Embedded Files
Circuit Clouts
April 1, 1993 • Season Preview Edition
April 1, 1993 • Season Preview Edition
SEASON PREVIEW EDITION
Year of the Horse?
Colts Poised for a Title
Will Gooden Return P-Bears to Playoffs?
As the UL heads into its 43rd season, one of its founding franchises is on the verge of returning to glory. The Chicago Colts—who finally made it to the World Series last year after back-to-back Semi Series exits—are the top-rated team with no fewer than six batters ranked in the top five at their position, #1 ranked 3B Gary Sheffield and SS Alan Trammell, who just produced 8.3 WAR in his 14th season.
Denver was active in the offseason, picking up 1990 MVP 2B Roberto Alomar and former Boston ace Roger Clemens, as they try to celebrate their 20th season with their first playoff appearance since 1980. St. Louis purged almost half of its All-Star caliber regulars, but managed to land two-time HR/RBI champion Rafael Palmeiro. And Florida is poised to jump to mid-table after a $24 million dip into the free agency pool netted their 3-4 hitters and 3-4 starters.
In the East, Detroit opens its title defense with rookie Ryan Klesko batting third, a healthy Dwight Gooden should translate to Toronto's return to the playoffs, and Manhattan follows up on an 89-win season with a wholesale pitching shakeup that sees four starters who were not in the opening day rotation a year ago.
Wade Boggs will close in on his 2500th hit, Eric Davis and Howard Johnson on their 350th home runs, and Rickey Henderson will become the second member of the 1,000-steal club with his next stolen base (which will come in a Seattle uniform).
Rookies to watch include SP Steve Trachsel, who will try to reinvigorate a moribund Spiders staff; Darren Oliver, who will be the Opening Day starter in Montreal; and the Boston quartet of Deion Sanders, Jim Thome, Brian Anderson, and Ryan Bown, as new GM Mark Waller takes the reins at Fenway.
Top Offseason Moves
Payroll Crunches Lead to Superstars on the Go
1B Rafael Palmeiro (TOR>STL) (6100)
Back-to-back HR and RBI champion in 1990-91, Palmeiro was a victim of Toronto's payroll crunch. Somehow St. Louis GM Glen Reed created enough cap space to splash nearly $21 million in free agency and still have space for Raffy's $6.1 million price tag.
Roberto Alomar (TOR>DEN) (9788)
Think of the UL's elite middle infielders—Trammell, Yount, Sandberg, Phillips. None of them has a higher WAR than Alomar over the last five seasons. Which justifies the third highest salary in the league and the total restructuring of Denver's financial future.
Ivan Calderon (DET>FLO) (6500)
Averaging 6.7 WAR over the last four years, Calderon is among the top five players in the league, which makes his $6.5 million/3-year contract with Florida look like an absolute bargain.
C Mike Scioscia (BRO>MAN) (6000)
When one of the league's top defensive catchers—who also happens to own a career .290 batting average—comes on the open market, you can expect he will earn top dollar. That's what happened when former Superba backstopper Mike Scioscia entered FA. And the winning bid came from the crosstown rival Manhattan Gray Sox.
SP Roger Clemens (BOS>DEN)
Clemens went from one of the most overpaid to one of the most underpaid pitchers in the league. Already carrying Barry Bonds' $18 million contract, there was no space on the Feds payroll for Clemens' $12 million. But the 14ers managed snared his services for a much more reasonable $3.3 million for three years, though he was still the highest paid pitcher in FA.
LF Rickey Henderson (STL>SEA) (8000)
New(ish) Seattle GM scored a coup with a $1 purchase of slugging 1B Alvin Davis and LF Rickey Henderson, who has a career .388 OBP and still averages 50+ steals per 162 games.
SP Joe Magrane (CLE>LA) (9731)
Outlaws get their third ace behind Cy winner Floyd Youmans and 18-win Greg Swindell.
Ohio Players
Citizen Group Funding New/Old Ballpark
Ohio Sen. John Glenn, Ohio Gov. George Voinovich, and Cleveland Mayor Michael R. White have joined with a citizens' group to bring a new/old ballpark to the Forest City. The Cleveland Barons have been playing in Municipal Stadium since moving from Boston in 1962. Built in 1931 in an effort to lure the 1932 Summer Olympics, the gargantuan stadium is the fourth oldest in the league, and arguably the most run-down. With a capacity of 78,000, the "Mistake by the Lake" looks mostly empty even on high-attendance days.
Modeling their consortium on the successful effort that brought an expansion team to Philadelphia (of all places...), the Buckeyes for a Ballpark group brings together luminaries from the fields of aviation, music, and literature. Founding members include TV host Phil Donahue, Calvin and Hobbes author Bill Watterson, Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh, and astronaut Jim Lovell, the commander of the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission. It was Lovell's friendship with John Glenn, a member of the Mercury 7, that got the ball rolling on the stadium project. In addition to being among the earliest NASA astronauts, Lovell and Glenn are both huge baseball—and Barons— fans.
The group includes investors from throughout the state: Wendy's founder Dave Thomas and zookeeper Jack Hanna (Columbus), Devo frontman Mark Mothersbaugh (Akron), Pixies bassist Kim Deal (Dayton), feminist icon Gloria Steinem (Toledo), women's business pioneer Marge Schott and filmmaker Steven Spielberg (Cincinnati), and inventor of The Game of Life Reuben Klamer (Canton), and actress/singer Traci Lords (Steubenville). Who knew they were all baseball fans??
