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Friday, April 05, 2002
Three Stooges Covered Up Murder?  By Ben Maller I came across an interesting story in the Chicago Tribune this week, about the legendary "Three Stooges" comedy team. According to a new book out, the man that founded the Stooges was killed outside a Hollywood nightclub and the Stooges helped cover it up. Shemp Howard, brother of Moe and Curly -- knew who committed the murder from the victim's own lips but did not tell police out of fear of New York mobster Lucky Luciano. The story goes that one of Luciano's hitmen committed the crime along with 1930s-era screen star Wallace Beery. Click Here to read the full story. permalink Thursday, April 04, 2002
Dodger Blues  By Ben Maller I got lots of e-mail Monday and Tuesday night from Dodger fans asking me what if anything there is to look forward to during this 2002 season. It's tough to come up with much after watching the Giants kick the Bums' ass the opening two games. Let's try and find some positives. While Barry Bonds has made the Dodger pitching staff look like a bunch of little leaguers he hasn't yet hit a ball completely out of Chavez Ravine. Barry has also made a couple of outs in his six at bats. I watched him during batting practice and he struggled then. Maybe they should move the game back to 6pm. Since the Dodgers don't have a slugger that can match Bonds, they wanted to give their fans something to see. To my knowledge nobody has been killed at Chavez Ravine although Terry Mullholland's career is on life-support.  Tuesday night was one of those nights I still wish that Tommy Lasorda was around. I could only imagine Lasorda's postgame reaction if asked what his opinion of Barry Bonds performance was? I don't give a ^@&#*(, @!*#& about Barry #^!@*~@ Bonds! I would say the fact that parking and food prices have stayed the same is a positive but I would be lying. I went to buy some Gordon Biersch garlic fries before the game Tuesday only to see the price had gone up to $5.50, Those are some expensive potatoes. I was recently at the restaurant in Burbank and those same Garlic Fries cost me $3.95. The ad slogan says "Being there is everything." Where else can you pay $8 bucks to park and $5 bucks for a bag of peanuts to watch a team with no offense and suspect pitching. I believe in Jim Tracy as a manager. I also believe he has the worst team put together in this town since the 1992 Dodgers. There are some good players on the Dodgers. Shawn Green is a star right fielder. Brian Jordan is a nice complementary player on a winning team. Eric Karros, on a good team, can help you win. Kevin Brown, when healthy, is one of the best pitchers in baseball. Paul LoDuca plays the game harder than anyone. The problem is the Dodgers don't have the right pieces in place. No leadoff hitter, no shortstop. Dan Evans did the right thing in trading Matt Herges to the Expos at least Herges gets to play for a contender. The Dodgers don't need a closer because they don't figure to have many leads anyway. ' Sparky Anderson used to say every team in baseball will win 50 and lose 50 games it's what you do with the other 62 games that matter. According to the Elias Sports Bureau no team has ever lost all 162 games. Remember, as Barry Bonds pointed out last season, records are made to be broken. Maybe Jim Tracy will turn this sorry bunch into a winning team. Then again maybe the Dodgers will hit a homerun in a game. permalink Wednesday, April 03, 2002
Dodger Opening Nightmare  By Ben Maller Life began again for me and many other baseball fans as the Dodgers opened their 2002 season with a thud at the Stadium yesterday. I arrived at the stadium around 11am and parked in Lot 2 at Chavez Ravine. When I arrived there were only three spaces left in the lot. I picked the middle space and while i was getting my things together to get into the stadium, Geoff Whitcher the former host of Dodger Talk and the current update guy at KFWB arrived and parked on my left. Then to my right Krystal Fernandez the real sports babe from KLSX 97.1 the FM Talk Station pulled in on my right side. The three of us walked into the stadium and spent the next 30 minutes waiting for the slowest elevators this side of the Mississippi. While In line we were joined by Allison Ellner the former engineer at a troubled radio station in Koreatown. Then Kurt Kretzchmar the executive producer from ESPN Radio stopped by and joined us in line. Finally we arrived in the press box. Opening day is kind of like the first day of school at a community college. You see lots of people there you won't ever see again. BenMaller.com was a big topic of conversation in the press box. I ran across a number of LA Sports personalities. David Vassegh of KSPN the best producer in local LA sports talk radio was there. Mark Meyers, Jerry Gardner, Mark Willard, Isaac Lowenkron and Scott Himelstein were there representing the poor under-paid radio stringers. Lisa Guerrero star of "The Best Damn Sports Show Period" stopped by to say hello. Lisa told me that she almost called me to rip on me for the fact that I finished dead last in the FoxSports.com college basketball experts contest. Randy Kerdoon the funny and talented weekend sports anchor at channel 11 and a former radio guy stopped by to say hi. I also ran into CBS' Jim Hill and movie star Stu Nahan. Irv Kaze the Phil Jackson of LA Sports talk show was one of many to ask about BenMaller.com. Infact "The Box" was buzzing about this website and asking if the slanderous things written about it in a local paper were true. Lee "The Jackass" Klein stopped by to say hi. Lee had a big smile on his face as the Giants had a 7-2 lead and Klein is a huge fan of Barry Bonds and company. Ken Levine the former voice of the Mariners and Orioles and up until this season the weekend host of Dodger Talk was on hand for the disasterous opener. Bob Keisser of the Long Beach Press-Telegram and John Nadel a stud writer for the AP also stopped by. On and on it went during the game. That's a good thing considering I didn't actually have a seat for the game. It seems that there were more media on hand from the Far East who got seats than the LA Regulars. Maybe the Dodgers are hoping that the fans from Japan will come over and not care that the team looks like it sucks. More than one member of the media was upset with the raise in the price of food. The Dodgers upped the press box meal from $6 bucks to $7 dollars for the 2002 season. That extra buck will go to pay for the salaries of Tom Goodwin and Mike Trombley who were dumped after spring training.  As for the team on the field, Dave Roberts looked good as the new leadoff hitter. He actually took pitches and walked in addition to stealing a base. That would be the end of the positives. Kevin Brown's fastball was flat and had no movement on it. Just ask Barry Bonds who teed off on him and then later Omar Daal. Livan Hernandez, the Giants starter, that allowed 35 earned runs in 30 innings pitched this spring, shut the Dodgers' offense down like it was the 1997 playoffs. More embarrasing than that would be the fact Hernandez had a pair of hits against the $105 million dollar man. I know this was the first game of the year but I still would have drilled Bonds in the back to set a tone after hitting those bombs. It's one of 162 games, let's hope Hideo Nomo can get the Dodgers back to .500 tonight. As Chicago Cub fans say, "Wait till next year!" permalink Tuesday, April 02, 2002
