COMMENTARY : BASEBALL PREVIEW AL EAST : Same Tactics, Same Faces, Could Add Up to Too Much of Same

At least the American League East produced baseball’s only pennant race last season. That’s about all this declining division did. While the West was aggressive in raising young players, the East grew lazy and seemed content to occasionally pick up an old free agent or two.

Now, with the balance in the league tilting the other way, the AL East is--why, why?--still doing the same thing. Keith Hernandez, Jeff Reardon and Tony Pena were All-Stars once, but not these days. The one team that followed the West formula was Baltimore, and that was out of desperation.

Toronto probably has the best team. Milwaukee should contend, while Baltimore and Boston might slide. New York is middle-of-the-pack, followed by Cleveland and Detroit.

Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays finally found the right manager and the right ballpark. Spurred by sellouts and Cito Gaston, Toronto recovered from a 12-24 start and outlasted Baltimore in the stretch. This year, the Blue Jays could draw 4 million at the SkyDome.

Dave Stieb (17-8) heads a staff that led the division with a 3.58 earned-run average. Tom Henke (8-3, 1.92 ERA, 20 saves, 148 strikeouts in 151 innings) is the closer in a bullpen full of decent middle-relief and set-up men.

George Bell, at 30, is the last remaining member of what was once projected as baseball’s best outfield. He can poke (.297, 18 home runs, 104 RBIs). Fred McGriff’s 36 homers led the league and Kelly Gruber (.290, 18 HR) is solid. Mookie Wilson (.298, 12 stolen bases in two months) became the rage in Canada; at 34, he can still play, provided Junior Felix (46 RBIs in a platoon role) doesn’t keep him out of the lineup.

Watch rookie John Olerud. He has recovered from a brain aneurysm and scouts say he can really hit.

Milwaukee Brewers

Free agent Dave Parker brings his bat to an offense that always comes down to Robin Yount and Paul Molitor. But can the Brewers solve their two omnipresent problems--injuries and fielding?

Yount (.318, 21 HR, 103 RBI) beat out Ruben Sierra for the MVP award and continued his march toward 3,000 hits. At age 34, he should get there next season and after that, maybe 4,000?

Molitor (.315, 27 SB) and Parker (97 RBIs for Oakland) are good. So could be rookie outfielder Greg Vaughn (26 HR, 92 RBIs in 110 games at Class AAA Denver).

Chris Bosio was by far Milwaukee’s best starter. He was 15-10 with a 2.95 ERA and was the only AL East pitcher among the league’s top nine ERA leaders. Dan Plesac (2.35 ERA, 33 saves) is outstanding and he kills left handers.

The Brewers ruined themselves with a league-leading 155 errors. They made 33 miscues at shortstop and an awful 28 errors in the outfield. Furthermore, their players always seem to be hurt. Jim Gantner and Dale Sveum are hoping to recover this season.

Baltimore Orioles

From the minute they rallied to beat Roger Clemens on opening day, it was a special season in Baltimore. The Orioles tied the 1967 Chicago Cubs for most victories (87) after a 100-loss season and showed the fourth-greatest improvement in major league history.

A wild pitch from brilliant rookie reliever Gregg Olson in Toronto on the final weekend stalled Baltimore’s bid to go from worst-to-first.

The Orioles project great things for Ben McDonald, the No. 1 pick in last year’s draft. Olson (1.69 ERA, 27 saves) did not blow an opportunity until late in the season.

Cal Ripken’s streak might be taking its toll. He hit 21 homers and drove in 93 runs, but his slugging percentage declined for the sixth straight year. Ripken is more than halfway to Lou Gehrig’s record of 2,130 consecutive games.

More than anything, the Orioles showed the value of catching the ball. They set a major-league record with a .996 fielding percentage.

Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox went out and bought some of everything--Shane Rawley to start, Jeff Reardon to relieve, Tony Pena to catch. Maybe those are improvements, maybe not.

Roger Clemens (17-11, 3.13) is the only sure thing in the rotation. Reardon (31 saves despite a 4.07 ERA) joins Lee Smith (25 saves, 3.57 ERA) and gives Boston too much of the same thing.

Wade Boggs (.330, .430 on-base average) reached 200 hits for the seventh straight season. This year, there’s no controversy, either. Dwight Evans (20 HR, 100 RBIs) is great at 39 and Mike Greenwell (.308, 95 RBIs) and Ellis Burks (.303, 21 SB) helped Boston lead the majors with a .277 average and 774 runs. The Red Sox will really miss Nick Esasky (30 HR, 108 RBIs).

New York Yankees

The Yankees led the majors in victories during the 1980s, even though it was the first decade since Ruth & Gehrig in which they did not win a World Series.

Dave Winfield is the big question. If he can stay healthy and regain his form, it’s a major plus.

Don Mattingly (.303, 23 HR, 113 RBIs) again rebounded from his characteristic slow start. He might do even better this year if he works out a new contract with George Steinbrenner. Steve Sax (.315, 43 SB) was a free agent who turned out well.

The Yankees got hooted when they signed Pascual Perez to be their ace. But look at his numbers--28-21 with a 2.80 ERA in his last three years. Andy Hawkins (15-15), Chuck Cary (4-4) Clay Parker (4-5) and newcomer Tim Leary (8-14 in Cincinnati and Los Angeles) fill out a garden variety rotation.

New York’s 4.50 ERA was second-worst to Detroit in the league.

Cleveland Indians

The Indians have not finished within 10 games of first place since 1959. This year, there’s optimism in Cleveland, but is it justified?

The Indians got catcher Sandy Alomar Jr., the minor league player of the year, plus promising Carlos Baerga and usable Chris James from San Diego for Joe Carter (35 HR, 105 RBIs). Probably not that bad a deal, considering Carter would have left after this season as a free agent.

Tom Candiotti (13-10, 3.10 ERA), John Farrell (9-14) and Greg Swindell (13-6, 3.37 ERA) can form the nucleus of a nice rotation for new Manager John McNamara if they’re healthy and consistent. Doug Jones (32 saves) and Jesse Orosco (2.08 ERA in 69 games) give the Indians a decent lefty-righty bullpen.

The Indians hope free agent Keith Hernandez, 36, can help on and off the field.

Detroit Tigers

The Tigers were so bad last season that even eternal optimist Sparky Anderson had to take some time off. There’s no reason to think Detroit will be much better this year.

Free agents Lloyd Moseby (.221 in Toronto), Tony Phillips (.262 in Oakland) and Cecil Fielder, who returned from Japan, join Larry Sheets as newcomers. That’s the best Detroit could do.

Alan Trammell slumped to .243 and Lou Whitaker hit just .251.

Jack Morris, the top winner in the 1980s, fell to 6-14.

The Tigers slid from 88-74 in 1988 to 59-103 last year, their first 100-loss season since 1975.