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N.L. EAST PREVIEW

The Contenders: Phillies, Braves, Mets, and Expos.

The also-ran: The Marlins.

The Phillies went to 3 World Series during the chosen time period, winning once in 1980.

The Braves went to the playoffs 4 times during the chosen time period, and to the World Series twice, losing both times.

The Mets went to the World Series and won the Championship in 1986.

The Marlins went to and won the World Series in 1997.

The Expos went to the NLCS in 1981 and were in a position to go back to the playoffs in 1994 before the strike cancelled the playoffs and World Series.

Despite winning the World Series in 1997, the Marlins are unlikely to contend in the NL East. Their starting rotation just doesn’t have the ‘horses’ to stay in a race for 162 games, although in a short series the Marlins still are a dangerous team. Some might wonder why I didn’t extend the number of seasons available for the expansion teams, among them the Marlins. The answer is that I wasn’t really paying that much attention to baseball during those years, and I’ll be damned if I go to all this work just to watch a team full of players I never paid any attention to make it to the playoffs or worse, the World Series!

The Expos would seem to be the least likely team to contend, given that they are the only NL East team that didn’t make it to the World Series during the chosen time period(s). But one look at the Expos lineup tells a different story. Had Rickey Henderson gone into the car business instead of playing the outfield, there is an argument to be made that we would be talking about Tim Raines as ‘the best leadoff hitter of all time’ instead of him rarely being mentioned. #2 hitter Al Oliver is starting on the Pirates and Rangers in addition to the Expos, and is another player that is rarely mentioned. Andres Galarraga is starting for the Expos and Rockies, as is Larry Walker. Gary Carter starts for the Expos and the Mets. Steve Rogers is perhaps the best starting pitcher from the era that you’ve never heard of. The Expos, who aren’t even in MLB anymore, have something to prove and the ability to contend in the NL East.

The Mets are used to playing second fiddle to the AL Yankees, but in the 1980s The Mets went to the playoffs twice to the Yankees once, and won the World Series (’86) once, to the Yankees tally of zero. Whereas the Yankees gave up on or traded away a roster’s worth of All Stars (there’s actually a website that tracks that sort of thing for the 1980s Yankees), the Mets added All Stars in Keith Hernandez and Gary Carter to go along with some homegrown talents, and won ‘the whole thing’ in ’86. For this league the Mets have an outstanding starting rotation and an excellent bullpen to go along with 3 starters with 30+ HRs, a good defense and 2 more with 20+ HRs. Gooden, Cone, et al will keep the Mets in the mix, and it will be fun to find out if the “Amazin’ Mets” can get the timely hits they’ll need in order to capture the NL East crown.

The Braves didn’t win a World Series in the chosen time period, but they went to 2, and eventually won in ’95. The team was built around starting pitching and finding enough offense to win games. In order for this Braves team to contend, the formula will be much the same, but with the knowledge that finding enough offense will be easier this time around. The first 7 hitters are 300+ hitters. The 3-5 slots all are 30+ HR guys, and it pays to note that the chosen time period doesn’t include Chipper Jones! It does, however, include 2 time MVP Dale Murphy. Between the years of 1978 thru 1994 the league average for WHIP was somewhere between 1.307 and 1.430. The highest WHIP for a Braves starting pitcher is 1.187… ‘nuff said?

The Phillies won the World Series in 1980, were a perennial contender in the 1970s, and lost more World Series (2) during the chosen time period than most teams went to. As the Redbirds skipper Whitey Herzog, also 1-2 in World Series during the chosen time period said: “I’d rather be 1 for 3 than 0 for 0.” Getting ready for this project, or more accurately killing time I should have been spending on schoolwork, I recently began watching MLB Network ‘team of the ‘X’’ shows. It pays to note that Mike Schmidt was named the best 3rd baseman of the 1970s AND 1980s… The Phillies lineup is a mixture of its World Series teams and standout seasons, as is the pitching staff. Thus, perhaps the best left-handed pitcher I have yet to see, Steve Carlton is the staff ace followed by 1992 Curt Schilling, and 1983 John Denny (the ace on the 1983 team that lost to the O’s in the World Series). The only 2 players in the top 7 slots in the lineup who didn’t hit .300 are named Mike Schmidt (48 HRs) and Darren Daulton (.908 OPS). The Phillies will, as did the teams their lineup in this league is made up of, contend in the NL East.

QUIRKS:

The Mets and Phillies are both starting Lenny Dykstra.

Kevin McReynolds starts for the Padres and Mets.

Pete Rose starts for the Phillies and Reds, despite both teams drawing from years that are past Rose’s prime years.

The Cardinals traded Steve Carlton away early in his career, I guess because they were sick of not being included in discussions about how stupid the Mets were to trade Nolan Ryan away…

I remember Mike Krukow more from when he pitched for the Giants, but while he is on the Phillies rotation, he is not on the Giants rotation…

Willie McGee was one of those players the Yankees traded away during their decade without a World Series championship of the 1980s…

Lonnie Smith won a ring with the Phillies in 1980 and the Cardinals in 1982 but missed out on a ring with the Braves, who won the year after he retired (from the Orioles). Results for this league? Lonnie Smith starts in LF for the Braves, is a reserve outfielder for the Redbirds, and is not on the Phillies roster. Go figure.

Bobby Bonilla, starting for the Mets, will also start for the Marlins, and is a reserve for the Pirates, although I believe the Mets are the only team still sending him a paycheck…

Curt Schilling is the #2 starter for the Phillies and also for the D-Backs.