February 19, 200422 yr Sports - USATODAY.com These clubs start strong 2 hours, 23 minutes ago Add Sports - USATODAY.com to My Yahoo! 1. Chicago Cubs (news) The rotation: RH Mark Prior, RH Kerry Wood, RH Greg Maddux, RH Carlos Zambrano, RH Matt Clement. 2003 combined stats: 75-51, 3.36 ERA. The reasoning: Prior, Wood, Zambrano and Clement have four of the liveliest arms in the game, and Maddux is a future Hall of Famer with brains oozing from his cap. 2. Oakland A's The rotation: RH Tim Hudson, LH Barry Zito, LH Mark Mulder, LH Mark Redman, RH Rich Harden. 2003 combined stats: 64-41, 3.26 ERA. The reasoning: Each of the Big Three is a favorite to win a Cy Young Award. Redman helped pitch the Marlins to a World Series (news - web sites) title. And Harden is a younger version of Hudson. 3. Houston Astros (news) The rotation: RH Roger Clemens, LH Andy Pettitte, RH Roy Oswalt, RH Wade Miller, RH Tim Redding. 2003 combined stats: 72-49, 3.81 ERA. The reasoning: Clemens and Pettitte know how to win 20 games. Oswalt, Miller and Redding have the stuff to win 20 games. T4. New York Yankees (news) The rotation: RH Kevin Brown, RH Javier Vazquez, RH Mike Mussina, RH Jose Contreras, RH Jon Lieber. 2003 combined stats: 51-31, 3.23 ERA. T4. Boston Red Sox (news) The rotation: RH Pedro Martinez, RH Curt Schilling, RH Derek Lowe, RH Tim Wakefield, RH Byung-Hyun Kim. 2003 combined stats: 59-37, 3.46 ERA. The reasoning for the Yanks-Sox tie: Too close to call, especially considering the fragility of Brown, Lieber, Martinez and Schilling.
February 19, 200422 yr That's a tough call, you could easily make the top three a tie for 1st also. Not sure where he's getting the Schilling fragility comment from.
February 19, 200422 yr I guess just because he is getting older. Wasn't he hurt some last year? I thought the comment about Schilling was strange too.
February 19, 200422 yr As much as I can't stand the Cubs, they do have a very good staff...Carlos Zambrano is a player I would love on m team.
February 19, 200422 yr Did it say anything about where the white sox are ranked or is it only the top 5?
February 19, 200422 yr Steve your right...I hate the Cubs, but getting Maddux not only helps them now with another pitcher..it gives the other young pitchers a veteran who can teach then how to pitch...This was a really good move, but the Cubs will still choke...
February 19, 200422 yr Author Did it say anything about where the white sox are ranked or is it only the top 5? That was all that was there..
February 19, 200422 yr Did it say anything about where the white sox are ranked or is it only the top 5? I went to their website and couldn't find the article. I would love to read the entire article if it mentions every team. If it only mentions these five, its no big deal then.
February 19, 200422 yr Author I went to their website and couldn't find the article. I would love to read the entire article if it mentions every team. If it only mentions these five, its no big deal then. Oh for the love of God.. you guys are such pains in the arses!! http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...lubsstartstrong
February 19, 200422 yr Oh for the love of God.. you guys are such pains in the arses!! http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...lubsstartstrong :finger
February 19, 200422 yr The only one that seems a little out of place is the Yankees. Yea, I actually might put Philly before both them and the Red Sox.
February 19, 200422 yr I take Oakland first as long as they have a healthy Zito, Mulder and Hudson. i agree i would take Oakland over all of these staffs.
February 19, 200422 yr The rotation: RH Kevin Brown, RH Javier Vazquez, RH Mike Mussina, RH Jose Contreras, RH Jon Lieber. Kevin Brown is getting up in years, and he's injury-prone. Will his arm hold up? Javier Vasquez is pretty damn good, but he's going to a new league. Will that affect him? Mike Mussina is a consistent winner, but he isn't the same pitcher he was 3 years ago - he was hittable last year. Is he starting to break down? Jose Contreras is an unknown commodity - he's either really good, or really bad. Which Jose will show up this year? Jon Lieber hasn't pitched in 2 years, and who knows what he's going to be able to do after a lengthy layoff. How sharp and healthy will he be? I think the Yanks have the most ???? in their starting rotation. As for the A's, I think they're the best. I just LOVE that staff.
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