Media predictions for the 2002 season — Page 2 — Pedro Martinez, RedSox pitcher, Boston Red Sox
pedro martinez
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Media predictions for the 2002 season
If you see any others (especially Red Sox), send them in.
April 16, 2002
Lindy’s Baseball Scouting Report
American League National League
East New York Atlanta
Central Cleveland St. Louis
West Seattle Arizona
Wild Card Boston San Francisco
Pennant Winner New York St. Louis
World Series New York
Manager of Year Joe Torre Dusty Baker
MVP Alex Rodriguez Shawn Green
Cy Young Pedro Martinez Matt Morris
Rookie of Year Hank Blalock Sean Burroughs
Rookie Pitcher Ryan Drese Josh Beckett
April 2, 2002
New York Times Baseball Writers
Murray Chass, Jack Curry, Tyler Kepner, Rafael Hermoso
MC JC TK RH
AL East Yankees Yankees Yankees Yankees
AL Central Minnesota Minnesota Chicago Minnesota
AL West Seattle Seattle Seattle Seattle
AL Wild Card Oakland Oakland Oakland Oakland
AL Pennant Yankees Yankees Yankees Yankees
NL East Atlanta Atlanta Atlanta Atlanta
NL Central St. Louis St. Louis St. Louis St. Louis
NL West Arizona Arizona San Francisco Arizona
NL Wild Card Houston Mets Mets Mets
NL Pennant St. Louis St. Louis St. Louis Mets
World Series Seattle Yankees Yankees Mets
Seattle Times Staff Predictions
Bob Finnigan, Blaine Newnham, Steve Kelley, Bob Sherwin, Larry Stone
Bob Finnigan
AL East AL Central AL West NL East NL Central NL West
New York Minnesota Seattle New York Houston Arizona
Boston* Cleveland Oakland Atlanta St. Louis* San Francisco
Toronto Chicago Anaheim Philadelphia Chicago Los Angeles
Baltimore Detroit Texas Florida Pittsburgh San Diego
Tampa Bay Kansas City Montreal Milwaukee Colorado
Cincinnati
ALCS: Seattle over Yankees
NLCS: Arizona over Mets
World Series: Seattle over Arizona
Blaine Newnham
AL East AL Central AL West NL East NL Central NL West
New York Chicago Seattle Atlanta Houston Arizona
Boston* Cleveland Texas New York St. Louis* San Francisco
Toronto Minnesota Oakland Florida Chicago Los Angeles
Baltimore Detroit Anaheim Philadelphia Milwaukee San Diego
Tampa Bay Kansas City Montreal Cincinnati Colorado
Pittsburgh
ALCS: Yankees over Seattle
NLCS: St. Louis over Houston
World Series: Yankees over St. Louis
Steve Kelley
AL East AL Central AL West NL East NL Central NL West
New York Chicago Seattle Atlanta St. Louis Arizona
Boston Minnesota Oakland* New York* Houston San Francisco
Toronto Cleveland Texas Philadelphia Milwaukee Los Angeles
Baltimore Kansas City Anaheim Florida Chicago Colorado
Tampa Bay Detroit Montreal Cincinnati San Diego
Pittsburgh
ALCS: Yankees over Seattle
NLCS: Atlanta over Arizona
World Series: Yankees over Atlanta
Bob Sherwin
AL East AL Central AL West NL East NL Central NL West
New York Chicago Oakland Atlanta St. Louis San Francisco
Boston Cleveland Seattle* New York Chicago Arizona*
Toronto Minnesota Anaheim Philadelphia Houston Los Angeles
Baltimore Detroit Texas Florida Cincinnati San Diego
Tampa Bay Kansas City Montreal Milwaukee Colorado
Pittsburgh
ALCS: Oakland over Yankees
NLCS: St. Louis over Arizona
World Series: Oakland over St. Louis
Larry Stone
AL East AL Central AL West NL East NL Central NL West
New York Minnesota Seattle Atlanta St. Louis San Francisco
Boston Chicago Oakland* New York* Houston Arizona
Toronto Cleveland Texas Florida Chicago Los Angeles
Tampa Bay Detroit Anaheim Philadelphia Cincinnati San Diego
Baltimore Kansas City Montreal Milwaukee Colorado
Pittsburgh
ALCS: Seattle over Oakland
NLCS: St. Louis over Mets
World Series: Seattle over St. Louis
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Phil O'Neill
AL East AL Central AL West NL East NL Central NL West
New York Minnesota Oakland New York St. Louis Arizona
Boston Chicago Seattle Atlanta Houston San Francisco
Toronto Cleveland Texas Philadelphia Cincinnati Los Angeles
Baltimore Detroit Anaheim Florida Chicago San Diego
Tampa Bay Kansas City Montreal Milwaukee Colorado
Pittsburgh
World Series: St. Louis over Yankees
Bill Ballou
AL East AL Central AL West NL East NL Central NL West
New York Minnesota Seattle New York Houston San Diego
Boston Cleveland Anaheim Philadelphia Chicago Los Angeles
Toronto Chicago Oakland Atlanta St. Louis Arizona
Baltimore Kansas City Texas Florida Cincinnati San Francisco
Tampa Bay Detroit Montreal Pittsburgh Colorado
Milwaukee
American League Predictions
BaseballProspectus.com
Link also includes extensive comments
American League East
First Second Third Fourth Fifth
Jeff Bower Yankees Red Sox Blue Jays Devil Rays Orioles
Clay Davenport Yankees Red Sox Blue Jays Orioles Devil Rays
