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                         February 8, 2002

Is spring training here?
New-look Mets, Yankees analyzed

Commentary by Jim Fox
Staff Writer

Now that Capt. Pat Murphy has been vanquished in a head-to-head match-up of skill and wits I must turn my gaze to warmer endeavors -- like spring and the onset of baseball.

My kids weren’t the only ones disappointed when Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter Saturday. I’m ready for some baseball. The weather almost seems like it’s ready, too.

Since the end of the World Series last November both local professional squads have undergone extensive retooling. The New York Mets and New York Yankees are both primed to wreak havoc within their respective leagues.

Arguably, the Mets have made the most marked turnaround, at least offensively.

General Manager Steve Phillips stocked his shelves with position players that make his team’s lineup, on paper at least, one of the toughest in the game. The addition of Roberto Alomar and Mo Vaughn to the lineup must have put Mets’ slugger Mike Piazza in such a good frame of mind he agreed to continue making those phone commercials with bumpkin Terry Bradshaw.

The Mets’ lineup is scary. Their first six batters will be some combination of Roger Cedeno, Edgardo Alfonzo, Roberto Alomar, Piazza, Vaughn and Jeremy Burnitz.

That could end up being a pitcher’s nightmare.

If Cedeno and Alfonso can get on base, the rest of the lineup should mash.

Of course, a big part of all this will be keeping Vaughn, Alfonso and company healthy. The power and potential productivity of this lineup will take an immense amount of pressure off Piazza. He might even be able to take a day off from behind the plate with a clear conscious that he isn’t letting the team down.

Mets’ pitchers should also feel at ease knowing they don’t have to throw shutouts every time out just to have a chance to win.

The Metropolitans’ rotation has undergone a face lift as well. Gone are the likes of Kevin Appier and Glendon Rusch. Reinforcements arrived in the form of Pedro Astacio, Shawn Estes, Jeff D’Amico and Japanese import Satoru Komiyama.

Staff ace Al Leiter remains, as do Steve Trachsel and Bruce Chen, who both turned in solid second halves last season.

The bullpen still rests in the hands of Armando Benitez and John Franco with help now from David Weathers and a pair of Marks, in Guthrie and Sweeney.

The Mets are most definitely improved and should give the Atlanta Braves fits this season.

Across town, the Yankees came within two outs of four-peating last November and immediately proceeded to clear the shelves of a considerable amount of perceived deadwood.

Gone are stalwarts Paul O’Neill, Tino Martinez, Scott Brosius, Chuck Knoblauch and David Justice.

In their place are the likes of Jason Giambi, Rondell White, Robin Ventura and John Vander Wal.

David Wells returned to the fold, as well. He will further bolster the deepest rotation in baseball. Fellow starter Sterling Hitchcock was re-signed and reliever Steve Karsay was brought in to fill the noticeable one-year void left by Jeff Nelson’s departure.

Overall it seems the Yankees are improved. Adding Giambi, White, Ventura and Vander Wal to the everyday lineup should help replace what was an aging and somewhat unproductive lineup. But is the early 2002 version of the Yankees batting lineup better than its late 2001 model?

I’m not so sure that Ventura is an upgrade for Brosius. Hopefully, Drew Henson, the Yankees’ third baseman-in-training, develops sooner, rather than later, and Ventura can be let go ASAP.

White for Knoblauch looks good on paper, but Rondell is injury prone. He is not your typical 150-game-a-year guy.

Vander Wal for O’Neill is another question mark. Shane Spencer will fit into this equation as well, but still won’t completely fill the hole left by O’Neill’s departure into retirement and up to the broadcast booth.

That leaves us with Giambi, who will replace the clutch, slick-fielding Martinez.

Tino may not have been the most charismatic Yankee, but he saved his infielders numerous errors every season with his brilliant defensive play and was a dependable run producer.

Giambi will have to prove to me that his run production in the middle of the lineup will off-set his poor defense and poor base running, similar to another Yankee free agent acquisition from the past, namely Reggie Jackson.

Reggie was a good-hit, no-field type player dropped into the mix of Yankee tranquility back in 1977, who despite all the turmoil ended up working out pretty well in the whole team concept.

Now I know Tino wasn’t the fastest runner in the world, but he was a good base runner. Every time I see Giambi lumber around the bases I’m going to worry that he is going to trip and injure himself.

Hopefully the depth and quality of the Yankee starting rotation and bullpen with the additions of Wells and Karsay, respectively, will be able to overcome the rise in errors that will occur in the infield this season due to Giambi’s presence and Martinez’ absence.

I feel there will be more than a few Yankees fans who will pine for the days when Martinez wore #24 for the pinstripers instead of his new team, the St. Louis Cardinals.