The battle for the American League pennant ended on a drive by Yankee third baseman Aaron Boone that cleared the left field fence at Yankee Stadium in the bottom of the 11th inning. The game-winning homer off of Boston's Tim Wakefield ended a titanic seven-game series between the Yankees and Red Sox; the Sox had a 5-2 lead in the 8th inning of this game, but in true Red Sox fashion, let it slip away for another heartbreaking defeat.
        It was one more chapter in the decades-old rivalry between the Yankees and Red Sox. Before the season started, Red Sox President Larry Luchino dubbed the Yankees as the "evil empire". Sure enough, the Yankees led the league with 101 wins, while the Red Sox grabbed the wild-card spot with 95.
        Tempers flared in Game Three of the ALCS, when Boston ace Pedro Martinez was charged by Yankee coach Don Zimmer, and threw the 72-year old coach head first onto the ground. In the same game, two Yankees got into a fight with a Boston groundskeeper, leading to assault charges after the postseason.
        It was all for naught. After defeating their archrivals, the Yankees were whupped in the World Series by the upstart Florida Marlins.

        Of course, the 2003 season wasn't all about the Yankees and Red Sox. The Oakland Athletics won 96 games and another division title, and also had a book written about them. The Kansas City Royals rebounded from a 100-loss season to post their first winning record in ten years. The Detroit Tigers, on the other hand, went from bad to worse, losing an amazing 119 games.
        There was no perfect MVP candidate this year, and no player whose story captured the imagination of the voters. Thus, Rangers' star shortstop Alex Rodriguez was able to sneak in and win his first MVP Award. Rodriguez was again stuck in last place with the Rangers, and oddly enough did not play as well as he had the previous three seasons. But he was still one of the best players in the league, in a year in which most of the best players in the game were in the National League.
        Rodriguez had been the best player in the league for several years, but this was his first MVP Award. It would be tempting to argue that A-Rod should have been this year's winner, if only to make up for the awards he should have won in the past. That's what they do at the Oscars, right? They didn't give Paul Newman his Oscar for The Hustler, so they gave it to him 25 years later for The Color of Money instead.
        This is, of course, terrible logic to use. Fortunately, Rodriguez really did deserve the MVP this year, even if it wasn't one of his very best years. Only Carlos Delgado and Manny Ramirez were more dangerous with the bat in their hands; but while they were lumbering sluggers, A-Rod won another Gold Glove at shortstop.
        Delgado finished a close second in the MVP vote, after a dream season in which he led the league in RBI and hit four home runs in one game. Delgado was the best hitter in the league, and he and teammate Vernon Wells were a formidable combo in the middle of the Blue Jays' lineup. With Jay Roy Halladay winning the Cy Young, Delgado came tantalizing close to giving the Jays both the Cy Young and MVP Award in a year in which they missed the playoffs, a feat done only by the 1962 Dodgers (Maury Wills and Don Drysdale).
        Another Blue Jay, Shannon Stewart, was traded to the struggling Twins in midseason; the Twins began to play great, and won their division, winning 90 games. Even though his numbers weren't as impressive as the other sluggers, enough people were impressed that Stewart received three first-place votes. There were, of course, many reasons why the Twins played so much better (including an improved starting rotation); Stewart's OPS with the Twins (.854) was a little better than his career average (.817), but not by much.
        Around the infield, Bret Boone had a great year with the bat with Seattle. His MVP chances were sunk when the Mariners collapsed in the second half of the season for the second year in a row. The Yankees were led by catcher Jorge Posada, who was third in the vote; his power, walks and durability behind the plate made him a formidable candidate.
        After four straight seasons with a batting average over .300, Yankees' slugger Jason Giambi struggled with a .250 average. But he was still a dangerous hitter, thanks to his walks and home runs. Giambi was a league leader when he didn't put the ball in play; his 129 walks, 140 strikeouts and 21 hit-by-pitches all led the league.
        The Red Sox had a fearsome offense that scored runs at a record-setting pace the first half of the season. They tailed off a bit in the second half, but still scored 961 runs, by far the most in the league. Star sluggers Ramirez and Nomar Garciaparra both had big years. Two minor free agent signings also paid off big; third baseman Bill Mueller won the batting title, while DH David Ortiz, after a slow start, slugged 21 home runs in the second half, including six game-winning shots.
        Ortiz received four first-place votes in the MVP balloting, while star teammates Ramirez and Garciaparra received only one each. Ramirez was also accused of having a bad attitude and showing poor leadership. But Ortiz wasn't always in the lineup, and his offense came in spurts; Ramirez provided the big hits all year. And while Ortiz had some big home runs, Ramirez was the better hitter in almost every clutch situation (including a .338 average and .603 slugging percentage with runners in scoring position). Like him or not, Ramirez was the Sox' MVP.