Friday, October 16, 1998
The University Daily Kansan
Section B · Page 5
World Series
Ironic match-ups permeate World Series
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — They played a rain-shortened tie in spring training in their only meeting of the year. Even so, the San Diego Padres and New York Yankees will present plenty of interesting match-ups in the World Series.
There's San Diego native David Wells, pitching Game 1 for New York on Saturday night at Yankee Stadium. Night's Jim Leyritz, the
former Yankees postseason hero, now playing the same role for the Padres.
There's Hideki Irabu, who refused to pitch for the Padres and held out until he was traded to New York. And don't forget about San Diego slugger Greg Vaughn, who was nearly sent to the Yankees last year until New York nixed the deal.
Not to mention the other former New Yorkers playing for the
Padres — National League championship series MVP Sterling Hitchcock, Brian Behoering and Ruben Rivera, whose cousin is Yankees closer Mariano Rivera. And even Homer Bush, sent from San Diego to the Yankees in the Irabu trade. All that, and a lot more.
"You play in New York, that's center stage for everything," said Leyritz, who drove in the go-ahead run in San Diego's clinching Game 6 win against Atlanta in the NL
All that, and a lot more.
championship series.
Wells, the MVP of the six-game American League championship series win against Cleveland, can hardly wait to face his hometown team.
"That is where I am from," Wells said early Wednesday, before San Diego beat Atlanta 5-0 in the clincher. "That is where I grew up. It would be exciting for me, a challenge for me as well. I am pulling for the Padres."
Padres, Yankees compared before Series
By Ben Walker
The Associated Press
First Base
A look at the San Diego Padres and New York Yankees going into the World Series, starting Saturday night at Yankee Stadium:
**Padres:** Wally Joyner. First World Series in 13-year career. Batted 412 with runners in scoring position, second-best in majors. Once hit by a knife — a glancing blow — thrown from upper deck at Yankee Stadium while with Angels. **Yankees:** Tino Martinez. Big hitter in regular season, big bust in postseason. Go figure — in three years with New York, he is only 20-for-96 (20) with five RBI in playoffs and World Series. Capable of breaking out, if he stops pressing and chasing bad pitches. **Edge:** Yankees.
Second Base
Shortstop
Padres: Quilvio Veras. Switch-hitter. Leadoff man led team with 24 stolen bases. Drew 84 walks, most among any player in this World Series, plus six more in playoffs. Hitting only. 205 in postseason. Yankees: Chuck Knucklauch. Hitting. 16 in playoffs, made huge gaffe in ALCS by not picking up ball on bunt play. Leadoff man hit career-high 17 homers and stole 31 bases in first year for Yanks odd off-season by his All-Star standards. Prone to bad throws, even on easy plays. Edge: Yankees.
Padres: Chris Gomez. Hit career-high 267, including team-high .317 in September. Batted only .150 in NLCS against Atlanta. Not flashy in field, but makes the routine play. Yankees: Derek Jeter. Key player, an AL MVP candidate. Set career highs in average (.324), home runs (19), RBI (84) and steals (30). Outstanding fielder, great range on grounders and flares. Very relaxed, often talks to fans while on deck. Hitting only .176 this postseason. Edge: Yankees.
Third Base
**Padres:** Ken Caminiti, Former NL MVP. Homered twice against Braves in NLCS. Switch-hitter — batted 265 vs. righties, 230 vs. lefties. Missed 21 games because of strained left quadrips. Three-time All-Star, known for exceptionally strong arm. Charged-up player. **Yankees:** Scott Brosius. Most productive No. 9 hitter in majors. Acquired in winter from Oakland for his glove, was a huge surprise with his bat (.300, 19 HRs, 98 RBI). Leads New York with nine RBI in postseason. Edge: Padres.
Catcher
Padres: Carlos Hernandez. First year as everyday catcher. Improved play in postseason, batting .367 against Astros and Braves. Threw out 25 percent of opposing basestalers this year. Yankees: Jorge Posada and Joe Goriradi. Posada, the Yankees' catcher of the future, is a switch-hitter with pop. Also throw out 38 percent of basestalers. Girardi, who catches Andy Pettitte, can hit-and-run and bunt. He threw out 20 percent of basestalers. Edge: Yankees.
