CHICAGO -- The calendar doesn't lie. You know it must not be Memorial Day, let alone July 4, when one Chicago center fielder is hitting almost .350 and leading the league in runs scored and stolen bases while the other cruises along over .300.

After all, it's been 20 seasons since the Cubs or White Sox sent a center fielder to the All-Star Game. Give yourself credit for either a long memory or a flagging social life -- probably both -- should you remember that All-Star was Leon Durham.

	Kenny Lofton Center Field Chicago White Sox Profile
	2002 SEASON STATISTICS GM HR RBI R SB AVG 25 1 13 28 13 .343

If only he hadn't been at first base two Octobers later ...

There's no way to know what kind of a legacy Kenny Lofton and Corey Patterson will eventually leave behind in Chicago. But in the first month of the 2002 season, there were few bigger surprises than these center fielders.

Cleveland manager Charlie Manuel wondered what was up with Lofton last year. His batting average dropped to .261, the lowest of his 10 full seasons in the big leagues, and he frequently meandered down the first-base line in 4.2 seconds. It was a no-brainer not to exercise the buyout for his $9 million contract option.

But that was then, and this is now. Manuel suspected the old Lofton was back when scouting reports filtered in from Arizona this spring. Lofton was running 3.8s and 3.9s from home to first.

"I think he's in good shape," Manuel said after seeing Lofton for himself. "I really believe he wants to prove he can still play."

Lofton finished April hitting .347 and scoring 28 runs for the White Sox, who are 13-5 when he crosses the plate. He has made more highlight-film catches already than predecessor Chris Singleton would make in a season. Both a seventh All-Star appearance and fifth Gold Glove are possibilities.

"The man is ready to play," said White Sox catcher Sandy Alomar. "He's back to being the igniter he was."

Lofton is clearly a man on a mission. His phone barely rang last winter, when the White Sox signed him for $1.025 million and incentives on February. 1. He used his time wisely doing yoga and pilates workouts, and it shows.

"I have 11 years in the game," said Lofton, who is a month away from turning 35. "I just need to show teams I'm healthy. They know what I can do."

No one knows for sure what Patterson can do. It wasn't long ago that scouts and minor-league coaches talked about him as the second coming of Rickey Henderson. But Patterson's game appeared to level off in the high minors.

He entered this season with a .208 average in 70 major-league games, causing Cubs fans to wonder if he was more like the second coming of Brooks Kieschnick. An ultra-solid April has established him as a presence near the top of the order.

While the middle of the order has been a massive disappointment, Patterson has given them chances to do some damage. He's hitting .333 with seven stolen bases. He has only four more strikeouts than walks (10), with the improved patience contributing to a .400 on-base percentage.

Cubs manager Don Baylor took a risk by penciling in the 22-year-old Patterson as his No. 2 hitter. He moved him into the leadoff spot last week, and he has responded by going 12-for-28 in seven games.

Who is more likely to maintain their fast pace, Lofton or Patterson? Both figure to slow down some as the season goes on, but there's no question Lofton understands the demands of the long season. He belongs in the category of fast starters with staying power. Patterson has given himself a chance for a big year, but some doubts will linger at least until he's gone wire to wire for a full season.

Here's a breakdown of other fast and slow starters:

Starting quick, with staying power
Lance Berkman, Astros: He's the home run leader (tied with Cliff Floyd, who hit two Tuesday night) with 10 in 94 at-bats, but doesn't consider himself one of the majors' pre-eminent sluggers.

"I'll never put myself in that category," Berkman said. "It's just a good start for me."

Maybe so, but it's not like this is coming from nowhere. The powerful switch-hitter entered this season with a career OPS of .985, which is better than Jeff Bagwell and even Sammy Sosa. He's no product of Ten-Run Field, either, as he's hit more homers on the road than at home. Get used to seeing him near the top of run-production categories.

Kazuhisa Ishii, Dodgers: Among the majors' regular starters, only Randy Johnson and Ishii won every one of their April starts. The amazing thing about Ishii is he's still building strength after a disappointing spring. He's struck out 34 in 29 2/3 innings while holding opponents to a .214 batting average. It's too early to call him a slimmer version of Fernando Valenzuela, but it's safe to say the Dodgers haven't had a lefty this good since Valenzuela.

Carlos Pena, Athletics: We asked it at the time and we'll ask it many times in the future: What was Texas GM John Hart thinking when he sent Pena to a division rival? Pena has struck out a lot (27 times in 87 at-bats), but he's on pace to hit 44 homers and drive in 100 runs. This should be no surprise as his OPS (.875) is only slightly higher than in an audition for the Rangers last September (.861).

