AMERICAN LEAGUE.(the players and teams of baseball's American League)

Publication: The Sporting News

Bookmark this article Print this article Link to this article Email this article Digg It! Add to del.icio.us RSS

COPYRIGHT 2001 Sporting News Publishing Co.

Anaheim

30-30: 2nd

Despite size, Eckstein might have a future at shortstop

Rookie David Eckstein, who began the season as the team's second baseman, evolved into the No. 1 shortstop because the team needed a way to keep his bat and offensive spark in the lineup when 2B Adam Kennedy returned from a spring-training injury in mid-April. There was some concern the 5-8, 170-pound Eckstein would not have the arm strength to play shortstop, but he has proved the skeptics wrong. What he may lack in pure arm strength, Eckstein compensates for with excellent mechanics, a quick release and accurate throws. Since taking over as the starting shortstop on May 2, Eckstein has committed four errors in 33 games (through Saturday) and has shown he is not only the shortstop of the present, but perhaps the future. Manager Mike Scioscia says Eckstein has shown he can make every play a shortstop needs to make.

SCOUTING REPORT: LHP Jarrod Washburn had trouble commanding his two breaking balls during his first three starts, going 0-3 with a 7.56 ERA. So Washburn simply eliminated one of them--his curve--from his repertoire. His reasoning: There's no reason to have two awful breaking balls--he might as well concentrate on one and try to make it decent. Washburn's slider is still nowhere near that of Randy Johnson's, but the elimination of the curve has reduced the clutter in his mind, and that has made a huge difference. In his seven starts since, Washburn--who relies mostly on the movement of his lively fastball--has gone 4-1 with a 3.38 ERA.

SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: For many batters, if the approach, stance and swing feel good, hits usually will follow. This makes CF Darin Erstad's month-long surge hard to explain. Slowed by knee and lower-back injuries, Erstad's average plunged from .378 on April 12 to .204 on May 5. Then, his average rose to .290 by June 5, but he said he still didn't feel good at the plate. His health has improved, though Erstad still isn't 100 percent. But when doctors told him he could do no further damage to his knee by playing on it, Erstad's tear gradually dissipated. He has had 12 multiple-hit games since May 11. --Mike DiGiovanna

TSNumber

2.51

The ERA for Angels starting pitchers during a hot streak from from May 26 through Saturday. The team won 10 of 15 in that span, and the starters compiled a record of 8-2.

BATTERS AVG G AB R H HR RBI Gil .353 40 102 13 36 2 19 (*)Wooten .300 33 70 10 21 3 10 (*)Eckstein .292 56 202 31 59 2 16 Kennedy(+) .287 46 157 19 45 3 14 Glaus .284 60 218 38 62 17 44 Erstad(+) .282 58 238 33 67 4 29 Anderson(+) .269 60 249 24 67 8 34 Palmeiro(+) .254 37 71 10 18 2 13 (*)Burke .250 6 4 1 1 Joyner(+) .239 49 142 14 34 3 13 Spiezio(#) .234 47 128 13 30 1 12 Salmon .216 56 190 27 41 9 23 Fabregas(+) .164 20 61 3 10 1 5 (*)DaVanon(#) .125 4 8 1 1 1 2 BATTERS OBP SB K BB E Gil .374 1 18 4 8 (*)Wooten .320 13 3 1 (*)Eckstein .373 7 24 17 8 Kennedy(+) .352 5 16 14 3 Glaus .394 4 52 40 8 Erstad(+) .338 9 39 18 1 Anderson(+) .299 6 33 12 1 Palmeiro(+) .341 3 8 7 (*)Burke .250 1 Joyner(+) .303 1 18 13 1 Spiezio(#) .293 1 20 10 Salmon .386 5 49 49 2 Fabregas(+) .177 5 1 2 (*)DaVanon(#) .222 4 1 GRAND SLAMS: None PITCHERS ERA W-L IP H R ER HR Percival 0.38 2-1 23.2 9 2 1 Levine 3.09 2-4 32.0 28 13 11 3 Valdes 3.51 4-3 66.2 63 26 26 5 (*)Weber 3.54 3-1 28.0 25 11 11 4 Schoeneweis(+) 3.92 6-3 82.2 84 38 36 4 Ortiz 4.00 4-4 78.2 80 41 35 7 Pote 4.13 1-0 28.1 33 13 13 4 (*)Lukasiewicz(+) 4.26 0-1 6.1 4 4 3 2 Washburn(+) 4.45 4-4 64.2 67 34 32 7 Rapp 4.63 1-6 72.0 72 40 37 6 Holtz(+) 5.02 0-0 14.1 13 8 8 1 PITCHERS K BB SV AVG Percival 28 4 15 .114 Levine 23 8 .250 Valdes 35 13 .246 (*)Weber 18 15 .236 Schoeneweis(+) 37 34 .267 Ortiz 57 30 .261 Pote 20 12 .280 (*)Lukasiewicz(+) 8 2 .182 Washburn(+) 39 26 .268 Rapp 38 24 .264 Holtz(+) 22 4 .245 SHUTOUTS: None COMPLETE GAMES: Rapp, Valdes, Washburn (1) (*) Rookie (+) Lefthanded (#) Switch hitter League leaders in bold Statistics provided by STATS Inc. through Saturday, June 9.

