MAILBAG: April 23

Q: With Rick Ankiel still up in the air, I want to get your opinion on the effectiveness of Tony La Russa and Dave Duncan at developing young pitching. I heard that since they've been together in Oakland they have failed to develop a legitimate starter from the minors (maybe Matt Morris will be a first). -- Mark, St. Louis

	Rick Ankiel unleashed five pitches to the backstop in the first inning of an October playoff game vs. the Braves.

PWG: First of all, I do not think that Ankiel is their doing; there are seeds deep in his mind. Morris has looked like a 1-2 starter his last two starts, and he has the arm. Put it this way: The people still with the A's always maintained that they did not develop kid pitchers, but I think we have yet to see those pitchers they supposedly didn't handle well develop anywhere else.

Q: Why don't you give out end-of-season awards like John Madden and call them the "Gammies"? -- Paul Hunt, Sacramento, Calif.
PWG: What would the awards be for -- guys who can't hit or pitchers who throw 83 mph? Seriously, I appreciate the thought, but there is only one John Madden, and I don't like turkey.

Q: Every year there are teams that get off to a great start and fade by Memorial Day. What date would you say is the time to really evaluate a team? Conversely, with injuries and slow starts historically for some teams, how long do you give a team before writing them off? -- Andy Lipkin, Youngstown, Ohio
PWG: It depends on whether or not there's someone who runs off in your division and hides. I think Memorial Day is the first major turn in the race.

Q: What factors can you attribute to Derek Lowe's poor start? How often have you seen players do this, and did they come back or continue to falter? -- Andrew Kolodziej, Erving, Mass.
PWG: Derek is emotional, and actually while his mechanics were a little messed up and his fastball was sliding, not diving, he didn't throw badly. He will be fine, but, more important, while he struggled, Rod Beck and Rolando Arrojo emerged as 8-9 inning guys. Lowe still isn't sinking the ball as well as he can, but for the next couple of weeks, Jimy Williams will keep running him out there with help. The two homers he gave up Sunday will probably cause Williams to ease back, and Lowe has long man (even starter) stuff.

Q: What does Julio Zuleta have to do to get a spot on the roster? What more could this guy have to prove? Who doesn't like him? -- Dave Kingman, San Francisco
PWG: It really isn't a question of Zuleta as much as it is the Cubs' desire to get more left-handed, especially with Hundley struggling early (not that that will continue). There are only two left-handed starters in the NL Central, and the Cubs need to get their lefty bats going.

Q: Assuming that Jason Schmidt, Francisco Cordova and Kris Benson come back to the Pirates' starting rotation along with Todd Ritchie by the middle of May, who among Omar Olivares, Ramon Martinez, Jimmy Anderson or Bronson Arroyo would have any trade value? Also, how long before the Pirates have to give up on Derek Bell and play either John Vanderwal or Emil Brown in left field? -- Brian Sullivan, Pittsburgh
PWG: They may rest Bell, but they have too much money tied up in him to quit on him, unless Hermanson gets hot in Triple-A and comes back. Anderson has the most trade value. He throws ground balls, and if you put him on a good defensive team, he might be pretty decent.

Q: If the Red Sox trade Dante Bichette to the A's, do you think they will be able to get back someone who can have an immediate impact on the ballclub? -- Sam Trachtenberg, San Francisco
PWG: The A's management has no interest in Bichette, not even if the Red Sox pick up all but $1 million. Right or wrong, they don't think he can play any more.

Q: What will the Dodgers do with their leadoff/center field situation? They are getting no production from that area. Any chance of a trade? Please don't tell me they are seriously considering Marquis Grissom as the answer. -- David Mayer, San Diego
PWG: The problem is that they are wrapped into $8 million in two non-on-base guys. In time, they might be better off using someone else in the leadoff spot and bat the other two in the eight hole.

Q: With the Mets in dire need of a bat with some pop, which outfielders do you think will be available via trade? What's the likelihood that Steve Phillips will pull the trigger and who do you think he would give up to get him? Also, with the success the Yankees have had with Alfonso Soriano and the rivalry these N.Y. teams have to grab the N.Y. sports headlines, do you think an Escobar call-up would fill the bill? -- Joey Laiacona, Las Vegas
PWG: With some uncertainty about Al Leiter's elbow, they have to think pitching first and hold off, although they are unconcerned enough about Leiter that they are not going to see Sterling Hitchcock's start for Rancho Cuchamongo Wednesday. There aren't as many bats out there as you think until some teams fall apart. They don't think Greg Vaughn is enough of a pure hitter, and they aren't going to do Escobar for Dmitri Young. By June, Phillips may decide that he wants a top potential free agent pitcher like Albie Lopez more than he needs hitting, if Escobar looks as if he is ready.

Q: How come the Yankees don't give Brian Boehringer a shot at the fifth starter? He was a solid starter in SD and I was a big fan of him during his first stint as a Yank. Are they afraid to overwork him because he is coming off of surgery in the past year or do they want him as a solid bullpen arm? -- James P. Lucarelli, Chestnut Hill, Mass.
PWG: They will, in time, but he is coming off arm surgery so that might be a big spot. Lilly threw the ball well Sunday and no one seems to know exactly what the story is with El Duque, but I still think they have a huge hole in the middle of their bullpen that will be a big problem in mid-June.

Q: If Mike Sirotka returns to the Blue Jays' lineup and pitches like he did last year, do you think the Blue Jays have a shot of getting into the playoffs and going far? -- Tyler Markham, Norwich, Ontario
PWG: It does not look he will be back. But if they want to move Jose Cruz or Vernon Wells, they can get another pitcher. Remember, Billy Koch hasn't even pitched well yet, and he is one of the best in the league.

Q: Whatever happened to the Yankees' top prospect, Brian Taylor? He was supposed to be a great pitcher and then just disappeared. -- B.J. Dubois, East Wakefield, N.H.
PWG: He was not a great athlete, as anyone who ever saw him in fielding drills knows. So when he hurt his arm, he couldn't make adjustments and is out of baseball.

Q: Whatever happened to Kirk Dressendorfer? I remember he was drafted by the A's and a year or two ago he was looking great in the spring for the Dodgers. Where is he now? -- The Craigster, Simi Valley, Calif.
PWG: Kirk had some of the best pitching instincts of any kid I ever saw, but he was small, had arm problems at Texas and never overcame them. Remember, the Texas aces under Cliff Gustafson started the Fridays of big series, then relieved on Saturdays. Remember, two years after that routine, Roger Clemens had an operation, sidetracking him en route to Cooperstown.