You already know that Barry Bonds rewrote the record book last year. But Did You Know what batting records are under siege this year?

Batting Average

2003 Barry Bonds (.347) vs 1998 Frank Thomas (.365)
The league's leading hitter, Arkansas's Barry Bonds, has little chance of challenging either the Diamond Mind Era-mark in Batting Average (minimum 502 PA) of .365, set in 1998 by another Golden Falcon, Frank Thomas, or the all-time record of .384, set by Cheyenne's Deion Sanders in 1993. With about a quarter of the season remaining, Bonds would have hit about .425 (51-120) to pump his batting average above .365; with 10 more hits, he'd edge out Neon-Deion's mark.

On-Base Percentage

2003 Barry Bonds (.507) vs 2002 Barry Bonds (.520)
Barry was the first man in the history of the league -- DMB or Microleague -- to reach base more than 50 percent of the time (mininum 502 PA). At his current pace this year, Bonds will also become the second man to do it. But as for setting the league record? Bonds likely has about 200 plate appearances left this season, and over that stretch he'd have to reach base 114 times -- a .570 On Base Percentage! -- to get his overall OBP above .520.

Slugging Percentage

2003 Jim Thome (.805) vs 2002 Barry Bonds (.890)
Until a recent slump, Newark's Jim Thome had stayed ahead of Bonds' record .890 Slugging Percentage set last season, but he's tailed off to "just" .805. (It should be noted that, until Bonds, the previous league record was .757.) Does Thome have enough time left in the season to break Bonds' year-old record? To do it, he needs 149 total bases over the final quarter of the season -- or a slugging percentage over 1.100, sustained for the next 40 games! As a side note, if he can put up those kinds of numbers down the home stretch, Thome also would likely break Sammy Sosa's 1999 record for total bases (449), though he wouldn't come close to the all-time record set by Newark's Ryan Klesko in 1996 (521).

On-Base Plus Slugging

2003 Jim Thome (1.266) vs 2002 Barry Bonds (1.410)
Even if Thome sets the Slugging Percentage record, he'd also have to set the On-Base Percentage record if he wants to catch Barry in this most esteemed of sabermetric records. It's stating the obvious to say that this appears unlikely. As with the SLG and OBP records, if one ignores Barry's 2002 campaign, Thome is still ahead of the old record for OPS (1.221), set in 1996 by former Sugar Bear Ryan Klesko.

Runs Scored

2003 Larry Walker (116) vs 1997 Chuck Knoblauch (163)
The Runs Scored record is actually held by two Golden Falcons -- last year Bonds tied Chuck Knoblauch's DMBL record of 163 (though it should be noted this statistic wasn't kept in the offense-crazy early 1990s) -- and now a third guy from Arkansas is taking aim at it. Over the first three-quarters of the season, Walker has averaged just under a run a game (0.94), putting him on a pace come a dozen runs short of the record. And that's assuming the injury-prone Walker, who hasn't missed a game this year, can go the full season. Newark's Jim Thome actually scores more often (0.96 runs per game) but has missed 13 games this year; but even if he keeps up that pace and plays every day, he'll be 20 runs shy of the record.

Runs Batted In

2003 Jim Thome (127) vs 1999 Sammy Sosa (181)
The all-time record, set during the Microleague Era, is 225 RBIs by Newark's Ryan Klesko in 1996. We can assume that record is safe. But what about the modern record of 181 RBIs, set in 1999 by Vancouver's Sammy Sosa? Thome's current pace puts him 9 RBI short, at 172 -- still very much within reach if he can turn it up a notch.

Hits

2003 Bernie Williams (160) vs 1997 Jim Eisenreich (238)
Again, we can assume the Microleague Era record of 295 hits in a season -- set by Cheyenne's Deion Sanders in 1993 -- isn't going to be touched any time soon. But Jim Eisenreich's record of 238 hits with Newark in 1997 could be within the grasp of today's ballplayers. Stanhope's Bernie Williams leads the league with 160 hits, but Tijuana's Vlad Guerrero and Arkansas's Larry Walker are right behind him with 158 hits each. At his current pace, Bernie has about 160 ABs left this season, so to get the 79 hits he needs for 239 he'll have to hit about .500 the rest of the way! If he can accomplish that, he'll also set the DMB Era record for batting average, as his final numbers would be around .373. Walker also has about 160 ABs remaining, while Guerrero can expect about more 150 ABs; each would need 81 more hits to catch Eisenreich.

Doubles

2003 Brian Schneider (41) vs 2000 Terry Shumpert (69)
A dozen players have collected 60 or more doubles in a season, but will anyone ever reach 70? That's the magic number needed to eclipse Terry Shumpert's 69 two-baggers in 2000. The league's current doubles leader, Vancouver's Brian Schneider, has 41 -- a pace that doesn't even break the 60-double plateau. Newark's Bobby Abreu is right behind Schneider at 40 doubles, a pace that would also leave him in the mid-50s.

