Of course the White Sox have a pitcher in the running to be the American League starter in the All-Star Game.

You probably heard the preseason hype about the Sox, right? How they had added a veteran starter to a promising corps of young pitchers and should be right there with the Minnesota Twins in the Central?

It's not every day a 20-game winner is traded. That Bartolo Colon trade was a big deal, wasn't it?

	Esteban Loaiza's ERA (2.51) this season is two runs lower than his career mark (4.58).

However, it's not Colon we're talking about here. The guy who deserves serious consideration to start the July 15 game at U.S. Cellular Field is none other than Esteban Loaiza, who didn't even merit an individual press release when the Sox signed him.

When the Sox signed the 31-year-old Loaiza to a minor-league contract, they included him among a group of players hoping to earn a job in spring training. The biggest name in the group was Brian Daubach.

Needless to say, White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf is getting a lot for the guaranteed $500,000 he gave Loaiza. From objective analysis, there hasn't been a better starter in the AL.

Loaiza's 2.15 ERA leads the AL and he's tied for the most wins with 10.

While Barry Zito, Mark Mulder, Mike Mussina, Jamie Moyer and Roger Clemens are having strong seasons, Loaiza is the best candidate to start the All-Star Game at this time. Isn't baseball a wonderful game?

Loaiza received almost no attention from interested teams after being cut loose by the Toronto Blue Jays. After all, this is a guy who had been a big-leaguer for eight seasons and never won more than 11 games. He had a 5.71 ERA last season, which raised his career mark to 4.88. That's Jaime Navarro territory.

After beating out 6-foot-11 right-hander Jon Rauch for the fifth starter's job, Loaiza ran off a 5-0 record with a 1.25 ERA in April. That was impressive but skeptics noted that he's had fast starts before, compiling a 3.23 career ERA in the first month. He's famous for his fades.

But this time the calendar didn't affect Loaiza. He has kept winning. Even the hitters he has retired have been impressed.

"His slider was just amazing,'' Baltimore's Jay Gibbons said after facing Loaiza. "'It was almost (Mariano) Rivera-like. You just start your swing, and the thing would be in on your hands.''

Loaiza has clicked well with Miguel Olivo, the rookie who has established himself as the Sox's top catcher.

"I have to give him a lot of the credit,'' Loaiza said. "We work together on and off the field, talking about baseball, to make him a better catcher. He's doing a great job.''

You wonder if MLB's marketing staff would let a guy like Loaiza get the starting assignment with a world watching. But if he can keep this up for another month, Loaiza wouldn't certainly be a deserving All-Star starter.

Here's a look at who else deserves the call in the AL:

First base -- Carlos Delgado, Blue Jays: Believe it or not, this is something of a down year at the position. Delgado, who had been a mild disappointment since his 137-RBI season in 2000, is an easy choice. He's led the league in homers and RBI for most of the season, helping Toronto become an assembly line for high-run games. The big surprise here is fans have caught on, as he also led the last round of fan balloting.

Also worth consideration: Mike Sweeney.

Second base -- Bret Boone, Mariners: He's at it again. The MVP candidate whose stunning production helped fuel Seattle's 116-win season in 2001 has again become the major force in a good lineup. He's not going to lead the league in RBI, as he did in '01, but he might wind up as the leader in runs scored.

Also worth consideration: Alfonso Soriano.

Shortstop -- Alex Rodriguez, Rangers: No, this isn't the NBA. He's been the best player in the majors over the last three seasons, yet his Texas team has a .442 winning percentage. His departure didn't exactly crush the Mariners, either. They're playing .650 baseball since he left. The mystery is why this guy hasn't gone crazy.

Also worth consideration: Nomar Garciaparra.

Third base -- Troy Glaus, Angels: After a lukewarm start, Glaus is slugging again. He leads the league in home runs at the position and is second in slugging. That gets this World Series hero the call, albeit barely over two unlikely candidates.

Also worth consideration: Hank Blalock and Bill Mueller.

	Garret Anderson is third in the AL with 57 RBI.

Left field -- Garret Anderson, Angels: When Arturo Moreno bought the Angels from Disney, players did not lobby him to go out and get reinforcements. They said they wanted him to spend his more wisely -- that is, signing Anderson to a contract extension. He can't become a free agent until after 2004 but it's never too early to panic with a consummate pro who produces as consistently as Anderson.

Also worth consideration: Manny Ramirez.

Center field -- Carl Everett, Rangers: Torii Hunter, he's not. But it would be unfair to overlook Everett's bat. He's been as consistent as any hitter in the league and should bring a nice return when Texas GM John Hart gets around to dealing him for young pitching.

Everett is on the fan ballot at designated hitter but has been a regular in the outfield, starting 12-plus games in all three positions already.

Also worth consideration: Rocco Baldelli, Milton Bradley.

Right field -- Melvin Mora, Orioles: Get me rewrite. One of the best utilitymen in the majors has forced his way into a starring role. The AL's leading hitter has started games in five different positions already this year. He's played left field more than anywhere else but isn't out of his element in right, either. The major surprise is that Mora ranks second to Delgado in OPS among the AL's qualifiers.

Also worth consideration: Juan Gonzalez.

Catcher -- Jorge Posada, Yankees: Don't blame him for the Pinstripes' problems. After driving in 86 to 99 runs in each of the last three seasons, he once again seems to be elevating his game.

Also worth consideration: Greg Myers.

Designated hitter -- Edgar Martinez, Mariners: Hall of Famer? Don't think so. All-Star? Absolutely. The best DH ever just keeps rolling on. Not bad for an often-injured guy who has turned 40. He should write a book about hitting and how to keep yourself productive.

Also worth consideration: Erubiel Durazo.

Phil Rogers is the national baseball writer for the Chicago Tribune, which has a Web site at www.chicagosports.com.