Baseball about to enter strike zone

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Tom, you said that you think there will be a short strike. Given the animosity between both sides and the recent comments each has made this week, do you still stand by your prediction?
--Roddy, Clifton, N.J.

Yes, but I can't say I feel very strongly about it because logically a strike figures to be lengthy. I just have a feeling, nothing more, that the two sides will play their game of chicken until the very end. And only when the game is shut down will they realize what a catastrophe they've created.

Regarding the strike: We've heard the players moan. We've heard the owners groan. But we haven't heard much from the managers. What's their take on this?
--Jeff Hufford, St. Louis

Managers traditionally are caught in the middle. They are put in a very difficult position. Joe Torre, for instance, took some heat from Cardinals players in 1994 for not being more pro-player, in their opinion. He lost the team and soon thereafter his job, too. Managers have to walk a fine line between respecting the players' right to strike and supporting the people who pay their salaries. So they tend to be diplomatic in their public comments, keeping their true feelings out of the papers.

Like a lot of other fans, I don't completely understand all of the issues surrounding the present labor dispute. Can you please explain why the players would be willing to go on strike in order to -- as I see it -- essentially preserve the Yankees' dynasty (in other words, their financial stranglehold on the competition)?
--Ken, Huntsville, Ala.

The players believe in trickle-down economics. If the Yankees spend, that makes everybody else spend a little more. I don't think the players care that much, if at all, about competitive balance. Good players on bad teams still get their money. And players, as highly competitive athletes, don't like to concede their team has no chance of winning.

The union set a strike date for August 30. What does that mean for the games on that date? Will the games be played and then the strike begins, or will the strike start at 12:01 a.m. Aug. 30? I'd like to know before I shell out the dough for Indians-White Sox tickets that day.
--David Parker, Madison, Wis.

Be careful. They go on strike that day, which means the Cubs-Cardinals game scheduled forthat afternoon will be the first to get whacked.

I am puzzled about the career development of Kerry Wood. He seems ready to take the next step and become a dominant pitcher, yet he remains the definition of "consistently inconsistent." He seems ready to become the team leader and spokesperson for the Cubs, yet he cannot keep his own temper and emotions in control. What are we to make of him? Is this all he is ever going to become -- a 13-11 pitcher?
--Mark Schmidt, Plymouth, Mass.

No, Wood can still be much better than that. I believe Nolan Ryan had it exactly right when he told Wood he has to be able to throw his fastball where he wants at any count. Wood still hasn't mastered the command of his fastball, mostly because he has never locked down his mechanics, though his delivery is more under control than it used to be. The guy has a great arm, he's still very young and he's a tenacious competitor. Ryan himself took a while to get on track. I still think Wood can be a true ace in the big leagues.

What do you do in the offseason if you're the Mets? Get rid of manager Bobby Valentine? Get rid of GM Steve Phillips? Disband the franchise? Clearly they'll need to make some changes, and at least one of them will be to let Robbie Alomar go. But, what else? Is it time for a complete rebuild?
--Dana Tofig, Atlanta

The Mets need to find two starting pitchers to join Al Leiter, Pedro Astacio and John Thomson in the rotation. They are stuck with Mo Vaughn, Jeromy Burnitz, Rey Ordonez and Roger Cedeno because they have contracts no other team wants to take on. Valentine and Phillips are safe because owner Fred Wilpon likes both of them and doesn't want to pay them to go away. (They each have one year left on their contracts.) In other words, I don't think New York has a whole lot of flexibility, especially if there is a new economic system that forces the Mets to share more of their revenue. You won't see a complete rebuilding.

Tom, what happened to the Red Sox? How did they collapse so fast? Their lineup is solid, Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe are a great 1-2 punch and Ugueth Urbina is an excellent closer. What does this team need to add in the offseason?
--Brett, Cambridge, Mass.

Slow down. This is still a very good team with a chance to make the playoffs because of its cupcake September schedule. That said, the Red Sox need to find good young arms to make the staff deeper. I like Casey Fossum, and as he fills out I think he'll help as a starter, but Boston could use more pitchers.

Assuming there is baseball next year, don't you think -- wherever they end up -- the Montreal Expos could be very dangerous? Bartolo Colon has been practically unhittable and their lineup is solid. They seem like a closer away from being a playoff team. Do you agree?
--Troy, Billings, Mont.

As long as new ownership doesn't step forward, depth will always be a problem with this team. Montreal is short in the bullpen and bench areas. The offense isn't all it's cracked up to be, either. This is a middle-of-the-pack (or worse) run-scoring club. Yes, I agree the Expos can be a dangerous team in a spoiler role, but I don't see them ready to contend just yet.

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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