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© St. Petersburg Times, published March 1, 2002
ANAHEIM ANGELS
2001 RECORD: 75-87.
2001 FINISH: Third, AL West.
MANAGER: Mike Scioscia.
SAY HELLO: DH Brad Fullmer, P Kevin Appier, P Aaron Sele, P Dennis Cook, P Donne Wall.
SAY GOODBYE: IF/DH Mo Vaughn, P Brian Cooper, P Shigetoshi Hasegawa, P Mike Holtz, P Brian Cooper, IF Gary DiSarcina, P Pat Rapp.
SPRING QUESTIONS: The Angels finished 41 games behind Seattle in the AL West last season. Will the additions of Sele, who went 15-5 for the Mariners in 2001, and Appier, who was 11-10 with the Mets, help shrink that gap? ... Is 25-year-old, er, 28-year-old Ramon Ortiz the next Pedro Martinez? ... Can Tim Salmon and Darin Erstad shake off poor 2001 seasons?
2001 RECORD: 92-70.
2001 FINISH: First, NL West.
MANAGER: Bob Brenly.
SAY HELLO: P Rick Helling, OF Jose Guillen, P Mike Myers.
SAY GOODBYE: P Albie Lopez, OF Reggie Sanders, OF Midre Cummings.
SPRING QUESTIONS: Can they rediscover the magic that led them to the World Series last season? ... Danny Bautista signed for three years and Reggie Sanders was sent packing. Was it worth it? ... Besides Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling, who will make up the rotation? ... Will 3B Matt Williams recover from a broken left leg in time for opening day?
2001 RECORD: 88-74.
2001 FINISH: First, NL East.
MANAGER: Bobby Cox.
SAY HELLO: OF Gary Sheffield, P Albie Lopez, IF Vinny Castilla, P Darren Holmes, P Rich Rodriguez.
SAY GOODBYE: OF Brian Jordan, P John Burkett, P Steve Karsay, P Odalis Perez, IF Rey Sanchez, OF Bernard Gilkey.
SPRING QUESTIONS: Will Sheffield push the Braves to an 11th consecutive NL East title? ... Julio Franco, B.J. Surhoff and Wes Helms are battling for the starting spot at first base. Who will win? ... After signing a fat contract during the offseason, will John Smoltz be content as one of the game's best closers?
2001 RECORD: 63-98.
2001 FINISH: Fourth, AL East.
MANAGER: Mike Hargrove.
SAY HELLO: OF Marty Cordova, P Chris Brock, OF Chris Singleton.
SAY GOODBYE: IF Cal Ripken, OF Brady Anderson, P John Wasdin.
SPRING QUESTIONS: Who will fill Ripken's role? Anyone, anyone? ... Can the Orioles stay healthy? Their notable free agent signings in 2001 -- Pat Hentgen, Mike Bordick, David Segui -- spent most of their time on the DL last season. ... Can Willis Roberts hold off Jorge Julio for the closer's job?
2001 RECORD: 82-79.
2001 FINISH: Second, AL East.
MANAGER: Joe Kerrigan.
SAY HELLO: 1B Tony Clark, OF Johnny Damon, P Darren Oliver, P Jeff Wallace, P John Burkett, P Dustin Hermanson, OF Michael Coleman.
SAY GOODBYE: SP Hideo Nomo, OF Darren Lewis, OF Carl Everett, IF Chris Stynes, C Scott Hatteberg, P Bret Saberhagen, OF Troy O'Leary, IF John Valentin, P David Cone, P Rod Beck.
SPRING QUESTIONS: One can only imagine what a healthy Pedro Martinez and Nomar Garciaparra could mean. But can both stave off injuries? ... Who will go first? Kerrigan or GM Dan Duquette? ... What will the addition of Damon mean? ... Will the additions of Burkett and Clark ease the losses of Nomo and Everett?
2001 RECORD: 88-74.
2001 FINISH: Third, NL Central.
MANAGER: Don Baylor.
SAY HELLO: OF Moises Alou, P Alan Benes, OF Darren Lewis, IF Chris Stynes, IF Alex Gonzalez, IF Mark Bellhorn, P Jesus Sanchez, P Pat Mahomes.
