This is Oakland A's baseball

[Hendu Style]

Thursday, November 16th, 1995

The 2nd annual MLB Awards Show has just wrapped up, and I feel like I've taken a couple of knockout punches already this offseason. Curt Schilling has decided to decline his player option and test the free agent waters. I have tried and tried to negotiate an extension with him, but he insisted he wasn't in the last year of his contract, implying that he would exercise his option and then we could talk about an extension beyond 1996. Guess that didn't happen... so now he's on the open market. That's a real sucker punch, considering we gave up Steve Karsay and Jay Buhner to get Schill for what amounts to one season as an Athletic. So be it.

Dennis Eckersley, meanwhile, is going to take us up on the player option and play one more year in Oakland. That contract Sandy Alderson signed him to now is killing us. That $1.8 million is being spent on a washed up reliever, instead of going toward a pitcher like Schilling on the free agent market.

To make matters worse, there have been a slew of trades while I've been sitting tight, trying to figure out which direction to go. The Giants traded 3B Matt Williams (.265, 25 HR, 94 RBI) to the Rangers for RP/SP Mark Brandenburg (10-5, 1 SV, 3.02 ERA). This is a classic case of a team reaching to get a decent pitcher, at the expense of a middle of the order hitter.

And a real stunner between the Blue Jays and Tigers: Toronto gets OF Dante Bichette (.289, 15 HR, 66 RBI in 104 games) for CF Brett Butler (.292, 85 R, 36 SB). Butler is making about $4 mil a year and will turn 40 by the end of his current contract. The Blue Jays got a steal in my opinion.

All of this has been weighing heavy on my mind on what should've been a joyous occasion tonight. Our Barry Bonds surprisingly beat out Ken Griffey Junior and Mo Vaughn for AL MVP honors. Keep in mind, the votes were tallied before the start of the playoffs, but I was sure that Junior would get it. That, of course, means we're on the hook for a $170,000 bonus due to Barry for winning the award. Also, Terry Steinbach picked up his first-ever Gold Glove for us at catcher. It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

AL MVP:
Barry Bonds, OAK (.281, 38 HR, 125 RBI, 136 R)

NL MVP:
Rico Brogna, NYN (.326, 30 HR, 99 RBI)


AL Cy Young:
Randy Johnson, SEA (20-5, 2.76 ERA, 261.0 IP, 313 K)

NL Cy Young:
Mark Clark, STL (21-9, 1.66 ERA, 270.1 IP, 171 K)

AL Rookie of the Year:
Andy Pettitte, NYA (19-11, 2.47 ERA, 244.0 IP, 170 K)

NL Rookie of the Year:
Quilvio Veras, FLO (.281, 98 runs)

AL Gold Gloves:
P - Juan Guzman, TOR
C - Terry Steinbach, OAK
1B - John Mabry, CAL
2B - Bret Barberie, BOS
3B - Ken Caminiti, NYA
SS - Jose Valentin, BOS
LF - Brady Anderson, CHA
CF - Dwayne Hosey, BOS
RF - Shawn Green, TOR

NL Gold Gloves:
P - William VanLandingham, TBN
C - Darrin Fletcher, MON
1B - Fred McGriff, ATL
2B - Mike Benjamin, NYN
3B - Matt Williams, TBN
SS - Kevin Stocker, PHI
LF - Reggie Sanders, CIN
CF - Lenny Dykstra, PHI
RF - David Justice, ATL

[mirrf]

Thanks for starting this back up. I missed it when it was gone.

Oh, and LOL on Rico Brogna getting the NL MVP. I'm sure Orlando Merced came in a close second.

[Hendu Style]

Originally Posted by mirrf

Thanks for starting this back up. I missed it when it was gone.

Oh, and LOL on Rico Brogna getting the NL MVP. I'm sure Orlando Merced came in a close second.

I love some of the randomness... Brogna NL MVP... Mark Clark NL Cy Young. It definitely gives an x-factor to the whole experience.

[Hendu Style]

Tuesday, December 5th, 1995

The headlines say it all:

"Texas Fired up over Signing of Belle"

"It's Official: Benes Signs with Rangers"

With just a few pen strokes, the Texas Rangers may have just changed the landscape of the American League West. What was supposed to be a battle of superpowers between us and the Mariners has now turned into a triple threat. The Rangers have commited a proposterous $46.7 million dollars to two of the top free agents on the market. Getting Belle (averaging .269, 30 HR, 108 RBI in 162 games) and a new staff ace in Benes (15-10, 2.91 ERA, 223 IP, 197 K in '95) has effectively forced our hand.

