Page 137 - Phoenix2001-02

SPORTS, Wednesday, April to, 2002 - Page 13 A heated spring could create an interesting Women's American League Pennant race Golf the young Jays the hunt, although Edward K. 'Schultheis could playa role in who wins that them being able to keep pace with Mark Teixeira, a great 3B prospect previews the action in the East, since they play so many the Indians. The Chi-Sox have a for the Rangers, who graduated looking to offense The AL this season games against the Red Sox and very good Ordonez, with Thomas, from Mt. SI. Joe in Baltimore. make Magglio Paul and did not Seattle Mariners Yankees. With Carlos Delgado, Konerko, and an above average build Ah, spring ... the time of year Jose Cruz Jr., and Raul Mondesi, many acquisitions over the break, with Mark rotation when allergies act up, love is in the the Jays have some pop, but lack Todd Ritchie leading Buehrle, and but they kept the majority of a team the way, but air, senioritis sets in, and baseball in the pitching department. they are a bit more injury prone that won 116 games last year, and program is back. Thank god. I finally have Both the D- Rays and O's are then the Indians. The Indians have the people that they did pick up will a reason to watch SportsCenter in the periods of building teams or a new pitching staff led by Bartolo be a help. however, has probably Oakland again Well let's see what we can rebuilding, although the DsRays Colon, C.C. Sabathia and a the best pitching staff in the West. atWMC come up with for the American have been building since being es- resurging Chuck Finley. Their less League. tablished - with no success. power oriented offense is centered With Mark Mulder, Barry Zito, Tim In the AL East, New York and The AL Central is going to be still around IB Jim Thome and SS Hudson, and Corey Lidle leading CHRIS TAUCHER Boston are indeed the front-run- an interesting race. The Cleveland Omar Visquel. They are a healthy the way. They did lose Jason Assismnt Sports Editar ners. The Yankees have superb Indians retooled their pitching staff, team who could definitely make a Giambi, but they still have a rela- Like a lot at teams Western pitching in Mike Mussina, Roger but have a little less power in their run at another Central title. tively solid lineup, with Dave Jus- Maryland College's women's golf tice as their newcomer. Clemens, and Andy Pettite. They lineup to Support the staff. The In theAL West, three of the four team is young. But unlike all other also helped out their offense with Chicago White Sox are a very solid teams are right there in the pack. I predict that the Yankees will teams it is not only the players who first- baseman Jason Giambi. Him, baseball team, but cannot seem to The Seattle Mariners, last year's win the East because of their stan- are young, but the program as well. coupled with Derek Jeter and get everything to go their way. winningest team, the Texas Rang- ing rotation and their solid bullpen I This is only the second official sea- Bernie Williams, will make a for- Last year, they lost MYP Frank ers, and Oakland Athletics are all to complement their offense. son of women's golf at WMC. midable offense. Boston on the Thomas to a tom triceps muscle, vying for first place. think that the Indians will he able This year's roster consists of other hand has Pedro Martinez, and David Wells was never 100% The Rangers are a complicated to ward off the Chi-Sox and junior Julia Richardson and fresh- which is a.definite plus. Nomar after the trade that sent injured ace team. After having one of the worst Twinkies with the help of their new men Kelly Cramp and Garnett Garciaparra is hoping to come back Mike Sirotka to the Jays. The In- pitching staffs, they revamped by rotation and decent power produc- Phumphrey. Richardson has strong from injuries last season, dians are still the team to beat how- adding Chan Ho Park and Todd Van tion squad Ithink that the West will played here for the past two years and with Manny Ramirez should ever. The Twinkles have not shown be a tough battle between the three and finished 14 at the Centennial among give the Yankees a run for the East they can keep up their winning pace Poppel, with a great others. offense This goes teams. Conference Championship last along led by title. However, the other three late into the season. Alex Rodriguez. Rafael Palmeiro, I see Oakland's rotation mak- year shooting a 254. teams: the Blue Jays, Orioles and They have decent pitching, and and returning to Texas, Juan ing the difference in their division. Cramp exploded onto the scene Ithink they will be able to hold off became Devil Rays, are not going to be in an average offense, but I do not see Gonzalez. I also have to mention the high- powered attack of Texas this fall and quickly Out of the five the one player. number Mik9 WWF Column: Opinion and Seattle's well-rounded team. tournaments played last fall, Cramp She shot a 78 to won two of them. win the Western Maryland College /oDWWF Split and roster changes tournament. Golf She Invitational won the at also Women's Dickinson shooting a 78. But per- ~ , ' , " I •• entertainment. number two guy on RAW. Forget haps Cramp's biggest accompnsn, But even thatnight I