These Terps' had to Stay  By Ben Maller Juan Dixon and Lonny Baxter of the Maryland Terrapins are the toast of college basketball this morning. Both players decided to stay in school the full four years and were rewarded with a national championship. Dick Vitale and Billy Packer have spent the past week kissing these guys' asses when the reality is that both players don't have much if any NBA future and if they did they would have gone to the pros years ago. Dixon is a very good college player but he's no Jason Williams. I have heard some "experts" get on the radio and try and say that Dixon is a better basketball player than Williams of Duke. There is, of course, no contest when you compare the two players. Williams who is 6'2" 195 will be a top five pick in the NBA draft. Jason will be a star at the pro level with his offensive ability and the fact that his body will continue to develop at the NBA level. Williams is getting better and better, he's explosive with the ability to break down a defense and create his own shot or pass it off in the lane. He had more 30 point games as a sophomore (6) than he did 20 point games as a freshman (4). Dixon is listed as a 6'3" 164 lbs guard and while he is able to score at will on the college level, Juan does not have the body to play at the pro level. He'll probably get drafted in the 2nd round because of his play in the tournament. The fact is there aren't any guards Dixon's size who are playing in the NBA. Dixon is a two-guard but can't play that position in the pros because of his size.  Baxter has more of an NBA body than Dixon at 6'8" 260lbs. Baxter's problem is that he does not have the mobility that scouts look for in power forwards. Baxter does not have much, if any, offensive game other than the dunk. He will try a hook shot from time to time but he's not smooth. permalink Monday, April 01, 2002
Ben Maller's 2002 Baseball Preview  National League NL West 1.) San Francisco Giants  2001 recap: 90-72, second place in NL West Manager: Dusty Baker (745-649 career) New faces: OF Reggie Sanders, OF Tsuyoshi Shinjo, 3B David Bell, RHP Jay Witasick, C Angel Pena, C Scott Servais Long gone: LHP Shawn Estes, OF Eric Davis, OF John Vander Wal, 1B Andres Galarraga, RHP Mark Gardner, RHP Brian Boehringer Ben's Take: It kills me to pick the Giants to win the West but they did the best job in the division of improving in the offseason. The Giants improved with David Bell at 3rd base and Reggie Sanders in rightfield making San Francisco a very dangerous offensive club. The pitching staff does not really have an ace but they are consistent from 1-to-4 and they were able to keep Jason Schmidt around. This team is built around Barry Bonds, Jeff Kent and Rich Aurillia the three all-stars. The bottom line is Dusty Baker always gets the most out of his team. Did You Know? Led by Barry Bonds' record-breaking 73 home runs, the Giants led the NL with 235 homers. Giants' pitchers allowed the fewest homers in the NL (145). Giants leadoff hitters ranked eighth in the majors in runs (113), but just 23rd in on-base percentage (.315). Rich Aurilia led the National League with 206 hits and also led all NL shortstops with 37 home runs and 97 RBI. 1,242 ? A league-high number of runners left on base last season. Rich Aurilia (206) last season became the third Giant to reach 200 hits in one season. He joined Willie Mays (208 in 1958) and Bobby Bonds (200 in 1970). Good Headline: "Ortiz joins Schmidt in the 20-win club." Bad Headline: "Bonds breaks hand done for the season." 2.) Arizona Diamondbacks  2001 recap: 92-70, first place in NL West Manager: Bob Brenly (92-70 career) New faces: RHP Rick Helling, LHP Mike Myers, OF Jose Guillen Long gone: OF Reggie Sanders, RHP Albie Lopez, OF Midre Cummings, RHP Robert Ellis, OF Jack Cust, RHP Bobby Witt Ben's Takes: They won the Wprld Series after borrowing millions from Major League Baseball. Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling had huge Cy Young seasons in 2001 combining to go 43-6 during the regular season. This season Schilling and Johnson figure to suffer from tired arms after throwing all those innings in the playoffs that did not end till November. The D'Backs offense was one of the most inconsistent in baseball and they lost Reggie Sanders and his 33 HR's and 90 RBI's to the rival Giants. The D'backs will not make the playoffs this season. Did You Know? Byung-Hyun Kim limited hitters to a .173 batting average, lowest among NL relievers (minimum 50 innings). Luis Gonzalez finished third in the National League with 57 home runs, 142 RBI and a .688 slugging percentage. Lefty Brian Anderson was a disappointment (4-9, 5.20), but he did lead the NL with eight pickoffs. Good Headline: "Gonzo leads the way" Bad Headline: "Wear and tear hurts Johnson and Schilling." 3.) Los Angeles Dodgers  2001 recap: 86-76, third place in NL West Manager: Jim Tracy (86-76 career) New faces: OF Brian Jordan, RHP Hideo Nomo, LHP Omar Daal, LHP Kazuhisa Ishii, LHP Odalis Perez, RHP Paul Quantrill, RHP Guillermo Mota, IF Cesar Izturis, OF Dave Roberts Long gone: OF Gary Sheffield, RHP Chan Ho Park, RHP Jeff Shaw, RHP Terry Adams, RHP Matt Herges, RHP Luke Prokopec, RHP James Baldwin, IF Tim Bogar Ben's Takes: The Bums appear to be headed to another season without the playoffs. This year's team has so many holes and questions its going to take another miracle managing job by stud Jim Tracy to keep this team in the race. Can Paul LoDuca repeat his breakout 2001 season? Will Eric Gagne be a good closer? Will Kevin Brown, Darren Dreifort, and Andy Ashby be healthy? Will Cesar Izturis contribute as a rookie playing shortstop? Can Eric Karros the leader of the Dodgers bounce back? This looks like another average Dodger team. Over the past three-years they have gone 249-237 a .512 winning percentage good for 13th best overall in baseball. The Dodgers have enough talent on their pitching staff to be in the race all season if they can stay healthy and keep Dan Evans from making anymore bad trades. Shawn Green is worth the price of a ticket and a Dodger Dog. Did You Know? Dodgers' leadoff hitters led the majors with 26 HR and were second with 84 RBI, but ranked 27th in OBP (.306). Paul LoDuca's .378 OBP while hitting leadoff tied Craig Biggio for best in the NL. The Dodgers had a 3.78 team ERA at home, 4.75 on the road. The Dodgers have had five managers since last division title (1995). (There were only two managers, Walter Alston and Tommy Lasorda, from 1954-96). Good Headline: "Beltre drives in 100th run while Brown wins 20th." Bad Headline: "Beltre hitting .220 while Brown goes on DL Again." 