I had been hoping to sit tight and wait for an undervalued free agent to fall into our lap. Instead, Texas has dictated the tempo of this offseason and raised the bar for salaries this offseason. Today was a wakeup call: I now know we have to pony up to keep our advantage over the rest of our division.

I had resigned myself to the fact that Curt Schilling would be gone to free agency. And he may very well be. But now, my best course of action is to make a trade (or two) to free up some salary to make a run at Schill or another equivelant free agent. Unfortunately, the $4.6 million we have just isn't going to cut it. The Orioles, Yankees, Mets, and Blue Jays are all trying to woo Curt, and I get the feeling they're going to offer five-year deals totalling at least $30 million.

We have no choice but to drop about $2 million in payroll to make a move on him. Whatever move I make, I will have to prepare for the very real possibility that we still may not be able to afford him. So whatever I do to dump salary, we still have to get something in return to help our roster. I have a couple of ideas. There are a few very talented, albeit raw, young players who could be made available. That is, if I'm willing to give up a reasonably priced veteran player in return.

I've never been one to shy away from a challenge, but I must admit, it's much harder making a move like this when you already have a championship caliber team in place. One bad step, and we could fall from the upper echelon into the middle of the field.

[Hendu Style]

Thursday, December 7th, 1995

I have been working the phones for the last two days, trying to get a trade going. My goal has been to shed enough salary to give us $7+ million in payroll space to make a bid to Curt Schilling. Lucky for me, we have several viable players to trade who have very reasonable salaries, making them attractive to other GM's, even for coveted young players.

Over the last few months, teams have been inquiring about a few of my players who fit that description:

2B Jeff Kent
.246, 12 HR, 50 RBI in 85 games, and a $1.9M salary through arbitration
He has yet to fulfill the tremendous potential we saw in him when landed him from Toronto in 1992. That was a costly trade since we gave up Troy Neel, who had an MVP-type season the very next year, batting .294 with 39 HR and 137 RBI. I'm not ready to cut bait on Kent, but I would be willing to trade him if the right offer came along.

1B Jason Giambi
.276, 17 HR, 68 RBI, $166K league minimum
The perception is that he's expendable, since we already have a franchise player (Mark McGwire) holding down first base. That couldn't be any farther from the truth. Since we're in the AL, we can always DH Giambi, and if need be during interleague play or the World Series, we can platoon the left-handed hitting Giambi and right-handed McGwire to get favorable matchups against pitchers. Giambi, in my mind, is virtually untouchable.

OF Ellis Burks
.267, 31 HR, 114 RBI, $1.3M salary
Burks has been a bargain pickup for us. Though we've had to move him from CF because of his diminished range, he's still a very capable outfielder and one who can hit for power at that. If Matt Stairs progresses like we hope in right field, Ellis will become expendable. I'm not actively shopping Burks since he's our starting RF, but I am definitely listening to offers.

Util. Bip Roberts
.268, 16 SB, 48 R, $252k salary
There is growing interest in Bip, since many GM's see him as an everyday starter, me included. But Bip has become indispensable to our team... a guy who can play two infield positions and pretty much anywhere in the outfield. Though he's not necessarily a starter for our team, he can come through in a pinch if anyone gets injured or if we want to give a guy a day off. He might just be the most underrated player on our team. For what we would get in return, I just don't see us trading Roberts.

SP Kevin Brown
6-1, 2.25 ERA in 9 starts, $2.8M salary
Brownie and Greg Maddux will be forever intertwined in my book. I really wanted us to make a push for Maddux when he hit free agency in 1992, but we "settled" on Brown instead by paying $2 million less per year. I still stand by my choice... Maddux would've been the better signing, but I must hand it to our old GM Sandy Alderson, Brown has turned out just fine. When healthy, he is certainly an ace pitcher and one of the top 4 starting pitchers in the league behind Maddux, Randy Johnson, and Roger Clemens. Since KB is coming off injury, I don't think the value we can get in return would make him worth trading, but I could be wrong.

