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American League Central By Gordon Edes, Globe Staff, 03/29/02
Manager: Ron Gardenhire (first season) 2001 finish: 85-77, second  Schedule | Team directory
Manager: Jerry Manuel (fifth season) 2001 finish: 83-79, third Schedule | Team directory
Manager: Charlie Manuel (third season) 2001 finish: 91-71, first Schedule | Team directory
Manager: Phil Garner (third season) 2001 finish: 66-96, fourth Schedule | Team directory
Manager: Tony Muser (sixth season) 2001 finish: 65-97, fifth Schedule | Team directory
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The Twins have gone from the brink of extinction, barely dodging contraction, to become a viable threat to win a weakened division. Gardenhire takes over a team that surprisingly stayed within striking distance last season, and after a great spring by Mays, the Twins believe that with Mays, Radke, and Milton, they have the pitching to make another run. Ortiz also had a great spring, while John Havlicek's son-in-law, Buchanan, was able to win RF job against promising rookie Michael Cuddyer. Guzman and Rivas form league's most exciting young DP combination.
With the return of the Big Hurt, who missed last season with a torn triceps, White Sox proclaimed themselves the team to beat in the AL Central, but the shaky performance of their staff this spring has planted some seeds of doubt. Second-year GM Kenny Williams added veteran Ritchie from Pittsburgh to bolster the rotation, but Buehrle, a 16-game winner last season, has struggled to find his changeup this spring and took a 7-plus ERA into the final days of camp. Kids Garland, Jon Rauch, and Wright have to step up, while Parque is coming back from shoulder surgery and will begin the season in Triple A.
So many familiar faces have moved on. Robbie Alomar, Kenny Lofton, and Juan Gonzalez are the latest notable subtractions, as new GM Mark Shapiro was charged with lopping $15 million to $20 million off the budget. Tribe suffered a blow when OF Alex Escobar, the key prospect acquired from the Mets in the eight-player Alomar deal, tore up his knee this spring and is lost for the season. Tribe are resting their hopes on pitching, with Colon and Sabathia and emerging kids like Drese, but they won't have the usual bashers to bail them out.
Garner and GM Randy Smith may both be on a short leash under new club president Dave Dombrowski, who won a World Series in Florida with the expansion Marlins, then did a masterful job of rebuilding after ex-owner Wayne Huizenga blew up the roster. Dombrowski is locking up some of the team's top young talent to multiyear deals, like Weaver and newly acquired Young. Rookie C Mike Rivera won a job, but Tigers were searching for a leadoff man, even trying Higginson in that spot, and Palmer is still having shoulder problems after two straight years of surgery.
This is another club whose management team could be in trouble, though GM Allard Baird can't be faulted for ownership decision to dump stars Johnny Damon and Jermaine Dye for financial reasons. Holdover slugger Sweeney may be the next to go, as the once-proud Royals rank as Exhibit A of the fate awaiting small-market teams in today's climate. Former Yankee Knoblauch took a huge paycut to lead off for a team with league's worst on-base percentage (.318), and Beltran hit .358 after the All-Star break, but rotation has little beyond ex-Sox Suppan.