It’s not just the New York Yankees’ record that is troubling. The most startling part of their dominance is how easily they are winning.
After an Opening Day loss in Oakland, the Yankees won by at least three runs a game during the seven-game winning streak that ended Thursday. In other words, the world champions could have spotted opponents two runs a game and still entered the weekend 7-2.
Despite 16-game winner Andy Pettitte missing his first two starts, the Yankees’ starting rotation entered the weekend with a 2.54 earned-run average. Roger Clemens, who will make another attempt Tuesday to tie an American League record by winning his 17th consecutive decision, and his fellow starters had allowed only 41 hits in 56 2/3 innings.
“We could conceivably be in better shape in terms of overall health,” David Cone said. “We had so many things break right for us last year, some dramatic come-from-behind wins. That’s tough to match. But I still think that we’re going to be in a lot of games. Night in, night out, we’ll have a chance to win because of our pitching.”
Their sparring partners have been impressed.
“You hate to give them the World Series already,” Detroit manager Larry Parrish said, “but they are definitely going to be having a shot at doing that again.”
The Yankees’ fast start heightens concern over the growing competitive imbalance, which has become baseball’s most visible problem. After the first week and a half of the season, 59 percent of games had been won by the team with the bigger payroll (85-58).
Baseball’s nine spending superpowers–teams with payrolls in excess of $60 million–were a combined 50-33. That .602 winning percentage projects to an average of 98 victories for the Yankees ($85 million), Los Angeles ($79.3 million), Baltimore ($78.9 million), Texas ($74.8 million), Atlanta ($73.6 million), Cleveland ($68.1 million), Arizona (66.1 million), the New York Mets ($62.5 million) and the Cubs ($60.2 million).
The Yankees, Cleveland, Atlanta and the Mets were a combined 27-9 entering the weekend. It won’t be surprising if all four of these teams make it to their league’s championship series.
The Indians couldn’t be happier with their start. The addition of Robbie Alomar has given them energy they lacked a year ago when they were an underwhelming 39-38 after the All-Star break.
Cleveland scored 74 runs in its first eight games, an average of 9.25 a game. It was hitting .357 as a team. Wil Cordero was batting .389, keeping anyone from missing injured left-fielder David Justice.
“I feel sorry for the other pitcher,” DH Richie Sexson said. “There’s nobody he can pitch to up and down the lineup.”
But big spending doesn’t guarantee success. The Orioles once again are proving that. Their 2-6 start has caused owner Peter Angelos to grumble privately about new General Manager Frank Wren. It also has raised questions about the shelf life of manager Ray Miller.
Unlike Wren, Miller also was involved in last year’s 79-83 season. The only reason he has lasted this long is because he was handpicked by Angelos. But there’s nothing Angelos hates more than losing to George Steinbrenner, and the Orioles had lost nine in a row at Yankee Stadium before a two-homer game by Albert Belle carried them to a 9-7 victory Thursday.
Angelos believes he is doing the right thing for the nightly capacity crowds at Camden Yards by importing truckloads of free agents in an annual effort to reach the playoffs. But he would have been better off playing prospects such as Jesse Garcia, Jerry Hairston Jr. and Calvin Pickering while using the season to address a pitching deficit.
Mike Mussina and Scott Erickson should give Baltimore a strong 1-2 combination, but the Orioles haven’t developed any reliable starters to put behind them. Now they have to worry about Erickson. He hasn’t pitched well since starting against the Cuban national team.
When Erickson’s hard sinker is working, he can be almost unhittable. But he has allowed 18 hits in 10 2/3 innings this year, contributing to a 6.26 earned-run average for the Baltimore rotation. This is no way to keep up with a team such as the Yankees.
Paying the price: As many good prospects as the White Sox have accumulated in recent drafts, they let one keeper get away. Ron Schueler wouldn’t meet agent Scott Boras’ price after taking Fresno State right-hander Jeff Weaver in the second round two years ago.
After only six minor-league starts, Weaver has joined the Tigers’ rotation. He gave up one hit in five shutout innings in his Detroit debut Wednesday night, beating Minnesota. Weaver hit 94 m.p.h. on the radar gun.
“I thought in spring training that he had a chance to be special,” Parrish said. “I saw nothing that changes my mind.”
Tigers broadcaster Al Kaline compares Weaver to a young Jim Bunning.
“He was lanky, long-armed, had a three-quarters delivery and an excellent breaking ball,” Kaline said of the Hall of Famer who is now a U.S. senator from Kentucky. “Just like this kid.”
Peanuts, popcorn, pepper spray: During the Phillies’ home opener, teenagers from two rival high schools traded punches in the upper-deck bleachers. The fight lasted almost 15 minutes and was watched by everyone in the stadium, including the players.
“True Philadelphia,” Curt Schilling said. “Makes a city proud.”
It was also shown on ESPN and CNN.
