BASEBALL’S STRETCH RUN : Final Month Provides 16 Teams With Chance for Ecstasy and Agony in Race for Playoffs

Baseball’s September song features the romantic lyrics of stirring comebacks and dramatic finishes. The ecstasy of victory, the agony of defeat.

How is it for Tony La Russa, who went through it so often as manager of the Oakland Athletics and is now confronting the emotions of another September as manager of the St. Louis Cardinals?

Slightly more basic. Slightly less romantic.

“I’m as nauseous as I’ve ever been,” he said. “I have a terrible headache. My head is pounding, I feel like throwing up and I’m having trouble swallowing.

“And the beauty of this situation is you want to feel like this every day.”

With the realignment of 1995, the expansion of the playoffs and the addition of a wild card in the American and National leagues, the siege of upset stomachs and aching heads is wider spread than ever.

Aside from the six division leaders, 10 other teams approach the season’s final four-plus weeks within striking distance of their division or wild-card lead.

“It’s working out just as we thought it would,” acting commissioner Bud Selig said.

It is what he would be expected to say, having pushed for realignment and the wild card as a method of keeping more teams and more fans involved in the races.

Perhaps.

If the wild card hasn’t exactly created a buzz in the nation’s sports bars, it has definitely provided many more players a reason to keep playing in September and complicated the playoff picture.

In the National League, for instance, the loser of the battle between the Dodgers and San Diego Padres in the West (or, perhaps, even the Colorado Rockies) could end up with the wild card, but so could the loser of the race between the Cardinals and Houston Astros in the Central or the Montreal Expos, who have nothing else to play for in the East, which belongs to the Atlanta Braves.

Similarly, the Chicago White Sox, who have nothing else to play for in the American League Central, which is dominated by the Cleveland Indians, are attempting to win the wild card over the runners-up in the West, at this point the Seattle Mariners, and the East, at this point the Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox.

If some treat the wild card like a consolation prize--the Dodgers and Padres, for instance, insist it’s not their objective--the Expos acknowledge it’s the only prize.

“We knew we were playing for it when we got to training camp,” Manager Felipe Alou said, realistically conceding division dominance to the Braves.

Alou could be haunted by Atlanta from start to finish. His Expos play seven of their last 11 games against the Braves, a daunting challenge in the wild-card pursuit.

The race in the West is likely to be decided at the same time. The Padres and Dodgers play seven times in the last 11 days.

The Expos must hope that one or the other dominates, an unlikely event.

They must hope that the Astros or Cardinals collapse, equally unlikely.

“I still think two clubs from this division will make the playoffs,” Padre General Manager Kevin Towers said of the West, “but I really feel our club wouldn’t be satisfied with the wild card.

“It’s been so long since this team has won that the goal is to win the division. It’s going to come down to the last nine games [the Padres also play two with the Rockies in that period], as we thought it would all year.”

Said Dodger vice president Fred Claire: “We’re not tracking the wild card. It’s too difficult [to decipher]. From our viewpoint, the wild card is almost an afterthought until the last week. It’s no surprise. We’re headed to the wire with three teams neck and neck.”

An inability to win on the road, however, has left the Rockies with a neck strain.

They were six back going into today’s series opener with the Pittsburgh Pirates, a chance to recover prior to a four-game series at Houston and then a nine-game siege at home against the Braves, Astros and Dodgers.

If the Rockies are still in contention, they play seven of their last nine against the Matt Williams-less San Francisco Giants.

“I’m not saying the Giants couldn’t rise up and pound them, but the Giants without Matt Williams are not the same team,” Claire said.

“I mean, I’m sure San Diego feels like we do. We’d like to position ourselves for those final games against each other by opening some distance over the Rockies.”

Pluses? Minuses?

--The Dodgers play 16 of their last 24 games at home, but San Diego does not have to go to the snake pit that is Coors Field while the Dodgers do--jeopardizing their pitching staff in three games before playing four with San Diego.

--The Dodgers can feed off their division success of last year, but the Padres enjoy veteran leadership in Tony Gwynn, Ken Caminiti, Steve Finley, Bob Tewksbury, Wally Joyner and Fernando Valenzuela.

