Midseason Baseball Review 1991

Can you say Freeway Series? Sure, the Dodgers and Angels have one every year, but at the All-Star break, both local teams appear to have a real shot at the real thing. Speaking of things that are real, how about Nolan Ryan? The 44- year-old pitcher for the Texas Rangers threw the seventh no-hitter of his career earlier this season, and just missed notching No. 8 Sunday night against the Angels. His feats have highlighted a first half that has included a record for stolen bases in a career for Rickey Henderson, the firing of six managers and expansion in the National League. So here’s a look at the season in progress.

Names and Numbers

What a day: Rickey Henderson went headfirst into third base--and the record book. His pursuit of Lou Brock’s stolen base record ended May 1 when he recorded theft No. 939 in the fourth inning of a game against the New York Yankees. He celebrated the feat by hoisting the base over his head. But the moment was brief. Hours later, Nolan Ryan pitched his seventh no-hitter to steal some of the limelight. Henderson doggedly savored the moment. “No one stole my thunder,” he said the next day.

The Firing Line: The six worst teams in the major leagues have more in common than losing games. They have also fired their managers. Going in order this season were Nicky Levya of Philadelphia, Don Zimmer of the Chicago Cubs, John Wathan of Kansas City, Frank Robinson of Baltimore, Buck Rodgers of Montreal and, on Saturday, John McNamara of Cleveland. The results? The jury is still out on Mike Hargrove, who took over the Indians and split his first two games. But the winds of change have yet to blow these teams in another direction. As of Sunday, none of the teams were playing better than .463 ball. Next?

Tired Theory: It has been 10 seasons since Cal Ripken last missed a game as the Baltimore Orioles’ shortstop. Along the way, he has had plenty of detractors suggest he take some time off. The rumblings grew loudest last June, when he was struggling along with a .209 batting average and it was being suggested that his pursuit of Lou Gehrig’s all-time record of 2,130 consecutive games was a detriment to his team. Ripken’s streak has reached 1,491, and, for now, the detractors are silent. And why shouldn’t they be? Ripken leads the American League in batting average (.346), total bases, hits and slugging percentage. “I don’t think there’s a manager in baseball who would even think about giving Cal Ripken a day off,” Baltimore manager Johnny Oates said.

Highs and Lows: Otis Nixon of the Atlanta Braves tied the major league record with six stolen bases in a 7-6 loss to Cincinnati June 16. . . . Dave Winfield, Chris James, Barry Larkin and Danny Tartabull each hit three home runs in a game. . . . James three-homer game also produced nine runs batted in at the expense of the Oakland Athletics. . . . Dodger catcher Gary Carter went over 2,000 hits in his career. . . . Baltimore first baseman Glenn Davis set a record with four errors in one game. . . . Rob Deer of the Detroit Tigers reached 1,000 strikeouts faster than anyone (828 games). . . . Detroit’s Mickey Tettleton hit two home runs out of Tiger Stadium in a span of five days, becoming one of five players to hit two or more out of the park.

Out of Nowhere: Tommy Greene was a throw-in last season in the trade that sent Dale Murphy from Atlanta to Philadelphia. As it turns out, the Phillies got a bargain. In his 15th major league start on May 23, Greene pitched a no-hitter, striking out 10, in a 2-0 victory over Montreal. He has pitched consistently for the Phillies, posting a 5-3 record with a 3.01 earned-run average. Think the Phillies miss Jim Vatcher, Jeff Parrett and Victor Rosario now?

Streak Talk: No fewer than eight teams compiled winning streaks of seven or more games--topped by Minnesota’s spectacular 15-game string from June 1-16 that helped the Twins take the lead in the American League West Division. The Texas Rangers won 14 in a row from May 12-27, and has a seven-game streak from June 11-17. The Pittsburgh Pirates won nine in a row from May 24 to June 2 to take command in the National League East. Losing streaks were equally as fashionable. No fewer than 13 teams had losing streaks of seven or more games, topped by Montreal’s 11-game slide from June 23-July 4.

