AMERICAN LEAGUE: AROUND THE HORN : GONZALEZ WON'T SHOW.

Byline: - Matt McHale

Rangers outfielder Juan Gonzalez, upset at the fans' voting and a previous snub by Yankees manager Joe Torre, said he will not go to the All-Star Game if he is selected as a reserve.

Gonzalez, last year's MVP, is not happy the fans in Cleveland have dominated the voting for the starters, leaving him a distant fifth among American League outfielders. Ken Griffey Jr. is the runaway leader followed by Cleveland's Manny Ramirez, Kenny Lofton and David Justice. ``That's incredible,'' said Gonzalez, who entered the weekend batting .315 with 23 homers and 70 RBI. ``It's a popularity game. You don't see real justice in the All-Star voting.''

Gonzalez wasn't voted in as a starter in 1997 even though he had won the MVP award the year before. He also wasn't happy Torre picked Yankees outfielders Bernie Williams and Paul O'Neill as reserves that year instead of him.

Back in the game

Since acquiring shortstop Tony Batista from Arizona to replace injured Alex Gonzalez, Toronto is playing well again. The Blue Jays were 12-5 in their first 17 games with Batista in the lineup, including 11-2 at home. He hit in 14 of the 17, with six homers and 15 RBI - three more RBI than DHs Geronimo Berroa and the departed Dave Hollins combined - and they had nearly three times the at-bats. His sixth homer (after five in Arizona) came in his 57th at-bat for Toronto - a ratio of one every 9.5 at-bats. The best ratios in the majors this season have been Jose Canseco's 10.0 and Sammy Sosa's 10.2. Batista, best known for his exaggerated open stance, surprised the D'backs with 18 homers last year, but they traded him for reliever Dan Plesac because they needed bullpen help.

Hold that deal

The Indians have the best record in baseball, but their track record on trades the past two years isn't quite as impressive. Cleveland, which always is looking for pitching, might be reluctant to try again. Last year, GM John Hart dealt prospect Sean Casey to Cincinnati for right-hander Dave Burba. Burba won 15 games last season and is 7-3 this year, but Casey has been leading the NL in batting and turned just 25 on Friday. In November, Hart traded Brian Giles to Pittsburgh for left-handed set-up man Ricardo Rincon. Giles is the Pirates starting center fielder and entered the weekend hitting .304 with 16 homers and 52 RBI. Rincon has been a bust, spending most of April on the DL and struggling in his last few outings.

Moving around

After dropping Derek Jeter to the No. 3 spot, moving Bernie Williams to No. 2, making Tino Martinez the cleanup hitter and making Paul O'Neill the No. 5 hitter two weeks ago, the Yankees hit .342 overall and .373 with runners in scoring position. Williams in particular is thriving. He batted .364 with seven HRs and 21 RBI in June, and a whopping .469 (23 for 49) with five HRs and 10 RBI after the shift. During the same span, O'Neill hit .382 (13 of 34), rising from .267 to .286. And Martinez, who was batting .255 before the move, hit .360 (16 for 44) in a 10-game stretch, raising his average to .272.

Young guns

You probably haven't heard of Chad Harville and Billy Koch. You will. Oakland's Harville and Toronto's Koch, both rookies, are two of the league's hardest-throwing relievers. Koch, who struck out Canseco and Fred McGriff to end Monday's game in Tampa, made it five in a row when he fanned the side in the eighth Tuesday. The Jays have not had a dominant closer since Kelvim Escobar was moved to the rotation, but Koch saved his 10th game Thursday. Harville, called up on June 23, hasn't given up a run yet. After giving up an infield single to the first man he faced in the big leagues, Texas' Lee Stevens, Harville, who has hit 99 on the radar gun, hasn't allowed another hit.