SP David Cone
16-9, 3.49 ERA, 232.1 IP, 200 K, $3M salary
With the right package of players with Cone, I think we could make a really solid offer to a team. His salary is low enough to make him desirable, and he's a known quantity. Anyone who trades for Cone knows they'll get 15+ wins and a durable starter. More importantly, he has the stuff to be a staff ace.


First on my shopping list is Montreal's Vladimir Guerrero. He is the epitome of the franchise player. Unfortunately, the Expos have made it very clear that it would take a whopper of a deal to land Vlad.

I'm also very high up on Pedro Martinez. But so are the Dodgers. He went 17-7 with a 2.64 ERA and 268 K's last season, and he's only going to get better. He is virtually untouchable.

Nomar Garciaparra could end up being a franchise SS in Boston. Of course, the Red Sox know this, and they desperately need help in the middle infield and he should start right away. The Sox have pretty much laughed at me every time I've inquired about "Nomah."

I have been in discussions with the White Sox about their young 2B, Ray Durham. Chicago has been looking for an ace pitcher ever since losing Jack McDowell to the Reds via free agency last season. Durham hit .229 with 9 triples and 30 steals last year as a rookie. He is a starter, so prying him away from the Southside could take more than just one veteran pitcher. But it would be worth considering.

Brian Giles is also high on my list. He had a very strong rookie season, batting .266 with 11 HR and 17 steals last year. He can play both LF and RF, and has the range to someday be a starting centerfield. Cleveland has been more reluctant to trade him since losing Albert Belle to free agency, so Giles looks like he will be the Indians' starting leftfielder this upcoming season.

We've had our eye on Kansas City's Johnny Damon for the last couple of years. He came on strong last season as a rookie: .287, 6 triples, 23 SB. He has blazing speed and can easily play all three outfield positions. But the Royals are having major payroll problems and they have made it clear they don't want to take on any more salary. In other words, we have almost no chance at Damon.

Minnesota has a couple of promising up-and-comers in minor league 3B Todd Walker and reliever Armando Benitez (3.97 ERA in 34 appearances last season as a rookie). The Twins, though, are in rebuilding mode. The still have some spare room in their payroll, so I think that one or the other might be obtainable if the right offer came Minnesota's way.

That's pretty much it. Is what we give up going to be worth what we get, especially if Schilling ends up deciding to sign with another team? I don't know. But I think I'm about to find out...

[Hendu Style]

Sunday, December 10th, 1995

Sometimes you just have to say, "What the hell." I had one of those moments today, pulling the trigger on a trade that will likely get me lambasted by the local sports media and have season ticket holders calling for my head.

What the hell.

This afternoon, I got on the phone with Cleveland's GM and sent SP David Cone (16-9, 3.49 ERA, 200 K), IF Jeff Kent (.246, 12 HR, 50 RBI), and LHP John Franco (5-10, 2 SV, 3.19 ERA) to the Indians for OF Brian Giles (.266, 11 HR, 72 RBI, 17 SB), RHP Paul Shuey (8-4, 4 SV, 3.57 ERA), and 2B David Bell (.263 in 41 games as a rookie).

The trade gives us an extra $5.6 million to spend on this offseason, money that I intend to spend directly on Curt Schilling. It also gives us a franchise outfielder in Giles, a solid righthanded reliever, and a promising young infielder to boot.

But we sure gave up a lot to get all of that. Cone will immediately give the AL Central champs the ace starter they've sorely been lacking. They also get a power-hitter in Kent who will become their everyday secondbaseman. And Franco gives them a much-needed lefthanded setup man.

The Indians were actually very much on the fence about giving up Giles, but were pressed when two of their AL Central rivals made significant moves. The Royals landed Rafael Palmeiro (.280, 24 HR, 88 RBI) in a 4 year, $18.2 million deal, and then the Brewers signed Frank Thomas (.308, 35 HR, 103 RBI) to a 6 year, $31.1 million contract.

Much like us, the Indians are realizing that it's going to be a very active offseason, and if the frontrunners don't start making some deals to immediately upgrade their teams, they're going to be left behind. I just hope I didn't waste too much time in making this move to begin our pursuit of Schilling. If he signs with someone else, this is going to blow up in my face.

