Several players, including veteran Rafael Palmeiro, were suspended under the new policy.
Besides steroids it was also notable that every team in the NL East finished the season with at least 81 wins (at least half of the 162 games played).
The season ended when the Chicago White Sox defeated the Houston Astros in a four-game sweep in the World Series, winning their first championship since 1917.
±hosted the MLB All Star Game This was the fifth season that national TV coverage was split between ESPN and Fox Sports.
a Major League Baseball seasons since 1901 without a no-hitter pitched are 1909, 1913, 1921, 1927–1928, 1932–1933, 1936, 1939, 1942–1943, 1949, 1959, 1982, 1985, 1989, 2000 and 2005.