The Franchise: AL East

Jason Michael Barker

The American League East is the focus of the third installment of "The Franchise", a six-part series detailing each team's marquee, or franchise, player. The AL East's list is interesting because in addition to two young hurlers, it features three players over 35. While all three are future Hall of Famers, two of them are no longer even the best player on their own team. But as you probably remember, franchise status is often not determined by statistics alone.

Cal Ripken, Jr., Baltimore
Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	AVG
37	156	602	81	163	34	1	20	91	56	70	1	1	0.332	0.430	0.270

Much like Paul Molitor in Minnesota, Ripken is no longer the best player on the Orioles roster (and probably never was). But as long as baseball's iron man dons an Oriole uniform, he'll be the number one player in Baltimore. And as popular as he is right now, he'll probably be that much more popular when he retires (assuming he ever does). Lest you think I gush too much over the players on these lists, let me assure you that I DO NOT LIKE Cal Ripken Jr. There, I've said it. When he broke the consecutive games played streak (you remember the scene, Ripken taking a lap around Camden Yards while the crowd roared its approval), I nearly gagged.

"The Streak" embodies everything that is wrong with professional sports. There were years when he was hurting the team by being in the line-up everyday; Any other player would have been given an off-day, or even been benched. I'm thinking specifically of 1989, when he posted a .718 OPS thanks to a .317 OBP and .401 slugging percentage, numbers which are downright pathetic. By continuing to play everyday and putting himself above the team, Ripken is essentially saying that personal accomplishments are more important than his team winning. To summarize: Cal Ripken is very popular in Baltimore, despite making a mockery of baseball and being an all-around average (or worse) player. Thanks for letting me vent.

Pedro Martinez, Boston
Age	G	GS	CG	SHO	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	W	L	SV	ERA
26	31	31	6	2	217.1	168	81	72	19	68	234	15	9	0	2.98

Wow. Is there anything this guy can't do? OK, so he won't ever win a batting title. But that's about all. Martinez came out of relative obscurity last season to post one of the best seasons by a pitcher in recent memory, despite pitching for a mediocre Expos squad. If Pedro had pitched with Seattle's offense supporting him, he could have won 25 games, no problem. As it was, he went 17-8 with a stellar 1.90 ERA, while rendering opposing batters helpless (.184 average against). By trading for Martinez this offseason, the Red Sox made themselves instant contenders in the East. As of this column, they lead the division with a 12-6 record.

In his first start at Fenway, he shut out Seattle on two hits, two walks, and 12 strikeouts. Needless to say, the fans in Boston love their new ace ("Roger who?"). Say what you will about Randy Johnson, Curt Schilling or even Clemens, but right now Pedro Martinez is the best pitcher in baseball. What's scary is that he's only 26, and he just keeps getting better.

Andy Pettite, NY Yankees
Age	G	GS	CG	SHO	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	W	L	SV	ERA
26	34	32	3	0	212.0	215	92	84	15	67	147	17	8	0	3.58

Another 26 year-old ace, Pettitte has gotten better each season he's pitched in the majors, which is always a good sign. He had a solid rookie campaign in 1995, going 12-9 with 4.17 ERA over 26 starts and 175 innings, then went one better in 1996, winning 21 games to go along with a 3.87 ERA. Last season he took another step forward by lowering his ERA nearly a full run to 2.88, anchoring the Yankees staff with 240 innings and establishing himself as one of the top left-handed starters in the game today. The 6'5" Pettitte is truly dominating at times, throwing four different pitches for strikes and rarely allowing the home run ball. He and Pedro Martinez are perhaps the two most promising young pitchers in baseball, and any team would love to build their rotation around either one of them.

Wade Boggs, Tampa Bay
Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	AVG
40	120	438	70	136	25	2	4	44	63	40	1	1	0.393	0.403	0.311

In contrast to Ripken (an old guy who doesn't produce), Boggs is an old guy who still can produce. The future Hall of Famer has slipped a notch in the last few years, but he's still got one of the best batting eyes in baseball. He's never hit for much power, but Boggs boasts a .419 career OBP, a valuable commodity near the top of any line-up. But what makes Boggs Tampa's franchise guy is his fan appeal. In addition to being a Tampa native (always a plus), he entered the season needing exactly 200 hits to reach the elusive 3000 hit mark, so the fans come out every game to watch a piece of history. If he's close to the mark as the season draws to a close, you can bet the attendance will be through the roof. Boggs is in an ideal situation closing out his career with the Devil Rays. Management doesn't expect to win right away, but instead are content to build a strong fan base. Playing a fan favorite like Boggs is a good place to start.

Roger Clemens, Toronto
Age	G	GS	CG	SHO	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	W	L	SV	ERA
35	30	30	5	2	216.0	187	80	74	14	78	227	14	8	0	3.10

If it weren't for their trading for Pedro Martinez, the Red Sox would be kicking themselves for not re-signing The Rocket after the 1996 season. By winning the pitchers' triple crown last season (wins, ERA, strikeouts) Clemens showed everyone that he still has it, and "it" is pretty damn good. Why the Red Sox failed to retain his services is beyond me, but I guess that's why I'm not their GM. He did have an off year in 1995, but was solid in 1996 despite a 10-13 record. And as we all know, wins and losses aren't the best indicator of a pitcher's ability. Much like Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez, Clemens is one of the few pitchers in the game today who is worth paying good money to see. When he's on, he's as dominating as they come, and he tends to be on quite a bit.

Jason Michael Barker is going into hiding after his comments about Cal Ripken Jr., which probably angered many an Oriole fan. To aid in his disguise, send funny nose and glasses, handlebar mustache and an Expos uniform to jmb@strikethree.com.