[Moriarty9]

[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']The regular season has come to an end, so lets take a more in depth look around the league.[/FONT]

[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']ANAHEIM ANGELS (93-69; AL West Champs)[/FONT]
The Angels won the AL West by just one game, edging out the Mariners.
The pitching staff was led by Cy Young candidate Brad Radke (21-9, 2.77 ERA, 34 starts) and closer Troy Percival (4-6, 36 saves, 2.83 ERA, 51 games).
Anaheim, as a team, had many hits and runs - which came from a number of players. Homer Bush led the team in hits with 180 and runs with 77. There were nine players with 99 or more hits and seven with at least 59 runs scored. One player who struggled was Greg Colbrunn, who hit .239 with five homers in 120 games.


[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS (68-94; 4th place in NL West)[/FONT]

In their first year of existence the Diamondbacks had the third worst record in baseball, largely due to a lack of offensive ability. Arizona was last in baseball in runs scored and second to last in team batting average and total home runs
Left-hander Pete Schourek was one of the better pitchers on the staff, going 11-8 with a 4.45 ERA in 30 games, 27 starts. Tom Gordon was arguably the most impressive hurler, going 8-5 with four saves and a 2.21 ERA in 67 games, including nine starts. The biggest disappointment was Rick Aguilera, acquired in late May from Tampa Bay, posting a 5.33 ERA and a 3-8 record with 24 saves in 49 games with the Devil Rays and Diamondbacks.
Offensively, Paul Sorrento was the team leader (although acquired in late July) by hitting .268 with 25 home runs and 82 RBI in 141 games with Seattle and Arizona (.277, 10 HR, 41 RBI, 60 G w/Diamondbacks). Aaron Boone, acquired in late June, was a surprise offensive force, hitting .281 with 14 home runs and 84 RBI in 150 games with Arizona and Cincinnati (.282, 8 HR, 39 RBI, 195 ABs with Diamondbacks).
Kevin Elster (.185, 6 HR) and Russ Davis (.212, 12 HR) were the chief offensive disappointments for Arizona.

[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif'][FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']ATLANTA BRAVES (89-73, 2nd in NL East)[/FONT][/FONT]
The Braves missed the NL East title by just one game and were six games back in the Wild Card.
Chipper Jones had a monster season for Atlanta, hitting .322 with 43 home runs and 118 RBI, scoring 145 runs and stealing 22 bases. Fred McGriff was solid as well, hitting .306 with 21 homers and 92 RBI. Late acquisition Greg Vaughn helped the Braves down the stretch as well, hitting .292 with seven homers and 30 RBI in 96 at bats; bringing his season numbers to .250 with 36 home runs and 97 RBI in 128 games and 408 at bats.
Kenny Lofton was a disappointment, hitting .244 with 75 runs in 139 games. It was just two years ago the speedster hit .317 with 132 runs and 75 stolen bases for Atlanta.
Greg Maddux had another impressive season, going 17-7 with a 3.42 ERA and 29 walks in 239 2/3 innings. John Smoltz (15-9, 3.26 ERA) was also strong.
Tom Glavine struggled, going 9-12 with a 4.21 ERA in 34 starts. He was especially poor on the road, going 2-8 with a 4.93 ERA and .286 average against in 17 starts away from home.

[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']BALTIMORE ORIOLES (83-79, 3rd place in AL East)[/FONT]
The Orioles has a potent offense this season as six players hit 20+ home runs and their weakest season-long regular was shortstop Neifi Perez (.288, 6 HR, 49 RBI in 124 G). Glenallen Hill led the team in home runs with 27, although Jose Canseco hit 26 homers in 114 games with Baltimore and 11 more in 42 games with Oakland for a total of 37 on the year. Brian Daubach led the team in RBI with 89 while Roberto Alomar led in runs (104).
The pitching staff was less of a team effort as Shane Reynolds (19-11, 3.55 ERA) was the ace of the staff. Mike Mussina was inconsistent and finished at 13-13 with a 4.89 ERA in 34 starts. Rookie hurler Mark Redman was impressive though, going 8-6 with a 3.58 ERA and 106 strikeouts in 19 big league starts. Brian Powell had a rough season, going 3-6 with a 6.66 ERA and a .324 average against in his 15 starts with the O's while left-handed reliever Arthur Rhodes went 4-5 with one save and a bloated 5.95 ERA in 46 appearances.