[Hendu Style]

Sunday, December 24th, 1995

Great Christmas Eve surprise tonight. After several rounds of negotiations, Curt Schilling sent me an email saying he's very interested in our latest offer. At least, I think it was Curt. He used the term "lettuce" in the email, which is very unlike him. But I'll have to assume this is for real.

In other news, the Texas Rangers continue to bolster their roster, trading for 1B Eric Karros. That gives them a revamped lineup that features Albert Belle (free agent), Matt Williams (trade with Giants), Ivan Rodriguez, Rusty Greer, and Rex Hudler (free agent). Couple that with the earlier signing of Andy Benes, and we could have a serious playoff contender coming off a surprising 87-win campaign last season.

[Hendu Style]

Tuesday, December 26th, 1995

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Los Angeles Dodgers have added another future Hall of Fame hitter to push them into World Series contention, signing free agent third baseman Wade Boggs to a 2-year, $9 million deal.

Boggs has played his entire 14-year big league career in Boston, batting .335 and notching 2707 career hits. But he knew the opportunity to join up with Tony Gwynn and the Dodgers on the West Coast was just too good to pass up.

"I never thought in a million years that Tony and I would be playing for different teams than San Diego or Boston, let alone the same team," Boggs said at a press conference at Dodger Stadium. "Now the only question is, who's going to get their 3,000th hit first?"

That question isn't really open for debate. Boggs needs just 293 more hits to reach that milestone, while Gwynn is 644 away. Boggs and Gwynn will anchor a team that was already a World Series contender, leading the NL with 105 wins in the regular season before bowing out to the Montreal Expos in the NLCS. The Dodgers did it with great pitching and timely hitting. Now that they've added two of the best pure hitters of their generation, their hitting could get even better.

"There's only one power hitter on this team," Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda said. "But if Boggs and Gwynn keep getting on base, I think Mike Piazza will be more than happy to be the one to drive them in."

[Hendu Style]

Thursday, December 28th, 1995

I think I'm going to be sick to my stomach. News just broke that Curt Schilling has bought property in the St. Paul area and could be signing with the Twins. Really, Curt?

The offer that he insisted was the best he's received is now apparently not good enough. I refuse to pay a pitcher $6 million a year. A guy who plays every fourth or fifth day has no business making more than an MVP position player like Barry Bonds. Sorry, Schill, ain't gonna happen.

Hard feelings aside, I have to figure out how we're going to move forward. Is Minnesota going to be our only adversary? If so, is there any way I can get them out of the race?

[Hendu Style]

Thursday, January 4th, 1996

I guess Minnesota wasn't the only one making a run at Curt Schilling. The friggin' Blue Jays just bought themselves the best pitching rotation in baseball.

1. Greg Maddux, 24-9, 2.04 ERA
2. David Wells, 14-13, 3.83 ERA
3. Charlie Leibrandt, 19-9, 2.61 ERA
4. Curt Schilling, 20-6, 3.53 ERA
5. Juan Guzman, 9-15, 3.96 ERA

It's enough to leave you breathless, isn't it?

[Hendu Style]

January 22nd, 1996

The Curt Schilling Debacle has given me a swift kick in the ass. I'll admit... that whole turn of events got me down. I gave up a quality starting pitcher in David Cone to try and chase after another one, who never intended to re-sign with us. It was embarrassing. But it's time to move on.

Trading Cone obviously wasn't a total loss. Far from it. We got Brian Giles in return... a guy we can build this franchise around. We can find another starting pitcher somewhere down the line, and the way I see it, we still have a pretty formidable starting rotation. Not nearly as good as Toronto's, but good enough.

Losing Jeff Kent in that trade was a big blow, but we have two young middle infield prospects (Tony Batista, Scott Speizio) who are itching for a shot at the big leagues.

So instead of moping around and letting this offseason kick me while I'm down, I decided to dust myself off and start doing my job. Today, we traded OF/IF Bip Roberts and relievers Paul Shuey and Alan Embree to the Twins for Armando Benitez.

Benitez gives us a closer in the making, and in the meantime he should be a dominant strikeout pitcher out of the bullpen. Roberts has been invaluable to us as a jack-of-all trades in the infield and outfield, but we have more than enough outfielders now (Barry Bonds, Ellis Burks, Brian Giles, Matt Stairs, and Ernie Young) along with plenty of capable infielders. Plus, Bip was entering the last year of his contract. We wouldn't have had enough room for Embree on our 25-man roster and he was out of minor league options. So it really came down to Shuey, who will no doubt be a solid major league reliever, but Benitez has the higher upside. I'll go with upside in this case.

