|
 |
| |||
   | ||||
TRUMP CARDS
- Aces of diamonds- Pedro Martinez - Bob Gibson - Walter Johnson - Rick Ankiel - Aces discuss aces - Red Sox aces - Former aces
MORE STORIES
- Channel 25 at bat- Sold on pitchmen
ANALYSIS
- AL East- AL Central - AL West - NL East - NL Central - NL West
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Age may finally close the talent gap that has existed between the Bombers and their brethren the last two years. David Cone and Roger Clemens are 37 and staff ace Orlando Hernandez is probably not far behind, regardless of what his Cuban birth certificate says. Clemens had the worst ERA of his career, while Cone went from being perfect in July to mediocre by the end of the season (3-5, 4.28, in the second half), though he still had something left in the playoffs. Two more 30-somethings, RF Paul O'Neill and 3B Scott Brosius, had off seasons, DH Darryl Strawberry took himself out of commission with another drug relapse, and 2B baseman Chuck Knoblauch makes every throw with his fingers crossed. But the Yankees still have the best closer in the game in Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter is an MVP-in-waiting, and if the geezers falter, Boss Steinbrenner will act swiftly to bring in fresh blood. They have the belt until someone takes it away.
They've become the fashionable pick to play in October, which should send a chill through every Sox fan. The newcomer, Carl Everett, may have been among the last guys to show up every morning in spring training, but once the uniform is on, he brings an intensity that meshes perfectly with the way Nomar Garciaparra, Jason Varitek, Trot Nixon, and Mike Stanley play the game. Nixon has had a terrific spring, Troy O'Leary earned his bona fides with two home runs in Game 5 against Cleveland, and John Valentin left himself no room for excuses with his Mr. October impression. The brothers Martinez should be good for 35 wins, but while there is depth in the rest of the rotation, questions abound: Is Tim Wakefield back on track? Can Jeff Fassero be salvaged? Which of the kids (Juan Pena, Brian Rose, Tomo Ohka, Sunny Kim) can be counted upon? And even if Derek Lowe thrives as closer, someone has to step up as setup man. Don't rule out a late-spring deal by Dan Duquette for pitching help.
Assistant GM Dave Stewart says New Hampshire's Chris Carpenter is ready to blossom as a No. 1 starter, and Roy Halladay and Kelvim Escobar aren't far behind. If David Wells quits grousing about the offseason moves made by GM Gord Ash and delivers 17 wins again, the rotation could be formidable. But there are questions. Carpenter had elbow surgery in September, while Joey Hamilton, who figures to be the No. 5 starter after being a bust last season, is coming off rotator cuff surgery and pitched little in spring. Still, the Jays have some bullpen depth (Paul Quantrill, Lance Painter, John Frascatore) while Billy Koch got on-the-job training as closer last summer and hit 101 m.p.h. on the Sox' radar gun. Dodger malcontent Raul Mondesi has the tools to prove that the Shawn Green deal wasn't as one-sided as Ash's critics claim. There's some formidable middle-of-the-order power here among Mondesi, Carlos Delgado, and Tony Batista, who moves from third to short to make room for the returning Alex Gonzalez. The Canadian dollar may be down, but the Jays may be on the way back up.
Mike Hargrove, dumped in disgrace in Cleveland after the Indians' October collapse against the Red Sox, is charged with injecting new life in a clubhouse as uncomfortable as any this side of Anaheim. The Orioles were united in only one thing last season: their contempt for Ray Miller, called by more than one player the worst manager for whom they'd ever played. While Hargrove will command respect, that won't necessarily translate into wins for a team clearly in transition. This may be Cal Ripken's last hurrah, Mike Mussina could walk after the season as a free agent, Charles Johnson may do the same after a bitter loss in arbitration, and B.J. Surhoff, Brady Anderson, Will Clark, and Mike Bordick are all close to qualifying for their AARP cards. There are some new faces in the bullpen, notably Mike Trombley and nutty Buddy Groom, but they lost lefty Arthur Rhodes to the Mariners and Mike Timlin was effective as closer only after the Orioles were out of it. And though it didn't seem possible, Scott Erickson could have a worse start than last season (1-8, 7.10) - he underwent elbow surgery this spring.
The Devil Rays have loaded up with players who will take turns hitting balls off the catwalk in Tropicana Field, with newcomers Vinny Castilla and Greg Vaughn joining holdovers Jose Canseco and Fred McGriff. The four of them combined to hit 144 home runs, or one fewer than the Devil Rays hit as a team last season. But at 32, Castilla is the baby of the bunch, and Canseco has the back of an octogenarian. But while the big boppers may spin the turnstiles, the team's record will depend on how much new additions Juan Guzman and Steve Trachsel upgrade the starting rotation, which remains dependent on injury-prone Wilson Alvarez. The team was prone to breaking down last season. Ten players spent time on the disabled list.