Paul Konerko, White Sox: Overshadowed by Frank Thomas and Magglio Ordonez, this guy has been underrated as a quality run producer. Konerko drove in 97 runs in 2000 and 99 in '01. He would have been in triple figures both seasons if not for the Sox's attachment to Harold Baines, who took away some plate appearances against right-handers. Konerko is poised to drive in 120-plus, in part because he's in a great spot (hitting behind Lofton, Ray Durham, Thomas and Ordonez) but mostly because he's a terrific hitter (.371 average in April).

Alfonso Soriano, Yankees: Picking up where he left off in the postseason, Soriano is fast putting himself near the level of baseball's most productive second basemen, guys like Roberto Alomar, Jeff Kent and Craig Biggio. He seldom sees a pitch he doesn't like (four walks, 31 strikeouts), which could give pitchers an edge against him as the season progresses. But Soriano's the rare hitter talented enough to be dangerous without discipline.

Starting quick, with lingering doubts
Hideki Irabu, Rangers: Just when he was about to be written off as the worst Japanese import since the Gigapet, Irabu might have found a role he can thrive in. He's converted five of six save situations since replacing John Rocker as the Texas closer, a role few besides pitching coach Oscar Acosta had envisioned him filling. There's some question about durability, but Irabu has twice earned saves on back-to-back days.

Josh Fogg, Pirates: At this time last season, Fogg was serving as a swingman for the White Sox' Triple-A pitching staff that included more highly regarded prospects, including Jon Garland, Jon Rauch and Matt Ginter. But now, thanks to a trade, he epitomizes an organization that has addressed its deficiencies. Pitching depth was perhaps the biggest key to the Pirates' 12-5 start. Fogg opened his season with seven shutout innings against the Cubs and has avoided bad outings, compiling a 3-0 record and 1.46 ERA. He'll have to keep proving himself, but give him credit for preparing himself to take advantage of an opportunity.

Matt Clement, Cubs: Where is the wild man whose eccentricities prompted both San Diego and Florida to trade him? He's been a revelation in Chicago, where he's had 40 strikeouts and only 11 walks over 31 innings. Longtime Clement observers will point out he's still not winning, however, with a 1-2 record and 3.77 ERA. But based on this beginning, pitching coach Larry Rothschild can hardly wait to see how Clement will fare the rest of the way.

Jose Rijo, Reds: Fabulous story, marginal stuff. Rijo is no Jim Morris. He didn't wake up one day after spending six years on the couch and discover he's suddenly throwing 98 mph. His comeback is built around intelligence, heart and the ability to throwing breaking pitches for strikes. He's won two starts in a row now, beating the Cubs and Giants, but you wonder how long the ride will last. The beauty is he doesn't have to be an ace. If Rijo can stay healthy and effective enough to hang onto a spot in a thin rotation, he'll have some great stories to tell his grandkids -- and he won't have to wait long to tell them.

Michael Barrett, Expos: No player has benefited more from the regime change in Montreal than Barrett, who has rediscovered the stroke that allowed him to hit .320 with 19 homers in Double-A in 1998, then .293 as an Expos rookie in '99. He's become much more selective, and as a result productive, at the plate. He'll earn a spot on the All-Star team if he can avoid any long droughts.

Starting slow, will rebound
Fred McGriff and Moises Alou, Cubs: If history teaches us anything, it should be to be wary of any hype about the Cubs. The 3-4-5 combination of Sammy Sosa, McGriff and Alou was supposed to be the foundation of a 90-game winner. Instead the Cubs limp out of April averaging 3.7 runs per game. It's hard to say which has been more disappointing, Alou's health (he's played nine games and is hitting .133) or McGriff's month-long ineffectiveness (.205-1-10). If there's a saving grace, it's that McGriff has looked finished before, but somehow averaged 30 homers and 104 RBI in 1999-2001. Alou, too, has a history that says it is almost inevitable he will produce.

	Tino Martinez First Base St. Louis Cardinals Profile
	2002 SEASON STATISTICS GM HR RBI R OPS AVG 26 0 9 2 .552 .200

Tino Martinez, Cardinals: There's no denying that Martinez is missing Yankee Stadium, where he hit 22 of his 34 homers last season. But it's also true that he has long been one of baseball's streakiest hitters. So manager Tony La Russa should expect to ride some hot stretches from Martinez, who is hitting .200 with no homers in 85 at-bats. The scary part is that the longer this slump continues, the more Cardinals fans will wonder if Will Clark, if not Mark McGwire, is ready to make a comeback.

