BASEBALL ’91 LEAGUE PREVIEW : NATIONAL LEAGUE : Host of Malcontents Will Be Sent to Beat the Reds’ Nasty Boys

It was bound to happen.

After watching the Cincinnati Reds’ relief pitchers throw fastballs and temper tantrums en route to the World Series championship last fall, the National League’s general managers had to start wondering.

Hmmm, maybe this is what it takes. Players who hate management. Players who hate each other. Players whose street clothes are camouflage, and who kill alligators on days off. Yeah, maybe this is the secret. . . .

Suddenly, everyone in the National League is trying to be nasty. Mean is in. Bad is good.

Everyone seems to think that if an attitude could work for Rob Dibble, Norm Charlton and Randy Myers of the Cincinnati Reds, why couldn’t it work for us?

The Chicago Cubs wanted to make their move on the East Division-champion Pittsburgh Pirates, so they signed Cincinnati’s Danny Jackson, a pitcher who once was so angry he set his uniform on fire. The Cubs also signed Toronto malcontent George Bell, who has promised to never threaten his manager again.

The Dodgers wanted to make a move on the Reds, so they signed one of the most celebrated, controversial sluggers in the game, Darryl Strawberry, who once got into a fistfight while posing for a team photograph.

Because Strawberry says he has mellowed, the Dodgers took no chances and signed Brett Butler, a nice guy who is absolutely hated by opponents because he plays like a 5-foot-9 pest.

And the list goes on. . . .

The Pittsburgh Pirates whipped Barry Bonds in an off-season arbitration hearing, making him angry enough to engage in a shouting match with Manager Jim Leyland during spring training.

The Philadelphia Phillies signed unshaven and unedited Wally Backman. The New York Mets signed the quietly angry Vince Coleman. The Montreal Expos traded nice-guy Tim Raines for temperamental Ivan Calderon.

The San Diego Padres traded popular Joe Carter and easygoing Roberto Alomar for quietly intense Fred McGriff and Tony Fernandez. The San Francisco Giants . . . well, if you have Will Clark, you don’t need any more attitude.

Of course, there is one problem in all of this. The original Nasty Boys are still downright nasty.

“You know, we don’t give a damn where people pick us to finish,” Charlton said last week. “If those people who predict baseball knew anything about baseball, they would be playing instead of us.

“Go ahead, pick us last, just like last year. Go ahead.”

No thanks.

WESTERN DIVISION

CINCINNATI REDS

* 1990 finish: 91-71, first.

* Outlook: What’s not to like? They are essentially the same team that led the division from start to finish last season before defeating Pittsburgh for the league title and Oakland in the Series.

And that was with average performances by many of their stars.

What if Eric Davis hits more than 24 home runs and gets more than 86 RBIs? He’s done it before. Who says Barry Larkin, who hit .342 in the first three months of 1989 before being injured, can’t do better than his .301 average of last year?

What happens when first baseman Hal Morris, who hit .340 in 107 games, has a full season in the big leagues? And think about what second baseman Bill Doran, fully recovered from back surgery, can do when playing more than 17 games in his hometown.

It also helps that the Reds fielded the youngest lineup in the National League, averaging slightly more than 27. This was the youngest group of regulars to win a World Series since the 1969 Mets.

* New faces: Pitcher Ted Power.

* Must have: Consistency from starting pitchers Jack Armstrong and Scott Scudder.

* Don’t have: A left-hander in the bullpen to replace Norm Charlton, who is in the starting rotation.

DODGERS

* 1990 finish: 86-76, second.

* Outlook: Their two biggest battles this season will be with the Reds and themselves.

If their bullpen is sharp, they can handle the Reds. How will they handle themselves?

This is a clubhouse full of talent and experience. But many have never played on a team of such talent and experience.

If the Dodgers play .as expected, everything will be fine. And if they don’t play so well?

Darryl Strawberry has heard nothing but applause since joining the team and becoming a born-again Christian. How will he react to boos?

What about injuries? This is not a young team, and the trainer’s room often was crowded during spring training.