Left Field
**Padres:** Greg Vaughn. Set team record with 50 home runs. Missed most of NLCS because of strained left quadriceps, came back with two hits in clinching Game 6. Almost traded to Yankees in July 1997 for Kenny Rogers and Mariano Duncan — New York nixed deal, unsure if his shoulder was healthy. **Yankees:** Chad Curtis, Tim Raines, Shane Spencer, Ricky Ledea. All four started in ALCS vs. Cleveland, but combined to go only 2-for-29. Spencer, who made splash during September and first round against Texas, cooled off. Yankees miss power and presence of Darryl Strawberry, out because of colon cancer. **Edge:** Padres.
Center Field
Padres: Steve Finley. Slumped to 249 in regular season, including only
.188 against left-handers. Atoned in NLCS by batting .333 with six walks. Hit his only AL grand slam at Yankee Stadium in 1989. Speedy, fine fielder. *Yankees*: Bernie Williams. Beat out Mo Vaughn on final day for AL batting title (.339). MVP of 1996 ALCS. Missed 31 games in middle of season because of sprained right knee. Was 0-for-11 vs. Texas, bounced back to hit .381 vs. Indians. Smooth stride, runs down everything in gaps. *Edge*: Yankees.
Right Field
Padres: Tony Gwynn. At 38, making first visit to Yankee Stadium. Eight-time NL batting champion, career .339 hitter. Last remaining member of Padres' 1984 World Series team. Took extra batting practice in NLCS, trying to boost overall 9-for-41 (.220) performance in playoffs. Yankees: Paul O'Neill. A big-game player. Hitting .306 with four doubles and two homers this postseason. At 35, hustles to take the extra base. Good arm, plays corner well at Yankee Stadium. Extremely emotional, often slams helmet after making outs. Edge: Yankees.
Designated Hitter
raudres: Jim Leyritz. Homered three times vs. Houston in first round and once against the Braves. Hit .375 for Yankees in the 1966 World Series, with three-run homer in Game 4 at Atlanta swinging momentum. Still a fan favorite in Bronx. Yankees: Chili Davis. Signed in winter to provide power, missed 118 games because of injured right ankle. Switch-hitter, drove in five runs at ALCS. Edge: Padres.
Padres: RH Kevin Brown, LH Sterling Hitchcock, RH Andy Ashby, RH Joey Hamilton. Brown features nasty stuff. It is 12-3 lifetime against Yankees, his top win total vs. an opponent. Hitchcock, traded by Yankees to Seattle in December 1995 deal for Timo Martinez, is 3-0 with a 1.3 ERA this
Starting Pitching
postseason; beat Atlanta twice and was MCS MVP. Ashby relies on ground balls, threw a 75-pitch complete game in July. Hamilton, a starter all year, has pitched more in relief during playoffs. Yankees: LH David Wells, LH Andy Pettitte, RH David Cone, RH Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez. The main reason New York led AL in pitching. Wells pitched perfect game in May and is 7-1 lifetime in postseason. Is 3-0 in playoffs this year and was ALS MVP. Pettitte is AL's top winner in past three years, though he struggled this season. Cone thrives in pressure games, particularly at home. Is a decent hitter, too. Hernandez helped save Yankees' season, beating Cleveland in Game 4 to even series. With odd motion and pitches, he's hard for new hitters to handle. Edge: Yankees.
Relief Pitching
**Padres:** RH Trevor Hoffman, LH Randy Myers, RH Dan Miceli, RH Brian Boehringer, RH Donne Wall, LH Mark Langton. Hoffman throws most wicked change up in baseball, will be especially tough on hitters seeing for first time. Successful on 53 of 54 save chances during regular season, blew one against Braves. Myers has been shaky since Padres got him from Toronto Aug. 6. Miceli, Wall and Boehringer, formerly of Yankees, do fine setup work. Langston appearing in first World Series in 15-year career.
**Yankees:** RH Mariano Rivera, RH Ramiro Mendoza, LH Mike Stanton, RH Jeff Nelson, LH Graeme Lloyd, RH Hideki Irabu. Rivera throws heat — he pitched nine scorelearnings in the playoffs, allowing only one hit. His cousin, Ruben Rivera, is a Padres reserve. Mendoza and lefty specialists Lloyd and Stanton combined for nine shutout innings vs. Texas and Cleveland, Irabu, dropped from rotation, will surely be booed at San Diego — the Padres traded him to New York last year after he refused to pitch for them. Edge: Padres.
Prediction: YANKEES in 6.
ATTENTION SENIORS:
It's time to recognize the professor who has positively impacted your college career. Nominate them for the H.O.P.E.Award.
Nomination forms can be picked up at the Student Organizations and Leadership Development Center in the Kansas Union and are due by Friday October 16 1998 at 4:00
ELECTIONS WILL BE OCTOBER 21st & 22nd AT WESCOE
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