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Changing of the guard New cast of characters crash postseason party
The Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees will be playing in October once again, but there is a good chance we may see two new teams in the World Series. That hasn't happened much in the last decade and it may be time for a changing of the guard. Unlike most playoff teams, the New York Mets rely primarily on just three players -- Mike Piazza, Edgardo Alfonzo and Robin Ventura -- for almost all of their run production. That's why even their strong starting staff and great bullpen may not be able to make up for an offense that's in the middle of the pack in runs scored. "They're not that intimidating." That's what an NL manager told me about the St. Louis Cardinals. He said the pitching doesn't look strong enough to get it done in the playoffs. The bullpen is suspect with only closer Dave Veres keeping his ERA below 3.00. The same goes for the Braves. John Rocker may have turned it around, but Atlanta's two top right-handers -- Kerry Ligtenberg and Scott Kamieniecki -- sport a September ERA above 8.00.
Don't let the Yankees' recent struggles fool you. The offense is averaging nearly six runs a game since the break and the big three of Orlando Hernandez, Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens have a sub-3.00 ERA in September. One AL manager told me he loves the spark Kenny Lofton is giving the Cleveland Indians down the stretch. Lofton is hitting around .300 with a .390-plus on-base percentage since the All-Star break with 17 steals. The Indians' main competition for the wild card comes from an Oakland A's team that is third in the AL in runs scored, but will only go as far as young ace Tim Hudson can take them. The Chicago White Sox lead the AL in runs scored, but they may have the shakiest pitching situation. Cal Eldred and James Baldwin may not pitch in October, and that would put huge pressure on Mike Sirotka and Jim Parque. The Seattle Mariners are near the bottom of the AL in batting average, but one AL manager told me they're his favorite in October. Only Pedro Martinez and the Boston Red Sox posted a better staff ERA.
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