Sunday, September 05, 1999AL wild-card race will be, well, wild
Dysfunction haunts Angels' clubhouse
BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati EnquirerThe American League wild-card race should give passionate fans a reason to pay attention during September.
Boston led upstart Oakland by a mere game entering Saturday. The mere presence of Pedro Martinez and Nomar Garciaparra in Boston's clubhouse favors the Red Sox. But the schedule favors Oakland.
Each team has 27 games left, including Saturday's. The A's play only eight games against teams with winning records, compared with 14 for Boston.
The Red Sox are beginning a grueling 12-game road trip this weekend in Seattle. From there, they'll proceed to Oakland before visiting New York and Cleveland. If Boston survives that stretch with its wild-card lead intact, it deserves a postseason spot.
The A's already have proved they belong in the race, posting a 14-9 record in a 23-game stretch that included 20 games against Cleveland and New York. Oakland General Manager Billy Beane warned that the team's upcoming schedule isn't as easy as it looks.
“Minnesota (Sept. 20-22) plays us tough and Kansas City (Sept. 17-19) is the best 81-loss team I've ever seen,” Beane said this week.
Toronto, which trailed Boston by three games, faltered recently by losing nine home games in a row.
The Blue Jays went 70 consecutive innings during that span without even gaining a lead.
FALLEN ANGELS: Maybe Terry Collins knew what he was doing when he resigned as manager of the Anaheim Angels. The team's clubhouse chemistry seems a tad dysfunctional.
That was evident after the Angels' wild brawl Tuesday night with the Cleveland Indians. An incensed Troy Percival ripped not only Cleveland's David Justice, who ignited the fight by firing his batting helmet at the relief ace, but also his teammates.
“That's where you learn which people on your team are standing behind you,” Percival said. “You know which guys you can go to battle with. I gained respect for certain people. Certain people I have to question. You can watch the videotape.”
Percival was making a not-so-subtle reference to Mo Vaughn, who was in the clubhouse and was slow to emerge when the melee erupted. Told of Percival's remarks, Vaughn said within earshot of the pitcher, “Take a beating like a man and get the next out.”
Vaughn and Percival later settled their differences, but it's plain that the Angels need an attitude adjustment.
TAKING IT WELL: Despite receiving woeful run support, Cy Young Award candidate Randy Johnson of the Arizona Diamondbacks won't complain.
“It's made me a better pitcher,” said Johnson, who has a 2.38 ERA in the seven games in which Arizona has scored one or zero runs for him. “If we get 10 runs, I go out there like it's a 1-0 ballgame. I don't look at the scoreboard until the game's over.”
STAR QUALITY: New York Mets second baseman Edgardo Alfonzo celebrated his 6-for-6 effort Monday at Houston by taking early batting practice the next day. “What happened last night is in the past. This is another day,” Alfonzo said.
In that game, Alfonzo became the only major leaguer other than Ty Cobb in 1925 to include three home runs among his six hits.
Yet wild rumors persist that the Mets would be prepared to trade him, Gold Glove-winning shortstop Rey Ordonez and promising right-hander Octavio Dotel to Seattle for superstar Alex Rodriguez. “It depends on if we make the playoffs and how far we go,” one Mets official said.
FINAL SALUTE: Nobody seems to like Richie Phillips, the head of the umpires' union who led 22 arbiters off a cliff into unemployment. But a large number of players mourned the departure of the umpires themselves, since many were quality veteran professionals who made the game better.
New York Mets right-hander Orel Hershiser, for example, shook hands with umpire Bob Davidson after Wednesday's game in Houston.
“He was the only guy on the field whose last day of work it was,” Hershiser said. “That's a lonely place to be. The three other crew members are going on with their employment and everyone on both teams are going on with their employment. Players and umpires are never going to see eye-to-eye. All you can do is give your best, and I thought Bob was one of those guys who did that.”
Said Houston second baseman Craig Biggio, “I think the situation with the fired umpires stinks. Those guys have families, those guys have mortgages, and I understand why they did what they did. My heart goes out to them and I support them.”
QUICK PITCHES: Tampa Bay outfielder Dave Martinez entered Friday having logged 1,643 games without appearing in a postseason contest — the most among active players. By reaching 500 plate appearances, he triggered a clause in his contract guaranteeing him a $2 million salary next year — which means his streak is likely to continue.
• Though San Francisco's striving to catch Arizona in the NL West, that doesn't prevent Giants left fielder Barry Bonds from appreciating the Diamondbacks. “Arizona is a tough team. No doubt about it,” he said. “They've got a team that can win the World Series. They've got the bullpen. They've got the players. That's not an expansion team over there. No way.”
• The Texas Rangers clinched their AL West championships in 1996 and '98 on the road. They'd like to change that this year. “We've never done it right,” said manager Johnny Oates, whose team is headed for another division title. “This is our third year. Hopefully we can.” With a homestand lasting from Sept. 17 to Sept. 30, the Rangers have a good shot.
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