SAY GOODBYE: 2B Eric Young, OF Michael Tucker, OF Rondell White, P David Weathers, P Felix Heredia, P Kevin Tapani, P Todd Van Poppel, OF Matt Stairs, IF Ron Coomer.
SPRING QUESTIONS: How will the trio of Alou, Sammy Sosa and Fred McGriff fare? ... Should we expect pitching prospects Juan Cruz and Mark Prior to make the rotation? ... Will Bobby Hill win the starting spot at second base? ... Has new pitching coach Larry Rothschild mended fences enough with returning pitchers upset about the dismissal of former coach Oscar Acosta?
2001 RECORD: 83-79.
2001 FINISH: Third, AL Central.
MANAGER: Jerry Manuel.
SAY HELLO: OF Kenny Lofton, P Todd Ritchie, P Ryan Kohlmeier, OF Brian Simmons.
SAY GOODBYE: P David Wells, P Kip Wells, P Sean Lowe, P Josh Fogg, P Alan Embree, OF Jose Canseco, P Cal Eldred, IF Herbert Perry, OF Chris Singleton.
SPRING QUESTIONS: Does this club leave spring training looking like a playoff team? ... After missing most of 2001, will Frank Thomas return to past form? ... Is the youthful pitching staff, led by Mark Buehrle, ready for a playoff push? ... Will Ray Durham and Paul Konerko emerge as stars?
2001 RECORD: 66-96.
2001 FINISH: Fifth, NL Central.
MANAGER: Bob Boone.
SAY HELLO: OF Juan Encarnacion, P Luke Hudson, P Gabe White, P Jose Silva, P Jimmy Haynes, P Brian Bohanon.
SAY GOODBYE: IF Pokey Reese, IF/OF Dmitri Young, OF Ruben Rivera, P Pete Harnisch, P Dennys Reyes.
SPRING QUESTIONS: Is this team a year away, as it always seems to be? ... Will prospect Austin Kearns beat out Encarnacion to win a starting spot in the outfield? ... Can Barry Larkin stay healthy for a month? ... Now that expectations have dropped, will Ken Griffey hit as he did in his Seattle days? ... Is Adam Dunn a developing superstar?
2001 RECORD: 91-71.
2001 FINISH: First, AL Central.
MANAGER: Charlie Manuel.
SAY HELLO: P Mark Wohlers, OF Matt Lawton, OF Brady Anderson, OF Alex Escobar, P Jerrod Riggan, P David Elder.
SAY GOODBYE: OF Juan Gonzalez, IF Roberto Alomar, OF Kenny Lofton, P John Rocker, P Dave Burba, OF Marty Cordova, P Steve Woodard, OF Dave Roberts.
SPRING QUESTIONS: Can they replace the offense lost during the offseason? ... Will Brady Anderson rediscover his bat? ... If Anderson falls flat, are Milton Bradley and Alex Escobar ready to help? ... If ownership sees things aren't going well after its salary purge, will it complete the overhaul and dismiss Manuel?
2001 RECORD: 73-89.
2001 FINISH: Fifth, NL West.
MANAGER: Buddy Bell.
SAY HELLO: IF Todd Zeile, OF Benny Agbayani, P Rick White, P Dennys Reyes, C Carlos Hernandez, P Mike James, P Kent Merker, P Jose Paniagua, P Todd Jones, C Tony Eusebio.
SAY GOODBYE: IF Jeff Cirillo, OF Jacob Cruz, P Jay Powell, P Brian Bohanon, P Dan Miceli, P Gabe White, OF Alex Ochoa.
SPRING QUESTIONS: Is Zeile really what the Rockies were looking for in a third baseman? ... What will the starting rotation look like other than Denny Neagle, Mike Hampton and John Thomson? ... Can the patchwork bullpen keep a lead? ... Can we officially call this a youth movement in Colorado?
2001 RECORD: 66-96.
2001 FINISH: Fourth, AL Central.
MANAGER: Phil Garner.
SAY HELLO: 1B Dmitri Young, IF Craig Paquette, OF Jacob Cruz, P Juan Acevedo, P Billy Simas.