[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']BOSTON RED SOX (76-86, 4th place in AL East)[/FONT][FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']
The Red Sox won their last seven games of the seven, putting them in a tie for last place with the expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Boston was a major disappointment this season, due in large part to the ineffectiveness of Reggie Jefferson and a down season for Mo Vaughn. Jefferson, a .299 career hitter that hit .322 in 273 games in 1996 and 1997, but hit just .224 with one home run and 13 RBI in 98 games with Boston this year - earning himself a spot on the bench despite his five-year contract worth more than $56.3 million.[/FONT]
[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']Vaughn, who has hit .300 or better with at least 37 home runs and 103 RBI in the last three seasons, hit just .246 with 27 homers this season, driving in 99, in 156 games.[/FONT]
[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']The biggest bright spots for the Boston lineup were shortstop Nomar Garciaparra (.299, 27 HR, 92 RBI, 23 SB in 149 G with only six errors in 1,318 innings at short) and rookie catcher Jason Varitek (.289, 24 HR, 77 RBI, 146 G with 30.6% of would-be basestealers thrown out).[/FONT]
[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']The pitching staff struggled mightily with Ramon Martinez (12-11, 3.99 ERA, 33 G) and Jeff Suppan (10-8, 3.14 ERA, 26 G, 24 GS) putting up the best performances. Veteran Bret Saberhagen had the worst performance of his career at 11-15 with a 5.31 ERA in 36 starts while rookie Brian Meadows got his lumps at 9-13 with a 5.00 ERA in 29 starts.[/FONT]

[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']
[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']CHICAGO CUBS (71-91, 5th place in NL Central)[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']The Cubs were among the worst in baseball in a number of catergories, most notably being last in team average (.252) and second to last in team ERA (5.20).[/FONT]
[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']The troubles began before the season started when free agent Ryan Klesko was lost for the season during spring training with a knee injury. Klesko hit .275 with 22 home runs and 68 RBI in 105 games with Atlanta last year. Infielder Andy Sheets hit .203 with three homers in 132 games, outfielder Geronimo Berroa hit .222 with four home runs in 137 games, J.T. Snow hit .232 in 116 games, and slugger Sammy Sosa hit .251 with 29 homers and 95 RBI after hitting .280 with 87 home runs and 233 RBI in the previous two seasons.[/FONT]
[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']Brian Bohanon (9-9, 4.04 ERA, 29 G, 26 GS) and Frank Castillo (10-10, 4.94 ERA, 33 G, 30 GS) were the best starters while Kent Bottenfield (4-6, 32 saves, 2.96 ERA, 66 G) was clearly the best pitcher on the staff. Conversely, Larry Casian managed to be brought into 76 games as a reliever despite posting a 7.25 ERA and allowing opponents to hit .307 off him. Steve Trachsel (7-15, 5.80 ERA) also struggled.[/FONT]

[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif'][FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']CHICAGO WHITE SOX (76-86, 3rd place in AL Central)[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']The White Sox battled a number of injuries and, despite being 10 games below .500, finished just five games out in the division. Sluggers Magglio Ordonez (.308, 29 HR, 94 RBI), Frank Thomas (.305, 30 HR, 96 RBI) and Albert Belle (.284, 34 HR, 128 RBI) each stayed healthy to keep the team afloat with the help of shortstop Mike Caruso (.314, 8 HR, 84 R in 146 G). Infielder Jed Hansen hit just .233 with six home runs in 145 games while catchers Joe Girardi (.238, 4 HR, 307 AB) and Todd Pratt (.247, 5 HR, 308 AB) split time behind the plate.[/FONT]
[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']Warren Morris started the year strong at second base (.299 with 6 HR in 60 G) but spent the majority of the season on the DL with a dislocated shoulder and then a a back injury.[/FONT]
[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']The pitching staff was plagued with poor performances from closer Roberto Hernandez (6.20 ERA in 62 games), starter Jaime Navarro (9-17, 6.03 ERA, 35 GS), Bobby Witt (5-9, 6.01 ERA, 30 G, 19 GS) and reliever Bill Simas (5.46 ERA in 44 appearances).[/FONT]