Triples

2003 Randy Winn (14) vs 2002 Juan Uribe (20)
Last week, the Triples title was up for grabs, with a dozen players within a couple three-baggers of each other. Then Carolina's Randy Winn legged out five triples in a single week, putting him well ahead of the competition and suddenly in the running for the DMB Era record of 20, set last year by Phoenix's Juan Uribe. (There's no need to even speculate if anyone will ever touch the all-time record of 62 triples -- that's right, 62 triples -- set by Deion Sanders in 1993.) With 41 games remaining, Winn is on a pace to hit 19 triples this season -- certainly close enough to take the title if he has another big week.

Home Runs

2003 Jim Thome (52) vs 1999 Sammy Sosa (73)
In league history, only three men have hit 70 or more home runs in a season: Newark's Mark McGwire, who set the all-time mark with 84 in 1996; Vancouver's Sammy Sosa, who set the DMB Era record with 73 in 1999; and Arkansas's Barry Bonds, who came up just 1 HR short last year with 72. (McGwire is the only guy to do it twice, hitting 70 in 1998.) Newark's Jim Thome, if he can keep up his current pace, will join that elite group; if he can kick it up a notch, he could even set the modern record. Thome has 52 long balls with 39 games remaining, a pace that would put him exactly at 70 HRs. Until recently, Thome was ahead of Sosa's pace and in line to hit about 80 HRs, but then got stuck on 51 HRs for about three weeks. He finally crushed his 52nd against Columbia this week. Is Thome stumbling toward the finish line, or is he about to catch fire again?

Walks

2003 Barry Bonds (123) vs 2001 Jason Giambi (171)
Last year, Barry Bonds slugged his way into the record book. This year, maybe he'll be walking into it. The humble base on balls has taken on new significance thanks to Moneyball , which touts the theory that a walk is as good as a hit. Bonds is the current league leader, with 123 free passes, but at his current pace he'll come up about 10 walks shy of the modern record set two years ago by Honolulu's Jason Giambi of 171. (Giambi himself came up just five walks short of setting the all-time record of 176, set in 1996 by Newark's Mark McGwire.) Interestingly enough, the second-place walk getter this season is Giambi -- no, not Jason. Newark's Jeremy Giambi, who has drawn 114 walks this season -- good enough for a .400 OBP, despite a .234 BA. He's on pace to draw an impressive, but not record-breaking, 151 walks.

Strikeouts

2003 Jose Hernandez (155) vs 1999 Mark McGwire (232)
Newark's Jose Hernandez has been doing a fair amount of hitting (.257, 11 HR, 62 RBI), but a lot more missing -- with 155 Ks to lead the league. However, his prodigious whiffing is no where near the scale of one of the league's most beloved records, Rob Deer's 357 strikeouts for the Waikiki Keys in 1993. In fact, Hernandez probably won't even come close to Mark McGwire's 232 strikeouts in 1999, the DMB Era record. At his current pace, Hernandez will strike out 213 times -- an embarrassing total, to be sure, but not enough for immortality.

Stolen Bases

2003 Alex Sanchez (37) vs 1997 Kenny Lofton (78)
Basestealing has become a lost art. No player is going to challenge Kenny Lofton's league record of 78 steals with the Iron Fist in 1997; in fact, that's more stolen bases than any team has so far this season. As if to drive home the point that nobody cares about stolen bases anymore, the league leader -- Alex Sanchez, with 37 -- is no longer on a major league roster. Sanchez swiped 35 bags for the Rats, then was released; the Iron Fist picked him up and he stole two more, then was handed his walking papers again. Naturally, it's going to be tough for him to challenge the record if he's not even in the league! The guys behind Sanchez in the stolen base standings -- Stanhope's Alfonso Soriano (22), Tijuana's Vlad Guerrero (22) and Phoenix's Ichiro (20) -- aren't going to threaten Lofton's record this season either.

Stolen Base Percentage

2003 Carlos Beltran (.895) vs 2000 Matt Lawton (.941)
During his 1997 campaign, Lofton was caught 16 times -- an impressive 83 percent success rate. But the most successful thief of all time (minimum 20 attempts) is Hillsborough's Matt Lawton, who was an astonishing 32-for-34 (.941) on the base paths in 2000. (It should be noted, however, that SB% can't be calculated for the early years of the league, when caught stealing totals aren't available.) No player this year has a success rate even of 90 percent, though Brooklyn's Carlos Beltran is closest at .895 (17 out of 19). Beltran, who stole 7 out of 8 bases for the Endzone Animals before being traded to Brooklyn, can get exactly to 90 percent if he is successful in his next stolen base attempt; but to catch Lawton, he'd have to go 15-for-15 just to tie him! It seems unlikely that Beltran, with 19 attempts over the first three quarters of the season, would even try 15 more times by the end of the year -- let alone be successful every time. The only other players with a success rate above 80 percent this year are Hillsborough's Ray Durham (.826) and Carolina's Randy Winn (.813).

Triple Threat?

