MLB Baseball Sports Fan Blog

I took a look back at the year 2004 and discovered many players who were only average players really stepped up their offense that year. Then there are other players who were already good and had a spectacular year in 2004. The players that I came up with that stood out the most in 2004 are a little fishy to me. Is their production up that year by natural talent or was it a product of the steroid era? We may never know for sure, but here is a list of the suspects of 2004.

Paul Konerko
Hank Blalock
Hideki Matsui
Jose Valintin
Aubrey Huff
Melvin Mora
Adrian Beltre
Jim Edmonds
Moises Alou
Steve Finley
Miguel Tejada
Vinny Castilla
Scott Rolen

To give a few examples:
Melvin Mora: Mora was in his fifth full season and only averaged about 15 home runs a season and 50 RBI’s. In 2004 Mora hit 27 home runs and 104 RBI’s. In 2005 Mora had similar numbers, but from 2006 on he only averaged about 17 home runs and 65 RBI’s. 2004 is still Mora’s best season.

Adrian Beltre: Beltre’s numbers really stand out in 2004 compared to the rest of the years he has played. Beltre averaged 20 home runs and 70 RBI’s from 1999-2003. All of a sudden in 2004 Beltre hit 48 home runs and 121 RBI’s. This huge year helped Beltre land a huge contract the next year with the Mariners where he went back to his usual numbers of around 23 home runs and 70 RBI’s from 2005 to 2010.

Miguel Tejada: Tejada already had the reputation of an all-star player in 2004 averaging 30 home runs and 100 RBI’s from 1998-2003. Once again Tejada had his best year in 2004 when he hit 34 home runs and had 150 RBI’s. From 2005 on, Tejada went into a steady decline and that trend is still continuing today.

Vinny Castilla: Castilla was nearing the end of his career in 2004. Castilla was an everyday player from 1993-2005. Castilla established himself as a power hitter early in his career averaging around 40 home runs and 115 RBI’s from 1995-1999. Naturally from 2000 on Castilla’s numbers started to decline to 20 home runs and 80 RBI’s. 2004 was a different story when he found his younger self and hit 35 home runs and 131 RBI’s. Coincidence? Maybe, but 2005 was his last full season and he only hit 12 home runs and 66 RBI’s.

Steve Finley: Finley is another example of a player nearing the end of his career in 2004. From 2001-2003 Finley’s production dropped off to about 22 home runs and 77 RBI’s a season. In 2004 Finley jumped his numbers back up to 36 home runs, which are the most home runs he has ever hit in a season along with 94 RBI’s. In 2005 Finley’s numbers were cut way back down to 12 home runs and 54 RBI’s and two years later after only combining for seven home runs and 42 RBI’s in 2006 and 2007, Finley retired. (mlb.com)

By Eric Heyer of Sports Fan Blog Network