Friday, May 12
By Bob Brookover
Special to ESPN.com
Jeffrey Loria has made a fortune as an international art dealer.
That's why it's a little difficult to understand his most recent
purchase. As baseball teams go, Claude Brochu's Montreal Expos were anything but a work of art.
"I like challenges," Loria explained as he headed for his luxury box at Roger Dean Stadium during a recent Expos exhibition game. "That's why I'm here. This is a good ballclub. They just need to start believing in themselves."
Thanks to Loria, the Expos once again appear to at least be a work in
progress rather than a feeder system for baseball's most lucrative clubs. Felipe Alou, the Expos' wise, old manager who has stuck with the team through good times and bad, has a rekindled spirit.
The quintessential company man, Alou painfully watched players such as Pedro Martinez, Larry Walker, John Wetteland and Moises Alou get away from the Expos. Now, with Loria in charge and the promise of a new downtown ballpark on the horizon, the manager sees better days ahead.
"I just don't believe we're going to be giving players away anymore,"
Alou said. "Every club used to be able to come in and take Pedro Martinez, Moises Alou and John Wetteland and for what? Class A guys. It's not like that anymore."
The Expos are in the midst of proving that exact point. Mickey Morandini isn't in the Martinez, Alou or Wetteland category of player, but he is a major-league second baseman who could help some teams. He's also available because Jose Vidro is going to be the Expos' second baseman.
Both the Phillies and Angels have an interest in Morandini, but the Expos have no intention of giving him up without getting something of value in return.
"It's a hell of a situation we have here," Alou said. "We have two good players (at second base). We've been looking for one for years since Mike Lansing and now we have two. Morandini is a good player. I wouldn't give him away."
Truth is, Morandini doesn't really fit into the Expos' impressive youth movement anyway. Thanks to a fertile farm system and some of those trades general manager Jim Beattie made in the past, the Expos appear to be a team on the rise.
Dustin Hermanson, acquired three springs ago from the Marlins for
Clifford Floyd, has the makings of a legitimate ace. He's only 27. Carl Pavano, acquired from Boston for Martinez, has not been consistent in his first two big-league seasons, but almost everybody agrees he will be a winning major-league pitcher some day. He's only 24. Fernando Seguignol, obtained from the Yankees for Wetteland, isn't ready for the big leagues yet, but the 25-year-old outfielder has posted some impressive numbers at Triple-A Ottawa and has a body that makes him appear every bit as intimidating as Vladimir Guerrero.
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| 1999 STATISTICS |
| G |
HR |
RBI |
AVG |
Hits |
Runs |
| 160 |
42 | 131 |
.316 | 193 |
102 | |
|
Guerrero, 24, is the Expos' best player and the most substantial proof that the farm system is still turning out quality players. In short, he is an MVP waiting to happen.
The Expos have a closer any team in baseball would love. Ugueth Urbina, 26, led the league with 41 saves and struck out 100 batters in 75 2/3 innings in 1999. Former fifth-round draft pick Javier Vazquez, 23, has some of the nastiest stuff in the National League and also could be a future ace. Vidro, 25, had 45 doubles and 12 homers in his first full major-league season. Peter Bergeron and Milton Bradley, both 22, staged a battle for the job in center field this spring. It appears Bergeron will win for now, but both could be in the lineup if Beattie deals Rondell White.
With Loria in charge, the Expos plan to keep their young talent and
supplement it with veterans. Within days of his Dec. 9 purchase of the team, Loria signed veteran reliever Graeme Lloyd to a three-year, $9-million deal, then allowed Beattie to cut a deal for Hideki Irabu, who immediately signed a two-year deal. Veteran first baseman Lee Stevens was added to the mix this spring.
"I'm obviously a very competitive person with a passion for the game," said Loria, a former All-City second baseman at Stuyveysant High School in New York City. "I'd be lying if I said I'm not going to be involved. I won't micro-manage, but I definitely think I can bring an energy and a focus by showing the players that I care a lot. This is a good young team and hopefully it will be able to challenge for the wild card."
He meant this season.
It's obvious Loria and the Expos are still in the honeymoon phase of
their relationship. But the new owner is realistic enough to know there are still remnants of morning breath for this team. At the moment, the Expos do not have a local television or radio deal. Not in French. Not in English. Not in any language.
And the new ballpark is not a done deal.
Much work needs to be completed before Loria and Alou can say baseball is back in Montreal. But at least they're trying, which is more than the Expos were doing when Brochu was in charge.
"I'm excited," Alou said. "This is the Loria Era now. There's some
awareness that we are here in the National League."
Around the Senior Circuit
Violins in baseball: The Brewers' Mark Loretta can play shortstop and first base. Now, he's trying to add violin to his versatile resume.
"I've always liked the sound a violin makes," Loretta said. "I'd been
telling my wife that I'd like to learn to play an instrument and she called my bluff. She gave me violin lessons for Christmas. I know it's not something you just pick up and play, but I'll give it a try."
The shift: It should be interesting to see how National League teams defense Ken Griffey Jr. this season. Several American League teams have played an infield shift this spring with three guys on the right side of the diamond.
That defense worked for the Red Sox recently as they turned a 6-5-3
double play with the third baseman covering second base. Griffey said teams usually only shift against him in spring training because he isn't a threat to bunt.
"During the season I'll lay a bunt down," he said. "The more pressure you put on the defense, the harder it is (to position against him)."
