Baseball Visions

Here it is the All-Star break, and both the Dodgers and the Angels are in first place in their respective divisions--a state of affairs that is both pleasant and surprising, given the pre-season prospects for the local hardballers.

The Angels, who have played solid baseball all season, enjoy a six-game margin in the American League West, while the Dodgers cling to a half-game lead in the National West. They squeaked into first place over the weekend, capping a surge during which their bats came to life at the same time that the San Diego Padres were cooling off. The Dodger hitters were led by Pedro Guerrero, the erstwhile unhappy third baseman recently returned to the outfield, who has the third-highest batting average in the league and is second in home runs. But Guerrero is now out with a back injury, Mike Marshall has yet to return from an appendectomy, and still the Dodgers win!

Visions of a Freeway Series begin to dance in the mind, but there are many pitfalls between now and October, not the least of which is the possibility of a players’ strike that could wreak havoc with the season, as a walkout did in 1981. If there is no strike, half the season still has to be played, with unpredictable results. But the Dodgers and Angels will resume the pennant chase Thursday night in a better position than most people expected.