Bucky Showalter Must Choose Leadoff Hitter

Manager Bucky Showalter's choice of leadoff hitter for the Texas Rangers has come down to David Dellucci, 32, who brings an approximate .350 on-base percentage, power and a handful of steals to the table, or Brad "The Sword" Wilkerson, 28, a fellow lefthanded batter with the potential to match or exceed Dellucci in each category, but whose promising career hit a snag when his season was spoiled last year by injuries and the limitations of playing in RFK Stadium in Washington. Loser of the competition will drop to the No. 7 or No. 8 hole in the batting order, which could translate to a loss of 50-100 AB on the season and considerably less value.