Sports
Wednesday • Marchii
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Continued from Page 7.
Second baseman Eric Young was acquired
in 1997 from Colorado, and Jose Vizcaino was
signed this winter to play shortstop.
The NL Central is definitely the division
with the most question-marked teams that
could make the trip to the postseason, but
the West will be the most competitive divi
sion in baseball. All four teams, excluding
the first-year Diamondbacks, has made it
to the playoffs in the past three years. But
they are a combined 1 -15 in the postseason
in that span.
Important Additions: SS Jose Vizcaino.
Big Losses: RHP Tom Candiotti; OF
Otis Nixon.
Projected Record: 88-74; 1st in NLWest.
SAN FRANCISCO
GIANTS
90-72; 1st In NL West
San Francisco completed its amazing
season with a quick exit from the playoffs.
But the Giants showed a lot of heart last
season, holding off the rival Dodgers and
winning the division.
The Giants will have to repeat that feat
without some of the key components from
last year’s team.
Stan Javier takes over for Glenallen Hill
in left field, Jose Vizcaino is gone to L.A. and
Rob Nen will fill Rod Beck’s closer’s shoes.
But any team with the amount of talent
the Giants had last year that won a division
with Barry Bonds having the mediocre sea
son he had (by his standards) has a chance
to win again. If Bonds has one of his typical
years in 1998, the Giants will be around in
September in the playoff hunt.
The Giants’ bottom three members of
the pitching rotation will have to keep them
in the race until more help can be acquired
as it was last season. But if Orel Hershiser
can drop his career-high ERA from last sea
son, the Giants will contend all year.
Important Additions: 3B Charlie Hayes;
RHP Orel Hershiser; RHP Robb Nen.
1998 GIANTS
AVG.
HR
RBI SB
C-Brian Johnson
.279
11
27 0
1 B-J.T. Snow
.281
28
104 6
2B-Jeff Kent
.250
29
121 11
3B-Charlie Hayes*
.258
11
53 3
SS-Rich Aurilia*
.275
5
19 1
LF-Barry Bonds
.291
40
101 37
CF-Darryl Hamilton
.270
5
43 15
RF-Stan Javier
.286
8
50 25
SUB-Bill Mueller
.292
7
44 4
‘Hayes with Yankees; Aurilia in 46 games
with Giants
W-L
ERA IP
LHP Shawn Estes
19-5
3.18
201
LHP Kirk Rueter
13-6
3.45
190.2
RHP Orel Hershiser*
14-6
4.47
195.1
RHP Mark Gardner
12-9
4.29
180.1
RHP Osvaldo Fernandez 3-4
4.95
56.1
W-L
SV
ERA
RHP Robb Nen*
9-3
35
3.85
RHP Julian Tavarez
6-4
0
3.87
‘Hershiser with Indians; Nen with Marlins
Big Losses: LHP Wilson Alvarez; RHP Rod
Beck; OF Glenallen Hill; SS Jose Vizcaino.
Projected Record: 84-78; 2nd in NLWest.
SAN DIEGO
PADRES
76-86; 4th In NL West
The Padres were the biggest flop of the Na
tional League last year. From a division cham
pionship to last place is not very impressive.
But San Diego has rearmed its pitching
staff and plans to battle down to the wire
for the division crown it lost so pathetical
ly last season.
Kevin Brown’s place on the team make it
an immediate contender for the NLWest ti
tle. The addition also lets Joey Hamilton
and Alan Ashby relinquish the role of staff
ace neither of them wanted last season.
The players were there, they were the
same ones that won the division in 1996,
but the pitching suffered. So aside from the
addition of Brown, the Padres made anoth
er big move on the mound, except this
signee will never pitch in a game again. San
Diego lured former All-Star Dave Stewart
out of an office position and into the
dugout as the new pitching coach. Stewart
should bring some intensity to a starting
staff that allowed almost five runs a game.
The Padres probably will be out of the
race in late August. If that looks like it may
happen, don’t be surprised if San Diego un
loads Brown to a contender; he’ll be a free
agent after the season and will have too
hefty a price tag for the Padres.
Important Additions: RHP Kevin
Brown; OF James Mouton.
BigLosses:OFTreyBeamon; IBDerrekLee.
Projected Record: 82-80; 3rd in NLWest.
Rockies just need to come up with nine or
ten guys for the last two spots in the rotation.
Without Atlanta’s pitching staff, the
Rockies will still have to power their way
into the postseason. And without the Big
Cat anchoring the lineup, Colorado will not
have enough pop in its bats to be around
for the playoffs.
1998 ROCKIES
HR
C-Kirt Manwaring .226 1 27 1
1 B-Todd Helton* .280 5 11 0
2B-Mike Lansing* .281 20 70 11
3B-Vinny Castilla .304 40 113 2
SS-Neifi Perez .291 5 31 4
LF-Dante Bichette .308 26 118 6
CF-Ellis Burks .290 32 82 7
RF-Larry Walker .366 49 130 33
SUB-JeffReed .297 1 7 47 2
'Helton In 35 games with Rockies; lansing
with Expos
W-L ERA IP
RHP Darryl Kile 19-7 2.57 255.2
RHP Pedro Astacio* 5-1 4.25 48.2
RHP John Thomson 7-9 4.71 166 1
RHP Roger Bailey 9-10 4.29 191
RHPJamey Wnght 8-12 6.25 149.2
W-L SV ERA
RHP Jerry Dipoto 5-3 16 4.70
RHP Curt Leskanic 4-0 2 5.55
*Astocio in 7 games with Rockies
Williams and I .any Walker)s
tionomiral numbers.And(W
new premier power hitterinS
McGwire, who gets to playir
elevated parks now.
