Now in NovemberBy Paul Wysard Late autumn shadows are beginning to intrude in sunny Florida, but not before Pudge was redeemed, Joshua won his battle, and Jack dodged the giant on the Yankee Stadium beanstalk. There are no echos of cheers in and around that stadium from presuming fans, only a subdued anticipation of the punishments George Steinbrenner is certain to impose. Chicago is as hurt as any other rejected lover; Atlanta and San Francisco are stunned and confused while Oakland is ready for a trip to the sanitarium. Like an aging Arctic Inuit, Grady Little has been exiled into oblivion, villefied and no longer of use to the Red Sox Nation. As this is being written, there are also reports of a departure of the enigma that is Manny Ramirez. Stay tuned for some juicy Hot Stove stuff. Few people saw the Marlins coming; this contributor certainly didn't, picking them to finish last in their division and being only mildly observant in June, in August, at the end of September. It was much easier to consider Penny and Pavano as back-of-rotation types with histories of arm trouble, to nod knowingly when folks said Rodriguez had been through his best days, to point to flux in the closer situation, or to acknowledge that, yes, Beckett really did have a great future. Everyone knew that Pierre and Castillo were good, top-of-the-order weapons, but unless one watched them in action every day, one did not realize what dynamite they were together. After they barged into October play, it seemed to me that a turning point for Florida was when Mike Lowell hit his first post-injury homer. There was the sense that they were now at full strength and could stay with anybody. Observers could be forgiven for having no clues as to the talent and contributions of Cabrera and Willis, but the entire organization laid a blindside block on baseball that was worthy of any executed by those assassins in the NFL. The Free Agent market is now open for business, and there is quite a crowd at the counter, but before we start tracking those travels, let's take a look at some lesser-known players who will be staying put, but who performed surprisingly well. Pierre's excellent work reminds us that not all trades result in a clear advantage for one side or the other. Preston Wilson went to Colorado from Florida as part of the deal and shook off two straight years in which he did not perform up to the standard shown back in 2000. He became immediately helpful and popular at Coors Field, hitting .282, with 36 homeruns, and led the NL with 141 RBI. We didn't read or see as much about him as Pierre because it was another unremarkable year for the Rockies, but if that club can put together a winner, Wilson is sure to be an important ingredient. Cabrera and Willis were not the only youthful surprises. Two other youngsters were not expected to contribute, much less start, and were not listed in publications such as the 2003 Fantasy previews. One was Cleveland outfielder Jody Gerut, who hit a solid .279, with 22 homers and 75 RBI in just 127 games. The other became a regular from the beginning, finished at .314 with 100 runs scored and 43 steals, and was named NL Rookie of the Year by "Baseball Weekly." He was Milwaukee's Scott Podsednik, another outfielder who should play a major role if the Brewers improve. Kansas City shortstop Angel Berroa became another top-quality player at that position in the AL. Praised by analysts throughout the season for his glove work and superior field sense, Berroa also hit .287, scored 92 runs, and showed some power with 17 homeruns. It appears we should remember that name in 2004 and beyond. But the AL did not hold a monopoly on elite shortstops. Cardinal Edgar Renteria stepped into the class with solid fielding plus .330 with the bat and 100 RBIs. Except for a bland year in 2001, Renteria has shown steady improvement since he was the young hero with the winning hit when the Marlins took their first World Series in 1997. Several position players each logged another solid year, placing them now in the core of accomplished professionals. Their names and 2003 numbers are:
Two younger second basemen had what appear to be the so-called "breakout years." Both hit over .300, scored more than 100 runs, and fielded well. Marcus Giles of the Braves, a smaller player, surprised with his power. In Texas, Michael Young's overall offensive improvement amazed fans and management. Both are gritty players and should be important cogs in their clubs for the next several years. On Major League mounds, the Cubs' Joe Borowski was the most outstanding "newer" closer. An effective set-up man in 2002, Borowski earned the right to finish, with 33 saves, almost one K per inning, and only 19 walks in 68 appearances. Among starters, Esteban Loaiza of the White Sox was astonishing, filling the role of this year's Roy Halladay. Five members of strong rotations showed both success and promise. All won between 14 and 16 games, suggesting steps up to solid status, but all of their ERAs were yet a bit high, so they still bear watching. They are Gil Meche in Seattle, Brian Anderson of the Royals, Randy Wolf with the Phillies, the Twins' Kyle Lohse, and Matt Clement out of Wrigley Field. For the future, many newcomers will be interesting to watch, and we'll close with looks at three of them. After his embarassing gaffe in the 2002 playoffs, running over a bending Scott Rolen near the basepath, Alex Cintron had a quietly promising season. He played at second, third, and short for Arizona in 117 games and hit .317 with 13 homeruns. In Houston, Morgan Ensberg clouted 25 in shared 3rd Base duties. The Giants' Pedro Feliz was versatile and powerful with 16 long balls in just 235 at-bats. The question for these and others in 2004 is: Where and how much will they play? It will be a long winter before there are any answers, and this contributor and fan, among many, is already yearning for those results. Leave feedback on our message board. |