A few news and notes before jumping into the 2001 season:
• The Dodgers did in fact trade
Edgar Renteria right after getting A-Rod in free agency. It was neat to see the offers roll in as soon as Rodriguez signed. The best came from Texas, which offered SP
Bronson Arroyo and MR
Jeff Tam. Kind of ironic that it was Texas, since that’s where A-Rod went after Seattle…
• The Dodgers’ pitching rotation on opening day will be
1. Ramon Martinez
2. Damon Driefort
3. Ted Lilly
4. Andrew Zarzour
5. Ismael Valdez
Spot Starter: Bronson Arroyo
Key Relievers: Alan Embree, Dennys Reyes, Kazuhiro Sasaki, Scott Sauerbeck
Closer: Trevor Hoffman
Opening Day Lineup:
1. Eric Young (2B)
2. Johnny Damon (CF)
3. Paul Lo Duca (1B)
4. Alex Rodriguez (SS)
5. Mike Piazza (C)
6. Andy Tracy (3B)
7. Josh Hamilton (LF)
8. Raul Mondesi (RF)
9. Ramon Martinez (P)
Other key position players: Jeff Cirillo (3B), Dave Silvestri (Utility IF), Todd Zeile (3B/1B), Todd Hollandsworth (LF), CF Steve Finley (CF/OF) … Cirillo and Tracy will platoon at 3B for now (Tracy seems strong from the right side) … I think this team can be pretty good, especially offensively ... If Zarzour and Lilly can compliment Martinez and Driefort on the mound, this team could be great ... maybe...
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Here is a list of the cast of characters in our dynasty story, for those like me who tend to lose track:
Andrew Zarzour: the star of the show will begin his third season of professional baseball after being drafted in the first round by the Dodgers in 1999. He ended last season with the Big Club and will begin this one in Los Angeles. He’s 20 years old, with his big 21st birthday coming Dec. 29, 2001
Timmy Zarzour: Andrew’s little brother is a junior at Bunn High School. He's a bit of a free spirit and restless soul, and got kicked off the basketball team over the winter for missing too many practices. He seems to have his head on straight now that baseball is going on. He’s the starting catcher for the Wildcats, getting some preseason mentions for Class 2A all-state.
Mary Katherine Zarzour: The Zarzour boys’ older sister graduated from Peace College in Raleigh in December (with a double major, and with honors in both majors). She started work as an elementary school teacher in January at Davis Drive Elementary School in nearby Cary. For the rest of this year she’s filling in for a teacher who’s on maternity leave. She’ll have her own fifth-grade classroom in the fall.
Phillip and Elizabeth Zarzour: The Zarzour kids’ parents. Elizabeth is a typical mom, worried about whether her boys have clean socks and jackets. Phillip works hard, doesn't show much emotion but loves and provides for his family like a good dad should. The Zarzours own a farm in rural Franklin County that has been in the family for several generations.
Brandon Weaver: One of Andrew’s best friends from high school is a sophomore at UNC Chapel Hill. He’s now assistant sports editor for The Daily Tar Heel and a Bible study leader in InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. He’s waiting to here back from several places regarding summer internships. The Zebulon Record wants him back but he’s hoping to get on at a bigger paper this summer. For the heck of it, he even applied to work for MLB’s LA Dodgers Web site. Brandon is a big Red Sox fan (he applied there too!) and is loving life now that the Sox have won the World Series again (taking the title in 2000).
Robbie Maine: Another of Andrew’s best friends is a sophomore at NC State. He’s a Yankees fan and obviously is hating life with the Red Sox on top of the baseball world. He can’t understand why George Steinbrenner didn’t get in the A-Rod sweepstakes but is glad that Gary Sheffield ended up in pinstripes. He’s progressing nicely toward his degree in turf management and plans to work at McGregor Downs Country Club in Cary this summer as an intern groundskeeper. He shot a 73 during a round of golf over Christmas break at Cheviot Hill in North Raleigh, barely missing a hole-in-one on the first par three.
Josh Hamilton: The Dodgers’ starting left fielder going into 2001 played high school ball in Raleigh and got to know Zarzour while the two were still in high school. They’ve had some rough patches as pros but consider each other good friends. They pushed each other last season with the motto "Big Club By September." Both made it. Now it's "World Series or Bust!"
“Big Ed” Scalfani and new wife, Marcie: Big Ed was Timmy Zarzour’s mentor while Timmy performed some community service after getting arrested. Ed and Marcie enjoyed a nice wedding and honeymooned in the Canary Islands. In January, they moved from NC to New York, where Marcie will begin grad school at Columbia University. Big Ed, a fire-fighter and EMT by training, will join Engine 279 in Brooklyn, a few miles from his old neighborhood. He’s given Timmy Zarzour an open invite to visit NYC anytime and threatened to kick his butt if he gets in trouble at school again.
Jeff Innis: Bunn High’s baseball coach. He’s arranged a few spring break trips for his team to play exhibition games against other high schools in the Vero Beach, Fla. area, where Zarzour and the Dodgers have spring training.
I think those are the major characters right now. If I forgot one, I’ll add them in here with an edit.
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Key free agent signings around the league going into 2001: Chipper Jones signed with San Diego (they’ve really loaded up, which I like to see – competition!) … Ray Durham and Gary Sheffield signed with the Yankees … The Yanks let Mariano Rivera get away, however, to St. Louis … Andy Pettitte ended up in Tampa Bay …
If anyone wants an update on a particular player or team, let me know...