The Seventh Wonder

Nolan Ryan, feeling every bit like a 44-year-old man, woke up Wednesday, May 1, with an aching back. He ended the day with another piece of history. The Texas right-hander threw a record seventh no-hitter, striking out 16, in a 3-0 victory over Toronto at Arlington Stadium. The Blue Jays managed to hit only four balls out of the infield. Said Ranger shortstop Jeff Huson: “They were overmatched and it was no fault of theirs. They got in the way of the train.” It was Ryan’s second no-hitter in two seasons, and as evidenced by a near miss Sunday against the Angels, it may not have been his last. No one else in history has thrown more than four no-hitters.

DODGERS

Stirring it Up Without the Straw: Many experts picked the Dodgers to finish first in the National League West, but they didn’t know Darryl Strawberry would have such a poor/injured first half. Brett Butler and Juan Samuel have produced at the top of the order, allowing the Dodgers to get by without their hired gun. As usual, the starting pitching has been the key and if Orel Hershiser can shoulder is old load, it could become a runaway.

Juan Samuel / 2B

The Dodgers tried to use Samuel as a center fielder and leadoff man last season. Wrong. He has found his niche playing second and hitting second. At this point, he would seem to be a shoo-in for comeback player of the year. What’s the secret of his success? Don’t know, he’s not talking. Let’s just guess that “He’s trying to prove everyone wrong” isn’t a cliche here.

First-half comparison AVG: 1990: .217 1991: .313 HRs: 1990: 6 1991: 9 RBIs: 1990: 22 1991: 43

Brett Butler / CF

Butler has been everything the Dodgers hoped for when they signed him as a free agent in the off-season. He leads the league in runs scored (58), his 21-game hitting streak is the longest in the major leagues and his defense has filled the considerable gap between Kal Daniels in left field and Darryl Strawberry in right. Tonight, he is at the All-Star Game for the first time in his 10-year career.

First-half comparison Average: 1990: .278 1991: .302 Homeruns: 1990: 49 1991: 59 RBIs: 1990: 26 1991: 19

Facts and figures

Their 49-31 record is the best in baseball, and they lead the division by 5 games.

They lead division at break for 10th time since moving to Los Angeles in 1958.

Pitching staff leads the major leagues with an earned-run average of 2.93. INDIVIDUAL STATS

Batting Average Juan Samuel .313 Runs Brett Butler 59 Hits Juan Samuel 98 Home Runs Kal Daniels 10 RBIs Eddie Murray 51 Stolen Bases Brett Butler 19 Victories Ramon Martinez 12 ERA John Candelaria 1.74 Saves Jay Howell 11 Strikeouts Tim Belcher 81 Complete Games Ramon Martinez 4 Shutouts Ramon Martinez 3

TEAM STATS

Category Mark League Rank Batting Average .255 5th Runs 346 5th Home Runs 49 9th ERA 2.93 1st Saves 25 4th (Tie) Strikeouts 513 1st Shutouts 7 1st (Tie)

ANGELS

Angels Doing More With Less: The Angels have stayed in contention this season with some timely hitting and strong pitching. Manager Doug Rader gave up on all of his fifth starters (including Fernando Valenzuela). The other four-Chuck Finley, Mark Langston, Jim Abbott and Kirk McCaskill--have come through to provide 38 of the team’s 44 victories. Helping their cause has been the consistency of reliever Bryan Harvey, who has emerged as one of the game’s best closers.

Wally Joyner / 1B

Wally World is back, and it’s been Adventure Land for American League pitchers having to face him. The steady first baseman has put together a 16-game hitting streak and has been among the league leaders in average, runs, doubles and runs batted in. His clutch hitting won some early season games, and he hasn’t tailed off much. If he can keep it up in Tomorrow Land, it could be a fantasy season at the Big A.

First-half comparison Average: 1990: .271 1991: .326 Homeruns: 1990: 8 1991: 11 RBIs: 1990: 41 1991: 57

Dave Winfield / RF

They said his best years were behind him. They said the struggles with George Steinbrenner had taken too much out of him. They were wrong. What more can the 19-year veteran do this season? He hit three homers in one game against Minnesota and became the oldest player to hit for the cycle when he did it against Kansas City. He will probably reach 400 homers later this season.

First-half comparison Average: 1990: .241 1991: .280 Homeruns: 1990: 10 1991: 18 RBIs: 1990: 26 1991: 57

Facts and figures

The defense set an American League record with 14 consecutive games without an error.

They lead the league in fielding percentage (.986) after finishing next to last in 1990.

