It Won’t Be Any Easier This Season in American League East

There are no chairs for members of the American League East. It’s a division where you just can’t afford to sit still.

The AL East is generally viewed as baseball’s toughest division. And with good reason--nine wins in the last 11 years of the playoffs leading to four World Series’ triumphs.

The fierce competition extends to the off-season. Standing still is a good way to get left behind.

Milwaukee nearly won the World Series in 1982. Two years later, its pitching devastated by injuries but its on-field lineup virtually intact, it was last.

Baltimore won in 1983, didn’t change that much for 1984--and sank to fifth. Detroit played the same hand in 1985 that won in 1984 and found the same cards good enough only for a third-place share of the pot.

Now the division champion Toronto Blue Jays, a bust in the playoffs, will attempt to stay the same in a world that continually changes. Like Detroit a winter ago, Toronto feels only cosmetic surgery is necessary to preserve its beauty.

The Blue Jays retain a sound nucleus--George Bell, Jesse Barfield, Lloyd Moseby, Willie Upshaw, etc.--but as a whole the team didn’t hit that well in the stretch. Which is why the division race went down to the final weekend and Toronto won by only a two-game margin over the exhausted New York Yankees.

The main new face Toronto brings to 1986 is new manager Jimy Williams, who, most observers feel, will acquit himself well as the club’s new boss but who hasn’t proved it yet.

Toronto’s pitching remains essentially the same (starters Dave Stieb, Doyle Alexander, Jimmy Key, Jim Clancy) but a couple of spots are open and unsettled.

The Blue Jays must find a new designated hitter, perhaps Cecil Fielder, to replace Al Oliver and Jeff Burroughs, neither of whom was offered a new contract, to complement Cliff Johnson. If Buck Martinez is unable to come back from his broken leg, the club must come up with a right-handed hitting catcher to help Ernie Whitt.

If Bill Caudill is successful in his winter body building, weight-reduction search for his missing fastball, it will be an enormous boost to the club’s chances.

Right-handed Class-A product Jose DeJesus, from the Kansas City organization, is this year’s draftee the Blue Jays must carry for the season and third baseman Kelly Gruber should finally stick.

The results of spring training will determine whether Toronto is in the movement to the 24-player roster. If it carries 25, the presence of DeJesus means it effectively has 24 players, just as it effectively had a 22-player roster last year because it carried three draftees.

The division race figures to be closer than last season, when Toronto ran away from everybody but New York and the Yankees kept falling back every time they did get close.

Milwaukee appears to have the best shot to make a multi-position advance. Toronto is the favorite to repeat but is seen as not as formidable as it was last year. Detroit should make a strong challenge.

New York strengthened its starting pitching with the addition of Britt Burns from Chicago plus the re-signing of the Niekros, Phil and Joe. It still has the most awesome hitting attack in the league.

The Yankees’ most noticeable addition is the shifting of Lou Piniella from the coaching staff to the hot seat--manager.

Detroit added veteran outfielder Dave Collins in hopes of getting more speed and run production into its lineup. Left-hander Dave LaPoint gives Manager Sparky Anderson someone besides Frank Tanana to throw in between Jack Morris and Dan Petry.

The Tigers hope Darnell Coles, who couldn’t solve Seattle’s third base problem, can solve theirs. Even if he can’t do that much, moving Tom Brookens out of the lineup strengthens a bench that was singularly weak last year. Detroit will probably open with 24 players, at least until it needs a 10th pitcher.

Baltimore manager Earl Weaver figures the Orioles’ new faces will be old ones--pitchers returning to their previous form. Last year Baltimore gave up runs like candy goes out at Halloween.

The Orioles will have Alan Wiggins at second all season and in addition added infielder Jackie Gutierrez from Boston for Sammy Stewart.

It would not be surprising if Boston traded center fielder Tony Armas or right fielder Dwight Evans to clear a space for Steve Lyons. Rookie Mike Greenwell and Kevin Romine are also in the picture. Ed Romero was obtained from Milwaukee for infield help.

The Red Sox made a major off-season move to help their pitching when they moved left-hander Bob Ojeda to the New York Mets for outfielders Tom Christensen and LaSchelle Tarver (assigned to Pawtucket) plus pitchers Wes Gardner and Calvin Schiraldi. The two pitchers have an excellent chance to make an always weak Boston staff.

Milwaukee cut Cy Young award winners Pete Vuckovich and Rollie Fingers, a clear sign it was cutting its ties to the past. Billy Joe Robidoux will open the season at first while Cecil Cooper recovers from elbow surgery--and maybe afterward, too. Cooper will DH upon his return.

The rebuilt Brewers will go with Bill Wegman, Juan Nieves (33-9 in three minor league seasons) and Timothy Leary beside Ted Higuera and Moose Haas in their starting rotation. Outfielders Rob Deer, a minor league sensation who has never cracked the big time, and onetime Brewer David Green may displace someone, too.

Cleveland will bring in pitchers by the carload to find some people who can get ERAs under 4.00. It added Ken Schrom and Bryan Oelkers from the Minnesota system and is hopeful, but not counting on, 1984 relief ace Ernie Camacho coming back from elbow surgery that limited him to just two 1985 games.