Enquirer news services

The arrival of Memorial Day means it's time to begin looking ahead to the All-Star Game. It's always fun trying to figure out who should be on the team.

It's pretty safe to say there are going to be some Japanese players at U.S. Cellular Field on July 15. Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki started slowly but has played great in May. The Yankees' Hideki Matsui is doing enough to earn consideration in his rookie season.

Hideo Nomo and Kaz Ishii are two reasons the Dodgers have the best pitching in the majors. Monreal's Tomo Ohka is contributing.

But the guy we would like to make an early push for is the seldom-noticed Shigetoshi Hasegawa, whose outstanding work in middle relief (1-0 with a 0.35 ERA in 22 appearances) has helped Seattle play at a 106-win pace.

"He has been wonderful. I can use him in any role," Mariners manager Bob Melvin said.

Nomo blazed the trail for Japanese players. He was named the All-Star Game MVP in his first season, 1995. None of the other Japanese players has been active longer than the 34-year-old Hasegawa, who arrived in 1995.

"All the (Japanese) pitchers are doing well," Hasegawa said. "I would like to see another 10 or 20 more come over and pitch at a high level."

TEXAS HEAT: June 7 could be a very exciting day at Wrigley Field. Barring any postponements, Roger Clemens and Kerry Wood will face each other in a nationally televised Saturday afternoon game between the Yankees and Cubs.

Clemens and Wood are the only two pitchers to strike out 20 batters in a game.

Wood grew up idolizing Clemens, a fellow Texan. If Clemens fails to win his next two starts, he could be going for win No. 300 that day.

EXTRA SUITCASES: The remarkable Expos are about to depart on another odyssey. They leave Montreal today night to begin a 22-game, 25-day trip.

This one takes them to Florida and Philadelphia before six "home" games against Anaheim and Texas in San Juan. Then it's off to Seattle, Oakland and Pittsburgh.

SHORT HOPS: The Rangers are thrilled with Alan Benes' attitude and willingness to share his knowledge with younger pitchers.

• Tough week for managers. Texas' Buck Showalter pulled a calf muscle running up the dugout steps to make a pitching change, while Twins skipper Ron Gardenhire pulled a hamstring trying to lift a dugout water cooler.

• Angels shortstop David Eckstein has started all 45 of his team's games. He hopes to go all 162. Who was the last Angels shortstop to play in all 162 games? Well, realistically, it was Jim Fregosi in 1966.

Rumor mill

A bit of a feud has been brewing between Arizona manager Bob Brenly and ESPN's Bobby Valentine.

The reason? Valentine's proclamation that the Diamondbacks were out of the NL West race.

"He has managed some teams that were out of it on May 20, so maybe he is the voice of experience," Brenly said.

• The Orioles are making a late push to sign left-hander Adam Loewen, who was their first-round pick last June.

If they don't sign him by Tuesday, he'll go back into the draft.

Milwaukee could nab him with the second pick.

• The Tigers are last in the league in batting average, on-base and slugging percentages, runs scored, runs batted in, hits, total bases, doubles and home runs.

Still, manager Alan Trammell and his staff appear safe.

• The Marlins may move third baseman Mike Lowell and his fifth-year arbitration projections to make room for 20-year-old phenom Miguel Cabrera. The Cubs are said to be interested.