"The American League Eastern Division will be divided into three parts this year: a first flight composed of the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles, a second echelon composed of the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians and Milwaukee Brewers and, all by themselves in last, the Detroit Tigers.
No team in the second group is capable of challenging the Red Sox or Orioles. Each of the runners-up has at least one vital weakness.
The prediction here is that the Yankees will head the second group. It isn't that the New Yorkers look all that good - because they don't. It's that they have Jim Hunter, who probably can do more for the Yankees than any two pitches on either the Cleveland or Milwaukee rosters.
It is difficult to follow the Yankees' reasoning over the last two seasons. Forget Doc Medich, Pat Dobson, Dock Ellis, Ken Brett and Ed Figueroa. The last three essentially replaced the first two. What the Yankees really did in the last two years was trade Bobby Murcer and Bobby Bonds, two $100,000 mini-Mantles, for rookie second baseman Willie Randolph and center fielder Mickey Rivers.
There isn't a player on the 1976 roster who hit more than 21 homers, and four men who could play important roles in 1976 - Randolph, Ed Brinkman, Jim Mason and Lou Piniella - batted less than .200 in the majors last season.
'It's not home runs that count,' says team President Gabe Paul. 'It's run production that counts. I think we'll score more runs than we did last season. We were seventh in runs scored. That's not good enough.'
'Rivers could steal 100 bases for us,' chortled Manager Billy Martin, referring to the center fielder acquired from the California Angels along with Figueroa. 'And we have Randolph, Elliott Maddox and maybe Roy White going, too. We could have the most aggressive running club in the league.'
Or, of course, the Yankees of 1976 could be the California Angels of 1975.
Yankee pitching should be superior to both Cleveland's and Milwaukee's because Hunter, Figueroa and Rudy May figure to work about 800 innings and Brett and Ellis are capable major leaguers. Hunter, 23-14 with a 2.58 earned run average in 1975, is establishing himself as one of the greats of the game. Figueroa has had a checkered 10-year career in organized baseball but was outstanding with a 16-13 record and 2.90 ERA for the last-place Angels in 1975. May's 14-12 and 3.06 performance establishes him as a reliable No. 3 starter.
Brett, frequently sidelined with arm trouble, was 9-5 and 3.36 for the Pirates while Ellis, who has a knack for getting into trouble with management, was 8-9 and 3.75.
Rounding out a good staff headed by a great pitcher are Larry Gura (7-8 and 3.52), Dave Pagan (0-0 and 4.06), Dick Tidrow (6-3 and 3.13), Sparky Lyle (5-7 and 3.13) and Tippy Martinez (1-2 and 2.68).
Randolph, heralded by Yankee scouts as 'perhaps the next great infielder in the majors,' batted .339 for Charleston, is rated an outstanding defensive player and can fly on the basepaths. He batted only .164 in 30 games for the Pirates but will take over as the Yankee second baseman until he plays himself out of a job.
Brinkman, a .169 hitter last season, stands a good chance to be the Yankees' shortstop. Granting the improved defense, the new alignment could ask a lot of power from first baseman Chris Chambliss (.304-9-72) and Graig Nettles (.267-21-91), not to mention designated hitter Ron Blomberg (.255-4-17 in 34 games).
The Yankee outfield should be excellent on defense, with Maddox (.307-1-23 in 55 games), Rivers (.285-1-53 and 70 stolen bases) and either White (.290-12-59) or Piniella (.196-0-22 in 74 games) slated for front line duty and Oscar Gamble (.261-15-45), Terry Whitfield (.272-0-7 in 28 games) and Walt Williams (.281-5-16) in reserve.
Yankee catching is in outstanding hands with Thurman Munson (.318-12-102) right up there alongside Carlton Fisk of the Red Sox as the best in the league, and with Rick Dempsey (.262-1-11) in reserve. Munson is the man to watch on this team. He's one of those 'do or die guys' who could be an MVP in any given year.
Just how a team can expect to improve by trading away two stars like Murcer and Bonds during a span of about 12 months isn't easily understandable, and the Yankees can't be seriously rated as threats to the Red Sox and Orioles. At the same time, Paul is an outstanding baseball executive who moved with considerable daring to correct the defensive weaknesses of the club and may get better results than most experts anticipate.
PITCHING: Hunter ranks close to the Orioles' Jim Palmer, but after five straight 20-victory seasons could be due for an off year. If that happens, disaster has struck. Figueroa had the fifth-best earned run average in the league in 1975 and May has pitched well for the Yankees since they acquired him from California. Brett and Ellis can win anywhere from seven to 17 games each - but which end of that span will it be?
