This week, in a land far, far away, the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Devil Rays will open the 2004 Major League Baseball season. And, for the next six months, all will seem right with the world. Baseball Tonight returns to my home for the summer like an umbilically attached college student. Peter Gammons will spin comforting homilies like:
“Look…a Red Sox scout told me…that Pedro could win 20 this year…but…that remains to be seen…”
MLB’s Extra Innings digital cable package comes back into my life for the third straight year. They give me up to 35 out-of-market games each week and ask for so little in return. Well, OK, they ask for $149 in return, but that’s a small price to pay for the privilege of watching Bert Blyleven and his insufferable “Circle Me, Bert!” spots on Twins broadcasts. And let’s not forget the dulcet tones of the legendary Vin Scully on Dodger TV or the unintentionally hilarious ads for something called Yankeeography on the YES Network.
Finally, all the off-season talk about BALCO and subpoenas, Pay-Rod and payrolls will be replaced by the inherent optimism that’s only found on Opening Day when every team has the same record and any team can be there in October.
This is your 411 Black Official Major League Preview. We’ll begin with the Central Divisions today, with the East and West to follow on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. Each division will feature a thumbnail sketch of the predicted order of finish, with more detailed team-by-team analysis immediately below.
American League Central
2004 Predicted Order of Finish
1. Minnesota Twins
2. Kansas City Royals
3. Cleveland Indians
4. Chicago White Sox
5. Detroit Tigers
1. Minnesota Twins – Has their window of opportunity closed? With a resurgent Royals team and a popular sleeper pick in the Indians, it’s easy to forget that the class of the division is still the Twins. The effects of the off-season trade of A.J. Piersynski (.312/.360/.464) will be interesting to watch in regards to his highly-touted replacement, while the bullpen will be expected to absorb two huge departures with some unproven newcomers.
Neither Eddie Guardado (41 saves, 2.89 ERA) nor LaTroy Hawkins (74 games, 1.86 ERA) received the ink they deserved for their work over the last few seasons. Joe Nathan (83 K’s in 79 IP) comes over from the Giants as the Twins new closer replacing Señor Everyday. He won’t enjoy the pitcher’s paradise he had a Pac Bell Park (1.99 ERA at home, 3.99 ERA on the road), so it will be on Ron Gardenhire to monitor his usage and resist the urge to stretch him too thin.
J.C. Romero will be the team’s primary set-up man in 2004 and he’ll need to find a happy medium between the over-his-head campaign in 2002 (1.89 ERA) and the one-foot-in-the-grave disaster in 2003 (5.00 ERA). The rotation is led by former swing man Johan Santana, who was outstanding last year (.216 opponent’s average) and Brad Radke, who had a terrific second half of ’03, on the Twins way to their second straight division title. Kyle Loshe is a serviceable innings eater in middle of the rotation.
All eyes will be on homegrown local boy Joe Mauer (.341 BA at AA last year), who gets the call-up as the Twins catcher this year. He was famously drafted first overall two years ago in a “signability” selection over future Cub Mark Prior. He’s been tearing up the minors ever since and, while his long ball power hasn’t developed…you can bet it will, just not this year. It won’t matter…he’s got great plate discipline already and solid gap-to-gap pop.
The rest of the offense returns, mostly intact. OF Shannon Stewart (.384 OBP last year) is a tad overrated, but still one of the better leadoff hitters in the League. 1B Doug Mientkiewicz is often chided for his absence of home run muscle, but a number two hitter with a nearly .400 OBP is damn fine in my book. OF Torii Hunter and Jacque Jones regressed from their dual career years in 2002, but both are young enough to adjust and put up better numbers than they did last year. And Corey Koskie (.393 OBP) remains one of the more overlooked third basemen in the game. This is certainly a flawed team, but clearly the best in the Midwest.
2. Kansas City Royals – Last season, baseball experts were falling over themselves to proclaim the Royals “flukes”, “frauds” and other assorted F-words. Tony Peña kept his boys in contention for most of the summer, before fading down the stretch. Even hardcore fans probably missed some of the improvements they made in the off-season. Meanwhile, Kansas City fans are once again excited about their chances, even though the team is still facing some on-field questions.
OF Carlos Beltran is one of the best and most complete players in the game today. He’s capable of obliterating his 2003 line of .307/.389/.522 (with 41 SBs, for good measure). He’s also in the final year of his contract and advised by notorious hard-liner Scott Boras, who’s made it known that Beltran will test the free agent waters after this season. If the Royals aren’t contending by mid-July, look for them to unload Beltran for whatever they can get.
