A SEASON TO REMEMBER DESPITE THE CONTROVERSY OVER BONDS' RECORD-SETTING HOMER, 2007 WAS REPLETE WITH HISTORIC MILESTONES.

Byline: JOHN KLIMA

BASEBALL

COOPERSTOWN, September 30, 2057 - Come here, kid, and I'll show you the greats. Before we go into the museum, you need to make sure you have your lab coat on, because it can get pretty nasty in here. Welcome to the 2007 wing of the Hall of Fame, where an asterisk just won't do.

You'll find the story of the game in here, and let me tell you, '07 was one for the ages. You never know who did what, but that's not the point. Those days are gone. The fans kept coming, and baseball has never been stronger. People actually thought when Barry Bonds broke the all-time home run record, that somehow the integrity of the game would be compromised. But that was just an aberration. People don't even remember that '07 was the last year he was a Giant. They only remember that it was the year he hit his 756th home run.

I know that 756 home runs is a puny number, but it wasn't back then. It took Alex Rodriguez, who got to 500 home runs in '07 -- look, the bat he used is right here -- less than five years to pass that mark. We thought it was impressive when he got to 1,000 home runs, but then Ryan Braun -- he came up in '07 and mashed, here's his batting gloves -- became the second player to blast 1,000 career home runs.

Yeah, kid, times changed back in '07. After a while, everyone started thinking that maybe it wasn't all juice. Maybe we just got to a point where the hitters were better athletes, where they were predeveloped before they signed, so much so that baseball was right to do away with the minor leagues and scouts a few years back. Yeah, why pay for what the amateur world will do for you, right?

There was this guy, Craig Biggio, who got his 3,000th hit in '07 and then called it a career. Good thing you've got your Hazardous Material Suit on because all the pine tar this guy dumped on his helmet doesn't exactly decompose. This guy was a relic even when he played, doing things like running Hard 90s. The Dowd Report about Pete Rose is over there, he used to run Hard 90s. No, Rose is still not here, either. Sort of like '07 Brewers.

Back in the day, you had to hit 500 home runs to make it into the Hall of Fame. That started to change in '07. Jim Thome, he got there that year. Look, here's the lineup card from that day. He hit a game-winning home run off a pitcher named Dustin Moseley, you can see his name on the lineup card. Thome hit what they used to call a "walk-off home run." What's that? Well, that was a lazy man's way of calling it a "game-winning home run." When MLB torpedoed ESPN in 2030, that phrase went away, as did that guy with the nicknames.

Now this guy over here, he never went away. That was Roger Clemens. This guy got the league minimum, $6 million per month, but the only problem was it wasn't the league minimum in '07 the way it is now. The Yankees signed him that year, and he darn near fell apart.

Thankfully, Roger Clemens Surgery -- the genetic limb therapy procedure developed in 2012 that allowed Clemens to come back again -- allowed him to pitch until 2025 and win 512 games. The genetic clone of Cy Young, who was then pitching for the Dodgers (because who else would sign a 108-year-old right-hander) had a fit.

Tom Glavine, now here's a guy who gave hitters fits. Here's the ball from his 300th victory back in '07. This guy threw nothing but change-ups and sliders and got away with it. That's like the kid in the back of the class firing spit wads. He was one of the last 300-game winners. There aren't too many left. When you build your game around offense, your parks around offense, give the hitters the entire plate -- well, then, pitch ability can only get you so far in the history books.

Greg Maddux, he went in the history books in '07, though it didn't get as much attention as these records. Here's the ball from his 10th victory that season, which was his 21st consecutive season with at least 10 wins. That broke Young's mark. Cyber Young is still trying to get his record back, and thankfully, Baltimore is always hiring washed-up pitchers.

Now, before global warming washed up San Diego, they used to have a team called the Padres and a closer, Trevor Hoffman. Here's the hat he wore when he got his 500th save that year. That's a record that has held up pretty well. It's hard to find a pitcher who can maintain stuff for that long. Hoffman did it with a change-up, not a fastball, and that was as unique then as it is now.

