|
|
 |
 |   |
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Video Plus Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities 
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|  |
What happened? In a season of surprises, four slumps stand out
Updated: Sunday August 26, 2001 10:28 AM
Sports Illustrated's Stephen Cannella checks in with his baseball thoughts every week throughout the season on CNNSI.com. It's late August and the Yankees are once again cruising to a division title. Jaded and bored fans can take heart, though, in that this bit of business-as-usual is more than balanced by the one factor that has defined the season so far: So many players and teams have gleefully gone against the script we all wrote for them back in spring training. From the Mariners' explosion, to the postseason pushes made by the Cubs, Phillies and (for a while, anyway) the Twins, to the emergence of Lance Berkman, John Burkett and several other unlikely stars, little has turned out as expected. Alas, there's an ugly flip side to all the unpredictability. The Mets, expected to contend, collapsed. Ditto for the White Sox. And several key players whose above-average production was considered money in the bank in April have busted. Here's a rundown of some of the stars for whom 2001 hasn't been so magical. (All stats through Wednesday.) Dave Burba: With 16, 15 and 15 victories in 2000, 1999 and 1998, respectively, the Indians right-hander has been one of the AL's most consistent winners in recent years. Not so this season. Burba is 9-8 with a 6.17 ERA, he hasn't won since July 19, and his 6.49 ERA in 23 starts is the highest of any starter in the league. Things got so bad that Burba was demoted to the bullpen early this month following a nine-start stretch in which he went 1-6 with an 8.24 ERA. "Dave has been a huge disappointment," Cleveland general manager John Hart said when Burba was sent to the pen. "That spot in the rotation has been a big hole for us." Especially troubling is that the cause of Burba's collapse is a mystery. He insists he's healthy, but his velocity has been down and his command has been shaky for most of the season. He did pitch well (six innings, two runs) in a spot start in the Indians' 11-inning win over the A's on Wednesday, but the 35 year old, a mainstay of Cleveland's rotation since 1998, could be entering his final days in an Indians uniform. This is the last guaranteed year of his contract, and it seems unlikely that the Cleveland, which will be looking to shed payroll this winter, will pick up the $5 million option they hold on Burba for 2002. Darin Erstad: A year ago the Angels outfielder had one of the most impressive offensive seasons of the decade -- he batted .355, led the majors with 240 hits, set a career-high with 25 homers, and somehow managed to drive in 100 runs from the leadoff spot. This season has been a different story. Erstad's average has dropped nearly 100 points, to .265, and his power (eight homers) and production (55 RBIs) have taken precipitous falls as well. What happened? Simply a devastating and extended slump, one that began when Erstad twisted his right knee early in the season. The injury wasn't severe enough to keep him out of the lineup, but favoring his front leg when he hit got him into some bad habits at the plate and fouled up his swing. Jim Edmonds: It's no coincidence that the Cardinals' re-entry into the playoff race over the last three weeks has coincided with the re-awakening of Edmonds' bat. The St. Louis center fielder is hitting .280 with 19 homers and 72 RBIs, numbers that fail to echo his performance in 2000, when he was an MVP candidate. Edmonds has been troubled most of the season with soreness in his right rotator cuff, one reason his production has been off. (A whopping 108 strikeouts haven't helped either.) Earlier this month Cards manager Tony LaRussa suggested Edmonds tone down his swing and concentrate on getting base hits rather than trying to hit a five-run homer every at-bat. The advice worked: In his past 12 games Edmonds has driven in 15 runs and batted .362. "I'm pleased that finally, after three months, I can contribute to the team," Edmonds said last week. Carl Everett: Granted, Boston's center fielder has missed significant time with a knee injury, but Everett's production was subpar even before he got hurt in June. He had just nine home runs and a mere 42 RBIs in his first 68 games, meaning he was hardly on pace to replicate his 34-homer, 108-RBI performance of a year ago. Overall, Everett's average has slipped to .266 (down almost 35 points from a year ago), he has 13 homers and 53 RBIs, and his struggle has been a big reason for Boston's difficulty against left-handers this season. A switch-hitter, Everett is batting .195 with a .234 on-base percentage against lefties. Sports Illustrated staff writer Stephen Cannella covers the baseball beat for the magazine. Touching Base appears every week on CNNSI.com.
| |||||||||||||||||||||
