ursday • March 26, 1998
Sports
ankees stake their claim to A.L. East as
oronto rides its pitching to contention
Ihere!
Jeremy
Furtick
sports editor
EAST
Part 4 in a 7-part series
er, New York will return to its familiar perch at the
top of the AL East.
Important Additions: 2B Chuck Knoblauch;
DH Chili Davis; 3B Scott Brosius.
Big Losses: 3B Wade Boggs; 3B Charlie Hayes;
RHP Dwight Gooden; DH Cecil Fielder.
Projected Record: 98-74; 1st in AL East.
Lies;
Id the
raw
joihc:
NEW YORK
YANKEES
94-68; 2nd in AL East; Lost Divisional
Playoff to Indians
BiuejrvS
TORONTO
BLUE JAYS
76-86; 5th in AL East
Toronto established itself as having one of the
top pitching rotations in baseball last season. Now
they have added the league’s top closer and a host
of role players to help some young talent flourish.
Juan Guzman and Erik Hanson are coming
off injury-plagued 1997 seasons. If they can
ne rich got poorer, but they also got better.
:ees owner George Steinbrenner pulled an-
r big move this winter by signing All-Star
nd baseman Chuck Knoblauch. His addi-
takes some pressure off third baseman Scott
iuslwho is coming off a horrid season, to
luce in place of the departed Charlie Hayes
Wade Boggs.
ew York still has too many outfielders fight-
for the left field spot: Tim Raines, Darryl
vberry and Chad Curtis. With the addition of
witch-hitting Chili Davis at DH, two of those
cees will be on the bench at all times. It adds
jor
1998 YANKEES
AVG.
HR
RB
SB
C-Joe Girardi
.264
1
50
2
'0
1B Tino Martinez
.296
44
141
3
ZELChuck Knoblauch*
.291
9
58
62
3fe-Scott Brosius*
.203
11
41
9
omF:
SS-Derek Jeter
.291
10
70
23
LF-Tim Raines
.321
4
38
8
CF-Bernie Williams
.328
21
100
15
ibuiec
RF-Paul O'Neill
.324
21
117
10
DH-Chili Davis*
.279
10
39
4
nd k
SUB-Chad Curtis
.291
12
50
12
at te
*Knoblauch with Twins; Brosius with A’s;
heAg
Davis with Royals
is 3.
W-L
ERA
IP
LHP Andy Pettite
18-7
2.88
240.1
opp:
RHP David Cone
12-6
2.82
195
out 1
LHP David Wells
16-10
4.21
218
; this'
RHP Hideki Irabu
5-4
7.09
53.1
RFIP Ramiro Mendoza
8-6
4.24
133.2
W-L
SV
ERA
RHP Mariano Rivera
6-4
43
1.88
COIli:
LHP Mike Stanton
6-1
3
2.57
1998 BLUE JAYS
AVG.
HR
RBI SB
C-Darrin Fletcher*
.277
17
55
1
1 B-Carlos Delgado
.262
30
91
0
2B-Tony Fernandez*
.286
11
44
0
3B-Ed Sprague
.228
14
48
0
SS-Alex Gonzalez
.239
12
35
15
LF-Jose Cruz*
.231
14
34
6
CF-Shannon Stewart*
.286
0
22
10
RF-Shawn Green
.287
16
53
14
DH-Mike Stanley*
.287
3
12
0
SUB-Benito Santiago
.243
13
42
1
•Fletcher with Expos; Fernandez with Indi
ans; Cruz in 55 games with Blue Jays; Stew
art in 44 games with Blue Jays; Stanley in 28
games with Yankees
W-L
ERA
IP
RHP Roger Clemens
21-7
2.05
264
RHP Pat Hentgen
15-10
368
264
RHP Juan Guzman
3-6
4.95
60
RHP Erik Hanson*
0-0
7.80
15
RHP Chris Carpenter*
3-7
5.09
81.1
W-L
SV
ERA
LHP Randy Myers*
2-3
45
1.51
LHP Kelvim Escobar
3-2
14
2.90
*Hanson in 3 games with Blue Jays; Carpen
ter in 14 games with Blue Jays; Myers with
Orioles
BALTIMORE
ORIOLES
98-64; 1st in AL East; Lots ALCS
to Indians
The Orioles may have missed their window
of opportunity to claim a championship with
this core of players. The bottom line — they
have gotten too old since the big signings of a
few years past.
