E-Mail This Article to a Friend Which AL players are Cooperstown-bound? BY CHRISTOPHER YOUNG

Monday we launched the fourth annual "Which current major-leaguers will end up in the Baseball Hall of Fame someday?" discussion with the Senior Circuit. Today, the American League.

Anaheim. After toiling in obscurity for eight seasons in Montreal, Vladimir Guerrero tested free agency, got himself a megabucks contract, and then showed his sleek adaptation to the AL by earning league MVP honors. He’s picked up right where he left off this season, and if he keeps this up, the 29-year-old Dominican will surely land in Cooperstown.

Baltimore. Last season, Rafael Palmeiro was a probable in this category; this season he’s a no-doubter, given his 555 career home runs and .289 career average. Durable, consistent, and productive, the 40-year-old five-time Gold Glover’s toughest decision will be which hat (Texas or Baltimore) to wear on his plaque. Sammy Sosa? Hmmm. Tough one; with Sammy, despite his denials, still embroiled in the steroids-suspicion controversy, and his image taking a hit with his classless exit from Chicago, his candidacy will likely be viewed from the same angle as that of his 1998 HR-chase counterpart, Mark McGwire. Still, 578 career home runs cannot be ignored, and despite his recent injuries and switch to the AL, Sosa’s only 36 and could have 650-plus HRs by the time he hangs ’em up. Those numbers would be difficult to keep out.

Boston. Two realistic candidates who, if they were forced to retire today, might not have quite the résumé needed to guarantee enshrinement. Curt Schilling’s heroics in last year’s post-season certainly padded his credentials, but 185 career wins are still quite a bit short in most voters’ eyes. Still, he’s a two-time World Series champ, his 2765 career Ks are 18th all-time, and his ERA is a respectable 3.35. If Schilling regains his former stature, then a top-10 career-strikeout total is within reach, and that should guarantee him a slot. Manny Ramirez is the only other Soxer worth debating, and his stats until this season seemed to put him on the fast track to enshrinement (can you imagine his induction speech someday?). He’s had nine .300-plus/30 HR seasons plus a batting title in his career, and 400 home runs is usually a clincher (unless your name is Kingman or Canseco). Assuming Manny breaks out of his 2005 funk, the 31-year-old is a solid candidate based on his all-around offensive numbers.

Chicago. Good ol’ Frank Thomas turns 37 next week, but the oft-injured slugger is still iffy despite 10 .300 seasons and 423 career dingers. Frankly, he hasn’t been productive since the 2000 season, and his body just won’t let him return to form. If he retires with these numbers, the baseball writers will face a tough decision about the often-sullen DH.

Cleveland. Juan Gonzalez shares a lot of the same traits and numbers as Thomas, and Gonzalez’s 434 home runs are indeed impressive. Yet he’s become the poster boy for the disabled list in recent years, and hasn’t been a factor since the 2001 season. Unless there’s a spectacular return to his dynamic days of the late ’90s, I expect Juan Gone will be shut out.

Detroit. Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez (11 All-Star berths, 11 Gold Gloves, .305 career average) is a shoo-in; closer Troy Percival and his 319 career saves (11th all-time) is less certain. At least 375 saves is probably the key number — which would put him right behind The Eck — for the 35-year-old former Halo to warrant serious discussion.

Kansas City. Nope.

Minnesota. Surprisingly, also no — at least at this juncture.

New York. Whoo-boy. Locks: Derek Jeter, Randy Johnson, Mariano Rivera, Joe Torre. Probables: Gary Sheffield (eight All-Star nods, 421 HRs, .298 BA over 18 seasons), Alex Rodriguez (seven .300 seasons, 395 HRs, a 2003 AL MVP award, two Gold Gloves, and eight All-Star selections; one more good year oughta clinch it). Too-soon-to-tells: Kevin Brown, Mike Mussina. Not a bad team there. So why are they just a game over .500?

Oakland. After the team’s fire sale over the winter, only Barry Zito merits consideration at this time, and he’s just 26-27 since his 23-5 Cy Young season of 2002. Pretty slim pickin’s here, to be sure.

Seattle. Ditto; Ichiro Suzuki is a phenom, without a doubt, but five superlative seasons in the American bigs do not necessarily translate to a Hall of Fame invite. Most of the 31-year-old’s prime seasons were spent in Japan, and those stats don’t count when it comes to the Baseball Writers’ Association of America vote. Let’s see how long and how productive Ichiro is in the coming years, and maybe we’ll change our mind about his chances.

Tampa Bay. Shirley, you can’t be serious. Maybe manager Lou Piniella, but not as a player, and certainly not as the skipper of this team.

Texas. A lot of young bucks on the offensive side and a couple of old goats (Kenny Rogers, Sandy Alomar) pitchin’ and catchin’, but realistically, no Ranger is reasonably qualified for Cooperstown at this point in time.

Toronto. Carlos Delgado was the Jays’ last best shot, and he’s plying his wares in the Sunshine State this year. Nobody else on Toronto’s roster is even close.

"Sporting Eye" runs Mondays and Fridays at BostonPhoenix.com. Christopher Young can be reached at cyoung[a]phx.com