Mark Loretta

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL Name: Mark Loretta Team: San Diego Padres Local Ties: St. Francis, 1989 This Season: The 33-year-old Loretta is putting up career numbers in his second season with the Padres. Loretta, a second baseman, entered Wednesday's game against the host New York Mets batting .342 with 15 home runs and 66 runs batted in. Loretta, who was the lone Padre to be named to the National League All-Star Team in July, has 168 hits, including 40 doubles, with a .518 slugging percentage.

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL Name: Mark Loretta Team: San Diego Padres Local Ties: St. Francis, 1989 This Season: Loretta was selected as a reserve to the National League All-Star team, his first appearance in the Mid-Summer Classic. The 32-year-old is batting .337 -- he was batting .318 at the break -- with 10 home runs and 49 runs batted in. He's posted a .980 fielding percentage. Latest News: Loretta has been on a tear in the second half of the season.

Erik Boal If it was to be Roger Clemens' last Major League Baseball All-Star game, then it wasn't exactly the storybook ending the future Hall of Famer had in mind. But for Mark Loretta, just to be able to share in the experience of being on the same roster with four Cy Young award winners -- Clemens, Randy Johnson, Tom Glavine and Eric Gagne -- and two players with more than 500 career home runs -- Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa -- was more than someone could ask for in his All-Star debut.

Charles Rich Mark Loretta (St. Francis, 1989), San Diego Padres -- Loretta continues to tear up National League pitching, and there's a chance he might be named to the All-Star team in July. The 32-year-old Loretta is making a good case for himself. Through Sunday, Loretta is batting .313 with five home runs and 22 runs batted in. In a three-game series against the host Philadelphia Phillies this past weekend, Loretta collected six hits. Loretta was the first Padre to hit a home run at San Diego's new stadium, PETCO Park.

Charles Rich Mark Loretta (St. Francis High, 1989): With less than a week left in the 2003 season, Loretta is ranked in the top 10 in hitting in the National League. Entering Monday night's home contest against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Loretta was seventh in hitting with a batting average of .323. The versatile infielder, who recently signed a contract extension with the Padres through 2006, has 183 hits and 71 runs scored in 148 games. The 32-year-old Loretta has recorded 12 home runs and 71 runs batted in. He's hit in 11 consecutive games, and is batting .380 in September.

Charles Rich Mark Loretta (St. Francis, 1989): Loretta continues to thrive this season for the San Diego Padres. Entering Tuesday's game against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks, the 32-year-old Loretta was batting .320 with nine home runs and 62 runs batted in. Loretta had a nine-game hitting streak entering Tuesday's contest, and he had two-or-more hits in three of those games. He had an 11-game hitting streak in June and a 12-game hitting streak in July.