[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif'][FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']CINCINNATI REDS (78-84, 4th place in NL Central)[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']Moises Alou hit .280 with 28 homers and 108 RBI with Wally Joyner hitting .299 with 16 home runs and 74 RBI, but the MVP of the Reds lineup was catcher Mike Redmond who hit .322 and scored 73 runs in 146 games. Chris Stynes also surprised, hitting .298 with 14 home runs and 77 RBI while Deion Sanders hit .305, scored 80 runs and stole 61 bases in 429 at bats.[/FONT]
[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']Ozzie Guillen struggled at the plate, hitting .236 with one home run in 121 games.[/FONT]
[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']Mike Remlinger (12-8, 3.61 ERA, 34 G) and Jeff Shaw (5-10, 37 saves, 3.78 ERA, 65 G) led the pitching staff while relievers Joey Eischen (6.45 ERA in 54 G) and Stan Belinda (5.79 ERA in 73 G) brought up the rear. John Smiley suffered an elbow injury in early August, ending his season - and possibly delaying his start to next season - at 9-4 with a 4.23 ERA in 24 starts. Felix Rodriguez suffered a back injury to end his awful season at 1-3 with a 6.65 ERA in 34 games.[/FONT]




More team recaps to come...

[Moriarty9]

Playoffs begin today
Eight teams fight for World Series
September 29, 1998

The Major League Baseball playoffs begin this afternoon, kicking off the real pennant push toward the World Series.

All four Division Series matchups will start out west this year as the Seattle Mariners host the New York Yankees, the Anaheim Angels host the Kansas City Royals, the Los Angeles Dodgers host the Milwaukee Brewers, and the Houston Astros host the Florida Marlins.

Andy Pettitte (13-5, 2.84 ERA) will get the start for the Yankees. He was strong in the playoffs last year, going 2-0 with a 1.27 ERA in 21 1/3 innings. In his lone start against Seattle this year, however, he was rocked for eight runs, five earned, in four innings. Pettitte has been fantastic on the road this year, going 9-1 with a 1.51 ERA in 10 starts.
The Mariners will send Dave Mlicki (6-3, 4.14 with Seattle; 17-8, 4.09 ERA on season) out for Game 1. He is 1-1 with a 4.97 in two starts against the Yankees this year. He has been strong at home, going 11-3 with a 3.94 ERA in home starts.

Bryce Florie (13-12, 4.10 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals in Anaheim. He has struggled on the road (7-11, 5.15 ERA). He has had mixed results against the Angels this year, finishing with a 2-2 record and 4.30 ERA in four starts against Anaheim. In May, Florie was hit for seven runs in 4 1/3 innings but rebounded nicely with 14 1/3 shutout innings against the Angels in June and July. The Angels hit him hard earlier this month though, scoring six runs, four earned, in 4 1/3 innings.
Veteran lefty Chuck Finley (12-11, 4.81 ERA) has also had mixed results, throwing a three-hit shutout over KC this month and getting hit for seven runs in seven innings by the same team in July.

In the National League, the Astros send Andy Benes (16-9, 4.35 ERA) to the mound while the Marlins counter with Kevin Brown (21-5, 2.39 ERA). Brown was dominant in last season's playoffs (2-1, 1.44 ERA, 4 BB, 20 K in 25 IP) and has six shutout innings against Houston this year.

The Brewers won 16 straight to win the Wild Card and hope to continue their hot streak by sending Scott Karl (13-9, 2.86 ERA) to the mound. Karl went 2-0 with a 2.04 ERA in five September starts. He has not faced the Dodgers this season. Chan Ho Park (14-4, 3.32 ERA) will toe the slab for Los Angeles. He went 2-0 with a 1.32 ERA in two starts against Milwaukee this year.

[Moriarty9]

Widger hits for the cycle in LA win
Dodgers snap Brewers win streak in NLDS opener
September 29, 1998

LOS ANGELES - It was quite a day for Chris Widger at Dodger Stadium in Game 1 of the National League Division Series.

