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Related: 2003
season
overview.
By
Charlie in the Trees
For Outsports
| 1.
SEATTLE MARINERS |
 Hot
M: Joel Pineiro. Emerging as the staff ace. Already
established as the staff hottie.
Newbies: Randy Winn (OF), Greg Colbrunn (1B), Jamey
Wright (RHP), Bob Melvin (manager)
Goners: Ruben Sierra (OF), Jose Offerman (2B), John
Halama (LHP), Ismael Valdes (RHP), Paul Abbott (RHP), James
Baldwin (RHP)
Upside: In so many important ways, this is still the same
team that won 116 games in 2001. Although their core is quickly
aging, there are pluses aplenty. The defense up the middle is
second to none, especially 2B booty-licious Bret Boone at second
and CF Mike Cameron. The bullpen remains deep, with Kazuhiro
Sasaki starring as the closer. While the rotation still relies
on the elderly Jamie Moyer, they still have Freddie Garcia and
Pineiro. Add to that young Gil Meche, who has gotten healthy
(after two years) to fill a huge hole in the pitching rotation.
Downside: The 2002 Mariners were mediocre after the
All-Star break, dog-tired and looking older than Suzanne Somers
without make-up. Ichiro’s knee was aching. Putative ace Garcia
was inexplicably ineffective. And tapped-out veterans Ruben
Sierra and James Baldwin were given way too much playing time.
More pitchers were lost in the off-season. Then, they lost a
great manager in Sweet Lou Piniella. Yet even that loss is
double-plus good as the left field problem was solved by
acquiring Randy Winn in the “trade” of Piniella to D-Rays. And
the advance reports on new manager Bob Melvin are neon-glowing.
Bottom Line: Will losing the high-pressure Piniella
rejuvenate this aging team? Count on it. Since the start of
divisional play, no team has declined by 20 games in one season
and declined again the next year. The Mariners finished 23 games
worse than the record-obliterating 116 wins in 2001. The trend
will continue.
2002 record: 93-69, 3rd place
2003 prediction: 99-63, 1st place |
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2.
OAKLAND ATHLETICS |
 Hot
A: Miguel Tejada. Within the shortstop Holy Trinity (Plus
One), Tejada’s got the best looking bod, in uniform
Newbies: Erubiel Durazo (1B), Keith Foulke (RHP), Chris
Singleton (OF), John Halama (LHP), Ken Macha (manager)
Goners: Billy Koch (RHP), Ray Durham (DH), Cory Lidle (RHP),
Jeff Tam (RHP), Olmedo Saenz (DH)
Upside: The best one-two-three punch in baseball, with
colorful Barry Zito, monochromatic Tim Hudson, and Mark Mulder,
a muted pastel. Ted Lilly and John Halama ably fill out the
rotation. Zito is merely the defending Cy Young winner and the
owner of baseball’s healthiest head of hair. The A’s also
upgraded at manager. Art Howe was magnificent at getting
talented young kids ready to play, but he was the wrong man for
applying the finishing touches to make this team a champion. New
manager Ken Macha is more in tune with Billy Beane baseball
methodology.
Downside: The defense is not nearly as good as the other
four AL playoff contenders. In particular, SS Tejada has a nasty
habit of making grotesque errors at critical junctures. First
base should be a problem. New acquisition Erubiel Durazo can be
a superstar if healthy. His bouts of healthiness have been rare.
Bottom Line: The smart money is on the A’s to win it all.
But they were just as good in 2001 and again in 2002 and did not
get past the opening round of the playoffs. There is no reason
to think they can go farther and deeper in Miguel Tejada’s walk
year. The Earl Weaver type offense – featuring lots of walks and
three-run homers – historically is ineffective in the
post-season. This is an offense built around another team’s
pitching mistakes and there are far fewer mistakes to hit when
facing playoff caliber pitching. The Earl Weaver Orioles won
plenty of pennants and only one World Series. The A’s are
playoff bound. But that’s it.
2002 record: 103-59, 1st place
2003 prediction: 98-64, 2nd place, AL wild card |
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3.
ANAHEIM ANGELS |
 Hot
Halo: Troy Glaus. The Angels have an embarrassment of riches
in the hottie competition.
Newbies: Eric Owens (OF)
Goners: Al Levine (RHP), Dennis Cook (LHP)
Upside: Never underestimate the power of the Rally
Monkey. The Angels field a stable and talented young core. Even
in the face of adversity such as a five-run deficit with eight
outs left in the World Series, this team proved itself capable
of winning when given the opportunity. Pretty much the same team
returns. Led by the hyperkinetic David Eckstein and the
turbo-charged Darin Erstad, post-championship complacency is not
a risk. Oh yeah, that and the fact that Mike Scioscia is an
excellent manager.
Downside: Thin bench. The Angels were unusually healthy
in ’02. The only key injury came late in the year, to Aaron Sele.
Even that, perhaps, was a blessing, given Sele’s horrible
post-season history. If someone, anywhere, goes down to an
injury, the Angels will not have ready replacements.
Bottom Line: The Angels championship run echoed the New
England Patriots’ Super Bowl win. Both were talented, cohesive
groups, with unexpected leadership, sparked by improbable bits
of luck that after awhile looked like the hands of destiny,
whether it be an Adam Vinatieri field goal or a Scott Spiezio
home run. Reminiscent of Pats’ QB Tom Brady, Eckstein, in
particular, was a little too “everywhere” this off-season. It
may take awhile for the Angels to learn to handle the attention.
The yoke of a championship may be a little heavy this year,
causing the Angels – like the Patsies – to fall just short of
the playoffs.
2002 record: 99-63, 2nd place, AL wild card, world
champions
2003 prediction: 92-70, 3rd place |
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4.
TEXAS RANGERS |
 Hot
Ranger: Michael Young. Slick fielding, light hitting second
baseman anchors the defense. Such as that is in Texas.
Newbies: Ugueth Urbina (RHP), Einar Diaz (C), Doug
Glanville (OF), Esteban Yan (RHP), Ismael Valdes (RHP), Buck
Showalter (manager)
Goners: Ivan Rodriguez (C), John Rocker (LHP), Kenny
Rogers (LHP), Frank Catalanotto (OF), Hideki Irabu (RHP), Todd
Hollandsworth (OF)
Upside: The offense: Murderer’s Row. A-Rod, the best
hitting shortstop of all time (and, yes, that includes Cal).
Viagra-using Rafael Palmeiro. Juan Gonzalez, if healthy (big
“if”). Sophomore left fielder Kevin Mench. They will score runs
by the bushel basket.
Downside: The pitching: Murdered’s Row. Even with picking
up a great closer in Ugie Urbina, the pitching is the worst in
baseball. The Rangers still are counting on Chan Ho Park to be
the ace, despite the fact that Park has never done anything
outside of Dodger Stadium (except giving up tons of homers).
Park is the pitching equivalent of Vinnie Castilla: he can only
perform in the ballpark’s most extremely favorable to his part
of the game.
Bottom Line: New manager Buck Showalter is a prickly,
difficult, unlikable, control freak. Yet he takes unformed,
shapeless, raw baseball talent, and molds winners. He is the
perfect manager for Texas, with its combination of
under-performing veterans and talented kids coming up from the
minors. However, like Moses leading the Israelites through the
desert, Showalter only takes his teams to the cusp of winning.
He cannot enter the promised land himself. Twice, with the ‘96
Yankees and the ‘01 D-Backs, Showalter’s teams have won a World
Series the year after he was fired. The Rangers will not win
this year, but in 2006, look out.
2002 record: 72-90, last place
2003 prediction: 82-80, last place |
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