Current plans call for a faithful reconstruction of League Park in the historic Hough neighborhood on the east side of Cleveland. The home of the National League Cleveland Spiders (1891-1899) and American League Cleveland Indians (1901-1946), League Park has seen more than its share of baseball history. None other than Cy Young delivered the first pitch at the park in 1891, the inaugural American League game was played there in 1901, Babe Ruth hit his 500th home run there in 1929, and Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak came to an end there in 1941.
No timeline was given, but GM Charlie Qualls hopes to have his club in the new/old ballpark for Opening Day 1995.
Rules Tweaks Ahead
Players Union Negotiates New Terms
The UL Board of Governors today approve a package of rule changes aimed at streamlining club operations and further leveling the financial playing field among its 18 clubs. The UL will introduce minor league contracts and reduce the rookie salary scale and maximum payroll cap next season. Visiting teams will earn a 20 percent share of non-season ticket gate revenues, which should level out total revenues.
The changes follow months of intense review and extensive polling of club officials.
Predicted Finish
Predicted Finish
BNN PREDICTED FINISH
East W L GB R RA
Toronto 94 66 - 9 4
Washington 88 72 6 16 1
Manhattan 85 75 9 4 11
Detroit 84 76 10 5 12
Brooklyn 80 80 14 3 13
Keystone 75 85 19 12 16
Montreal 75 85 19 6 15
Boston 71 89 23 1 18
Cleveland 60 100 34 18 10
West W L GB R RA
Chicago 100 60 - 2 3
Los Angeles 89 71 11 10 2
Denver 88 72 12 7 6
St. Louis 87 73 13 8 9
San Francisco 81 79 19 15 7
Atlanta 75 85 25 14 8
Havana 74 86 26 13 14
Florida 72 88 28 17 5
Seattle 66 94 34 11 17
REED'S READ
Reed BNN Diff
03 Toronto 2 -1
06 Manhattan 7 +1
07 Brooklyn 10 +3
08 Detroit 8 0
09t Washington 5 -4
11t Montreal 12t +1
14 Boston 16 +2
16 Keystone 12t -4
17 Cleveland 18 +1
Reed BNN Diff
01 Los Angeles 3 +2
02 Chicago 1 -1
04 St. Louis 6 +2
05 Havana 14 +9
09t Denver 4 -5
11t San Francisco 9 -2
13 Florida 15 +2
15 Seattle 17 +2
18 Atlanta 12t -6
Positional Rankings
Positional Rankings
CATCHERS
1 2 Rich Gedman WAS
2 7 Ivan Rodriguez MON
3 1 Mike Piazza BOS
4 3 Mike Stanley HAV
5 6 Benito Santiago CHI
6 5 Mike Scioscia MAN
7 - Dave Nilsson DET
8 8 Terry Steinbach SF
9 - Brent Mayne KEY
- 4 Gary Carter MAN
- 9 Mickey Tettleton TOR
FIRST BASEMEN
1 1 Rafael Palmeiro STL
2 2 Frank E Thomas LA
3 9 John Olerud CHI
4 5 Fred McGriff DET
5 4 Mark Grace SF
6 5 Howard Johnson HAV
7 - Wally Joyner MAN
8 6 Alvin Davis SEA
9 8 Will Clark CLE
- 3 Cory Snyder LA
SECOND BASEMEN
1 1 Ryne Sandberg WAS
2 2 Roberto Alomar DEN
3 3 Tony Phillips STL
4 4 Bip Roberts MON
5 5 Geronimo Pena BRO
6 7 Mickey Morandini CHI
7 8 Jay Bell LA
8 9 Tony Fernandez DET
9 - Carlos Baerga KEY
- 6 Mark McLemore DEN
POSITION PLAYERS
01 Ken Griffey Jr BRO
02 Barry Bonds BOS
03 Alan Trammell CHI
04 Rich Gedman WAS
05 Ryne Sandberg WAS
06 Ellis Burks TOR
7 Kal Daniels HAV
8 Eric Davis CHI
09 Shane Mack HAV
10 Albert Belle CHI
11 Rafael Palmeiro STL
12 Robin Yount STL
13 Gary Sheffield CHI
14 Matt Williams BRO
15 Roberto Alomar DEN
16 Tony Phillips STL
17 Sammy Sosa BOS
18 Bip Roberts MON
19 Lenny Dykstra STL
20 Frank E. Thomas LA
THIRD BASEMEN
1 2 Gary Sheffield CHI
2 1 Matt Williams BRO
3 3 Wade Boggs WAS
4 4 Kevin Mitchell HAV
5 8 Kevin Seitzer STL
6 6 Gary Gaetti MAN
7 9 Chris Brown SEA
8 7 Travis Fryman SF
9 - Edgar Martinez BOS
SHORTSTOP
1 1 Alan Trammell CHI
2 2 Robin Yount STL
3 3 Barry Larkin SF
4 4 Scott Fletcher MAN
5 8 Jeff Blauser MON
6 5 Rey Sanchez LA
7 9 Mariano Duncan TOR
8 6 Tom Foley BRO
9 - Ozzie Guillen DET