1B Mike Sweeney had an OBP of .440 and a SLG of .540 before a neck injury derailed his 2003 season. He’s an immensely skilled hitter who needs to step up and answer the questions about his durability. His number of games played has dropped each of the last four seasons. The good news is that last year’s fill-in Ken Harvey won’t ever have to get 480 at-bats in a season, again. He might actually be effective in a platoon with newly signed and still effective Matt Stairs (.582 SLG vs. RHP in ’03).
SS Angel Berroa (.287 BA, 17 HR) was a deserving choice for 2003 AL ROY and will need to avoid the sophomore slump in the leadoff spot to keep the Royals chances afloat…a 20-20 season isn’t unrealistic. OF Juan Gonzalez (.572 SLG in ’03) and C Benito Santiago come over from Texas and San Francisco, respectively. Their desire and durability were both called into question at their last stops and both players will need an attitude adjustment to fit in with such a young and impressionable club.
The pitching staff and their nearly top-to-bottom breakdown killed the Royals last summer. If Jeremy Affeldt can control the blister problems that plagued him last year, he could easily harvest his stuff into an All Star caliber season. Brian Anderson isn’t nearly as good as his 5-1 mark with KC in 2003 might indicate. He’s very much miscast as the staff ace here.
And the Kevin Appier nostalgia tour is quaint, but there’s no way he’s going to give this team more than 100-120 innings. The bullpen is helmed by a lot of overachievers from 2003, most notably closer Mike MacDougal who collapsed after parlaying his good luck into an All Star Game appearance last year. Although Curtis Leskanic could be closing in April if MacDougal hasn’t recovered fully from a stomach virus.
3. Cleveland Indians – With the recent out-of-nowhere success of the Anaheim Angels and Florida Marlins, the new trend in predictions is to find the team who will most likely follow in their footsteps. The Indians’ exciting young offense and maturing rotation have many expecting Cleveland to contend sooner, rather than later. But, the reality is that they’re at least another season from returning to the October prime time schedule.
SP C.C. Sabathia reportedly ballooned to 300 pounds this offseason, but he disputes those reports and claims to be in the best shape of his career. He dropped his ERA from 4.37 to 3.60 in 2003 and recorded 21 quality starts (out of 30). His strikeout rate has dipped since his 17-win rookie season, but at only 22 years old, he could have a breakout (or breakdown) at anytime.
Jason Davis had flashes (3.02 ERA in June ’03) where he was as good as his minor league reports indicated, but he gradually lost arm strength and effectiveness throughout 2003 before finally packing it with a lame shoulder in August. Keep an eye on him, as he’s got electric stuff, but a history of concentration lapses at the worst possible times. Closer Bob Wickman is out until July with a sprained right elbow, but the bullpen should still be a strength. David Riske (2.29 ERA, 9.88 K/9) could step into the Wickman’s role and take the job, permanently.
OF Jody Gerut got off to a slow start before whacking 22 homers. He’s a little old (26) for a player with so little major league experience, but if he can increase his walk totals and be a little more selective, he could have a fine career in front of him. OF Milton Bradley has fought injuries and personal demons since he first broke in with Montreal, but he finally cashed in on the hype with a .421 OBP and .501 SLG in 2003.
SS Omar Vizquel and OF Matt Lawton aren’t likely to recapture the magic of their heydays anytime soon and neither should be at the top of the Indians’ lineup. However, with 2B Ron Belliard and C Victor Martinez firmly entrenched at the bottom of the order, there’s really nowhere else to hit them.
4. Chicago White Sox – Looking up and down the White Sox roster, it’s easy to fall in love with the middle of their lineup and expect big things in 2004. Furthermore, the starting rotation could be very good if everything falls into the right place. Unfortunately, there are just too many holes, along with an unproven manager to jump on the Sox bandwagon.
Longtime shortstop Ozzie Guillen returns home to Chicago and questions immediately surfaced over how he’d relate to temperamental DH Frank Thomas. The Big Hurt’s 2003 campaign was only the second “Big Hurt-worthy” season he’s had in the last six years, so theirs will be a relationship worth watching. OF Magglio Ordoñez (.380 OBP, .586 SLG in ’03) and 1B Carlos Lee are two players who don’t get much national press, but are capable of putting up .500+ SLG for a few more years to come.