Jeff Hildebrand Yankees Red Sox Blue Jays Devil Rays Orioles
Gary Huckabay Yankees Red Sox Blue Jays Devil Rays Orioles
Rany Jazayerli Yankees Red Sox Blue Jays Devil Rays Orioles
Chris Kahrl Yankees Red Sox Blue Jays Devil Rays Orioles
Mat Olkin Yankees Red Sox Blue Jays Orioles Devil Rays
Doug Pappas Yankees Blue Jays Red Sox Devil Rays Orioles
Dave Pease Yankees Red Sox Blue Jays Devil Rays Orioles
Joe Sheehan Yankees Red Sox Blue Jays Devil Rays Orioles
Greg Spira Yankees Red Sox Blue Jays Orioles Devil Rays
Michael Wolverton Yankees Red Sox Blue Jays Orioles Devil Rays
Keith Woolner Yankees Red Sox Blue Jays Devil Rays Orioles
Derek Zumsteg Yankees Red Sox Blue Jays Orioles Devil Rays
Consensus Yankees Red Sox Blue Jays Devil Rays Orioles
Jeff Bower: The Yankees could be good for 105 wins after clearing out some of the deadwood late last fall. Grady Little holds things together in Boston despite Pedro Martinez’s ailments, but the Bosox fall just short of winning the wild card. …
Clay Davenport: New York 104, Boston 95, Toronto 73, Baltimore 69, Tampa Bay 68
There are two really good teams here, two really bad ones, and one in the middle that looks to me like it’s dropping down towards the bad ones. The Yankees are going to be very tough to beat this year, absolutely loaded all over the field. The Red Sox desperately need a healthy Pedro Martinez and Nomar Garciaparra if they are going to have any chance of taking the Yankees or even the wild card. …
Jeff Hildebrand: Ho hum, another year, another Yankees division title. They’ve reloaded, and no one else has stepped up to match them yet. For the Red Sox to have any chance at all, Pedro Martinez and Nomar Garciaparra both have to be back at full strength, which seems like a tall order. Given the state of the farm system and the circus accompanying the new ownership, this looks like a team that is a year or two away from a massive decline. …
Gary Huckabay: The Yankees blow their division wide open by the All-Star break, making it look something like the 2001 version of the AL West, but without the kick-ass team in second place. Grady Little does a masterful job handling Pedro Martinez, keeping him healthy for 28 starts and 195 innings, while Nomar Garciaparra and Manny Ramirez come back at either 80% effectiveness or 80% health each. Trot Nixon is the best hitter in the league against righties, and it’s all still not enough to do anything more than hang on the fringes of the wild-card race. …
Rany Jazayerli:
New York 100-62
Boston 88-74
Toronto 82-80
Tampa Bay 65-97
Baltimore 63-99
Exactly zero surprises here. The Yankees are the best team in baseball, a tribute to their willingness to proactively fix holes before they develop. The Red Sox simply don’t have the offense to give New York a challenge.
Chris Kahrl: This boils down to the Yankees and the two pairs. The Red Sox should finish ahead of the Blue Jays, but the Sox are terribly combustible. Whoever finishes third is going to be closer to #2 than the second-place finisher will be to the Yanks …
Mat Olkin: New York Yankees: Men on base all over the place. Boston Red Sox: Pedro Martinez is mostly healthy, good enough to give the A’s a run for the wild card.
Greg Spira: The AL East is pretty clear. … Anybody who doesn’t pick the Yankees to win this division has more than just a screw loose. The Yankees have a bigger edge going into 2002 than they’ve had in any season since the early 1960s, thanks to the offseason overhaul of their offense. Assuming at least some of their players stay healthy, the Red Sox are clearly the second most talented team in the division, and while they won’t threaten the Yankees they could contend for the wild card if Nomar Garciaparra and Pedro Martinez are healthy all season. …
Michael Wolverton: The easiest division to call. The Yankees will shock the baseball world by winning the division handily. The Red Sox have second pretty much locked up; whether they contend for the wild card will depend not so much on the health of Pedro Martinez, but on how well Tony Cloninger is able to fill Joe Kerrigan’s shoes as pitching coach. Martinez can be a great pitcher with any coach, but John Burkett can’t, Dustin Hermanson can’t, and Darren Oliver certainly can’t.
Derek Zumsteg: Boring. The Yankees aren’t going to reel off more than 100 wins as has been predicted in some circles, and they’re finally going to face some injuries that will hurt them, but they’ve got the depth and adaptability to fix issues as they go. The Red Sox won’t put together a good enough staff and lineup to chase the Yankees down, but should be within five games at season’s end.
