Boston Red Sox
 I had the pleasure of watching the
Boston Red Sox play the Baltimore Orioles at
Camden Yards back in the first few weeks of the season. Sitting with the Red Sox
faithful, it was demonstrated to me how the Red Sox, and manager Jimy Williams
showcase some dynamite pitching and a potent young lineup.
As expected, the offseason losses of pitching ace Roger Clemens, slugger Jose
Canseco, and clubhouse leader Mike Greenwell have weakened this team both on the
field and off. Starting pitchers Aaron Sele, Steve Avery, and left-hander Chris
Hammond lead a strong pitching rotation and assuming he can avoid injury, Tim
Wakefield will continue to baffle hitters with is magical knuckleball.
Heathcliff Slocumb and Mike Maddux fill out a young bullpen but are ready to slam
the door shut on American League East opponents.
The Red Sox boast terrific balance between their offense and defense. Depending
on which night you attend a game, the Red Sox outfield will be shared by a
different battery of players. But, what the Sox lack in the outfield, they more
than make up for with their infield. The combination of Mo Vaughn at first, John
Valentin at second, Tim Naehring at third, and rookie of the year candidate Nomar
Garciaparra (who blasted a game winning homer against the Orioles) at shortstop
have given the Red Sox one of the most talented infields in baseball.
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Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox collapsed
at the end of the 1996 season, losing the wild
card spot to Baltimore in the final weeks of the season. So, during the winter,
owner Jerry Reinsdorf made some changes, including opening his wallet to make
Albert Belle the highest paid player in baseball history. In the process
however, Reinsdorf lost the bidding war for pitcher Alex Fernandez to the Marlins
and was forced to sign Jaime Navarro to make up for the loss. Needless to say,
the 1997 White Sox will have very different chemistry.
The White Sox starting rotation has all the potential in the world, but a lot of
questions waiting to be answered. Wilson Alvarez remains the key to the
rotation, and is joined by Navarro, second year starter James Baldwin and Doug
Drabek. But, Alvarez tired at the end of last season and may do so again,
Baldwin's rookie successes may have been a fluke, and Drabek was terrible last
season in Houston. The Sox are left to hope that one or two of the young
pitchers in the bullpen will join Tony Castillo and Roberto Hernandez as
consistent relievers.
The combination of Belle and two-time MVP Frank Thomas is sure to make opposing
pitchers nervous. But the White Sox have more talent hiding in the shadows.
Both Robin Ventura, who set career highs in homeruns (34) and RBIs (105) while
winning his fourth gold glove, and DH Harold Baines, are coming off their best
seasons in years. And prospects Chris Snopek and Norberto Martin, who hit .350
last season in 140 at bats, give manager Terry Bevington lots of creative options
for his lineup.
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Windy City
