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BASEBALL
DEAL OF THE YEAR
The Red Sox trade of two minor league players, outfielder Brady Anderson and pitcher Curt Schilling, to the Orioles for righthander Mike Boddicker. Last spring, prognosticators said the American League East team that made the best deal would win the division. Boston proved the soothsayers right when, after beating out other teams for Boddicker on July 29, it continued its post-All-Star-break rally and moved into the division lead for good on Sept. 5. After going to the Sox, Boddicker won seven games, including the 12-0 victory over Cleveland last Thursday that gave Boston a tie for the title. That was more wins than any Yankee starter had during the same period.
BROADCAST OF THE YEAR
President Reagan, who did radio broadcasts of Cub games in the 1930s that recreated the action from wire reports, performed an encore of sorts last Friday at Wrigley Field. Visiting Chicago to attend a Republican Party fund-raiser. Reagan decided to make an unscheduled stop at the ballpark. He ended up throwing out the ceremonial first pitch for a Cubs-Pirates game and doing the play-byplay on WGN-TV for part of the first inning and all of the second. Quipped the President, "You know, in a few months I'm going to be out of work, and T thought I might as well audition."
THE HARRY FRAZEE AWARD
To Yankee owner George Steinbrenner. for letting pitcher Bill Gullickson get swept away by the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants in the off-season. Gullickson has gone 14-9 this year in Japan, giving him one more victory than New York's winningest starter, John Candeleria.
THE SCROOGE McDUCK AWARD
To the White Sox, who had the lowest payroll in the big leagues this season. They paid their players an average of $218,712, or barely half the American League average of $433,000. Not surprisingly, the Sox wound up with the third-worst attendance in the majors, 1,115,525. (The Braves were the worst with 848,089. the Mariners second-worst with 1,020,354.)
THE WILLARD SCOTT AWARD
To Toronto pitcher Mike Flanagan, who, while trying to explain the greenhouse effect to a teammate, said, "It means that pretty soon we'll be having spring training in Quebec City."
MANAGERIAL MOVE OF THE YEAR
On Aug. 24, with the Yankees trailing the Athletics 6-5 in the bottom of the ninth with no one out, New York's Mike Pagliarulo fell behind in the count 0-2. So what did Yankee manager Lou Piniella do? He put in .200-hit-ting Gary Ward as a pinch hitter. Ward promptly singled to keep a five-run rally alive, and New York went on to win 7-6.
BALK OF THE YEAR
Indian righthander Don Gordon was called for a balk July 1 while trying to walk Mariners outfielder Henry Cotto intentionally. After the runners on second and third advanced, Gordon decided to pitch to Cotto, who singled to drive in another run.
MISCUE OF THE YEAR
With the score tied 4-4 in the 11th inning on July 22, Padres catcher Benito Santiago tried to pick the Cubs' Manny Trillo off second while reliever Lance McCullers was issuing an intentional walk to Damon Berryhill. But San Diego second baseman Roberto Alomar was chatting with Trillo and didn't see Santiago's throw. As the ball sailed inches past Alomar's head and into centerfield, Trillo raced home with the winning run.
SELLING THE SIZZLE
The Twins set an American League attendance record, drawing 3,030,672 fans to the Metrodome. That was more than Minnesota's combined total attendance from 1980 through '83.
GRINCHES OF THE YEAR
On Sept. 1. two months after the Royals released Dan Qui-senberry. the best reliever in the team's history, they gave his number, 29, to a rookie, catcher Rey Palacios.
DUBIOUS ACHIEVEMENT
While coming in second in the National League batting race with a .307 average, the Cubs' Rafael Palmeiro became the first .300 hitter to finish without a game-winning RBI since 1980, when the stat was first recorded.
SMART TRADES
1) The Reds' acquisition of lefthander Danny Jackson (along with infielder Angel Salazar) from the Royals for shortstop Kurt Stillwell and pitcher Ted Power. Aces are tough to find, especially one who can go 23-8, as Jackson did for Cincinnati.
2) The Red Sox' pickup of closer Lee Smith from the Cubs for pitchers Al Nipper and Calvin Schiraldi. Boston had to have a reliable stopper and got one who nailed down 29 saves, while Nipper and Schiraldi were combining for 11-17 in Chicago.
3) The A's landing of righthander Bob Welch in a three-way deal with the Mets and the Dodgers. Welch (17-9. 3.64 ERA) was the frontline starter Oakland needed to jump ahead of the Twins in the American League West.
DUMB TRADES
1) The Reds' giving up of lefthander Dennis Rasmussen in early June to the Padres for pitcher Candy Sierra. Rasmussen went 13-4 with a 2.65 ERA for San Diego, while Sierra worked briefly for Cincinnati and then was shipped to the minors.
2) The Twins' loss of right-fielder Tom Brunansky to the Cardinals for second baseman Tom Herr. Minnesota never had Herr's full services—he was bothered throughout the season by several nagging injuries—and before next year the Twins will lose him to either a trade or free agency.
3) The White Sox' dealing of righthander Jose DeLeon to the Cardinals for outfielder Lance Johnson and pitcher Ricky Horton. DeLeon, who has been an underachiever, pitched 225 innings for St. Louis and was 13-10 with 208 strikeouts. Meanwhile, Johnson hit. 185 with 6 RBIs, and Horton was 6-10 with a 4.86 ERA for Chicago before being traded to the Dodgers in August.
HERE COMES THE 20TH CENTURY
Wrigley Field got lights on Aug. 8. The light bulb was invented in 1879, three years after the Cubs started playing in the National League.
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PHOTO
CRAIG MOLENHOUSE
Rival pitchers dropped Incaviglia to a .249 average and only 54 RBIs.
PHOTO
AP
On a lark, Reagan substituted for the Cubs' Harry Caray at Wrigley.
PHOTO
RONALD C. MODRA
McReynolds (22) was perfect on the base paths.
THE ENVELOPE, PLEASE
Picking the winners and losers in a year of superlatives isn't easy, but here's how SI's intrepid baseball expert calls 'em.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
MVP
JOSE CANSECO, ATHLETICS
Cy Young
FRANK VIOLA, TWINS
Rookie of the Year
JODYREED, RED SOX
Manager of the Year
TONY La RUSSA, ATHLETICS
Biggest Surprises
ALLAN ANDERSON, TWINS
DAVE HENDERSON, ATHLETICS
Biggest Disappointments
BERT BLYLEVEN, TWINS
PETEINCAVIGLIA, RANGERS
NATIONAL LEAGUE
MVP
KIRK GIBSON, DODGERS
Cy Young
OREL HERSHISER, DODGERS
Rookie of the Year
CHRIS SABO, REDS
Manager of the Year
TOM LASORDA, DODGERS
Biggest Surprises
DAVID CONE, METS
TIM LEARY, DODGERS
Biggest Disappointments
RICH GOSSAGE, CUBS
TIM WALLACH, EXPOS
