Frontrunners in playoff race

As the dog days of August come to an end, the excitement of the baseball season has grown exponentially. Five of the six division races are still up for grabs, the wild card race is anybody's guess, and, of course, there is the ever present home run race. \nWhile no race can match the excitement brought in 1998's record breaking season, this year's race is special for one reason: All of the frontrunners also find themselves in a pennant race.\nThat means Barry Bonds of San Francisco, Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs and Luis Gonzalez of Arizona will be racing each other for the home run title while trying to help their respective teams win games.\nIn 1998, Mark McGwire had the luxury of being on a team that was removed from any playoff hopes. \nIn 1999, McGwire and Sosa were far from the playoffs. Last season, Sosa won his first home run crown, but again for a team with no everyday urgency.\nThis year, things are different. Bonds and the Giants are in second place in the NL West, right behind Gonzalez's Diamondbacks. In fact, the two teams are in the middle of a three game series right now. Sosa has had his Cubs in the middle of a playoff race all summer. \nBeing in a playoff race makes things harder for a home run leader. Instead of focusing on individual goals, all three sluggers must put the team first. This means hitting singles, going to opposite fields when necessary, and making any sacrifice the coach deems worthy.\nEven the mere intensity of the game adds pressure, making it harder to hit the long ball. This added drama, though, means more excitement for the fans.\nThe one who wins the home run race will have done so under much more difficult circumstances than in 1998. This is why I give the edge to Sosa. While he undoubtedly will cool from his current scorching pace (17 in August so far) his style of hitting along with his situation will place him in the winner's circle at season's end.\nSosa now has Fred McGriff batting behind him. This means, of course, that pitchers will no longer be able to pitch around him when in a jam. McGriff is a proven slugger as well as a strong placement hitter. In close games, there is almost no advantage to facing McGriff over Sammy.\nBonds has Jeff Kent hitting behind him. While Kent is an excellent player, he is not quite as intimidating as the Crime Dog.\nSosa does not swing for the fences, as Bonds does. Bonds is a stereotypical home run hitter in that he swings for power every at-bat. Sosa does not, but his average swing is enough to take it out of the yard.\nSammy Sosa can take a low and outside pitch and send it into the stands in right field. Bonds and Gonzalez do not do this enough, making it easier for pitchers to avoid giving up a home run.\nThe winner of the home run race will also challenge McGwire's single season record of 70. Unlike 1998, there is obviously a different attitude among the media and even the fans about the excitement. \nLike most people, I am rooting for the current record to stand. In 1998, we witnessed what we thought was an extraordinary performance. We thought we were seeing history. If that record is smashed just three years later, how special was it? \nEvery time a record is broken, its meaning becomes diluted. If Sosa or Bonds hits more than 70 home runs, then what was arguably considered the most celebrated record in professional sports will seem trivial as the ease of breaking it grows. \nAs fans, we want what we saw in 1998 to remain magical. For that to happen, it must stand for more than just three years, or else what we thought was a memorable summer will pummel to just another baseball season.