Jim Thome looks like the only player with even an outside chance to challenge another Bonds record: To win either the traditional Triple Crown (batting average, home runs and runs batted in) or the so-called Sabermetric Triple Crown (batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage). No player had ever done either before; Bonds accomplished both last season. At the three-quarter mark, Thome ranks 1st in Home Runs, 1st in Runs Batted In, 1st in Slugging Percentage, 2nd in On-Base Percentage, and 5th in Batting Average.

In our next edition, we'll look at the hurlers who have a shot at challenging the league's starting and relief pitching records.

You may have known that the Newark Sugar Bears have the best record in baseball. But Did You Know about their chances for setting some records this year?

Most Wins: 2002 Arkansas (120-42)

The Newark Sugar Bears, at 69-37 (.651), have the best record in baseball, but they'll have to step it up if they want to set the regular season record for most wins. At their current pace, Newark would win "only" 105 games -- nowhere near Arkansas's record-setting 120 wins last season. To break the record, Newark would have to win 52 out of their last 56 games! Even more amazing: With a third of the season yet to play, every other team in baseball has been mathematically eliminated from even tying Arkansas's record.
The Magic 8-Ball says: Not this year

Most Home Wins: 2002 Arkansas (64-17)

The Sugar Bears also are the only team with a chance of even tying Arkansas's 2002 record for home wins (64). Newark is 34-17 (.667) at home, with 30 games remaining -- so they'd have to win them all to tie the Golden Falcons' mark. The Sugar Bears are the last team with a chance to tie Arkansas's record, but they don't have the league's best home record: That distinction goes to the Honolulu Sharks, who are 37-18 (.673), but even if they won all 26 remaining home games, they'd come up one shy of Arkansas's record.
The Magic 8-Ball says: In your dreams

Most Road Wins: 1997 Vancouver (60-21)

Newark also is the only team with even a hypothetical chance of breaking Vancouver's record for road wins (60), set in 1997. The Sugar Bears are by far the league's toughest road warriors, with a 35-20 (.636) mark away from the Cereal Bowl, but they'd have to win all 26 of their remaining away games to break the Iron Fist's record. No other team could even tie the record, even if they ran the table.
The Magic 8-Ball says: Give me a break

Most Losses: 1993 Waikiki (33-129)

At the other end of the spectrum, no team can touch the record for ineptitude set by the 1993 Waikiki Keys, who went 33-129 (.204). The league's worst team, the Tijuana Banditos, are 40-66 (.377) with 56 games left to play; even if they lost them all, they'd finish with a .247 winning percentage, 7 games ahead of Waikiki's mark.
The Magic 8-Ball says: Try again next year

Most Home Losses: 1993 Waikiki (17-60)

Waikiki also set the league marks for worst home record (17-60, .221) while playing an unbalanced schedule in '93. The Banditos, the league's worst road team at 13-40 (.245), still have a chance to make history as the worst away team in league history: If they lose 26 of their remaining 28 away games, they'd be 15-66 (.185).
The Magic 8-Ball says: No one could be that bad

Most Road Losses: 1993 Waikiki (16-69)

The Keys also set the mark for worst road record, losing all but 16 out of 85 away games for an .188 losing percentage. The Columbia Rattlesnakes have the worst home record (27-33, .450), but even if they lost their 21 remaining home games they'd still post a relatively respectable .333 winning percentage.
The Magic 8-Ball says: Not gonna happen

Team Batting Records

Most league records in team batting are safe. Newark leads the league in team batting average (.281), on-base percentage (.376) and slugging percentage (.461), but they'd have to have a tremendous final third of the season to equal the league records, all held by Arkansas (.316 BA in '97, .395 OBP in '94, .518 SLG in '97).

The other records appear even safer. Newark's 150 home runs this year are less than halfway to the league record of 305, set by the very same Sugar Bears in 2000. Newark also leads the league in hits (1061), RBIs (627) and walks (554), but is halfway or less to the league records with more than 100 games played. The Stanhope Mighty Men, the league leader with 208 doubles, also is less than halfway to the league record -- 422, by the Austin Outlaws in 1996. And three teams are tied with 32 triples, a long way from the league record of 81 by the Cheyenne Warhawks in 1993. (Deion Sanders had 64 of them.)

But perhaps the safest record of all is the stolen base mark: The Phoenix Dragons stole 228 bases in '98, but the league leader this year are the Mighty Men with 63.
The Magic 8-Ball says: Not bloody likely

Team Pitching Records

No one is likely to rewrite the record book in team pitching, either. The Philadelphia Endzone Animals lead the league with a 3.52 ERA, a long way away from Arkansas's 3.13 in 1992. Their pitching staff would have to combine for an ERA around 2.10 over the final 56 games of the season in order to challenge that record.

Arkansas's 1,563 strikeouts in '99 also appears to be safe -- the Golden Falcons are the closest team, with 931 Ks, a pace that would give them less than 1,400. They'd have to pick up about three more Ks a game over the final third of the season to finish within striking distance of their own league record.

