Hartford Courant from Hartford, Connecticut • Page 178

E16 THE HARTFORD COURANT Sunday, November 19, 2000 World Series Not A Place Where MVPs Meet BASEBALL JACKO'CONNELL the accomplishment of the one placed higher. The most valuable player ought to signify partly the one who shouldered the most responsibility. To vote Kent and Bonds 1-2 is to credit them for sharing that load. This is not to suggest Kent was a poor choice. On the contrary, he was the league's MVP.

Bonds was voted too high. The second-place finish was the second for Bonds, who has won three times. The five times he has finished first or second puts him close to exclusive company. Musial, Mickey Mantle and Ted Williams were first Despite winning four of the past five World Series, the Yankees have not had an MVP in any of those seasons, a contrast from previous dynasties. When the Yankees won five consecutive Series in 1949-53, they had the league MVP in two of those seasonsPhil Rizzuto in 1950 and Berra in '51.

When the Yankees won four straight Series in 1936-39, they also had the MVP twice Gehrig in '36 and DiMaggio in '39. In the five consecutive seasons the Yankees appeared in the Series in 1960-64, they were led four times by an MVP Roger Maris in 1960 and '61, Mantle in '62 and Elston Howard in '63. although it came very close in 1947. That year, Braves third baseman Bob Elliot won in the NL, but Williams had one of his second-place finishes in the AL by one point to DiMaggio. Mets catcher Mike Piazza, who should have finished ahead of Bonds in the NL voting, placed third.

He has also been the runner-up twice. Since his rookie of the year season in 1993, Piazza has received 1,279 points in MVP balloting, more than any other NL player, but has yet to win. Piazza is VA points behind Eddie Murray's record for career points in MVP balloting without winning. twice, in 1951 and '55. Berra's 1954 victory also coincided with that of Giants center fielder Willie Mays.

Two other Yankees-Dodgers pairings were in 1941 with DiMaggio and Camilli and in 1956 with Mantle and Don Newcombe. The 1936 winners were Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig and Giants pitcher Carl Hub-bell. The only other area with MVPs in the same year was Philadelphia in 1932 with A's first baseman Jimmie Foxx and Phillies right fielder Chuck Klein. It never happened in St. Louis because the Browns never had an MVP.

It never happened in Boston, (DiMaggio, Dodgers first baseman Dolph Camilli), 1942 (Yankees second baseman Joe Gordon, Cardinals pitcher Mort Cooper) and 1943 (Yankees pitcher Spud Chandler, Cardinals right fielder Stan Musial). Before 1969, one team in each league qualified for postseason play, which was only the World Series, so MVP balloting concentrated on the pennant winner and a couple of other contenders. Since 1995, when an extra tier of playoffs was added, four teams in each league qualify for postseason play, and the path to the World Series is more of an obstacle course. This year's MVPs, Athletics first baseman Jason Giambi and Giants second baseman Jeff Kent, played for teams that were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. That Kent and teammate Barry Bonds finished 1-2 in the NL balloting is also more of a rarity now than in the pre-divisional era.

Of the 24 occurrences, only five have been since 1969, and this year's 1-2 finish by teammates was the first since '95, when the Division Series was added. There have been three instances, all before 1969, when teammates placed 1-2-3 in the voting the 1941 Dodgers (Camilli, Pete Reiser, Whit Wyatt), 1959 White Sox (Nellie Fox, Luis Aparicio, Early Wynn) and 1966 Orioles (Frank Robinson, Brooks Robinson, Boog Powell). It is unlikely to happen again. With more teams in contention for playoff positions, determining the value of one player against another is more difficult for voters. To come up with a ballot with players from the same team in the top two spots is indeed strange.

Of the 32 NL ballots, nine had Kent and Bonds first or second (seven had Kent first and Bonds second, two had the reverse). The Giants had the best record in the league, but it was by no means an extraordinary season. Placing teammates at the very top of the ballot would seem to diminish ft 22 $24.75 1957SR14 20575R14 20S7SR15 2 1 575 1 5 16580R13 17580R13 18580R13 18575R14 $59 Imvm, IgroJS SSL, NEW YORK Some reflections on this year's Most Valuable Player Awards voting: For the 12th consecutive season, the MVPs in both leagues did not oppose each other in the World Series. The 1990s was the first decade since the Baseball Writers' Association of America took over the MVP vote in 1931 that not one World Series featured both MVPs. The winners are not announced until after the World Series, but the balloting is cwmpVtwl before postseason play.

Before 19t59. when the American and National leagues went KENT to divisions, the chances of MVPs reaching the World Series for both teams was fairly common. In the 38 seasons from 1931 to 1968, 21 World Series featured the MVP from each league, but in the 32 seasons from 1969 to 2000, only six World Series have included both MVPs. It hasn't happened since 1988, when the winners were right fielders Jose Canseco of the Athletics and Kirk Gibson of the Dodgers. That's the only time it has occurred since 1980 (third basemen George Brett of the Royals and Mike Schmidt of the Phillies).

