2002 Milestones Part 1

FOR THE AGES

Arkansas' Barry Bonds, already the all-time leader in two DMBL categories, should blow past Mark McGwire in 2002 to take over the all-time lead in the HR department. Last year's HR king with 55, Bonds begins this season with 366 while McGwire, released by Newark last year, sits on 381. Bonds leads the DMBL with 1,246 RBIs and 1,266 BBs lifetime. He also has 1,640 hits.

Although McGwire is eligible to play in the DMBL in 2002, where he might get ABs is up in the air. The free agent 1B seems a one-dimensional, all-or-nothing home run hitter. At 976, McGwire is just 24 RBIs, as well as 49 hits, from 1,000 in each category.

2B Craig Biggio -- who spent 10 seasons with Vancouver before playing the last two with Kentucky, now Tijuana -- should hit his 100th career HR in a Sharks uniform. He opens this season with 98. He also is 14 SBs away from 200, tied with Omar Vizquel of Hoboken. Kenny Lofton, with 208, is the only player in DMBL history to reach 200 SBs so far. But Biggio isn't the only one who might get to that plateau in '02. Another 2B, Hoboken's Roberto Alomar, has 193 SB, only 15 away from Lofton, his teammate last year. Alomar also needs just 95 hits to pass all-time leader Tony Gwynn, and 145 hits to be the first to reach 2,000.

Chuck Knoblauch, who spent last season in Arkansas, just needs to find enough playing time with some team to get two SBs. He finished last season with 198 for his career.

Another lefty power-hitting OF from Arkansas can expect to hit special numbers in 2002. Larry Walker needs 131 hits to reach 1,500. He also starts the year with 247 HRs and 273 2Bs. It could be a big year for Arkansas OFs if you include DH Juan Gonzalez. He needs 138 hits to reach 1,500 and is among the top 10 in HRs with 324. He's also just 19 strikeouts from 1,000.

Three Vancouver teammates are aiming to reach 1,000 RBIs in 2002. 1B Jeff Bagwell begins the year with exactly 600 runs - the all-time leader -- and should reach 1,000 RBI early on, starting with 988. He also is expected to get to 1,000 BBs, starting the season with 908 while he's 34 HRs from 300. OF Sammy Sosa can reach several impressive numbers in 2002. He needs just 10 HRs for 300 and 25 2Bs for 200. Entering the year with 862 RBIs, Sosa would reach 1,000 with teammate DH Edgar Martinez who begins 2002 with 879. Edgar finished 2001 with 201 lifetime HRs.

A strong year from Columbia's Ivan Rodriguez could get the all-star catcher to 1,500 hits. He begins 2002 with 1,296 hits but also 159 HRs, 41 away from 200. A good year from another all-star catcher, Hoboken's Mike Piazza, would launch him further up the Top 10. If the former Volcano, Rabbi and Key can match last season's 45 HRs, he would inch past 300. He begins 2002 with 256 round-trippers. Piazza is just ahead of Rafael Palmeiro who needs a big year in Tijuana to reach 300 HRs; he's at 246.

PITCHING

Not nearly as many pitching milestones are expected in 2002 as batting.

Columbia's Jeff Shaw should notch his 100th save early in the year. He begins 2002 with 97, tied for 6th all-time with Rick Aguilera, and just behind John Wettleland with 101. Vancouver's Billy Wagner, whose 41 saves in 1999 set the single-season mark, is coming up fast, entering the season with 75, good enough for 9th all-time. Three saves and he'll catch Eck; 25 will get him to 100, a mark only five closers have reached. Likewise, Mariano Rivera's 38 saves for Stanhope last year shot him up to 125 lifetime, just four behind all-time leader Roberto Hernandez of Tijuana. And don't look now, but Golden Falcon Trevor Hoffman is just four saves away from Rivera, starting 2002 with 121.

Kevin Appier, at 90-91, could reach triple digits in both categories, depending on how he fares with Columbia this year. 100 wins would put him near the top 10 while four losses will tie him with Andy Benes for number one in that category.

Newark's Randy Johnson, already the all-time strikeout leader, should put even more distance between him and the rest of the pack in 2002 and is a virtual lock to reach 2,000 Ks. He only needs 90.

Longtime Vancouver ace Greg Maddux will be the first to reach 2,000 IP, starting the year with 1,913 1/3. He also could be one of the many new members of the 1,500 K club. Maddux has 1,366; behind Arkansas teammates Kevin Brown (1,383) and Curt Schilling (1,454), and Newark's John Smoltz, who at 1,479 could get his 1,500th in a reliever's role.

Three pitchers have the chance to make their 200th career start. David Wells, who spent last year in Phoenix and is still without a club for 2002, is at 197 and another free agent, Pete Harnisch, has 191. More likely to get to 200 is Pedro Martinez of Arkansas. Even if he misses time to injuries, he needs only 8 to reach 200.