Teams are less than halfway to the league records in other pitching categories. Phoenix's pitching staff gave up 2,033 hits in 1997; Tijuana is on pace to give up less than 1,700. Sacramento allowed 863 walks in 1994; at their current pace, Phoenix will allow just over 600. And no one is likely to ever challenge the league record for complete games -- 55 -- set by the Austin Outlaws in 1993. The league leaders are Honolulu (14), Harrison (13), Hillsborough (12) and Newark (12), so none appears likely to finish with even half of Austin's total. Teams are closer to Vancouver's shutout record of 18 in 1998, but no one close enough to challenge it: The league leader, Philadelphia, has 9, followed by Arkansas (8) and three teams tied at 7.
The Magic 8-Ball says: Not this year

Team Relief Records

Perhaps the most vulnerable team records are in the bullpen. During the Microleague Era, saves were few and far between, so most of the relief records have been set over the last few years.

Vancouver's league record of 57 saves, set three years ago, could be passed by the Brooklyn Bean Counters -- on pace for 51 saves, or Newark, on target for 50. Brooklyn's only chance to top the record would appear to be a heroic finish from Robb Nen. The only other guy on the team with more than one save is Vladimir Nunez (3 SV, 2 BS, 12.08 ERA), so if Nen slips even a little they'll fall short of the record. Newark might have a better chance -- they also have a terrific closer in John Smoltz and a deeper supporting cast, and they just added another quality arm with Jayson Durocher. On the other hand, they also traded for Mike Piazza and Edgardo Alfonzo, so maybe the added offense will mean less save chances. No other team is on a 50-save pace.

Another relief record set by the Iron Fist, their .807 save percentage set in '97, could be challenged by the Carolina Mudcats, whose relievers have saved 30 out of 38 chances for a .789 SV%. They could get ahead of Vancouver's pace by converting their next four save opportunities. It doesn't look good for anybody else: The next-best team, the Mighty Men (.744 SV%), would have to nail down 15 saves in a row to get passed the Iron Fist. But the record of 34 blown saves, by the Sharks in 1998, appears safe; Honolulu is closest to their own record, with 16, a pace that would put them at 24 blown saves. Phoenix and Hillsborough are next, with 15 each.
The Magic 8-Ball says: Ask again later

In our next edition: Jim Thome and other sluggers lead the charge against the league's individual records for batting!

You may have known that the 12th annual Diamond Mind Baseball League All-Star game will be played on Tuesday, June 10, at the Jelly Bean Dome in Brooklyn, but we bet you didn't know all the facts you'll find in the Did You Know? Guide to the 2003 All-Star Game!

The Hanover Division will be managed by Newark skipper Don Mattingly; the Morris by Arkansas manager George Brett. Actor Ron Palillo, who played Arnold Horshack on TV's "Welcome Back Kotter," will throw out the first pitch, and famed tenor Enrico Pallazzo will once again sing the national anthem. The honorary team captains are John Wetteland (Hanover), a five-time All-Star with Waikiki and Newark, and Brian Harper (Morris), a two-time selection with Arkansas, will exchange the lineup cards at home plate prior to the game.

Hanover has won the last three All-Star games, but the Morris won the three before that. Morris leads the series, 5 games to 4.

Every team had at least two players selected to this year's All-Star squad. The Arkansas Golden Falcons will send the most players, with seven. The second-place team in the Morris, the Vancouver Iron Fist, have the second-most players, with four. The Carolina Mudcats, Columbia Rattlesnakes, Hillsborough Destroyers and Philadelphia Endzone Animals are all sending three, while the Tijuana Banditos -- with the worst record in baseball -- will send two.

Though the selections in the Morris largely followed the standings, that's not the case in the Hanover, where the third-place Honolulu Sharks send the most players, with six. The second-place Stanhope Mighty Men have the second-most players, with five; the first-place Newark Sugar Bears and fifth-place Hoboken Cutters tie for third-most, with four each. The Phoenix Dragons are sending three players, while the Brooklyn Bean Counters and the Harrison Rats send two each. (The Hanover roster is comprised of 26 players because one All-Star selection was replaced due to injury.)