It’s September, when every game has a critical feel to it, said Claire, and every play is magnified, but a strange season shows no signs of becoming something different for the Dodgers, who have spent most of it in tiring self-analysis--on their way with every victory but abysmally underachieving with every loss.

They now talk about the inspirational return of Brett Butler and Tim Wallach, but continue to lose games defensively at third base and in center field and continue to hit inconsistently.

At this point it seems simple: if Todd Worrell can prove to be bionic, the Dodgers should take it to the final weekend. If not. . . .

“Todd has done a mammoth job for us, but pitching in general has been our foundation,” Claire said.

“It’s critical in September and I feel good about ours.”

Two races are over.

--The Braves can begin mapping their playoff rotation with the addition of Denny Neagle.

--The Indians have October concerns stemming from the shoulder injury to Dennis Martinez and the inconsistency of Jack McDowell, but should put Chicago away during a 10-game homestand opening Friday.

A third race is about over.

The Texas Rangers, surprisingly sustained by a rotation that leads the American League in just about every durability category, seems about to bury the perspiring ghosts of previous summers.

The Rangers have used only eight starting pitchers. Their season opening rotation leads the league in starts, victories and innings.

The pursuing Mariners, without Randy Johnson and Chris Bosio for a large portion of the season and faced with the loss of Cy Young Award-winner Johnson over the rest, have used 15 starting pitchers.

“It’s a very important factor,” Texas Manager Johnny Oates said. “Nothing drives a manager batty quicker than coming to the park not knowing who’s going to pitch--or how that person is going to pitch.”

The Mariners have a four-game series left with the Rangers in the Kingdome, but probably need to sweep.

Seattle Manager Lou Piniella, perhaps playing mind games, said his team should concentrate on the wild card rather than a division-title defense.

“No question we have to focus on the wild card now and forget the West,” he said. “You go after what’s closest and let the rest take care of itself, if it ever does.”

In the NL Central, the Cardinals and Astros began their final series Monday. St. Louis has only six home games in the last three weeks; Houston 10. St. Louis is faced with four games in Los Angeles; Houston three in Colorado.

If the improbable Chicago Cubs, only 4 1/2 out on Labor Day, can find a way to replace Sammy Sosa and augment Steve Trachsel and Jaime Navarro in the rotation, they could overtake the leaders.

The Cubs have 13 games left with Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, the best of the schedule, but this is a race that will probably be decided in the Astro bullpen. Houston relievers have kept it alive by blowing 15 of 48 save chances.

John Hudek, the 1994 ace, has returned from two years of physical problems but must be used judiciously. Veteran Todd Jones is likely out for the season because of shoulder problems. Rookie Billy Wagner, effective in the closer role following his second-half recall, is on the disabled list because of a groin pull, but is expected to return Saturday.

The Yankees and Orioles know the feeling in the American League East.

Major league save leader John Wetteland has been on the Yankees’ disabled list since Aug. 13 because of a groin pull, compounding serious rotation problems.

Randy Myers, 26 of 33 converting save opportunities through Sunday, was removed from save opportunities in each of the last two Baltimore victories because of his inconsistency. “Randy has to have a good September for us to overtake the Yankees,” said Kevin Malone, the Orioles’ assistant general manager.

The Orioles, who trailed by 12 games on July 28, trail by four and have three left with New York and two with Boston. The Yankees play seven of their last nine with the Red Sox.

“We control our own fate,” Malone said. “If our starters give us a chance, we’re going to score enough runs.”

The Orioles are going to try and negotiate September with a four man rotation of Mike Mussina, David Wells, Scott Erickson and Rocky Coppinger.

All nine members of the starting lineup have hit 20 or more home runs.

Sometimes the best trades are those that aren’t made.

The Orioles were on the verge of trading Wells and Bobby Bonilla for prospects prior to the July 30 non-waiver deadline, giving up on the season basically. Owner Peter Angelos intervened, saying the club had sold too many tickets for the second half, had too large a commitment to fans, to capitulate that early.

