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Four greats will only get better

Established stars who max out at 26 may be key playoff performers.

By MARC TOPKIN, Times Staff Writer

© St. Petersburg Times
published October 1, 2002

NEW YORK -- What Alfonso Soriano does, whether it's another home run, a spectacular defensive play at second or a daring dash around the bases, no longer impresses the Yankees.

It's trying to figure out what he can't do that occupies their time on the bench.

Soriano, with Oakland's Miguel Tejada, Atlanta's Andruw Jones and St. Louis' Albert Pujols, is part of a new breed: dazzling players, none older than 26, whose performance belies their age.

"These kids, they don't know any fear," Yankees manager Joe Torre said Monday. "They're very confident in their ability."

Those abilities will be on display starting tonight, as the young stars take their acts to the postseason stage, showing the country that the kids are all right.

Soriano's 2001 rookie season wasn't bad: .268, 18 home runs, 73 RBIs and 43 stolen bases. But there was no reason to expect the quantum leap he took this season at age 24, nearly becoming the fourth 40-40 player in history, hitting .300 with 39 homers, 102 RBIs and 41 steals.

"You don't find many players this young with this kind of ability," Torre said.

Soriano was only a little disappointed to fall short of the 40-40 club.

"Everybody says, "Great year, don't worry about it,' " Soriano said. "I'm happy with what I have. It was an unbelievable year for me."

Tejada, who turned 26 during the season, had an even more impressive season, hitting .308 with 34 home runs and 131 RBIs, strong enough credentials that he may be the favorite, ahead of Soriano, for the AL Most Valuable Player Award.

More significantly, Tejada turned the holy trinity of AL shortstops, Nomar Garciaparra, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, into a foursome.

"Does he belong?" A's bench coach Ken Macha said. "Maybe a couple of those guys ought to ask whether they belong in his group."

"In my mind, he's the most underrated player in baseball," Rodriguez said. "I'm glad he's finally getting his due. It's fun to watch what he does."

Tejada not only has been an offensive powerhouse and a defensive whiz but a clutch performer, repeatedly coming to Oakland's rescue.

"Nothing surprises me," manager Art Howe said.

It has been so long since Jones burst on the scene in 1996, going from Class A to Double A to Triple A to the majors to hitting home runs in his first two World Series at-bats, that it's easy to forget he's just 25.

Jones makes what seem to be nightly appearances on the highlight shows, jumping and diving around the outfield like a kid at the beach.

"He's probably the best defensive centerfielder in the league," former Rays manager Hal McRae said. "He's quite an athlete."

His power production is what makes him special, as he has averaged 35 homers and 101 RBIs over the past three seasons.

Pujols, 22, is on his way to an even more impressive career. After one pro season spent mostly at Class A, he made the jump to the majors last season in spectacular fashion, winning the NL Rookie of the Year Award unanimously and finishing fourth in the MVP voting after hitting .329 with 37 home runs and 130 RBIs.

Without the element of surprise, he nearly matched that, hitting .314 with 34 homers and 127 RBIs.

-- Information from the Seattle Times was used in this report.

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