All-Star Rosters

Morris Starting Lineup

C Ivan Rodriguez, COL

1B John Olerud, ARK

2B Jeff Kent, VAN

3B Aubrey Huff, CAR

SS Alex Rodriguez, HIL

OF Barry Bonds, ARK

OF Larry Walker, ARK

OF Vlad Guerrero, TIJ

DH Ellis Burks, ARK

Reserve Hitters

Bret Boone, TIJ

Brad Fullmer, HIL

Magglio Ordonez, PHI

Placido Polanco, COL

Albert Pujols, PHI

Brian Schneider, VAN

Starting Pitchers

SP Roy Halladay, CAR

SP Greg Maddux, VAN

SP Pedro Martinez, ARK

SP Kevin Millwood, HIL

SP Curt Schilling, ARK

Relief Pitchers

RP Armando Benitez, PHI

RP Octavio Dotel, ARK

RP Chris Hammond, COL

RP Jose Mesa, CAR

RP Billy Wagner, VAN

Coaches

Manager: George Brett, ARK

Bench Coach: Lenny Dykstra, CAR

Hitting Coach: Tim McCarver, COL

Pitching Coach: Bud Black, VAN

First Base Coach: Delino DeShields, HIL

Third Base Coach: Steve "Bye Bye" Balboni, PHI

Head Trainer: Dr. Nick Riviera, TIJ

Honorary Captain: Brian Harper

Hanover Starting Lineup

C Mike Piazza, HBK

1B Jim Thome, NWK

2B Eric Young, HON

3B Joe Randa, HBK

SS Chris Woodward, BRK

OF Shawn Green, HON

OF Brian Giles, HBK

OF Gary Sheffield, HAR

DH Kevin Millar, HBK

(DL: Manny Ramirez, NWK)

Reserve Hitters

Jason Giambi, HON

Jorge Posada, PHX

Tim Salmon, STP

Alfonso Soriano, STP

Ichiro Suzuki, PHX

Miguel Tejada, HON

Starting Pitchers

SP Randy Johnson, NWK

SP Derrek Lowe, HAR

SP Mark Mulder, HON

SP Roy Oswalt, HON

SP Tim Wakefield, STP

Relief Pitchers

RP Robb Nen, BRK

RP Troy Percival, PHX

RP Mariano Rivera, STP

RP John Smoltz, NWK

RP Brandon Villafuerte, STP

Coaches

Manager: Don Mattingly, NWK

Bench Coach: Buck Showalter, STP

Hitting Coach: Mackey Sasser, HON

Pitching Coach: Ebby Calvin "Nuke" Laloosh, HBK

First Base Coach: Arthur Andersen, BRK

Third Base Coach: Eric Wickstrom, HAR

Head Trainer: Yoda, PHX

Honorary Captain: John Wetteland

Bonds, Thome Lead Batters

Hoboken's Mike Piazza (.276, .839 OPS, 24 HR, 59 R, 64 RBI) is appearing in his ninth straight All-Star Game for the Hanover Division. Piazza holds the records for most All-Star games as well as most consecutive appearances. For the third straight year, he'll share the catching duties with Phoenix's Jorge Posada (.243, .728 OPS, 20 2B, 7 HR, 28 RBI).

The catching duties for the Morris Division will be shared by seven-time All-Star Ivan Rodriguez (.285, .764 OPS, 19 2B, 9 HR, 32 R, 40 RBI). The Columbia catcher is making his sixth-straight appearance this season. Backing him up will be Vancouver rookie Brian Schneider (.281, .825 OPS, 25 2B, 7 HR, 33 RBI), who can add an All-Star appearance to his first-year resume.

Making his first All-Star Game since he won the MVP Award in the '99 contest is Arkansas 1B John Olerud (.308, .841 OPS, 14 HR, 67 R), his fourth selection to the squad. Hillsborough's Alex Rodriguez (.300, 1.018 OPS, 33 HR, 69 R, 73 RBI) will be the Morris shortstop for the fourth straight year, his sixth All-Star appearance overall, while Vancouver 2B Jeff Kent (.251, .775 OPS, 17 HR, 56 RBI) made the team for the third straight year, fourth overall. The third baseman is Carolina's Aubrey Huff (.300, .794 OPS, 12 HR, 43 RBI), making his All-Star debut. Tijuana's Bret Boone (.236, .702 OPS, 11 HR, 36 RBI) made the team for the second straight year.

Newark 1B Jim Thome (.355, 1.395 OPS, 40 HR, 73 R, 92 RBI), a five-time All-Star, was the top vote-getter in the Hanover infield. Manning the opposite corner will be Hoboken's Joe Randa (.283, .770 OPS, 22 2B, 34 R, 40 RBI), a six-year DMBL veteran finally making his All-Star debut. Stanhope's Alfonso Soriano (.241, .629 OPS, 10 HR, 46 R, 36 RBI, 17 SB) won enough votes to make the team as a reserve despite a somewhat disappointing first half. The rest of the infield goes to the Sharks: Eric Young (.292, .704 OPS, 16 2B, 49 R, 14 SB), whose only other All-Star appearance came when he was with the Sugar Bears in '99, gets the start at second base, while five-time All-Star Jason Giambi (.313, .995 OPS, 20 HR, 62 R, 67 RBI) made the team as a reserve. And can you believe that this is the first year that Miguel Tejada (.277, .723 OPS, 9 HR, 51 RBI) made the All-Star squad?

