American League having an eerie beginning

At the moment, the American League is riddled with enough uncertainty to drive fans and general managers alike loony. The Kansas City Royals are 9-1, which is the 2003 equivalent of cats and dogs living together. Torii Hunter is hitting .125, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays have the second best batting average and the fifth most runs in the league, and Pedro Martinez has yet to get a win.

Let's also not forget, a man named Mike MacDougal holds the AL lead with six saves, while perennial save machine Troy Percival has only one in his team's 11 games.

Though the landscape is goofy, there is one old reliable rearing its ugly head once again. Yes, it is the New York Yankees who have once again proven that rules and trends in the league don't apply to them as they have rattled off win after win to the tune of a 9-1 record. New Yorkers are already comparing this team to the 1998 squad that won 114 games and demolished the Padres in the World Series.

But who didn't see this coming? Once this team beat the Boston Red Sox to Jose Contreras and got their hands on Hideki Matsui this off season, observers knew that this team could rattle off at least 90 wins in its sleep. And now that the, "how do they keep doing it?" pitching is firing on all cylinders, Mr. Steinbrenner is a happy man.

While Kansas City's Runelvys Hernandez leads the league with three wins, four Yankee starters are right behind with two wins apiece already. I mean, the Tigers just got their first win of the season on Saturday and here is a team with four starting pitchers with multiple W's. Granted, the Yanks have been doing their damage against weak AL East teams like the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay, but people have seen the troubles Boston has had with such teams.

Of those four Yankee starters that have come out of the gates hot, the man with the worst ERA is Mike Mussina, at 2.57. The loquacious David Wells has apparently put his off season matters behind him, as he is second in the AL with a 0.53 ERA. Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens are still alive and kicking, which is just straight up annoying for Yankee haters.

Moving from stellar staffs to dismal ones; the Texas Rangers are falling down the same trap they have found themselves in since Alex Rodriguez came to Arlington two years ago. The Rangers hurlers are currently holding down the ranch with a 6.94 ERA, anchored by "ace" Chan Ho Park's 9.28 mark. The lone bright spot in the Lonestar State has been Red Sox castoff Ugueth Urbina (4 saves, 1.69 ERA). Though he has caused headaches in the past, many in Red Sox nation are cursing the day he ever left.

The most disappointing aspect of the Rangers inability to get people out is how potent their offense can be. Rafael Palmeiro, Juan Gonzalez, and A-Rod are setting the pace in the AL with four home runs apiece, though the team is only hitting .249.

If there is one thing that we have learned so far, it is that a National League/Anaheim Angels small ball approach will win championships. Thus far, new Rangers manager Buck Showalter has not brought any noticeable changes to the beer league softball feel of his Texas club.

Although they have the same 4-7 mark as the Rangers, a team that has turned a lot of heads in the league is the Devil Rays. Lou Piniella has certainly put his stamp on this team early. When he came to town, he got rid of any high priced, aging players (Greg Vaughn et al) and is relying on the young talent that they have produced.

Top ten draft picks Carl Crawford and Rocco Baldelli are doing their best to inject Devil Rays pride into Tampa. Crawford holds what, to this point, is the best moment in D Rays history -- a walkoff dinger against the Sox on Opening Day. Highly touted Rhode Island native Baldelli has had at least a hit in every game and is setting the pace with a .400 average. While not contenders, Tampa Bay will be giving teams fits all year.

One Last Thing:

Congratulations to the Detroit Tigers and to rookie manager Allen Trammell for their first win of 2003, a 4-3 triumph over the Chicago White Sox. There is no word yet whether the Tigers will pull a George Costanza, which would be to quit the season and just go out on top.