This week, part two of a three-part series looking at the All-Star candidates, we discuss catchers, outfielders and designated hitters. Last week reviewed infielders, and next week looks at starters and relievers.

Catcher: Looking Past Piazza, Pudge
Darren Daulton
Most people are just going to check off Hoboken's Mike Piazza without even looking at the other names on the ballot. After all, Mike leads catchers in both divisions in almost every category, including slugging percentage (.621), OPS (.959), home runs (24) and RBIs (62), plus a .305 batting average, 13 doubles and 35 runs. But don't forget Stanhope's Shawn Wooten (.307, 3 HR, 23 RBI), who not only leads all catchers with 43 runs scored, but hasn't made an error all season and has gunned down nearly half (12 of 26) baserunners this season, leading the league in both categories. Another backstop worthy of consideration is Harrison's Javier Lopez, hitting .308 with 9 doubles, 5 HR, 23 R and 24 RBI. Newark's Paul Lo Duca would surely be a candidate if not for a pair of lengthy injuries in the first half; since being acquired from Brooklyn, Lo Duca has hit .364 with an 1.120 OPS, but has played in just 19 games.

The voting for the man behind the mask for the Morris Division will be even closer. The biggest name is Columbia's Ivan Rodriguez, but Pudge is having a so-so season (.263, 3 HR, 15 RBI). That could open the door for Tijuana's Ramon Hernandez, who leads Morris Division catchers in batting average (.286), slugging percentage (.491), OPS (.808), HRs (9) and RBIs (32). His competition will come from Philadelphia's Robert Fick (.239, 17 doubles, 4 HR, 26 R, 14 RBI), Carolina's A.J. Pierzynski (.255, 17 doubles, 4 HR, 15 R, 24 RBI) and Arkansas's Ben Molina (.250, 20 R, 15 RBI), second in the DMBL with with 10 HBP. The division's best defensive catcher, Wanaque's Joe Girardi, is hitting .261 with a division-best .327 OBP as a part-time player (11 R, 11 RBI in 92 AB).

Darren Daulton played for the Newark Crimewave, Vancouver Iron Fist and Toledo Mutthens, hitting .268 with an OBP of .396 over his four-year career. Playing for Vancouver in 1993, "Dutch" hit .289 with 36 HRs and 119 RBI and was the All-Star Game's co-MVP. He's now the team bus driver for the Triple-A Tacoma Rusty Gauntlets.

Hanover Outfielders: Only Three?
Albert Belle
While the Morris Division boasts the big bats of Sammy and Barry, the Hanovers have at least a dozen candidates worthy of roaming the outfield in Newark the night of May 27.

Luis Gonzalez appears guaranteed of a third-straight appearance in the mid-summer's classic. Phoenix's left fielder is hitting .312 with 50 runs and 56 RBIs, leads Hanover outfielders in OBP (.408), SLG (.668), OPS (1.076) and intentional walks (16), and is tied for the division lead in HRs (25)... Another returning All-Star could be Stanhope's Bernie Williams, who leads Hanover OFs in batting average (.340), hits (98) and doubles (23), and leads the league in assists (11), with a .398 OBP, .912 OPS, 48 R, 43 RBI and 9 HR... Phoenix rookie Ichiro Suzuki (.304, 39 R, 15 doubles, 92 hits) leads the division with 16 SBs.

Newark's Manny Ramirez (.291, .985 OPS), who shares the Hanover HR title with 25, also leads division OFs with 56 runs and 61 RBIs, and Bob Abreu (.274, .982 OPS, 20 HRs, 41 R, 54 RBI in 219 ABs) would love to play in front of the home crowd... Their former teammate, Brian Jordan, is hitting .294 (.500 SLG) for Brooklyn, with 17 doubles, 14 HRs, 45 runs and 42 RBIs... Speaking of teammates, a case could be made for Hoboken's Garret Anderson (.281, .561 SLG, 21 HR, 42 R, 40 RBI), Brian Giles (.268, 14 HR, 41 R, 52 RBI) and Mark Kotsay (.288, 12 HR, 41 R, 34 RBI); Honolulu's Dmitri Young (.298, 10 doubles, 36 runs) and Shawn Green (.223, but 18 HR, 51 RBI); or Harrison's Frank Catalanotto (.311, .374 OBP, 16 doubles, 41 runs) and Gary Sheffield (.275, 9 HR, 34 R, 37 RBI).

Albert Belle, the heart of the Austin Outlaws lineup for seven seasons, retired after the 2001 season due to a degenerative hip condition. His best season was 1996, when he hit .310 with 67 doubles, 63 homeruns and 199 RBIs, and was named MVP of the All-Star Game. He's now director of public relations for the Harrison Rats.