Widger hit for the cycle, belting out every kind of hit there is - single, double, triple, and home run. The LA catcher accomplished the rare feat during his team's 8-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.

[Moriarty9]

Dodgers sweep way to NLCS
Brewers win streak turns to losing streak
October 2, 1998

MILWAUKEE - The Los Angeles Dodgers will advance to the National League Championship Series after sweeping the Brewers.

The Dodgers pitching staff was oppressive in the three-game set with Milwaukee, giving up five runs, four earned, in 27 innings. Chan Ho Park gave up three runs in eight innings in Game 1, Darren Dreifort threw eight shutout innings in Game 2, and Ismael Valdez yielded one run on five hits in six innings in Game 3.

Surprisingly, Chris Widger led the offense, hitting for the cycle in Game 1 and hitting .500 (6-for-12) with two doubles, a triple and two home runs and five RBI in the NLDS. Widger hit just .213 with three home runs and 15 RBI in 77 games with Los Angeles in the regular season.

The Dodgers will face either the Florida Marlins or Houston Astros in the NLCS. The Marlins lead the best-of-five series against the Astros with a 2-to-1 advantage.

[Moriarty9]

Yankees, Astros square off
World Series begins tonight in Houston
October 16, 1998

HOUSTON - The World Series begins tonight as a team making its first appearance as a pennant winner hosts the team with more championships than anyone else.

The Astros tied the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in baseball at 96-66, having stumbled a little in September. The Yankees had the second-best record in the American League at 92-70.

[Moriarty9]

Bagwell out for World Series
Star slugger's leg injury puts him on bench
October 16, 1998

HOUSTON - The Astros may have won Game 1 of the World Series, but it came with a hefty price as firstbaseman Jeff Bagwell suffered an injury that will keep him out of the lineup for the rest of the series.

Bagwell suffered the injury running the bases. He went 1-for-3 with a walk, a double and two RBI in Game 1. Jack Voigt will replace Bagwell at first base for the remainder of the World Series. Voigt hit .214 with six home runs and 15 RBI in 117 at bats with the Astros and Cincinnati Reds this season.

[Moriarty9]

Astros win World Series!
Yankees downed in Game 7
October 24, 1998

HOUSTON - The Astros have won their first ever World Series.

The Astros defeated the New York Yankees, 4-2, in the deciding Game 7 of the World Series with the Bronx Bombers bringing the potential go-ahead run to the plate in last of the ninth inning with two out.

Jack Voigt, substituting for star slugger Jeff Bagwell, who suffered a leg injury in Game 1, hit what proved to be the game-winning home run, a solo shot off Andy Pettitte in the sixth inning. Voigt hit .263 with three home runs and seven RBI in six World Series games after hitting just .214 with three homers and 15 RBI in 72 games with Houston and the Cincinnati Reds during the regular season. He was named World Series MVP.

[Moriarty9]

Managers, GMs fired across baseball
Nine fired quickly
October 26, 1998

With the World Series come and gone, teams are officially looking forward to the 1999 season and, as a result, have made some changes.

In Cleveland, manager James Riley was fired, as was General Manager Hunter Barrett was given the axe. The Indians had the worst record in the American League at 67-95 this year. It was Riley's first year as a big league manager.

The same situation played out in Oakland as the Athletics fired manager Daryl Crosby and GM Billy Beane. The A's finished third in the AL West at 74-88. Crosby was hired as interim manager in late September after Art Howe was fired. In 12 games as Oakland's manager, Crosby's team went 7-5. Beane had just finished his second year at the helm of the Athletics front office.

Across the bay, the San Francisco Giants fired GM Brian Sabean and manager Brian Brown. Sabean had been in charge of the player personnel decisions for two seasons while Brown was hired as interim manager after Dusty Baker was fired after starting the year at 14-20. Brown led the Giants to a 49-78 record the remainder of the season.

The trend also reached Arlington, Texas, as the Rangers dumped skipper Johnny Oates and GM Doug Melvin. Oates took over as Rangers manager in 1995 and finishes his tenure with a record of 327-303, winning the 1996 Manager of the Year award.