American League Central
First Second Third Fourth Fifth
Jeff Bower White Sox Twins Cleveland Royals Tigers
Clay Davenport White Sox Cleveland Twins Tigers Royals
Jeff Hildebrand White Sox Twins Cleveland Tigers Royals
Gary Huckabay White Sox Twins Cleveland Tigers Royals
Rany Jazayerli White Sox Twins Cleveland Tigers Royals
Chris Kahrl Twins White Sox Cleveland Royals Tigers
Mat Olkin Twins White Sox Cleveland Tigers Royals
Doug Pappas White Sox Twins Cleveland Tigers Royals
Dave Pease White Sox Twins Cleveland Tigers Royals
Joe Sheehan White Sox Cleveland Twins Tigers Royals
Greg Spira White Sox Twins Cleveland Tigers Royals
Michael Wolverton White Sox Cleveland Twins Tigers Royals
Keith Woolner White Sox Twins Cleveland Royals Tigers
Derek Zumsteg Twins White Sox Cleveland Tigers Royals
Consensus White Sox Twins Cleveland Tigers Royals
American League West
First Second Third Fourth
Jeff Bower Athletics Mariners Rangers Angels
Clay Davenport Athletics Mariners Rangers Angels
Jeff Hildebrand Athletics Mariners Rangers Angels
Gary Huckabay Athletics Mariners Rangers Angels
Rany Jazayerli Mariners Athletics Rangers Angels
Chris Kahrl Athletics Mariners Rangers Angels
Mat Olkin Mariners Athletics Rangers Angels
Doug Pappas Athletics Mariners Rangers Angels
Dave Pease Athletics Mariners Rangers Angels
Joe Sheehan Mariners Rangers Athletics Angels
Greg Spira Mariners Athletics Rangers Angels
Michael Wolverton Athletics Mariners Rangers Angels
Keith Woolner Mariners Athletics Rangers Angels
Derek Zumsteg Athletics Mariners Rangers Angels
Consensus Athletics Mariners Rangers Angels
National League Predictions
BaseballProspectus.com
Link also includes extensive comments
National League East
First Second Third Fourth Fifth
Jeff Bower Atlanta Marlins Mets Phillies Expos
Clay Davenport Atlanta Mets Phillies Marlins Expos
Jeff Hildebrand Atlanta Phillies Mets Marlins Expos
Gary Huckabay Atlanta Marlins Mets Phillies Expos
Rany Jazayerli Atlanta Phillies Mets Marlins Expos
Chris Kahrl Atlanta Phillies Mets Marlins Expos
Mat Olkin Atlanta Mets Phillies Marlins Expos
Doug Pappas Atlanta Mets Phillies Marlins Expos
Dave Pease Atlanta Phillies Mets Marlins Expos
Joe Sheehan Atlanta Marlins Phillies Expos Mets
Greg Spira Atlanta Mets Phillies Marlins Expos
Michael Wolverton Atlanta Marlins Mets Phillies Expos
Keith Woolner Atlanta Marlins Mets Phillies Expos
Derek Zumsteg Phillies Atlanta Mets Marlins Expos
Consensus Atlanta Mets tie w/Phillies Marlins Expos
National League Central
First Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth
Jeff Bower Cardinals Astros Reds Cubs Pirates Brewers
Clay Davenport Astros Cubs Cardinals Brewers/Pirates Reds
Jeff Hildebrand Astros Cardinals Cubs Reds Brewers Pirates
Gary Huckabay Cubs Astros Cardinals Reds Brewers Pirates
Rany Jazayerli Astros Cubs Cardinals Reds Brewers Pirates
Chris Kahrl Astros Cubs Cardinals Reds Brewers Pirates
Mat Olkin Astros Cardinals Cubs Reds Brewers Pirates
Doug Pappas Astros Cardinals Cubs Reds Brewers Pirates
Dave Pease Astros Cardinals Cubs Reds Brewers Pirates
Joe Sheehan Cardinals Astros Cubs Reds Pirates Brewers
Greg Spira Astros Cardinals Cubs Reds Brewers Pirates
Michael Wolverton Astros Cardinals Cubs Reds Brewers Pirates
Keith Woolner Cubs Astros Reds Cardinals Pirates Brewers
Derek Zumsteg Cardinals Astros Cubs Reds Pirates Brewers
Consensus Astros Cardinals Cubs Reds Brewers Pirates
National League East
First Second Third Fourth Fifth
Jeff Bower Diamondbacks Giants Padres Rockies Dodgers
Clay Davenport Giants Diamondbacks Padres Dodgers Rockies
Jeff Hildebrand Giants Rockies Diamondbacks Padres Dodgers
Gary Huckabay Padres Diamondbacks Rockies Giants Dodgers
Rany Jazayerli Padres Giants Rockies Diamondbacks Dodgers
Chris Kahrl Padres Diamondbacks Giants Dodgers Rockies
Mat Olkin Diamondbacks Giants Padres Dodgers Rockies
Doug Pappas Giants Padres Diamondbacks Rockies Dodgers
Dave Pease Padres Giants Diamondbacks Rockies Dodgers
Joe Sheehan Padres Diamondbacks Rockies Giants Dodgers
Greg Spira Rockies Giants Diamondbacks Padres Dodgers
Michael Wolverton Giants Rockies Diamondbacks Padres Dodgers
Keith Woolner Padres Giants Diamondbacks Dodgers Rockies
Derek Zumsteg Giants Rockies Diamondbacks Padres Dodgers
Consensus Giants Padres Diamondbacks Rockies Dodgers
San Francisco Chronicle
Henry Schulman
AL East AL Central AL West NL East NL Central NL West
New York Minnesota Seattle New York St. Louis Arizona
Boston Chicago Oakland Atlanta Houston San Francisco
Toronto Cleveland Anaheim Florida Chicago Los Angeles
Tampa Bay Detroit Texas Philadelphia Cincinnati San Diego
Baltimore Kansas City Montreal Milwaukee Colorado
Pittsburgh
Crystal ball sees Giants, A’s finishing 2nd
Bruce Jenkins, San Francisco Chronicle
AL East AL Central AL West NL East NL Central NL West
New York Chicago Seattle Atlanta St. Louis Arizona
Boston Cleveland Oakland New York Chicago San Francisco
Toronto Minnesota Anaheim Philadelphia Houston Los Angeles
Baltimore Detroit Texas Florida Cincinnati San Diego
Tampa Bay Kansas City Montreal Milwaukee Colorado
Pittsburgh
March 31, 2002
These are the new Red Sox. Pedro and Nomar are still there — and they have been pronounced healthy, along with Jason Varitek — but the owners are new, the top executives in the front office are new and the manager is new. Gone is Dan Duquette, the general manager, who three Cy Young awards ago pronounced Roger Clemens in the ”twilight of his career” and who alienated Mo Vaughn, too. Gone is Joe Kerrigan, the novice manager Duquette appointed last August; Kerrigan couldn’t figure out how to overcome adversity, as his predecessor, Jimy Williams, had done. Grady Little is the new manager, a major league rookie after trying out in the minors for 16 years. He comes highly recommended. Rickey Henderson, at 43, is a new player, the holder of three career records: stolen bases, runs scored and walks.
