Oakland malaise

Athletics are missing Jason Giambi on and off the field

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How much impact has Jason Giambi's departure from Oakland had on the A's, especially in the leadership area? How much impact has Giambi had on the Yankees returning to their old "Bronx Bomber" ways, even though he's not leading the team in home runs?
--Nate Behlen, Minneapolis

Oakland misses Giambi's bat, pure and simple. Leadership? As Eric Chavez told me in spring training, it wasn't so much that Giambi ran the clubhouse, but that he was so good offensively he could carry the team at times, taking the pressure to hit off everybody else. He was their ballast. Now in New York, Giambi will hit a few homers because of the configuration of Yankee Stadium, but I still don't regard him as a huge home run guy. The Yankees, however, have home run power up and down their lineup, especially with Robin Ventura emerging as a surprise longball threat and Alfonso Soriano on his way to a 30-30 season.

In light of what Randy Johnson has become -- a virtual lock to strike out at least 10 batters and give up fewer than three runs every time out -- how do you think his dominance over the past three years stands in relation to that of past legends during their primes, i.e. Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, Whitey Ford? You also have to consider that Johnson is pitching in perhaps the most hitter-friendly era in baseball's history.
-Devon O'Neil, Virgin Islands

Don't forget that Koufax dominated for six years. I'd also throw in Pedro Martinez's recent run and Greg Maddux in the 1990s. Johnson is right there with those guys you mentioned. I know he doesn't start 40 times a season and throw 300 innings like the workhorses from the era of four-man rotations, but in terms of generating respect among his peers, Johnson merits comparison to those pitchers.

Cubs managers have come and gone, yet the team continues to lose. The one constant through all this has been general manager Andy MacPhail. He's made several questionable deals. How long will he remain GM of the Cubs?
--Rich Kovacs, Kernersville, N.C.

Let's be honest. The Cubs' problems predate MacPhail by many, many years. He has built a winner before. My only gripe about how he's put this team together is that he is counting on many older players, some of whom have shown they are vulnerable to injuries. I also wonder if MacPhail's attention is divided since joining management's labor bargaining committee.

After reading last week's mailbag, I was astonished to see that you consider Lee Smith a borderline Hall of Famer because he didn't dominate at his position. How much more dominating could Lee Smith have been? If a guy's role is to go out and pick up saves, which Smith has done more times than anyone else, what else does he need to do?
--David, Syracuse, N.Y.

Smith played 18 seasons and bounced around from team to team. He received Cy Young votes only three times in his entire career, including twice when he received exactly one point and finished an inconsequential fifth and 10th. That's not dominating in my book.

What are the chances of Bert Blyleven ever garnering enough votes to make the Hall of Fame? The guy won 287 games, had more than 3,700 strikeouts, was part of two championship teams and threw 242 complete games. Yet, he only received 24 percent of the Hall of Fame votes this past offseason. What gives?
--Lon Zweit, Minneapolis

Blyleven pitched 22 seasons and finished 27 games over .500. He won 20 games only once. A very good pitcher, he just wasn't one of the greatest who ever played the game. I don't think his chances of getting into Cooperstown are good.

I've read that players have quietly started discussing possible strike dates. If that's true, my question is this: Why should any fan get emotionally involved this season? If it ends in August, nothing that happened up to that point will matter at all. So, from a fan's point of view, why bother?
--Andrew, Frederick, Md.

You're perfectly right, and I can't help but think that black cloud has had a slight effect on attendance. Poor Red Sox fans. You know what they're thinking, "We'll be the '94 Expos of 2002! All dressed up and nowhere to go."

Weird question I'm sure, but with all the talk of contraction, has anyone ever given thought to Colorado being a reasonable candidate? I recognize how financially strong both the franchise and the market are, but, due to the elements, Colorado has proven to be a location where it may be impossible to build a team capable of winning.
--Brian Kasser, San Francisco

No, Colorado has very stable revenues and a strong regional presence. However, I do agree with your premise about their opportunity to succeed. Because of the ballpark and atmospheric effects, it is harder to win there than anywhere else.

Since it's very obvious that the Dodgers have a pretty solid pitching staff but next to nothing offensively, are there any rumors about L.A. getting a legit No. 4 hitter to take some pressure off the fragile shoulders of Shawn Green?
--Scott Wraight, San Diego

I don't see that happening, considering the Dodgers are locked in at the traditional power positions with contracts/players. L.A. needs Green to get on track the way he did in the second half of last season. Of course, he won't have Gary Sheffield riding shotgun this time around.

Talk to me about Damien Moss and Jason Marquis of the Atlanta Braves. Do you think they are the real deal? With his finesse, Moss reminds me a lot of a young Tom Glavine. Marquis reminds me of John Smoltz -- a hard thrower with good stuff.
--Glen, Santo Domingo

Moss and Marquis are probably a year or two away from putting it together, with Marquis being a little closer. Moss doesn't have near the command Glavine has, but seems to have a good aptitude for pitching. Marquis has a great power arm like Smoltz, with a very good breaking ball. He has the stuff to be a No. 2 starter.

Will Craig Biggio ever remember how to hit? Entering Wednesday, he was batting .221, and not looking very good at the plate. Is something wrong with him?
--Art Gosselin, Ontario

You might have noticed that Biggio has heated up recently, just as people began speculating that his years of playing hard were catching up to him. He doesn't have a speed game any more, but Biggio is still an above average offensive player and a true gamer. It would be a mistake to write him off.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Tom Verducci covers the baseball beat for the magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com. Click here to send a question to his mailbag.

 

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