July 28

Where you go, I'll follow you down
What is happening to the art of getting on base?

Here are this season's leaders in on-base percentage batting in the leadoff spot (minimum 150 plate appearances):

American League
Shannon Stewart, Tor., .371
Ichiro Suzuki, Sea., .355
Frank Catalanotto, Tex., .352
Rusty Greer, Tex., .345
Chuck Knoblauch, N.Y., .343

National League
Craig Biggio, Hou., .389
Craig Counsell, Ari., .380
Paul Lo Duca, L.A., .378
Juan Pierre, Col., .372
Luis Castillo, Fla., .372

There are four AL players with 150 plate appearances whose leadoff on-base percentage is under .300: Gerald Williams (.274), Carlos Beltran (.278), Jose Offerman (.290) and Brady Anderson (.297). There are five in the NL: Tony Womack (.234), Tom Goodwin (.271), Doug Glanville (.290), Marvin Benard (.295) and Rafael Furcal (.297).

Contrast the 2001 leaders to the 1996 leaders (minimum 200 plate appearances):

American League
Knoblauch, Minn., .448
Roberto Alomar, Balt., .405
Tony Phillips, Chi., .403
Anderson, Balt., .402
Wade Boggs, N.Y., .384

National League
Rickey Henderson, S.D., .409
John Cangelosi, Hou., .401
Eric Young, Col., .392
Quilvio Veras, Fla., .383
Lance Johnson, N.Y., .361

Considering how difficult it seems to find pure on-base and speed leadoff hitters, check out 23-year-old Mariners farmhand Jamal Strong, who in his first full pro season after being drafted in June, 2000 out of the University of Nebraska. The outfielder has reached base at a .470 pace in the Class A Midwest League, then moved up to the high-level Class A California League and has been getting on base at a .441 clip.

"I have been a leadoff hitter most of my life because of my size," says Strong. "So all I've concentrated on is getting on base and scoring runs. That is my job, and I've been conditioned to think that way most of my life."

One leadoff hitter to watch is Montreal's Peter Bergeron, who as he's begun to gain confidence has started to reach base. Since returning from the minors, his July leadoff on-base percentage has been .392 (through Friday).

Last goodbye
"This schedule makes no sense," said one Red Sox player. "We play Toronto 19 times in six weeks, and we're done with them before the end of July. And in those 19 games, we faced their best pitcher, Chris Carpenter once. How lucky is that? It seemed as if we faced Joey Hamilton every third game for six weeks."

"You can never," cracked a teammate, "face enough of Joey Hamilton."

Hamilton, nicknamed "Brewster" as in "Brewster's Millions," will be a free agent at season's end.

You should have known better
The Mets starting outfield of Benny Agbayani, Jay Payton and Tsuyoshi Shinjo went into the weekend with a combined total of 13 homers and 66 RBI.

Can't leave you alone
Proving that as long as you're left-handed you can always think positively, former Pirate Randy Tomlin is considering leaving his assistant coaching position at Liberty University to make a comeback. Tomlin last pitched in 1997 for Duluth of the Northern League, where he was 3-10 with a 6.10 ERA.

How much is that doggie in the window?
"We're like two puppies in a pet store."

-- Woody Williams, Padres pitcher, on scouts coming in to see he and teammate Sterling Hitchcock.

Speaking of dogs and Bonsers, the Giants steadfastly refuse to even discuss trading prize right-handed prospect Kurt Ainsworth at the deadline, and also have refused to discuss 19-year-old righty Boof Bonser, taken in the first round of the 2000 draft. Bonser has won nine games in a row for Class A Hagerstown of the South Atlantic League, leads the league with 12 wins and has 126 strikeouts in 96 1/3 innings.

Speedway at Nazareth
"That's the kind of line you see for Bailey's Groceries in little league."

Here is a single-game and five-start season total of J.D. Martin, the Indians' sandwich pick (35th overall) in this past June's draft, for Burlington in the Appalachian League:

5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 14 SO
26.2 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 40 SO

Open your eyes