American League 2001 Preview.(baseball)

New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox and Oakland Athletics are favored to repeat as division winners

IF THIS IS ARMAGEDDON, THE FINAL season of baseball before the game is shut down because of strife over the expiration of the working agreement at the end of October, the re-introduction of the unbalanced schedule could make this a memorable season in the American League.

Two of the three divisional races were tight last year. The world champion New York Yankees almost didn't make it to the postseason because of a September slump. They finished two and a half games ahead of Boston and four and a half ahead of Toronto in the A.L East.

What would have happened if Boston and the Yankees, instead of playing 13 times as they did last year, played 19 times as they will this season? How would New York's pitching have fared if it had to run the gauntlet of Toronto's lineup six more times?

In the A.L. West, Oakland won the division by a half-game over Seattle on the final day of the regular season. The Mariners settled for the wild card. What would have happened if the Oakland-Seattle series lasted six more games?

Chicago was the only no doubter among the division winners. It grabbed the A.L. Central early and never let the Indians in the race.

This year division foes are going to get tired of seeing one another. But the division champion with be decided in the division, which is what baseball wants.