It’s the rest of the lineup that causes concern. Leadoff hitter 2B Willie Harris has 324 career at-bats and a .255 OBP/.262 SLG. 1B Paul Konerko put up solid numbers in the second half of 2003 to go with an absolutely awful first half, so there’s no telling which version ChiSox fans will get this year. And don’t underestimate the loss of Carl Everett to this year’s squad. When Aaron Rowand is your likely replacement, that’s a huge step backwards.
Speaking of losses, Bartolo Colon (15 wins, 242 IP’s) has left the Windy City for The O.C.’s Angels, but the emergence of SP Esteban Loaiza (21-9) into a top-flight starter could help soften that blow. Although, one has to wonder if Loaiza is really the pitcher who put up a 2.90 ERA and contended for the Cy Young Award or the underachiever who has a career ERA nearly two runs higher. He’s joined by inconsistent sinker-baller Jon Garland and lefty Mark Buehrle, who averaged about 16 wins per season since 2001, but has also watched his ERA creep higher and higher each year, too.
The bullpen should once again be a strength, especially if Billy Koch returns to form. He was pitched into the ground during his 2002 campaign in Oakland and there are legit questions concerning his long-term future. If Koch stumbles, RPs Damaso Marte (1.58 ERA, 9.83 K/9) and Kelly Wunsch could (and should) get the chance to finish off games.
5. Detroit Tigers – 2003 was a season of near historic lows for the Motown Nine. Rookie manager Alan Trammell did all he could to keep the team together, but not before the Tigers put up 119 losses. Combine that with a new ballpark that the locals have been staying away from in droves and it’s no surprise that the ownership group would be inclined to overreact in regards to improving the roster.
C Ivan Rodriguez gets the payday he’s been after since his last year in Texas. Fans shouldn’t be fooled by his stellar postseason stats, though. His power numbers took a huge dip after leaving the launch pad at Arlington (.542 SLG in 2002, .474 in 2003) and he’s moving from one pitcher’s park to another. He’s also another year older and probably won’t see 560 plate appearances again anytime soon.
Dmitri Young (.297/.372/.537) is the only other respectable stick on the roster, however his 2003 season has probably fooled the team into thinking he can be part of their foundation for the future. He’s already 30 years old, a terrible defender and should be moved while his value is at its highest. If the Tigers aren’t careful, he could turn into another Bobby Higginson (.235 BA, .320 OBP), whom the team held onto way past his prime and got stuck with his fat, immovable contract.
In the offseason, the Tigers made some cosmetic moves to convince their fanbase that they were on the rebound, but 2B Fernando Viña and OF Rondell White are barely average players whose collective offensive decline will be further hastened with 80 games at Comerica. On the plus side, despite the slow starts to their careers, 1B Carlos Peña and 3B Eric Munson (18 HRs in 99 games) will both become very good players in the not-too-distant future, while SS Carlos Guillen (.276 BA, .359 OBP) will be about a zillion times better than Ramon Santiago. No exaggeration.
Last year, run support played a small part in the misery of the pitching staff. A small part…there was plenty of stank to go around here. How can SP Mike Maroth give up 34 bombs, while playing half his games in the Grand Canyon? How could Nate Cornejo only strike out 46 in nearly 200 innings? Why was Jeremy Bonderman (6-19, 5.56 ERA) baptized by fire at age 20, when he should’ve been in AAA?
Ugueth Urbina will close games out this year. It’s pretty much a four-month audition for contenders who want to deal for a closer in late July.
National League Central
2004 Predicted Order of Finish
1. Houston Astros
2. St. Louis Cardinals
3. Chicago Cubs
4. Cincinnati Reds
5. Pittsburgh Pirates
6. Milwaukee Brewers
1. Houston Astros – While they made the splashier headlines with the signings of a pair of frontline starting arms, it’s their explosive offense which should propel them into the postseason. Manager Jimy Williams has seemingly wised up and handed a pair of disputed infield spots to infinitely better talent and the trade of Billy Wagner should barely be felt. And did we mention the starting rotation?
Sure…we all saw the cozy press conferences and puff pieces that made the signings of SPs Andy Pettite (21-8) and Roger Clemens (17-9, 3.97 ERA) sound like the feel-good story of the year. But, this team was already employing two phenomenal arms in Roy Oswalt (2.97 ERA) and Wade Miller (14 wins). The ex-Yankees probably won’t put up numbers to match their Bronx experience, but they’ll fit in anywhere from the one through four slots and push Jeriome Robertson to the number five spot, where his talent probably belongs.