A's Get:
RHP Armando Benitez (2-0, 3 SV, 3.97 ERA, 45.1 IP, 25 BB, 55 K)

Twins Get:
OF/IF Bip Roberts (.268, 16 SB)
RHP Paul Shuey (8-6, 4 SV, 3.57 ERA, 70.2 IP, 39 BB, 58 K)
LHP Alan Embree (3-1, 21 SV, 4.63 ERA in AAA Sacramento)

[Hendu Style]

January 28th, 1995

MLB to Expand to 30 Teams

NEW YORK (AP) -- Major League Baseball is looking to expand to 30 teams, and all signs point West. MLB commissioner Sandy Alderson said in a press conference that the league plans to add two expansion teams -- one in the American League and one in the National League -- in time for the 1998 baseball season.

"Demand for our sport is at an all-time high, and our league can satiate that need and demand by adding two more teams," Alderson said to a media gathering. "It makes fiscal sense, and it just makes plain sense."

MLB currently has 28 teams, with 14 in each league. But there is a competitive advantage for teams in the NL West and AL West, which only have to compete with a total of 4 teams in their division instead of 5.

"Though we would and will consider expansion in markets throughout the country, our focus right now is on the West Coast, particularly Phoenix, Las Vegas, Portland, and Vancouver," Alderson said.

Phoenix is the presumed frontrunner. Jerry Colangelo, majority owner of the Phoenix Suns of the NBA, started assembling an ownership group (Arizona Baseball, Inc.) two years ago and has already submitted an application for an expansion team. The Colangelo group recently held a contest in the Arizona Republic newspaper to name a prospective team, with first prize winning a pair of lifetime season tickets. The winning choice was "Diamondbacks," after the Western diamondback, a venomous rattlesnake native to the region.

"We are thrilled to hear that Major League Baseball wants to expand and will do everything we can to make sure that baseball comes to Phoenix," Colangelo said in a statement shortly after news broke of MLB's intentions to expand. "We believe that Arizona is the perfect place to showcase the great sport of baseball to a new audience."

Other prospective markets are expected to assemble ownership groups to submit bids within the next six months. Franchise fees for each new team could fetch up to $100 million.

Alderson also said MLB will tweak its Wildcard format for the upcoming season, going from a best-of-7 first-round playoff series to a best-of-5. The LCS and World Series will remain unchanged. He also wouldn't comment on rumors that he has met with Pete Rose about possibly lifting the lifetime ban on baseball's all-time hits leader. Alderson did, however, emphasize his resolve on preserving the integrity of the game.

"I think the record clearly shows that I will do whatever it takes to make sure cheaters don't succeed in this sport, and that they are punished and dealt with severely," Alderson said. "I can promise you that I won't stop suspending players or banning them until they choose to play the game the right way."

[Hendu Style]

February 28th, 1996

This wasn't exactly the blockbuster free agent signing I had in mind when we embarked on the offseason, but sometimes you just can't pass up a good deal. I signed Marquis Grissom to a 3-year, $2.4 million deal today, giving us a new starting centerfielder at a bargain basement price.

Grissom hit .256 in 64 games for the Expos last season, missing much of the year with a fractured ankle. There are some concerns that he's lost a step and will never be the same. Will he be the .291, 17 HR, 69 SB guy he was in 1993? Probably not. But if he can bat .280 for us and steal a few bases, we'll be golden. Griss also gives us a veteran who can help groom Brian Giles as our centerfielder of the future.

We now have six Major League outfielders, but will likely carry only four or five on our roster after Spring Training. Ernie Young will probably be the first casualty, but we may have to consider trading Ellis Burks or Matt Stairs as well.

[Hendu Style]

March 1st, 1996

McGwire Silent on Steroids in Spring Training

Former teammates Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco haven't spoken since 1994

PHOENIX, Ariz. (AP) -- Mark McGwire's steroid suspension is the talk of Spring Training, but Oakland's All-Star first baseman is keeping quiet on the scandal. McGwire reported to camp on Tuesday unwilling to speak about the suspension that may have cost the A's a trip to the World Series.

