European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 6, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday april 6, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 25 world series winners seen As repeat Al West champs Ben Walker a baseball writer can anyone Stop the world series Champion Kansas City royals maybe but not in the american league West. Once it was baseball s skid Row a Hodgepodge of mediocrity known As the Al worst and the mild mild West. Now the division is being fortified by an influx of Talent. Among the Best in the West sluggers Jose Canseco of Oakland Pete Incaviglia of Texas and Wally Joyner of California and budding stars Phil Bradley of Seattle Kirby Puckett of Minnesota and Al Rookie of the year Ozzie Guillen of Chicago. Kansas City though is stacked where it counts pitching. That and future Hall of Famer George Brett should bring the royals their third straight Crown. Repeating is very difficult manager Dick Howser said. We Are starting 1986 with the idea that is a Long season and when we get to september we will be in a Pennant  More than Likely the royals will watch the rest of West in a race for Sec Ond place. In 1986, make it Kansas City followed by Chicago Oakland Minnesota Cali fornia Seattle and Texas. Kansas City royals the royals will go As far As their pitching and Brett take them. That should again make them october s team. A starting rotation of by Young win Ner Bret Saberhagen Charlie Leibrandt Danny Jackson Mark Gubicza and Bud Black is perhaps the Best in baseball. Dan Quisenberry led the league in saves for the fourth straight year. The Only thing that can hold the staff Back is injuries Howser says. Brett was great .335, 30 hrs 112 Bis and won his first Gold Glove too. Lonnie Smith acquired in mid season and Willie Wilson Are solid 1-2 hitters and Steve Balboni 36 hrs and Frank White 22 hrs Supply Power. The royals next to last in the Al in batting in 1985, did not make any major deals in the off season. But their program of developing minor league Talent has produced six Al West titles in the last 10 years. Chicago White sox the White sox have a Catcher in left Field and former radio announcer Ken Harrelson in the general manager s of fice. What Chicago needs is pitching consistency. Floyd Bannister 10-14, 4.87 needs to rebound and injured Richard Dotson must recover. Stopper Bob James 32 saves needs to show he is not a one year Flash. Tom Seaver 16-11, 3.17 wants to be traded Back East. Carlton Fisk 37 homers 107 Bis is not thrilled with left Field. Manager Tony Larussa says shifting him from behind the plate will lengthen his career and make his Bat available for 150  Harold Baines .309, 22 hrs 113 Bis is the Best second half player in the game. Oakland a s How will the Bay area suit Joaquin Andujar that should determine How the athletics do in 1986. Andujar a 20-game Winner the last two years with St. Louis pitched 10 com plete games last season As Many As the entire Oakland staff. Following him Are Tim Birtsas Jose Rijo and Eric plunk and reliever Jay Howell 29 Saveall acquired a year ago from the Yankees for Rickey Henderson. A photo Kent Hrbcek. Twins slugger Dave Kingman 30 hrs Mike Davis 24 hrs and Dwayne Murphy 20 hrs May be joined by Canseco a Rookie outfielder who hit 41 Home runs with 140 Bis in combined stints in class a class aaa and Oakland. The athletics Hope Catcher Mickey Tettleton fills the void left when Mike Heath was traded for Andujar. Minnesota twins the twins have big hoppers Kent Hrbek and Tom Brunansky and a solid starting four of Frank Viola Bert Blyle Ven Mike Smithson and John Butcher. Also reliever Ron Davis regained his form in the second half of last season. Manager Ray Miller Hopes Rookie Sec Ond baseman Steve Lombardozzi fills a spot created when Tim Teufel was traded to the new York mets for Pitcher Bill Latham a possible fifth starter and Billy Beane a possible starter in left Field. But Minnesota still has holes including shortstop and Middle Relief. California Angels some say veterans Reggie Jackson Bob Boone Bobby Grich Doug de cinches Don Sutton John Candelaria and George Hendrick give California a lot of experience and leadership. Others say it just gives the Angels an aging roster. The Angels do have Young pitchers Mike Witt Ron Romanick and Kirk Mccaskill and Felt comfortable enough with Rookie first baseman Wally Joyner the map of the puerto rican league to re lease Rod Carew. Free agent Juan Beniquez left for Baltimore although California did re sign reliever Donnie Moore. If we Cato simply stay healthy we should give our division foes a Good run manager Gene Mauch said. A photo