In Denver, it was Rockies manager Rafael Fernandez that was fired by Colorado GM Dan Evans. Fernandez' Rockies went 77-85 in his only season at the helm.

[Moriarty9]

Gold Glove winners announced
Outfielder Finley wins third Gold Glove
November 5, 1998

NEW YORK - This year's Gold Glove winners were announced today and only four of the 18 have previously taken the trophy home.

San Diego Padres outfielder Steve Finley won his third Gold Glove in four years while New York Mets firstbaseman John Olerud, Toronto Blue Jays secondbaseman Mark McLemore, and Chicago Cubs outfielder Sammy Sosa each took home the award for the second time.

The first time winners were Minnesota Twins pitcher Bob Tewksbury, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Esteban Loaiza, Cincinnati Reds catcher Mike Redmond, Kansas City Royals catcher Mike Sweeney, Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Randy Velarde, Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Scott Rolen, Florida Marlins shortstop Edgar Renteria, New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, Boston Red Sox outfielder Carl Everett, Detroit Tigers outfielder Bobby Higginson, Montreal Expos outfielder Billy McMillon, and three Texas Rangers: firstbaseman Greg Norton (traded to Houston on October 27), third baseman Fernando Tatis, and outfielder Rusty Greer.

[Moriarty9]

Boston's Varitek wins ROY
Led AL catchers in slugging, OPS
November 6, 1998

BOSTON - Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek was an all-around package this season, earning the Rookie of the Year Award.

Varitek, 26, hit .289 with 24 home runs, 77 RBI and 80 runs scored in 146 games for Boston.

[Moriarty9]

Big Unit is big winner
Johnson wins second Cy Young
November 7, 1998

SEATTLE - Mariners ace Randy Johnson has won his second Cy Young award.

Johnson, 35, went 22-8 with a 3.33 ERA and struck out 322 batters in 251 innings over 36 starts. He was especially dominant in May and June, going 10-1 with a 2.47 ERA in 12 starts.

Johnson previously won the award in 1995, going 18-2 with a 2.48 ERA and 294 strikeouts in 30 starts with Seattle.

[Moriarty9]

Brown reels in Cy Young
Marlins hurler was hot all season
November 6, 1998

MIAMI - Kevin Brown earned every penny of his $500,000 bonus for winning the Cy Young Award this season.

The Florida Marlins ace went 21-5 with a 2.39 ERA and 220 strikeouts in 34 starts.

In his first 12 starts of the season, Brown went 9-1 with a 2.05 ERA.

[Moriarty9]

Junior wins MVP Award
Griffey retains coveted title
November 8, 1998

SEATTLE - Mariners superstar outfielder Ken Griffey, Jr., was named the American League's Most Valuable Player today, taking home the award for the second straight year.

Griffey hit .294 with 58 home runs, 145 RBI, 133 runs scored and 12 stolen bases in 160 games. He also played stellar defense in centerfield, recording 380 putouts, 13 outfield assists, helping turn two double plays, and making three errors with great range in more than 1,400 defensive innings of play.

Griffey won the award last year by hitting .338 with 51 homers and 146 RBI in 157 games. This year, he joins teammate and Cy Young winner Randy Johnson as the cream of the crop in the American League of 1998.

[Moriarty9]

Walker cruises to MVP title
Colorado slugger hit .401, deserves crown
November 8, 1998

DENVER - Colorado Rockies outfielder Larry Walker was announced today as the unanimous selection of the Baseball Writers Association for the 1998 National League Most Valuable Player.

This year, Walker became the first hitter to top the .400 mark since Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox hit .406 in 1941, nearly 60 years ago. Walker hit .401 with 48 home runs and 144 RBI in 137 games, missing three weeks of action due to a knee injury in June. Walker really struggled in September, hitting just .258 for the month, and seriously putting his pursuit of the .400 mark in jeopardy. He entered the month with a .429 batting average and it slipped significantly and he narrowly retained his claim to fame. He went just 3-12 in the last three games of the season. If just one of his 218 hits this season had been recorded as an out, or ruled an error, his average would've finished at .399.