There was once a five-season stretch in which both Series teams boasted MVPs 1939 (Yankees center fielder Joe DiMaggio. Reds pitcher Bucky Walters), 1940 (Tigers left fielder Hank Greenberg, Reds first baseman Frank McCormick), 1941 Mets Have Combined Wire Services Lefthander John Franco has a pretty good idea what his value is to the five teams that would like him to be their closer next season. Before he makes a decision about where he will pitch, Franco heeds to know what his value is to the Mets. Dan Horwits, Franco's agent, said Saturday night that Franco was hopeful of receiving an upgraded contract proposal from the Mets as early as Saturday night. Mets general manager Steve Phillips and co-owner Fred Wilpon apparently were conferring on their next move following an afternoon telephone call between Phillips and Horwits.

"I think it's starting to sink in that there's a very legitimate possibility that John won't be a member BRIDGESTONE BLIZZAK BHJOODK1CII M1CIIELIN ARTIC ALPIN DUNLOP GRASPIC TOYO OBSERVE PIRELLI aoo mm mi flr 18560R14 $37 P20575R15 $57 P21575R15 $57 30- 9.5R15 $77 31- 10.50R15 $77 $46 "'B I P23575R 1 I 27570R16 $109 GOOBWVEAft 22S7SR1S RTS CJIO LT23575R15HT. $99 I25570R16 RTS (114 GENERAL TIRE J.l "i' 1 S89 fWVT II nUIVIROYAtlT I. iii.ni.iii in. urmmt-wmrni iini ii iiummmiJ Wo $89AWP 3110.50R15 $90AT 24575R18 S99LU BFGoodrich 21676H1S 30X9.50H16 LT24S7bR16 $72 $77 $124 23575R15 S.U.V. BRIGADIER 560XT XL $79 TRAILBLAZER AP.

$89 AVON RANGER AT SIDEWINDER AS LT. $99 ALIGNMENT TOWN EACH tffbJ FAX 1 or second in six MVP votes. Musial and Mantle each won three times and finished second three times. Williams won twice and was second a record four times. Kent was the first NL player to win an MVP while playing for his fourth team.

He previously played for the Blue Jays, Mets and Indians. He joins two AL winners, first baseman Dick Allen of the 1972 White Sox and reliever Dennis Eckersley of the 1992 Athletics. Allen had previously played for the Phillies, Cardinals and Dodgers. Eckersley had previously pitched for the Indians, Red Sox and Cubs. An asterisk may apply to the 1981 AL winner, Brewers reliever Rollie Fingers, who had previously pitched for the A's and Padres.

San Diego traded him to St. Louis Dec. 8, 1980, but Fingers never pitched for the Cardinals, who four days later dealt him to Milwaukee. The victories by Giambi and Kent made the Bay Area the fourth market to have MVPs in the same season and the first in 41 years since White Sox second baseman Fox and Cubs shortstop Ernie Banks won in 1959 for Chicago. New York has had six such pairings but none involving the Yankees and Mets because the Mets have never had an MVP.

Catchers Yogi Berra of the Yankees and Roy Campanella of the Dodgers won in the same season On Franco nitez displaced as Mets closer in 1999, has 420 career saves, 58 behind career leader Lee Smith. Suzuki gets three-year deal: Ichiro Suzuki, signed Saturday by the Seattle Mariners, isn't worried about the pressure of being the first Japanese position player in major league baseball. The 27-year-old right fielder, the best hitter in Japan, believes he has the ability to make the transition a success. "I'm confident, or I wouldn't be sitting here right now," he said after signing a three-year contract. The team did not disclose the terms of the deal, but the Mariners have agreed to pay Suzuki's former team, the Orix BlueWave, $13 million for the right to negotiate with him.

The biggest difference in the game play is the swing meter. It has a different shape a small oval and can be moved anywhere on the screen. At first, it's looks all wrong: too small the inner bar too thick. But this is the best improvement in actual game play. The feel of the swing meter is excellent.

Somehow the designers have translated a beautiful combination and transition of backswing to downswing. It feels so natural and smooth, it makes the old classic swing meter pale in comparison. It also shows there is still life in the old mouse click method. As for mouse swing golfers, they will probably be disappointed. Pow-erStroke, although improved, is no TrueSwing, Sierra and Headgate's offering in "PGA 2000," which finally put mouse swing on the map.

But it appears from on-line play, in most tournaments, clickers outnumber mouse swingers by about 5-1. So MS is obviously keeping an eye on its audience. As to the physics model, with the exception of the extraordinary reverse camera ball roll in "Jack Nicklaus 6," this is the best in the genre. Balls roll, bounce and die in the rough or sand accurately. And modeling around the hole has been greatly improved to emulate balls lipping out and rolling around and in.

On-line play is simply the best in the business. At the Zone.com, it's very easy to hook up for tournament play or with a few golfing buddies. It's the smoothest Net play we have experienced, only rivaled by the EA Sports server. We had virtually stopped playing the last version of "Links" for months now, instead sticking with "Nicklaus" and "PGA 2000" before this release. "Links" is back in the rotation.