“Let’s face it,” said Meryl Levitz, president of the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corp., “it doesn’t help to show Philadelphia as the place that loves you back.”
Postcards home: Scott Servais should have felt at home Tuesday night at 3Com Park. Giants fans booed the ex-Cub when he was taken out of the game as part of a double switch.
Servais left the game batting .091 and threw out only one of seven Houston runners attempting to steal in that 7-3 loss. Manager Dusty Baker says the Astros were running on San Francisco pitchers, but Servais accepted the blame.
“I’ve had great games and I’ve had bad games,” he said. “Tonight was one of the roughest.”
On the other end of the spectrum, Tampa Bay second baseman Miguel Cairo continues to play like someone the Cubs shouldn’t have left unprotected in the expansion draft. He hit .268 and turned 110 double plays (third among AL second basemen) as a rookie and is off to a fast start this year, batting .351 through Friday.
Cairo hits with his hands split about 3 or 4 inches apart on the bat handle.
“I reviewed all his tapes from last year, and I thought he was making a pretty good move on the ball that way,” hitting coach Leon Roberts said. “I monitor him to make sure he doesn’t get his hands too wide apart, but I’m sure not going to take away something if a player is having success with it. He has crushed the ball all spring.”
Starting fast: Despite Nomar Garciaparra being sidelined with a pulled hamstring, the Red Sox got off to their best start since 1946. They have done it with great pitching and a small-ball attack built around newcomer Jose Offerman.
General Manager Dan Duquette was widely criticized for giving Offerman $26 million, but the attention hasn’t seemed to affect Offerman. He is making a smooth adjustment to the DH role, hitting .457 with three triples and seven doubles in the first eight games.
“It’s in the book,” Duquette said. “The guy’s a good hitter.”
Touching the bases: As much as we liked the idea of the Yankees playing home games in Manhattan, it’s admirable that Steinbrenner has turned his efforts toward keeping the team in the Bronx. He would like to see a Yankee Village that includes retail outlets, an entertainment center, multiplex movie theaters, subway and suburban commuter train hubs, highway access and parking facilities to go along with a state-of-the-art stadium. . . . It took only six games for Arizona closer Gregg Olson to equal the total of blown saves he had all last season, when he was 30 for 33 in save situations. The Diamondbacks were among the teams talking to Atlanta about Mark Wohlers before he was traded to Cincinnati. They have been keeping a close eye on 20-year-old Korean submariner Byung-Hyun Kim at Class AA El Paso. . . . Yankees broadcasters talk about Chuck Knoblauch having “Steve Sax disease,” but his throwing problems are minor compared with what afflicts Cal Ripken Jr. In a season that began with his father’s funeral, he has already made five errors, which is only three fewer than his total last year. He entered the weekend hitting .174.
Not wanting to disrupt the rest of his batting order, new Rockies manager Jim Leyland kept his rotating right-fielders hitting third during Larry Walker’s absence. Pat Watkins, Lenny Harris and Angel Echevarria combined to go 4 for 37 during Colorado’s 2-5 start. . . . Darryl Strawberry wasn’t the only key figure from the ’86 Mets who spent time in the hoosegow last week. Former Mets GM Joe McIlvaine, who now works as a special assistant to Twins GM Terry Ryan, was arrested for indecent exposure while sunbathing naked on a Florida beach that he said he thought was private. Oops. . . . With Alex Rodriguez and rookie Carlos Guillen both disabled, the Mariners’ double-play combination consists of second baseman David Bell and platooning shortstops Giomar Guevara and Domingo Cedeno. Yikes. . . . Harry Minor is the man to call if you want an update on Kenny Rogers. The Mets’ scout has seen all but one of Rogers’ starts since the beginning of spring training. The Athletics’ high asking price could postpone the Rogers auction until July. . . . After Ron Gant called him a racist, Tony La Russa said, “All he did for us was whiff, whiff, whiff. I hope he goes to Philly and whiffs for them the way he whiffed for us. Then we’ll see what excuse he makes.” Going into the weekend, Gant had 11 strikeouts and one RBI in 20 at-bats, making him a target for Phillies’ fans. “He’s working very hard, and he will hit,” manager Terry Francona said. “He’s probably trying too hard right now to impress some people.” . . . Ivan Rodriguez set a Rangers record with nine RBIs Tuesday night in Seattle. He would have had a crack at Tony Lazzeri’s AL record of 11 had Johnny Oates not lifted him after seven innings. Zaun, who replaced Rodriguez, came up with two on in the ninth. Rodriguez shrugged when asked about it, saying, “I had a good night anyway.” . . . If his first four outings are an indication, this is the year that Houston’s Billy Wagner overtakes Trevor Hoffman and Robb Nen to become the best reliever in the NL. . . . Angels third baseman Troy Glaus has made a critical adjustment since last season, shortening his swing to make more contact. Still, he was an early league leader in extra-base hits.
