News
March 31
One look at the composition of the American League East proves that spring training results just don't mean a thing. The aging Baltimore Orioles may have fared well down in Florida, but their lack of offensive power should become evident once the rest of the division gets in gear. The New York Yankees may be showing signs of weakness as they wallow in the cellar of the Grapefruit League, but do not be deceived; the defending World Champions have the best pitching rotation in baseball and a reputation for rising to the occasion. While a healthy Boston Red Sox lineup is capable of rivaling that of the Yankees, the team's spring injury list is longer than Carl Everett's rap sheet. The Toronto Blue Jays have a few good sluggers and some talented injured pitchers, which should land them in the middle of the division. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays, meanwhile, will find themselves battling the O's to avoid the AL East cellar spot. New York's strength team leaves Red Sox fans praying that the Sports Illustrated jinx - whoever Sport Illustrated picks to win the World Series will flop - really exists. Take it to the bankThe Yankees postseason bonus checks. The offseason signing of free agent Mike Mussina adds depth to an already strong New York rotation The loss of Denny Neagle should prove inconsequential, as Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, and Mussina are 3-4-5 among active pitchers in career winning percentage. Orlando Hernandez, slotted fourth in the rotation as long as he remains healthy, is stronger than most team's second starters. While the Yankees' fifth starter has yet to be determined, these four can be counted on for consistent, quality performances. Beyond closer Mariano Rivera and reliever Mike Stanton, the bullpen appears slightly thin, but the strength of the rotation will more than make up for this. The Yanks should also be much improved defensively after the decision to move error-prone Chuck Knoblauch from second base to left field. With all of last year's big hitters returning, the only thing that could slow the Yanks down now is injury. Shortstop Derek Jeter is expected to start the season on the disabled list, and age is an issue with 38 year-olds Clemens and Paul O'Neill. Baltimore owner Peter Angelos must own stock in Geritol. Why else would he be so adamant about keeping elderly players active? The average age of the projected 25-man roster is 29.6, and seven out of the nine players expected to comprise the opening day lineup are over 29. The Orioles lost their best offensive player when Albert Belle retired because of a degenerative hip problem, and ace Mussina jumped ship during the off-season. Cal Ripken celebrated his 40th birthday last August, and while his leadership remains valuable to the team, injuries have started to catch up with the Iron Man. Baltimore tried the strategy of riding veterans last year, and when it didn't work, the team traded away some of its older members in favor of younger ones. But the Orioles have resorted to their old ways, as major off-season acquisitions Mike Bordick, David Segui, and Pat Hentgen are 35, 34, and 32, respectively. Hentgen is well past his prime, and beyond Sidney Ponson, the rotation is unproven. The one bright (and young) spot on this team is closer Ryan Kohlmeier, who performed well in the role at the end of last season. Tampa Bay prospects not yet ripe. After the Devil Rays' strategy of trying to win by signing veteran power-hitters failed last year, they turned to developing prospects. While rising stars such as Josh Hamilton, Brent Abernathy, and Aubrey Huff look promising, they are not ready to contribute what Tampa Bay needs to be a contender. Abernathy performed well in spring training and will probably earn the starting job at second base, but 19-year old Hamilton needs more seasoning in the minor leagues. Beyond the younger players, the Devil Rays' lineup looks mediocre. Offseason acquisition Ben Grieve should hit better in Tropicana Field than he did in Oakland, but Fred McGriff is nearing the end of his career. If he remains healthy, Greg Vaughn will add some punch to the lineup. The key to this team will be the performance of pitchers Wilson Alvarez and Juan Guzman, both of whom are battling back from shoulder surgery and will not be ready for opening day. If they come back strong, it will add much-needed depth to the Tampa Bay rotation, which could translate into the first-ever winning season for the four-year old franchise. CluelessThe strike zone. Whether umpires will respond to Major League Baseball's demand that the rule book strike zone be enforced remains to be seen. Umpires have been told to take away the extra inches often give to pitchers on the inside and outside of the plate but to give hurlers more room on top by calling pitches up to the letters of the uniform as strikes. For the most part, this zone was enforced during spring training, although some players are still a little confused.The health of the Red Sox. Boston team doctor Bill Morgan was the most popular man in the Red Sox clubhouse during spring training this year. First it was Nomar Garciaparra's wrist, then Manny Ramirez's hamstring, then David Cone's shoulder and John Valentin's knee. Even baseball's preeminent pitcher Pedro Martinez took his turn on the table when he was hit on the wrist by a batted ball in a game against the Reds earlier this month. Luckily for the Red Sox, and Jimy Williams' stress level, Pedro's injury was only a bruise. Sox fans across New England hoped for the end of the Curse of the Bambino when Boston signed free agent outfielder Ramirez during the winter. Ramirez is an RBI machine, and a lineup that sandwiches him between two-time defending AL batting champion Garciaparra and Carl Everett would pack a lot of punch. Garciaparra's batting average has climbed with each year he's spent in the majors, but the shortstop has been plagued by a wrist injury since getting hit by a pitch in the fall of 1999. Neither he nor Valentin is expected to be ready for opening day, leaving the Red Sox infield half empty. Pedro can only pitch once every five days, and Cone's injury leaves a few average veterans battling for the back-up spots. Rookie pitchers Tomo Ohka and Paxton Crawford have shown a lot of talent but lack experience. Young guns to be tested Alfonso Soriano. The Yankees' rookie second baseman has impressed his teammates in spring training and currently leads the team in batting average. Soriano is being touted as a rookie of the year candidate, and New York manager Joe Torre's decision to give him the starting job at second fills the defensive hole Knoblauch created there. While Soriano's performance won't make or break the Yanks, he represents the future of this team, especially with O'Neill and Tino Martinez probably in their last year in pinstripes.Tomo Ohka. If Ohka comes through for the Sox, he could give them the boost they need to challenge the Yankees. Ohka had a great season for AAA-Pawtucket last year, including a perfect game in June, while compiling a 3-6 record and 3-12 ERA in 13 games in the majors. Old legs to be re-testedBuck Martinez. Toronto's new manager hasn't worn a baseball uniform since his career ended in 1986, and this is his first time managing at any level. He's already facing problems, as the Jays' pitching rotation now lacks an ace. Toronto sent David Wells, who led the A.L. in wins (20) last year, to Chicago for Mike Sirotka as part of a multi-player deal. While Sirotka is a veritable number one pitcher, he is injured and not likely to pitch until June, meaning the capable Toronto offense can expect little support from the pitching corps. And in a division packed with formidable hitters, it is pitching that may make the difference. Buoyed by Carlos Delgado, Tony Batista, Shannon Stewart, and Raul Mondesi, Toronto led the AL in home runs last year, but most of these homers were solo shots. Nevertheless, the team is in much better shape than Baltimore and Tampa Bay, and Martinez may be able to get quality performances from Esteban Loaiza and closer Billy Koch.
