With Spring Training less than a week away, it is time to start gearing up for the 2005 baseball season. Last week, I focused on the American League East and its two towers of power. This week, I will examine the AL Central, which some analysts have considered to be the weakest division in baseball.
Chicago White Sox: Over the last several years, the South Side squad has been the Central’s second best team. They lost two of their three best hitters from last year: Carlos Lee, who got traded to the Brewers, and Magglio Ordoñez, who is now a Tiger. However, Paul Konerko’s big bat remains, and the team signed Tadahito Iguchi out of the Japanese leagues to man second base. The last two seasons, Iguchi hit over .330 and supplied surprising pop for a 2B. Sparkplug outfielder Scott Podsednik comes from Milwaukee to lead off and Jermaine Dye was signed to provide additional power. The lineup for this team has a nice blend of power and speed and trading Lee improves the defense. They could be near the top of the league in runs if everybody stays healthy and DH Frank Thomas hits well once he comes back from a fractured bone in his ankle. His return is expected by June.
The rotation should be an interesting combination of old and young, led by lefthander Mark Buerhle, who rebounded from a 3-9 start to finish the season at 16-10. The other marquee starter is Freddy Garcia, acquired last year from Seattle, who has a power arm and a knee-buckling curve, but has yet to show true consistency with them except for the Mariners’ magical 2001 campaign when he went 18-6 with a 3.05 ERA. The enigmatic Jose Contreras also joins the rotation behind the recently acquired Orlando Hernandez. “El Duque” Hernandez was the go-to guy in the clutch for several years with the Yankees, and he was the best pitcher in a Yankees rotation that was in tatters after last season’s all-star break. Signing catcher A. J. Pierzynski should help the ERA as he has a good reputation for working with pitchers. Assuming the staff holds up, the White Sox could be in the thick of a pennant race come September.
Cleveland Indians: A decade ago, you could pencil the Tribe in as Central champions in spring training due to savvy signings, a devastating crew of hitters, and a dearth of talent in the rest of the division. But those days are gone as new prospects try to turn this team around.
This is a fairly young squad that features power up and down the lineup, led by first baseman/DH Travis Hafner and All-Star catcher Victor Martinez, each of whom exceeded 105 RBI. They also brought back the aging Juan Gonzalez in the hopes that he stays healthy and hits 30-35 homers for them. Up front, the Indians feature the speedy, if somewhat impatient, Coco Crisp, who stole 20 bases. They also improved their defense at the hot corner by acquiring Aaron Boone, whose knee should be fully healed from surgery after a freak injury during a basketball game. A void now exists at shortstop with the departure of Omar Vizquel; 22-year-old Jhonny Peralta will try to fill his shoes. The rotation is dominated by youngsters, headlined by 24-year-old fireballer C. C. Sabathia. This southpaw still has loads of talent and the Indians want him to be more consistent. Kevin Millwood and Jake Westbrook, an All-Star last year, are solid 2 and 3 starters, but Cleveland is still at least another year away from contention.
Detroit Tigers: Alan Trammell’s crew went 72-90 last year, a massive improvement from the 43-119 campaign of 2003. The Bengals just gave their lineup some teeth by signing outfielder Magglio Ordoñez to a five-year contract. Ordoñez missed much of last season due to knee problems, but if he stays healthy, he will give Detroit a .300 average to go with 30-35 homers and 110 RBI. Some complementary talent exists on the roster, most notably, Alex Sanchez, who boasts a tantalizing combination of average and speed, the up and coming Craig Monroe, and Gold Glove catcher Ivan Rodriguez. The presence of Rodriguez alone improved the woeful pitching staff. So will signing Troy Percival to close out games, which allows Ugueth Urbina to become the setup man. Detroit’s best starter is Jeremy Bonderman, who has moments of brilliance and times of frustration, but success is becoming more common. Trammell has high hopes for him. Signing Ordoñez helps the already solid offense but the Tigers need another year or two for the young guns to learn how to win.
Kansas City Royals: Spirits were high after a stunning 2003 season that garnered shortstop Angel Berroa Rookie of the Year honors, but he slumped and the team as a whole slipped back to 54-108, last in the Central. Trading Carlos Beltran left the Royals with just one real threat at the plate: first baseman Mike Sweeney. In 2000, Sweeney knocked home 144 runs and since has regularly batted around .300. DH Ken Harvey will do his best to help Sweeney but his uppercut swing leads to many strikeouts and he lacks real power. The pitching staff is a mess, with no real ace or closer, and their leading winner from last year, Darrell May, left as a free agent. For this year’s Royals to be even a moderate success, manager Tony Pena must sort out the staff and Berroa needs to return to his 2003 form.
Minnesota Twins: No longer the Twinkies of the ’90s, Minnesota garnered the last three Central crowns and provided a nightly defense clinic. Losing the left side of the infield to free agency, along with the trade of fan favorite Doug Mientkiewicz, may hurt in the short run, but a strong pitching staff and continued excellence in the field will keep the fans coming to the Metrodome. The top four starters, Johan Santana—the reigning Cy Young winner—Brad Radke, Carlos Silva, and Kyle Lohse, all return and Joe Mays is back from Tommy John surgery. The bullpen is nearly un-hittable when lefty J. C. Romero and closer Joe Nathan are on the mound.
The leader of the offense is centerfielder Torii Hunter. Best known for his acrobatic defense, casual fans forget that he has hit 105 home runs over the past four seasons. Power potential exists, but the team’s low collective average means runs come in spurts. No Twin has hit 30 or more homers since 1987 when Kent Hrbek, Tom Brunansky and Gary Gaetti did it for the World Champs. Therefore, their offense relies on speed, which leadoff man Shannon Stewart possesses in abundance. Second-year catcher Joe Mauer, the top pick in the 2002 draft, played just 35 games last year due to injury, but he showed good ability as a hitter. The defending Central champs have most of the parts in place to keep their crown. To advance to the ALCS they need to focus on improving an offense that finished tenth in the AL in runs scored.