European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 15, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 26 the stars and stripes saturday october 15,1988 matchup Oakland has manpower of overpower dodgers in 5 by Ben Walker a a baseball writer the Cool and efficient Oakland athletics a team on .1 Mission. The can do los Angeles dodgers the scrappers who Don t quit. The athletics arc a baseball machine without a weakness and Are Strong favourites in the world series. The dodgers Are emotional favourites not nearly As pow Erful but the have Orel Hershiser. Oakland led the american league in pitching was second in scoring and made Only 105errors. The four game sweep against Boston in the play offs was no big sur prise. Canseco the dodgers seven game playoff Vic tory Over he acts was a Shock although if forecasters had for scan Hershiser working four times maybe it would t have been. Los Angeles was second i pitching in the Middle offensively and made 14 2 errors. The Al relics Are rested and did not seem particular a excited about winning the Al West Wilh 104victories or taking the Pennant. Since Spring raining their Only goal has been the world series. No one exported the dodgers to do alot this year maybe not even themselves. The turnaround from a 73-89 Mark to 94 victories and their first no Pennant since 1981 is one of the Best Ever. Oakland is making its first world series appearance since 1974, when it beat los Angeles in five games for its third consecutive championship this is he first time two West teams have met inthe world series since that year. These current athletics and dodgers Are Well aware of each other. Bob Welch Jay Howell. Dave Stewart Tim Belcher Rick Honeycutt and Alfredo Griffin each played for both organizations a position by position look at the teams first base Mark Mcgwire Oakland his 81 Home runs arc the most Ever in the majors for he first two years. Hit 32 Hom ers just 12 in Oakland this season. Homered again in the Al playoffs and balled ,333. Adequate fielder. Mickey Hatcher or Franklin Lubbs los Angeles Hatcher a right handed Batter is a Contact hitter. Struck out Only seven times in 191 Ai Bais and hit .293. Led team Wilh 12 Pinch hits Lubbs left hander has Power but is prone to strike out. Fans one fourth of the player is Good with the Glove. Oakland has a big advantage. Second base Glenn hubbaru1 or Mike Gallego Oakland Hubbard will Start if his hamstring which kept him off the play off roster is healed. Solid fielder especially Good at turning double plays. Hit respectable .2s5. Gall go was l-for-12 against Boston but made All the plays. Steve sax los Angeles leads offend is dodgers spark plug. Tied playoff record with five stolen bases. Stole 42 during the year Hil .277 in the season and .267 against the mils remember Liow he used to be known for his errors made Only one miscue in final 38 games and none in playoffs. Los Angeles gets the Edge. Shortstop Alt Weiss Oakland Good Rookie season and great playoffs. A switch hit Ter he batted .333 against Boston after.250 in regular season. Consistently got timely hits and made key plays in the playoffs. Alfredo Griffin los Angeles Excel Lent Glove weak Bat. Solidified poor dodger infield. Batted .199 and dipped to .160 in the playoffs. Committed 15errors this year the same a Weiss. Oakland gets the Edge because of Weiss Bat. Third base Carney Lansford Oakland started season batting Over .400 in june finished at .279 and hit .294 in the playoffs. Led league in Fielding for second Succes Sive year making seven errors each sea son. Stole career High 29 bases. Cit Hamilton los Angeles became inner in first full season although Noth ing exceptional. Hit .236 and balled ,217 in playoffs. Walked 10 times in 309 Al bats. Average fielder. Oakland gels a solid Edge. Lei to Fiel Dave Parker or Luis Polonia or Stan Javier Oakland Parker batted .257 in first Al season after 14 years in the no six As an All Star. Hit 12 homers with 55 Rols but was not a Factor in the play offs. Batted ,345 in Only world series with Pittsburgh in 1979. A defensive liability. Polonia and Javier arc faster lighter hitlers Wilh belter defensive skills. Kirk Gibson los Angeles which Captain Kirk will play the hamstring hurting version who baited .154 in the playoffs or the map of the 1984 world series when he batted .333 and drove in seven runs for Detroit Gibson is a big Orel hrs Hist and Tom Lasorda embrace after the dodgers won he no championship. Game Hunter and a big game player who usually excels if healthy and can carry a team. Gibson will be rested giving los