Newark's Manny Ramirez (.319, .993 OPS, 20 HR, 63 RBI) tied for the most ballots among Hanover outfielders, but the five-time All-Star will miss the game due to injury. Newark fans will have to be content to cheer on former Sugar Bear Brian Giles (.339, 1.112 OPS, 18 HR, 58 R, 47 RBI), now with Hoboken, who was voted to his third All-Star game. Honolulu's Shawn Green (.296, 1.027 OPS, 29 HR, 62 R, 84 RBI) also makes the trip for the third year. Harrison's Gary Sheffield (.251, .741 OPS, 5 HR, 27 R, 13 RBI), who has been named to five All-Star Games -- the first in '93 -- will replace Ramirez in the starting lineup, and Phoenix's Ichiro Suzuki (.270, .647 OPS, 12 2B, 5 3B, 41 R, 17 SB) returns for the second straight year.

Barry Bonds (.362, 1.300 OPS, 29 HR, 73 R, 66 RBI) appeared on 80 percent of the ballots cast -- the most of any Morris position player -- and the only question is, "What were those other 20 percent thinking?" He makes his fourth-straight All-Star appearance and eighth overall. Joining him in the outfield will be five-time All-Stars Larry Walker (.307, .940 OPS, 28 2B, 20 HR, 83 R, 56 RBI), also from Arkansas, and Tijuana's Vladimir Guerrero (.319, .872 OPS, 14 HR, 51 RBI, 11 SB). Two sluggers from Philly, Magglio Ordonez (.265, .809 OPS, 18 HR, 50 RBI) and Albert Pujols (.287, .798 OPS, 11 HR, 45 RBI), make their second All-Star appearances as reserves.

The voting for Morris DH ended in a dead heat, with four players tying but only three spots left on the roster. One thing is certain: Vancouver's Edgar Martinez, a seven-time All-Star, won't be making the trip this year, as he finished in a tie for fifth place in the balloting. The starter will be Arkansas's Ellis Burks (.280, .764 OPS, 17 2B, 11 HR, 62 RBI), making his third All-Star appearance, backed up by second-timer Brad Fullmer (.272, .888 OPS, 13 HR, 35 R, 51 RBI) from the Destroyers and, making his midsummer debut, Columbia's Placido Polanco (.325, .806 OPS, 17 2B, 5 HR, 32 R, 29 RBI). This also will be the first All-Star Game for Hoboken's Kevin Millar (.300, .794 OPS, 20 2B, 8 HR, 42 RBI), who drew enough votes to be the starting designated hitter for the Hanover Division. Veteran Tim Salmon (.267, .826 OPS, 20 2B, 13 HR, 46 RBI), now with Stanhope, is an All-Star for the fourth time -- his first trip since 1997, when he was a Norfolk Ewe.

Lowe, Schilling to Start

Two-time All-Star Derek Lowe (5-6, 3.57 ERA, 9.3 BR/9), the top-vote getter among Hanover starters, will have the honor of taking the mound first. His opposite number will be Arkansas's Curt Schilling (12-3, 2.72 ERA, 8.9 BR/9), who appeared on 90 percent of the ballots -- more than any other Morris Division player. It will be Schilling's fourth All-Star appearance.

Two long-time Morris All-Stars who were left off the roster last season got the call this year: Arkansas's Pedro Martinez (9-4, 3.80, 10.3), a six-time All-Star, and Vancouver's Greg Maddux (6-4, 2.95, 11.7), making his seventh trip. Hillsborough's Kevin Millwood (8-3, 2.45, 11.9) will make his second midsummer appearance, while Carolina's Roy Halladay (7-3, 3.13, 11.2) got just enough votes to make the team for the first time.

Behind Lowe, the voting for Hanover starters ended in a four-way tie, leaving several deserving candidates off the roster. Seven-time All-Star Randy Johnson (11-4, 4.51 ERA, 12.0 BR/9) was elected to the team for the sixth straight year, but the other three are making their All-Star debuts: Honolulu teammates Mark Mulder (6-8, 3.94, 12.8) and Roy Oswalt (9-5, 2.82, 10.8), along with Stanhope's Tim Wakefield (10-4, 3.13, 9.2).

Brooklyn's Robb Nen (2-2, 20 SV, 1.13 ERA, 9.0 BR/9) led all vote getters in the Hanover Division, appearing on 90 percent of the ballots. The two-time All-Star will be joined in the bullpen by Newark's John Smoltz (2-0, 25 SV, 0.42, 6.9), a four-time All-Star who last made the team in '99 -- when he went 18-6 with a 3.27 ERA as a starter for Carolina. Phoenix's Troy Percival (1-6, 13 SV, 3.98, 11.6) will also make his fourth All-Star appearance, while Stanhope's Mariano Rivera (2-2, 24 SV, 3.02, 9.9) was named to the team for the seventh straight time, while fellow Mighty Man Brandon Villafuerte (7-1, 8 holds, 2.80, 11.7) will make his All-Star debut.

The top vote-getter among Morris relievers was Vancouver's southpaw closer, Billy Wagner (7-1, 13 SV, 1.82 ERA, 8.2 BR/9), making his fourth All-Star team. He'll be joined by Arkansas's Octavio Dotel (4-0, 1 SV, 11 holds, 2.11, 8.6), making his second straight All-Star appearance; Columbia's Chris Hammond (3-2, 3 SV, 10 holds, 1.78, 9.7) returning to the All-Star Game for the first time since '96; Philly's Armando Benitez (4-3, 12 SV, 4.80, 13.2), a two-time All-Star; and Carolina veteran Jose Mesa (2-5, 18 SV, 3.48, 11.5), who is making his All-Star debut, seven years after making the bigs.