Lyle was ineffective in '75 after a 9-3 and 1.66 performance in '74. He could be a big help if he bounces back. Tidrow and Martinez pitched rather well in relief. Gura and Pagan do mop-up work.
Performance Quotient: 3 [1 through 5, 1 being best]
CATCHING: Munson, fiercely competitive, deserves more recognition than his .318-12-102 performance got him in 1975. Here's an odd case of a New York player n-o-t getting enough publicity.
Dempsey is a good reserve. Herrmann mainly helps out in the DH role.
Performance Quotient: 2
INFIELD: The Yankee infield has been a big problem for the last three or four seasons - which is the reason the big deal for Randolph was made. His performance at Charleston included a .339 batting average, seven homers and 42 runs batted in. Alomar could take over if Randolph stumbles. Brinkman is an excellent defensive shortstop who hasn't batted more than .237 in the last five seasons. Age may be catching up with him. But Mason and Stanley aren't the answer, either.
Chambliss doesn't have too much power. Nettles is erratic in the field at times but is a very productive hitter.
Performance Quotient: 4
OUTFIELD: Manager Martin has a very fluid situation assuming all hands (especially Maddox) are healthy. Maddox was the key man in the Yankees' pennant drive of 1974, but he doesn't get along with Martin. Blomberg and/or Piniella give the Yankees solid designated hitters. All three of these players were out of action more than half of last season, however.
White is valuable, though generally unappreciated. Rivers has excellent speed but no power. Gamble can prove a valuable addition, especially if some of the injury or illness cases don't recover. Williams is unappreciated.
Six key outfielders on the New York roster hit a total of only 33 homers in 1975.
Performance Quotient: 3"
-Fred Down, Major League Baseball 1976
HITTING
"'Even with the home runs, we finished seventh in the league in runs scored,' said Yanks' Gabe Paul defending the trading of Bobby Bonds. 'There are other ways to score than hitting home runs. I think our run production will be up in 1976.'
In a sudden change of attack, the Yankees will be a running team, no longer the Bronx Bombers of the 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s. The new leader will be Mickey Rivers who stole 70 bases in '75 to lead the league, and who is a threat to break the Yankee club record of 74 and who manager Billy Martin predicts 'will steal 100 bases.' Thurman Munson (102) and Graig Nettles (91) had their career highs in RBI last year and are expected to do more of the same. And the Yankees are hoping for a comeback from Ron Blomberg and Lou Piniella, who came to bat only 305 times between them."
-Phil Pepe, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1976 Edition
PITCHING
"In depth, the Yankees have never had it so good, despite the departure of Doc Medich. Catfish Hunter is the staff leader, of course, a 23-game winner and the second-leading ERA man in the league. He got off to a slow start last year (0-3) and still was superb. Behind him is loads of promise. Also plenty of question marks. Ed Figueroa, obtained from the Angels in the Bonds trade, figures as the No. 2 pitcher off his 16-13 in California. But that was his one and only productive season in the majors, so there must be doubts.
Rudy May won 14 games and was eighth in the league with a 3.06 ERA. Then there are Ken Brett and Dock Ellis from the Pirates; Brett with a questionable arm, Ellis with a checkered past. Waiting in the wings are Dick Tidrow, Larry Gura, Dave Pagan and Ron Guidry, with Tippy Martinez available to start or relieve should Sparky Lyle not regain his 1974 form."
-Phil Pepe, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1976 Edition
FIELDING
"If young Willie Randolph, picked off the roster of the Pirates in a trade for Doc Medich, is as good as they say he is, the Yankees will be set at second base for 10 years. And they will be well on their way to improving their defense. They are solid elsewhere in the infield if not spectacular.
The outfield shapes up with Roy White in left, Mickey Rivers in center and Elliott Maddox in right, three speed burners. With those three covering the outfield, not even a raindrop will fall to the ground."
-Phil Pepe, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1976 Edition
OUTLOOK
"The Yankees have remade their team with speed, not power, which is hardly the Yankee image. They may not hit 100 homers in '76, but that won't matter if the pitching is as good as it can be, and it can be very, very good if Brett and Ellis pitch like they know how."
-Phil Pepe, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1976 Edition
"Kansas City manager Whitey Herzog on Mickey Rivers: 'The Mick will win a batting title within five years. Everything he does looks exciting to me ... the way he goes back for balls ... the way he runs ... even the way he throws.
