The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, March 27, 1998, Image 5

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    lay March 27, 1998
The Battalion
fik ID D T €t
dians class of A.L. Central; Chicago, Detroit jockey for Wild Card
i; URTICK
rts editor
CLEVELAND
INDIANS
86-75; 1st in AL Central; Lost World
Series to Marlins
jhey have done in the last few sca
le Indians gave themselves anoth-
^eason face lift. They shipped off an
^p oflAll-Stars and brought in more
ice them.
kelanjd lost the veteran leadership of
/illiams and Orel Hershiser, but one
iriginal members of the Indians’ ear
rebuilding plan, Kenny Lofton, is
om a year in Atlanta,
closest thing the Indians have to an
Charles Nagy, and with Ben McDon-
ing sent back to Milwaukee, Cleve-
otation has emerged as its weak spot,
and down the order the Indians can
t hit. Webster should put this lineup
the definition of “baseball’s perfect
; order” in his next edition. They have
speed where they need it, power where they
need it and smart hitters throughout.
Look for newly acquired second base-
man Carlos Garcia to have a big year. Ever
since his rookie season with Pittsburgh, Gar
cia has been expected to carry part of the of
fensive load, but now he doesn’t need to
worry about it. He might explode this year.
They have a great bullpen and one of the
better defenses in the league, but the Indi
ans will have to get solid seasons from some
young arms if they want to repeat as AL
Central champions.
Important Additions: 3B Travis Fryman;
2B Carlos Garcia; OF Kenny Lofton; RHP
Dwight Gooden.
Big Losses: LHP Brian Anderson; OF
Marquis Grissom; SB Matt Williams; OF Bip
Roberts; RHP Orel Hershiser.
Projected Record: 89-73; 1st in AL Central.
CHICAGO
WHITE SOX
80-81; 2nd in AL Central
Last year was a fluke. There is no reason
for this team not to have been in the play
offs. But instead of sucking it up and fight
ing through 1997, when, in fact, they were
never really getting blown out of contention
)98 INDIANS
iandy^lomar
Jim Tbo'iio
CarloS Garcia*
Travis Fryman*
-OmarVizquel
David Justice
; Kenny Lofton*
-Manny Ramirez
-Brian Giles
B-Enrjque Wilson*
ircia with Blue Jays; Fryman with Tigers;
ton with Braves; Wilson in 5 games with
ians
W-L
15-11
8-3
8- 9
9- 5
4-7
W-L
4-4
2-5
AVG.
HR
RBI
SB
.324
21
83
0
.286
40
102
1
.220
3
23
11
.274
22
102
16
.280
5
49
43
.329
33
101
3
.333
5
48
27
.328
26
88
2
.268
17
61
13
.333
0
1
0
P Charles Nagy
P Jaret Wright
P Chad Ogea
P Dwight Gooden*
P Bartolo Colon
I: P Jose Mesa^
i\.P Mike Jackson
ERA
4.28
4.38
4.99
4.51
5.65
SV
16
15
IP
227
90.1
126.1
106.1
94
ERA
2.40
3.24
aoden with Yankees
1998 WHITE SOX
AVG.
HR RBI SB
C-Charlie O’Brien*
.218
4 27 0
1 B-Frank Thomas
.347
35 125 1
2B-Ray Durham
.271
11 53 33
3B-Robin Ventura
.262
6 26 0
SS-Benji Gil*
.224
5 31 1
LF-Albert Belle
.274
30 116 4
CF-Mike Cameron
.259
14 55 23
RF-Magglio Ordonez*
.319
4 11 1
DH-Chris Snopek
.218
5 38 3
SUB-Mario Valdez*
.243
1 13 1
‘O’Brien with Blue Jays; Gil with Rangers;
Ordonez in 21 games with White Sox; Valdez
in 54 games in White Sox
W-L
ERA IP
RHP Jaime Navarro
9-14
5.79 209.2
RHP James Baldwin
12-15
5.27 200
RHP Jason Bere*
4-2
4.71 28.2
LHP Scott Eyre*
4-4
5.04 60.1
LHP Mike Sirotka*
3-0
2.25 32
W-L
SV ERA
RHP Matt Karchner
3-1
15 2.91
RHP Carlos Castillo
2-V
1 4.48
*Bere in 6 games with
White Sox; Eyre in 11
games with White Sox; Sirotka in 7 games
with White Sox
by Cleveland, the White Sox cleaned house
and gave up. That move cost them a shot at
the playoffs in 1998.
Anyone who thinks Albert Belle is going
to go through another year like last season
better rethink. Robin Ventura is the key to
this team and he is healthy this season after
suffering a horrendous break to his lower
leg last spring.
This season baseball will finally get to see
what it was expecting last year when Chica
go brought in Belle to protect Frank Thomas.
They may both hit 50 home runs this season,
drive in 130 runs and hit .330, but even that
won’t be enough for Chicago to contend.
The White Sox really don’t have the de
fense to make up for all of the balls that will
be drilled to the fielders. Benji Gil, Thomas
and Belle are contenders for the worst de
fensive players at their respective positions.
New Manager Jerry Manuel has spent
the last seven years under the tutelage of
Felipe Alou and Jim Leyland. He should be
the perfect person to help along Chicago’s
budding young stars. He should also help
to bring some peace of mind to a thin
starting rotation.
Important Additions: C Charlie O’Brien.
Big Losses: OF Dave Martinez; OF
Lyle Mouton.
Projected Record: 83-79; 2nd in AL Central.
DETROIT
TIGERS
79-83; 3rd in AL East
The Tigers are dangerously close to be
coming a legitimate contender for a Wild
Card spot. Buddy Bell did an amazing job
last season reviving the worst team in base
ball to almost .500.