Key to season: The amount of help Burkett and Hermanson, among others, give Pedro Martnez in the starting rotation will determine how far the new Red Sox go.
New York
Boston
ROOKIE TO WATCH: RH Juan Pena.
STRENGTHS: Improved speed with the addition of Damon and Henderson; healthier and younger starting rotation; Pedro Martinez, the game’s best pitcher when healthy; stronger middle of the lineup; double-play combination.
WEAKNESSES: Defense at the infield corners; lack of lefty starter, which will hurt against New York, Seattle and Oakland; absence of proven No. 2 starter.
OUTLOOK: As goes Pedro, so go the Red Sox. The team is far healthier than the end of last season, but if Martinez is injured, so too are any chances the Sox have of making the post-season.
Toronto
Baltimore
Tampa Bay
Minnesota
Cleveland
Chicago
Detroit
Kansas City
Seattle
Oakland
Anaheim
Texas
Los Angeles Times
Strengths: With new ownership and a new manager, the Red Sox are sporting a more positive attitude. Pedro Martinez, Nomar Garciaparra and Manny Ramirez are superstars who, if they remain sound, make the Red Sox contenders. OF Damon and Henderson add a dose of speed.
Weaknesses: As great as Martinez is, new Manager Grady Little still has to send four pitchers to the mound between his starts. Burkett, who will open the season on the disabled list, and Hermanson were brought in, but other teams in the division are hardly quaking. Garciaparra must prove he’s healthy and durable after playing only 21 games last season because of a torn wrist tendon.
Outlook: The Red Sox have a shot at the wild card if Martinez, Garciaparra and Ramirez remain injury-free.
AL East AL Central AL West NL East NL Central NL West
New York Chicago Seattle Atlanta St. Louis Arizona
Boston Minnesota Oakland New York Houston San Francisco
Toronto Cleveland Anaheim Philadelphia Chicago Los Angeles
Baltimore Detroit Texas Florida Pittsburgh San Diego
Tampa Bay Kansas City Montreal Milwaukee Colorado
Cincinnati
Baltimore Sun Baseball Reporters Predictions
Joe Christensen
AL East AL Central AL West NL East NL Central NL West
New York Minnesota Seattle New York St. Louis San Francisco
Boston Chicago Oakland* Atlanta Houston* Arizona
Toronto Cleveland Anaheim Philadelphia Chicago Los Angeles
Baltimore Detroit Texas Florida Cincinnati San Diego
Tampa Bay Kansas City Montreal Milwaukee Colorado
Pittsburgh
World Series: Oakland over St. Louis
Roch Kubatko
AL East AL Central AL West NL East NL Central NL West
New York Chicago Seattle Atlanta St. Louis Arizona
Boston Cleveland Oakland* New York* Chicago San Francisco
Toronto Minnesota Texas Florida Houston Los Angeles
Baltimore Kansas City Anaheim Philadelphia Cincinnati Colorado
Tampa Bay Detroit Montreal Milwaukee San Diego
Pittsburgh
World Series: New York Yankees over St. Louis
Peter Schmuck
AL East AL Central AL West NL East NL Central NL West
New York Cleveland Seattle Atlanta St. Louis San Francisco
Boston Minnesota Texas* New York* Chicago Arizona
Toronto Chicago Oakland Florida Houston Los Angeles
Baltimore Detroit Anaheim Montreal Cincinnati San Diego
Tampa Bay Kansas City Philadelphia Pittsburgh Colorado
Milwaukee
World Series: St. Louis over New York Yankees
American League East Capsules
Mitch Rubin, Washington Post
Boston Red Sox
For the Defense: After a season in which star SS Nomar Garciaparra played only 21 games and emerging star C Jason Varitek only 51, simply getting them back and healthy will dramatically improve the defense. With Garciaparra’s wrist fully healed, he can once again dazzle defensively and the acquisition of SS-turned-2B Rey Sanchez will quickly enable Boston fans to forget the less-than-dynamite middle infield combo of Mike Lansing-Jose Offerman. The free agent signing of Johnny Damon dramatically improves the outfield in a couple of ways. CF Damon is an outstanding fielder despite his average arm, and it allows Trot Nixon to return to right field, where he is much more comfortable and has played very well in the past.