4.) Colorado Rockies  2001 recap: 73-89, fifth place in NL West Manager: Buddy Bell (339-448 career) New faces: RHP Todd Jones, 3B/1B Todd Zeile, OF Benny Agbayani, RHP Rick White, RHP Jose Paniagua, RHP Dennis Stark, LHP Brian Fuentes, LHP Dennys Reyes, RHP Pete Harnisch, OF Jack Cust, LHP Kent Mercker Long gone: 3B Jeff Cirillo, LHP Mike Myers, RHP Dan Miceli, RHP Jay Powell, LHP Brian Bohanon, C Sal Fasano, OF Alex Ochoa, OF Jacob Cruz, LHP Gabe White Ben's Takes: The Rockies could play a bunch of high schoolers and they would lead the NL in runs scored playing at Coors Field. This team kind of reminds me of a sports talk radio station in Los Angeles with all the trades and roster shake ups in the past year. Juan Uribe is a superstar in the making, he came over from the A's minor league system last season. The problem for the Rockies this year is the same as in every year: they have to play 81 games on the road and they have to pitch in 81 games in Denver. Did You Know? After going a combined 7-2 with a 2.69 ERA in April and May, Mike Hampton slumped to a combined 7-11 record and a 7.07 ERA in June, July, August, September and October. With their 923 runs scored, the Rockies became the first team in National League history to score at least 900 runs in three consecutive seasons. 5/ Number of NL batting champions in the Rockies' nine-year history. The Rockies led the NL in batting average (.292) and runs (923) last season. Good Headline: "Hampton leads the way with 18th win" Bad Headline: "Helton hurting goes on DL" 5.) San Diego Padres  2001 recap: 79-83, fourth place in NL West Manager: Bruce Bochy (564-552 career) New faces: C Tom Lampkin, SS Ramon Vazquez, OF Ron Gant, RHP Bret Tomko, RHP Steve Reed, LHP Alan Embree, IF Deivi Cruz, OF Trenidad Hubbard, C Javier Cordona, RHP Brad Clontz, RHP Jason Boyd Long gone: OF Tony Gwynn, C Ben Davis, RHP Wascar Serrano, IF Alex Arias, OF Rickey Henderson, IF Damian Jackson Ben's Takes: Kevin Jarvis the opening day starter. That's all you need to know about the 2002 Pads. Sean Burroughs has no power but could hit .300. This is a team waiting for its stadium to get done before they really try and win. Bruce Bochy is one of the best managers in the game and like Dusty Baker and Jim Tracy he gets the most out his players. On paper the Padres don't have one starter who is any good. Bobby Jones there number 2 starter lost 19 games last year. At least Ryan Klesko and Phil Nevin will be fun to watch until that new stadium opens. Did You Know? Kevin Jarvis and Bobby Jones tied (with Curt Schilling) for most home runs allowed in the NL (37). The Padres ranked second in the majors (behind Seattle) in runs scored on the road (462). Phil Nevin (above) finished with 41 HRs and 126 RBI, both second-highest in Padres history. 145 ? MLB-leading number of errors last season. Good Headline: "Klesko and Nevin back in the all-star game" Bad Headline: "Padres put add in paper for starting pitching" NL Central 1.) St. Louis Cardinals  2001 recap: 93-69, first place tie with Houston in NL Central Manager: Tony La Russa (1,827-1,647 career) New faces: 1B Tino Martinez, RHP Jason Isringhausen, OF So Taguchi, C Mike DeFelice, OF Al Martin, 1B/OF Eduardo Perez Long gone: 1B Mark McGwire, RHP Dustin Hermanson, RHP T.J. Mathews, RHP Alan Benes, IF/OF Craig Paquette Ben's Takes: No Mark McGwire and no problem for the Redbirds. Albert Puljos, Jim Edmonds and J.D. Drew form a nice heart of the order. The big questions are can Puljos do it again and how will Tino Martinez do out of the Bronx and in the NL. I happen to think that Martinez will be a bust and the Cards will still win this year. The Cards have a rotation that has the potential to have four 15 game winners Matt Morris, Darryl Kile, Woody Williams and Garrett Stephenson. Did You Know? Matt Morris (above) won 22 games, the most wins by Cardinals pitcher since Bob Gibson won 23 in 1970. Albert Pujols set an NL rookie record with 130 RBI and finished sixth in the NL in batting (.329) and seventh in slugging (.610). Steve Kline's .149 average against left-handed hitters led all major-league relief pitchers. The Cardinals tied for the NL Central title last season despite not having a player with 20 stolen bases or 20 saves. Good Headline: "No Sophomore slump for Pujols" Bad Headline: "Tino's average dips to .220" 2.) Chicago Cubs  2001 recap: 88-74, third place in NL Central Manager: Don Baylor (593-640 career) New faces: OF Moises Alou, SS Alex Gonzalez, RHP Alan Benes, IF Chris Stynes, OF Darren Lewis, LHP Jesus Sanchez, 1B/OF Angel Echevarria, RHP Pat Mahomes, RHP Antonio Alfonseca, RHP Matt Clement Long gone: 2B Eric Young, OF Rondell White, RHP Todd Van Poppel, RHP David Weathers, LHP Felix Heredia, OF Michael Tucker, IF Ron Coomer, OF Matt Stairs, RHP Julian Tavarez Ben's Takes: The lovable losers are back again in 2002. Moises Alou is one baseball's most underrated players, he'll flourish playing in Wrigley Field. The Cubs should score plenty of runs with a 3-4-5 of Sammy Sosa, Fred McGriff and Alou. To me, the Cubs can actually make a wild card run if one thing happens. Jon Leiber and Kerry Wood must stay healthy all season long. These guys can combine to win 35-to-40 games and keep the Cubbies in the race all year. Mark Pryor the kid from USC figures to be in the rotation by July. Keep an eye on the bullpen, they are going to miss Tom Gordon who has a torn muscle in the back of his right shoulder. Antonio Alfonseca was brought in from the Florida Marlins but he was horrible at the end of last year and had a bad spring. Did You Know? The weak spot in the Cubs' order? The No. 6 slot ranked last in the majors with 61 runs scored and 29th with a .295 on-base percentage. Jason Bere won three games in April (3-0), but never won more than two in any other month. Sammy Sosa led the majors with 160 RBI and was second in home runs with 64. Jon Lieber won 20 games (20-6) for the first time in his career and also logged more than 200 innings (232.1) for the third straight season. Good Headline: "Alou the free agent steal of 2002" Bad Headline: "Kerry Wood tears up shoulder." 3.) Houston Astros (Curse of Enron)  2001 recap: 93-69, first place tie in NL Central Manager: Jimy Williams (695-593). New faces: OF Brian Hunter, C Gregg Zaun, RHP T.J. Mathews, LHP C.J. Nitkowski, IF/OF Geoff Blum Long gone: OF Moises Alou, RHP Pedro Astacio, 3B Vinny Castilla, RHP Mike Williams, OF Glen Barker, 3B Chris Truby Ben's Takes: A year ago the Astros are bias. Houston was second in runs scored last season and 10th in runs allowed. This is a team is not as strong though as they were at the end of last season. Moises Alou, Pedro Astacio and Mike Williams all left as free agents in the offseason. Daryl Ward takes over in left. Rookie Carlos Hernandez steps into the rotation full-time. Houston will also play rookie shortstop in Adam Everett who's bat reminds many of Alex Cora (not good). Jimy Williams is the new manager after being fired by the Red Sox. This has been a very good regular season team that folds like a cheap suit in the playoffs. This year the Astros young pitchers will take a step back and there won't be any playoffs in the NFL's newest city. Did You Know? The Astros went 29-23 in one-run games after going 15-31 in 2000. Don't just credit Enron Field for Lance Berkman's explosion. He hit .336 with 13 homers at home and .327 with 21 homers on the road. The Astros have not had an NL home-run champion or league