Collegian
April 3, 1986
Baseball
by Robert Roth
Collegian Sports Editor
Major League Baseball comes
to a stinging start April 7, and my
mind percolates with prognostica
tion. Granted, I have some
ungainly opinions but also a few
stats to back them up so if you
fmd yourself wondering who will
win the American League East or
any other division, you needn't
wonder any longer. The answers
are herein (with teams listed pro
gressively from pennant winner
down).
The AL East, unarguably
baseball's toughest division, is the
wellspring of polemics among the
pundits. Can the Yankees with an
inexperienced manager outgun an
always powerful Detroit and ever
pesky
_Toronto. And what of
those fiesty Orioles and the tren
chant Red Sox? My word what a
division, not even to mention
Milwaukee and Cleveland (I may
heed this rhetorical request).
Quite simply, the Yankees will
take the division. What team has a
more potent offensive threat:
Mattingly, Winfield, and Hender
son. The pitching staff is entren
ched with the acquisition of Britt
Burns and the always brilliant
Ron Guidry. Crafty Joe Niekro
can provide IS wins even though
still fuming over the Yankees
rough handling of his 300 game-.
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Free transportation will be provided
review: the year of
winning brother Phil. Dave
Righetti can be counted on for the
bullpen firepower. The arrival of
DH Mike Easier from Boston will
further help Lou Piniella's strug
gle as fieldleader under Steinbren
ner. Look for the Yanks to prevail
in the American League East;
still, rest assured that there will be
a few fireworks.
The Blue Jays have proven their
mettle after last year's heated pen
nant struggle. But where they've
gotten into trouble lies in their in
ability to become any better in the
off-season without any major ac
quisitions to improve 3rd base and
a platoon catcher. And Bobby
Cox migrated south to fill the
Atlanta general manager position
leaving a void which will be oc
cupied by another first-year skip
per: Jimy Williams. Look for a
solid season but no golden egg this
year for the Jays.
Detroit obtained some speed in
Dave Collins, but they remain a
basically lethargic, albeit pOwer
ful team. They're sure to be solid
under Sparky Anderson and are
compiling an impressive spring
training record, but don't look for
a repeat of 1984.
The Red Sox hitting acclaim is
warranted (they led the league in
team batting average), but the
defensive story is one flawed by a
league leading total of errors and
ineffective relief pitching. Even
6:00 p. m. Friday, April 25
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DEADLINE FRIDAY APRIL 18
Tom Terrific, who is rumored to
be heading northeast, won't save
the Sox unless the - defense
improves.
The Brewers purged a lot of old
faces from their line-up and mov
ed Robin Yount (during last
season)-to centerfield because of
his prohibitive injuries at short.
They have many youngsters who
are promising but their lack of ex
perience will probably keep the
Brewers down in the AL East this
season.
Pat Corrales has little new to
work with in Cleveland, but Brett
Butler was a fresh breeze from the
South last year, leading the team
in a sundry of offensive
categories. One man does not a
contender make (although Julio
Franco also had a a great season),
and the Cleveland management
chose not to send any rein
forcements Corrales way.
I realize the following must
seem as though I have fallen off
of my soothsayers perch and rent
my crystal ball, but I have the stir
rings of faith and the bouancy of
some solid stats, both of which
point to the Seattle Mariners
pirating the pennant in the AL
West (the fact that they lend
themselves to lively prose is just a
bonus). Consider the following
stats from last year: leftfielder
Phil Bradley (.300, 26, 88), first
baseman Alvin Davis (.287, 18,
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the new manager
78) and third baseman Jim Presley
(.275, 28, 84). This undeniably
shows that players in three very
important positions can generate
some power as well as sport im
pressive averages. The Mariners
acquired Steve Yeager to help
guide an ostensibly leaky pitching
staff whose success will naturally
determine whether the 'B6 squad
will float to the top of the AL
West.
Make no mistake, the Royals
are going to be zealous in their
championship defense, but I war
rant the notch decline in light of
their inability to score runs for
that premier pitching staff. One
other reason I'm leaning toward
Seattle is because of their domina
tion of K.C., last year with a
record of 3-10. I know this
evidence is flawed: Kansas City
still won the pennant and there are
six other teams in the division just
to name two such flaws, but allow
me some portentious license.
The Twins could also be a
challenger coming off of last
year's strong showing with some
promising young talent. But a
shortage of quality starters could
deter them; unless a parsimonious
Bert Blyleven earns his multi
millions, the Twins shortcomings
may be identical to last year's--
some foot speed would •defmitley
help too.
The Angels with a lean but inac-
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tive(?) Reggie Jackson, might
pose a serious threat, but they re
main a question mark with a trio
of aged stars: Jackson, Doug
DeCinces, and Bob Boone, and a
horde of hard luck pitchers. The
one relief come from the re-signed
Donnie Moore who figured in 43
percent of all Angel wins last year
-a repeat will be in order or else
divine intervention will be
necessary.
The A's might rank first in the
lexicon, but their starting pitching
is a veritable zoo unless the newly
acquired Joaquin Andujar can
bolster the ranks (with some
wins). Alfredo Griffin is stallwart
at short but there are likely to be
too many other snaggs for his
defensive prowess to really mat
ter. Anyway, don't look for any
turnaround unless the orgara7a
don gets some more fan and
municipal support.
The Rangers are again written
off this year. It doesn't always
seem fair but this year I have to
agree in spite of a strong spring
training record. Their lack of run
production last year which is
bound to improve and their green
talent this year mean that in a few
years they might at least crawl out
of the cellar, but for now, it will
have to provide bitter solace from
the Blazing Texas heat.
Look for the National League
next week.