National League East

For that matter, Pittsburgh also had a losing record against Philadelphia , which in the last two seasons has improved more than any other East Division team. First place belonged to the Phillies longest in 1974, but an awful finish took them out of the race. "The kids had to learn something from last year's experience," says veteran Pitcher Jim Lonborg . "They know now what it's like to play winning baseball," says Second Baseman Dave Cash . "When I came over here last year I didn't see any confidence in these players. They lacked desire and motivation because they didn't really know what was at stake. Now they do, and that should make a big difference."

The Phillies have another former winner to help plug last year's largest gap—relief pitching. Tug McGraw will be a big addition if spring surgery on an old back problem allows him to return to his 1973 form with the Mets . "This is the first time in years we've had an established bullpen," says Manager Danny Ozark , who is also high on Gene Garber and newcomer Joe Hoerner . "A lot of times last year I left my starters in too long because they were the best we had."

Lonborg and Steve Carlton were the only regulars with winning records. Shortstop Larry Bowa says Carlton must win at least 20 for Philadelphia to have a title chance, and Ozark says Steve is capable of even more if he cuts down his bases on balls.

There is hitting in plenty. Cash and First Baseman Willie Montanez batted over .300, and Third Baseman Mike Schmidt led the majors in home runs (36). Leftfielder Greg Luzinski , who can mash the ball, too, missed more than two months last year after a knee operation. "My being out of the lineup," he says, "may have cost us the eight games we needed to win."

Falling 20 games below .500, their worst record since 1967, the 1974 New York Mets were conspicuous losers of one-run and extra-inning games. In those categories they were poorest in the league. Injuries struck such key players as Tom Seaver , Cleon Jones , Rusty Staub , Bud Harrelson and Jerry Grote . Their return to form, with the added support of Third Baseman Joe Torre and Outfielders Del Unser and Dave Kingman , would put the Mets back in the race.

But they must find still more pitching to stay there. While Seaver , Jon Matlack and Jerry Koosman are the best threesome in the league, New York needs two more starters and some smoke eaters in the bullpen.

"It does seem to be a different situation than we've had in the past," says Manager Yogi Berra .

The trades that brought Torre from St. Louis , Unser from Philadelphia and Kingman , he of the long home run and lavish strikeout, from San Francisco could sharply alter the grind-it-out New York attack. The Mets even hired a batting coach, Phil Cavarretta. Torre predicts, "We're going to be a team that will score runs." Harrelson meanwhile senses a psychological boost. "We've increased the margin of error," he says. "The pitchers know they don't have to throw a shutout every time."

One person certain to appreciate more support is Matlack , who led the league in shutouts last year while getting fewer runs than any other man who pitched at least 162 innings. "This is a lot better team than we've ever had," claims Matlack , "but I'm not taking anything for granted. Met pitchers have always felt they couldn't give up very many runs. It's instilled in us." Not least in Tom Seaver , who comes off the worst season of his career—an 11-11 record and a 3.20 earned run average. Tom says he has felt terrific this spring.

Evaluating a Montreal team that set or tied club records for pitching, hitting and winning last year, Expo General Manager Jim Fanning decided that better was not good enough. In rapid succession he dealt away his top pitcher, Mike Torrez , and the RBI leaders from each of the last three years, Ron Fairly , Ken Singleton and Willie Davis . The trades landed a much-needed lefthander in Dave McNally from Baltimore and players you never heard of from Texas and St. Louis . They also opened the way for some homegrown minor league talent. "Our farm system is producing and, except for pitchers, we'll commit ourselves totally to youth," Fanning says. "When you ask if we'll be good, I do know how good we would have been, and that wasn't good enough."