If a star goes down, as Orel Hershiser did last year, will this team be able to circle the wagons? Some of the most important players this season may not be the stars, but reserve outfielders Stan Javier and Chris Gwynn, backup infielders Lenny Harris and Mike Sharperson and backup catchers Gary Carter and Barry Lyons.

This club has depth. What it must prove is depth of spirit.

* New faces: Outfielders Strawberry and Butler, pitchers Bob Ojeda, Kevin Gross and John Candelaria, catchers Carter and Lyons.

* Must have: Good years from three players in two key batting slots, No. 2 hitter Juan Samuel and alternating No. 6 hitters Jeff Hamilton and Mike Scioscia.

* Don’t have: A proven relief pitcher who is not recovering from some sort of injury.

ATLANTA BRAVES

* 1990 finish: 65-97, sixth.

* Outlook: Yes, they can finish in third place and even challenge for the championship.

Why not? That’s what the Braves asked themselves when they signed Deion Sanders, the NFL player who is suddenly their left fielder.

Why not? That’s what they asked themselves when they signed veteran free agents Terry Pendleton and Sid Bream to seal the corners of their infield. Bet they don’t lead the league in errors again.

The Braves are the first team to finish more than 20 games out of first place for six consecutive seasons since the San Diego Padres did it from 1969 to 1977. They have not had a winning month since May of 1987.

But they have done many other daring things. They traded Dale Murphy, which gave David Justice a chance to be rookie of the year. They demoted Ron Gant from the major leagues to Class A two years ago, and guess who is now their star center fielder and 30-30 player (32 home runs, 33 stolen bases last year)?

* New faces: First baseman Bream, third baseman Pendleton, outfielder Sanders, catcher Mike Heath.

* Must have: Maturity from starting pitchers.

* Don’t have: Enough players who have experienced winning.

SAN DIEGO PADRES

* 1990 finish: 75-87, tied for fourth.

* Outlook: With a good upper batting order featuring Bip Roberts, Tony Gwynn, Fred McGriff and Benito Santiago, this team is not as bad as everyone thinks.

And with Jack Clark and Mike Pagliarulo gone, maybe everybody in the clubhouse will stop screaming.

But they are cursed with something far worse than in-house fighting. They are playing for a manager with an uncertain future. Greg Riddoch has a one-year contract and less than a year’s experience, and everybody knows that if the Padres don’t get off to a fast start--which they never do--he could be gone.

Riddoch’s chances will improve if Roberts can bat over .300 again, and Gwynn can play happy again, and Santiago can stay calm long enough to show he is baseball’s best catcher.

How well McGriff and shortstop Tony Fernandez will adjust to the National League after being traded from Toronto is anybody’s guess. And who knows how outfielders Shawn Abner and Jerald Clark will play? They have seemingly been top prospects for a decade.

* New faces: First baseman McGriff, shortstop Fernandez, third baseman Jim Presley, pitcher Larry Andersen.

* Must have: Good years by young starter Andy Benes and veteran Bruce Hurst, who are capable of more than they have shown.

* Don’t have: Great faith in their leaders.

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

* 1990 finish: 85-77, third.

* Outlook: The Giants can no longer thrive on Roger Craig’s pitching miracles. Even with the best middle batting order in baseball, they will not have enough offense to overcome a starting rotation that is too old or too hurt or too inexperienced or simply too average.

Bud Black didn’t deserve the abuse he took for signing a large off-season contract, but he is no staff ace. John Burkett is probably the least-qualified opening-day starter in the league.

Nobody knows what to expect from Scott Garrelts and Mike LaCoss anymore. And Don Robinson has taken such a beating over the years, he is being shuttled off to the bullpen. Dave Righetti is the heralded new bullpen ace, but scouts say he doesn’t throw that hard anymore.

The Giants are also not as strong up the middle as they used to be.

* New faces: Pitchers Black and Righetti, outfielder Willie McGee.

* Must have: Lots of home runs and RBIs from the heart of the lineup: Will Clark, Kevin Mitchell and Matt Williams.

* Don’t have: One proven, experienced, consistently healthy starting pitcher.

HOUSTON ASTROS

* 1990 finish: 75-87, tied for fourth.

* Outlook: This is the worst team to take the field on opening day since the 1987 San Diego Padres.

