As the 2005 Major League Baseball regular season grinds to a halt, I cannot help but look with a tinge of regret at the season that was in the National League West. A year filled with derision from the baseball world at the state of mediocrity that fills the division, a year filled with injuries to some of the best players in the division, and a year filled with ?what if's??. The return of Barry Bonds has buoyed the Giants back into contention in the race, but perhaps too late to overtake the Padres. The Dodgers languish in 4th place, already eliminated from postseason contention. Would this race have shaped up any differently had these two teams been able to remain even somewhat healthy? Without question. Barry Bonds missed 142 games. Moises Alou, brought in to protect Bonds, spent two different stints on the Disabled List, in addition to missing several games with groin problems. Armando Benitez, signed to bolster the end of the bullpen, missed nearly four months. Jason Schmidt, the Giants' ace, has spent time on the DL and has fought through an entire season of naggin injuries. Even key role players like Marquis Grissom and Edgardo Alfonzo missed significant time. Down in SoCal, the Dodgers battled similar injury bombardment. Stud closer Eric Gagne has missed virtually the entire season. All-Star shortstop Cesar Izturis has missed the entire second half. Odalis Perez, arguably the Dodgers' best pitcher, spent two long stretches on the DL. Top free agent acquisition JD Drew has been out since July with a broken wrist. Volatile but productive Milton Bradly has missed 2 months with finger and knee ailments. With prohibitive apologies to Arizona and San Diego, who have also experienced some injury troubles (though nowhere near the magnitude of the Giants and Dodgers), I feel confident in saying that the West would have played out quite a bit differently, all things being equal. Those are teams capable of competing with any team out there. That could (or would) have been one of the best pennant races in all of baseball, restoring some much needed luster to a rivalry that has grown dormant, particularly in relation to the money-spending frenzy that is Sox-Yanks. The Giants have managed a 7-2 record in Bonds' starts, essentially giving fans a sneak preview of the possibilities in 2006. Along with the emergence of young pitchers like Matt Cain, Brad Hennessey, Jack Taschner, etc., the presence of Randy Winn has certainly provided a high degree of optimism for 2006. While the Dodgers have not been as fortunate late in the season, they should return for the most part intact beginning next year. 2006 may yet provide the intrigue many thought 2005 was going to in the NL West. Arizona and Colorado both appear much improved, and San Diego continues to knock on the door. If the Giants and Dodgers are able to maintain some semblance of health next year, this division could become one of the best top-to-bottom in all of baseball. And, perhaps more importantly, the Giants-Dodgers rivalry could have a renewed spark, propelling it back into the upper echelon of sports rivalries, where it so clearly belongs.