knew the it. ment of the fall was finishing 20 rosters were unbalanced. Rock, Kane is a mid-card wrestler, pe- out of 120 at the ECAC tournament WCW, rhe WWF has had alot of Hulk Hogan, Kurt Angie, and Chris riod. scoring a 165. Phumphrey also had a success- talent that has not been used. Tbe., Jericho alt ended up on Trying to force us to believe ful fall. She finished 7th at Ihe WWF has claimed that there hasn't Smackdown! The only real big him as a threat after making him a Dickinson tournament with a 103 been enough air time to get all the stars on RAW are Stone Cold and loser for so long won't work, and and she finished third at the WMC wrestlers on TV. Undertaker. the fans aren't buying it. tournament. Cramp, Phumphrey, This past week the WWF made 3H ~ill get to be on both shows, The WWF could have handled The women's tennis team is Thea an effon to change this problem by as the WWF made a wise choice the problem of talent going to waste struggling this season with a Richardson and fall golfer Maryland Bayly won the Western splitting the roster into two halves. by saying that the champion can ap- in a much better manner. All it record of 0-6 (0-6 CC). Number According to story lines, there pear on both shows. needed to do was shuffle the one singles player Shannon College tournament back on Sep- are two completely separate rosters But the problems don't end with undercard. Pusey said. "We are all working tember 17. for the WWF. an unbalanced roster. Unlike the The WWF brass seems to think hard and getting better each Head coach Michael Diehl said, One half of the wrestlers will world champion, the tag teams that if we don't see someone for "The learn has a good bright future appear on RAW, which will be run champions do not travel from show two weeks, we forget about them. match. We are going the to be very to and great team unity." competitive in years by Ric Flair, and the other half will to show. This makes little sense. The plan for the weekly shows the come." The only problem right now is appear on the Vince McMahon run Chuck and Billy, a great pair of tag past year has been to have Rock or As for right now, the women there are only three women to fill Smackdown! champs, have no established tag Stone Cold cut a promo, have a few four roster spots. Diehl went on to Although the idea of getting teams on Smackdown! to feud with funny vignettes with the top card are having trouble slaying with say that if they just could get one more wrestlers on TV is indeed a over their belts. guys, then cram the same low level the powerful teams of the Cen- or two more players the program The Terror good one, the roster split is a ter- The APA and the Duldey Boyz talent as us every show. tennial Conference. 9-0 on April 6. could really take off. lost to Haverford rible idea doomed to fail. The were both broken up, so those Not a week is allowed to go by Pusey and Geneve Kallins were WWF has leaned heavily on their teams no longer exist. And the where William Regal didn't use the the high scorers for the squad. Wanted: top-flight stars like Rock, Austin, Hardy Boyz are on RAW. old brass knuckles on someone to and Jericho. With no tag team title to reach score a cheap win. Each won four games in their Sports Now fans will only get to see for, there is no purpose to the ex- Instead of allowing the Lance singles matches. these men once a week, instead of istence of The Hardy Boyz as a Storm's, Val Venis's, and Tajiri's 10 On April 3, the women lost at 9-0. Sharon Desperak twice. team. get one match a week, they allowed Gettysburg match 2~6,4- Writers and The bread winners shouldn't be It's like someone creating a the same Tests and Dudley Boyz lost a lough singles 6 and Kallins came up short 2-6, sacrificed to help the plebeians. football team, with no teams to play to appear on every show. 3~6.OnMarch 30. the Green Ter- Photographe And the fans shouldn't miss out on against and no championship. You can cycle the undercard 10 Bryn Mawr Col extra Rock matches. There is no goal that a team on wrestlers from show to show with. ror traveled lege and fell to tbe Mawrters 7~ Many people who watch the RAW can ShOOl for, because there out making a dramatic roster WWF watch mostly for The Rock is no chance of getting a shot at tag change and forcing Kurt Angle off 2. Freshmen Bayley Pannin and himself. titles from a different show. of Raw and Undertaker off of Darcie Hartwick put the Terror on Well, these fans have no need Another problem is the rise of the Smackdown! the board with their singles vic- If interested, to watch RAW, since they know old talent to new levels. I predict that this plan will fail tories, Fannin was victorious at won 6- 1, Rock won't be there. After having him lose every in ratings, house show sales, and 6-1, 6-4 and Hartwick along with please contact The day of the draft was great. big match he's been in for the past PPV buy rates. 6-2, Katrina Buckley. The draft took place at Penn State, six months, the WWF expects us The roster will merge again by Fannin and Hartwick, has also the Phoenix at and the night made for some great to take Kane seriously now as the Summerslam, and we'll see Rock posted a singles victory this sea- x 8600 back on Raw.