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USA Today pitching rankings..


Steff

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Sports - USATODAY.com

 

These clubs start strong

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1. Chicago Cubs (news)

The rotation: RH Mark Prior, RH Kerry Wood, RH Greg Maddux, RH Carlos Zambrano, RH Matt Clement.

2003 combined stats: 75-51, 3.36 ERA.

The reasoning: Prior, Wood, Zambrano and Clement have four of the liveliest arms in the game, and Maddux is a future Hall of Famer with brains oozing from his cap.

 

 

2. Oakland A's

The rotation: RH Tim Hudson, LH Barry Zito, LH Mark Mulder, LH Mark Redman, RH Rich Harden.

2003 combined stats: 64-41, 3.26 ERA.

The reasoning: Each of the Big Three is a favorite to win a Cy Young Award. Redman helped pitch the Marlins to a World Series (news - web sites) title. And Harden is a younger version of Hudson.

 

 

3. Houston Astros (news)

The rotation: RH Roger Clemens, LH Andy Pettitte, RH Roy Oswalt, RH Wade Miller, RH Tim Redding.

2003 combined stats: 72-49, 3.81 ERA.

The reasoning: Clemens and Pettitte know how to win 20 games. Oswalt, Miller and Redding have the stuff to win 20 games.

 

T4. New York Yankees (news)

The rotation: RH Kevin Brown, RH Javier Vazquez, RH Mike Mussina, RH Jose Contreras, RH Jon Lieber.

2003 combined stats: 51-31, 3.23 ERA.

 

T4. Boston Red Sox (news)

The rotation: RH Pedro Martinez, RH Curt Schilling, RH Derek Lowe, RH Tim Wakefield, RH Byung-Hyun Kim.

2003 combined stats: 59-37, 3.46 ERA.

The reasoning for the Yanks-Sox tie: Too close to call, especially considering the fragility of Brown, Lieber, Martinez and Schilling.

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The rotation: RH Kevin Brown, RH Javier Vazquez, RH Mike Mussina, RH Jose Contreras, RH Jon Lieber.

 

Kevin Brown is getting up in years, and he's injury-prone. Will his arm hold up? :huh

 

Javier Vasquez is pretty damn good, but he's going to a new league. Will that affect him? :huh

 

Mike Mussina is a consistent winner, but he isn't the same pitcher he was 3 years ago - he was hittable last year. Is he starting to break down? :huh

 

Jose Contreras is an unknown commodity - he's either really good, or really bad. Which Jose will show up this year? :huh

 

Jon Lieber hasn't pitched in 2 years, and who knows what he's going to be able to do after a lengthy layoff. How sharp and healthy will he be? :huh

 

I think the Yanks have the most ???? in their starting rotation.

 

As for the A's, I think they're the best. I just LOVE that staff. :wub:

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