This 1901 dynasty is no different from any other. The Baseball Weekly Editorial Page!

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1/1/01

It's the dawn of a new century, (that's right folks, it begins on the "01" year) and baseball is about to become bankrupt.

Like the Player's League of 1890, this American-National league hybrid is doomed to failure for one reason: free agency. Teams will simply not make enough money to meet their players' demands. While the plan to have a "World Series" is swell, although not entirely original as it is the same thing as the AA-NL playoff in the eighties under a new, more pretentious name, that alone cannot compensate the revenue lost by free agency, and will only cause the free agent market to be dominated by the two, yes, only two out of sixteen, teams that make the playoff each year.

The plan to distribute excess revenue among teams is nice, if a bit vague. What, exactly, does a "20% tax above soft cap" do? "Major League Baseball", as it would like to be called, is promising us the world with no precedent, and it is doomed to collapse.

In short, I welcome the teams from the Western League. May your incredibly brief stay be a pleasant one.

--Andrew Lyons, BW Staff

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1/8/01

I'm no math genius, so forgive me if we won't have time to do a team preview on every team before the regular season. But I'd like to start with what has to be the most interesting new team, the Baltimore Orioles.

The Baltimore Orioles, one of the most dominant teams of the 1890's, have returned. Now in the American League, they field a lineup of old and new players alike.



SP Joe McGinnity - This player may be one of the best aces around, and may only get better. With 28 wins in both his rookie and sophomore seasons, it's hard to see the O's picking anyone but him as their ace. One problem they may note is his lack of control. With 113 walks to 93 strikeouts last year, McGinnity seems like a bit of a gamble sometimes. Still, chalk him down for at least 20 wins.

SP Harry Howell - With only 21 career wins in 3 years and a 3.92 ERA, Howell may not be the most obvious choice for a #2 starter. However, manager Jerry Lutz assures us that Howell has been hard at work improving in the offseason.

SP Jerry Nops - The O's only lefty starter, Nops seems to have done a bit of premature aging. Nops, a holdover from the 90's Oriole teams, had his only 20-win season in '97 and has declined from there. That combined with his below-average defense should lower his expectancy on a starting staff.

SP Stan Yerkes - A right-handed rookie who throws the ball slowly, but extremely accurate. Expect him to rise to the #2 or #3 slot.



C Roger Bresnahan - A rookie from Ohio. He's fast and can hit the ball to the corners, but plays poor defense. A perfect example of Lutz's "offense first" strategy.

1B Burt Hart - A complete unknown. Hart is filler. He has never played major league ball, and scouts report he is completely average in every way. Look for Lutz to replace him.

2B Jimmy Williams - Williams will be the #5 hitter, according to Lutz, as he can "clean up after the cleanup hitter". With 28 doubles, 28 triples, and 116 RBI in his rookie year, he may help the Orioles a lot. He is also a great defensive player, and should make a great double play team with...

SS Bill Keister - A good defensive shortstop, although far from the best. He's a much bigger offensive threat than most shortstops though, and even taught himself to bat left-handed to take on righty pitchers.

3B John McGraw - The team captain, McGraw has not hit below .300 since 1892. He's played for every Orioles team there was since he was 18 years old. Look for him to hold the team together.

LF Mike Donlin - Consistent is the one word to describe him. He batted over .320 two years in a row, although he lacks in power. He's untested at left field, but has caught 6 out of 6 fly balls in that position. His fielding percentage at CF was below .900, so consider this a good fielding move by Lutz.

CF Steve Brodie - The final holdover from the 90's teams. He's a decent contact hitter who hit .300 in the lively 90's, but a great center fielder who usually drops 5 balls or less in a season.

RF Cy Seymour - A former Giants pitcher who hit .327 in 1899. He's played right field in the past, often to low fielding percentages. It's a gamble that might pay off.



Prediction: 76-64, 3rd out of 8. They'll always have someone on base, but a lack of power and a poor pitching staff will give them headaches.