Sammy Sosa, now there was a unique guy. He played until he was 60 -- at least that's how old he said he was. He played until he was so old that Cyber Satchel Paige thought he was lying about his age. Amazing what a solid performance on Capitol Hill can do for you. He hit his 600th home run in '07, and somehow had 200 more left in him. We better keep moving away. Make sure your mask is sealed. Just keep moving right past the Scott Boras display. Don't be too disturbed, the bills are supposed to be unmarked.

And now, kid, this is what I wanted you to see. It's the baseball with an asterisk. It's Bonds' 756th home run ball. Some guy bought it at auction, held an Internet vote, and donated it to the Hall, which accepted the branded ball with a smile and has made millions charging admission to view it. Isn't charity grand?

Anyhow, Bonds came back the next year and got 3,000 hits, but he never did win that World Series ring. They never did nail him on everything they said he did and it sure took him a long time to get into the Hall of Fame. The writers finally gave in. I mean, there were only three newspapers by the time Bonds got in, so all he had to do was make three writers happy, which are the first three he made happy in his whole life. But Barry, man, he was the best. That dude could do anything. Except get cheered at Dodger Stadium.

What's that kid? Yeah, go ahead breath it all in. That's history you smell. Savor it. These people back in '07, they have no idea how lucky they were.

[e-mail]

[phone]

SEEDS ON THE DUGOUT FLOOR

Now that the regular season has ended, it's awards season. Grab your tux and make sure Lindsay Lohan isn't behind the wheel.

AL MVP: Alex Rodriguez.

You can't argue with the raw numbers Rodriguez put up. Rodriguez has clearly made a decision as a hitter to spend the rest of his career swinging for the fences. He joined a select group of Yankees hitters who have hit more than 50 in a season, a list that includes Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle. Rodriguez's .312 average through Friday is still solid, but he's far from the .350-type batting title threat he used to be. This, perhaps, is by design. A-Rod is A-Rod, Inc. designed to pursue home run records. Free agent season or not, take him out of the Yankee lineup and they aren't a playoff team.

Runners up: Magglio Ordonez, OF, Detroit and Vladimir Guerrero, OF, Angels.

NL MVP: Matt Holliday, OF, Colorado.

Holliday sealed the deal with an epic September, batting .363 with 12 of his 36home runs, sparking the Rockies to a franchise-record 11-game winning streak that had them on the verge of the playoffs. Rockies manager Clint Hurdle has been adamant all season long that Coors Field is no longer the cheap home run palace that it used to be, and you have to give that thought its due. Holliday is the best pure hitter of any NL power hitter, but had this been 1997 instead of 2007, Holliday might have had 50 home runs and this would be a different conversation. Instead, Holliday is the reason teams should be patient with young hitters. Bought out of a college football career, Holliday is also a potential Gold Glove winner with a plus arm, a flair for clutch hitting and undisputed power.

Runners up: Ryan Howard, 1B, Philadelphia, Prince Fielder, 1B, Milwaukee.

AL CY YOUNG: John Lackey, Angels.

This is a very close call, especially between Lackey and Cleveland's C.C. Sabathia, with Boston's Josh Beckett and Cleveland's Fausto Carmona in the picture. Lackey should have won 20games, but that doesn't mean he isn't the Cy Young winner. He had no-decisions in two good starts to begin September. He gave up three runs in seven innings and lost to the Yankees at home in late August. He will end up leading the American League with a 3.01 ERA. Lackey has evolved into a pure power right-handed pitcher with fastball command to match, low-90s velocity and a devastating curveball. His changeup works as well. Lackey beat Seattle with what was called a case of strep throat in August, a victory that keyed a three-game sweep and distanced the Angels from the Mariners. He also prevented a sweep by the Mariners by winning the Angels' final home game of the season to clinch the AL West title.

Runners up: Beckett, Sabathia, Carmona. NL CY YOUNG: Jake Peavy, San Diego.