Welcome back!

Piazza holds the record with nine All-Star appearances -- every year since 1994, which also is the record for most consecutive All-Star appearances (9). Behind him for the longest active All-Star streak are Mariano Rivera (seven straight), Randy Johnson and Ivan Rodriguez (six straight) and Vlad Guerrero (five straight). Bonds has been named to the second-most All-Star teams, with eight; Johnson, Maddux, Rivera and Rodriguez are all tied for third as seven-time All-Stars.

Chris Hammond is an All-Star for the first time since 1996. The six-year interlude is the most of any player named to the team this year, though the all-time record still belongs to Tony Fernandez, who was an All-Star in 1991 and 2000. It's been five years since Salmon was an All-Star, while Olerud, Young and Smoltz all had three years between appearances.

Four players have a chance to become the first two-time All-Star MVP: Bonds ('93), Olerud ('99), Piazza ('00) and the Big Unit ('94).

Not This Year

Two seven-time All-Stars didn't make the cut this season: Vancouver DH Edgar Martinez, came up a distant fifth in the voting, while Harrison DH Frank Thomas wasn't even on the ballot. Arkansas SP Kevin Brown, who had been to the previous four straight All-Star games (six overall), finished tied for eighth in the voting. Five-timer Chipper Jones, who had been to four consecutive All-Star Games as a third baseman, didn't get a single vote after making the switch to outfield this season. Another five-time selection, Hoboken's Roberto Alomar, finished in a distant tie for third this year.

Some deserving candidates don't make the cut every season, but perhaps there were no bigger snubs than among the Hanover starting pitchers seeking to make their All-Star Game debuts. Among Hanover starters, Newark's Brian Meadows ranks second in ERA (2.92), second in winning percentage (9-2, .818) and tied for third in baserunners per 9 (10.0), yet he'll stay home after coming up one vote shy of selection. Phoenix's John Lackey also missed by one vote, despite ranking first in winning percentage (10-2, .833) and third in ERA (3.01) and quality start percentage (.688) in the division. Stanhope's Matt Clement tied for ninth place in the balloting despite being tied for the division lead in wins (11-4) and shutouts (2) and ranking second among Hanover starters in strikeouts (114), tied for third in winning percentage (.733) and sixth in BR/9 (10.7). But perhaps the biggest snub was to Harrison's Tom Glavine (4-9, 3.78 ERA, 12.5 BR/9), a four-time All-Star who didn't even appear on the ballot.

The biggest complaints in the Morris Division come from Columbia's Mark Buehrle (8-6, 3.58 ERA, 9.9 BR/9), who got just one vote. As usual, there's a bunch of middle relievers with gaudy numbers who could make an argument: Carolina's Brendan Donnelly, Columbia's Mike Koplove or Casey Fossum, Hillsborough's LaTroy Hawkins, Philly's Darren Holmes or Mike Remlinger or Tijuana's Guillero Mota.

What Were They Thinking?

It's a little surprising that Hanover voters' top choice among starters was Lowe -- who has a losing record -- and the Big Unit's selection seems more based on reputation than his first-half numbers (4.51 ERA, 12.0 BR/9), though he does lead the division in wins and strikeouts. But they're both justifiable selections. The big question is why on earth did anyone vote for Mark Mulder (6-8, 3.94, 12.8 BR/9)?

It's a little perplexing that Soriano (.241, .629 OPS) got the nod over Newark's Alex Cora (.287, .780 OPS) or Phoenix's Adam Kennedy (.272, .718 OPS), and Hanover voters had no business taking Sheffield (.251, .741 OPS) over Bernie Williams (.327, .855 OPS), Cliff Floyd (.309, .922 OPS), Bobby Abreu (.291, .878 OPS), Chipper Jones (.293, .848 OPS) or Jacques Jones (.290, .807 OPS).

The most undeserving selection of all might have been Philly's Benitez (4.80 ERA, 13.2 BR/9), who is tied for the division lead in blown saves with 5, against just 12 saves. Phoenix's Percival (3.98 ERA, 11.6 BR/9) is another curious choice, with six losses and four blown saves.

But the biggest question is -- what was Rod Beck doing on the All-Star ballot? Admittedly, he has nice numbers for Newark (7-3, 1 SV, 2.43 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 80 K in 103.2 IP). The problem? He posted those numbers two years ago, the last time he was in the major leagues! Actually, those numbers were good enough to send Beck to the All-Star Game in '01, his second trip to the midsummer classic. Beck is still pitching -- he's the closer for the Verona Vagabonds of the North Jersey Senior Softball League -- and he said he was honored to be back on the ballot. But fans shouldn't write him off just yet! "My fastball isn't what it used to be," Beck said, "but I'm hoping to make a comeback next season. I've got a high-arc knuckler like nobody's business." In all seriousness, the DMBL Commissioner's Office explained that Beck's inclusion was due to a typographical error at the ballot printing plant in Palm Beach County, Florida.