SAY GOODBYE: 1B Tony Clark, CF Juan Encarnacion, OF Roger Cedeno, IF Deivi Cruz, P Chris Holt, P Heath Murray.
SPRING QUESTIONS: Will Brian Moehler be ready to pitch by April? ... Who will hit the long ball? C Robert Fick led the team with 19 homers, but the acquistion of Young should help. ... Do you care that prospect Omar Infante could win a starting spot at shortstop? ... Does the hiring of Dave Dombrowski signal a turnaround?
2001 RECORD: 76-86.
2001 FINISH: Fourth, NL East.
MANAGER: Jeff Torborg.
SAY HELLO: Owner Jeffrey Loria, P Nate Teut.
SAY GOODBYE: Owner John Henry, P Jesus Sanchez, P Juan Acevedo, OF Jeff Abbott.
SPRING QUESTIONS: Will there be immediate, or residual, effects of the change in ownership? ... Can rookie Josh Beckett live up to the hype? ... Will Cliff Floyd maintain his offense? He was a monster until the end of 2001. ... Will this be their final spring training in Viera?
2001 RECORD: 93-69.
2001 FINISH: First, NL Central.
MANAGER: Jimy Williams.
SAY HELLO: OF Brian L. Hunter, P T.J. Matthews, C Gregg Zaun, P C.J. Nitkowski.
SAY GOODBYE: OF Moises Alou, P Pedro Astacio, IF Vinny Castilla, P Mike Williams, P Mike Jackson, P Kent Bottenfield, Enron.
SPRING QUESTIONS: Will young starters Roy Oswalt and Wade Miller impress or depress? ... Who will replace Alou's offense? ... Can Jimy Williams earn the respect of his players? ... Will first baseman Jeff Bagwell, who had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder in the offseason, be 100 percent? ... Is Adam Everett the club's best option at shortstop?
2001 RECORD: 65-97.
2001 FINISH: Fifth, AL Central.
MANAGER: Tony Muser.
SAY HELLO: OF Chuck Knoblauch, OF Michael Tucker, P Darrel May.
SAY GOODBYE: C Gregg Zaun, IF Donnie Sadler, P Brian Meadows.
SPRING QUESTIONS: Is Knoblauch a starter in the outfield or at second base? ... Will Jose Rosado pitch again? ... How will Mike Sweeney do in his final spring with the Royals? The fan favorite first baseman becomes a free agent after this season. ... Was the second half of 2001 a preview of 2002 for outfielder Carlos Beltran? ... Will the Royals miss Haines City after this spring?
2001 RECORD: 86-76.
2001 FINISH: Third, NL West.
MANAGER: Jim Tracy.
SAY HELLO: OF Brian Jordan, P Hideo Nomo, P Kazahisu Ishii, P Paul Quantrill, IF Cesar Izturis, P Omar Daal, OF Dante Bichette, P Odalis Perez, OF Dave Roberts.
SAY GOODBYE: OF Gary Sheffield, P Chan Ho Park, P Luke Prokepec, P Jeff Shaw, P Terry Adams, P James Baldwin.
SPRING QUESTIONS: The bullpen was next to last in the NL in ERA last season (4.70). Does it get better? ... Will Kevin Brown, Andy Ashby and Darren Dreifort pitch well after injury-plagued seasons last year? ... Is there anyone left in the minor-league system? ... Is Jordan the answer to an ailing offense? ... How does Ishii fare?
2001 RECORD: 68-94.
2001 FINISH: Fourth, NL Central.
MANAGER: Davey Lopes.
SAY HELLO: P Glendon Rusch, OF Alex Ochoa, IF Lenny Harris, IF Eric Young, OF Matt Stairs, P Takaki Nomura.
SAY GOODBYE: OF Jeromy Burnitz, OF Mark Sweeney, IF Lou Collier, P Jeff D'Amico, P Craig House, OF Devon White, P Jimmy Haynes, P Mark Leiter, OF James Mouton.
SPRING QUESTIONS: How much will the loss of Burnitz hurt? The Brewers were third in the NL in home runs (209) last season. ... Will Chad Fox be the team's closer with Curtis Leskanic nursing a sore arm? ... Is there anything to suggest Milwaukee won't experience its 10th consecutive losing season? ... Who will play right? Stairs or Ochoa?
