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Will pen keep leaving St. Louis blue?
Posted: Tuesday May 30, 2000 12:03 PM
The Cardinals know that no matter how many home runs they hit, and no matter how long Garrett Stephenson continues with his Bob Gibson impersonation, they cannot get to the postseason with the way their bullpen is pitching. Only the Cubs' pen has been worse in the National League. The next month will be critical for St. Louis. The Cards hope Alan Benes and Scott Radinsky, both back from arm injuries, can contribute. Jesse Orosco has started throwing on the side and could come back soon. And with Matt Morris returning to the rotation, starter Pat Hentgen could be moved to long relief. The next month should also provide answers about the effectiveness of closer Dave Veres, who has three blown saves. If the bullpen remains a problem, then St. Louis will explore the trade market. Closers who could join Roberto Hernandez on the available list are Robb Nen and John Wetteland, both of whom are in the last year of their contracts. One longshot possibility for the Cardinals is John Franco. The Mets' left-hander used his veto rights over the winter to reject a deal with Philadelphia. But now Franco isn't comfortable with his sporadic workload as a set-up man in front of Armando Benitez. He said if the Cardinals or another team with a good chance of winning wants him to close games, "I'd really have to think about it. It would be very tempting." Alex doesn't hit here anymoreWhat has happened to Marlins shortstop Alex Gonzalez? Since being selected to the All-Star game last July, Gonzalez has hit .211, including .158 this year. He was benched twice last year for a lack of hustle. But Marlins GM Dave Dombrowski said now Gonzalez is trying too hard to fight his way out of the slump. The Marlins could let Dave Berg play shortstop and send Gonzalez to Class AAA to get him to relax. But in that scenario they'd suffer a major drop-off on defense. Despite his hitting problems, Gonzalez has continued to play well with the glove. And keep an eye on Gonzalez's double-play partner, Luis Castillo, the Bizarro Hack Wilson. Castillo had only two RBIs in his first 127 at-bats this season. At this rate he will break the record for fewest RBIs in a season. The record is 20, set by Richie Ashburn in 1959 and tied by Alvaro Espinoza in 1990. Wholly CalCal Ripken is the master of adjustments, and now he's made another one that is paying dividends. The noted workaholic has drastically cut back on his pregame routines, no longer taking a glut of grounders or batting practice swings on the field. He's using much of that time to receive treatment on his back and to do stretching exercises. As a result, Ripken has shown renewed pop in his bat and leads the team in home runs. What - Expos loading up?Don't mention the words "fire sale" around Montreal owner Jeffrey Loria. Yes, plans for a new ballpark are endangered, especially because the Expos switched gears and prefer one with a roof. But after more than doubling the payroll to $33 million this year, Loria has no intentions of scaling back. In fact, look for Montreal to add a veteran pitcher or third baseman if they still are in the race after the All-Star break. Eyes of Texas on OliverThe Rangers will watch Darren Oliver very closely in his next start. Oliver couldn't crack 85 mph with his fastball his last time out. Texas hopes it's nothing more than a typical "dead-arm'' period many pitchers experience, and not a sign of trouble. DL today, gone tomorrow?With only 178 at-bats this year, Gary DiSarcina would have been guaranteed the $3.45 million option year on his contract for next season. Now, after season-ending shoulder surgery, DiSarcina's future with the team is in doubt. The Angels will continue to use Benji Gil at shortstop, but they have moved minor-league second baseman Justin Baughman to shortstop and also will explore the trade market. Sports Illustrated senior writer Tom Verducci covers baseball for the magazine and writes a column for CNNSI.com every Tuesday. Click here to send a question to his mailbag.
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