Bottom Line: New owner. New GM. New manager. The Red Sox have undergone a personality makeover this offseason. Will it translate to a clubhouse that was ready to explode late in 2001? Little, who is universally portrayed as a players’ coach, takes over a team that can hit top to bottom, but still has pitching problems — after its number one starter, Pedro Martinez (7-3, 2.39). They signed RHP John Burkett from the Braves (12-12, 3.04) and traded for Cardinals RHP Dustin Hermanson (14-13, 4.45). Burkett, who will start the season on the DL because of shoulder inflammation, is 32-35 in the AL (109-84 in the NL) and Hermanson is a .500 pitcher (61-61). Derek Lowe (5-10, 3.53) and Frank Castillo (10-9, 4.21) fill out a rotation that — for the 84th consecutive year — Boston fans hope will bring them a World Series championship.
Chicago Tribune — American League Picks
and
Chicago Tribune — National League Picks
Rick Morrissey, Phil Rogers, Paul Sullivan, Teddy Greenstein
RM PR PS TG
AL East Yankees Yankees Yankees Yankees
AL Central Cleveland Minnesota Chicago Chicago
AL West Oakland Oakland Seattle Seattle
AL Wild Card Seattle Seattle Boston Boston
NL East Mets Atlanta Atlanta Atlanta
NL Central St. Louis St. Louis St. Louis Houston
NL West Arizona San Francisco San Francisco San Francisco
NL Wild Card Atlanta Houston Arizona Mets
AL Pennant Yankees Oakland Seattle Yankees
NL Pennant St. Louis Atlanta San Francisco St. Louis
World Series Yankees Atlanta Seattle Yankees
AL MVP ARodriguez MOrdonez MOrdonez Garciaparra
NL MVP THelton GSheffield CJones GSheffield
AL Cy Young PMartinez MMussina PMartinez MMussina
NL Cy Young RJohnson RJohnson KWood TGlavine
AL Rookie CPena HBlalock NJohnson CPena
NL Rookie MPrior CHernandez JBeckett JBeckett
AL Manager JTorre RGardenhire LPinella GLittle
NL Manager TLaRussa FRobinson DBaker JTorborg
AL Batting Champ PKonerko ISuzuki ISuzuki MSweeney
NL Batting Champ CJones THelton BAbreu LGonzalez
Cleveland Plain Dealer Staff Predictions
Roger Brown, Burt Graeff, Paul Hoynes, Bill Livingston, Dennis Manoloff, Bud Shaw
RB BG PH BL DM BS
AL East Yankees Yankees Yankees Yankees Yankees Yankees
AL Central Chicago Chicago Chicago Chicago Chicago Chicago
AL West Texas Oakland Seattle Seattle Oakland Oakland
AL Wild Card Seattle Seattle Oakland Boston Boston Seattle
NL East Mets Atlanta Mets Mets Atlanta Atlanta
NL Central St. Louis St. Louis Houston St. Louis St. Louis St. Louis
NL West Los Angeles San Francisco Arizona Arizona San Francisco Arizona
NL Wild Card San Francisco Arizona St. Louis Atlanta Cubs Mets
AL Pennant Yankees Yankees Seattle Yankees Oakland Yankees
NL Pennant Mets St. Louis St. Louis St. Louis San Francisco Arizona
World Series Mets Yankees Seattle Yankees San Francisco Yankees
AL MVP ARodriguez JGiambi ARodriguez JGiambi MRamirez ISuzuki
NL MVP MPiazza APujols SSosa SSosa MPiazza GSheffield
AL Cy Young MMussina RClemens MMussina THudson MMulder MMussina
NL Cy Young MMorris RJohnson CSchilling CSchilling ROswalt CSchilling
AL Manager JNarron JManuel GLittle GLittle GLittle JManuel
NL Manager JTracy TLaRussa TLaRussa DBaylor DBaylor DBaker
Denver Post
The upside: Despite turmoil and injuries to Pedro Martinez and Nomar Garciaparra, the Red Sox were leading the wild-card race into August last season. This year, there is calm, not chaos, in the clubhouse and Martinez and Garciaparra are healthy.
The downside: It’s tough to overcome the Yanks in the AL East with John Burkett and Dustin Hermanson as your No. 2 and 3 starters.
Need a big year from: Martinez. If he’s Pedro, he’ll win the Cy Young and the Red Sox will contend. If he goes down, the Red Sox are done.
American League and National League
Marty Noble, Newsday
American League National League
East Central West East Central West
New York Chicago Seattle Atlanta St. Louis San Francisco
Boston Minnesota Oakland New York Houston Arizona
Toronto Cleveland Anaheim Florida Chicago Los Angeles
Tampa Bay Kansas City Texas Philadelphia Cincinnati San Diego
Baltimore Detroit Montreal Milwaukee Colorado
Pittsburgh
Red Sox: Even with all the change – ownership, the general manager, the manager, Johnny Damon, Tony Clark, John Burkett, Dustin Hermanson, Rickey Henderson, Jason Varitek healthy again and no more Coney, Sabes or Carl Everett – it’s the same for the Sox. Nomar Garciaparra and Pedro Martinez are the pivotal players.
Martinez can be the best pitcher in the game. But the Sox don’t have a legit No. 2. Burkett and Hermanson are 3’s, maybe. Frank Castillo is a No. 5, Derek Lowe a displaced reliever and Tim Wakefield an unwanted option.