You may have known that the Hillsborough Destroyers crushed the Carolina Mudcats, 11-1, on Thursday. But Did You Know what was the most lopsided win so far this season?

There have been 18 games won by at least 10 runs this season -- half decided by a 10-run margin of victory. Of the other nine games, three by 11 runs, four by 12 runs, one by 13 runs and -- in the most lopsided win so far this season -- a 15-run dismantling of the Hoboken Cutters by the Newark Sugar Bears.

The Arkansas Golden Falcons have won five games by 10 or more runs this season, the most blowout victories of any team. They've also played in the most blowout games -- six -- with their one loss an 11-1 bruising at the hands of the Stanhope Mighty Men.

The team with the worst record in blow-out games is Hoboken, which went 0-3 by a combined score of 39-2. In fact, the Cutters have been on the losing end of this year's two biggest blowouts -- the 16-1 loss to the Sugar Bears, and, just a week later, a 14-1 loss to the Phoenix Dragons.

Phoenix has been in the second-most blowout games -- five -- and also has won the second-most, with three. Newark and the Honolulu Sharks have been in four blowouts, each winning two and losing two. The Brooklyn Bean Counters have gone 1-2 in their three laughers. Hillsborough, Stanhope and Carolina have each been in two; the Destroyers won both, the Mudcats lost both and the Mighty Men split. The Vancouver Iron Fist, Columbia Rattlesnakes, Philadelphia Endzone Animals and Tijuana Banditos have each been in one, with the Iron Fist winning and the other three teams losing. The only team that has yet to win or lose a 10-run game this season is the Harrison Rats.

Biggest Blowouts

• 15 - Newark 16, Hoboken 1 5/10/03 in Newark
• 13 - Phoenix 14, Hoboken 1, 5/18/03 in Hoboken
• 12 - Newark 14, Stanhope 2, 4/18/03 in Stanhope
• 12 - Honolulu 12, Carolina 1, 5/26/03 in Carolina
• 12 - Arkansas 13, Tijuana 1, 6/15/03 in Arkansas
• 12 - Honolulu 13, Phoenix 1, 6/16/03 in Phoenix
• 11 - Honolulu 11, Columbia 0, 4/20/03 in Honolulu
• 11 - Phoenix 12, Brooklyn 1, 4/24/03 in Brooklyn
• 11 - Hillsborough 15, Phoenix 4, 5/7/03 in Phoenix
• 10 - Stanhope 11, Arkansas 1, 4/8/03 in Stanhope
• 10 - Philadelphia 10, Newark 0, 4/9/03 in Newark
• 10 - Brooklyn 12, Newark 2, 4/26/03 in Brooklyn
• 10 - Arkansas 13, Philadelphia 3, 5/13/03 in Arkansas
• 10 - Arkansas 10, Hoboken 0, 5/31/03 in Arkansas
• 10 - Vancouver 17, Honolulu 7, 6/2/03 in Vancouver
• 10 - Arkansas 11, Brooklyn 1, 6/7/03 in Brooklyn
• 10 - Arkansas 11, Phoenix 1, 6/13/03 in Phoenix
• 10 - Hillsborough 11, Carolina 1, 6/24/03 in Carolina

A big inning also was the Cutters' undoing in the second-biggest blowout of the year, a 14-1 roasting by the Dragons. Phoenix opened up a comfortable 5-1 lead through five innings on a home run by Luis Gonzalez and doubles by Ichiro Suzuki, Adam Dunn and Jorge Posada, but the floodgates didn't open until the 8th inning. Former Cutter Garret Anderson got the party started with an RBI double off Grant Roberts, followed by back-to-back singles by Paul Konerko and Ichiro. Kerry Ligtenberg was called in to try and put out the fire, but he just poured gasoline on the blaze: After back-to-back walks, he gave up a grand slam to Adam Kennedy to make the score 12-1. Ligtenberg finally escaped the inning but only after 11 men had been sent to the plate. The Dragons tacked on two more runs a ninth-inning blast by Konerko, who went 3-for-5 with 3 R and 3 RBI in the game. Four Cutters' pitchers combined to give up 16 hits and 14 earned runs in the contest, while Phoenix's Peter Munro had a complete-game six-hitter.

Arkansas's 11-1 pounding of Brooklyn could have been much worse -- they left 11 men on base, the Bean Counters turned two double plays and the Golden Falcons didn't start four of their best players! The defending Morris Division champs pounded out 19 hits, including eight doubles, and drew five walks as they tagged five Brooklyn pitchers for 11 earned runs. The Falcons did most of their damage in the 4th inning, scoring nine runs on five doubles and an Ellis Burks home run. David Eckstein, Juan Gonzalez and Phil Nevin didn't start and Barry Bonds didn't play at all.