'Next to Rod Carew, he's the best bunter in the league. He's really learned how to deaden the ball.'
Rivers, 27, is the new Yankee center fielder - the man who was the key to the deal which sent Bobby Bonds back the West Coast. The price for Bonds was Rivers and right-handed pitcher Ed Figueroa.
'The pattern of the club is changing,' said Gabe Paul, explaining the trade which stunned New York writers as well as the fans. 'We now will have outstanding speed and defense. When we go back to Yankee Stadium this season, we'll score more runs than we did in 1975.'
The left-handed Rivers hit .285 and led the AL with 70 steals last year, but cannot match the power of Bonds. He hit only one home run in 1975.
With Rivers replacing Bonds in the batting order, the Yankees will be minus 31 homers, which could present a problem for the offense. Management hopes that Rivers, plus newly-acquired second baseman Willie Randolph (.339 at Charleston) will make up the difference with their baserunning antics, as well as with their defensive contributions.
The outfield now figures to be Roy White, Rivers, and Elliott Maddox from left to right, though Lon Piniella and Oscar Gamble may also contend for the right field slot. Both Maddox and Piniella had physical problems last year, while Gamble slammed 15 homers in limited play in Cleveland. He may win the tussle because of his badly-needed power potential.
In reserve are Walt Williams, Rich Coggins and highly-rated prospect Terry Whitfield.
The arrival of Randolph, secured in a four-player trade with Pittsburgh, solves half the club's infield problem, but still leaves a hole at shortstop. Graig Nettles, who hit 21 homers with 91 RBI last year and is under pressure to improve those figures, remains at third, with Chris Chambliss (.304-9-72) at first. Ed Brinkman, Jim Mason, Fred Stanley and possibly Sandy Alomar will vie for the shortstop slot. Since Alomar, last year's second baseman, swiped 28 bases, he could fit in best with the new running attack manager Billy Martin is trying to mold.
Thurman Munson, an All-Star catcher, hit .318 with 12 homers and 102 RBI last year and is counted on to repeat. He's backed up by Rick Dempsey and Ed Herrmann.
The designated hitter assignment probably will be divided among Ron Blomberg, Tom Robson and dropouts from the right-field derby. Blomberg and Robson have power potential that has never really been exploited; judging by the Yankee situation, this would be a good time.
Pitching is in good hands since the rotation is headed by Jim (Catfish) Hunter and Ed Figuroa. Hunter was runner-up to Jim Palmer in the Cy Young voting after he compiled a 23-14 log and 2.58 ERA with 30 complete games, including seven shutouts. Figueroa won 16 and had a fine 2.90 ERA for California.
Lefty Rudy May (14-12, 3.06) rates No. 3, while Ken Brett and Dock Ellis, both acquired from Pittsburgh, fill out the rotation - if they're free of physical problems. Brett, a good hitter, could be a DH for the shortstop - even when he's not pitching.
The bullpen will be headed by southpaw Sparky Lyle again - barring a trade - with Dick Tidrow the prime right-handed short man. It could present a problem - just as the power shortage might.
But the most serious problem remains the lack of a competent shortstop."
-Dan Schlossberg, Baseball Illustrated 1976
"The New York Yankees could be one of the more unpredictable teams in the league this year. Returning to Yankee Stadium after two years in exile at Shea, the Yankees could come alive under Billy Martin. The former Yankee in the glory days of Casey Stengel has always been a pepperpot and he should keep the team hustling.
The Yanks also made a couple of key deals to remake the club in the Martin image. They sacrificed power when they gave up Bobby Bonds to California, but they gained a lot of speed in Mickey Rivers, who was the American League's leading base stealer last year. Rivers swiped 70 a year ago and Martin is predicting he may steal 100 for the Yankees. In that deal, the Yankees also obtained pitcher Ed Figueroa and that enabled them to send Doc Medich to the Pirates for three players.
One of those players, rookie Willie Randolph, has a can't-miss tag as a second baseman. He's one of those guys who could step in and play the position for the next decade, and he'll add some speed to the lineup, too. The Yanks also obtained a pair of veteran but questionable pitchers, Ken Brett and Dock Ellis, in the deal.
The Yankees, of course, have a solid nucleus of veterans. Catfish Hunter was as dependable as ever last year as he piled up 23 victories, and he'll head up the pitching staff. Thurman Munson, Graig Nettles, Roy White, Elliott Maddox and Ron Blomberg are all proven players and they could help the Yankees threaten the Red Sox and Orioles."
-Vito Stellino, Sports All Stars 1976 Baseball
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