American League East Is Up For Grabs

For years the American League East has bragged about being the toughest division in baseball.

The argument has been bolstered as every team except the Cleveland Indians has won the division title in the past six years.

Now, after six weeks of spring training, the guessing game is hot entering the 1987 season.

New England fans from southern Connecticut to northern Maine have one burning question for the Red Sox: Can they break the division jinx and repeat as champs?

One year ago, with Roger Clemens questionable after shoulder surgery, the Red Sox were listed as a 30-1 shot in the Las Vegas line to win the pennant.

The odds were attractive for anyone who really believed the Red Sox had a chance to win.

A couple of writers picked Boston to finish as high as third. Most predicted fourth or fifth with the team coming off an 81-81 record, 18 1/2 games behind and in fifth place in 1985.

The Red Sox made a mockery of the odds as they opened up a lead in mid-May and charged to their first pennant since 1975.

Many players had a field day ridiculing the writers who picked the New York Yankees or the Toronto Blue Jays or someone else to win the division and go on to the pennant.

They also collected nearly $75,000 apiece as the loser's share in the World Series, but the bonus money went to a select group. A handful of players, like Bob Stanley, were so ashamed of the team vote in sharing the money that they dug into their own pockets to reward such people as clubhouse attendants. ground crew members and parking lot attendants.

Most members of the championship team are back, hoping to get another shot at bringing Boston its first World Series title since 1918.

Once again Clemens is a question mark, this time because he walked out in a salary war and missed 29 days of training before returning on Saturday and pitching six hitless innings against Harvard's baseball team.

Rich Gedman, Boston's starting catcher for three years, is missing. He turned down a three-year offer of $2.65 million to become a free agent. He has been unable to find a better offer so far, but is ineligible to re-sign with the Red Sox until May 1.

The Red Sox finished their preseason with a 16-13-1 record, with two rainouts, much better than the 12-16 preseason record posted in 1986.

But don't think Boston is a sure bet.

Dominance

In 1986, Clemens got off to an amazing 14-0 start en route to leading the major leagues with a 24-4 record. a feat no pitcher can be expected to duplicate.

Southpaw Bruce Hurst and Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd proved last year they have the ability to become 20-game winners.