called "Game of
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| | even before the start of the regular
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| Shadows" thoroughly details allegations
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| | season. The Yankees are a long way from
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| of Bonds' steroid use. While he may or
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| | their glory days on the 1990s. Ever since
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| may not break the home run record, his
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| | Arizona Diamondback Luis Gonzalez hit a
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| legacy looks to be clouded in
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| | game-winning single in the 2001 World
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| controversy. Some feel that Bonds should
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| | Series, New York has not been the force
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| be erased from the record books. Others
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| | that they once were. The Red Sox, on the
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| feel that an asterisk should be placed
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| | other hand, broke their championship jinx
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| next to his name. Still others claim that
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| | by winning the World Series in 2004,
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| his records should stand no matter what,
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| | beating the Yankees in an historic series
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| and are rooting for him to overtake
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| | en route. While the Toronto Blue Jays
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| Aaron's legendary mark.
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| | look capable of pushing their wealthier
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| One long-standing record that many fans
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| | rivals, the safe money is on the Yankees
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| do hope will fall is the Chicago Cubs'
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| | and Red Sox taking the playoff spots.
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| World Series drought. It has been 98
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| | Anticipated Final Standings:
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| years since the most popular team in the
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| | Champions:
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| Windy City won baseball's biggest prize.
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| | Chicago White Sox
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| Heartbreak has been the byword in recent
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| | Runners-Up:
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| seasons, with the legion of Cubbies fans
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| | Chicago Cubs
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| watching in horror as their team implodes
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| | National League
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| again and again in the playoffs. This
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| | East
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| year's team has a great deal of promise,
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| | Atlanta Braves
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| with a strong pitching staff anchoring
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| | New York Mets
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| the squad. The National League Central
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| | Philadelphia Phillies
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| Division should be decided between the
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| | Washington Nationals
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| Cubs and the Houston Astros, who lost to
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| | Florida Marlins
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| the Chicago White Sox in last season's
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| | Central
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| World Series.
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| | Chicago Cubs
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| As baseball's defending champions, the
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| | St.
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