- 7 Dickie Thon TOR
LEFT FIELDERS
1 2 Kal Daniels HAV
2 4 Albert Belle CHI
3 5 Dion James STL
4 - Larry Walker MON
5 - Juan Gonzalez TOR
6 9 Dwight Smith DET
7 - Mike Aldrete SF
8 - Tim Raines DEN
9 6 Rickey Henderson SEA
- 3 Andy Van Slyke LA
- 7 Dan Pasqua DEN
- 8 Terry Puhl DET
STARTING PITCHERS
01 1 Pedro Martinez ATL
02 4 Dwight Gooden TOR
03 2 F Valenzuela ATL 04 6 Floyd Youmans LA
05 5 John Smoltz ATL
06 9 B Saberhagen WAS
7 3 Mike Mussina FLO
8 07 Jose DeLeon SF
09 13 Greg Swindell LA
10 12 Andy Benes DET
11 10 Erik Hanson CHI
12 - Darren Oliver MON
130 8 Teddy Higuera WAS
14 11 Roger Clemens DEN
15 15 Pat Hentgen BOS
16 - Pedro Astacio DET
17 18 Mark Langston HAV
18 - Don Robinson SEA
19 - Steve Cooke CHI
20 14 Greg Mathews TOR
-- 16 S Sanderson TOR
-- 17 Darryl Kile ATL
-- 19 Joe Magrane LA
-- 20 Tom Glavine STL
CENTER FIELDERS
1 1 Ken Griffey Jr BRO
2 1 Barry Bonds BOS
3 2 Ellis Burks TOR
4 3 Eric Davis CHI
5 4 Shane Mack HAV
6 5 Lenny Dykstra STL
7 5 Stan Javier LA
8 - Kirby Puckett WAS
9 7 Luis Gonzalez MON
- 8 Otis Nixon MAN
- 9 Milt Thompson DEN
RIGHT FIELDERS
1 4 Sammy Sosa BOS
2 1 Tony Gwynn ATL
3 2 Ivan Calderon FLO
4 7 David Justice HAV
5 6 John Shelby TOR
6 3 Junior Felix MON
7 - Orlando Merced DET
8 9 Willie McGee SEA
9 - Tim Salmon KEY
- 5 Phil Bradley MAN
- 7 John Kruk STL
- 8 Mike Greenwell BRO
TOP RELIEVERS (tiers)
* - Doug Henry SEA
A - Dave Beard CLE
A - Greg McMichael BRO
A - Blas Minor BRO
A - Mark Wohlers DET
B - Rob Dibble STL
B A Michael Jackson TOR
B A Dan Plesac ATL
B A Tim Scott HAV
- A John Wetteland BRO
- B Stan Belinda FLO
- B Jose Mesa TOR
- B Gene Nelson HAV
- B Arthur Rhodes ATL
* - 4.5 stars
A - 4.0
B - 3.5
EAST DIVISION
EAST DIVISION
TORONTO POLAR BEARS
W L Pl R RA Rank
1990 92 68 3rd 5.4 4.5 1 10
1991 100 60 2nd 5.2 4.1 1 7
1992 83 77 7th 5.4 5.0 1 18
Avg HR RBI WAR
RF S John Shelby .308 24 93 3.1
SS R Dickie Thon .260 13 57 2.0
CF R Ellis Burks .312 48 102 6.4
1B R Eric Karros .223 23 51 0.4
LF R Juan Gonzalez .290 15 63 1.3
3B R Chris Sabo .265 13 54 1.9
C S Mickey Tettleton .239 45 111 4.3
2B R Ron Gant .250 41 95 3.2
W L ERA WAR
SP R Dwight Gooden 3 0 4.19 0.2
SP R Scott Sanderson 8 6 3.60 2.0
SP R Kelly Downs 10 14 5.32 1.8
SP R Rene Arocha* rookie
SP R Brian Holman 15 12 5.12 2.1
CL R Michael Jackson 31 SV 3.32 0.6
The return of a 4-time Cy Young winner and the introduction of a promising Cuban rookie should revitalize a staff that plummeted to last in the league. Gooden got just five starts last year and Rene Arocha looks like a potential Rookie of the Year candidate. Meanwhile, the offense will aim to improve on last year's league-record 295 HRs.
IN
*SP Rene Arocha, RF John Shelby,
SS Dickie Thon
OUT
1B Rafael Palmeiro, 2B Roberto Alomar
MANHATTAN GRAY SOX
W L Pl R RA Rank
1990 79 81 12th 4.6 4.4 9 8
1991 70 90 13th 4.7 5.5 4 18
1992 89 71 6th 4.9 4.8 3 13
Avg HR RBI WAR
1B L Wally Joyner .312 12 43 2.5
RF R Tom Brunansky .262 24 79 3.3
2B R John Valentin .257 30 96 3.7
LF R Joe Carter .242 19 47 0.6
3B R Gary Gaetti .269 28 80 4.5
SS R Scottt Fletcher .271 4 44 2.4
C R Gary Carter .200 15 51 1.5
CF S Otis Nixon .247 0 41 1.1
W L ERA WAR
SP R Jim Gott 15 10 4.53 3.8
SP L Britt Burns 13 13 4.22 3.2
SP R Ken Howell 7 5 4.78 0.7
SP R John Mitchell 2 3 3.63 0.5
SP R Melido Perez 9 10 4.61 2.4
CL R H'cliff Slocumb 20 SV 2.57 2.0
A wholesale pitching shakeup sees four starters who were not in the opening day rotation a year ago. The ace burden will fall on former Outlaw righthander Jim Gott, who is still adapting to the close confines of Hudson Yards, but the staff as a whole will rely the veteran guidance of 37-year-old backstopper Gary Carter.