Ben Sheets, Brewers: Perhaps Sheets was poised for a fall after having such a terrific rookie season. His last three starts have created alarm (11 1/3 innings, 22 hits, 11 runs) but the reality is he's not far off his performance from a year ago. His 4.75 ERA is almost identical to his mark from last season, but he's been swept up in Milwaukee's bad karma since his Opening Day win at Houston. Don't worry about him. He'll be fine.

Josh Beckett, Marlins: Winless through five starts, the 21-year-old right-hander must avoid becoming frustrated. He is pitching quite well, but has been beaten by Curt Schilling and Greg Maddux, among others. Beckett has held opponents to a .239 batting average and has a strikeout/walk ratio of 32/10. It might for hard for him to see it, but he's a winning streak waiting to happen, although he may head to the DL with blister problems.

Jim Thome, Indians: With less protection behind him, Thome is getting fewer decent pitches to hit. His strength still allows him to hit homers (seven so far), but he's having trouble keeping his batting average above .200. He might have to start taking even more pitches than he has in the past. The pressure will mount if his batting average doesn't climb as he's playing for a contract. He's mentally strong enough to handle it, but Cleveland's patchwork lineup will limit his chance to do damage.

Frank Thomas, White Sox: Has Thomas merely become a chronic slow starter or has he lost his mojo? He was hitting .221 in 20 games before rupturing his triceps last April and so far is lumbering along with a .271 average and four homers. Thomas is experimenting with batting stances as he searches for the comfort he had in 2000, when he reached career highs with 43 homers and 143 RBI. He's nevertheless on pace to drive in more than 100 runs. With Konerko and Ordonez behind him, he shouldn't start pressing.

They've fallen and they can't get up
Chris Singleton, Orioles: It's one thing to trade for a player like Singleton; it's another to advertise him as a major improvement to a weak lineup. After having to prove himself in each of three seasons with the White Sox, Singleton should have known better but might be trying too hard to live up to expectations. He's batting .165 with seven times as many strikeouts as walks. Singleton started the season as the Orioles' No. 2 hitter, but throughout his career has been more productive near the bottom. It might seem too early to write him off, but he is what he is -- a flyhawk with limited offensive potential.

Tim Salmon and Darin Erstad, Angels: Talk about tough assignments. After miserable Aprils, the two supposed keys to Anaheim's season now are faced with trying to turn around their skidding careers on a team that has already lost sight of the AL West leaders. Between them, Erstad and Salmon are hitting .212 with three homers in 156 at-bats. Ironically, Erstad was almost sent to the White Sox in a trade that included Singleton last winter. With the Angels unlikely to contend for a playoff spot, he'll almost certainly go back on the market at midseason, if GM Bill Stoneman isn't already entertaining offers. Fixing Salmon, however, is a must. The Angels owe him $28.75 million after this season.

Barry Larkin, Reds: Afraid of taking a PR hit, the Reds gave the aging local hero a contract extension in July 2000. They knew they were taking a risk, which is proving to be a bad one. Larkin was limited to 45 games last season, when he had leg problems and surgery to repair a hernia, and is currently in a slump that's dropped his average below .200. You wonder how much this guy has left after 1,875 games, many on the turf at Riverfront/Cinergy. He contributes with his fielding and experience, but those won't compensate for offensive production if the Cardinals, Astros or Cubs heat up and pass the Reds.

Paul Abbott, James Baldwin, Mariners: It's possible that Seattle, and not Arizona, would have ended the Yankees' run had manager Lou Piniella not dropped Abbott from his rotation for a first-round series with Cleveland last October. However, the lack of faith that forced Aaron Sele and Freddy Garcia to open the ALCS working on short rest appears justified. Abbott got hammered in three of five starts and has been dropped from the rotation. Baldwin gets a longer leash, but has raised questions by allowing 28 hits and 16 runs over 15 2/3 innings in his last three starts. The reality is Abbott (4.58 career ERA) is a better pitcher than Baldwin (4.99 career ERA). With Garcia and Jamie Moyer as his only reliable starters, it's no wonder Piniella is taking a long look at Ryan Franklin and Joel Pineiro.

Mike Hampton, Rockies: For starters, he's the guy who got Buddy Bell fired. At least he gets it, saying, "They should have fired me." The Rockies would have been somewhat competitive had Hampton lived up to his end of a $121-million bargain. Colorado is 1-5 in Hampton's starts this season and 6-18 in his starts since last June 21. He was arrogant enough to believe he could handle Coors Field, but lost his confidence in the second half of his first season there and is still searching for it (although he he did pitch seven shutout innings Tuesday). He was horrible in spring training and has been just as bad during the season, allowing 68 baserunners (46 hits, 22 walks) in 32 1/3 innings. Mental toughness contributed to the reputation that made him so widely pursued two winters ago, but it may take a change of venue for him to dig out of the hole he's dug for himself.

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