where the writers are   The Los Angeles Dodgers received a real
shot in the arm when hard-hitting outfielder Kirk Gibson signed
a free agent contract prior to the 1988 season.  Gibson hit 25
homers and drove in 76 runs that summer, stats that pale in
comparison to today’s sluggers, but it was Gibson’s team that
went all the way.  Gibson hated to lose, he played in pain, he
played hard every inning of every game, and he saw to it that
his teammates did, too.  A look at the Dodgers’ offensive
numbers begs the question, How did these guys finish in first
place?  The answer can be summarized in the words of the late,
great Connie Mack, who once said, “pitching is 90 percent of the
game.”   Dodger tradition was carried on by a corp of hard-
throwing horses who gave them a lot of innings.  Tim Belcher
brought high heat, going 12-6 with a 2.91 e.r.a.  U.C.L.A.’s Tim
Leary finished 17-11, also with a 2.91 e.r.a.   With all due
respect for Gibson, who won the award, the Most Valuable Player
in the National League that