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First Base Today: Todd Zeile is playing like Lou Gehrig. At times, Tino Martinez plays like Louise Gehrig. Edge: Muts Tomorrow: Zeile is playing above his head. He is NOT the long-term answer but the Muts will keep him anyway. Martinez will be replaced soon. This is the one position where the Hankees are likely to sign a stud replacement. Edge: Hankees
Second Base Today: It's the oldest story out there-young, innocent mid-Westerner moves to The Big Apple in search of fame and fortune and is sucked into the fast life, loses his innocence, and catches a nasty disease. It has happened to former Twin Chuck Knoblauch. If Chuck-E-the-Hankee (the "E" stands for error) could have overcome his greed and not forced the low-budget Twins to trade him, he wouldn't have had to endure the public ridicule that is a symptom of the dreaded "Sax-itis." The most notable symptom of Sax-itis is the sudden inability to throw a ball anywhere near the first baseman. Prior to contacting the disease, Chuck-E was able to perform at a satisfactory level. Unfortunately, since contacting the disease, Chuck-E has been performing at what can only be described as a Sax-factory level-not good. The Muts have one of the N.L.'s best players at second base in Edgardo Alphonso. Alphonso not only plays a solid defense, he hits with more authority than a Mafia henchman. Edge: Muts Tomorrow: Alphonso is going nowhere. The Muts can afford to pay whatever it will cost to keep him into his free-agent years. The Hankees have prospects (most notably Alphonso Soriano) but New York prospects rarely pan out (all hail Shawn Abner and Ruben Rivera). Edge: Muts
Third Base Today: Scott Brosius is a solid defensive third baseman. That's all. Defensively, Robin Ventura is almost as good as Brosius. Offensively, Ventura (despite his current sub-.240 average) is a far superior player. Besides, Ventura has a southern California town named after him. Brosius does not. Edge: Muts Tomorrow: Both teams are pretty much set with what they have for the next few years unless they trade up or sign a free agent. The Hankees seem to have paralysis regarding third base. The Muts don't need to improve at the position. Edge: Muts
Shortstop Today: Rey Ordonez is one of the best defensive...never mind...this one is such a no-brainer (hey, just simple enough for most Hankee fans to understand) that I can't even continue. Jeter's only fault is that he plays for the Hankees. Edge: Hankees Tomorrow: If the Muts sign Alex Rodriguez (and it is VERY likely), the Muts have the better shortstop. Any other option leaves Jeter the best shortstop in New York. Because Rodriguez is not a sure bet to join the Muts while the Hankees HAVE Jeter, the Hankees future is better. Edge: Hankees
Left Field Today: Spencer/Ledee/Agbayany/McEwing/Tyner...geez Louise, you'd think that with all the money these franchises have to toss around they could find at least one stud between them to play left field. The Hankees were so desperate (or is that immoral) that they tried Darryl Strawberry-over and over again! If you want your son to play major league ball but he lacks any true talent, send a video of him to New York and wait by the phone. Edge: All the other teams including New York's slow-pitch beer league teams. Tomorrow: No matter how sunny the day, it's going to be cloudy over left field in New York until one of these teams wakes up and steals somebody else's left fielder. Edge: New York Little League's all-star team.
Center Field Today: Bernie Williams isn't as great as the New York biased media would have America believe, but he's the best thing to roam center field in a Hankee uniform since Mickey Mantle. That means one of two things: either the Hankees have basically sucked in center field since the late '60's or Williams is very good. OK, maybe it means two things, because both are true. The Muts center field situation is like the Hankees left field situation-unsettled with no clear-cut solution in the system. Edge: Hankees Tomorrow: It's Bernie Williams vs. uncertainty. Edge: Hankees
Right Field Today: Derek Bell is playing like a man possessed. Unfortunately for Muts fans, the exorcist is on the way and Bell will soon cool off. Paul O'Neill has a great arm, plays great defense, and carries a regularly productive and sometimes potent bat. Edge: Hankees Tomorrow: Paul O'Neill is looking old. He's still performing at a solid level but for how long? Derek Bell is on his way out of New York-probably after this season. The Hankees will get at least another solid year out of O'Neill. Edge: Hankees
Catcher Today: Both team's catchers have sir names that begin with a P and end with an A. That is as close as it gets. Don't bore yourself with suggestions that Posada is a better defensive player. Twenty years from now, as a former major league player, Posada will be admitted free-of-charge to the Hall of Fame where he will be able to view Piazza's plaque. Edge: Muts Tomorrow: Piazza isn't going anywhere. Edge: Muts
Ace Today: Mike Hampton is the Muts ace, he's just not pitching like it-could he have Kenny Rogers disease? Orlando Hernandez is pitching like an ace. This one is easy. Edge: Hankees Tomorrow: The Hankees have been following the Braves plan of spending their money on starting pitchers. The Muts are still stinging from how Dwight Gooden ruined his Hall-of-Fame talent. Edge: Hankees
Closer Today: Yawwwwn...If you're going to beat the Hankees, you must not trail them at the end of the 8th inning. Edge: Hankees Tomorrow: Zzzzzzzz...(even though Armando Benitez is more fun to watch) Edge: Hankees
Manager Today: To say that Joe Torre is perhaps the most overrated manager in baseball is obviously not accurate. Replace the word "perhaps" with "definitely" and you're right on the money. If Torre were worthy of a seat in the Hankees dugout, he would have solved the Cone riddle, refused to play any felons in left field or at DH, and found a cure for Knoblauch's Sax-itis. He has failed on all counts. Valentine is at least entertaining. Edge: Muts Tomorrow: No matter what the Muts do about Valentine, the Hankees will be too stupid to replace Torre. Edge: Muts
Overall Pitching, pitching, pitching... Edge: Hankees
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