"I'm not here to talk about the past," McGwire told a large gathering of reporters inside the A's clubhouse. "I'm just looking forward to being a part of this team again and picking up where we left off."

McGwire still has eleven more games to serve in a 40-game suspension handed down by Commissioner Sandy Alderson in September. McGwire didn't appeal the ban, but there is no conclusive evidence that he tested positive for steroids or any other performance enhancing drugs. His suspension was based solely on a tip of former teammate Jose Canseco, who has become the league's defacto liason for steroid users.

"I have nothing to say to Jose or about Jose," McGwire said. "Like I said, I just want to focus on this upcoming season and helping this team the best I can."

With McGwire back in the fold, Oakland is expected to contend with World Series champion Seattle for the AL West crown. Though the team traded David Cone and Jeff Kent to Cleveland and lost Curt Schilling to free agency, the team is as deep as ever offensively. Star-in-the-making Brian Giles and Marquis Grissom have been added to the outfield. 4-time MVP Barry Bonds is back for a fourth season in Oakland, and Kevin Brown anchors a strong pitching rotation. The team also bolstered its bullpen with the addition of hard-throwing fireballer Armando Benitez, who will help set the table for closer Roberto Hernandez, who saved a career-best 43 games in 1995.

"You can see why there's so much excitement," McGwire said with a smile. "I really think we're the team to beat."

[Hendu Style]

March 27th, 1996

I never really know how much to read into Spring Training, but I feel pretty good about the way we played in the Cactus League.

Our number one priority was figuring out our starting rotation. Al Leiter had an incredible spring, leading all pitchers with a 5-0 record to go with a 1.35 ERA. Our young fireballer, Armando Benitez, had the most strikeouts of all Cactus League and Grape Fruit League pitchers with 31 K in 20 innings pitched. The most remarkable part of Benitez's spring was how he closed out his last two appearances with 10 K's in 3.1 innings pitched. Yes, folks, he struck out EVERY batter he faced in his last two appearances.

Our primary focus was finding a #5 starter. With Curt Schilling and David Cone out of the rotation, we're vulnerable. That means Leiter, Kenny Rogers, and Pat Hentgen all move up in the rotation. Chan Ho Park came into the spring as the frontrunner for the last spot in our rotation, but once again had problems with control. He followed a stellar 2.0 IP, 4 K performance with a 1.0 IP, 3 BB outting. He needs to get more confident in his approach, and get better command of the strike zone. This really was Park's job to lose, and I fear that he lost it. Ariel Prieto didn't exactly dominate for us, but he did just enough. After getting shelled in his Spring Training opener (3.2 IP, 8 H, 6 ER), he finished strong by allowing just 2 earned runs on 10 hits over his last 12 innings.

Jason Giambi really showed us something splitting time at DH and at first base. He hit .356 with 4 homers and 21 RBI... his 32 hits led all hitters in Spring Training. On the downside, Terry Steinbach had a miserable time out there, striking out 22 times and batting just .132. We're a little bit concerned. There are rumblings that he's pressing with Brad Ausmus a threat to take his starting job as catcher. Steiny's job is safe for the timebeing.

It looks like we'll have a couple of platoons this year, at least to start the season. Scott Brosius (.253, 9 HR, 43 RBI in 1995) and Jose Vizcaino (.257, 32 runs in 73 games) will share duties at third base. Centerfield will be split between Brian Giles (.266, 11 HR as a rookie with Cleveland last year) and Marquis Grissom (.256, 2 HR, 13 SB in Montreal). Same goes for rightfield between Ellis Burks (.267, 31 HR, 114 RBI) and Matt Stairs (.277, 7 HR, 31 RBI). The last move by Tony LaRussa has a lot of people scratching their heads since Burks has been so great for us the last couple of years, but it speaks to Stairs' high upside. If we don't get him time out in rightfield, he'll never get a chance to develop.

All that said, I think we're in good shape. I wish we had one more good arm for our rotation, but our bullpen is as deep as ever, and our offense has to be just about the best we've ever had in Oakland. I can't wait for the 1996 season.

[Hendu Style]

March 30th, 1996

BNN Picks Dodgers to Win '96 World Series

The World Series title is going back to Los Angeles for the first time since 1988, according to our expert writers at BNN. We predict that the Dodgers will defeat the A's in a rematch of that '88 Series that gave L.A. its last world championship.

