European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 1, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 18 b the stars and stripes sunday March 1,1992baseball 92 outcomes ride on backs of 26 Pivotal players put t by Tom Verducci new Day port St. Lucie Fla. A All around Arizona and Florida players Are loosening their arms and lumbering their cliches. One of the most tossed around expressions is a it takes 25 Guys to  Rue enough but in unequal amounts of importance. Some players Are More vital to a teams Success than others. And then in each subgroup there is one person who is the most crucial of All. That player is not necessarily the highest paid or the most talented though it appears that Way in Pittsburgh and Texas. What happens with Barry Bonds and Ruben Sierra not Only looms Large for the pirates and rangers but also for every other team with designs on pulling off a Mega Trade for one of the Wanna be free agents. Bonds and Sierra Are included on the following list of the most crucial player for each club. The teams Are listed in order of their 1991 finishes. American league East Toronto Blue jays Dave Stieb made Only nine starts last season before a Back condition put him on the disabled list for the rest of the season. He could be ready in april. A healthy Stieb upgrades what still is a Good rotation with Jack Morris joining Jimmy key Juan Guzman and Todd Stottlemyre. Boston red sox despite their cozy Quot Home Park and the usual collection of prolific hitters the red sox finished in the Middle of the pack seventh in runs. Only three clubs in the league hit fewer Home runs. The sox can instantly improve their offence if the real Ellis Burks shows up this year. It must have been an imposter last year who hit .251 40 Points below Burks career average and drove in Only 56 runs Burks never had so few Bis. He a Only 27, but slowing. Here Are his stolen bases year by year 27, 25, 21,9,6. Detroit tigers after Sparky Anderson overstated the abilities of rookies Chris Pittaro Torey Lovullo and Mike Laga he finally came up with the real thing last year Travis Iyman. The third baseman nit 21 Home runs and drove in 91 runs. He needs to Cut Down on his strikeouts 149 in 149 game but Fryman has the Short stroke to do it. Milwaukee Brewers who is Doug Henry a 28-year-old right hander who rescued the Milwaukee bullpen after the struggling Dan Plesac went to the rotation Tor therapy. Henry saved 15 games in 32 appearances limited opponents to a .133 batting average and allowed Only four runs in 32 innings. This year we find out if he a for real. New York Yankees make this an entry a the Perez Brothers. The Yankees need More innings from their starting pitchers. Pascual and Melido have terrific stuff but unreliable track records. Pascual Hasni to pitched 200 innings since 1984. Melido never has done it. And their lifetime records have a familial look. Pascual 6768 and Melido 45-46 Are one notch below mediocrity. Baltimore orioles the orioles wont contend until their Young pitchers develop but they can move up in the standings if they get a full season from Glenn Davis who appeared in Only 49 games last year because of a neck injury. Last years surprises Minnesota and Atlanta depend in �?T92 on the Young arms of Kevin Tapani left and John Smolz a 2 Cleveland indians the indians moved in the left Field Wall 30 feet which mostly benefits Albert Belle the surly slugger who hit 28 Home runs in 123 games last year. Still another adjustment remains his attitude. American league West Minnesota twins Kevin Tapani blossomed last year while Morris carried the Burden of anchoring the staff. Now Tapani must move up another level to fill Morris role. He has the stuff and the makeup to do it. Chicago White sox is to Jackson Worth All the fuss an answer May come by March 15, when the White sox must decide whether to pick up his option. A if his hip is As bad As it was the end of last year no Way a a said one scout. To had trouble walking in january. At Best he has been robbed of one of his greatest tools Speed. Texas rangers Sierra is the franchises All time Leader in extra base hits and needs Only seven hits for 1,000 and 11 Home runs for 150. Not bad for someone who does no to turn 27 until october. Oakland a a Dave Stewart typifies the athletics troubles they appear to be aging fast. Stewarts Era swelled from 2.56 to 5.18 last year. Left handers batted .302 against him a sign that his Forknall lost its bite. He turned 35 last week. It is a critical year for him. Seattle mariners Here a a scary thought for Al pitchers Ken Griffey jr., 22, keeps getting better. He hit ,372 after the break last year. Now he has Kevin Mitchell hitting behind him. Sure Mitchell could make a run at 50 Home runs. More important he lessens the Load Griffey must carry. Kansas City royals the key player is Kevin Appier the hard throwing right hander no May be ready for a break through season.  need it with Bret Saberhagen gone. California Angels a tie. Von Hayes and Hubie Brooks Are coming off injuries and appear to be on the Downside of their careers. Yet they Are supposed to improve an offence that scored fewer runs last year than every team in the league except Cleveland. National league East Pittsburgh pirates what Are the pirates to do about Bonds and can he Prosper amid the uncertainty they have a Chance at another title so they might keep him As Long As they remain in the race. St. Louis cardinals Andres Galarraga a batting average has dropped four straight years sinking to .219 last season. This is a Guy who once led the league in hits. Maybe he needed the change of scenery. After All he did spend six years in Montreal Philadelphia Phillies a a we re a different team with the Little Guy in there a manager Jim Fregosi said about Lenny Dykstra. The Phillies were 36-27 with Dykstra and 42-57 without him last year. They need him Hale and Hearty to contend. Chicago cubs Danny Jackson was 238 at age 26 in 1988. Outside of that he is 50-71 in his career and has been on the do six times in the past three years. The cubs Are in trouble if he does no to revive his career. New York mels if Dwight Gooden is healthy and effective the mets win if not you toss the mets pirates cubs and Phillies into a hat and any of them can win. Montreal expos Delino Deshields deplorable definitely. After a splendid Rookie year he committed 27 errors 10 More than any other second baseman whiffed 151 times hit Only 15 doubles woeful for a speedy player whose team played 115 games on turf and saw his batting average crash like a chunk of olympic stadium Concrete .238. He should be much better than that. National league West Atlanta braves John Smoltz has some of the Nastiest stuff in baseball yet is 4242 in his career. He a never put two Good halves together. He appeared to mature As a Pitcher in the postseason particularly in world series game 7, so this could be his year. Los Angeles dodgers a show us year for Eric Davis who turns 30 in May. He a off turf Back Home and finally together with his buddy Darryl Strawberry. A dominating player in his rare moments of Good health and spirits. San Diego padres Andy Benes quietly is emerging As one of baseball a elite pitchers. Check his last 15 starts 11-1 with a 0.86 Era. He looks ready to win san Francisco giants the giants think Billy Swift can be their Ace. It sounds like a reach. He is 30, has never pitched 175 innings and is 30-40 in his career. Cincinnati reds Bret Saberhagen was t the Only no. 1 Pitcher traded last water. Greg Swindell has impressive stun including 13 wins per season for Lousy Cleveland teams the past four years. Now he has a Strong team behind him As Well As a history of Al left handers prospering upon changing leagues. Houston astros Andujar Cedeno is a Ranty a shortstop with pop. Info Stu h u j be  wit two St names has two bad hands. He once made 62 errors m one minor league season. But he a Only Al and appears to be Worth the astros patience