batting champion in their 40-year history. Good Headline: "Miller and Oswalt lead the NL in Wins" Bad Headline: "Enron Curse hits Astros" 4.) Pittsburgh Pirates  2001 recap: 62-100, sixth place in NL Central Manager: Lloyd McClendon (62-100 career) New faces: IF Pokey Reese, RHP Mike Williams, RHP Kip Wells, RHP Sean Lowe, RHP Josh Fogg, RHP Wayne Gomes, RHP Brian Boehringer, RHP Al Reyes, LHP Ron Villone Long gone: RHP Todd Ritchie, RHP Jose Silva, OF Gary Matthews Jr. Ben's Takes: For a team nicknamed the Bucs they sure don't spend many. I pull for the Bucs because I like Brian Giles and Jason Kendell. Nobody knows if Lloyd McClendon can manage because he has no talent. I loved the trade new GM Dave Littlefield pulled off acquiring Kip Wells, Sean Lowe and Josh Fogg. All three of those young guys can help the big league staff. The Bucs also feature one of my favorite pitchers in ex-dodger Mike Fetters. There is potential to be pretty good offensively with Giles and Kendell leading the way with Aramis Ramirez at third and if Pokey Reese can bounce back at second base watch out! The problem is there pitching staff is a joke. Ron Villone is there opening day starter. He was a non-roster invitee this spring that should tell you alot! Did You Know? Aramis Ramirez loved the road: he hit .325 and slugged .584 vs. .275 and .487 marks at home. Kevin Young (above) was the second-highest paid Pirate in 2001 ($6.125 million), but Pittsburgh first basemen (mostly Young) ranked last in the NL with a .677 OPS. 1 ? Number of division titles won by the Pirates in the past 18 years. Good Headline: "Pokey sparks the bucs" Bad Headline: "Operation shutdown begins in April" 5.) Cincinnati Reds  2001 recap: 66-96, fifth place in NL Central Manager: Bob Boone (247-302 career) New faces: OF Juan Encarnacion, LHP Brian Bohanon, RHP Jimmy Haynes, LHP Gabe White, RHP Jose Silva, RHP Luis Pineda Long gone: IF/OF Dmitri Young, IF Pokey Reese, LHP Dennys Reyes, OF Ruben Rivera Ben's Takes: Will Ken Griffey ever play like he did in Seattle? This could be the year for the man that made a very poor free agent decision. Rookie Adam Dunn is a star in the making and figures to protect Griffey in the lineup with Sean Casey still one of the NL's best hitters and Barry Larkin coming back from a series of injuries the Reds should score some runs. The starting staff is the worst in baseball. Elmer Dessens is the ace while Jimmy Haynes a 17 game loser in Milwaukee last year made the staff. As one scout told me Cincinnati has 5 number 5 starters. Did You Know? Aaron Boone, playing for his father, slugged a career-high .483 in 103 games. Scott Sullivan became the first pitcher ever to lead the majors in relief innings four straight seasons. Adam Dunn hit 51 home runs last season, including 19 in 66 major-league games. 1 ? The number of 10-game winners (Elmer Dessens, 10-14) for the Reds last season. Jose Rijo became the first player to appear in a game after receiving a Hall of Fame vote. Good Headline: "Griffey playing like he's back with the Mariners." Bad Headline: "Reds in danger of not having a 10 game winner" 6.) Milwaukee Brewers  2001 recap: 68-94, fourth place in NL Central Manager: Davey Lopes (141-183 career) New faces: LHP Glendon Rusch, OF Alex Ochoa, 2B Eric Young, 1B/OF Matt Stairs, IF Lenny Harris, LHP Takaki Nomura Long gone: OF Jeromy Burnitz, RHP Jimmy Haynes, OF Devon White, RHP Jeff D'Amico, RHP Mark Leiter, IF Lou Collier, OF Mark Sweeney, OF Lyle Mouton, 1B/OF Angel Echevarria Ben's Takes: The team sucks but at least Miller Park is nice, they still have the sausage races and the all-star game will be coming there this summer. So its not all bad news for the Brew Crew. It was so bad last year that the Brewers hitters had more strikeouts then hits. Richie Sexson is the best everyday player with 45 homers last season. Geoff Jenkins is a dodger killer who if healthy can be as good as Sexson. The Brewers are hoping that Eric "Fly ball to Left" Young can be an effective lead off hitter. Ben Sheets is the only pitcher worth talking about on this staff. Sheets has all-star potential. Ruben Quevedo has good stuff but he's not in shape. Glendon Rusch comes from the Mets and is a stiff. Jamey Wright is a dog also. Did You Know? Jamey Wright was 8-3 with a 3.38 ERA in day games, but just 3-9 with a 6.47 ERA in night games. Richie Sexson put up far better numbers in the second half (.293-27-69 in 76 games) than he did in the first half (.251-18-56 in 82 games). 1,399 ? MLB record number of strikeouts set by Brewers hitters last season. The last time the Brewers finished the season with a winning record was in 1992 when they were 92-70. Good Headline: "Big Ben is a Big Winner." Bad Headline: "Sexson asks to be traded." NL East 1.) Atlanta Braves  2001 recap: 88-74, first place in NL East Manager: Bobby Cox (1,704-1.345) New faces: OF Gary Sheffield, 3B Vinny Castilla, RHP Albie Lopez, RHP Darren Holmes, C Henry Blanco Long gone: OF Brian Jordan, LHP Odalis Perez, RHP John Burkett, RHP Steve Karsay, IF Kurt Abbott, C Paul Bako, RHP Jose Cabrera, C Eddie Perez Ben's Takes: I think Gary Sheffield is going to hurt the Braves more than help them. Sheff will put great numbers up on the field but is a walking distraction off it. Brian Jordan was the heart and sole leader of this team. Have you ever seen an army without a leader? Its not pretty. Chipper Jones, Andrew Jones and company are not the leader types. The Braves also have to worry about an injury to Maddux or Glavine who are both getting long in the tooth by baseball standards. Did You Know? Greg Maddux allowed the fewest walks (27) of all NL pitchers who pitched 150 or more innings. Braves relievers allowed the fewest runs (207) and earned runs (182) of all relief staffs in the NL. Jason Marquis posted a 2.69 ERA in 13 games -- 11 starts -- after the All-Star break compared to a 4.42 ERA in 25 games -- five starts -- before the All-Star break. The Braves have won 10 consecutive NL East titles. Last season the Braves were the first MLB team to reach the playoffs with a losing home record (41-40). Good Headline: "Maddux and Glavine not done yet." Bad Headline: "Sheffield calls Braves racist." 2.) Florida Marlins  2001 recap: 76-86, fourth place in NL East Manager: Jeff Torborg New faces: OF Tim Raines, OF Mike Smith, RHP Julian Tavarez Long gone: LHP Jesus Sanchez, RHP Alex Fernandez, IF Dave Berg, RHP Juan Acevedo, RHP Antonio Alfonseca, RHP Matt Clement Ben's Takes: I love this team's pitching staff. If Jeff Torborg who used to be at Fox Sports Net can get the most out of this team they should contend in 2002. The Marlins have a staff lead by Ryan Dempster, A.J. Burnett and Brad Penny and Josh Beckett who all could win 15 games. The starting lineup has speed in Luis Castillo and power in Cliff Floyd and Preston Wilson. Charles Johnson is still a good catcher behind the plate. This team has almost all the pieces it takes to win IF the young pitchers are ready. Did You Know? Luis Castillo stole 33 bases, but was also caught stealing 16 times, tied for second-most in the majors. While Antonio Alfonseca lowered his ERA from 4.24 in 2000 to 3.06 last season, he also recorded only 28 saves in 2001 compared to 45 in 2000. Ryan Dempster (above) led the Marlins in victories with 15 and also logged the most innings (211.1) on the staff. 