We're definitely in an upswing for golf simulations with three excellent choices. "Links 2001" is a welcome and worthy addition. fftWSSSS gr $29 17570R13 18570R13 18570R14 19570R14 19560R14 19560R15 20560R15 20565R15 GISLAVED Qp MASTERCRAFT waiwiuwri HANKOOK I GOODSYEAtl 8S65TB14 rwwri nn $49 1 I iu mMw I onlinenlul i 19565HR15 1 1 IjUfj tst-uooancn MmMMIS FOR 0 DAVS OPEN A TOWN FAIR TIM CHARS! TODAVI 8EF STOHt fOfW TOLS tffti dm ion I s- DM vou GUARANTEE 1 MTXEAaS 1 BOAD HAZARD' Ir i. i WORlQtAANSHIP WHEEL ALL NEW STYLE CHROME NfcW BRIGHT MACHINEO CENTER AIMTC AD ii wmnm Fiimw win -jj. A Better View With 'Links 2001' GOODYEAH Z3 TCI" S6575R14Trj3 $3911 mm GENERAL TIRE TTT" nji UUMROYALU BFGoodricli 1bWUH13 $43 $24 $47 WHEEL $43 icir: pcjy mimttm'mmUmmVmWammmmmmmnmtMnm rt Mill I I Next Move of the Mets next season," Horwits said.

Horwits declined to provide details of the offers, but baseball sources have indicated the Phillies, Pirates, Cubs, Cardinals and Rangers all have made two-year offers worth between $7.5 million and $9 million for Franco to serve as their closer. Horwits confirmed he has five two-year offers for Franco to close, and that a sixth team, from the AL, made a proposal Saturday for Franco to split time as a setup man and closer. The Mets' latest offer stood at $6 million over two years, a baseball source said, meaning that to remain at home Franco would have to give up a significant amount of money as well as a chance at the all-time saves record. Franco, whom Armando Be- Links 2001 Publisher Microsoft Platform: PC Price: $39.99 Rosano's rating: 9 (out of 10) 3-D engine. No longer does pixelation crop up in close-up views of the fairway, rough and vegetation from deep grass to trees as has been so apparent in the past.

The upgrade in this area is particularly noticeable around and on the greens, which boast a beautifully smooth texturing effect This is perhaps where the 3-D engine has been best used. The other is the integration of the digitized golfers, which is vastly improved. Older versions were looking awfully jagged and pixelized compared with 3-D offerings in "PGA 2000" and even the 2-year-old "Jack Nicklaus 6." But despite MS sticking with a non-3D approach in the golfer images, it works much better then previously. The various window views such as the always-favorite top down, in which you aim the best aiming system of any golf game and follow the flight of your ball are in place. Reverse landing view, though, leaves a lot to be desired, as in the past The window is too small and often misses the actual landing spot One major item for a "Links" wish list would be a full screen landing view that is a snap redraw to a reverse landing area.

This is one area in which "Links" still lags behind. It could make a dramatic difference in the overall experience. The addition of an arrow to the putting aim bar is an improvement in what is the toughest part of game play. It was always difficult to accurately read a "Links" green, this makes it a little less so. Still, it's a challenge.

ifaffE-y. fteV; IbV I 29yi: fflBji llltoMtBtoiwwalMaWiilt SPECIALS tmmmmmmmtmmmmmmmmmmMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmJ to. Ml only In CYBERSPORTS PAULROSANO As the longest continuous running game show in PC golf, the "Links" series has always boasted picture-perfect graphics, impeccable physics and compelling game play. Dating back nearly 10 years with "Links 386," and then the LS editions developed by Access Software, it has also been the best selling franchise. In fact, it's the best selling golf series of all time.

And though it continued to put up those lofty numbers last year when Microsoft took over, precious little changed in the game from the 99 to the 2000 version, much to the disdain of hardcore cyber golfers. Finally, MS has pushed the product forward. The graphics engine has moved into the 3-D world, the interface has been overhauled and a sophisticated course architect has been added to the mix. In all, "Links 2001" is a very nice upgrade, but don't expect earth-shattering changes. It looks a lot like the LS series, albeit with improvements, but plays just as well as all the previous versions, which means this is one beautiful golf simulator.

The menu interface has a new look and color scheme but don't be fooled, it's basically very similar to the old one. It's easy to navigate and most things are in their familiar places. There are the usual array of play options from stroke and match play to rjingo-bango-bongo, 46 in all, and off- Vine tournament play against com- luter opponents remains an option. i At first glance, this version doesn't a whole lot different than previ- fl versions. But look a little closer.

fc'iugh the approach to the graphics lolay is still postcard picture per-' there is more depth, much more. shadings and coloring are vastly improved with the use of the TIRE Oon not do una 4x4 WHEEL ENKEI S.U.V. A. OUR LOW TIRE PRICES AVAILABLE SILVER I CT'C UCtD VAUB miUIDI Vm via I 9 Ten--a rapaln. PMR aHgnmant OR SPECIAL LOWEST phice Of THE YMHI CHECK AMTRICAm I W.

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