European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 28, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday March 28, 1990 the stars and stripes a Page 23 baseball �?T90teams warm up some Quick answers by Murray chass the new York times Nave Winnup ------77. Gooden be ready for the Start of Carlos Baerga Eric Anthony and will Dave Winf eld Kirk Gibson and Gilt ideas Ben Mcdonald ready to take their places As major league starters no Gary Carter Dan Quisenberry and Bill Buckner have enough left to warrant being Given jobs can Lou Piniella learn enough about his new team and new league to Jolt the Cincinnati reds out of their underachieving existence in an Ordinary baseball year general managers managers and players have six weeks of Spring training including a month of exhibition games to find answers to critical questions about injured players new players aging players and repositioned players. This however is no Ordinary year a 32-Day lockout having elevated or plunged it to extraordinary status. This year there Are Only two weeks of exhibition games to find answers to these and other critical questions facing teams for the 1990 season. Monday teams began playing their abbreviated schedule of 186 games 45 percent of the originally scheduled 412 exhibitions. Does that mean that clubs brain trusts have Only a 45 percent Chance of getting it right some May use that ratio As an excuse at the end of the season or even As the season progresses. But in All likelihood the Good general managers and managers will get it As right in less than half the time As they would have if they had All of the time and the others will get it As wrong. What follows is a look at some of the most important questions to be answered in each  National league East the mets have to find out if one of their six starting pitchers Gooden will be ready in two weeks. The Montreal expos have to find nearly an entire starting rotation. The St. Louis cardinals too must find out about the status of some of their pitchers. They done to have five established healthy starters either. Gooden returning from a shoulder problem does not have to Rush because the Melsa starting corps is so deep but the expos and the cardinals done to have that luxury. The expos lost Mark Langston Bryn Smith Pascual Perez and John Candelaria to free Agency. They will look for replacements in such people As Dennis Oil Lan Boyd and Joaquin Andujar a pair of reclamation projects and a flock of youngsters named Mark Gardner Howard Farmer Mel Rojas and Brett i aeon. They will also watch As  my Hubie Brooks spot a tic a pcs had hoped to see what an nah Iino Desha Elds could do n the Middle of their infield but time May be against him. ,v00, wis Duce the chances that up inv i a Greg Mathews will be ready 0 0pcn the season in the Cardi last it a tlngj0lat,on next ther pitched task Soma Quot Amer Whitey Herzog a  r be As difficult As the one Buck to do Ramces m Montreal but hell have will i. Sinai la Ine 0ne of the jobs few wvvt"8 a Bob Tewksbury if he has a Lew Good outings before april9. Physical ?80 f�?obs.wi11 look at the Leader in n5 of Indre Dawson their or. The Wii to and Reyhill their catch Curt Wilt study Luis Salazar and to. Erson at third base. To Jeff Kino ? u a Quot Pittsburgh will belong Bobby a Lii i he can handle it. At third Thi committed 67 errors at third the past two seasons is in right. Dodger Ace Orel Hershiser appears to be working on shortening his strike zone. The mets Hope they have a a a new right fielder at least a rejuvenated version of Darryl Strawberry who had a poor season and a worse off season. He will play alongside a new Center fielder Keith Miller unless Miller disappoints. The mets must also decide How to use Mike Marshall at first base in place of or in platoon with Dave Magadan or somewhere in the  National league West the divisions senior manager and its newest manager have significant questions for which they will seek answers in the next two weeks. Tom Lasorda of los Angeles has to find out about his returning wounded and decide where they and others will play. Lou Piniella has to determine what he can do to revitalize the reds after their fall under their fallen legend Pete Rose. Kirk Gibson and Kal Daniels Are dodger outfielders coming Back from knee surgery. If they Are healthy Lasorda May move Hubie Brooks from right Field to third base displacing Jeff Hamilton. Juan Samuel would like to displace Willie Randolph at second base but Lasorda would prefer to have Samuel in Center Field. He would like to see Jim Gott in his bullpen but Gott has to show his right Elbow is sound after surgery last year. Piniella has his own pitching rehabilitation to watch because neither Danny Jackson nor Jose Rijo pitched in the last two months of last season. Piniella also has to work out a plan for his Relief tandem of Rob Dibble and Randy Myers who replace John Franco As the reds closers. In Scottsdale ariz., Roger Craig of san Francisco the Pennant winning manager will play with his pitching staff hoping to bolster the unit that