The Tigers probably won’t see the play
offs this season, but if Detroit’s manage
ment can sign the core of young players
to long-term deals, as Cleveland did ear
lier this decade, Detroit will be a power
house in the new century.
The big question in Motor City is the ro
tation. Willie Blair is gone and leaves 24-
year-old Justin Thompson as the ace. He
will be the anchor of a staff which is full of
once-predicted All-Stars, like himself, who
have been around the block a few times and
not had much success.
But overall the Tigers are one of the more
exciting stories of this season. They should
entertain all year with a good combination
of speed and power throughout their lineup.
If a couple of second-year guys have big
seasons, the Tigers might jump ahead of the
clock and win the Wild Card.
Important Additions: OF Trey Beamon;
1998 TIGERS
AVG.
HR
RBI SB
C-Raul Casanova
.243
5
24 1
1 B-Tony Clark
.276
32
117 1
2B-Damion Easley
.264
22
72 28
3B-Joe Randa*
.302
7
60 4
SS-Deivi Cruz
.241
2
40 3
LF-Luis Gonzalez*
.258
10
68 10
CF-Brian Hunter
.269
4
45 74
RF-Bobby Higginson
.299
27
101 12
DH-Bip Roberts*
.271
3
8 3
SUB-Trey Beamon*
.277
0
7 1
*Randa with Pirates;
Gonzalez with Astros;
Roberts in 23 games with Indians; Beamon
in 43 games with Padres
W-L
ERA
IP
LHP Justin Thompson
15-11
3.02
223.1
RHP Brian Moehler
11-12
4.67
175.1
RHP Scott Sanders*
3-8
5.33
74.1
RHP Frank Castillo*
6-3
5.42
86.1
RHP Tim Worrell*
4-8
5.16
106.1
W-L
SV
ERA
RHP Todd Jones
5-4
31
3.09
RHP Doug Brocail
3-4
2
3.23
‘Sanders in 14 games with Tigers; Castillo
in 14 games with Rockies; Worrell with
Padres
a team that has the pitching to make it to
the playoffs — but don’t count on it.
Important Additions: IB JeffConine; IB
Hal Morris; SS Orlando Miller.
Big Losses: SS Jay Bell; DH Chili Davis.
Projected Record: 78-84; 4th in AL Central.
OF Luis Gonzalez; 3B Joe Randa; RHP Tim
Worrell.
Big Losses: 3B Travis Fryman; OF Phil
Nevin; OF BubbaTrammell; RHP Donnie Wall.
Projected Record: 80-82; 3rd in AL Central.
1998 ROYALS
AVG.
HR
RBI SB
C-Mike Sweeney
.242
7
31 3
1 B-Jeff King
.238
28
112 16
2B-Jose Ofterman
.297
2
39 9
3B-Dean Palmer*
.278
9
31 1
SS-Felix Martinez*
.226
0
3 0
LF-Jeff Conine*
.242
17
61 2
CF-Johnny Damon
.275
8
48 16
RF-Jermaine Dye
.236
7
22 2
DH-Hal Morris*
.276
1
33 3
SUB-Jed Hansen*
.309
1
14 3
‘Palmer in 49 games with Royals; Martinez in
16 games with Royals; Conine with Marlins;
Morris with Reds; Hansen in 34 games with
Royals
W-L
ERA
IP
RHP Kevin Appier
9-13
3.40
235.2
RHP Tim Belcher
13-12
5.02
213.1
LHP Jose Rasado
9-12
4.69
203.1
RHP Jim Pittsley
5-8
5.46
112
LHP Chris Hammond*
3-4
5.92
65.1
W-L
SV
ERA
RHP Jeff Montgomery
1-4
14
3.49
LHP Matt Whisenant
1-0
0
2.84
‘Hammond with Red Sox
KANSAS CITY
ROYALS
67-94; 5th In AL Central
Nothing has worked for Kansas City. It
seems that ever since George Brett decided
to hang up his spikes, the Royals have lin
gered down at the bottom of the no-hope
list of American League teams.
It’s hard to figure out — the Royals have
as much talent as some of the better teams
in baseball, but Kansas City has become a
black hole for players trying to win a cham
pionship. In contrast to a lot of the cellar-
dwellers in the AL, Kansas City has actually
tried to make some big moves and get back
into the race.
Maybe this will be the season with Dean
Palmer, Jeff Kent, Jermaine Dye and Jeff Co-
nine, that they improve on their 12th-place
finish in runs and lOth-place finish in home
runs they suffered in the 14-team AL in 1997.
The pitching is there — Kansas City has
a good group of starters and an excellent
closer but hasn’t gotten the run support it
needs to win close ballgames.
With the right breaks and good years
from some key power hitters, Kansas City is
MINNESOTA
TWINS
68-94; 4th in AL Central
What’s wrong with the Twins? After
winning a World Series in 1987, they fell
to last place by 1990, but rebounded
again to win the Series in 1991. Since
then, however, it’s been one blow after
another for Minnesota that has kept
them down and led to five consecutive
losing seasons.
The big news out of Minnesota this
spring was the trade of Chuck Knoblauch,
the Twins’ best player, to the Yankees. But
there are a few other disturbing things
making their way out of Twins camp.
Paul Molitor, one of the most respected
players in the game, has said this is the
worst attitude he has witnessed from a
team in his career. Molitor seriously con
sidered retirement simply because the
game just wasn’t fun in Minnesota. But
Manager Tom Kelly talked him into staying,
grooming him for a managerial position he
should take in the near future.
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