[Moriarty9]

Konerko inks extension
Devil Rays avoid arbitration
November 12, 1998

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Although the team could have let Paul Konerko fight for every penny he wanted through arbitration, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays signed a two-year extension, with a team option for the third season, on their young slugger.

Konerko, 22, made less than $250,000 this past season while hitting .285 with 22 home runs and 82 RBI in 128 games, making him a fantastic bargain for the Devil Rays. They showed their appreciation with a new contract that will pay Konerko $1.35 million in 1999 and $1.37 million in 2000, with a $1.5 million team option for 2001. If Konerko wins the MVP in any of those seasons, he would receive a $1 million bonus.

Konerko spent the majority of his time at third base this season, though he started 25 games at first base and 16 games in left field, appearing as the DH six times. He may see more time at first base next year if the team does not re-sign Will Clark.

[Moriarty9]

Frye to stay in Tampa Bay
Devil Rays re-sign scrappy infielder
November 13, 1998

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Tampa Bay Devil Rays and secondbaseman Jeff Frye have come to terms on a contract extension for at least next season, possibly through 2000.

Frye, 32, will earn $3.75 million in 1999 and there is a mutual option for $5 million in 2000, with what sources say is a "small" incentive clause based on the number of plate appearances Frye accumulates.

The diminutive Frye - just 5'8" and 165 pounds - was a key member to the Devil Rays lineup this year, hitting .323 with 43 doubles, five home runs, 61 RBI, 74 runs scored and 13 stolen bases in 148 games.

Known as a positive presence in the clubhouse, management felt Frye was worth a few million going forward.

In other business today, the Devil Rays avoided arbitration with pitcher Livan Hernandez by signing the 23-year-old to a two-year contract worth roughly $1.5 million with a team option for a third season at $1 million. The contract is said to have incentives for Hernandez as well. The team also avoided arbitration with reliever Gabe White, who made only 14 appearances in Tampa Bay after spending much of the year in AAA.

[Moriarty9]

Off-Season Transactions
The big deals of the winter of 1998

• The Arizona Diamondbacks boosted their offense by trading for outfielder Johnny Damon from the Kansas City Royals.
• The Cleveland Indians traded reliever Paul Assenmacher to the Colorado Rockies for OF Ellis Burks.
• The Texas Rangers acquired Jack McDowell from the Cleveland Indians for 2B Craig Counsell.
• The Los Angeles Dodgers traded pitcher Chan Ho Park to the Cincinnati Reds for SS Ozzie Guillen.
• After pursuing offers as a free agent, 1B Carlos Delgado re-signed with the Toronto Blue Jays for $34.53 million over three years.
• Reliever Scott Service signed a one-year, $3.36 million deal with the Houston Astros.
• The Cleveland Indians signed free agent reliever Mike Munoz to a two-year, $7.11 million deal.
• After holding out for most of the winter, Roger Clemens signed a three-year, $24.27 million deal with the Texas Rangers on January 29.
• Closer Robb Nen also held out, signing a three-year $17.97 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays on January 30.
• Tom Gordon signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers worth $4.195 million.
• The Atlanta Braves made a surprise trade on February 22, dealing pitcher Tom Glavine to the New York Mets for outfielder Lance Johnson.

As for the Devil Rays, here is a list of their off-season transactions:

• OF Raul Mondesi signed a one-year, $4.5 million deal.
• OF Rickey Henderson signed a one-year deal worth $400,000 plus incentives with a $520,000 team option for the 2000 season.
• Relief pitcher Todd Jones signed a one-year deal worth $690,000 plus a $750,000 team option.
• Pitcher Aaron Sele re-signed (after filing for free agency) for one year at $8.2 million.
• Players signed to minor league contracts: INF Manny Alexander, INF/OF Pat Listach, 3B Scott Cooper, 2B Mark Lemke, OF Chuck Carr, OF Phil Plantier, 1B/OF Billy Ashley.
• Players lost in the Rule V Draft: INF Manny Alexander, INF/OF Pat Listach, 3B Scott Cooper.
• Jimmy Key left as a free agent, signing a two-year, $5.6 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies.
• Steve Cooke left as a free agent, signing a three-year, $7.165 million deal with the Oakland A's.
• Mark Petkovsek left as a free agent, signing a two-year, $5.64 million deal with the Oakland A's.

