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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (March 30, 2004)
AL West Angels may give Oakland a run for its money The American League West saw changes to deals in the offseason in the wake of the top-selling book “Moneyball” By Bill Madden New York Daily News (KRT) One year later, it is a whole different kind of "Moneyball" they're talking about in the American League West. Last year at this time, the soon-to be-best-selling book "Moneyball" — in which Oakland A's general man ager Billy Beane is depicted as an anti-scout genius - was just begin ning to cause a buzz throughout baseball. Beane's A's were coming off their third straight trip to the post season and the wonder of it all was that it was accomplished with a pay roll of barely $50 million. Beane's payroll hasn't increased much this season, either — especially with the departure of 2002 AL MVP shortstop Miguel Tejada — but the Anaheim Angels' has. Considerably. New Angels owner Arte Moreno shelled out $146 mil lion over the winter for free agents Vladimir Guerrero, Bartolo Colon, Kelvim Escobar and Jose Guillen. At the same time, Beane's A's lost two key components from their 2003 di vision championship team, Tejada and closer Keith Foulke, and traded another, catcher Ramon Hernandez, for financial reasons. It would therefore appear as if mon ey has brought about a dramatic shift in the balance of power in the AL West. Mind you, the A's still figure to be a force, if only because of their vastly su perior trio of pitching aces, Tim Hud son, Barry Zito and Mark Mulder. Their No.4 starter, Mark Redman, ac quired from the World Champion Florida Marlins, was a 15-game win ner in '03. But even though the A's owners stepped out of character and locked up third baseman Eric Chavez for six years and $66 million in spring train ing, the cost-control measures under taken over the winter may have re duced the A's to also-ran status. For one thing, Arthur Rhodes, the career set-up man signed to replace Foulke, has never demonstrated a closer mentality in pressure situa tions. And while rookie shortstop Bobby Crosby put up some impres sive power numbers (22 HR 90 RBI) at Triple-A Sacramento, the A's are asking him to replace Tejada's consid erable offensive production, which is asking a lot. Beane is banking on a big come back from Jermaine Dye, and career offensive seasons from offseason ac quisitions Mark Kotsay and Bobby Kielty in the outfield, which is also asking a lot. On the other hand, the Angels have added the potential of 50-plus homers with Guerrero and Guillen. And with Colon and Escobar joining their rotation, the Angels find them selves being one of the very few teams in baseball with a surplus of starters this spring. The team to watch in this division is the Seattle Mariners, who made major improvements over the winter and can expect an encore from their fast-developing young starting pitch ers, Joel Pineiro, Ryan Franklin and Gil Meche. That trio combined for 42 wins in their "coming out" 2003 season — only three fewer than Hudson, Zito and Mulder. With vet erans Jamie Moyer and Freddy Gar cia, the Mariners' rotation is as deep in quality as any in baseball. New GM Bill Bavasi made some excellent free-agent signings — closer Eddie Guardado, third baseman Scott Spiezio, left fielder Raul Ibanez and infielder Rich Aurilia - that addressed most of the Mariners' off-season needs. Worrisome, however, is the age of this team - regulars Bret Boone, Edgar Martinez, John Olerud and rotation ace Moyer are all 35 or older - and that showed in the M's late-season fade last year. Once again, Buck Showalter's Texas Rangers will finish last in the AL West, only this time without Alex Rodriguez. (c) 2004, New York Daily News. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services. H Monday, Apri in Gerlinger Tickets are on sale NOW at the EMU ticket outlet: Students $11 Community Members $26 Foundation for Jewish Can-pus Oregon Hillel • 1059 Hilyard • 343-8920 • info@oregonhiilel.org www.oregonhiltei.org It’s easy... Just go to the UO Health Center at 13th and Agate. But don *t miss the deadline. Sign-up runs now through April 16. Review details of the plan on our web page: http://healthcenter.uoregon.edu Any questions? Call 346-3702 UNIVERSITY OF OREGON University Health Center It’s finally Spring! Here’s what’s happening in the Oregon Daily Emerald this Spring: SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS April 9: Duck Bucks™ April 26: Career Fair Guide April 27: Spring Dining Guide May 7, 21 and June 4: Moving Guide June 7: Graduation Guide DAILY FEATURES News, Commentary, Sports EVERY DAY Pulse entertainment section every Thursday CLASSIFIEDS Don't Do-It-Yourself Service Directory Every Monday in the Classifieds Spiritual Directory Every Friday in the Classifieds ONLINE Check out our website, sign up for daily email updates and vote in our online polls at www.dailyemerald.com. Oregon Daily Emerald The campus newspaper for the University of Oregon community hRgfiON nflllYFMFBflTn your independent student newspaper