In the bullpen, Octavio Dotel (10.03 K/9) has been lights-f’n-out since coming over from the Mets after the 1999 season. Health permitting, 40+ saves is not an unreasonable goal for him. Brad Lidge is already an excellent set-up man, while Ricky Stone (11 HR allowed in ’03) needs to keep the ball in the park more frequently if the team plans to give him 80-90 high leverage innings again.
Ah, but that offense…1B Jeff Bagwell is still an on-base machine at 36, even if his power has dipped since his prime. 2B Jeff Kent reports that his wrist is 100% and he should continue to thrive in the bandbox of the Juice Box. Rounding out the infield, 3B Morgan Ensberg and SS Adam Everett no longer have to look over their shoulders to see inferior players (Geoff Blum and Jose Vizcaino) taking their playing time. Ensberg, especially, could be primed for a monster (40 HR?) season.
OF Richard Hildago (.957 OPS) may have saved his career with a stellar 2003 season. While Lance Berkman will be asked to steer his numbers out of the steady three-year decline they’ve been in. Even the sight of Craig Biggio flailing around in the outfield and up that silly hill won’t be enough to keep the locals from having to choose between the ‘Stros and Texans on TV this October.
2. St. Louis Cardinals – Tony LaRussa took over the Cards in 1996 with great fanfare. While he’s taken the Red Birds to four division titles, the fans are getting increasingly restless with his failure to guide them to the proverbial next level. They’ll need a lot to break right this year to contend and, while you can’t tell on the surface, they’re better equipped to do so than last season’s 85-win roster.
1B Albert Pujols (.359/.439/.667) may be a year or two older than he’s letting on, but he’s still the best young player in the League. He’s poised for a Bonds-like run of multiple MVPs and this could be the year where the hardware starts rolling in. 3B Scott Rolen (.910 OPS) is the circuit’s best at the position and just might improve upon last year’s career year. SS Edgar Renteria is tremendously underrated and a terrific table-setter for the meat n’ potatoes of the Cardinals lineup.
St. Louis will need a healthy Jim Edmonds in 2004, but even factoring in the Home Run Derby injury that ruined his second half, he still slugged an outrageous .617 last year. He and OF Reggie Sanders (.567 SLG) won’t likely repeat their lofty 2003 stats, but the smart money says they’ll come close enough to remain two of the better hitters in this division.
SP Matt Morris has injury questions of his own to answer. His velocity dipped into the low-to-mid 80s before he was finally shelved for a month last summer. He’s one of those high-risk/high-reward guys that can be the difference in a close race. Somehow, Woody Williams (18-9) keeps right on winning, but he’s another injury risk for 2004 as he’s battled tendinitis this spring. While Danny Haren has the makings of a solid starter and Jeff Suppan comes over to eat his usual plate of 200+ workman-like innings.
Jason Isringhausen has been more consistent in St. Louis than he ever was in Oakland, but injuries kept him off the mound for a stretch last year. He still saved 22 and should add about 15 to that total with a clean bill of health. Ray King, Steve Kline and Cal Eldred are more than capable in the set-up roles. This season, the flight of the Cardinals will be tied to the number of hours their players spend in the trainer’s room.
3. Chicago Cubs – Manager Dusty Baker has likely parlayed the Cubs magical, and eventually tragic run in last October’s postseason into years of goodwill. The belief here is that he’ll need every last drop of unabashed love, because, while the 2004 Cubbies look loaded on paper and could make another run…there are storm clouds on the horizon that could foreshadow a long season ahead.
I’ll spot you the rotation up front. Kerry Wood and Mark Prior (who will start the season on the disabled list with an Achilles injury) form the best young one-two punch in the league. What last year’s numbers don’t show, however, is how hard Dusty rode their arms. The two threw 6,913 pitches combined last year, which was the highest in the majors for any two teammates. This isn’t a guarantee that either will come down with arm trouble in 2004, but with Dusty’s spotty track record of developing pitchers in San Francisco (two examples: the physical demise of Bill Swift and the psychological implosion of Salomon Torres) it must be a concern.
And, yes, Greg Maddux returns to Wrigley to bring the curtain down on his Hall of Fame career. Agent Scott Boras swindled a two-year deal (with an option, no less) out of the Cubs in a pact that only makes sense in Greg’s checking account. His strikeout rate per nine innings dipped down to about 5.1 last year, continuing a slow and steady slide. While his home runs allowed rate spiked noticeably in 2003.