IN
SP Britt Burns, RF Tom Brunansky,
C Gary Carter, C Mike Scioscia,
SP Melido Perez, SS Dick Schofield Jr,
CF Otis Nixon, RP Drew Hall
OUT
SP Ed Whitson, C Dave Valle,
CF Mike Devereaux, SP Doug Drabek
BROOKLYN SUPERBAS
W L Pl R RA Rank
1990 81 79 9th 4.5 4.6 11 12
1991 93 67 3rd 4.8 3.9 3 5
1992 79 81 11th 4.9 4.6 4 10
Avg HR RBI WAR
2B S Geronimo Pena .299 20 87 6.2
RF L Mike Greenwell .325 8 40 2.0
3B R Matt Williams .315 39 100 5.5
CF L Ken Griffey Jr .300 49 113 10.1
1B L Willie Upshaw .308 22 110 4.4
LF L Ken Landreaux .262 3 20 0.3
SS R Dale Berra minors
C L Jeff Reed .303 5 25 0.7
W L ERA WAR
SP R Kevin Brown 10 13 4.55 4.4
SP R Ramon Martinez 14 9 4.50 3.2
SP R David Cone 13 11 5.21 3.5
SP L Steve Avery 13 10 4.13 3.6
SP L John Smiley 1 3 4.20 -1.2
CL R John Wetteland 11 SV 4.02 0.6
*on Injured List
The pitching dropped five spots to 10th last year as the playoff favorites quickly faded out of contention. The whole staff regressed, but none morethan David Cone, whose ERA ballooned to 5.20. The Bas will need the much-hyped former #4 prospect to finally put it all together to return to the playoffs.
IN
RP Greg McMichael, LF Ken Landreaux,
1B Bob Horner
OUT
SP Britt Burns, LF Dion James, C Mike Scioscia, 2B Luis Alicea
DETROIT GRIFFINS
W L Pl R RA Rank
1990 88 72 7th 4.8 4.1 5 5
1991 80 80 10th 4.0 4.0 13 6
1992 103 57 1st 4.8 3.9 6 3
Avg HR RBI WAR
RF L Dwight Smith .287 21 72 2.3
3B S Tony Fernandez .296 8 50 2.6
LF L Ryan Klesko rookie
1B L Fred McGriff .338 55 145 8.2
C L Dave Nilsson .266 12 45 1.5
CF S Orlando Merced .304 11 77 2.7
2B L Jeff Treadway .292 6 62 1.6
SS L Ozzie Guillen .292 5 57 3.3
W L ERA WAR
SP R Andy Benes 20 4 2.97 5.5
SP R Pedro Astacio 7 5 3.32 3.3
SP L Pete Schourek 11 9 3.39 2.6
SP L Chris Nabholz 10 12 4.15 2.4
SP R Alex Fernandez 11 8 4.49 2.5
CL R Mark Wohlers 49 SV 2.02 1.9
Of the three key pieces to Detroit's surprise title run [along with Benes' 20 wins and Wohlers' UL-record 49 saves], McGriff's HR/RBI/OPS titles seem the least likely to repeat. That's why rookie Ryan Klesko's production could be key to the Griffs' success in '93. I mean, how many rookies have made their debut batting 3rd for the defending champs Another to watch is 2nd-year righty Pedro Astacio, who needs a big year to keep the Detroit staff in top 3 in runs allowed.
IN
3B Tony Fernandez, *LF Ryan Klesko, RF Terry Puhl
OUT
RF Ivan Calderon, SP Randy Tomlin, RP Sergio "Hazelwood" Valdez
WASHINGTON MONUMENTS
W L Pl R RA Rank
1990 91 69 4th 4.5 4.0 12 4
1991 88 72 5th 4.2 3.7 10 1
1992 91 69 4th 4.6 3.8 8 2
Avg HR RBI WAR
SS R Mariano Duncan .274 9 34 2.5
RF R Kirby Puckett .342 13 63 4.6
2B R Ryne Sandberg .296 28 105 7.9
C L Rich Gedman .289 26 124 6.5
3B L Wade Boggs .324 8 53 5.2
1B R Julio Franco .331 10 50 3.2
LF R Glenallen Hill .317 22 58 3.2
CF S Mitch Webster .251 2 26 0.4
W L ERA WAR
SP R Bret Saberhagen 14 9 2.87 5.6
SP L Teddy Higuera 17 11 2.96 5.8
SP R Kevin Tapani 11 7 3.62 2.3
SP L David Wells 8 7 4.15 2.8
SP L Randy Johnson 2 2 5.81 0.2
CL R Cecilio Guante 2 SV 2.75 0.2
Kevin Tapani trimmed his ERA nearly two runs in his first year in Griffith Stadium. The Mons will need his steadying presence behind two Cy Young winners. The offense is hoping that SS Mariano Duncan bounces back from a down year.