24: Last year's Marlins lost a major-league high 24 games in their opponents' final at-bat. Good Headline:"Marlins have a full deck of Aces." Bad Headline: "Young Florida Pitchers not as good as advertised." 3.) New York Mets  2001 recap: 82-80, third place in NL East Manager: Bobby Valentine (1,042-986 career) New faces: 2B Roberto Alomar, 1B Mo Vaughn, OF Jeromy Burnitz, LHP Shawn Estes, RHP Pedro Astacio, OF Roger Cedeno, RHP David Weathers, LHP Mark Guthrie, RHP Jeff D'Amico, OF Gary Matthews Jr., IF Lou Collier, RHP Satoru Komiyama, IF John Valentin, RHP Kane Davis Long gone: RHP Kevin Appier, LHP Glendon Rusch, OF Matt Lawton, OF Tsuyoshi Shinjo, 3B Robin Ventura, OF Alex Escobar, RHP Jerrod Riggan, IF Todd Zeile, OF Benny Agbayani, RHP Rick White, LHP C.J. Nitkowski, IF Desi Relaford, OF Endy Chavez Ben's Takes: The Mets have gone from a team that had good pitching and no offense to a team that has great offense and little pitching. Mo Vaughn, Mike Piazza, Roberto Alomar, Roger Cedeno and Jeremy Burnitz will be fun to watch at the plate but they can't pitch! Al Leiter is the staff ace at age 36 he has been hurt the past two years. Pedro Astacio was not resigned by the Astros because they think he has a bum arm. Shawn Estes was dumped by the Giants because he was inconsistent. Steve Trachsel was sent to the minors last year by the Mets after giving up four homers in one inning to the San Diego Padres. Jeff D'Amico missed most of last season for the Brewers with arm troubles and Bruce Chen has been dumped by the Braves and Phillies the last couple of years. It was so bad for Chen last season that Larry Bowa sent him to Double A to work on his stuff. Another problem the Mets have should they stay in the race, who are they going to trade for a pitcher? They have given up all their top minor leaguers. Did You Know? Mets leadoff hitters scored 70 runs. Only the Pirates (67) scored fewer. Mike Piazza hit a team-high 36 home runs and of his 314 career homers, 306 have come as a catcher, placing him in a third-place tie with Yogi Berra on the all-time HR list for catchers. The No. 5 spot was another black hole: the 74 RBI was a major-league worst and the .679 OPS ranked 29th. The Mets' pitching staff issued the fewest walks in the majors (438) and also tied for the major-league lead in shutouts with 14. Roberto Alomar hit a career high .336, which was also third-best in the American League in 2001. Good Headline: "Mets prove pitching is not needed to win." Bad Headline: "Leiter leads mets with 10th win, Vaughn buys nudie bar." 4.) Philadelphia Phillies  2001 recap: 86-76, second place in NL East Manager: Larry Bowa (167-203 career) New faces: RHP Terry Adams, OF Ricky Ledee, OF-IF John Mabry, RHP Eric Junge, RHP Jesus Cordero Long gone: LHP Omar Daal, OF Brian Hunter, LHP Dennis Cook, RHP Chris Brock Ben's Takes: The Fighting Phils have good balance of speed and power in the lineup and a solid young pitching staff. The lineup is lead by speedy Jimmy Rollins (46 Steals) and Marlon Anderson. Scott Rolen and Bobby Abreu supply the power in the 3-4 slots while catcher Mike Lieberthal is back from injury and will bat 5th infront of Pat Burrell who's been inconsistent and firstbaseman Travis Lee. Robert Person is the Ace and he pitched like it last season winning 15 games and finishing the year 11-2 in his last 13 decisions. Everyone is talking about the Mets and Braves in the East I wouldn't be shocked if the Phillies jumped up and made a run for the top spot. Did you know? Bobby Abreu became the first Phillies player in franchise history to reach the 30/30 (home runs/stolen bases) plateau. Abreu finished the season with 31 home runs and 36 stolen bases. Pat Burrell (above) tied with Raul Mondesi for the major-league lead with 18 outfield assists. The Phillies committed 96 errors in 2001, a franchise-record low. Good Headline: "Phillies are Rolen in NL East." Bad Headline: "Rolen traded for bag of balls." 5.) Montreal Expos  2001 recap: 68-94, fifth place in NL East. Manager: Frank Robinson New faces: RHP Matt Herges, LHP Ed Vosberg, OF Lance Johnson, OF Felix Jose, OF Endy Chavez, RHP Osvaldo Fernandez, OF Glen Barker, 3B Chris Truby, RHP Alan Mills Long gone: RHP Mike Thurman, RHP Guillermo Mota, OF Jose Canseco Ben's Takes: Jose Vidro and Vladimir Guerrero are two of the best everyday players in the game. After that they stink out loud. Centerfielder Peter Bergeron has speed but no power and 3B Fernando Tatis who once hit three homers in the same inning off Chan Ho Park missed almost all of last season with injuries. Javier Vazquez could pitch for any team in baseball he's the ace while Tony Armas and Carl Pavano follow him and have good stuff but have yet to establish themselves as stars. Let's hope that they trade good guy Matt Herges to the Mets before May! Did You Know? Javier Vazquez (above) has lowered his ERA each year in the majors: 6.06 to 5.00 to 4.05 to 3.42. Vazquez's K/BB ratio of 4.73 was sixth-best among all major-league starters, behind only Curt Schilling, Greg Maddux, Brad Radke, Randy Johnson and Mike Mussina. Vladimir Guerrero led the majors with 24 ground into double plays and was second with 16 caught stealing. 67: The average number of Expos victories the past four seasons. Expos retired numbers: Gary Carter, No. 8; Rusty Staub and Andre Dawson, No. 10. In 1983, the Expos finished second in the National League in attendance (2,320,651). Pete Rose. Collected 4,000th career hit while wearing an Expos uniform in 1984. Have won as many World Series since 1918 as the Red Sox and Cubs combined (0). Good Headline: "Herges heads to NL All-star game gets back at evil Dan Evans." Bad Headline: "Expos to fold up at All-star break." American League AL West 1.) Seattle Mariners  2001 recap: 116-46, 1st place in AL West Manager: Lou Piniella (1,147-983 career) New faces: 3B Jeff Cirillo, RHP James Baldwin, RHP Shigetoshi Hasegawa, C Ben Davis, OF/DH Ruben Sierra, IF Desi Relaford, IF Alex Arias Long gone: RHP Aaron Sele, 3B David Bell, RHP Jose Paniagua, OF Jay Buhner, OF Al Martin, RHP Bret Tomko, C Tom Lampkin, LHP Brian Fuentes, RHP Dennis Stark, LHP Rob Ramsay, SS Ramon Vazquez Ben's Takes: The biggest questions about the Mariners are can Brett Boone and Ichiro repeat their performances? The odds are against both players having career seasons again. The M's also need Ex-Dodger James Baldwin to replace Aaron Sele in the rotation. Sele, a stiff in the playoffs, has won 32 games the past 2 years in Seattle. I think Baldwin will bounce back and have a big season. Jeff Cirillo was a great pick up from the Colorado Rockies nobody plays harder than him. The bottom line on this team is nobody can really be expected to play any better than they did last season. I'm picking the Mariners to win the division but could easily see them drop off to the 90 win level. Did You Know? Ichiro hit .449 with runners in scoring position (first in majors), but just .293 when leading off an inning. Mike Cameron hit .310 with 18 home runs on the road but just .220 with