Crippled Cubbies: Don Baylor's first Cubs team headed to Tokyo with Kerry Wood, Ismael Valdes (shoulder tendinitis), Glenallen Hill (pulled hamstring), Willie Greene (stitches in his right hand) and Jose Nieves (pulled groin) on the disabled list.
They will, however, have Tarrik Brock, a .237 career hitter in the
minors, on the active roster. Brock batted .233 last year in Double-A.
Valdes, scratched from a start Sunday with a stiff shoulder, could be
ready to pitch shortly after the Cubs return from their season-opening series against the Mets in Japan.
Perez awakens: Carlos Perez may have won the fifth and final spot in the Dodgers' rotation Wednesday when he held the Expos to two runs in five innings. Perez had a 10.00 ERA in his first two outings, then infuriated new club president Bob Daly when he was arrested for drunk driving after falling asleep at the wheel of his BMW. He is still owed $12.5 million on the three-year, $15.6-million contract he signed before last season, so the Dodgers definitely want to get something out of him.
"The last two outings have been so much better than the first two,"
Dodgers manager Davey Johnson said. "That's what we're all looking for from him, getting better each time. He did well against a good-hitting club over there."
Perez's success will probably send struggling rookie right-hander Eric
Gagne to Triple-A. Gagne had a 2.10 ERA in five starts last September after a recall from Double-A San Antonio, but he has been pounded in his four exhibition outings.
More than a meaningless exhibition: The Yankees apparently are bringing out the little kid in Barry Bonds.
The Giants' superstar left fielder is thrilled he'll be facing the Yankees for the first time in his career during an April 1 exhibition game at Pac Bell Park.
"(Playing) the Yankees means more to me than anything," Bonds said.
"That's big to me. As a kid growing up, you had the Dodgers, the Yankees, the Giants and the Cubs. Those are the teams you think, 'God, I hope one day I play for (them).' Those are the historical teams."
Bobby Bonds actually played for the Yankees, but Barry has never been in Yankee Stadium, because his father played his home games at Shea Stadium while The House that Ruth Built was being renovated.
"I'll probably be too nervous and strike out all the time," Bonds said.
Asked if he was excited about playing against Derek Jeter and Bernie
Williams, he said it was the team not the individual players that made this occasion special.
"It doesn't matter who's on that team," he said. "It's just the Yankees, the name. How many people in the world would love to play for the Yankees as a kid, or just have an opportunity to play against them? That's huge. Twenty-five World Series (championships). That is huge."
Ballpark humor: According to Phillies ace Curt Schilling, his rehab from shoulder surgery is going a lot better than the Phillies' attempt to build a new baseball stadium.
"We joke about it now, because it's become a joke," Schilling said. "You know, 'Be ready to pitch in that new stadium.' Well, you know what? My kid(four-year-old Gehrig) might be the Opening Day pitcher in that new stadium the way things are going."
Schilling believes the Phillies were to blame for delays in new stadiums for the Eagles and Phillies last November because they did not have a plan in place to present to City Council.
"Why were the Eagles ready and the Phillies weren't?" Schilling asked.
"Whatever answer you get to that question is an excuse. I mean, if this is the priority that everybody says it is, then it should have been done."
Phillies general manager Ed Wade shot back at Schilling.
"He was wrong -- uninformed," Wade said. "What's new?"
Al's shocking development: Al Martin's former Pirates teammates were stunned when they read about his arrest in Scottsdale, Ariz. The sordid story includes accusations of bigamy, a Las Vegas wedding and threats with a gun.
"I had to read it three times to make sure it was the right Martin," pitcher Jason Schmidt said.
Schmidt was not alone in that reaction.
"As has been written and talked about many times, Al was a good individual for this organization for a lot of years," Pirates general manager Cam Bonifay said. Bonifay said he was unaware of Martin's personal problems and that they were not a factor in the outfielder's trade to the Padres for John Vander Wal.
Hablo espanol: Rockies pitcher Masato Yoshii was speaking through an English interpreter after his outing Wednesday against the Diamondbacks until somebody asked him about his new teammate Larry Walker.
And then the Japanese pitcher gave a two-word reply: "Muy bueno."
Stats and stuff
Projected four and five starters Terry Mulholland and Bruce Chen haven't given the Braves much reason for optimism this spring. Mulholland has allowed 27 hits in 14 innings and has a 10.29 ERA and opposing hitters are batting .327 against Chen. ... Todd Van Poppel, trying to rescue his career with the Cubs, is actually having a good spring. The former first-round pick of the A's has a 3.60 ERA in 10 Cactus League innings. ... A bulging disc in Jerry DiPoto's neck will likely keep the Rockies' closer out until at least May 1. David Lee is his likely replacement. ... That late spring arrival seems to be killing Sammy Sosa. He only has eight home runs this spring. ... The Dodgers' Gary Sheffield has predicted he'll hit 50 homers, but he could be destined for a slow start because of a badly bruised ring finger and a deep cut on his pinky finger he sustained on a head-first slide into third base.
Quotebook
Marlins infielder Dave Berg on the outbreak of mumps in his team's camp: "Hey, did you see that movie Outbreak? That's what the training room looks like right now."
Mets manager Bobby Valentine on what it's like to fly to Japan: "It's not normal. You look out the window (of the plane) and the sun is out. You sleep for six hours. The sun is still out. Read for a while, the sun is still there."
Bob Brookover, who covers the Phillies for the Delaware County (Pa.) Times, writes on the National League for ESPN.com. |  |
