Shortstop Star Power.

Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Nomar Garciaparra are the top players at their position in the major leagues

THEY DRIP GLAMOUR AND poise and grace and, of course, talent--unbelievable, scary talent --all in triplicate, all wrapped in charisma, with an air-mail stamp to Cooperstown.

They are the three shortstops of our time, rapidly on the way to being the shortstop trio of all time, and the prospect of watching their annual battle for supremacy promises to be one of the great continuing dramas of the next decade.

A-Rod. Nomar. Derek. They are remarkably alike, all under 27, all mixing a blend of power, fielding distinction and an abiding respect for the game that at times makes them seem like clones, and yet they are uniquely their own men. Cumulatively, Alex Rodriguez of the Texas Rangers, Nomar Garciaparra of the Boston Red Sox, and Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees are taking their position to places it has never been before, truly never imagined it could go.

"There's a lot of history in baseball, but I don't think there's ever been such a conglomeration of talent, especially at the shortstop position at such a young age," said Aaron Sele, the Mariners' All-Star pitcher, who has had Garciaparra and Rodriguez as teammates. "They're phenomenal. It's almost like these three, some of their strengths are a little different, but none have weaknesses. They're almost like mirror images of each other."

The All-Star balloting at shortstop has become one of the great conundrums of our time. Do you go for Rodriguez, who has a chance to become the first shortstop to hit 50 home runs, or Garciaparra, who has won back-to-back A.L. batting titles, or Jeter, the heart and soul of a team that has won three World Series in a row and four of the past five?

"I think every fan should take three ballots every time they come to the ballpark and vote for each of them," Sele said. "That's the only way I could do it."