HANGING ON

Aging veterans will be looking to latch on to a team in 2002 to try to reach career milestones. Andres Galarraga, who hit 24 HRs while splitting time at 1B and DH for the first-year Hoboken Cutters last year, is sitting on 199 for his career, compiled during time with Austin, Arkansas and Keystone.

Galarraga can expect to be passed quickly on the all-time HR list by Harrison's Gary Sheffield, who also begins the year with 199. Another free agent, DH Jose Canseco, needs 33 HRs for 200.

If Dante Bitchette, who has bounced around five teams since 1999, can find a taker, he needs 22 HRs for 200. Other veterans who need to find some ABs are 3B Cal Ripken who is five HRs from 100. 2002 could be a big year for veteran 3Bs to get to 1,000 hits. Matt Williams of Harrison needs 102 hits and Robin Ventura, with 855 hits, needs a solid year to get to 1,000. Ventura, last year with Kentucky, also needs to find a team for 2002. Travis Fryman is in the same boat, albeit closer than Ventura at 895 hits. C Javy Lopez, traded from Vancouver to Harrison in the offseason, has 912 hits.

THE BIG 1,000 in 2002

It should take a considerably shorter amount of time for cover-boy SSs Derek Jeter of Stanhope and Vatican City's Alex Rodriguez, along with Newark OF Manny Ramirez, to get their 1,000th career DMBL hit; likewise for Vancouver's Jeff Kent. Jeter enters the year with 938 while A-Rod has 850 and Kent is at 878. Ramirez leads them all with 942. Rodriguez also needs 28 HRs for 200 and five SBs for 100 while Ramirez is 15 away from 200 HRs. Though not on the cover of SI quite as often, Gold Glove SS Omar Vizquel of Hoboken needs 122 hits to reach 1,000. Tijuana's Ellis Burks finished 2001 with 827 hits; just behind Brooklyn's Raul Mondesi, who had 886.

100 is the number of HRs several players in their prime should reach early this year: OFs Luis Gonzalez of Phoenix (95), Honolulu's Shawn Green (93), and Brian Giles of Hoboken (92). Others who have been around a bit longer should reach the plateau, including veteran 1B Mark Grace (92) of Brooklyn and free agent OF Reggie Sanders (98), who got 10 ABs with Carolina last year and had career year with Kentucky in 2000. Grace also has 1,356 hits, needing 144 in 2002 to reach 1,500.

Next Week: A look at the pitching milestones.