Should Bobby Bo go?

Sports Illustrated's Tim Kurkjian will periodically answers questions from CNN/SI users during the Series.

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Posted: Fri October 24, 1997

Why does Jim Leyland insist on starting Bobby Bonilla at third? This is the World Series, not the Bonilla/Leyland Series. Bonilla makes errors, fails to hit with runners aboard, and has critical shortcomings as a baserunner.
—Mac Marsland, Toronto

Bobby Bonilla should be starting at third base in this series. He has all season. He's Florida's cleanup man. The Marlins depend on him. The only alternative is to start Alex Arias at third. Who would you rather have? Who do you think the Indians would rather see at the plate?

Granted, Bonilla is a bad third baseman even when he's healthy. Now, he clutches his hamstring after every play he's involved in. Watch him closely. Watch him fall to his knees on any ball that hasn't hit right at him. If he misses it, he gives the impression that he made a dive for the ball, as if it were a really tough play. Compare the way Bonilla plays third and the way Matt Williams plays third. It's a big advantage for the Indians.

Charles Nagy used to be a good, reliable pitcher who could be depended on to get the Tribe into the seventh or eighth inning. This year he really appears to have struggled. Recently he seems to be picking at the corners too much. What's going on?
—Dave Leffingwell, Copperas Cove, Texas

Charles Nagy is Cleveland's best pitcher, and has been for several years. He pitched into the seventh inning in 28 of 34 starts this year. But I agree that he tends to pick and paint far too much, especially in the playoffs. In the divisional series against the Yankees, he looked like he was afraid to throw it over the plate, walking six in one start. In Game 3 of the World Series, he couldn't hold a 7-3 lead. There's a chance Nagy is a better pitcher when the pressure is off, which doesn't exactly qualify him as an ace.

Nagy didn't start Game 1 of the ALCS against Baltimore because, some feel, Hargrove didn't want that kind of pressure on him. He did throw 7 1/3 shutout innings in the Game 6 clincher of that series. But Nagy needs to throw a great game in the World Series to be regarded as a really good pitcher. And I think he's going to get that chance. He's supposed to start Game 7. If Mike Hargrove switches to Jaret Wright, we'll know all we need to know about Nagy.

So much has been said about this series being a letdown. Are the two best teams in baseball at home right now?
—Rodney Mullins, Kent, Ohio

Maybe, but I have no problem that the Braves and the Orioles aren't here. The Braves lost to the Marlins. They lost with Maddux twice, Glavine and Smoltz. They didn't deserve to play in the World Series. And the Orioles had every chance to beat the Indians, but went 0-for-12 with runners in scoring postition in Game 6 of the ALCS. I have no sympathy for that.

Should the Marlins be here? They earned it. That said, I don't like the fact that wild-card teams make the playoffs, mainly because it takes away from the pennant races. Two years ago, the Dodgers and Padres played the final weekend of the season. Each was heading to the playoffs, so who cared who won? If that series had determined which team was going home and which was going to the playoffs, it would have been great.

This World Series has been a letdown because the first four games, I'm sorry to say, were so dull. Three one-sided games and Game 3, which was one of the worst World Series games ever played. But Game 5 was an improvement. If the Indians can force a Game 7, fans outside of Ohio and Florida might finally get caught up in it.

Do you think the Indians could have won Game 3 if they had gone with Bip Roberts at second and Dave Justice in left field? Tony Fernandez's fielding cost them the game.
—B.J. Rao, Denver

Sorry, but I don't think the Indians would have won Game 3 with Bip Roberts at second. Fernandez made an error in the ninth, but it didn't cost his team the game. He is a better defensive second baseman than Roberts.

Should Sandy Alomar be the American League MVP?
—Jim Duzyk, Pittsburgh

Sandy Alomar Jr. had a terrific year, batting .324 with 21 homers and 83 RBIs. He was, in my mind, the MVP of the Indians—but not of the American League. Seattle's Ken Griffey Jr. will be the AL MVP. He may win it unanimously. He hit 56 homers and drove in 147 runs for a playoff team. On top of that, he won a Gold Glove. Junior and Willie Mays are now the only players in history to hit 50 or more homers and win a Gold Glove in the same year. Can't beat that.

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