The Dodgers were already a World Series contender with the best starting rotation (Pedro Martinez, Ismael Valdez, Hideo Nomo, Pedro Astacio, and Ramon Martinez) in the National League. Then GM Fred Claire got the go-ahead from owner Peter O'Malley to sign future Hall of Famers Wade Boggs and Tony Gwynn to free agent contracts. And let's not forget about MVP candidate Mike Piazza at catcher and up-and-coming stars Henry Rodriguez (1B), Todd Hollandsworth (CF), and Eric Young (2B). The icing on the cake came when the team signed closer Randy Myers just before Spring Training.

"They're not only the best team in baseball right now, but probably this decade," says one anonymous National League executive. "They have the best pitcher in the league (Pedro Martinez, 17-7, 2.64 ERA, 268 K last season). They have a former Cy Young winner (Jose Rijo, 9-10, 3.87 ERA) as their emergency starter out of the bullpen. Two and maybe even three future HOF'ers (Wade Boggs, Tony Gwynn, Mike Piazza) in their batting order. Am I missing anyone? Oh, yeah. The best bullpen on the planet."

That bullpen is anchored by Myers, who averaged 43 saves in his last three seasons in Pittsburgh. He will be set up by former Dodgers closer Mike Henneman (37 saves, 3.06 ERA) and two of the top setup men in baseball in Eric Plunk (10 saves, 0.86 ERA in 52.1 IP) and Antonio Osuna (8-2, 2.06 ERA in 74.1 IP).

A Closer Look:

Los Angeles Dodgers
Owner: Peter O'Malley (Understanding, Generous)
GM: Fred Claire
Budget: $54,000,000 (t-1st in MLB)
Payroll: $46,408,400 (1st in MLB)
Minor League Affiliates:
AAA Albuquerque Isotopes
AA Chattanooga Lookouts
A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
Short Season A Great Lakes Loons
Rookie League Ogden Raptors

Starting Lineup:
1. Eric Young 2B (.271, 68 R, 40 SB)
2. Wade Boggs 3B (.340, 35 2B, 81 RBI)
3. Mike Piazza C (.315, 25 HR, 91 RBI)
4. Henry Rodriguez 1B (.269, 15 HR, 44 RBI in 87 games)
5. Tony Gwynn RF (.367, 29 2B, 68 RBI)
6. Todd Hollandsworth CF (.284, 11 HR, 66 RBI, 16 SB)
7. BJ Surhoff LF (.271, 8 HR, 25 2B, 68 RBI)
8. Jose Offerman SS (.269, 21 2B, 10 3B, 11 SB, 81 R)

Pitching Rotation:
1. Pedro Martinez (17-7, 2.64 ERA, 245.1 IP, 268 K)
2. Ismael Valdez (19-8, 3.27 ERA, 233.2 IP, 171 K)
3. Hideo Nomo (14-5, 3.32 ERA, 208.2 IP, 199 K)
4. Pedro Astacio (3-4, 3.78 ERA in 63 appearances)
5. Ramon Martinez (17-10, 3.36 ERA, 214.1 IP, 158 K)
Closer - Randy Myers (43 SV, 3.60 ERA, 70.0 IP, 71 K)


Overall Predictions:
AL East: Toronto Blue Jays (90-72)
AL Central: Cleveland Indians (83-79)
AL West: Oakland A's (103-59)
AL Wildcard: Seattle Mariners (88-74)

NL East: Florida Marlins (92-70)
NL Central: Cincinnati Reds (94-68)
NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers (100-62)
NL Wildcard: Montreal Expos (89-73)

AL MVP: Barry Bonds, LF (Oakland A's)
NL MVP: Mark Grace, 1B (Florida Marlins)
AL Cy Young: Greg Maddux (Toronto Blue Jays)
NL Cy Young: Pedro Martinez (LA Dodgers)

[Hendu Style]

Griffey to Miss First 3 Months of Season

[Hendu Style]

March 31st, 1996

Yer Out! Justice, Mitchell Suspended for 'Roids

NEW YORK, N.Y. (AP) -- On the eve of Opening Day in Major League Baseball, commissioner Sandy Alderson has slapped David Justice and Kevin Mitchell with 50-game suspensions for alleged steroid use.