IN
1B Julio Franco, CF Mitch Webster,
RP Cecilio Guante, SP Randy Johnson,
C Don Slaught, SP Al Leiter
OUT
CF Stan Javier, LF Harold Baines,
SP Bob Tewksbury, 1B Mark McGwire,
RP Paul Assenmacher, LF Chili Davis
MONTREAL VOYAGEURS
W L Pl R RA Rank
1990 54 106 17th 3.7 5.2 17 16
1991 86 74 7th 4.5 4.2 6 9
1992 75 85 13th 4.5 4.7 10 12
Avg HR RBI WAR
LF L Larry Walker .314 10 52 3.1
2B S Bip Roberts .355 9 76 6.8
RF S Junior Felix .301 35 118 6.5
CF L Luis Gonzalez .227 8 30 0.5
C R Ivan Rodriguez .304 10 84 4.9
SS R Jeff Blauser .303 19 69 4.1
1B L Tino Martinez .275 9 35 0.6
3B R Brook Jacoby .248 11 62 1.2
W L ERA WAR
SP L Darren Oliver rookie
SP R Mike Scott 16 10 4.25 3.9
SP R Chris Bosio 13 16 4.36 3.0
SP L Kenny Rogers 8 11 5.42 1.5
SP R Curt Schilling 14 15 3.88 3.0
CL R Lee Smith 28 SV 3.09 1.4
Two youngsters were immediately put in key roles and how the youngsters respond will largely determine whether the V's can achieve their second winning season since 1986. 6th overall pick Darren Oliver leapfrogs 16-win Mike Scott to the top of the rotation. And 1990 #4 pick Luis Gonzalez is assigned cleanup duties despite a .696 OPS in 250 PA last year.
IN
*SP Darren Oliver, RP Donn Pall
OUT
LF Ken Landreaux
BOSTON FEDERALS
W L Pl R RA Rank
1990 90 70 5th 4.8 4.3 4 7
1991 67 93 15-T 4.2 4.4 11 12
1992 80 80 9-T 4.9 4.8 5 14
Avg HR RBI WAR
LF L Deion Sanders rookie
3B R Edgar Martinez .311 16 83 3.5
CF L Barry Bonds .290 39 122 6.9
RF R Sammy Sosa .287 40 113 6.0
C R Mike Piazza .305 36 124 4.6
2B R Chuck Knoblauch .322 5 41 2.9
1B L Jim Thome rookie
SS R Kevin Elster .253 8 41 1.3
W L ERA WAR
SP R Pat Hentgen 15 9 2.83 5.2
SP L Brian Anderson rookie
SP R Ryan Bowen rookie
SP R Scott Kamieniecki 12 12 4.70 1.6
SP L Brad Havens minors
CL R Jose Nunez 0 SV 4.10 0.4
After a 13-year stint in the nation's capital, GM Mark Waller takes over the hapless Feds, who have had one playoff appearance since 1980. He inherits one of the most potent offenses, with the Bonds-Sosa-Piazza trio all likely members of the 40/100 club. The priority will be fixing a long-neglected pitching staff and figuring out how to make room for Bonds' expected $18M contract next year. Toward that end, Waller let longtime ace Roger Clemens walk and will roll out two rookies at the top of the rotation. The biggest burden will fall to lefty Brian Anderson, the 27th overall pick, who will start as SP2 after an impressive 1.19 ERA in the spring.
IN
*Brian Anderson, *1B Jim Thome,*SP Ryan Bowen, *LF Deion Sanders, RP Jose Nunez
OUT
SP Roger Clemens, LF Craig Biggio,
SP Bob Sebra, CF Otis Nixon,
C Darren Daulton
KEYSTONE STARLINGS
W L Pl R RA Rank
1990 63 97 16th 4.2 5.4 14 18
1991 64 96 18th 3.7 4.8 17 17
1992 67 93 14-T 4.2 5.0 14 17
Avg HR RBI WAR
C L Brent Mayne .290 6 29 1.9
2B S Carlos Baerga .307 22 54 4.4
1B R Jeff Bagwell .256 21 70 2.0
RF R Tim Salmon .277 40 103 6.3
LF R George Bell .259 18 75 0.2
3B L B.J. Surhoff .292 10 54 1.6
CF R Reggie Sanders .219 29 89 1.3
SS R Wil Cordero rookie
W L ERA WAR
SP R Scott Bankhead 5 20 4.84 3.2
SP R Kirk McCaskill 12 17 4.51 2.9
SP L Kirk Rueter rookie
SP R Jay Tibbs 14 7 4.80 1.7
SP R Greg Maddux 10 16 5.41 1.4
CL R John Dopson 29 SV 3.90 0.5
The Starlings are still a few years away from a murmuration, but they have found their first club icon. Despite three straight 90-loss seasons out of the gate, Rookie of the Year Tim Salmon jerseys are fueling a merchandising and season-ticket boom. This year he aims to be the first player to hit 40 HR and 100 RBIs in his first two seasons (not counting Bob Horner).
IN
*SP Kirk Rueter, *SS Wil Cordero,
*RP Kent Mercker
OUT
none
CLEVELAND BARONS
W L Pl R RA Rank
1990 80 80 10-T 3.9 3.8 15 3
1991 74 86 11th 3.9 4.2 15 8
1992 66 94 16th 3.8 4.6 16 10
Avg HR RBI WAR
CF L Kenny Lofton .226 2 8 -0.2
2B R Eric Young .281 4 30 0.8
1B L Will Clark .299 21 94 2.5
3B R Ken Caminiti .263 12 54 1.8
LF R Craig Biggio .328 2 38 1.5
RF R Lance Johnson .233 0 4 -0.4
C L Mike LaValliere .284 6 59 1.2
SS R Rafael Belliard minors
W L ERA WAR
SP L Matt Young 7 7 3.58 3.9
SP L Randy Tomlin 9 2 3.94 2.0
SP R Jaime Navarro 6 14 4.87 1.4
SP R Paul Wagner rookie
SP R Bill Wegman 7 10 4.32 1.2
CL R Dave Beard 0 SV 4.74 1.8
For a clue as to GM Charlie Qualls' priority this year, one need look no further than the Barons Clubhouse store, where advance purchases of the A-Rod jersey is the top seller.