an Geles inc Edge Center Field Dave Henderson Oakland where did this Guy come from Henderson easily set career highs in runs 100doubles 38. Homers 24rols 94 and Balling average .304. Defensively he s a Hotdog but solid. Plus we have seen what he can do in postseason in 86 Wil Boston and this year Wilh the a s. He thrives on it. The Best and most sur Priti Gly productive off season acquisition by Oakland. John Shelby los Angeles not the prototype no. 5 Biller. He nil .263 Wilh 10 homers this year. In the playoffs he hit .167 Wilh 12 strik Puis in Only 24 at Bais. Never one to thrive on undue pres sure in will be interesting to see How he docs with a zillion people watching should do Fine on defense. Edge a s. Right Fieldhose Canseco Oakland the first 40-40 Man in history Mcgwire Calls plus he seems to revel in the postseason hype. He hit three homers in the playoffs. He was a victim of Nasty hands from he Boston fans Yel through it All he was Una acid. Defensively Andon inc bases he has become one of the Best in the league. He will win the Ameri can league map perhaps unanimously. He s the Best player in the game. Mike Marshall los Angeles Theno. 4 hitter he batted .277, hit 20 Hom ers and had 82 Bis in 1988. He struck out nine limes in the playoffs hitting .233. Gibson s presence supposedly has turned Marshall from a wimp into a Liger. Hell have to be the latter in this series. Can t touch Canseco. Edge a s. Catcher Terry a Linbach Oakland map fall Star game. Wilh Ron Hascy Oak land catchers threw out 56 potential steal cars while 93 were successful. Mike Scioscia los Angeles he s a Fine defensive Catcher who is Lough Tofan. He also proved clutch with his two run Homer in the ninth inning of game 4lhat turned inc no series around. Edge dodgers. Designated hitter Don Baylor and Parker Oakland Baylor will play against left handers Par Ker probably against right handers. Bay Lor has been in the world series three straight years with three different s not the Hitler he was with inc red son in 86, but goodness knows he knows whal it lakes to win. Lubbs and Mike Davis los Angeles there will be a do Only for the Ihrck games in Oakland. The dodgers will undoubtedly use a left handed Hitler against Oakland s three right handed starters. Davis hit .196 this year one of the biggest flops in the major leagues. Edge a s. Starting Pitcher Dave Stewart storm Davis and Bob Welch Oakland they arc the first american league threesome to win a least 16 games each since the 1984 tigers had Ihrck 17-plus winners. Game i Siart or Slowan who won 20, is a horse who loves being in the spotlight. He had a Good playoff series winning once an pitching Well enough to win in inc other. Davis completed one of 33 starts this year but he gives six Good innings Al most every Outing. Welch has big Gam experience and despite being rocked in Oakland in the playoffs he s 13-4 life time there. Tim Belcher Orel Hershiser and John Tudor los Angeles the great Hershiser will gel to pitch Only twice in this series but Don t count him out i Relief. Can he maintain this awesome Pace probably. Game i starter Belcher was 2-0 with four walks and 16 strike outs in inc playoffs. Manager Tony Larussa Oakland the a s arc 61 games Over .500 since la Russa took Over july 7, 1986. He is smart he is fair he plays All his people he knows How to use inc bullpen. The players like and respect him. He has been to the play offs before. He will probably win Ameri can league manager of the year. Tommy Lasorda los Angeles he s fat. He eats too much. He tells stories he bugs everyone. Bui there s no deny ing the Job he did his year. He will be inc National league manager of the year. He is a motivator. He May be corny but these Guys will play hard for him. Edge even. Intangibles a s they arc coming off a four game sweep of Boston they arc perceived by Many As awesome and hey May be be Lieving in. They Haven t faced True Adver sity the whole year. It will be interesting 10 Sec How hey react if they re Down two games. Dodgers they re the underdogs again. They love it. Few gave them a Chance to win the division even fewer gave them u Chance to win the Pennant. Maybe it s Gibson maybe it s Lasorda maybe it s Hershiser but this team has something special. It must to win with that lineup. Prediction a s in five. The dodgers should be applauded for gelling this far but face it it s Oakland s year. You could sense it All year. With Gibson hurting and Hershiser having started three limes in nine Days including wednesday the dodgers Are starting out behind. And that s no Way to Start against the a a
