Piniella's Fear: Will Jays Peak?

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[i:9a63d786f3]by Moss Klein
photo: Rich Pilling
originally printed: The Sporting News, March 31, 1986[/i:9a63d786f3]

<img src="http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/images/baseball/stratomatic/1986/story_photos/dave_stieb_150x230.jpg" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The Toronto Blue Jays, whose 99 victories last year were the most in the American League, virtually have been ignored in preseason picks. The Jays generally have been relegated to third place in the A.L. East, behind the Yankees and Tigers.

There are two main reasons Toronto has been given little respect. Until the Jays signed free agent Cesar Cedeno, they hadn't made any changes from '85 despite apparent weaknesses at designated hitter, backup catcher, backup outfielder and lefthanded reliever. The other factor is the unknown quantity of Jimy Williams, who has succeeded Bobby Cox as manager.

But there's another way to view the Blue Jays - the way Yankees Manager Lou Piniella sees it. "They won 99 games last year without having a really exceptional season from any of their key players," Piniella said. "That's what worries me."

Piniella makes a good point. Dave Stieb had a 14-13 record, despite a league-leading 2.48 ERA. First baseman Willie Upshaw, who had averaged 22 homers and 88 RBIs the previous three years, slipped to 15 homers and 65 RBIs. Center fielder Lloyd Moseby, who had averaged .297 and 87 RBIs the previous two seasons, dropped to .259 with 71 RBIs.

Bill Caudill was a multimillion-dollar flop. George Bell hit one homer and drove in eight runs the last five weeks of the season. The Jays' group of DHs ranked last in the league in homers (13) and RBIs (78). The DHs from the other 13 teams averaged 25 homers and 96 RBIs.

Manager Williams agrees with Piniella's analysis. "As good as we were last year, I know we can be better," said Williams, a third-base coach the last six years under Cox. "We didn't have a 30-homer or 100-RBI man (Bell led the team with 28 homers and 95 RBIs), we didn't have a 20-game winner (Doyle Alexander was tops with 17), and we didn't have a reliever with 15 saves (Caudill had 14, Tom Henke had 13). You'd have to say there's room for improvement."

Cedeno should help as a reserve outfielder and first baseman, and also as an occasional DH behind Cliff Johnson. Catcher Buck Martinez, injured much of last season, is making an impressive comeback effort. And even though lefthanded reliever Gary Lavelle has been bothered again by an elbow injury, Williams believes he will find an effective reliever from the battle among Stan Clarke, John Cerutti and Steve Davis.

"Our strength is balance,"- said General Manager Pat Gillick. "Our three outfielders may not rank at the top of the league but they're in the top 10. We have a team full of great athletes who have played together."

Watch for Williams to quickly gain recognition as a top manager. He has already made a good lineup change, moving Moseby to the leadoff spot, with Tony Fernandez hitting second and Damaso Garcia ninth. Moseby's on-base percentage, .345 last year, should be far superior to the .302 of Garcia. Williams seems to have a knack of being forceful in his decisions while making sure to communicate with his players.

* * * * *

The uniform Britt Burns has been wearing in the Yankees' camp comes from two ex-Yankee heavyweights. Burns is wearing Steve Balboni's old jersey and the pants John Mayberry wore. . . Ron Hassey, who went from the Yankees to the White Sox to the Yankees during the off-season, is listed on Chicago's weight chart in the locker room in Sarasota. Somebody has been filling in a weight for him. . . A sign posted on Cliff Johnson's locker at Toronto's camp in Dunedin: "When you're over the hill, you pick up speed."

Tommy John, battling for a pitching job with the Yankees, has spent 23 seasons in the majors with six teams - the Indians, White Sox, Dodgers, Yankees, Angels and A's - and has piayed on six division winners and four pennant winners. John's choices for his All-Teammates team: c. Thurman Munson, 1b. Steve Garvey, 2b. Willie Randolph and Davey Lopes, ss. Bucky Dent and Bill Russell, 3b. Graig Nettles, rf. Dave Winfield, cf. Tommie Agee, lf. Reggie Smith, DH. Reggie Jackson. Starting pitchers, Ron Guidry, Gary Peters, Don Sutton, Luis Tiant, Claude Osteen. Bullpen, Rich Gossage, Hoyt Wilhelm, Jim Brewer, Ron Perranoski.

Boston's Al Nipper may be the best bet among young pitchers to keep the knuckleball alive. The three remaining knuckleball specialists - Phil Niekro, Joe Niekro and Charlie Hough - are 47, 41 and 38, respectively. Nipper, 27, has been working on the knuckler with pitching coach Bill Fischer and may use the pitch about 30 percent of the time this season. . . Another in the long list of Rickey Henderson numbers:- The Yankee speedster scored 53.3 percent of the time he reached base last year, highest in the majors. The Cardinals' Vince Coleman was second at 48.6 percent and Ozzie Guillen of the White Sox was third at 48.3 percent. Boston's Wade Boggs reached base 340 times, seventh highest total in history, but scored only 31.5 percent of the time.

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[i:5e9db8ddd0]"Another in the long list of Rickey Henderson numbers:- The Yankee speedster scored 53.3 percent of the time he reached base last year, highest in the majors. The Cardinals' Vince Coleman was second at 48.6 percent and Ozzie Guillen of the White Sox was third at 48.3 percent. Boston's Wade Boggs reached base 340 times, seventh highest total in history, but scored only 31.5 percent of the time."[/i:5e9db8ddd0]

Thus, Boggs was a 17.1% worse leadoff hitter than Coleman.