amag
02-19-2002, 11:11 PM
From MLB.com...
SPRING CLEANING
1. Who will get most of the playing time in left field?
In an ideal world, So Taguchi, a Japanese star playing in his first year in America, will have no problem adjusting to Major League pitching and will emerge as the Cardinals' starting left fielder. Unlike two of his competitors, Placido Polanco and Eli Marrero, Taguchi is a natural outfielder. He won five Gold Glove Awards during his 10 years of service in Japan, which makes him better defensively than another competitor, Kerry Robinson. Considering that Polanco is a career .299 hitter (22 points higher than Taguchi's career average in Japan), has shown the ability to produce batting second in the lineup and is one of the team's most consistent fielders, there is a good chance he will earn most of the playing time. Polanco's only drawback is that he has never played the outfield in his three-year Major League career. Manager Tony La Russa has said that he has faith that Polanco can perform at any position.
2. Can Albert Pujols handle third base every day and put up the numbers once again?
Pujols played four different positions during his Rookie of the Year campaign: left field, right field, first base and third base. His fielding percentage at third base (.938, 10 errors in 161 total chances) was lower than when he played the outfield (.964, 5 errors in 139 total chances) or first base (.984, 5 errors in 307 total chances). Pujols' natural position is third base and Cardinals management would like him to fit into a set position rather than bounce around from game to game. Pujols' incredible production last season (.334, 37 homers, 130 RBIs, 112 runs) should not be attributed to his constant position changes. He is a great hitter and will avoid the "sophomore jinx" this year by coming close to, if not duplicating, last season's statistics.
3. Who will be the fifth starter?
Garrett Stephenson, Rick Ankiel and Andy Benes. A former 16-game winner coming off reconstructive elbow surgery. The 2000 Sporting News Rookie Pitcher of the Year who lost control of his pitches and spent most of the 2001 season in the low minors. A 12-year veteran coming off a disappointing season in which he went 7-7 with a 7.38 ERA in 27 games. If there is a weak link to the Cardinals pitching staff it is at the fifth starter role in the rotation. It is unlikely that Stephenson will be able to jump right into the rotation this than one-year after elbow surgery. Ankiel started the 2001 season in St. Louis, but lost his control around the plate and spent most of the season with Johnson City down in Rookie ball. He went 5-3 with a 1.33 ERA in 14 starts and had 158 strikeouts in 87 2/3 innings pitched. Ankiel has apparently been throwing better than ever over the last month in Jupiter, Fla., but the big challenge for him will come when games begin at the end of February. Despite his lack of production last season, Benes will be given every opportunity to earn his way back into the rotation. The offseason rest should help Benes, who had surgery on his right knee last year before Spring Training. If healthy and effective, Benes would eat up innings as a fifth starter and keep pressure off Ankiel to perform or Stephenson to rush his comeback.
4. Will Tino Martinez be able to fill Mark McGwire's shoes?
When Martinez was traded to New York in 1995, he replaced Don Mattingly, a Yankee fan favorite and former All-Star. Martinez erased any doubts the Bronx faithful had about him by hitting .292 with 25 homers and 117 RBIs en route to the first Yankee world championship in 18 years. McGwire, who ranks fifth on the all-time home run list and broke the single-season home run record as a member of the Cardinals in 1998, decided to retire after last season, much to the dismay of some St. Louis fans. He batted .187 with 29 homers and 64 RBIs in 97 games. Martinez, six seasons after replacing Mattingly, comes to St. Louis with four World Series rings and a wealth of playoff experience. He will not shatter home run records, but Martinez is consistent, will drive in runs and will be the leader that the Cardinals need on the field.
5. Will Woody Williams continue his impressive pitching in St. Louis?
There are two contrasting sides to Williams' pitching performance in 2001. There is the side that went 8-8 with a 4.97 ERA in 23 starts for San Diego and there is the side went 7-1 with a 2.28 ERA in 11 starts following a trade to St. Louis in August. During the final two months of the season, Williams was as good, if not better, than any pitcher in baseball. He won six of his final seven starts for the Cards, including Game 2 of the NL Division Series against the Diamondbacks' Randy Johnson in Arizona. He fired three complete games and he pitched seven innings in the four other starts. Williams attributes the change in his performance due to the diligent preparation of St. Louis pitching coach Dave Duncan. Williams said he learned more in his short time with Duncan about how to prepare for a start than he ever had during his eight-year career with Toronto and San Diego. Williams is slated to be the third starter in La Russa's rotation, behind Matt Morris and Darryl Kile. It is scary to think about the numbers that Williams will post in a full season with Duncan and the Cardinals.