IN
1B Will Clark, SP Randy Tomlin,
RP Dave Beard, 3B Ken Caminiti,
*SP Paul Wagner, LF Craig Biggio,
CF Kenny Lofton, RP Kyle Abbott
OUT
SP Joe Magrane, 3B Tony Fernandez,
1B Hal Morris, RP Greg Harris,
RP Dan Plesac, CF Mitch Webster
WEST DIVISION
WEST DIVISION
LOS ANGELES OUTLAWS
W L Pl R RA Rank
1990 98 62 1st 4.5 3.6 10 1
1991 101 59 1st 4.9 3.8 2 3
1992 90 70 5th 4.2 3.7 12 1
Avg HR RBI WAR
LF L Andy Van Slyke .305 23 75 6.1
1B R Frank E. Thomas .266 27 82 3.5
RF R Pat Tabler .340 2 21 1.3
3B R Cory Snyder .296 46 117 4.9
CF S Stan Javier .281 6 69 4.2
2B R Jay Bell .280 18 66 4.0
SS R Rey Sanchez .251 1 43 1.7
C R Ron Karkovice .262 5 19 0.6
W L ERA WAR
SP R Floyd Youmans 16 12 2.59 6.9
SP L Greg Swindell 18 7 2.75 4.4
SP L Joe Magrane 10 8 3.40 4.0
SP L Rheal Cormier 7 4 3.30 3.0
SP L Bruce Hurst 9 12 4.31 3.4
CL R Todd Frohwirth 37 SV 2.03 1.9
Though the playoffs was never in doubt, L.A.'s 90 wins and 5th overall finish were both 12-year lows. GM Peter Vays hopes former Maroon Pat Tabler can kick-start an offense that dropped 10 spots to 12th. Magrane is five years younger than Beard, but is a Dierker-esque investment with a price tag just under $10 million.
IN
SP Joe Magrane, CF Stan Javier, RF Pat Tabler
OUT
RF Tom Brunansky, SP Dave Beard, 3B Ken Caminiti, CF Milt Thompson, 1B Bob Horner, CF Kenny Lofton
CHICAGO COLTS
W L Pl R RA Rank
1990 96 64 2nd 4.4 3.7 13 2
1991 91 69 4th 4.4 3.7 8 2
1992 93 67 3rd 4.7 4.1 7 5
Avg HR RBI WAR
3B R Gary Sheffield .324 28 93 8.2
1B L John Olerud .307 16 84 3.3
LF R Albert Belle .316 30 116 6.6
RF R Eric Davis .289 36 86 5.0
SS R Alan Trammell .324 24 82 8.3
C R Benito Santiago .314 23 88 4.0
2B L Mickey Morandini .277 4 17 1.0
CF R Darren Lewis .196 2 14 -0.3
W L ERA WAR
SP R Erik Hanson 9 14 3.07 3.8
SP L Steve Cooke 16 6 3.00 4.5
SP L Terry Mulholland 9 11 4.49 2.8
SP R Jeff M. Robinson 18 7 3.38 2.6
SP R Anthony Young 8 5 2.84 3.1
CL R Todd Burns 34 SV 2.63 2.7
After their first playoff series win in 20 years, the Bondage Ponies will look to sophomore southpaw Steve Cooke to return the staff to elite status and lead Chicago to the next level.
IN
none
OUT
1B John Kruk, SP Charles "Imre" Nagy, SP Melido Perez, RP Jose Nunez
ST. LOUIS MAROONS
W L Pl R RA Rank
1990 89 71 6th 5.1 4.2 3 6
1991 87 73 6th 4.6 4.3 5 11
1992 101 59 2nd 5.0 3.9 2 4
Avg HR RBI WAR
CF L Lenny Dykstra .327 14 74 6.5
2B S Tony Phillips .313 20 90 6.7
LF L Dion James .307 9 51 2.4
1B L Rafael Palmeiro .296 45 119 5.5
RF L Reggie Jefferson .286 9 34 0.5
3B R Kevin Seitzer .306 5 61 3.4
C R Brian Harper .316 4 64 2.0
SS R Robin Yount .314 19 90 5.3
W L ERA WAR
SP L Tom Glavine 15 9 4.43 1.2
SP R Dave Schmidt 10 10 4.16 5.0
SP R Steven Ontiveros 13 4 3.80 3.4
SP R Charlie Lea 16 9 3.62 4.0
SP R Alejandro Pena 4 3 2.54 1.4
CL R Rob Dibble 17 SV 3.13 1.9
A $21 million free-agency combined with a keen offseason trade brings in a two-time HR/RBI champion (Rafael Palmeiro), a career .329 hitter (Dion James), a career 11.2 K/9 closer (Rob Dibble), and the first starting catcher under 35 in a decade (Brian Harper). Raffy is a generational slugger who almost single-handedly guarantees a playoff return for the West pennant-winners.
