Right handed power hitter Hank Aaron was known for his incredibly strong wrists. All through his youth and time in the Negro Leagues he batted cross-handed (left hand atop right—you’re trying it right now, aren’t you?). Even in the majors he sometimes caught himself doing it at the plate. If you know a young lad in the game, maybe you might want to mess with their swing…
What could work: Hammer will hit. Piazza will hit. Luis Castillo will get on base ahead of them. The forte of this team, however, will be the pitching. 57 million was spent on five pitchers. Lefty Grove will have a microscopic ERA. Kevin Brown, Bob Gibson, and Lefty Carlton could win 20 games. Armando Benitez is a steal at closer for 3 million. 11 pitchers in all will keep the squad fresh and dangerous. To top it all off, the home field (Petco) is the best pitchers park in modern baseball.
What could fail: Hammer won’t hit. Spring training last year we waited. All last season we waited. Spring training this year we waited. Hope springs eternal. The greatest challenge for this team, however, will be the million dollar men. 19 of them. Each one is an unknown commodity. The Platoon Pontoon will need to be stay afloat for this team to make the playoffs. Any one or more of the players could be a pleasant surprise. Frank McCormick/Sean Casey at first are strong. Brooks Robinson/Dave Magadan at third look good. Luis Castillo has a good on-base percentage and then can steal some bases. If the Platoon Pontoon sinks, and Hammer doesn’t hit, look for a retooling on Amnesty Day.
Result: 74-88. Pitching will be fine, but say a prayer for Hank and the little guys. This could be a Hollywood-esque feel-good story…or a Freddy Kruger fest.
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