"With the cooperation of former teammates and players, the commissioner's office has determined that Mr. Justice and Mr. Mitchell broke the rules of baseball by using steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs," said Alderson during a press conference at league headquarters. "We will not tolerate cheating, and we certainly will not allow drug use in clubhouses around this league."

Alderson would not comment on how evidence was collected, but it has been widely speculated that Jose Canseco has provided much of the incrimenating evidence against Justice and Mitchell, as well as Mark McGwire, who still is serving a suspension handed down late last season.

MLB has been on the offensive in its war on steroids. The anti-drugs policy first went into effect before the 1994 season. Canseco was suspended that year, twice, for flunking steroid tests, and received a lifetime ban from baseball. Through his cooperation, that suspension has now been pared down to 345 games.

There were whispers prior to today's suspensions of Justice and Mitchell that both players had perhaps benefited from the use of performance-enhancing drugs after they had jaw-dropping seasons prior to the steroid ban, but then had miserable seasons once they were tested for steroids.

Justice hit a career-best 52 homeruns during the 1993 season for the Atlanta Braves, earning the National League MVP award. His numbers sharply declined during the 1994 season, when he hit just 25 homeruns, and then tailed off to a .242, 18 HR season in 1995.

Mitchell, a four-time All-Star with the Giants and Mariners, hit .331 at the plate in 1994 while belting 40 homeruns for Seattle. His numbers took a nose dive the following season, hitting just 8 homeruns while batting .216.

Both players will begin their suspensions immediately, pending an appeal. The Players Union is reportedly taking its case to court to have the suspensions overturned, and has been working behind the scenes during the offseason to absolve MLB's current steroids policy.

[Hendu Style]

April 1st, 1996

Maddux Tops Brown as A's Lose Season Opener

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Greg Maddux outdueled Kevin Brown as the Blue Jays clipped the A's, 3-1, on Opening Day Monday in Oakland. Maddux scattered five hits over eight innings while giving up one unearned run to pick up the victory.

"When you face that lineup, you're kind of hanging on by the skin of your teeth," said Maddux, who has won 24 games in each of the last three seasons. "Even without (Mark) McGwire, that lineup is as potent as they come."

Veteran catcher Terry Steinbach was the only Athletic with a multi-hit game, and drove in Oakland's only run on a fifth inning sacrifice fly. Brian Giles, who came over to the A's in an offseason trade from Cleveland, was 1-for-3 with a stolen base and a run scored in his Oakland debut.

Dante Bichette, Dean Palmer, and Reggie Jefferson all made their Toronto debuts for the Blue Jays. Bichette had a leadoff homerun off of Brown in the top of the eighth, while Palmer was 1-for-2 with a run scored and Jefferson pinch-hit and left two runners late in the game.

"Tough loss," A's manager Tony LaRussa said after the game. "It's hard to move guys into scoring position if we can't even get on base. But that will happen when you're facing a pitcher like Maddux."

[Hendu Style]

April 12th, 1996

Hernandez's Closer Role in Jeopardy?

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- On the heels of losing a second straight decision, there is growing speculation that Roberto Hernandez could lose his role as Oakland's closer. A team source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that team General Manager Billy Beane is pushing Tony LaRussa to demote Hernandez and replace him with Ugueth Urbina and Armando Benitez.

"(Beane) got Urbina and Benitez as closers in waiting," said the source. "The way Roberto is pitching, they may not have to wait that long."

Hernandez is off to a rocky start, going 0-2 with a 13.50 ERA in four appearances. He has yet to strike out a hitter in 2.2 innings pitched. This comes after a breakout season in 1995, in which Hernandez set a career-high with 43 saves.

Urbina, meanwhile, has been unhittable through five appearances, striking out 7 hitters while walking one and allowing no hits in 3.1 innings.

"Ugueth has been great so far," said pitching coach Dave Duncan following Thursday's 8-7 loss in Milwaukee. "He's been one of the few bright spots on our pitching staff."

So has Benitez, who arrived from Minnesota in a trade with the Twins in the offseason. He has posted a 2.45 ERA in 5 appearances, with 5 strikeouts and 1 hit allowed in 3.2 innings.

The A's continue an eight-game road trip Friday in Chicago against the White Sox. Oakland is off to a 2-6 start, tied with California for last place in the American League West.