seven home runs at home. Jamie Moyer became the oldest first-time 20-game winner ever and ranked fourth in the AL in opponents on-base percentage (.285). Last year's Mariners were the first AL team to lead the league in batting average, ERA and fielding percentage since the 1948 Indians. Good Headline: "James Baldwin gets back at Dodgers wins 20th." Bad Headline: "Boone a bust and Edgar goes on the DL." 2.) Texas Rangers  2001 recap: 73-89, 4th place in AL West Manager: Jerry Narron (62-72) New faces: OF Juan Gonzalez, RHP Chan Ho Park, OF Carl Everett, RHP Todd Van Poppel, RHP Jay Powell, LHP John Rocker, RHP Ismael Valdes, IF Herbert Perry, RHP Dave Burba, RHP Hideki Irabu, RHP Steve Woodard, RHP Dan Miceli, RHP Rudy Seanez Long gone: RHP Rick Helling, 1B Carlos Pena OF/DH Ruben Sierra, LHP Darren Oliver, OF Ricky Ledee, LHP Mike Venafro. Ben's Takes: They have three future hall-of-famers in there lineup. Alex Rodriguez, Pudge Rodriguez and Juan Gonzalez. Heck there is a chance Rafael Palmeiro could also end up in cooperstown. This should be the best offensive team in baseball in 2002. Yes, even better than the Mets. The question is how will John Rocker and Carl Everett fit in the clubhouse? I happen to think they'll be okay. Can Chan Ho Park pitch outside Dodger Stadium? Chan Ho figures to get off to a horrible start before he adjusts. The pitching is better and with that offense this team should be the surprise of the AL West in 2002. Did You Know? Alex Rodriguez (above) hit .356 and slugged .702 on the road in 2000, but hit .276 and slugged .567 on the road in 2001. A-Rod's .361 average at home was the highest in the majors for a non-Rockies player. Now that Cal Ripken is retired, Rafael Palmeiro is baseball's new Ironman. He's missed just 26 games over the past 11 seasons. After posting a 6.92 ERA through May, Doug Davis had a 3.77 ERA the rest of the season. Rafael Palmeiro and Babe Ruth are the only two players to have at least seven consecutive seasons of 38 or more homers. Good Headline: "Chan Ho wins 20th, Rocker picks up 40th save and Everett hits 35th HR." Bad Headline: "Rocker's a bum and Chan Ho's Gotta go." 3.) Oakland Athletics  2001 recap: 102-60, 2nd place in AL West, wildcard Manager: Art Howe (889-889 career) New faces: RHP Billy Koch, OF David Justice, 1B Carlos Pena, C Scott Hatteberg, 2B Randy Velarde, LHP Mike Venafro, LHP Mike Holtz Long gone: 1B Jason Giambi, OF Johnny Damon, RHP Jason Isringhausen, RHP Luis Vizcaino, LHP Mario Ramos, IF/OF F.P. Santangelo, OF Ron Gant, OF Billy McMillon, LHP Mark Guthrie Ben's Takes: Jason Giambi the heart and sole of the A's is now wearing pin stripes and playing ball in the Bronx. The A's still have talent and the three-headed monster in the rotation of Mark Mulder, Tim Hudson and Barry Zito who lead the way in 2001. The problem is the A's bullpen is not as good even with Billy Koch as the new closer. Also the offense should really suffer without Giambi and Johnny Damon who played will in the second half of the season. Dave Justice does not want to play in Oakland and he'll be a huge bust! Did You Know? Mark Mulder (above) led the AL with 21 wins and was seventh with a 3.45 ERA. Mulder, Tim Hudson and Barry Zito combined to win 56 games, which accounted for more than half of the A's total of 102 victories. Shortstop Miguel Tejada played in all 162 games and set career highs in home runs (31), runs (107) and stolen bases (11). 131: AL-leading number of pinch hitters used by the Athletics last season. Last year's A's were the first team to win 100 games after falling 10 games below .500. Good Headline: "Hudson and Mulder win with no offense." Bad Headline: "No Giambi no chance." 4.) Anaheim Angels  2001 recap: 75-87, 3rd place in AL West. Manager: Mike Scioscia (157-167 career) New faces: RHP Aaron Sele, RHP Kevin Appier, DH Brad Fullmer, LHP Dennis Cook, IF/OF Clay Bellinger, RHP Donne Wall Long gone: 1B Mo Vaughn, RHP Ismael Valdes, RHP Shigetoshi Hasegawa, RHP Pat Rapp, SS Gary DiSarcina, RHP Brian Cooper, LHP Mike Holtz Ben's Takes: Disney has done it again! They have put together another team that is good enough to compete but not good enough to get in the playoffs. The rotation is solid but I know about the "Curse of the Angels" and have to believe Kevin Appier and or Aaron Sele will get hurt. The offense should be better in 2002. I'm a huge fan of Darren Erstad, he could bat .180 and I would still pay to see him play he's as hard-nosed as it gets. It's too bad this will be Erstad's last year under the halo. Maybe the Dodgers can sign him to play centerfield in 2003. Tim Salmon must bounce back from a Rob Deer like season a year ago. Mike Scioscia is a solid manager but he's not a miracle worker. This team will hang around the race for a few months before the injuries take their toll, like always Did You Know? The Angels have posted four consecutive fourth-place finishes. Garret Anderson had 123 RBI last season, the most ever by an Angels' left-handed hitter. Angels' first basemen combined to hit .273, but had just 18 homers and 64 RBI, both worst in the AL. Even worse, Anaheim DHs hit just .204 and drove in 38 runs. Every other AL team had at least 74 RBI from the DH spot. Jarrod Washburn went undefeated (8-0) from May 9 until Aug. 2. But the 27-year-old hit a wall later on, losing his last four decisions during which time he also had an ERA of 5.70. In 1998-2000, Tim Salmon hit .481 (13-for-27) with the bases loaded. In 2001, he hit .000 (0-for-14). The Angels were 66-0 last season when leading after eight innings. Good Headline: "Erstad's AL MVP, Angels Win West." Bad Headline: "Kevin Appier done for the Year with torn ACL." AL Central 1.) Chicago White Sox  2001 recap: 83-79, 3rd place in AL Central Manager: Jerry Manuel (333-314 career) New faces: RHP Todd Ritchie, OF Kenny Lofton, OF Brian Simmons, 2B/OF Willie Harris Long gone: LHP David Wells, RHP Kip Wells, RHP Sean Lowe, RHP Josh Fogg, OF Chris Singleton, RHP Bill Simas, IF Herbert Perry, LHP Alan Embree, LHP Bill Pulsipher, RHP Cal Eldred, DH Jose Canseco, DH Harold Baines Ben's Takes: The White Sox have been given the AL Central preseason title because nobody else has done anything to get better. While the Twins were worried about folding and the Indians were giving away Roberto Alomar and letting Juan Gonzalez and Kenny Lofton leave the ChiSox were working on improving. They picked up Lofton to play centerfield and bat leadoff. They picked up Todd Ritchie from the Pirates to give them a solid number two starter. This is a club that surprised in 2000 and then took a step back in 2001. If Frank Thomas is healthy they should have playoff games again on the south side. Did You Know? Magglio Ordonez hit .349 on the road (second in AL), but just .262 at home. That may have been a one-year aberration, as he hit .308 at home and .292 on the road from 1998-2000. Mark Buehrle went 8-2, 2.32 in 10 starts vs. Detroit and Kansas City, but 1-3, 5.45 in six starts vs. Cleveland and Minnesota. Buehrle was the only Chicago starter to make more than 21 starts and the only pitcher with more than 140 innings pitched. 