Morris Outfielders: Sosa, Bonds and...?
Kirby Puckett
Two names should appear on every All-Star ballot: Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa. Arkansas's Bonds leads the DMBL in almost every statistic: OBP (.532), SLG (.928), OPS (1.460), runs (72), RBIs (83) and HRs (32). Vancouver's Sosa is second in every category (.430 OBP, .766 SLG, 1.1196 OPS, 30 HR, 68 R, 75 RBI), leads the league himself in batting average (.354) and total bases (210), and had the league's second-longest hitting streak at 20 games. Bonds, who was co-MVP of the 1993 All-Star Game, also is on pace to tie the all-time record in walks, with 76 (19 intentional) in 70 games.

So if those two are first and second, where to look for the third? Maybe no further than their teammates. Vancouver's Ken Griffey Jr. is rebounding from an off-year, hitting .298 with 12 HR, 28 R and 33 RBI in 191 ABs, while Roger Cedeno (.280, 42 R, 25 SB) is benefiting from all that offense. In Arkansas, Larry Walker (.297, .912 OPS, 23 doubles, 12 HR, 54 R, 30 RBI) and Lance Berkman (.281, 22 doubles, 13 HR, 52 R, 43 RBI) aren't letting Bonds do all the work.

Other All-Star outfields: Columbia's Trot Nixon (.291, 1.002 OPS, 15 HR, 34 R, 37 RBI in 179 ABs) and Magglio Ordonez (.291, 17 doubles, 11 HR, 34 RBI, 8 SB); Philly's Carlos Beltran (.337, .961 OPS, 96 hits, 20 doubles, 34 HR, 54 R, 43 RBI, 9 SB) and J.D. Drew (.291, .960 OPS, 12 HR, 45 RBI); and Tijuana's Shannon Stewart (.304, 18 doubles, 37 R, 33 RBI, 5 SB), Ellis Burks (.270, 16 doubles, 9 HR, 45 R, 38 RBI) and Vladimir Guerrero (.267, 18 doubles, 9 HR, 39 R, 38 RBI, 8 SB).

Kirby Puckett was in the DMBL for five seasons, playing for four teams -- all in the Morris Division. He retired in 1996 with a lifetime batting average of .305. The MVP of the 1992 All-Star Game topped 230 hits, 45 doubles, 20 homers and 100 RBIs in two separate seasons. He is now retired and lives in Duluth, Minnesota.

Designated Hitters: No Glove Required!
Chili Davis
Designated hitter has become the place to stick that extra first baseman every team seems to carry nowadays, with six first basemen listed at the DH slot. Only two guys after my own heart -- professional hitters who don't play the field any more -- made the ballot this year.

In the Hanover, Newark's Jim Thome hung up his glove to lead all DHs with a .950 OPS and .382 OBP, with 18 HRs, 40 runs and 40 RBIs. Stanhope's Tino Martinez (.244, 18 HR, 45 RBI), Harrison's Fred McGriff (.260, 15 HR, 43 RBI) and Brooklyn's Ruben Sierra (.246, 16 HR, 35 RBI) also dig the long ball. If you're looking for lightning instead of thunder, Phoenix's Jason Tyner is hitting .290 with 20 runs and is a perfect 8-for-8 on the basepaths. Honolulu's Jose Cruz Jr. provides both, hitting 17 HRs with 11 SBs (42 R, 45 RBI) despite hitting just .235.

Over in the Morris Division, it may finally be time for Edgar Martinez (.253, 9 HR, 35 RBI) to pass the torch: Maybe to Philly's Troy Glaus (.254, .876 OPS), who leads all DHs with 20 doubles, 19 HRs and 49 RBIs, or Wanaque's Brad Fullmer (17 doubles, 5 HRs, 32 R, 25 RBI), who has the top batting average among DHs (.299). Other possibilities are Columbia's Vinny Castilla (.267, 4 HR, 17 R, 24 RBI), Arkansas's Juan Gonzalez (.270, 16 doubles, 14 HR, 33 R, 43 RBI) or Tijuana's Rafael Palmeiro (.225, 15 HR, 39 R, 36 RBI).

Chili Davis played for five teams in five DMBL seasons before retiring in 1998, racking up 1,640 career at-bats -- and never taking the field. "Leather gives me a rash," the professional DH once quipped. In his two best seasons, 1996-1997, Chili hit .324 with 73 doubles, 55 homers and 239 RBIs, with a .936 OPS. He's now a roving minor league hitting instructor for the Tijuana Banditos.