[Moriarty9]

Devil Rays begin spring training
Tampa Bay questions to be answered in exhibitions
March 1, 1999

LAKELAND, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Devil Rays will open their Spring Training exhibition season here tonight against the Detroit Tigers with hopes of beginning to narrow down the question marks surrounding the club.

Pedro Martinez, Kevin Millwood, Aaron Sele and Livan Hernandez are expected to anchor the pitching rotation, but Devil Rays Christian O'Neal said the fifth starter's position is up for grabs with Chad Ogea and lefty Matt Beech the leading candidates for the spot.

There will be fierce competition for bullpen spots between Vic Darensbourg, Rich Garces, Danny Graves, Todd Jones, Byung-Hyun Kim, Joey Long, Paul Quantrill and Gabe White. In addition to battling for roster spots, the relievers will also be going head-to-head for roles within the bullpen, including closer.

Dan Wilson and Charles Johnson are set to return as the team's catching combination. Wilson was the regular catcher last season, but Johnson is poised to make a run for more playing time.

Paul Konerko and Erubiel Durazo will find themselves in the middle of the Tampa Bay lineup for sure, but which will be at first base is still unclear.

Infield positions are also up for grabs. Jeff Frye, last year's regular second baseman, was brought back at $3.75 million after hitting .323. He will surely be in the starting lineup, but it is unclear if he will remain at second base or will make a move to third base. Konerko may also play third base if it becomes necessary to keep his bat and Durazo's in the lineup with another player serving as the designated hitter.
Jerry Hairston, Wilton Guerrero, Jose Hernandez, Tripp Cromer, Dave Berg, and Lou Merloni will all be battling for starting roles on the Devil Rays infield, with some of those players fighting just to earn a roster spot.

The outfield also has a number of position battles. Mike Cameron, Andruw Jones, Ryan Radmanovich, Raul Mondesi, Rickey Henderson and Carlos Beltran will fight one another for starting jobs with Benny Agbayani and Da Rond Stovall longshots to make the roster.

[Moriarty9]

Vaughn, Hamilton move on
Former Devil Rays outfielders sign deals
March 2, 1999

Former Tampa Bay Devil Rays outfielders have signed on with new teams just as the Spring Training exhibition season gets underway.

Greg Vaughn found himself without a team at this time last year before the Devil Rays gave the outfielder a shot. He responded by showing he can still produce at the big league level and was traded just before the trading deadline when it became clear the veteran wanted to test the free agent market. He hit .250 with 36 home runs and 97 RBI in 128 games with Tampa Bay and Atlanta last season, after having hit just .206 with 13 homers and 52 RBI in 129 games the year before.
Vaughn has signed wa two-year deal worth $5.31 million with the Montreal Expos.

Darryl Hamilton signed a three-year, $7.4 million deal with the Minnesota Twins. The 34-year-old left-handed hitter had only 183 at bats with the Devil Rays last year, largely due to a couple of injuries, including a fractured wrist. Hamilton hit .311 with three home runs and 21 RBI in his limited action. He is a career .291 hitter.

[Moriarty9]

Blue Jays sign two outfielders
Gonzalez, Sanders latest to sign late
March 3, 1999

DUNEDIN, Fla. — While most clubs have a decent idea by now as to what their starting lineup may look like come Opening Day, the Toronto Blue Jays are bolstering their lineup with the signing of outfielders Luis Gonzalez and Deion Sanders.

Gonzalez, 31, has signed for three years at $2.63 million annually with a player option for the 2002 season at the same rate. He hit .267 with 15 home runs and 88 RBI in 144 games with the Houston Astros last season.

Sanders, 31, has also signed a three-year deal worth $1.635 million per year. He also holds an option for 2002 at the same payrate. The speedy Sanders hit .305 with six home runs, 47 RBI, 80 RBI and 61 stolen bases in 153 games with the Cincinnati Reds last year. He stole 103 bases for the Reds in 1997.

Sanders will likely take over as the team's leadoff hitter while Gonzalez will bat fifth or sixth in the lineup.