With No. 3 hitter Garciaparra and No. 4 Manny Ramirez and Damon leading off – when Henderson doesn’t – teammates will pay to bat No. 2. First baseman Clark isn’t much protection for Ramirez unless he regains his 1997-99 form.
Baseball Preview
Paul Meyer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
American League National League
East Central West East Central West
New York Minnesota Oakland New York St. Louis San Francisco
Toronto Cleveland Seattle Atlanta Chicago Arizona
Boston Chicago Texas Philadelphia Houston Los Angeles
Baltimore Detroit Anaheim Florida Cincinnati San Diego
Tampa Bay Kansas City Montreal Milwaukee Colorado
Pittsburgh
Red Sox have new ownership, a new general manager and a new manager but face the same old question: Can they overtake the Yankees? Doubtful. And that will change to “impossible” if Martinez, who has spent time on the disabled list in each of the past three seasons, goes down again. … Primarily because Garciaparra hurt his wrist and had only 83 at-bats, they were 15-23 against left-handed starters. … Ramirez hit just .259 after the All-Star break. … Damon, who had a subpar season in Oakland, was a solid offensive performer with Kansas City before going to the Athletics. He’ll have Rickey Henderson to teach him about being a leadoff hitter.
The Guy in the Stand’s Predictions
Steve Ziants, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
AL East: New York Yankees — Repeat in the AL East and return to the World Series.
AL Central: Chicago White Sox
AL West: Oakland Athletics
AL wild card: Seattle Mariners — They not only won’t win 116 games, they won’t win 100. But they’ll win enough to beat out Boston.
NL East: Atlanta Braves
NL Central: St. Louis Cardinals — Look for them to be playing a home-and-home with the Yankees in October.
NL West: Arizona Diamondbacks
NL wild card: Houston Astros
Baseball Preview
John Shea, San Francisco Chronicle
Outlook: The team was sold. GM Dan Duquette was fired. Mike Port became the interim GM. Manager Joe Kerrigan was fired. Mike Cubbage became the interim manager. Little replaced Cubbage. Little dumped pitching coach Ralph Treuel and hired Tony Cloninger. And it all happened in one lively spring training. The following lineup includes Henderson, but he might start between two and four games a week, usually against lefties. When he’s out, Brian Daubach will be the DH.
March 30, 2002
Red Sox Preview
Art Martone, Providence Journal
Where will they finish? Second.
Why second? Why not first? I just think the Yankees are too strong. Their starting rotation, top to bottom, might be the best in baseball. Their closer is the best in baseball. They added one of baseball’s best hitters in Jason Giambi …
Is it possible for the Sox to beat out the Yankees? Oh, sure. New York’s rotation is pretty long in the tooth, and breakdowns by one or more of their key people aren’t out of the question. … Plus, the Yanks are overdue for the type of catastrophic-injury lightning bolt that struck the Sox three times last year.
Forget the division. What about the wild-card? I think the Sox will be in the thick of the wild-card race. Their main competition figures to come from the A.L. West, either Seattle or Oakland.
What are the Sox’ strengths? One of the best outfields in baseball. Dramatically improved defense up the middle. What should be a solid if unspectacular starting rotation. A deep bullpen. They have a little bit of speed. The Garciaparra-Ramirez-Clark-Nixon middle of the order can carry the offense, particularly with Damon (and, against lefties, Henderson) setting the table.
What are their weaknesses? If Pedro Martinez isn’t Pedro Martinez, their rotation goes from being a strength to something of a neutral factor . . . or worse, if, as last year, the lack of innings-eaters puts too much stress on the bullpen. (It’s hoped, of course, that Lowe and Hermanson will go deeper into games than the pitchers they replaced, Cone and Nomo. That may also depend on managerial philosophy, and we don’t yet know how quick Grady Little’s hook will be.)
They figure to be below-average offensively at second base, no matter what, and the best they can probably hope for at third base is league-average production.
Are the weaknesses enough to sink them? A non-Pedro starting rotation might, but they can overcome the rest of it.
What’s the highest number of games this team can win? As I wrote a few weeks ago, a quick and superficial look at the STATS projections has them at 103-59. That’s just too high, considering the weaknesses we just discussed; 100-win teams generally don’t have that many question marks. I would think mid-90s is more realistic as an upper number.
Will it be enough? Hey, mid-90s is pretty good. It probably won’t be good enough to beat the Yankees, but it might be good enough for the wild-card.
Dan McLaughlin, Baseball Crank
Providence Journal
American League National League
East Central West East Central West
New York Chicago Seattle Atlanta St. Louis Arizona
Boston Minnesota Oakland New York Houston Colorado
Toronto Cleveland Texas Philadelphia Chicago San Francisco
Tampa Bay Kansas City Anaheim Florida Cincinnati San Diego
Baltimore Detroit Montreal Milwaukee Los Angeles
Pittsburgh
Includes a TON of comments:
Another boring, same-as-last-year’s-predictions division. I’ve been through the Yanks and Sox already; the return (or not) of Pedro remains the biggest question mark in the game. One interesting subplot will be whether the Yankees have the patience to break in Nick Johnson if he doesn’t come roaring out of the gate the way Soriano did last season; the answer, like the treatment of Ted Lilly, will say a lot about the sustainabilty of the current dynasty.
The Postseason: I’m not going to try predicting the postseason in March again, except to say that it’s been nearly 40 years since the fifth and most recent October meeting of baseball’s two most successful postseason franchises. The Cards lead the Yankees 3-2, if you’re keeping score. My pick, assuming there’s a postseason instead of a strike: the Yankees beat the Cards. Hey, I said they were the preseason favorite. I’ll be happy to be proven wrong.
