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                         April 12, 2002

It's too early to get overly excited

Commentary by Jim Fox
Staff Writer

How can local pundits already start declaring the American League Eastern Division the sole possession of the New York Yankees only one week into the season?

Even with a strong run of pitching from the starting rotation it was against the dregs of the AL East -- the Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Monday the Yanks actually hit the ball during their 16-3 pounding of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Yes, the starting pitching has been great and the bullpen has been solid. But the offense was just enough to get by until Monday.

Over-paid Yankee first baseman Jason Giambi and centerfielder Bernie Williams have gotten off to slow starts and only Giambi seems to receive blame.

If the Yanks weren’t 7-2 and been the benefactors of great starting pitching since Roger Clemens’ attempt to field a ball on Opening Day, everyone around would be finding a few hundred other things to complain about.

Let’s see how the Bronx Bombers stack up against the Boston Red Sox this weekend. They visit the Fens for a four-game tilt beginning today where Clemens is scheduled to match-up against Darren Oliver.

An early season Yankees-Red Sox series will give all of us a much better barometer.

Across town, the New York Mets won ugly on opening Day against what was supposed to be the "weak" Pittsburgh Pirates. Then the budget-conscious Bucos took the next two games from Bobby Valentine’s squad and haven’t looked back since. Going into Tuesday’s games, Pittsburgh was 5-1 and off to its best start since 1983.

The Mets took two from Atlanta on the road and their starting rotation was solid during the first week of the season.

New reliever David Weathers has filled in nicely while set-up man John Franco mends. New acquisition Scott Strickland should help to fill the void left by Turk Wendell’s departure despite Sunday’s blown save against Atlanta.

The Mets need to stay healthy. Already new first baseman Mo Vaughn is on the disabled list and catcher Mike Piazza is banged up after a weekend collision at home plate with the Braves Chipper Jones.

The Mets will be in the hunt with Atlanta all season long if they can match the Braves pitching. Already they have an edge due to Braves hurler Greg Maddux making his first-ever trip to the DL.

With all due disrespect to Capt. Pat Murphy and his Philadelphia Phillies, they will shock no one.

The Braves, Mets, Phillies and even the Florida Marlins have the makings of solid pitching staffs, but the Mets and Braves have the experience.

The Phillies and Marlins are works in progress. They have loads of talent and good young pitching that are a few years away from coming together.

It’s a long season and way too early to get overly excited about just yet, but it sure is fun isn’t it. Especially if a fan of another local team eggs you on.

And, no, Pat, that does not include you.

Don’t you realize that no one around here likes the Phillies?

I don’t think even Red Sox fans like the Phillies.