Cal Ripken put up incredible numbers for a
shortstop, but as a third baseman, he is not
worth the same kind of money. The elite third
basemen in baseball, such as Jim Thome, Matt
Williams, Chipper Jones and Travis Fryman,
put up much better numbers and don’t com
mand the same salary.
Age may have been showing on Rafael
Palmeiro, Chris Holies and Roberto Alomar also.
They each had their worst seasons in recent
memory in 1997. And with Eric Davis a big ques
tion in the outfield, Baltimore finds itself dan
gerously thin in the field.
The pitching staff is good, but Mike Mussina
is the only member of the rotation who can be
expected to produce the same kind of season he
had last year. Randy Myers is gone and has been
replaced by maybe the most unreliable closer in
baseball last season, Norm Charlton.
The Orioles will no doubt turn to a closer by
committee strategy, but not since the Nasty Boys
of Cincinnati has that worked for a team en route
to a championship.
Important Additions: OF Joe Carter; LHP
Norm Charlton.
Big Losses: LHP Randy Myers; OF Geronimo
Berroa.
Projected Record: 86-76; 3rd in NL East.
I'ing th to the bench but may cause some prob-
|iom s in the ego department.
1 do. Tie rotation is solid, with the only question
l’ii, k being imported Hideki Irabu, who was one
ar le best pitchers in all of Japan. If he doesn't
It out or keeps causing black eyes for the Yanks,
Jbeet ft be surprised if Steinbrenner ends this ex-
|h a iment quicker than expected.
Vith its solid, balanced lineup, strong pitch-
l: rotation, deep bullpen and dominating clos-
ete
bounce back with solid years, Toronto will
have the toughest four pitchers in any rotation
in the American League and second only to At
lanta’s in all of baseball.
Benito Santiago was a huge disappointment
last season, so Darrin Fletcher and Mike Stan
ley were acquired to join the former All-Star be
hind the plate.
The key to this team, however, will be its
young core of outfielders. Jose Cruz and Shawn
Green have the talent to become perennial All-
Stars, but the Blue Jays need them to fully mature
this season if they want to have a chance at mov
ing into the AL East’s elite.
Important Additions: 2B Tony Fernandez; C
Darrin Fletcher; LHP Randy Myers; C Mike Stanley.
Big Losses: OF Joe Carter; OF Orlando
Merced; 2B Carlos Garcia.
Projected Record: 86-76; 2nd in AL East.
1998 ORIOLES
AVG.
HR
RBI SB
C-Chris Hoiles
.259
12
49
1
1B-Rafael Palmeiro
.254
38
110
5
2B-Roberto Alomar
.333
14
60
9
3B-Cal Ripken
.270
17
84
1
SS-Mike Bordick
.236
7
46
0
LF-B.J. Surhoff
.284
18
88
1
CF-Brady Anderson
.288
18
73
18
RF-Eric Davis
.304
8
25
6
DH-Joe Carter*
.234
21
102
8
SUB-Tony Tarasco
.205
7
26
2
’Carter with Blue Jays
W-L
ERA
IP
RHP Mike Mussina
15-8
3.20
224.2
LHP Jimmy Key
16-10
3.43
212.1
RHP Scott Erickson
16-7
3.69
221.2
RHP Scott Kamieniecki
10-6
4.01
179.1
RHP Doug Drabek*
12-11
5.74
169.1
W-L
SV
ERA
LHP Norm Charlton*
3-8
14
7.27
RHP Armando Benitez
4-5
9
2.45
’Drabek with White Sox; Charlton with
Mariners
Please see Furtick on Page 14.
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