National League

Sporting News, The, March 20, 2000

Arizona

CLOSER SUPPORT: Closer Matt Mantel suffered a few sprains of his left ankle when he was younger, and some laxity in the joint causes some stress on the Achilles' tendon. He took five days off from game action before returning last Saturday and will wear a brace on the ankle. Mantei reached his pitch count in two-thirds of an inning but hit 97 mph and reported no problems with his landing leg.... RHP Jim Corsi wasn't scheduled to make his first Cactus League outing until this week, but he still has a shot at the 11th pitching spot on the roster. Corsi's debut was delayed by his February 29 concussion. Corsi, signed just after camp opened, is competing against RHPs Brad Clontz, Mike Morgan and Byung-Hyun Kim for the final relief spot.

THIRD PRACTICE: IF Greg Colbrunn's spring hitting is no surprise; he always has been able to hit. He should get some lime at third base this spring so he can be prepared to spoil 3B Matt Williams at times.... Travis Lee already has made three fine plays in right field, so whether he gets the platoon position opposite Bernard Gilkey might rest on his offense. Lee has hit the bah solidly at times but still seems inclined to pull everything.... The rotation is in good shape. LHP Randy Johnson is on track, with his hard slider biting and fast. bah hitting the mid-to-high 90s. RHP Todd Stottlemyre is having a normal spring, showing no signs of the 70 percent tear in his rotator cuff. LHPs Omar Daal and Brian Anderson already are displaying the sharp command they need, and RHP Armando Reynoso is about on track. --Ed Price

Atlanta

GOING DEEP: After two days of swinging against a breaking-bah machine in the indoor batting cages, 1B Andres Galarraga could feel his timing and his power returning. The result of his hard work with hitting coach Merv Rettenmund was immediately evident last Saturday. He crushed two-run homers in his first two at-bats, his first home runs of the spring.... Brian Hunter's spring had been an exercise in futility until he homered in his ninth at-bat. Feeling out of sync at the plate, he was a strikeout victim in six of his first eight at-bats and had begun heading to the batting cage early each morning to work with Rettenmund. Hunter needs a solid spring to win a job on the bench as a backup first baseman, outfielder and pinch hitter. He hit .249 in a backup role last season, but he faces stiff competition from Trenidad Hubbard, Bobby Bonilla and Randall Simon.

FAST START: A hitter isn't necessarily guaranteed an outstanding season by putting up good numbers in March, but everyone remembers 3B Chipper Jones led the Grapefruit League in hitting last year and went on to claim the MVP award. OF Brian Jordan will have to put together a career year to exceed the numbers he put up last season, but he was the club's most consistent hitter during the first two weeks of exhibition games with a .500 average and a pair of home runs. CF Andruw Jones also was off to a fast start with a .471 average, three home runs and six RBIs. He has been spending extra time in the batting cage with Rettenmund, who is working with him on his mechanics and driving the bah to all fields. --Bill Zack

Chicago

BATTLING FOR FIFTH SPOT: Assuming RHP Kerry Wood opens the season on the disabled list, the top four pitchers in the rotation would be RHPs Ismael Valdes, Jon Lieber, Kevin Tapani and Kyle Farnsworth. The fifth starting job has come down to a battle between LHPs Andrew Lorraine and Scott Downs. Lorraine finished last season in the rotation, going 2-5 with a 5.55 ERA. Lorraine doesn't throw hard but has a deceptive delivery. Throwing the first strike is important for him to have success. Downs went 13-1 in two minor league stops in the organization last year. He has a good curveball, which is his out pitch. This spring, however, he has had enough success with his fastball that he hasn't had to rely on the curve too much. Former phenom Todd Van Poppel has had trouble with his command this spring, and there may not be enough time for him to turn things around to win the final job.

DEFENSIVE SPECIALIST: C Jose Molina is a long shot to make the team, but the Cubs like what they see behind the plate. Molina has never hit much in the minors, but he has thrown out 43 percent of the runners trying to steal against him during his pro career. He has a good arm, and he moves around well behind the plate. He also provides a good target, and pitchers seem to like throwing to him. For right now, manager Don Baylor plans to carry only two catchers, veterans Joe Girardi and Jeff Reed. A third catcher will have to be able to play another position, meaning veteran minor leaguer Alan Zinter may have the edge. Zinter is a switch hitter, and the team needs lefthanded hitting off the bench. He also can play third and first. --Bruce Miles

Cincinnati

THWARTED FOR NOW: G.M. Jim Bowden has all but given up the thought of acquiring another starting pitcher before opening day afar being told by the Twins and Royals that neither Brad Radke nor Jose Rosado would be available. That means the fifth spot in the rotation probably will be filled by RHP Mark Portugal. Osvaldo Fernandez and rookie Rob Bell also still have a shot, but Portugal has pitched well this spring.... OF Deion Sanders, attempting to come back from knee and ankle surgery and from a three-year layoff from baseball, received game action for the first time this spring last Sunday. The team's medical staff has said repeatedly that Sanders is well ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation program. But he also has struggled at times while taking batting practice against live pitching. Now that he is ready to play, he has a lot to prove if he is to secure a reserve role on the regular-season roster.