USA TODAY writers make their American League picks
East Central West Wild card ALCS NLCS World Series
Mel Antonen Yankees Twins Mariners Athletics Yankees Cardinals Yankees
Rod Beaton Yankees Twins Athletics Mariners Athletics Atlanta Athletics
Hal Bodley Yankees Twins Mariners Athletics Yankees Cardinals Yankees
Steve Gardner Yankees White Sox Mariners Athletics Yankees Astros Yankees
Chuck Johnson Yankees White Sox Mariners Red Sox Yankees Cardinals Cardinals
MVP Cy Young Rookie Manager
Mel Antonen Jason Giambi Mark Mulder Hank Blalock, Tex Ron Gardenhire, Twins
Rod Beaton Alex Rodriguez Pedro Martinez Hank Blalock, Tex Ron Gardenhire, Twins
Hal Bodley Jason Giambi Mark Mulder Eric Hinske, Tor Ron Gardenhire, Twins
Steve Gardner Jason Giambi Tim Hudson Hank Blalock, Tex Jerry Manuel, White Sox
Chuck Johnson Alex Rodriguez Mike Mussina Carlos Pena, A's Jerry Manuel, White Sox
USA TODAY writers make their National League picks
East Central West Wild card NLCS ALCS World Series
Mel Antonen Atlanta Cardinals Diamondbacks Dodgers Cardinals Yankees Yankees
Rod Beaton Atlanta Astros Giants Mets Atlanta Athletics Athletics
Hal Bodley Atlanta Cardinals Diamondbacks Phillies Cardinals Yankees Yankees
Steve Gardner Atlanta Astros Diamondbacks Cardinals Astros Yankees Yankees
Chuck Johnson Mets Cardinals Giants Atlanta Cardinals Yankees Cardinals
MVP Cy Young Rookie Manager
Mel Antonen Luis Gonzalez Matt Morris Sean Burroughs, SD Tony LaRussa, StL
Rod Beaton Gary Sheffield Randy Johnson Sean Burroughs, SD Jimy Williams, Astros
Hal Bodley Sammy Sosa Curt Schilling Josh Beckett, Marlins Jeff Torborg, Marlins
Steve Gardner Sammy Sosa Curt Schilling Morgan Ensberg, Astros Jimy Williams, Astros
Chuck Johnson Sammy Sosa Randy Johnson Josh Beckett, Marlins Bobby Valentine, Mets
Staff predictions
SportsLine.com
Scott Miller is SportsLine.com’s senior baseball writer. Charlie McCarthy is SportsLine.com’s senior baseball producer. Adam Reich is SportsLine.com’s baseball production manager. Eric Mack is one of SportsLine.com’s newsroom editors. Tristan Cockcroft is one of SportsLine.com’s Fantasy Baseball writers.
American League
* – wild card; bold – pennant winner
AL East Miller McCarthy Reich Mack Cockcroft
Yankees Yankees Yankees Yankees Yankees
Red Sox Red Sox* Red Sox* Red Sox* Red Sox
Blue Jays Devil Rays Blue Jays Blue Jays Blue Jays
Devil Rays Orioles Devil Rays Orioles Orioles
Orioles Blue Jays Orioles Devil Rays Devil Rays
AL Central Miller McCarthy Reich Mack Cockcroft
Twins Twins White Sox Twins Twins
Cleveland White Sox Twins Cleveland Cleveland
White Sox Cleveland Cleveland White Sox White Sox
Royals Royals Royals Royals Royals
Tigers Tigers Tigers Tigers Tigers
AL West Miller McCarthy Reich Mack Cockcroft
Mariners Athletics Mariners Athletics Mariners
Athletics* Mariners Athletics Rangers Athletics*
Angels Angels Rangers Mariners Angels
Rangers Rangers Angels Angels Rangers
AL Awards Miller McCarthy Reich Mack Cockcroft MVP JGiambi Garciaparra DJeter MRamirez DJeter Cy Young MMussina MMussina PMartinez THudson MMussina Rookie CPena HBlalock HBlalock Cuddyer HBlalock Manager Gardenhire Howe Gardenhire Gardenhire Gardenhire Comeback Garciaparra FThomas FThomas Garciaparra PMartinez Bust CEverett CHPark RWhite RSierra CHPark HR Champ CDelgado MRamirez MRamirez ARodriguez CDelgado
National League * - wild card; bold - pennant winner
NL East Miller McCarthy Reich Mack Cockcroft
Atlanta Mets Mets Atlanta Atlanta
Mets Marlins Atlanta Mets* Mets
Phillies Atlanta Marlins Marlins Marlins
Marlins Phillies Phillies Phillies Phillies
Expos Expos Expos Expos Expos
NL Central Miller McCarthy Reich Mack Cockcroft
Cardinals Cardinals Cardinals Cardinals Cardinals
Astros* Cubs* Astros Astros Astros
Cubs Astros Cubs Cubs Cubs
Brewers Reds Brewers Reds Reds
Reds Brewers Reds Brewers Brewers
Pirates Pirates Pirates Pirates Pirates
NL West Miller McCarthy Reich Mack Cockcroft
D-Backs D-Backs Giants D-Backs D-Backs
Giants Giants D-Backs* Giants Giants*
Padres Padres Dodgers Dodgers Dodgers
Dodgers Dodgers Rockies Padres Padres
Rockies Rockies Padres Rockies Rockies
NL Awards Miller McCarthy Reich Mack Cockcroft MVP Bonds Sosa Bonds Piazza LGonzalez Cy Young Morris RJohnson RJohnson Morris RJohnson Rookie Burroughs Burroughs Burroughs Beckett Beckett Manager LaRussa Torborg Baker Cox Torborg Comeback MVaughn MVaughn MVaughn MVaughn MVaughn Bust Canseco Hampton Ishii Burroughs Mesa HR Champ Sosa Sosa Sosa Sosa Sosa
World Series Miller McCarthy Reich Mack Cockcroft
Yankees Red Sox Cardinals Mets Yankees
Fearless predictions
Sports Illustrated
SI scribes take a stab at what the 2002 season has in store It’s never too early for predictions. Sports Illustrated’s three wise men — Tom Verducci, Jeff Pearlman and Stephen Cannella — step up to the plate and select their studs and few duds for the upcoming season.