The Orioles have since come together, putting aside a raft of earlier controversies.

“The Yankees weren’t doing anything wrong and we weren’t doing anything right,” Malone said of a 12-game disparity that was undoubtedly misleading on the basis of comparative talent. “We had the personnel, but didn’t perform to expectations.”

The roles now seem reversed. The Yankees have problems with their pitching, a revolving door on the clubhouse and an owner who has returned to September form, sniping at anyone and anything.

Asked last week if the Yankees could still win, George Steinbrenner said:

“I’ll be honest with you, I don’t know. We’ll find out soon enough. I’ve got to believe, because I helped get most of these guys. I have to have confidence in them and their ability to prevail.” The return of David Cone should help, but the cohesion and chemistry of the clubhouse has been disrupted by the employment of 48 players.

“It takes a while to get to know people,” Jim Leyritz said in Anaheim last weekend.

“At a time like this you need to pull together. You need the sense of family more than ever.”

At this point, having led for 126 consecutive days, the Yankees would prefer to win the division rather than settle for a wild card.

The Orioles will take what’s dealt.

“Our first goal was to reach the playoffs and that’s one way to do it,” said Malone.

Of course. In the end they would all be happy to be playing in October.

Even the Dodgers. Who cares what door?

Said Claire:

“We’re a team that has not been identified with closeness and emotion, but I don’t think that’s fair to the players.

“They have a sense of pride in a total effort and they have to use that emotion now.”

Turn up the volume. The September song has just begun.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

THE RACES

DIVISION

*--*

NL WEST W L Pct. GB San Diego 77 62 .554 -- Dodgers 75 62 .547 1 NL CENTRAL W L Pct. GB Houston 74 65 .532 -- St. Louis 73 65 .529 1/2 Chicago 68 68 .500 4 1/2 AL EAST W L Pct. GB New York 77 60 .562 -- Baltimore 73 64 .533 4

*--*

Atlanta (NL East), Cleveland (AL Central) and Texas (AL West) hold comfortable leads.

WILD CARD

*--*

NATIONAL LEAGUE W L Pct. GB Dodgers 75 62 .547 -- Montreal 74 62 .544 1/2 St. Louis 73 65 .529 2 1/2 Colorado 71 68 .511 5 Chicago 68 68 .500 6 1/2 AMERICAN LEAGUE W L Pct. GB Baltimore 73 64 .533 -- Chicago 74 65 .532 -- Seattle 71 66 .518 2 Boston 71 67 .514 2 1/2

*--*

Each league has one wild-card team for the playoffs.

The Breakdown After the Break

With the playoff races heating up, a look at the teams since the All-Star break:

NATIONAL LEAGUE

*--*

WEST W L Pct. GB Dodgers 28 20 .583 -- San Diego 29 21 .580 -- Colorado 29 24 .547 1 1/2 San Francisco 20 29 .408 8 1/2 EAST W L Pct. GB Atlanta 30 20 .600 -- Florida 27 24 .529 3 1/2 Montreal 25 24 .510 4 1/2 New York 20 31 .392 10 1/2 Philadelphia 18 34 .346 13 CENTRAL W L Pct. GB Chicago 27 22 .551 -- Houston 27 23 .540 1/2 St. Louis 27 24 .529 1 Cincinnati 29 26 .527 1 Pittsburgh 18 32 .360 9 1/2

*--*

AMERICAN LEAGUE

*--*

WEST W L Pct. GB Texas 26 24 .520 -- Seattle 25 27 .481 2 Oakland 23 29 .442 4 Angels 20 30 .400 6 EAST W L Pct. GB Boston 35 18 .660 -- Baltimore 27 25 .519 7 1/2 Toronto 25 26 .490 9 New York 25 27 .481 9 1/2 Detroit 23 27 .460 10 1/2 CENTRAL W L Pct. GB Cleveland 29 21 .580 -- Minnesota 28 24 .538 2 Kansas City 26 25 .510 3 1/2 Chicago 24 28 .462 6 Milwaukee 24 29 .453 6 1/2

*--*