Play Ball! Pro Baseball Dusts Off This Week

If you're any kind of a self-respecting baseball fan, you're either a National Leaguer or an American Leaguer. No way you can have it both ways; you're partisan to either one or the other. For me, well, it's all N.L.

Which brings me to my first point--the pathetic close to the 1977 season has left me with this gnawing feeling in my gut, despite a carefully-planned winter diet of Quincy House rice pilaf and spinach ravioli. You see, the N.L. got wasted.

First, there was the rain-soaked fourth game of the playoffs, a contest that should be expunged from the annals of the sport. And then came those three inglorious shots in the New York night. I can hardly wait for the race for the flags.

THE EAST

Not the most eloquent of men, Phillies manager Danny Ozark once attempted to praise an outfielder with this gem: "Mike's limitations are virtually limitless."

Somehow, that statement seems to summarize the warped twist of fate that has met the Phils in the playoffs the past two autumns. A slightly less sympathetic way of saying it is that they've choked the last two years.

Barring all the limitations, the '78 Phils have the horses to win the Eastern crown for the third straight year. They have the best fielding third baseman in the game, a Polish sausage who clouts 130 RBIs a season in left field, a superlative shortstop, the '77 Cy Young winner, a good bullpen and several other bonafide stars. And then some.

The starters raise some big questions--Steve Carlton (Cy Young), Larry Christenson (green), Jim Lonborg and Jim Kaat (antiques) and rookie Jim Wright (g-g-g-g-r-e-e-n). The Phils should win anyway. This city needs a winner.

Pittsburgh could win 105 ballgames. Seriously. Put this starting rotation in your pipe and smoke it: John Candelaria, Bert Blyleven, Jerry Reuss and Jim Bibby. The aroma at Three Rivers will be fragrant, despite the loss of al Oliver and Rich Gossage.

It might be sweet in St. Loo-ee this summer, too. The Cards have a stacked deck for '78, with a solid pitching staff led by Bob Forsch and John Denny, superstars Garry "Jump Steady" Templeton and Ted "Simba" Simmons, and the best-fielding infield in the major leagues (you could look it up.).

Watch Montreal. Why? Chris Speier, Dave Cash, Rudy May, Ross Grimsley, Steve Rogers, Gary Carter, Andre Dawson, Warren Cromartie and Ellis Valentine. Don't be surprised if they sing "Oh, Canada" before the playoff games this fall.

Don't watch the Cubs, unless you're in the Wrigley bleachers with a frosty can of Stroh's. Bob Sutter just does not have a bionic arm--I don't think.

Don't watch the Mets, unless you're at Shea with a couple of sixpacks of Rheingold. Do shed a tear for Jerry Koosman, one of the classiest guys in sports.

THE WEST

"Burger and fries, fish and fries...burger and fries, fish and fries." The Reds and the Dodgers, the Reds and the Dodgers.

Cincinnati has this: the best catcher ever to play the game, the best active pitcher, a second baseman and a left-fielder who have dominated the last three years' MVP sweepstakes, and a cast of stars that could rival the credits for Airport '77.

Los Angeles has this: the best pitching staff in the league, five 30-home run hitters, Frank Sinatra and Don Rickles.

Personally, I'd like to pick Atlanta over both of them, because both teams are about as thrilling as a stoplight in Somerville on Saturday night.

The Astros registered the second best ERA in the league last year, and they have the youngest staff I've seen since junior high school league. And Hail Cesar Cedeno, possibly the best athlete in the game.

My roommate filled out his income tax form yesterday, listing San Diego, San Francisco and Atlanta as dependents. You can do the same. They'll be out of the race by Memorial Day.

And now, for the envelope, please: in the East, Philadelphia, in the West, Cincinnati. You think I'm wrong? Well, you're probably right.

See you around Veterans' Stadium, sports.