Strike Back

At the end of last week, every division leader but the Cleveland Indians was winning with pitching and defense. And it was primarily because of improved starting pitching that 1996 laggards such as the Giants, the Mets, the Detroit Tigers and the Pittsburgh Pirates were winning much more often than they did last year (chart, left). Among the young starting pitchers making an impact this season are Francisco Cordova, 25, of the Pirates (3-3, 1.62); Jason Dickson, 24, of the Angels (6-1, 3.77); Shawn Estes, 24, of the Giants (6-2, 2.75); and Brian Moehler, 25, of the Tigers (3-3, 3.30). Dickson could become the first starting pitcher in 16 years to win the American League Rookie of the Year award. "There's no doubt that the pitching has improved," says Braves third baseman Chipper Jones, "and, as everyone says, good pitching is going to beat good hitting."

The Tigers staff ERA of 6.38 last season was the worst in American League history, but this year it was 4.46 through Sunday, thanks to the development of Moehler and Justin Thompson. Only the 1931 Philadelphia Phillies ever finished a season with such a dramatic improvement over the previous year, surpassing their previous season's ERA by 2.13. Of course, the baseballs were wound more loosely in '31, the season after what has become known as the Year of the Hitter. This season's pullback in hitting has triggered the usual theories—which change more often than Larry King's wedding plans—about the liveliness of the baseball.

"You're damn right the ball is different. You bet it is," says Milwaukee Brewers manager Phil Garner, who said in spring training that he thought the balls were softer. "It's showing up at the bottom end of the lineup. You're not seeing those seven-eight-nine hitters hitting them out. You're not seeing the little guys hit opposite-field home runs, as you did last year. Now when a pitcher throws one down the middle of the plate and the batter takes a good swing and it doesn't go out, the pitcher's confidence level goes up, and he makes better pitches."

Counters Cleveland manager Mike Hargrove, "They haven't deadened the ball. But if pitchers are making better pitches, balls are not going to be hit as hard or as far."

Clemens leads a pack of veteran pitchers who have regained their health and form. Clemens, Cone, Key, Randy Johnson of the Mariners and Curt Schilling of the Phillies, all of whom spent time on the disabled list in '95 or '96 and went a combined 43-36 last year, are off to a 33-9 start. In beating the Yankees last week, Clemens used a fastball clocked at 93 mph and a splitter that dropped wickedly at 89 mph. "He beat us with two pitches," Cone says. "He's better than he ever was."

Only the previous night, Hentgen had shut out the Yankees 2-0 on five hits in the kind of pitching duel (with Pettitte) that is coming back into favor. Toronto's pitchers had accounted for six of the 68 shutouts in baseball at week's end, up from 51 at the same point last season. There had been 11 games that ended 1-0, compared with seven at this juncture a year ago. And games in which one team scored at least 10 runs had dropped by 10%.

"Either it's the weather, or the gods of baseball want to take control of things again." says Chicago White Sox third baseman Chris Snopek. The weather has been unusually chilly in many big league cities, and that tends to favor pitchers. "I think you'll see the home runs pick up with the weather being a little warmer," says White Sox pitching coach Mike Pazik. "With warmer weather the balls travel a little farther. You're already starting to see it." Brewers pitcher Cal Eldred agrees. "Some guys who usually hit home runs are just now starting to hit them, so let's give it some more time." he says. "It may even itself out."

Now there's a smart pitch. While pitchers may have regained a bit of their edge on hitters this season, they know they are a long way from ending what remains a hitter's era. After all, getting lit up constantly last year did impart at least one lesson: No lead is safe anymore.

[This article contains a table. Please see hardcopy of magazine or PDF.]