let the giants Down in the world series. Perhaps part of that project will be the appearance of Gary Carter behind the plate. If Carter can catch half of the time he could help improve the staff. Carter once was the leagues Best Catcher just As Dan Quisenberry was once baseball a Best Relief Pitcher. He has two weeks to prove that his submarine delivery can still undermine batters. The san Diego padres strengthened by the addition of Joe Carter have one major question but it can to really be answered until the season begins. The padres want to know if Craig Lefferts-1 will be Able to replace Mark Davis As their game saving Relief Pitcher. The Houston astros will have to make a Quick decision on the status of Eric Anthony their promising Rookie outfielder who batted Only. 180 in 25 games with them last season but hit .300 in class  american league East let the division contender who is without question throw out the first exclamation Point. The new York Yankees present so Many questions for Bucky Dent their soon to be beleaguered manager that the answer Man could be their map. In the next two weeks Dent has to determine if Dave Winfield is ready to play and if so if he is ready to play left Field if Mike blowers a Rookie is ready to take Over third base and if the collection of pitchers can result in a legitimate starting rotation. Cito Gaston like Dent Laden with an abbreviated schedule in his first Spring training As manager will scrutinize several elements of the Toronto lineup Many of them involving younger players. He has to decide if John Olerud is ready to be the designated hitter if Junior Felix and Glenallen Hill can handle a right Field platoon and if Pat Borders and Greg Myers can do the same at Catcher. Then there Are Jimmy key and a1 la itch left handed pitchers who arc coming Back from shoulder surgery. This exhibition schedule May not provide the Milwaukee Brewers with enough time to get their returning injured ready. The biggest question could involve second base. If Jim Gantner Isnit ready to return there manager Tom Trebelhorn will have to choose Between Dale scum and Gary Sheffield. The Brewers also have to find out if Greg Vaughn a Rookie is ready to play left Field and if he is what to do with Rob Deer or Glenn Braggs. In the Boston Camp  be watching Carlos Quintana and Bill Buckner at first base and various pitchers including Eric Hetzel. Baltimore a brain Trust has to decide if the hard throwing Ben Mcdonald the no. 1 selection in the draft is ready to be a major league starting Pitcher. Cleveland has two rookies to watch but no one doubts that one of them Sandy Alomar jr., a Catcher is ready. The other is not so certain. He is Carlos Baerga the third baseman acquired in the Joe Carter Deal. Managers can judge pitchers arms and hitters bats to a great extent in the Spring even if they have Only two weeks. Leadership is another matter that takes time to develop and produce results. Nevertheless the Brewers will look for it from Dave Parker and the Cleveland indians from Keith  american league West no one need feel sorry for the Champion Oakland athletics who have limited time in which to find replacements for the lost free agents Parker Tony Phillips and storm Davis. Nevertheless it is a project that will keep the athletics from becoming complacent. Manager Tony la Russa for example has to decide if he wants Todd Burns in the starting rotation As Davis replacement or in the bullpen where lie has flourished. Scott Sanderson is linked to that decision because he will probably take the spot Burns does no to have. Pitching is a subject of scrutiny for the California Angels not because they seek it but because they think they have enough to Trade a starter for a hitter. They will use this time to search for that hitter then decide if they would rather Trade Mike Witt or Kirk Mccaskill. Its also time for the Angels to decide if they want to Trade one of their second basemen Johnny Ray or Mark Mulc More. The Kansas City royals done to have Many questions but one is whether they want to try to preserve George Brett a health by making Brett More of a do than a first baseman. That a Why they acquired Gerald Perry. They Are also ready to make to Jackson the Center fielder so  have to test Willie Wilson a reaction to a demotion. Minnesota a main questions involve pitching though the twins would like to figure out How to return the fire to Gary Gaetti a play. The biggest move the twins Are making with their pitching is in the bullpen where Rick Aguilera has been designated As Jeff Reardon a replacement in game saving situations. But what about the starting rotation manager Tom Kelly will be the most interested observer when David West Kevin Tapani Mike Dyer and Park Pittman pitch the twins 15 exhibition games. In the Texas Camp the rangers will try to determine if Chad Kreuter is ready to be the full time Catcher if Jeff Kunkel or Fred Manrique can claim the everyday shortstop Job and if Scott Coolbaugh can nudge Steve Buechele out of his Job at third base thus making him available for a Trade