2001 RECORD: 85-77.
2001 FINISH: Second, AL Central.
MANAGER: Ron Gardenhire.
SAY HELLO: 2B Kurt Abbott, P Mike Jackson, P Brian Meadows.
SAY GOODBYE: Manager Tom Kelly, P Todd Jones.
SPRING QUESTIONS: Will Donald Watkins buy the team from Carl Pohlad? ... How will Gardenhire do in Kelly's wake? ... Has the bullpen improved to where it isn't considered the team's weakness? Eddie Guardado is considered the club's closer. ... Does Michael Cuddyer get the nod in rightfield?
2001 RECORD: 68-94.
2001 FINISH: Fifth, NL East.
MANAGER: Frank Robinson.
BONJOUR: Commissioner Bud Selig, Robinson.
AU REVOIR: Owner Jeffrey Loria, Manager Jeff Torborg, P Hideki Irabu, P Mike Thurman.
SPRING QUESTIONS: Will Robinson know everybody's name by the end of spring training? ... Will they get any help for the areas they need it in most -- leftfield, leadoff, starting pitching? ... Is this the team's last spring in Jupiter? In baseball? ... Can Jose Canseco play the outfield?
2001 RECORD: 82-80.
2001 FINISH: Third, NL East.
MANAGER: Bobby Valentine.
SAY HELLO: IF Roberto Alomar, 1B Mo Vaughn, OF Roger Cedeno, OF Jeromy Burnitz, OF Mark Sweeney, IF Lou Collier, P Jeff D'Amico, P Pedro Astacio, P David Weathers, P Mike Bacsik, P Shawn Estes, P Mark Guthrie, OF Gary Matthews Jr., IF John Valentin.
SAY GOODBYE: IF Robin Ventura, P Glendon Rusch, OF Tsuyoshi Shinjo, IF Desi Relaford, IF Lenny Harris, IF Todd Zeile, OF Benny Agbayani, P Rick White, OF Matt Lawton, P Jerrod Riggan, P C.J. Nitkowski.
SPRING QUESTIONS: Were all the changes worth it? ... How will the additions of Vaughn, Cedeno, Burnitz and Alomar affect Mike Piazza and the offense? ... Can Vaughn come back after a year missed because of injury? ... Is the starting pitching worthy of a contender? Steve Trachsel and Al Leiter are the only returning starters who had 10 or more wins last season.
2001 RECORD: 102-60.
2001 FINISH: Second, AL West.
MANAGER: Art Howe.
SAY HELLO: RP Billy Koch, IF Randy Velarde, C/IF Scott Hatteberg, OF David Justice, IF Carlos Pena, P Mike Holtz, P Mike Venafro, P Allen Levrault.
SAY GOODBYE: IF Jason Giambi, OF Johnny Damon, P Mark Guthrie, P Jason Isringhausen, P Mark Guthrie, P Gil Heredia, OF Ron Gant.
SPRING QUESTIONS: How will this team react now that its leader, Jason Giambi, is gone? ... Is Carlos Pena worth the four prospects Oakland gave to Texas to get him? ... Will Jermaine Dye, who broke his leg in the playoffs, be full-strength? ... Can the pitching staff continue at the level it was at last season? ... Is Koch better than Isringhausen?
2001 RECORD: 62-100.
2001 FINISH: Sixth, NL Central.
MANAGER: Lloyd McClendon.
SAY HELLO: IF Pokey Reese, P Mike Williams, P Kip Wells, P Sean Lowe, P Wayne Gomes, P Brian Boehringer.
SAY GOODBYE: P Todd Ritchie, P Jose Silva, OF Gary Matthews Jr., P Francisco Cordova.
SPRING QUESTIONS: What difference will Reese make in the middle infield? ... Is third baseman Aramis Ramirez (the dependable run-producer he performed like in 2001? ... How will pitcher Kris Benson look after offseason elbow surgery? And, other than Benson, who will be in the starting rotation? ... Is Jason Kendall going to catch regularly?
2001 RECORD: 93-69.
2001 FINISH: First, NL Central.
MANAGER: Tony La Russa.