IN
1B Rafael Palmeiro, LF Dion James,
RP Rob Dibble, C Brian Harper,
RP Paul Assenmacher, 1B John Kruk,
LF Chili Davis
OUT
1B Alvin Davis, LF Rickey Henderson,
RF Dan Pasqua, 1B Julio Franco,
RF Pat Tabler, C Gary Carter,
RP Steve Howe, SP Sid Fernandez,
RP Donn Pall
HAVANA LEONES
W L Pl R RA Rank
1990 87 73 8th 4.6 4.6 8 11
1991 83 77 8th 4.3 3.9 9 4
1992 81 79 8th 4.6 4.5 9 8
Avg HR RBI WAR
LF L Kal Daniels .327 36 95 7.2
CF R Shane Mack .319 36 103 8.3
RF L David Justice .274 16 65 2.2
C R Mike Stanley .310 43 116 5.1
1B S Howard Johnson .298 32 80 5.0
3B R Kevin Mitchell .282 24 96 2.9
2B L Lou Whitaker .231 17 47 1.4
SS R Alvaro Espinoza .271 6 68 0.7
W L ERA WAR
SP L Mark Langston 12 7 3.49 3.1
SP R Kevin Ritz 16 9 3.59 3.6
SP L Dennis Rasmussen 11 14 5.14 1.5
SP R Doug Drabek 4 4 4.95 0.7
SP R Charles Nagy 1 2 5.07 -0.3
CL R Gene Nelson 31 SV 4.02 -0.8
With all that power, it is hard to fathom that the Leones were only 9th in scoring last year. All eyes will be on slugging catcher Mike Stanley to follow up on a breakout year.
IN
SP Doug Drabek, SP Charles "Imre" Nagy, SP Jose Rijo,
RP Sergio "Hazelwood" Valdez
OUT
X
DENVER 14ers
W L Pl R RA Rank
1990 72 88 14-T 5.1 5.3 2 17
1991 67 93 15-T 3.9 4.7 16 16
1992 78 82 12th 4.1 4.2 15 7
Avg HR RBI WAR
LF S Tim Raines .324 4 46 4.6
3B S Mark McLemore .306 8 49 4.3
2B S Roberto Alomar .319 18 83 4.4
RF L Dan Pasqua .265 21 69 2.5
C L Rick Wilkins .202 9 25 0.5
1B L Rick Leach .297 5 23 0.6
CF L Milt Thompson .270 0 16 0.4
SS S Ozzie Smith .285 4 50 2.2
W L ERA WAR
SP R Roger Clemens 11 11 4.47 3.2
SP R Ron Darling 14 10 3.70 3.3
SP L Donovan Osborne 9 12 4.85 2.0
SP R Bill Swift 10 12 3.54 3.1
SP R Mike Trombley 4 8 3.65 0.7
CL L Norm Charlton 18 SV 2.69 2.5
Alomar's $9.7 million salary clocks in as the third largest in club history, which along with making Roger Clemens the highest paid free agent pitcher, signals Denver's push to compete now. The Teeners' pitching make great strides last year, climbing nine spots to 7th, and fans are hoping Clemens gives them a legit ace that ends a 12-year playoff drought.
IN
2B Roberto Alomar, SP Roger Clemens, RF Dan Pasqua, 1B Hal Morris, RP Greg Harris, CF Mike Devereaux, CF Milt Thompson
OUT
CF Jesse Barfield, 1B Will Clark,
RP Rob Dibble, LF Vince Coleman,
SS Dick Schofield Jr, RP Jesse Orosco,
2B Glenn Hubbard, SP Al Leiter
SAN FRANCISCO SPIDERS
W L Pl R RA Rank
1990 72 88 14-T 3.8 4.4 16 9
1991 72 88 12th 4.1 4.3 12 10
1992 67 93 14-T 4.2 4.9 13 16
Avg HR RBI WAR
2B S Jose Oquendo .267 2 49 1.2
SS R Barry Larkin .315 14 77 4.6
1B L Mark Grace .314 11 57 4.3
RF L Mike Aldrete .282 19 92 3.8
3B R Travis Fryman .275 14 65 3.0
LF R Rob Deer .230 30 88 2.8
CF S Bernie Williams .270 20 70 3.1
C R Terry Steinbach .257 11 62 1.3
W L ERA WAR
SP R Jose DeLeon 9 14 3.94 3.8
SP R Frank Castillo 15 12 3.43 2.9
SP L Greg Hibbard 11 16 5.06 2.4
SP R Steve Trachsel rookie
SP R Tommy Greene minors
CL R Bobby Thigpen 23 SV 3.39 1.5
GM Jeff Tonole resigned after a 30-year tenure and in the wake of the Spiders' worst pitching season since the Johnson Administration, the interim front office put an emphasis on pitching in the draft (after taking Carlos Delgado at #4). 2nd round pick Steve Trachsel will bypass the minors and has an opportunity to improve the UL's third worst pitching staff.
