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Whether you have "caught the bug that has been going around" in skipping work
for Opening Day or you just don't pay attention to baseball until the Final Four and Masters are completed, consider yourself warned that the 2002 big-league baseball season is chock full of new trends, hot names and passé topics.
To increase your likelihood of becoming the office lunchroom hero, the barstool all-star and -- as always -- the apple of some significant
other's eye, check out the list below for Page 2's guide to what's hot (and
what's not) for the upcoming baseball season:
What's Hot, What's Not: The 2002 baseball season
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Category |
Hot |
Not |
Team |
 Minnesota Twins |
 Texas Rangers |
GM |
J.P. Ricciardi (Blue Jays) |
Allard Baird (Royals) |
Asian import |
 Kazuhisa Ishii (Dodgers) |
 Tsuyoshi Shinjo (Giants) |
Minor-league franchise |
Brooklyn Cyclones |
Durham Bulls |
Young flamethrower |
 Josh Beckett (Marlins) |
 Roy Oswalt (Astros) |
Hat |
Montreal Expos |
Alternative-color Yankees |
Dominican Republic's favorite son |
Cristian Guzman (Twins) |
Vlad Guerrero (Expos) |
Endorsement contract |
Video-game headliner |
Stadium naming rights |
Ballpark food |
Asian-themed food |
Garlic fries |
Place to catch homers |
Waveland Ave., Chicago |
McCovey Cove, San Francisco |
Hobby for ex-players |
Own minor-league teams |
Attend autograph shows |
Medical situation |
Tommy John surgery |
Torn labrum |
Player significant other |
"Stadium wives" |
The road-trip "friend" |
Brothers |
The Minors (Damon, Ryan) |
The Giambis |
Players' road-trip must |
Strip clubs in Montreal |
Strip clubs in Milwaukee |
Starting pitching |
Back of the rotation |
Aces |
Clutch closer |
 Matt Anderson (Tigers) |
 Mariano Rivera (Yankees) |
Movie subject |
35-year-old rookies |
Cape Cod League kiddies |
He's due for hardware ... |
 Mike Mussina |
 Randy Johnson |
We're already sick of ... |
The Jason Giambi hype |
The Ichiro hype |
Rivalry |
Bowa-Torre |
Rocker-Fans |
Music played before at-bat |
 Ludacris |
 J-Lo |
Players' electronic must-have |
Color-screen celly |
Personal DVD player |
Pitch |
Nasty slider |
100-plus mph fastball |
Historical homage |
Goodbye, Twins-Expos |
"Shot Heard 'Round ..." |
Way to cheat |
Shady birth certificates |
Stealing signs from CF |
Fashion trend |
Back pocket inside-out |
Wrist sweat bands |
Lame excuse from a Rivera |
"It was Scott Brosius' fault." |
"Uh, that wasn't my glove?" |
Red Sox trend |
Cleanin' house |
Winnin' titles |
"He Hate Me" |
Sammy Sosa |
Barry Bonds |
Jersey |
 Angels' "retro" look |
 A-Rod as Ranger |
Fans' biggest fear |
Player walkout in September |
Management lockout in October |
Relocated player |
 Robby Alomar |
 Carl Everett |
Development trend |
Latin "academies" |
Scouting U.S. high schoolers |
Latin America pipeline |
Panama |
Dominican Republic |
Distraction |
Labor woes |
Contraction |
Cubs' minor-league savior |
 Mark Prior |
 Corey Patterson |
Managerial mind |
Jim Tracy (Dodgers) |
Tony La Russa (Cardinals) |
World Series favorites |
 The Yankees |
 It's always the Yankees |
Dan Shanoff is a regular contributor to Page 2.
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|  THE HOT LIST |  |
| ALSO SEE:
Dan Shanoff Archive
Shanoff: The Sweet 16 Hot 'n' Not List
Shanoff: The NCAA Hot 'n' Not List
Shanoff: The Hot 'n' Not List for Washington sports
Shanoff: The Hot 'n' Not List for NBA at midseason
The Hot 'n' not list for 2002 Winter Olympics
Shanoff: The Hot 'n' not list for Super Bowl
Shanoff: The Hot 'n' Not List for 2002
What's hot, what's not for college hoops
What's hot, what's not for NBA 2001-02
What's hot, what's not for NHL 2001-02
What's hot, what's not for college football '01
What's hot, what's not for NFL 2001
What's hot, what's not for summer 2001
What's hot, what's not for NBA playoffs
What's hot, what's not for Stanley Cup playoffs
What's hot, what's not for NCAA Tourney
What's hot, what's not at spring training
What's hot, what's not at Super Bowl XXXV
What's hot, what's not in 2001
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