Tom Verducci Stephen Cannella Jeff Pearlman AL MVP Jason Giambi Jason Giambi Eric Chavez NL MVP Gary Sheffield Chipper Jones Ryan Klesko AL Cy Young Barry Zito Mark Mulder Pedro Martinez NL Cy Young Matt Morris Matt Morris Shawn Estes AL Rookie Jon Rauch Carlos Pena Carlos Pena NL Rookie Josh Beckett Sean Burroughs Josh Beckett AL HR Leader Alex Rodriguez Alex Rodriguez Troy Glaus NL HR Leader Ken Griffey Jr. Sammy Sosa Gary Sheffield AL Batting Ichiro Suzuki Nomar Garciaparra Ichiro Suzuki NL Batting Todd Helton Todd Helton Jose Vidro AL Wins Mike Mussina Freddy Garcia Tim Hudson NL Wins Russ Ortiz Curt Schilling Matt Morris AL Comeback Frank Thomas Darin Erstad Ryan Rupe NL Comeback Mike Lieberthal Kevin Millwood Jeffrey Hammonds AL Overrated Raul Mondesi Tony Batista Carlos Delgado NL Overrated Jason Kendall Jason Kendall Craig Biggio AL Underrated Mike Sweeney Keith Foulke Jeff Conine NL Underrated Juan Pierre Fernando Vina Brian Giles AL Breakout Toby Hall Eric Chavez David Ortiz NL Breakout J.D. Drew Adrian Beltre Adam Dunn AL Surprise Angels Angels Tigers NL Surprise Marlins Marlins Padres AL Disappointing Cleveland Cleveland White Sox NL Disappointing Mets Mets Diamondbacks AL Manager Mike Scioscia Ron Gardenhire Ron Gardenhire NL Manager Bruce Bochy Jim Tracy Jim Tracy First AL Manager Fired Jerry Narron Buck Martinez Tony Muser First NL Manager Fired Bob Boone Lloyd McClendon Davey Lopes
AL Divisions NYY, CWS, Sea NYY, Min, Sea NYY, Min, Oak NL Divisions Atl, StL, Arz Phi, StL, Arz NYM, StL, LAD AL Wild Card A's A's Angels NL Wild Card Astros Atlanta Atlanta ALCS NYY over CWS NYY over Sea Min over Oak NLCS StL over Hou StL over Arz NYM over Atl World Series NYY over StL NYY over StL Min over NYM
Opening Day Here We Come
Peter Gammons, espn.com
Boston There is so much that is better about this team, from ownership’s respect for the fans to an attempt to bring the business and baseball operations past the Eisenhower Era.
Johnny Damon, Trot Nixon and Manny Ramirez is a dynamite outfield. Nomar Garciaparra, Jason Varitek and Tony Clark were healthy this spring. They’re going to score runs, but everything comes down to the health of the pitching, starting with Pedro Martinez. In his last start Wednesday, he dropped down and found his slingshot, low three-quarter arm slot and regained the movement on his fastball. But there is a tear in that shoulder. Thus, can he stay healthy? No one knows.
Derek Lowe has grown up and can be the No. 2 starter, but John Burkett’s admission that the stiffness in his right shoulder is the worst he’s had in the spring which isn’t encouraging. And while Dustin Hermanson has the heart, there are doubts in Fenway, and there are concerns about Ugueth Urbina’s shoulder holding up, with no closer behind him. With no minor-league system to speak of and a brutal roster for the $110 million price, they are going to have a tough time going out and making deals, although youngster Juan Pena may be their fourth starter, quickly.
Here are the predictions, which will be worthless by Tuesday night:
AL East AL Central AL West NL East NL Central NL West
New York Minnesota Seattle Atlanta St. Louis San Francisco
Boston Cleveland Oakland New York Houston Arizona
Toronto Chicago Anaheim Philadelphia Chicago Colorado
Baltimore Detroit Texas Florida Cincinnati Los Angeles
Tampa Bay Kansas City Montreal Pittsburgh San Diego
Milwaukee
Best Divisions: AL West and NL Central
Most Valuable Players: Magglio Ordonez Sammy Sosa Cy Young Awards: Tim Hudson Roy Oswalt Rookie of the Year Nick Johnson Sean Burroughs
Things we love in spring training …
5. Aaron Boone, for being Aaron Boone. …
7. David Segui’s fingernails. …
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