Arizona, as Colorado didr
ed not to wait on the youngs
system to develop and signesa
for its inaugural season. Buie;
didn’t bring in these kindso!
spend this kind of money.]}
backs invested 10 yearsandi
Matt Williams and Jay Belh
other th
bonus oi J|
tion the $7 million spent toei
Buck Schowalter’s services fo:
But the bottom line is pitd:
zona has no depth. It will|)e ;
runs, but won’t be able toss
with its pitching, even witi
friendly new park.
Important Additions: IF
derson; SS Jay Bell; OF De
Matt Williams.
Big l x >sses: 1.11 PTom Maitin
Projected Record: 72-90::
1998 DIAMONDBK
1998 PADRES
AVG.
HR
RBI SB
C-Carlos Hernandez*
.313
3
14 0
1 B-Wally Joyner
.327
,13
83 3
2B-Quilvio Veras
.265
3
45 33
3B-Ken Caminiti
.290
26
90 11
SS-Chris Gomez
.253
5
54 5
LF-Greg Vaughn
.216
18
57 7
CF-Steve Finley
.261
28
92 15
RF-Tony Gwynn
.372
17
119 12
SUB-Ruben Rivera*
.250
1
6 1
‘Hernandez in 50 games with Padres; Rivera
in 17 games with Padres
W-L
ERA
IP
RHP Kevin Brown*
16-8
2.69
237.1
RHP Alan Ashby
9-11
4.13
200.2
RHP Joey Hamilton
12-7
4.25
192.2
LHP Sterling Hitchcock 10-11
5.20
161
RHP Pete Smith
7-6
4.81
118
W-L
SV
ERA
RHP Trevor Hoffman
6-4
37
2.66
RHP Marc Kroon*
0-1
0
7.15
‘Brown with Marlins; Kroon in 12 games
with Padres
COLORADO
ROCKIES
83-79; 3rd in NL West
The Rockies have consistently tried to hit
their way into the playoffs since their inau
gural season. But this year it seems Colorado
may be taking a litde different approach.
They let two-time defending National
League RBI champion Andres Galarraga
take his services to Atlanta in the off-season
and replaced his contract with former As
tros ace Darryl Kile.
Why in the world a pitcher would
choose to go to Colorado and bloat his ERA
remains a mystery. Maybe the glare off the
snow disillusioned him, or maybe it was the
ridiculous run support the Rockies can
generate that made him salivate.
Whatever the case, Kile will help solidify
a rotation that generally has a revolving door
policy with its last three starters; now the
Important Additions: OF Curtis Good
win; RHP Darryl Kile; 2B Mike Lansing.
Big Losses: IB Andres Galarraga; OF
Quinton McCracken; SS Walt Weiss.
Projected Record: 81-81; 4th in NLWest.
THE
INAUGURAL
SEASON
DM&ggD ARIZONA
DIAMONDBACKS
This may be the year for Roger Maris’ 61
home-run record to fall, due in part by the
league’s most recent expansion which in
cludes the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The new Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix
has similar dimensions to the friendly
fences of Baltimore’s Camden Yards, and
with an elevation second only to Colorado’s
mile-high mash-palace, the power hitters
of the NLWest (namely Mike Piazza. Matt
A High Desert
W-L
W-L Si
ith A Tampa (Yankees
Student Body
President / Yell Leader
Forum
Meet Your Candidate.
March 25, 1998 4r 12:30 4r MSC Flagroom
presented by
Student Government Association
Election Commission
&
MSC
Political Forum
http://pf.tamu.edu
The views expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of
MSC Political Forum, the MSC, or Texas A&M University.
Persons with disabilities please call 845-1515 to inform us of your special needs. We request notification three (3) working
days prior to the event to enable us to assist you to the best of our abilities.
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wants you to be aware
of our open door
policy.
Our office is here to
help you. Please feel
free to come by 10th
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call 845-4728
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|) TVaiUk
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i
$
15.0
822-621
In & Out in SOf
2707 s. a,
In Hi Tech Poind*
:«
)
GLOBAL FEMINISM ON FILM
"The F-word:
A Video About Feminism"
"Beyond Beijing"
A Film of the 1995 UN Fourth
World Conference on Women
Tonight 6:30-8pm MSC 201
Presented by Dangerous Liaisons <& MSC Film Society
"Living the Legacy of Women's Rights"
Coming this Thursday...
A Women's Week Town Hall Meeting @ noon, Rudder 601
/bts r es
KICKOFF CELEBRATION!
at Barnes & Noble
Saturday, March 28
1-3 p.m.
Pick up a sckedute 0$ events,
FREE coffee
and refreshments'!
sign up to win books and festival t-skittM
and enjoif performances by the English 412 Honors Shakespeare class! N
Sunday, /Idarck 29
Kenneth Branaghs Hamlet
with lecture by Dr. Paul Parrish
2 p.m.
Biochemistry Building Room 107
sponsored by MSC Film Society
/Idonday, / // lda t ic\\ JO ^
Did Shakespeare really
write Shakespeare? ^
lecture by Joseph Sobran, Dr
author of Alias Shakespeare C'
Rudder Theater ra
7 p-
Keep an eye out for future announcements of Festival events!
ce