In this corner...
09/10/2000
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Baseball's regular season is winding down and some intriguing playoff races are getting even more interesting. This week, I'll take a look at the remaining AL playoff contenders and analyze their strengths, weaknesses and chances of gaining entrance to the postseason party. Check back next week for a look at the NL race.
AL East:
New York Yankees 79-58 (.577)
Boston Red Sox 73-64 (.533) 6 games back
Toronto Blue Jays 72-68 (.514) 8.5 GB
AL Central:
Chicago White Sox 84-56 (.600)
Cleveland Indians 75-62 (.547) 7.5 GB
AL West:
Seattle Mariners 76-64 (.543)
Oakland Athletics 73-65 (.529) 6 GB
AL Wildcard
Cleveland Indians
Boston Red Sox 2 GB
Oakland Athletics 2.5 GB
Toronto Blue Jays 4.5 GB
In the East, the Yankees seem untouchable. I commented in previous columns on the fantastic moves George Steinbrenner made at or near the trading deadline to bulk up his team and, over a month later, it's obvious those moves have paid off for The Boss. David Justice has been the lefty power bat the Bombers desperately needed while Glenallen Hill and Jose Canseco give Joe Torre a ton of flexibility with his DH/OF positions, especially with Bernie Williams battling a rip injury again. Denny Neagle hasn't been Cy Young lately but he still fits well in this rotation, and a healthy and resurgent Orlando Hernandez is stepping on the mound every fifth day. I hate to say it, but the Yanks still seem like the AL favorites to me.
The Red Sox have been able to hang close to the Yankees but they won't completely erase that deficit unless they play real well in the remaining head-to-head games against their division rivals. Pedro has been masterful as always but the rotation lacks another pitcher who can consistently give the Sox a solid 1-2 punch. The bullpen, however, with Derrick Lowe at the back end, is one of the best in the majors. Getting Dante Bichette in a waiver deal with the Reds will certainly help this anemic offense but Boston will probably need to focus on the wild card after this weekend's over.
The Blue Jays are all but eliminated from the East race but still have an outside shot in this exciting wild card race. David Wells may have a case for winning the Cy Young this year but, like Boston, the Jays don't have another reliable pitcher to bank postseason hopes on, especially with Frank Castillo hurting. If the Jays ever get a lead going into the ninth, Billy Koch is about as automatic as they come. The offense is no problem, led by Triple Crown candidate Carlos Delgado and some other explosive bats. Raul Mondesi has stated he may be able to come back after September 20 but Toronto doesn't need another masher. Instead, some production from newcomer Steve Trachsel would make the Jays happy.
The White Sox may have the best record in baseball but there still are several holes here. The Sox rode to a fantastic first-half record on the strength of James Baldwin and Cal Eldred's pitching performances. But since their hot starts, Eldred has landed on the DL with elbow problems and is likely out for the remainder of the season while Baldwin has reverted back to his inconsistent ways, going 3-1 in nine starts with a 4.88 ERA since the break. The bullpen hasn't been as dominant either, with the main drop off coming from closer Keith Foulke, whose changeup isn't the weapon it was earlier in the year. But besides the pitching, Chicago lacks a lock-down defense that any true Series contender relies on. Frank Thomas leads a surging offense that has kept the Sox on top but come playoff time, the weaknesses could be debilitating.
The Indians have finally begun to play solid baseball, but unless Cleveland can somehow sweep the Sox this weekend, it's probably be too late to make much noise in the Central. That's fine, though, as the Indians would obviously be happy with any postseason invitation. The offense has been really cranking lately with a healthy Manny Ramirez back in the lineup and Travis Fryman's bat providing some consistency. But the problem all year has been pitching. Bartolo Colon and Chuck Finley have the chance to be perhaps the best 1-2 pitchers in the American League but both have been erratic. Bob Wickman has made the Richie Sexson trade look better in recent weeks but others in the 'pen, especially Steve Karsay, haven't been dependable. He'll need to rebound if Cleveland wants a shot this year.
In the West, nobody really seems willing to take charge. The Mariners have the lead by two games but only because the rest of the division has been unimpressive since the break. The Seattle staff, considered a strength only a month or two ago, has mysteriously fallen flat, with veterans like Jamie Moyer and Aaron Sele getting knocked around recently. But the bullpen, headed by Kazuhiro Sasaki's 32 saves, has been a savior this season in Seattle, especially with the rotation's troubles. A youthful 37-year-old Edgar Martinez is enjoying the best season of his remarkable career, which has given super shortstop Alex Rodriguez the protection he's needed to flourish with Ken Griffey Jr. in Cincinnati. The pitching staff is too experienced and talented to think the Mariners can't pull out the division championship but right now, Seattle has the lowest winning percentage of any division leader in baseball.
Even with Seattle's mediocre performance, the Athletics haven't been able to cash in. Part of the reason has been the complete collapse of closer Jason Isringhausen, an All-Star in the first half but the team's Achilles heel since. Kevin Appier hasn't been the presence this young staff needed this year and Tim Hudson has been an inconsistent, although exciting, second-year pitcher. But the team leader is first baseman Jason Giambi. His clubhouse presence is invaluable to the Oakland youngsters but an aching shoulder has kept Giambi's fierce bat out of the lineup. With Miguel Tejada and Ben Grieve hitting their fair share of homers, the offense has stayed afloat but the A's won't make any noise until everyone on the roster can give consistent production.
My predictions: AL East: Yankees; AL Central: White Sox; AL West: Seattle; Wild card: Cleveland
In the Bullz-Eye Indiana basketball head coach and notorious hothead Bobby Knight. ESPN reported on Friday that a freshman Indiana student has accused Knight of grabbing him by the arm and cussing him out for being disrespectful after the student saw the coach and said, "Hey, what's up Knight." As everyone knows, Knight was hit with a strict "zero tolerance" policy after he was accused earlier in the year of choking a former player. If these new allegations are true, Knight's long tenure in Indiana would most certainly be over.