To be a clear-cut winner over Arizona's Brandon Webb really says something. Peavy's combination of power and command blows away any pitcher in baseball. He led the NL with 234 strikeouts and only 64 walks in 217innings pitched. He's 19-6 and has been downright dominant in August and September, going 9-1 as the Padres fought for the NL West or the NL wild card. He led the league with 19 victories and a 2.36 ERA.

Runners up: Webb, Brad Penny, Dodgers, Carlos Zambrano, Chicago Cubs.

AL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Dustin Pedroia, 2B, Boston.

Find me another player who plays premium defense at a skill spot, hits leadoff and scores runs, didn't fade in August and September, and plays in a place like Boston.

Runners up: Brian Bannister, RHP, Royals, Delmon Young, OF, Tampa Bay.

NL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Ryan Braun, Milwaukee.

This is close, too, but the Granada Hills High product gets the selection over Colorado's Troy Tulowitzki. Both played premium infield positions for contending teams. The difference is how staggering Braun's numbers are for such little big league time. Braun needed a grand total of 27 at-bats after he was called up May 25 to figure things out. He never had a bad month. You can't say his totals are softer because he only played in 111games. You have to say that they are stronger. You can't say that pitchers didn't know him -- he went through the NL Central three times and nobody figured him out.

Runners up: Tulowitzki, Hunter Pence, Houston.

-- John Klima

SEVENTH-INNING STRETCH

Colon will be in demand

Bartolo Colon's numbers don't look great, but he's going to have interest as a free agent even after going 6-8 with a 6.41 ERA in only 18 starts for the Angels. Colon was horrible for much of the season as he figured out how to pitch with less power. He had 74 strikeouts in 98 innings, and that's a ratio fairly indicative of what you're going to get. His last outing, in which he gave up three runs and eight hits in eight innings, was attended by scouts from several clubs seeking to get a last look at Colon before free agency. The general consensus is that most clubs believe he can still pitch in the big leagues, at best as a No.3 starter if he maintains consistency, but more than likely a No. 4 starter. He's likely a No.4 on a good team and a No. 3 on a bad team. "He's still going to have people wanting him," one AL scout said. "He doesn't look like he'll ever be the guy he used to be, but if he maintains things, he can be a No. 3 starter for someone. You'll find takers for that no matter how bad he's looked at times."

Wilson finishes strong

Pittsburgh SS Jack Wilson got his 1,000th career hit Sep.17 at San Diego, part of a strong September in which he is poised to record his best season since he collected 201 hits in 2004. Wilson, who lost playing time in the second half when the Pirates acquired shortstop and Jim Tracy favorite Cesar Izturis, hit .475 in September (29 for 61). The former Thousand Oaks High and Oxnard College product responded to the trade by hitting .219 in July. With new baseball powers in charge in Pittsburgh, there's a good chance that the Pirates would like to move Wilson if they can find a taker for the remainder of his 3-year, $20.2 million contract that includes an $8.4 million club option in 2010.

Mets designed to fail

The collapse of the New York Mets should shine a light directly on how GM Omar Minaya built this team for failure. There were bad trades, bad drafts and no farm system to fall back on. The signs were here long before September, when the Mets were swept in Los Angeles in June. Then, they looked like a team with great players, but not a great team. They played uneven baseball. Their pitching was inconsistent. In hindsight, the Mets showed you everything you needed to know in L.A. in June. This is an old, over-priced team that believed in the safe bet of older players with heavy contracts, and they'll pay the price for this regardless of their fate in 2007. They played unbalanced baseball with no pitching depth. If heads are going to roll, Minaya's should be first, because smiling for the press isn't the same as judging talent.

-- John Klima

CAPTION(S):

8 photos, 3 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- 5) Clockwise from top: Barry Bonds, Greg Maddux, Craig Biggio, Trevor Hoffman and Tom Glavine.

Photos by Getty Images

(6) no caption (Tony Gwynn Jr.)

(7) no caption (Bartolo Colon)

(8) no caption (Jack Wilson)

Box:

(1) DAILY NEWS RANKINGS

- John Klima

(2) SEEDS ON THE DUGOUT FLOOR (see text)

(3) SEVENTH-INNING STRETCH (see text)