This week we will look around the horn: first base, second base, third base and shortstop. Next week, catchers, outfielders and designated hitters, followed a week later by starters and relievers.

First Base: How To Pick Just One?
Cecil Fielder
There's no shortage of qualified candidates at first base this season, even with several former All-Star first sackers (Ryan Klesko, Edgar Martinez, Fred McGriff, Rafael Palmeiro and Jim Thome) listed as designated hitters this year. The question isn't how to justify the player you vote for; it's how to justify who you're not voting for, particularly in the well-stocked Hanover Division.

Stanhope's Todd Helton, hitting .309 with 49 runs and 57 RBIs, leads all 1Bs in slugging percentage (.675), OPS (1.084), doubles (25), home runs (21), and total bases (166). But Honolulu's Jason Giambi is right behind Helton in several categories, posting a .972 OPS (despite a .264 batting average), with 44 runs, 48 RBI and 18 HRs, plus 43 walks, tops among first basemen. And what about that other Giambi? Newark's Jeremy is hitting .336, with a .434 OBP to lead all first basemen. He's cracked 13 doubles, 5 HRs, 31 R and 21 RBI in about half as many plate appearances. Harrison's Mike Sweeney (.311, 9 HR, 34 R, 26 RBI) and Hoboken's Rich Sexson (.279, 15 HR, 30 R, 37 RBI) should also receive consideration.

In the Morris, it's going to be tough for anyone to make a case against Philly's Albert Pujols. The rookie sensation -- a likely All-Star starter at first, third or in the outfield -- has a .337 batting average, 60 RBIs, 49 runs and 82 hits to lead all DMBL first baseman, and he leads Morris Division first sackers with a 1.054 OPS, 22 doubles and 18 homeruns. Pujols' only competition may be Tijuana's Sean Casey, right behind him with 81 hits for a .315 batting average, but he hasn't shown nearly as much power (16 doubles, 3 homeruns, 17 RBIs). Three former All-Stars in the division are enduring off years: Arkansas's John Olerud (.275, 8 HR, 37 R, 29 RBI), Vancouver's Jeff Bagwell (.267, 9 HR, 40 R, 36 RBI) and Wanaque's Carlos Delgado (.219, 9 HR, 35 R, 27 RBI).

Cecil Fielder was the first player picked in the DMBL's 1991 inaugural draft. He played for seven DMBL teams, hitting .253 with 102 HRs in 1,762 career at-bats. He's now a broadcaster for the Columbia Rattlesnakes.

Second Base: Questions at the Keystone
Ryne Sandberg
In the Morris Division, it's a toss-up as to who the voters will be sending to Newark at the end of this month; but in the Hanover, the only question is by how wide a margin will Roberto Alomar win. The Hoboken second baseman is hitting .328 with a .414 OBP and .535 SLG -- first among all DMBL second basemen -- with 79 hits, 10 HRs, 48 runs and 39 RBIs. Making the decision process even easier, it hasn't been a good year for either of his usual rivals -- Harrison's Edgardo Alfonzo (.262, 23 R, 26 RBI) or Honolulu's Craig Biggio (.234, 36 R, 28 RBI). Stanhope rookie Alfonso Soriano has marked himself a future star with his first-half performance (.263, 15 doubles, 27 R, 9 SB). Newark's platoon of Chris Stynes and Desi Relaford has been effective, but neither player has enough PT to qualify on his own merit. Combined into a single player, however, Newark's two-headed second baseman is hitting .277 (.344 OBP) with 23 doubles, 6 HRs, 37 runs and 17 RBI.

If there's no question about Alomar representing the Hanover, there's plenty of room for debate over in the other division, where no favorite stands out from the pack. Generally, batters fall into two categories: Sluggers and table-setters. I was a slugging second baseman, and so are Vancouver's Jeff Kent (.280, 19 2B, 2 HR, 44 R, 28 RBI), Tijuana's Bret Boone (.258, 3 3B, 9 HR, 27 R, 29 RBI) and Wanaque's Ray Durham (.241, 14 2B, 4 HR, 22 R, 34 RBI). But there also are a lot of tablesetters in this division, led by Philly's Jose Vidro (.317, .383 OBP, 32 R, 14 RBI, 17 doubles) and Arkansas's Fernando Vina (.269, 32 R, 20 RBI, 13 doubles); and, defensively, those two are among the league's best. Carolina's Homer Bush (.257, 21 R, 15 RBI) and Columbia's Luis Castillo (.262, 16 R, 18 RBI) aren't quite on their level this year.

Ryne Sandberg was the MVP of the first-ever DMBL All-Star Game. After a four-year career with the Austin Outlaws, he retired after the 1994 season, making a brief comeback with Jerusalem and Toledo from 1997-1998. He's now the third base coach for the Double-A Kearny Critters.