They lead the American League with 23 road victories. INDIVIDUAL STATS

Batting Average Wally Joyner .326 Runs Luis Polonia 52 Hits Wally Joyner 99 Home Runs Dave Winfield 18 RBIs Joyner, Winfield 57 Stolen Bases Luis Polonia 20 Victories Finley, Langston 12 ERA Mark Eichhorn 0.79 Saves Bryan Harvey 22 Strikeouts Chuck Finley 106 Complete Games Mark Langston 3 Shutouts Chuck Finley 2

TEAM STATS

Category Mark League Rank Batting Average .263 4th Runs 369 5th Home Runs 60 10th ERA 3.99 7st Saves 25 4th Strikeouts 527 1st Shutouts 5 6st

NATIONAL LEAGUE

WEST DIVISION

Feeling Blue: The Dodgers have been in first most of the year, but the Reds are coming around. Atlanta has won with pitching. Houston hasn’t been as awful as advertised, but the struggling San Francisco has kept Roger Craig on the critical list.

Tony Gwynn / OF San Diego Padres

He wanted to get Jack Clark out of San Diego and it was done. Smart move. After a .309 season in 1990, Gwynn is terrorizing National League pitching again. With 119 hits, he has an outside shot at the NL record of 254 hits and the major league mark of 257. Think he’s looking forward to some of that expansion pitching? Yum.

Statistical Leaders Avg.: Gwynn, SD: .358 HRs: McGriff, SD: 16 RBIs: Clark, SF: 59 SB: Nixon, Atl: 42 Wins: Martinez, Glavine: 12 ERA: Glavine, Atl: 1.98 SAVES: Dibble, Cin: 23 SO: Glavine, Atl: 108

EAST DIVISION

Bucking the Odds: Teams rarely repeat as division champions, but Pittsburgh put aside its spring squabbling to get a little cushion. New York has been inconsistent, St. Louis a surprise. Everyone else has fired their manager.

Howard Johnson / 3B New York Mets

HoJo has filled the power vacuum left by Darryl Strawberry and kept the Mets in the race. His homer totals the past four seasons: 36-24-36-23. He is also on a pace for his third 30-30 (homers-steals) season and should surpass his career high of 101 runs batted in.

Statistical Leaders Avg.: Jose, StL: .322 HRs: Johnson, NY: 19 RBIs: Johnson, NY: 63 SB: Grissom, Mtl: 38 Wins: Martinez, Viola: 10 ERA: Martinez, Mtl: 2.10 SAVES: Smith, StL: 23 SO: Cone, NY: 113

AMERICAN LEAGUE

WEST DIVISION

Wide Open Spaces: The Angels, Oakland and Seattle have the pitching to stay in it. Texas has hitting and Nolan Ryan, Minnesota has hitting and Scott Erickson. Chicago has a new ballpark and an old catcher. It could be a great race. Harold Baines / DH Oakland Athletics

The team with Rickey and Dave Henderson, Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire needed a little extra help last season, so the A’s acquired Baines and Willie McGee. McGee went the free-agent route, but Baines stuck around and Oakland might be stuck without him. He is among the league leaders in batting and RBIs.

Statistical Leaders Avg.: Joyner, Angels: .326 HRs: Canseco, Oak: 21 RBIs: Canseco, Oak: 63 SB: R. Henderson, Oak: 30 Wins: 3 players: 12 ERA: Erickson, Min: 1.83 SAVES: Eckersley, Oak: 23 SO: Johnson, Sea: 119

EAST DIVISION

Sky the Limit?: The Blue Jays are getting great pitching, plus big years from Joe Carter (expected) and Devon White (unexpected). Roger Clemens has been as appealing as ever. The Tigers are hit and miss, and the Yankees can see .500. Joe Carter / RF Toronto Blue Jays

This guy has bat and plenty of mileage, changing addresses three times in two years. He knocked in 105 runs with Cleveland in 1989 and was traded. He knocked in 115 runs with San Diego in 1990 and was traded. Carter is on a pace for 40 homers, 50 doubles, 120 runs batted in and 25 steals.

Statistical Leaders Avg.: Ripken, Bal: .348 HRs: Fielder, Det: 21 RBIs: Fielder, Det: 65 SB: Alomar, Tor: 27 Wins: Clemens, Gullickson: 11 ERA: Clemens, Bob: 2.22 SAVES: Reardon, Bos: 21 SO: Clemens, Bos: 123