SAY HELLO: IF Tino Martinez, P Jason Isringhausen, C Mike DiFelice.
SAY GOODBYE: IF Mark McGwire, P Alan Benes, IF Craig Paquette, P Dustin Hermanson, P T.J. Matthews.
SPRING QUESTIONS: What will be the effect of not having McGwire in the lineup? ... Who will win the fifth spot in the rotation? Rick Ankiel? Garrett Stephenson? Andy Benes? ... Does this look like a World Series team? ... Can Albert Pujols continue at the level of his Rookie of the Year season?
2001 RECORD: 79-83.
2001 FINISH: Fourth, NL West.
MANAGER: Bruce Bochy.
SAY HELLO: P Brett Tomko, C Tom Lampkin, P Alan Embree, OF Ron Gant, IF Ramon Vazquez, P Steve Reed, IF Deivi Cruz.
SAY GOODBYE: OF Tony Gwynn, C Ben Davis, P Wascar Serrano, OF Rickey Henderson, IF Alex Arias.
SPRING QUESTIONS: The Padres showed catcher Wiki Gonzalez he's their guy by trading Davis. But is Gonzalez ready for an everyday role? ... Can Phil Nevin, who moves to first base this year, duplicate last season's numbers? ... Will a youthful starting rotation deliver? ... Is that really Pete Incaviglia in camp? ... How will the death of Mike Darr affect his former teammates?
2001 RECORD: 90-72.
2001 FINISH: Second, NL West.
MANAGER: Dusty Baker.
SAY HELLO: RP Jay Witasick, OF Reggie Sanders, IF David Bell, OF Tsuyoshi Shinjo, P Manny Aybar.
SAY GOODBYE: OF John Vander Wal, IF Andres Galarraga, P Shawn Estes, OF Eric Davis, P Mark Gardner, P Wayne Gomes, OF Dante Powell, P Brian Boehringer.
SPRING QUESTIONS: Is this the last time we'll see Jeff Kent and Barry Bonds in the same clubhouse? Kent's a free agent after this season. ... What's up with the rotation? Jason Schmidt's in but Estes is gone. ... Can Baker continue his habit of keeping his team in contention?
2001 RECORD: 116-46.
2001 FINISH: First, AL West.
MANAGER: Lou Piniella.
SAY HELLO: IF Jeff Cirillo, P James Baldwin, P Shigetoshi Hasegawa, OF Ruben Sierra, C Ben Davis, IF Desi Relaford, IF Alex Arias.
SAY GOODBYE: P Aaron Sele, OF Jay Buhner, IF David Bell, OF Stan Javier, P Norm Charlton, OF Al Martin, P Brett Tomko, IF Ramon Vazquez, C Tom Lampkin.
SPRING QUESTIONS: One of the most asked questions of the spring will be, "Is 116 wins possible again?" ... How much does the loss of Sele affect the rotation? Can Ichiro and Bret Boone duplicate stellar 2001 seasons? ... Can the bullpen do the same?
2001 RECORD: 73-89.
2001 FINISH: Fourth, AL West.
MANAGER: Jerry Narron.
SAY HELLO: OF Carl Everett, OF Juan Gonzalez, P Chan Ho Park, RP John Rocker, P Dave Burba, P Jay Powell, RP Todd Van Poppel, IF Herbert Perry, P Mario Ramos, P Hideki Irabu, P Bill Pulsipher, P Dan Micelli, P Ismael Valdes, P Rudy Seanez, OF Ryan Ludwick, IF Jason Hart, C Pat Borders.
SAY GOODBYE: P Rick Helling, OF Ruben Sierra, P Darren Oliver, IF Carlos Pena, P Tim Crabtree, OF Ricky Ledee, OF Chad Curtis, P Mike Vanafro.
SPRING QUESTIONS: Wouldn't you like to be a fly on the wall in this clubhouse? ... Can Narron keep Rocker (if he makes the team) and Everett and A-Rod and Gonzalez and Ivan Rodriguez happy? ... Did the offseason acquisitions help an ailing pitching staff considered one of the league's worst? ... Will prospect Hank Blalock win the starting role at third?