Baltimore

28-32: 4th

Club has help for bullpen and outfield ready in reserve

The club bolstered its outfield and bullpen situations at Class AAA by signing CF Damon Buford and RHP John Wasdin to minor league contracts. Buford likely would be the first outfielder recalled from Rochester in the event of an injury. Eugene Kingsale has been playing center field for Rochester, but the Orioles believe Luis Matos, who is out with a shoulder injury, is a better center field prospect. Wasdin, who was released by the Rockies, could work his way into the Orioles' bullpen mix because the club is going with an unusual configuration of two righthanders and four lefties in the bullpen.... RHP Alan Mills, who underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum last September, began a rehabilitation assignment with Class A Frederick last week. He is several weeks away from joining the Orioles.... Utility player Mike Kinkade has grounded into five double plays in 84 at-bats, which projects to 30 double plays in a 500-at-bat season. The team at one point seemed willing to give Kinkade a longer look at third base but lately has kept Kinkade on the bench, except for using him occasionally against a lefthanded starter.

SCOUTING REPORT: LHP Buddy Groom has been one of the team's most dependable relievers, largely because of an improved ability to get out righthanded hitters, in addition to the lefthanded batters he traditionally has dominated. The key for Groom against righthanders is his cut fastball, which starts out over the plate and then bores in on righthanded batters.

SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: With the bases loaded in the eighth inning on June 6, RHP Mike Trombley threw a 1-1 fastball to Yankees pinch hitter Jorge Posada. Trombley wanted a strike call. The umpire called it a ball, putting the count at 2-1, and that made all the difference. Trombley was forced to throw a fastball instead of the split-fingered pitch he would have thrown had the count been 1-2. The two-seamer failed to sink, and Posada crushed it over the fence for a game-winning grand slam. --Dave Sheinin

TSNumber

36

Times that Orioles players have been hit by pitches this season. At that pace the team would finish the season with 97 HBPs, obliterating the Orioles record of 65 set in 1997.

BATTERS AVG G AB R H HR RBI Lunar .323 14 31 2 10 6 Conine .315 40 149 23 47 6 34 (*)Kinkade .286 29 84 7 24 2 5 Myers(+) .282 23 71 11 20 4 18 Hairston Jr. .282 60 206 29 58 4 27 Mora .280 50 164 20 46 2 17 Segui(#) .272 38 125 18 34 3 18 Richard(+) .266 54 184 31 49 7 21 Bordick .243 56 222 31 54 6 27 (*)Gibbons(+) .213 31 89 10 19 2 13 Ripken Jr. .205 44 161 13 33 3 20 DeShields(+) .205 50 171 26 35 2 19 Anderson(+) .204 55 201 26 41 4 19 Fordyce .199 43 146 15 29 2 9 BATTERS OBP SB K BB E Lunar .389 4 2 2 Conine .392 2 23 19 1 (*)Kinkade .326 17 4 Myers(+) .346 15 7 Hairston Jr. .326 12 22 12 8 Mora .368 5 40 18 2 Segui(#) .384 29 22 2 Richard(+) .352 2 38 19 Bordick .308 9 35 16 5 (*)Gibbons(+) .300 19 8 Ripken Jr. .233 16 6 6 DeShields(+) .318 9 38 28 3 Anderson(+) .307 7 27 27 2 Fordyce .255 1 27 10 4 GRAND SLAMS: Conine (2) PITCHERS ERA W-L IP H R ER HR (*)Towers 1.99 3-1 31.2 29 7 7 3 Trombley 2.27 2-1 35.2 21 9 9 3 Johnson 3.33 5-3 73.0 67 32 27 8 Ryan(+) 4.05 2-2 26.2 22 16 12 3 McElroy(+) 4.67 1-1 34.2 34 19 18 7 (*)Roberts 4.70 5-5 67.0 67 36 35 4 Ponson 4.83 3-4 54.0 59 32 29 10 Groom(+) 4.91 1-1 18.1 17 11 10 2 Mercedes 5.66 1-7 76.1 92 49 48 8 (*)Parrish(+) 6.75 0-0 1.1 1 1 1 1 (*)Kohlmeier 6.98 1-0 19.1 21 15 15 6 PITCHERS K BB SV AVG (*)Towers 15 3 .246 Trombley 31 16 4 .175 Johnson 41 21 .243 Ryan(+) 25 19 2 .220 McElroy(+) 16 19 .252 (*)Roberts 53 29 .262 Ponson 45 14 .276 Groom(+) 18 3 1 .246 Mercedes 57 25 .298 (*)Parrish(+) 2 .200 (*)Kohlmeier 16 10 6 .269 SHUTOUTS: Towers (1) COMPLETE GAMES: Mercedes (2), Hentgen, Ponson, Roberts, Towers (1) (*) Rookie (+) Lefthanded (#) Switch hitter League leaders in bold Statistics provided by STATS Inc. through Saturday, June 9.

Boston

35-25: 1st

Elbow injury puts Varitek on sideline, team in tough spot

The team will be pressed to overcome the loss of C Jason Varitek, a rising star who will be out two to three months with a broken elbow. When Varitek dived for a foul ball last Friday at Fenway, his elbow landed on the hard rubber pad that serves as the Red Sox's on-deck circle. His loss is significant. Varitek has been the team's third-most valuable player, after RHP Pedro Martinez and OF Manny Ramirez. Varitek has continued to win the trust of the pitching staff, holders of the league's best ERA, and his offense was beginning...

Read the full article for free courtesy of your local library.