Third Base: Why Not Me?
Ken Caminiti
It's a rather dismal field of third basemen in the league this year. It's rather surprising that a league with more sad sackers than third sackers can't find room for a career .285 hitter and defensive wizard like, say, me. In the Hanover Division, Chipper Jones is doing a fairly good impression of my 1997 season (.308, 42 HR, 116 RBI). He's consistently ranked among the top hitters in baseball all season long: .352 batting average (2nd), 1.109 OPS (3rd), 93 hits (1st), 22 home runs (3rd), 62 runs (3rd), 58 RBIs (4th) and 180 total bases (2nd), and leads all DMBL third baseman in just about every offensive category. Jones hasn't missed a start all season and strung together the league's fourth-longest hitting streak, 16 games. But don't overlook Corey Koskie, who splits time with Craig Paquette in Phoenix. Koskie is hitting .345 with a .945 OPS, and has collected 13 doubles, 7 homers and 27 RBIs in 47 games. Harrison's Mike Lamb is hitting .325 with 32 runs and 28 RBIs, but doesn't have the pop (.396 slugging percentage) you expect from a corner infielder.

The Morris Division is a toss-up, with Arkansas's Phil Nevin (.282, 21 HR, 42 R, 56 RBI) the favorite. He's followed closely by Tijuana's Scott Brosius (.322, 15 doubles, 27 R, 38 RBI), Vancouver's Eric Chavez (.298, 20 doubles, 30 R, 39 RBI), Wanaque's Jeff Cirillo (.299, 7 HR, 40 R, 28 RBI), Carolina's Aramis Ramirez (.286, 13 HR, 30 R, 28 RBI) and Philly's Scott Rolen (.247, 14 HR, 34 R and 41 RBI). With two weeks until the All-Star ballots are due, there's still time for any of these guys to pass Nevin as the favorite. (Note that Albert Pujols is listed at 1B and Troy Glaus at DH.)

You may not believe this, but no other third baseman on the ballot is hitting above .240 or has more than 5 HRs. Did I mention I had 210 hits and 46 doubles in 1996?

Ken Caminiti played seven years in the DMBL, mostly with Arkansas and Columbia. The MVP of the 1997 All-Star Game, Caminiti retired two years ago after hitting .347 in 39 games with Arkansas. After spending the entire 2001 season in an intensive conditioning program, the 38-year-old says he's in the best shape of his life and is sitting by the phone, waiting for someone to call him: (973) 555-CAMY.

Shortstops: A-Rod? How about A-Rilia?
Barry Larkin
For two straight seasons, the starting shortstop hasn't changed in either division. The Hanovers will definitely have to look for a new shortstop after Phoenix's Nomar Garciaparra underwent season-ending wrist surgery in spring training. Derek Jeter, the last man to start at short before Nomar's ascendence, had an off-year last year, but appears to be rebounding (.286, 30 R, 14 RBI). He still hasn't rediscovered the power stroke he had before the franchise moved from Jerusalem to Stanhope, however, slugging just .340 (5 2B, 2 HR in 206 ABs). Honolulu's Miguel Tejada (.224, 16 2B, 8 HR, 28 R, 23 RBI) and Hoboken's Omar Vizquel (.249, 7 2B, 4 3B, 28 R, 4 RBI) also aren't living up to their reputations. The balloting could come down to two former teammates, Sugar Bears Mark McLemore and Ricky Gutierrez. Gutierrez, now Brooklyn's starting shortstop, leads all Hanover shortstops with a .311 batting average and 75 hits, with 23 R and 24 RBI. McLemore, hitting .289 with 24 RBI, leads the league in triples (9) and stolen base percentage (7-for-7), and is No. 1 among all shortstops in OBP (.391), runs (37), walks (34) and fielding percentage (.993).

The torch also could be passed in the Morris Division. Though Wanaque's Alex Rodriguez is hitting just .267, his other numbers are impressive (11 HR, 32 R, 36 RBI) -- but Carolina's Rich Aurilia beats him and every other shortstop in baseball in batting average (.321), OPS (.931), hits (79), HRs (15) and RBI (50). With those two at the head of the class, it's tough for Columbia's Christian Guzman (.271, 12 2B, 8 3B, 4 HR, 26 R), Philly's Rafael Furcal (.271, 13 2B, 30 R) or Vancouver's Jimmy Rollins (.250, 9 2B, 5 3B, 30 R, 13 SB) to get noticed.

Barry Larkin was a perennial All-Star over a nine-year DMBL career, making his final appearance in 1999's mid-summer classic. After an aborted comeback with Stanhope this season, Larkin retired with a .299 career batting average, 1,720 hits, 148 HRs, 791 RBI and 183 SBs.