20 is the Number of games Frank Thomas played last year. Good Headline: "Ritchie Rich has the White Sox in first" Bad Headline: "Big Hurt, Hurt Again" 2.) Minnesota Twins  2001 recap: 85-77, 2nd place in AL Central. Manager: Ron Gardenhire (0-0 career) New faces: RHP Mike Jackson, IF Kurt Abbott, RHP David Lee, RHP Brian Meadows Long gone: RHP Todd Jones, OF Chad Allen Ben's Takes: Can the magic of 2001 continue in a post contraction 2002 season. If Bud Selig got his wish, this franchise would just have been a memory by now. I like the front part of the Twins staff how can you not. Radke, Milton and Mays all have solid stuff and Rick Reed if healthy is as good a number four starter as there is in baseball. The Twins really didn't do anything to improve in the offseason and that scares me. Also when a team surprises everyone one season they normally suck the next. I expect this to be a five hundred baseball team witch should be good enough to contend. Did You Know? The Twins were one of only four teams in the AL -- the Yankees, A's and Mariners were the others -- to have three pitchers compile 200 or more innings: Joe Mays (233.2), Brad Radke (226) and Eric Milton (220.2). Torii Hunter won his first career Gold Glove and also topped the Twins with 27 home runs. Doug Mientkiewicz (above) led the Twins with a .306 batting average, which was also 12th-best in the AL. Tom Prince enters the season with the dubious distinction of having the lowest batting average (.206) of any position player in the majors with a minimum of 500 at-bats... Good Headline: "Milton leads way with 20th win." Bad Headline: "Twins cut pay roll, trade Radke." 3.) Cleveland Indians  2001 recap: 91-71, 1st place in AL Central. Manager: Charlie Manuel (181-143 career). New faces: OF Matt Lawton, IF Ricky Gutierrez, RHP Mark Wohlers, RHP Jerrod Riggan, OF Brady Anderson, OF Alex Escobar Long gone: OF Juan Gonzalez, 2B Roberto Alomar Jr., P Dave Burba, P John Rocker, OF Marty Cordova, OF Kenny Lofton, RHP Steve Woodard, OF Dave Roberts Ben's Takes: Gone are Alomar, Lofton and Gonzalez and gone are the Indians years of winning the central. This is a team that threw in the white towel. The tribe claim to all of a sudden have money problems witch is odd considering that Jacobs Field is sold out everynight. well was sold out everynight, now the team looks like its gonna blow. They gave Alomar to the Mets and let Gonzalez and Lofton leave as free agents getting nothing for them. This is a team heading towards the bottom of the division. The problem is the Royals and Tigers suck so much its going to take another year for them to reach rock bottom. Did You Know? Despite striking out a major-league tying high 185 times, Jim Thome did reach career highs in home runs (49) and RBI (124). For the third time in the last four seasons, Bartolo Colon pitched 200 or more innings (222.1). Rookie C.C. Sabathia won seven of his last eight decisions to finish with a 17-5 record. The Indians' last 20-game winner was Gaylor Perry, 21-13 in 1974. Good Headline: "Gutierrez fills Alomar's shoes." Bad Headline: "Sabathia goes on DL." 4.) Detroit Tigers  2001 recap: 66-96, 4th place in AL Central. Manager: Phil Garner (730-823 career) New faces: IF/OF Dimitri Young, IF Craig Paquette, RHP Bill Simas, RHP Juan Acevedo, OF Jacob Cruz Long gone: 1B Tony Clark, OF Roger Cedeno, OF Juan Encarnacion, IF Devi Cruz, RHP Chris Holt, LHP Heath Murray, RHP Luis Pineda Ben's Takes: Will the Tigers ever put a good team on the field again? This year's team kind of reminds me of the Golden State Warriors in the NBA. There is good talent here but the parts don't look like they fit together. Change was needed and happened as long time tigers Tony Clark and Devi Cruz were sent out of town. Craig Paquette is a winning player he was good pick up in the offseason and Dimitri Young should hit the ball. The key for the Tigers is the development of their young pitching staff in the grand canyon of Michigan, Commerica Park. Did You Know? Visitors hit .284 at Comerica Park in '01. Only four other parks -- Kansas City, Texas and lunar Colorado -- yielded a better visitors' batting average. Despite playing only 124 games, Robert Fick led the Tigers in home runs with 19. The Tigers hit only 58 home runs in their own ballpark. That was good for last in the majors, along with Baltimore. Against righties, Detroit hit only 94 homers -- also worst in the majors. The Tigers are at least putting the ball in play. Only Kansas City hitters struck out fewer times in 2001 than the Tigers (972). But the Tigers' walk category (466, third-lowest in AL) needs serious improvement. 8 - Number of consecutive losing seasons for the Tigers. Good Headline: "Dimitri Young hits 30th HR." Bad Headline: "Tigers fire Garner." 5.) Kansas City Royals  2001 recap: 65-97, 5th place in AL Central Manager: Tony Muser (309-416 career) New faces: OF Chuck Knoblauch, OF Michael Tucker, LHP Darrell May, RHP Miguel Ascencio, RHP Bryan Rekar Long gone: C Gregg Zaun, RHP Brian Meadows Ben's Takes: I'm a guy that wants to see small market teams like the Royals win. I remember the glory days of the 1980's when the Royals, Twins and Brewers all made the World Series. I hope that in the future there is a way to see that happen again. I'm also a realist and I understand that this is one bad baseball team. They are a little better with Chuck Knoblauch and Michael Tucker, but still in the past two years they have lost Johnny Damon and Jermaine Dye for very little in return. Kansas City drafted a bunch of young pitchers and they think this is the season that they explode on the seen. We'll see what happens. Did You Know? Carlos Beltran stole 31 bases ... and was thrown out trying just once. Staff ace Jeff Suppan led the Royals with 10 victories, 120 strikeouts and a 4.37 ERA. K.C. leadoff hitters combined for a .282 on-base percentage, worst in the majors. The Royals last season were last in the AL in on-base percentage (.318) and walks (406). Good Headline: "Knoblauch back in all-star form." Bad Headline: "Royals trade Sweeney to the Yanks." AL East 1.) New York Yankees 2001 recap: 95-65, 1st place in AL East  Manager: Joe Torre (1,476-1,390 career) New faces: 1B Jason Giambi, LHP David Wells, OF Rondell White, RHP Steve Karsay, OF/1B John Vander Wal, 3B Robin Ventura, C Alberto Castillo, RHP Mike Thurman, IF Ron Coomer Long gone: OF Paul O'Neill, 1B Tino Martinez, 3B Scott Brosius, OF David Justice, OF Chuck Knoblauch, IF Randy Velarde, RHP Jay Witasick, OF Clay Bellinger, RHP Mark Wohlers, LHP Allen Watson, OF Ruben Rivera Ben's Takes: The Roman Empire took a break last season as the Arizona Diamondbacks stole the World Series title from the Bronx in the bottom of the ninth of game seven. This years version of the Yanks will have a very different look. Gone are hero's like O'Neill, Martinez, Brosius and Knoblauch. The changing of the guard around Derek Jeter and Bernie Williams takes place this year with Giambi, Ventura and White trying to fill the pinstripes. Giambi should be the new king of the Big Apple. He'll flourish in the pressure of New York. Let's face it a rotation of Roger Clemens, Mike Mussina, Andy Pettite and David Wells is scary good. The Yanks are the $123 million dollar class of baseball yet