Sports Watch

By Bill Kwon

Tuesday, July 6, 1999

Dodgers and Orioles
biggest busts

WHAT better subject to talk about than baseball after the long Fourth of July holiday weekend?

True, most of our attention might have centered on the American women's soccer team, which advanced to Saturday's World Cup final against China. But it was baseball that dominated the weekend sports scene. After all, it's as American as apple pie.

The All-Star Game next Tuesday might be a week later than usual this season, but we've just about reached the halfway point of the baseball season. So how are the teams shaping up going into the final half?

For some teams such as the Los Angeles Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles - who have the highest payroll after the New York Yankees' $85.1 million - the halfway mark really means the point of no return.

And the Dodgers ($79.2 million) and Orioles ($78.5 million) aren't getting any return for their money. Last in their respective divisions, they have to be the two most disappointing teams of the season so far.

The two most surprising teams of 1999? Who else but Cincinnati and Arizona ?

Despite a payroll of $33 million, ranking it 22nd among the 30 major league teams, Cincinnati's the surprising leader in the National League Central Division.

Maybe the Diamondbacks shouldn't be considered a surprise. Arizona owner Jerry Colangelo went out and spent big bucks, mostly for pitcher Randy Johnson, to make them immediate contenders.

WHILE the Dodgers are languishing in last place, the Diamondbacks are pressing the front-running San Francisco Giants for the NL West title. With Colangelo opening his wallet, Arizona went from 21st to No. 7 on the payroll list.

Not surprisingly, the Yankees, Cleveland, Texas and Atlanta - all among the top six in team salaries - are leading their divisions, showing that money talks, except for the underachieving Dodgers and Orioles.

Conversely, it should not come as any surprise that Montreal, Florida and Minnesota - which have the three lowest payrolls in that order - are already a combined 60 games under .500 with half the season to play out.

So, with half a season remaining, look for the Yankees, Indians and the Texas Rangers to win their divisions with the Boston Red Sox gaining the AL playoffs as the wild-card team.

The only way the Red Sox can overtake the Yankees is if Pedro Martinez had a bionic arm and could pitch every three days.

In the NL, only Atlanta in the East is a division shoo-in. Sorry, Benny and the Mets.

Figure on a dogfight in the NL Central between the Reds and the Houston Astros, and the Giants and D'backs in the NL West.

The big-bust Dodgers? Forget it already. As for San Diego, the Padres already had their incredible run and we all know that baseball is a game of averages.

Now, if baseball could only come up with some major league pitching for the rest of the year. Maybe it was in keeping with the fireworks display over the long weekend, but some of the scores bordered on the ridiculous.

Arizona beat St. Louis, 17-5; Philadelphia clubbed Chicago, 21-8; Atlanta blanked New York, 16-0, and Seattle outscored Texas, 13-12, in what resembled football, not baseball, scores. And nobody was going to confuse it for soccer.

The Padres averaged more than 10 runs a game in taking three out of four from Colorado, while the Phillies scored 41 runs in three games against Cub pitching. Where have you gone, Kerry Wood?