SPRING CLEANING
1. Who will get most of the playing time in left field?
In an ideal world, So Taguchi, a Japanese star playing in his first year in America, will have no problem adjusting to Major League pitching and will emerge as the Cardinals' starting left fielder. Unlike two of his competitors, Placido Polanco and Eli Marrero, Taguchi is a natural outfielder. He won five Gold Glove Awards during his 10 years of service in Japan, which makes him better defensively than another competitor, Kerry Robinson. Considering that Polanco is a career .299 hitter (22 points higher than Taguchi's career average in Japan), has shown the ability to produce batting second in the lineup and is one of the team's most consistent fielders, there is a good chance he will earn most of the playing time. Polanco's only drawback is that he has never played the outfield in his three-year Major League career. Manager Tony La Russa has said that he has faith that Polanco can perform at any position.
2. Can Albert Pujols handle third base every day and put up the numbers once again?
Pujols played four different positions during his Rookie of the Year campaign: left field, right field, first base and third base. His fielding percentage at third base (.938, 10 errors in 161 total chances) was lower than when he played the outfield (.964, 5 errors in 139 total chances) or first base (.984, 5 errors in 307 total chances). Pujols' natural position is third base and Cardinals management would like him to fit into a set position rather than bounce around from game to game. Pujols' incredible production last season (.334, 37 homers, 130 RBIs, 112 runs) should not be attributed to his constant position changes. He is a great hitter and will avoid the "sophomore jinx" this year by coming close to, if not duplicating, last season's statistics.
3. Who will be the fifth starter?
Garrett Stephenson, Rick Ankiel and Andy Benes. A former 16-game winner coming off reconstructive elbow surgery. The 2000 Sporting News Rookie Pitcher of the Year who lost control of his pitches and spent most of the 2001 season in the low minors. A 12-year veteran coming off a disappointing season in which he went 7-7 with a 7.38 ERA in 27 games. If there is a weak link to the Cardinals pitching staff it is at the fifth starter role in the rotation. It is unlikely that Stephenson will be able to jump right into the rotation this than one-year after elbow surgery. Ankiel started the 2001 season in St. Louis, but lost his control around the plate and spent most of the season with Johnson City down in Rookie ball. He went 5-3 with a 1.33 ERA in 14 starts and had 158 strikeouts in 87 2/3 innings pitched. Ankiel has apparently been throwing better than ever over the last month in Jupiter, Fla., but the big challenge for him will come when games begin at the end of February. Despite his lack of production last season, Benes will be given every opportunity to earn his way back into the rotation. The offseason rest should help Benes, who had surgery on his right knee last year before Spring Training. If healthy and effective, Benes would eat up innings as a fifth starter and keep pressure off Ankiel to perform or Stephenson to rush his comeback.
4. Will Tino Martinez be able to fill Mark McGwire's shoes?
When Martinez was traded to New York in 1995, he replaced Don Mattingly, a Yankee fan favorite and former All-Star. Martinez erased any doubts the Bronx faithful had about him by hitting .292 with 25 homers and 117 RBIs en route to the first Yankee world championship in 18 years. McGwire, who ranks fifth on the all-time home run list and broke the single-season home run record as a member of the Cardinals in 1998, decided to retire after last season, much to the dismay of some St. Louis fans. He batted .187 with 29 homers and 64 RBIs in 97 games. Martinez, six seasons after replacing Mattingly, comes to St. Louis with four World Series rings and a wealth of playoff experience. He will not shatter home run records, but Martinez is consistent, will drive in runs and will be the leader that the Cardinals need on the field.
5. Will Woody Williams continue his impressive pitching in St. Louis?
There are two contrasting sides to Williams' pitching performance in 2001. There is the side that went 8-8 with a 4.97 ERA in 23 starts for San Diego and there is the side went 7-1 with a 2.28 ERA in 11 starts following a trade to St. Louis in August. During the final two months of the season, Williams was as good, if not better, than any pitcher in baseball. He won six of his final seven starts for the Cards, including Game 2 of the NL Division Series against the Diamondbacks' Randy Johnson in Arizona. He fired three complete games and he pitched seven innings in the four other starts. Williams attributes the change in his performance due to the diligent preparation of St. Louis pitching coach Dave Duncan. Williams said he learned more in his short time with Duncan about how to prepare for a start than he ever had during his eight-year career with Toronto and San Diego. Williams is slated to be the third starter in La Russa's rotation, behind Matt Morris and Darryl Kile. It is scary to think about the numbers that Williams will post in a full season with Duncan and the Cardinals.