The American League West, where like the children of Lake Wobegon, all the offenses are above average… ANAHEIM ANGELS (1998: 787 runs, .263 Equivalent Average) Lineup (with projected Equivalent Average) LF Darin Erstad .288 2B Randy Velarde .265 1B Mo Vaughn .316 RF Tim Salmon .308 CF Jim Edmonds .300 DH Garret Anderson .257 /…
ATLANTA BRAVES (1998: 826 runs, .275 Equivalent Average) Starters (with projected Equivalent Average) C Javy Lopez .296 1B Ryan Klesko .293 2B Bret Boone .245 3B Chipper Jones .318 SS Walt Weiss .258 LF Otis Nixon .232 / Gerald Williams .242 CF Andruw Jones .300 RF Brian Jordan .294 Bench/Alternatives: OF George Lombard .266, INF…
JOE DIMAGGIO “I feel fortunate and lucky that I had the opportunity to talk baseball with him. I’m a baseball fan, and his accomplishments speak for themselves. There were a lot of misconceptions about Joe because of his need for privacy.” — Cal Ripken Jr., Orioles infielder “He really lived up to his billing. He…
CHICAGO CUBS (1998: 831 runs, .267 Equivalent Average) Starters (with projected Equivalent Average) C Benito Santiago .247 1B Mark Grace .292 2B Mickey Morandini .264 3B Gary Gaetti .243 SS Jose Hernandez .271 LF Henry Rodriguez .277 / Glenallen Hill .277 CF Lance Johnson .265 RF Sammy Sosa .307 Bench/Alternatives: SS Jeff Blauser .268, C/UT…
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS (1998: 665 runs, .245 Equivalent Average) Lineup (with projected Equivalent Average) LF Tony Womack .251 CF Steve Finley .267 1B Travis Lee .307 3B Matt Williams .268 RF Luis Gonzalez .269 2B Jay Bell .276 SS Tony Batista .273 C Kelly Stinnett .273 There’s nothing rosy about this team’s future offensively; they’ll be…
Full 1998 Numbers o Glossary of Statistical Terms Back in my college days, when I was spending too much of my time at the Astrodome instead of studying for finals, my friends and I used to cringe whenever Astros reliever Dave Smith was brought into a game with runners on base. Our experience (admittedly, probably…
The way I see it, the husband must have come home about 30 minutes into the LABR-NL draft on Saturday. The only logical explanation for what happened is this: My strategy was apparently sleeping with another man’s wife. While they were together, she heard the door open and realized her husband was home. At that…
Joe DiMaggio died Monday morning. His place in history went beyond baseball, as he became one of those players whose myth grew so large that it often obscured any rational evaluation of his play. Especially now, it is hard to discuss DiMaggio with many fans because he, like Sandy Koufax and only a few others,…
CHICAGO WHITE SOX The rebuilding process of a team that should have been more competitive than it was continues, as the departures of Belle and Ventura open up even more jobs. The departure of Mike Cameron leaves the centerfield job open for Brian Simmons, a tools-laden late-blooming hitter with a diverse range of skills, but…
CHICAGO CUBS On a team that might be the oldest team in National League, it shouldn’t surprise people to hear that there won’t be much space for rookies. However, at least one has been initially guaranteed first crack at a roster spot: OF Robin Jennings. Jennings will be the fifth outfielder, but doubts about his…
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS This is a very old team with few openings for rookies. At the top of management’s list is infielder Danny Klassen, who has a shot at the utility spot for 1999. A considerably more interesting player to anyone who paying attention is 2B Jackie Rexrode, whose skill set reminds one of vintage Lance…
Major league baseball came to San Francisco in 1958 when the Giants, with Willie Mays, joined the Dodgers on their move west. Despite Mays’ undeniable brilliance, local fans wanted a hero they could call their own, and Mays carried New York baggage with him. So when a 20-year-old rookie named Orlando Cepeda hit a homerun…