George Brett. Led royals in 85 still this could be the year California creaks to a halt especially if it again is the worst hitting team in the Al. Seattle mariners one of these Days All of that Young Talent in Seattle May make the mariners contenders. Not this year. Phil Bradley hit .300 with 26 homers and 88 Bis in his first full season and 1984 Rookie of the year Alvin Davis recovered from a slow Start. Severe pitching problems will hold Back Seattle. Mark Langston the top Rookie Pitcher in 1984, slumped to 7-14 with a 5.47 Era As the mariners staff ranked next to last in the Al. Trading reliever de Vande Berg to los Angeles for 37-year-old Catcher Steve Yeager May backfire. Second baseman Danny Tartabull is this year s prize Rookie at the kingdom. He hit .300 with 43 homers and 109 Bis in class aaa. Texas rangers manager Bobby Valentine says the 1986 season could be the Start of some thing very  Rookie right fielder Pete Incaviglia who homered 48 times in 75 games at Oklahoma state last year is a cause for excitement. And the rangers can score runs if Toby Harrah keeps walking Odd Ibe Mcdowell hits line drives and Gary Ward Larry Parrish and Pete o Brien hit Home runs. But pitching is a trouble spot. Knuckle Bailer Charlie Hough the team s Ace broke a Finger in a Freak handshake and will be lost for a month. Rookie Jose Guzman is now the no. 1 starter. The rangers open the season april 8 against Toronto and a Victory would put them Over .500 for the first time since july 27,1983. Tate beats army s Bryant at nationals Beaumont Texas a the old Baum older bomber dropped out. Kevin Bryant who gave Baum older a Usa eur Crown in 1983 and went on to win the National title in 1984, lost to Thom As Tate in Friday s Light middleweight semifinals of the . Amateur boxing championships. Tate of Houston scored effectively with left jabs and right counters to Post a 4-1 verdict Over Bryant who is still in the army and now stationed at fort Hood Texas. Tate the brother of 1984 olympic Cham Pion Frank Tate advanced to saturday s Light middleweight final against Michael Moorer. Moorer of Monessen pa., knocked Down Charles Garner of Haynesville la., three times and stopped him after two rounds. Seven army boxers reached the finals four from fort Hood two from fort Bragg n.c., and one from fort Riley Kan. One of fort Hood s stars defending Light flyweight Champion Brian Lonon opened the 24-bout semifinal card by knocking Down Eric Griffin of Broussard la., with a left and right to the head and stopping him at 49 seconds of the first round. Lonon was to Box in the final against Ruben Navarez of Wichita Falls Texas who scored a 3-2 decision Over Ysaias a Mudi oof Blythe Calif. In the Light heavyweight division Loren Ross of fort Hood took a another step to Ward a third straight National title with a 5 0 Victory Over Paul Carlo of Florissant to. Ross scored with both hands to the head and forced Carlo to take a standing 8-count in the third round. Ross was to Box in the final against Oto silo Havili of West Valley Utah. Havili topped Raymond Jones a Navy Boxer out of Norfolk va., in the first round. Fort Hood s other two finalists were Ken Nedy Mckinney and Wesley Watson. Mckinney s flyweight opponent was to be defending Champion Arthur Johnson of St. Louis. Watson was to step into his super heavy weight final against Alex Garcia of North Hollywood Calif. Derrick Wilson was carrying the fort Bragg Banner into the welterweight final against defending Champion Kenneth Gould of Rockford 111. Also from fort Bragg middleweight an Thony Hembrick was taking on William Guthrie of St. Louis. The fort Riley finalist was defending lightweight Champion Vincent Phillips. He was to face Lavelle Finger of St. Louis. In other . Amateur action Friday Jemal Hinton a 16-year-old High school Junior overcame Kevin Kelley s strength and Power to reach the bantamweight final. Hinton was to meet defending Champion Michael Collins of Laporte Texas. Collins scored a 4-1 decision Over Bernard Price of Muncie ind., who was the flyweight National Champion in 1984. Collins scored his semifinal Victory be fore Hinton of new Carrollton md., beat Kelley of new York 3-2. Jerry Goff of Saucier miss., the defend ing Champion was to fight 1984 Champion Michael Bent of new York in the heavy weight final. Bent did not compete in last year s tournament. The other finals have featherweight Kel Cie Banks of Chicago against Chuck Rich Ards of rapid City s.d., and defending Light welterweight Champion  Kakou Ris of St. Louis against Victor Levine of Kokomo ind. Radio and television pro basketball los Angeles lakers at Houston rockets 10 30 . Sunday