When Astro ownership decided to dump most of its large contracts during the off-season to make the team easier to sell, it obviously forgot that nobody wants to buy a lemon.

When rookie Jeff Bagwell couldn’t unseat Ken Caminiti at third base, the Astros shrugged and moved him to first base, where he will start, even though he has never played the position. He is no Glenn Davis.

The starting second baseman could be Mark McLemore, and the shortstop will be Eric Yelding, who is famous only for being fast.

The outfield: Luis Gonzalez in left, Steve Finley in center and . . . oh, you wouldn’t recognize any of the three potential right fielders anyway.

Three words will come to everyone’s mind when the Astros take the field opening day in Cincinnati with one of their last vestiges of pride on the mound: Poor Mike Scott.

* New faces: Pitchers Curt Schilling and Pete Harnisch, outfielder Finley.

* Must have: A major trade in which they acquire most of the Oakland A’s.

* Don’t have: A prayer of winning the championship.

EASTERN DIVISION

CHICAGO CUBS

* 1990 finish: 77-85, tied for fourth.

* Outlook: Finally, a Cub team as unique and sturdy as its Wrigley Field home. Like the population of the Wrigley bleachers on a July afternoon, the Cubs’ lineup contains a little bit of everything. And each person has the potential to raise a ruckus.

Ryne Sandberg, the second baseman, is baseball’s most solid infielder. Andre Dawson is one of baseball’s classiest outfielders. Shawon Dunston may rank second among baseball’s most exciting shortstops, trailing only the White Sox’s Ozzie Guillen.

Jerome Walton is a versatile center fielder who, at 25, is only getting better. Mark Grace has reached base 200 times in each of his three big league seasons, a remarkable feat matched by only four other active players, one of them Sandberg.

If all of these players are so good, and they all played for the Cubs last year, why didn’t Don Zimmer redeem himself in the playoffs? That is why they acquired George Bell, Danny Jackson and Dave Smith.

The Cubs needed a power hitter to complement Dawson, so they signed Bell, who hit 21 homers for Toronto last year. That figure is important because the last four players to join the Cubs after hitting 20 homers elsewhere all equaled or surpassed those totals in their first seasons in Wrigley Field.

The Cubs needed a little life in the clubhouse and in the starting rotation, so they acquired the fiery Jackson.

They also needed a reliever who, unlike Mitch Williams, wouldn’t drive them crazy. So they picked up the laid-back Dave Smith. He has 199 saves, third most in National League history.

* New faces: Outfielder Bell, pitchers Jackson and Smith.

* Must have: Good performance by low-profile starters Shawn Boskie and Mike Bielecki.

* Don’t have: A steady third baseman, so Gary Scott will move from double-A to the starting lineup.

MONTREAL EXPOS

* 1990 finish: 85-77, third place.

* Outlook: Buck Rodgers may be baseball’s best manager, and this could finally be the year everybody sees those skills at work in October.

Sure, the Expos traded Tim Raines, but they received the enormously talented outfielder Ivan Calderon, who hit 70 homers in four full seasons with the Chicago White Sox.

Calderon, who also stole 32 bases last year, is joined by other heavy hitters such as Tim Wallach and Andres Galarraga.

And then there is exciting second baseman Delino DeShields, who had four hits on opening day last year in his major league debut and probably would have been rookie of the year if he had not been slowed by a broken hand.

The pitching staff that led the league in ERA last year is mostly intact.

Dennis Martinez and Oil Can Boyd lead a starting rotation that will soon have Mark Gardner back from the disabled list, and Tim Burke, Barry Jones and left-hander Steve Frey lead a steady bullpen.

* New faces: Outfielder Calderon, relief pitcher Jones.

* Must have: Steady play at shortstop from leader Spike Owen, and steady catching from Mike Fitzgerald, who should return from a hand injury soon.

* Don’t have: Problem players of the past. Rodgers could take this amiable group far.

NEW YORK METS

* 1990 finish: 91-71, second.

* Outlook: Finally, they have found a place for Gregg Jefferies to play. He will start the season at third base, and he will stay there.