again on paper. Did You Know? Jason Giambi finished in the top five in the AL in the following categories: batting average (.342, second), doubles (47, first), total bases (343, third), walks (129, first), OBP (.477, first), SLG (.660, first) and OPS (1.137, first). Yankee leadoff hitters scored just 87 runs (Baltimore was worst in AL with 85) and drove in 48 (Tampa Bay was worst with 47). Yankee starters other than Clemens, Mussina and Pettitte went 12-24 with a 5.96 ERA. After June 2, Roger Clemens (above) beat just two teams that finished with a winning record. The Yankees' last AL home-run champ was Reggie Jackson (41 in 1980). Good Headline: "Giambi is the toast of the Bronx." Bad Headline: "Giambi: Trade me." 2.) Boston Red Sox  2001 recap: 82-79, 2nd place in AL East Manager: Mike Cubbage New faces: 1B Tony Clark, OF Johnny Damon, RHP Dustin Hermanson, RHP John Burkett, LHP Darren Oliver, IF Rey Sanchez, OF Damon Buford, OF Rickey Henderson, OF Michael Coleman, IF Carlos Baerga Long gone: OF Carl Everett, RHP Hideo Nomo, RHP Rod Beck, DH/OF Dante Bichette, 2B Mike Lansing, OF Troy O'Leary, 3B John Valentin, RHP Bret Saberhagen, RHP David Cone, RHP Hipolito Pichardo, OF Darren Lewis, C Scott Hatteberg, IF Chris Stynes, IF Izzy Alcantara, C Joe Oliver Ben's Takes: John Henry who was a bust as Marlins' owner and Tom Werner who was a bust as Padres' owner take over in Bean Town. This is a club that, on paper, should be very good. Dan Duquette who was fired during spring training put a good mix of speed and power on the field. Rickey Henderson and Johnny Damon should be on base all the time for guys like Manny Ramirez, Nomar Garciapara and Tony Clark in the middle of the order. Pedro Martinez is the best pitcher in baseball if he is healthy-- that seems to be a big if. Burkett, Hermanson and Oliver give the Bo Sox a solid staff for the first time in years. I see the Red Sox staying in the race all year. Did You Know? Trot Nixon may need a platoon partner. He hit just .210 with a .295 slugging percentage vs. left-handers. Without Nomar Garciaparra, Red Sox shortstops drove in 45 runs and had a lowly .299 on-base percentage. Red Sox starters were third in the AL in ERA, but next-to-last in innings pitched. Good Headline: "Grady Ball leads Red Sox." Bad Headline: "Pedro heard a snap." 3.) Toronto Blue Jays  2001 recap: 80-82, 3rd place in AL East Manager: Buck Martinez (80-82 career) New faces: RHP Luke Prokopec, LHP Felix Heredia, RHP Brian Cooper, 3B Eric Hinske, IF Dave Berg, RHP Chad Ricketts, RHP Justin Miller Long gone: RHP Billy Koch, DH Brad Fullmer, RHP Paul Quantrill, SS Alex Gonzalez, IF Cesar Izturis, OF Brian Simmons, IF Luis Lopez, C Alberto Castillo Ben's Takes: It's rebuild time north of the border. The Jays are not trying to win this season. They are trying to develop some young pitchers and position players around Carlos Delgado to make a run in 2004. This team thinks that Hinske the 3B they got from the A's farm system can hit 30 Homeruns. If he can that give Toronto a great middle of the lineup with Delgado, Hinske and Mondesi. The young pitchers figure to stink again and that makes for bad pathetic baseball. Check back in 2003. Did You Know? Raul Mondesi hit .282 with an 885 OPS in the first, but just .207 with a 659 in the second half. Jose Cruz had 229 at-bats as the leadoff hitter, but posted only a .284 on-base percentage from that spot. Rookie Brandon Lyon made the majors after just 33 minor-league starts and posted a 4.29 ERA in 11 starts. However, seven of those starts came against Baltimore, Detroit and Tampa Bay. The Blue Jays led the AL in middle-inning pitching changes last season with 221. Good Headline: "Prokopec is a star." Bad Headline: " Delgado not happy in Toronto." 4.) Tampa Bay Devil Rays  2001 recap: 62-100, 5th place in AL East Manager: Hal McRae (201-284 career) New faces: C Sal Fasano Long gone: RHP Bryan Rekar, OF Jose Guillen, LHP Jeff Wallace, RHP Mickey Calloway Ben's Takes: Let's say you lost 100 games during a season what would you do? Well, the Devil Rays figure that catcher Sal Fasano has all the answers. Fasano was the only notable player picked up during a silent offseason. The Rays have some fun players to watch who are young in Jason Tyner who is a young Brett Butler in the leadoff position. Toby Hall has a bright future at catcher and everyone says Brent Abernathy will be a good second baseman. The young pitchers like Nick Bierbrodt and Tanyon Sturtze have great stuff. The problem is they don't have any chance of playing close to the level of the Yanks and Bo Sox. If they can beat out Baltimore and Toronto that would be a great year. Did You Know? Ben Grieve (above) compiled career lows in runs (72), home runs (11), RBI (72), batting average (.264) and slugging percentage (.387) in his first year with the Devil Rays. Greg Vaughn batted just .233, but did lead the Rays with 74 runs, 24 home runs, and 82 RBI. With a 6-2 record, reliever Victor Zambrano was the only Tampa Bay pitcher with more than one victory and a winning record. One of the team's few bright spots was Jason Tyner's success on the basepaths, as he stole 31 sacks and was caught only six times. Tampa Bay hit a major-league low 121 homers last season Good Headline: "Young Rays The Talk of Baseball." Bad Headline: "D-Rays just a bad memory." 5.) Baltimore Orioles  2001 recap: 63-98, 4th place in AL East Manager: Mike Hargrove (795-679 career) New faces: OF Marty Cordova, OF Chris Singleton, RHP Chris Brock Long gone: IF Cal Ripken, OF Brady Anderson, RHP Alan Mills, OF Tim Raines, RHP John Wasdin, RHP Ryan Kohlmeier, 2B/OF Willie Harris Ben's Takes: Wow that stench coming from Baltimore is the Orioles. They are horrible. They are playing a bunch of young players who aren't rated very highly. Also in the mix are some average journeyman veterans. The O's had baseball's best record this spring. It might take them til June to win as many games as they did in March! Among the few bright spots are Josh Towers and John Parrish in the starting rotation both are young and have great potential. I really don't see any bright spots among the position players. None stand out. At least Tony Batista will hit a bunch of homers at 3rd. Did You Know? Jeff Conine batted .400 with runners in scoring position last year and led the Orioles with 97 RBI, 29 more than any other player. Jay Gibbons tied for the team lead with 15 home runs in just 73 games before suffering a season-ending wrist injury. Chris Richard also hit 15 home runs, and Tony Batista -- despite coming over from Toronto with 90 games left in the season -- hit 12 of his 25 total homers in an O's uniform. The Orioles were one of three teams in the majors last season -- Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay were the others -- to not have a starting pitcher post at least a .500 record. The only two Orioles pitchers with winning records were relievers John Bale (1-0) and Sean Douglass (2-1). The Orioles' last 20-game winner was Mike Boddicker, 20-11 in 1984. Good Headline: "Batista hits 40th." Bad Headline: "Hargrove fired at all-star break." permalink Sunday, March 31, 2002
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