His decline may not be dramatic, but look for it to continue in 2004. Oh, and don’t give me that nonsense about how he’ll be “invaluable” to the Cubs’ young arms. There’s not a shred of evidence that indicates his mystical presence had a significant impact on any young Atlanta starter during his time with the Braves.
It’s actually the offense that should be the cause of concern for the denizens of the North Side. OF Sammy Sosa is still one of the game’s better sluggers, but his OBP and SLG have been going the wrong way for three years and, at 35, there’s no reason to think the drop won’t continue. Moises Alou (.280 BA, 22 HR) rebounded from a mediocre 2002, but tore ligaments in his thumb and suffered through a so-so second half. He’s also on the wrong side of 35 and, for a middle-of-the-order guy; his likely offensive regression could drag down the entire team’s run production.
Underrated 1B Derrek Lee (31 HR, 21 SB) and 3B Aramis Ramirez will improve the Cubs’ overall output at the corners from 2003, but 2B Mark Grudzielanek (.314 BA) will not match his 2003 effort.
SS Alex Gonzalez and his one-dimensional bat will continue their “Manny Lee with Muscles” routine with some marginal pop to go with horrible numbers everywhere else. Even with the impending return of Corey Patterson to the lineup, this offense doesn’t compare to the Astros and Dusty’s love for letting his starters throw 130-140 pitches an outing has me thinking the worst will happen to somebody out there this summer.
4. Cincinnati Reds – It was all supposed to be so…right. The Prodigal Son returns home and a new (Great American) Ballpark opens. The fans would flock to watch a promising young offense led by a future Hall of Famer and the memories of fifth-place frustration or 1999’s heartbreaking one-game playoff loss would dissolve like a puff of Marge Schott’s smoke.
The Reds have room for hope. As long as their hitters can find a way to keep the team’s arms off the mound as long as possible. Any discussion with the Reds must begin with their brittle superstar Ken Griffey, Jr. Contrary to what you might think, his offensive numbers haven’t been that bad over his last three injury-plagued years. He’s posted an OBP no lower than .358 over that time and slugged .533 and .566 in two of those three seasons. Still, it’s hard to imagine him playing 160 games in season again.
Youth will eventually be served, however. OF Austin Kearns, 24, was off to a phenomenal start last year (.309/.417/.599) before injuring his rotator cuff. There are reports that he’s still not 100%, but he’ll be in the opening day lineup. 1B Adam Dunn catches some deserved flak for his strikeouts and he’s watched his BA/OBP/SLG drop each year of his brief career, but he’s still only 24 and plenty young enough to turn it around.
It’s hard to believe that 2B D’Angelo Jimenez (.290 BA, .365 OBP w/Cincy) is just 26 (and I mean that in every way). He’s worn out his welcome and burned bridges all across the Major Leagues, but he’s actually a decent, if unspectacular player who’s probably a little stretched at the very top of the order. Unfortunately, the “potential” of the youngsters and adjectives like “decent” won’t win in this division. 1B Sean Casey appears to have peaked in 1999 (ironically, at the age of 24), while the Reds won’t get much out of the other infield corner spot, as Brandon Larson is a platoon talent at best..
Cincinnati’s pitching was horrible in 2003 (5.09 team ERA) and it will only slightly improve this year. Paul Wilson’s return from fizzled super-prospect is only heartwarming to those who remember those halcyon Generation K days.
Jimmy Haynes might be one of the five worst pitchers (min. 1000 career IP’s) in the game today, while opening day starter Cory Lidle and Aaron Harang are just rotation filler until both learn to keep the ball down in the zone on a more consistent basis. And Danny Graves comes crawling back to the bullpen (as closer) after a spectacular 4-win-15-loss flameout in 2003.
5. Pittsburgh Pirates – The running gag with the Buccos is to start every evaluation of the team’s strengths with: “they have a nice ballpark”. The problem is, these days, that’s really the best thing they have going. Ravaged by idiotic personnel moves over the past few years, this is a franchise that is years away from contention, but with just enough talent to stay out of the Central basement.
Where to begin? The club made a couple of controversial deals last year that netted SP Oliver Perez and OF Jason Bay from the Padres and INF Freddy Sanchez from the Red Sox. There are wildly differing evaluations on the talent level of all three, with the best of the lot probably being Bay. He’s put up awesome minor league numbers (yes, in hitter’s parks) but he was slugging .506 in just under 80 AB’s for Pittsburgh before going down with an injury.