And Howard Johnson will stay at shortstop, where he did not make an error for 39 consecutive games late last year, then broke the streak with two errors in the final game.

In Manager Bud Harrelson’s first full season, the Mets will know their roles. And everyone will feel part of the act, unlike the days when Darryl Strawberry dominated every show.

Hubie Brooks may not be a statistical equal to Strawberry, but he will provide leadership both in right field and in the clubhouse. Vince Coleman, the new center fielder, will provide leadoff hitting. Kevin McReynolds will continue to hit about 25 homers and drive in about 90 runs and otherwise never let you know he’s there.

This could be a very good team if the starting pitching stays strong, meaning Frank Viola has to ignore the bone spurs in his elbow and Wally Whitehurst has to take advantage of the chance of a lifetime as Sid Fernandez’ two-month temporary replacement.

* New faces: Outfielders Brooks and Coleman, catcher Rick Cerone.

* Must have: Ron Darling returning to form after being given another chance to start.

* Don’t have: One catcher who can hit and field. Charlie O’Brien fields, Mackey Sasser hits.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES

* 1990 finish: 95-67, first.

* Outlook: As long as tough Jim Leyland is managing, mutiny will be surpressed. But you have to wonder about the staying power of a team whose two biggest names, Barry Bonds and Bobby Bonilla, want to leave town.

Contract troubles have cost the Pirates more than just the good will of Bonds and Bonilla. It also cost them a good first baseman when Sid Bream left because he could make more at Atlanta.

Replacing Bream will be the platoon of Gary Redus and Carmelo Martinez. The rest of a strong infield returns, with Jose Lind, Jay Bell and Jeff King.

The outfield is still baseball’s best. The heroics that Bonds and Bonilla concoct with the bat are equaled by three-time Gold Glove winner Andy Van Slyke in the field.

About the only weakness on this team is in the bullpen, where right-handed middle reliever Ted Power departed and was not replaced.

But one senses that problems with this team will not be on the field. Where is Wally Backman when you need him?

* New faces: None.

* Must have: Peace off the field.

* Don’t have: Enough money to make all these guys happy.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

* 1990 finish: 70-92, sixth.

* Outlook: Anybody who thinks the Cardinals will be so terrible hasn’t seen some of these young guys play. The voids left by Terry Pendleton, Willie McGee and Vince Coleman could be filled quickly.

The outfield of Felix Jose and rookies Bernard Gilkey and Ray Lankford can become one of the most exciting in baseball.

And critics of Todd Zeile as a catcher should understand that he still managed 15 homers and 57 RBIs last season as a sometimes confused rookie. He could be solid at third base.

Ozzie Smith may be on the trading block, but he can still inspire kids, especially if the Cardinals get off to a fast start. And Pedro Guerrero and Jose Oquendo are a solid first base-second base combination.

The starting rotation was severely damaged when Joe Magrane was lost for the season because of elbow surgery. This is the biggest reason they may not contend, although Jose DeLeon, Bryn Smith, Bob Tewksbury and Ken Hill aren’t the league’s worst rotation.

* New faces: Relief pitcher Juan Agosto, first baseman-outfielder Gerald Perry.

* Must have: A fast start, to build confidence in younger players.

* Don’t have: Whitey Herzog, a manager who would have liked this team.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

* 1990 finish: 77-85, tied for fourth.

* Outlook: People are saying that the Phillies’ pitching rotation may be the worst in baseball. The problem is that the people talking are other Phillies.

With Ken Howell lost for much of the year because of shoulder surgery, the ace of the staff is Terry Mulholland, who won nine games last year. He is backed by Pat Combs, who won 10 games; Jose DeJesus, seven; and Jason Grimsley and Tommy Greene, three each.

The everyday lineup is good, but it is not good enough to score five runs every game, which is what this pitching staff would seem to require.

The outfield of Len Dykstra, Von Hayes and Dale Murphy is solid. John Kruk returns to his natural position at first base, and Wally Backman will cause a commotion at second base. Dickie Thon is a decent shortstop and Charlie Hayes just keeps improving at third base.

* New faces: Infielder Backman.

* Must have: Cy Young.

* Don’t have: The sense of humor necessary to make it through this season.