On The Sly

MATT HOLLIDAY - Rockies: This is only his fourth big league season, but, man, can this guy hit. His All-Star break batting average is .341. Last year he hit .326 with 34 home runs. At 27 years old, he's one of the youngest players on my list, and probably the least known as well.

DEREK JETER - Yankees: The world's most eligible bachelor, I have to wonder how Jeter can continue to be such a timely hitter. Much to my chagrin, nobody hits in the clutch better than the Yankees' shortstop. That darn inside-out swing enables him to hit line shots over the second baseman's head time after time.

JUSTIN MORNEAU- Twins: Last year's American League's Most Valuable Player, Morneau again is putting up big stats. Last year he hit 34 home runs, and this year he already has 24 at the break. He'll be a career .300 hitter and, if he stays healthy, he'll follow Fergie Jenkins as a Canadian-born Hall of Famer.

MAGGLIO ORDONEZ - Tigers: A .309 lifetime hitter, he is leading the American League in hitting with a .367 average. In his younger days he hit with more power, but he's the Tigers' most reliable hitter with 70 runs batted in already. That's a full season for many players!

ALBERT PUJOLS - Cardinals: Even though he got off to a horrendous start he's batting .310 at the break, and will continue to raise his average in the second half. A .330 lifetime hitter he has never finished worse than fourth in the MVP balloting. In 2005 he won and last year he finished runner-up.

MANNY RAMIREZ - Red Sox: I don't have to like him, and he loses points on my list for attitude at times, but he's been one of baseball's best for a long time. His power output is down this season, and some people are predicting his demise. My guess is that he'll have a huge second half. He's hit 481 career homers with a lifetime batting average of .313. And not one mention of steroids in his closet!

ALEX RODRIGUEZ - Yankees: Yes, A-Rod is on my list! He may not always be the classiest big leaguer (like shouting at sky-gazing rookie Toronto third basemen and a few indiscretions off the field), but nobody hits a pitcher's mistake better than A-Rod. He's six homers away from the 500-home run class. Could he hit one, though, without John Sterling screaming, "Another A-bomb from A-Rod!"

ICHIRO SUZUKI - Mariners: He joined major league baseball in 2001 at the age of 27 amidst a great deal of hoopla. And he has lived up to his Japanese press clippings. He hit .350 that season and won the MVP award. Since then he's averaged .333, won Gold Gloves and smacked more singles than anybody. Despite a slow start this season, he goes to the All-Star Game with a .359 batting average. If anyone ever hits .400 again, it'll be Suzuki.

CHASE UTLEY - Phillies: It's not easy for a second baseman to make a list such as this, but Utley has improved as a hitter every season. He hit .309 with 32 home runs last year and he's on pace to do even better in 2007. He's hitting .325 and already has 68 runs batted in.

My list, just by chance, has two first basemen, along with one second baseman, one shorstop and one third baseman, and there are four outfielders. That leaves only the catching spot without representation. If I had to pick, I'd go with Jorge Posada of the Yankees, and not just because of his .326 batting average this year. He's been a .275 career hitter and averaged 23 homers his last four seasons.

I figure my list has at least seven future Hall of Famers on it. If it were the Forties, what a barnstorming team this would be.