The East

AL EAST	W	L	PCT.	BATTING	RUNS	HR	SB	ERA	CG	SAVES	FIELDING
NEW YORK	103	59	.636	.267+	820+	189+	86+	3.58-	29+	50-	.978+
BALTIMORE	100	62	.617	.273+	805+	156-	111+	3.64+	42+	41-	.985-
MILWAUKEE	86	76	.531	.275+	811+	203+	131-	3.71+	48-	30+	.977-
BOSTON	83	77	.5187	.283-	757-	162-	79-	4.38+	30-	43+	.977-
DETROIT	84	78	.5185	.273-	830-	143-	75+	4.25+	40-	30+	.979+
CLEVELAND	79	81	.494	.277-	738+	89+	118-	4.68+	35+	32+	.983-
TORONTO	67	95	.414	.251+	624+	126+	67+	4.19+	39-	23+	.979-
A + or - beside each 1980 statistic indicates expected improvement or decline in 1981.

Nothing better testifies to the abundance of talent in the American League East—the strongest division in baseball—than the pin-stripe-thin hold the Yankees had on first place at the end of last season. This is a New York team that won 103 regular-season games in '80, more than the Yankees had won in any year since 1963 and more than any other team in either league won last season. But they won the division by a mere three games over the Orioles . The New Yorkers have helped themselves in several important ways since last season, most notably by acquiring the $22 million man, Dave Winfield , who proved with San Diego that he can run, catch, throw and hit. During spring training the Yankee leftfielder at times played with the unrestrained zeal of a non-roster rookie. Unfortunately, his spring batting average through last Sunday was that of a non-roster rookie, too.

In the course of things, one might expect a club so enriched to be the odds-on choice to win a second straight title. But things don't move along old grooves in the American League East . Only Toronto , which has the best basketball team in baseball, figures not to figure at all. Boston , just three seasons away from winning 99 games and then dropping that magnificent playoff to the Yankees , fell on its sword this winter, losing Fred Lynn , Rick Burleson , Carlton Fisk and all reasonable hope of being a serious contender. Detroit will once again score runs aplenty, and score it must with the pitching it has. Cleveland should finish above .500, having some punch in its lineup and Bert Blyleven on its staff. The Red Sox , Tigers and Indians are all strong enough to make the race interesting, but none of them is very likely to sustain a lasting battle against the three division powerhouses: New York , Baltimore and Milwaukee .

Milwaukee finished 17 games behind New York last season, but the Brewers strengthened themselves mightily through the most astonishing trade in years. Milwaukee got St. Louis power-hitting Catcher Ted Simmons , starting Pitcher Pete Vuckovich and, most important, a desperately needed ace reliever in Rollie Fingers .

Of course Milwaukee will win. O.K. scoffers, consider the top of the Brewers ' probable batting order: 1) Paul Molitor , CF (.304, 34 stolen bases in 1980); 2) Robin Yount , SS (.293, 23 home runs, 87 RBIs); 3) Cecil Cooper , 1B (.352, 25 homers, 122 RBIs; 4) Ben Oglivie , LF (.304, 41 homers, 118 RBIs); 5) Simmons , C (.303. 21 homers, 98 RBIs); and 6) Gorman Thomas , RF (38 homers, 105 RBIs). What makes the Brewers lineup even more fearsome is the good prospect that Larry Hisle , a noteworthy slugger who has spent most of the last two seasons sidelined with a torn right rotator cuff, has recovered from surgery and will be the designated hitter. Third Baseman Don Money , despite injuring his right knee and playing in only 86 games, hit 17 homers and had 46 RBIs last year. He's recovered from surgery and will be in the Opening Day lineup. Second Baseman Jim Gantner , who will bat ninth, hit .282.

" Milwaukee is awesome," says Reggie Jackson of the Yankees . "It may be the best club on offense I've ever seen." And Simmons could wield the Brewers ' most devastating bat. "Eve talked to players from both leagues," says Jackson , "and the way they feel about Simmons is that he hits the ball consistently harder than any man in either league. The only one they say is close is Al Oliver of Texas . If this team gets any pitching...." Pitching, of course. With the addition of the strong-armed Vuckovich , 12-9 in '80, Milwaukee has added a dependable starter to a staff led by righthander Moose Haas (16-15, 3.10 ERA). Lefty Mike Caldwell, who won 22 games in 1978 and 16 in 1979, tailed off to 13-11 last year, but he finished well. Jim Slaton , 15-19 in 1979, sat out most of last year with a slight tear in his right rotator cuff, but the Brewers expect him back. "I think we'll win the pennant," says former Milwaukee Manager George Bamberger . "We'd have won it two or three years ago if we'd had Fingers ."

If Milwaukee pitching comes a cropper again, Baltimore should finish first. But then, it will finish first anyway if it wins 110 games, as Manager Earl Weaver predicts. The Orioles have defense, power and probably the best pitching staff in baseball. Jim Palmer , Mike Flanagan and Steve Stone have all won Cy Young awards, and young Scott McGregor has the potential to do so. In the bullpen there's a "sigh of relief' in Tim Stoddard .

McGregor was 20-8 last year despite a sore left elbow that held him to 1-2 through May 21. He worked with weights last winter to eliminate the source of the soreness and hasn't suffered a recurrence this spring. Flanagan , who won 23 games and got the Cy Young in 1979, slipped to 16-13 last year, only to discover late in the season that his pitches were losing velocity because of the atrophying of a muscle that helps lift his arm. He exercised it all winter—"If I were home all day, that's all I'd do," he says—and appears completely recovered. Last year's Cy Young winner. Stone (25-7), wants to win 30 games. The 35-year-old Palmer , 16-10, with a 3.98 ERA, is eligible to slip badly at any time, but Weaver has an apparently revived Dennis Martinez as an extra starter. Except at shortstop, where 36-year-old Mark Belanger (.228) and 26-year-old rookie Wayne Krenchicki will share the work, the lineup is solid.

The Orioles are strongest on the right side, where First Baseman Eddie Murray has emerged as one of the finest hitters in the game. Over his four big league years, he has improved every season in average (.283, .285, .295 and .300), runs (81, 85, 90, 100) and RBIs (88, 95, 99, 116). Right-fielder Ken Singleton and Centerfielder Al Bumbry both hit better than .300. Bumbry also swiped 44 bases, but he wasn't running well in spring training because of a severe hip pointer.

The Yankees seem destined for third. They're still looking for a righthander to balance a staff that's already somewhat suspect. Tommy John won 22 games in 1980, but he'll be 38 in May and can again be expected to tail off in the hot months. Rudy May , 15-5 with a dazzling 2.46 ERA, has gotten crafty—he throws one of the best 3-and-2 curves in the business—but he'll be 37 in July. Ron Guidry is a puzzle. He was 17-10, but his ERA swelled almost a point, to 3.56, and there's talk that the big heat is gone from Louisiana Lightning. The bullpen is strong. Rich Gossage was magnificent in 1980 with 33 saves, and Ron Davis was very effective in long relief.

New York 's most pressing problem could develop at catcher. Rick Cerone , replacing the late Thurman Munson , played splendidly last year, and there's every reason to believe he'll continue to get better. But he caught 147 games and is still without a top-quality backup. The infield is productive and almost seamless, especially up the middle with Second Baseman Willie Randolph and Shortstop Bucky Dent . At the corners the Yankees have two capable first basemen—righty Bob Watson , who hits for average, and lefty Jim Spencer, a fine fielder who hits for distance—and Third Baseman Graig Nettles , who says he's fully recovered from the hepatitis that caused him to miss 73 games last year. "It was like being hit by a train," he says.