IN
*SP Steve Trachsel, *SP Woody Williams, SP Todd Stottlemyre, SP John Butcher, RP Craig Lefferts
OUT
X
FLORIDA FLAMINGOS
W L Pl R RA Rank
1990 51 109 18th 3.2 5.0 18 15
1991 69 91 14th 3.4 4.5 18 14
1992 56 104 18th 3.4 4.5 17 9
Avg HR RBI WAR
LF S Ruben Sierra .255 17 71 1.2
SS S Omar Vizquel .281 2 44 1.6
RF R Ivan Calderon .332 26 87 7.1
1B R Mark McGwire .228 31 94 0.8
CF R Jesse Barfield .277 15 46 1.7
2B S Luis Alicea .252 0 12 -0.3
3B R Scott Brosius .198 13 43 -0.4
C L Matt Nokes .228 15 37 -0.2
W L ERA WAR
SP R Mike Mussina 8 18 4.32 3.8
SP R Shane Reynolds 5 12 4.13 2.1
SP R Bob Sebra 12 14 4.70 2.5
SP R Bob Tewksbury 14 9 3.68 2.9
SP L Frank Viola 7 7 4.31 0.9
CL R Stan Belinda 28 SV 3.03 0.2
The 'Mingos are poised to make the jump to mid-table after a $24 million dip into the free agency pool netted their 3-4 hitters and 3-4 starters. The Calderon-McGwire-Barfield trifecta should instantly electrify the Pink Bird attack.
IN
RF Ivan Calderon, CF Jesse Barfield, SP Bob Sebra, SP Bob Tewksbury, 1B Mark McGwire, 2B Luis Alicea, LF Vince Coleman
OUT
SS Dickie Thon, RP Cecilio Guante, RF Terry Puhl, SP Randy Johnson, C Don Slaught, SP Jose Rijo
SEATTLE RAINIERS
W L Pl R RA Rank
1990 80 80 10-T 4.7 4.7 6 13
1991 82 78 9th 4.5 4.5 7 13
1992 80 80 19-T 4.4 4.8 11 15
Avg HR RBI WAR
2B L Delino DeShields .275 10 55 2.8
LF R Rickey Henderson .277 13 70 3.0
3B R Chris Brown .340 23 76 5.5
1B L Alvin Davis .298 23 91 3.3
CF R Henry Cotto .282 18 83 2.6
RF S Willie McGee .352 3 50 4.4
SS S Harold Reynolds .263 7 63 1.2
C R Javy Lopez rookie
W L ERA WAR
SP R Don Robinson 12 18 4.91 3.9
SP L Mike Mason 13 7 3.59 3.2
SP L Wilson Alvarez 0 2 6.92 -1.2
SP L David West 7 10 4.23 3.5
CL R Doug Henry 44 SV 2.18 3.1
In one of the offseason's biggest coups, GM Brandon Tucker acquired two St. Louis Maroon castoffs for pocket change. On-base wizard Rickey Henderson and mashing 1B Alvin Davis should give a boost to a once-mighty offense that dipped to 11th in scoring last year. And the bullpen features 44-save Doug Henry and rookie fireballer Trevor Hoffman. The big question, however, is how many leads will the bullpen inherit from the shaky rotation?
IN
LF Rickey Henderson, 1B Alvin Davis,
*RP Trevor Hoffman, LF Harold Baines, *C Javy Lopez
OUT
RF John Shelby, C Brian Harper
ATLANTA HILLTOPPERS
W L Pl R RA Rank
1990 77 83 13th 4.7 4.9 7 14
1991 66 94 17th 4.0 4.7 14 15
1992 61 99 17th 3.2 4.2 18 6
Avg HR RBI WAR
CF L Ray Lankford .234 11 43 0.7
SS R Gary DiSarcina .264 11 52 1.0
RF L Tony Gwynn .354 9 65 3.9
1B R Greg Colbrunn .238 5 11 0.1
LF L Phil Plantier .209 8 24 -0.2
C R Dave Valle .253 18 72 2.7
SS S Jose Valentin .267 4 10 0.9
2B R Damian Easley .230 1 13 0.1
W L ERA WAR
SP L Pedro Martinez 10 9 2.13 5.4
SP R John Smoltz 12 13 3.49 4.1
SP L Fernie Valenzuela 13 14 3.32 5.2
SP R Darryl Kile 10 19 4.79 1.8
SP R Ed Whitson 13 10 4.78 3.2
CL L Steve Howe 33 SV 2.99 0.7
*on Injured List
The '93 Red Blobs were the 6th lowest scoring team in UL history (3.2). However, that's of little concern to GM Andy Chaney, the mastermind behind the most fearsome collection of hurling talent in perhaps decades. Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz, and Fernando Valenzuela has the promise of being one of the all-time great rotations.
The #4 starter (Darryl Kile) was the 6th overall pick and the #5 starter (Ed Whitson) is coming off a 3.2 WAR season. If that were not enough, the bullpen added two of the best lefty relief men in the game (Steve Howe and Dan Plesac). The ace will be the key. The ERA and WHIP champion in his rookie year, Pedro could be even better this year, though a sore shoulder will sideline him for the first two weeks.
IN
SP Ed Whitson, RP Steve Howe,
RP Dan Plesac, C Dave Valle,
RP Jesse Orosco, SP Sid Fernandez,
2B Glenn Hubbard, C Darren Daulton
OUT
RP Drew Hall
Injuries
Injuries
BRO SP Mike Timlin (2 mo)
BRO Ken Griffey Jr (5 wk)
SEA RP Steve Farr (4 wk)
STL SP John Martin (4 wk)
TOR SP Tom Candiotti (6 mo)
TOR SP Mario Soto (5 wk)
Google Sites
Report abuse