Sanchez was expected to beat out another tarnished prospect in Bobby Hill for the second base job. Most don’t expect his decent pop at Pawtucket in the last season or two to translate into more than line drives at the big league level. And that’s not a bad thing. CF Tike Redman (.330 BA in Aug./Sept.) was dropped from the team’s 40-man roster in 2002, but two good months last year seems to be enough to get handed an everyday job. Speaking of odd moves, former Rockies UT Chris Stynes will be the opening day third baseman, despite hitting just .218 with one home run away from Coors Field last year.
Continuing last year’s soap opera, C Jason Kendall is back for more trade rumors and run-ins with manager Lloyd McClendon. Kendall is a fine offensive catcher who reached base 40% of the time last year. While his power numbers may never match his pre-ankle mutilation seasons, he’s the de facto cornerstone of this lineup and the organization. Still, don’t be surprised to see him in another uniform if someone is willing to take the four years/$42 million left on his contract.
On the mound, SP Kip Wells battled poor run support, untimely blown saves and a televised on-field beef with his manager…and still posted a 3.28 ERA in 31 starts. The drop-off from him is mighty steep, though. Kris Benson’s hype (former #1 overall pick) has carried him much farther than his career 35-41 record should’ve allowed.
The aforementioned Oliver Perez should be a good one, and very soon, but his insistence on pitching a full Mexican League schedule every winter needs to be curtailed. Jose Mesa is reportedly the frontrunner in the race for the closer’s job. That alone should guarantee the team another LA Clipper-esque “high draft pick” party in 2005.
6. Milwaukee Brewers – Rejoice, Brewers fans, because there is some good news. While the current Major League team faces another season as the league’s doormat, the Brewers’ minor league operations have been getting rave reviews. Unfortunately, names like Prince Fielder, Corey Hart, J.J. Hardy and Rickie Weeks don’t expect to see much time in Wisconsin this summer, which I’m told is not as humid as hell, but with bigger mosquitoes.
For the second straight year, the Brewers failed to draw 2 million fans to their shiny glass monstrosity called Miller Park. It’ll be three straight as the Brewers have filled the roster with a gaggle of holdovers and seat warmers until their talent on the farm is ready to contribute. 1B Richie Sexson’s 45 home runs have been replaced by Lyle Overbay who rang up deceptively good minor league power numbers all in hitter’s havens. OF Geoff Jenkins recently signed a multi-year pact, but his injury history makes it unlikely that he’ll match his .538 SLG from last year, much less his career year in 2000.
Other Diamondback exiles collecting paychecks from Team Selig include their new keystone combo of 2B Junior Spivey and SS Craig Counsell. Spivey (last three years: .918 OPS at home/.713 OPS on the road) is an offensive fraud with stats that were driven entirely by his (former) home at the B.O.B. While Counsell will be 33 this year and saw his production sink to laughable levels (.304 SLG) in 2003. However, don’t be surprised if former Snakes catcher Chad Moeller has a solid campaign. He’s shaky on defense and received a boost hitting in Arizona, but he’s never had 400+ at bats to see what he can do over 100+ games.
Despite all of our gloom and doom talk, The Brew Crew has plenty of warm n’ fuzzy stories on their roster that are tailor-made for one of those cheesy late afternoon SportsCenter features. OF Ben Grieve looks to rebound after winning the 1998 ROY award and then spending three years struggling in the baseball purgatory of Tampa Bay. OF Scott Posednik (.379 OBP, 43 SB) had a fine rookie campaign and while he’s too old to build their future around, he should easily put up similar numbers over the next few years.
Now that the novelty of Brooks Kieschnick’s pitching n’ hitting escapades has died down, fans can go back to playing everyone’s favorite game: How many Milwaukee starting pitchers can you name? Ben Sheets gets a lot of credit as one of those “better than his stats look” pitchers and that might be true. He’s only 24 and shaved his walks total nearly in half from ’02 to ’03. The rest of the staff is pretty Bud-ugly, to turn a phrase.
Doug Davis, Matt Kinney and Wayne Franklin are all no better than fifth starters at this level, but they’ll take their lumps every fifth day until better alternatives are found. I can’t imagine what oft-injured closer Danny Kolb will do to occupy the 140 some-odd non-save situations he’ll see this year.
Tomorrow: The Eastern Divisions
Aaron Cameron’s “Bootleg” column appears every Friday in the Music Zone. He’s the 25th man on Widro’s roster and an occasional pinch-runner for 411 Black.
