You can call the Arizona Diamondbacks many things, including world champions, but one thing they aren't is sneaky. They almost never fly under the radar. Stealth is not a style befitting owner Jerry Colangelo, who took them from blueprint to trophy ceremony in four years.

But it's fair to say Arizona has been winning in a businesslike fashion this season, attracting little attention while positioning itself for a probable return to the postseason. Even without third baseman Matt Williams, the Diamondbacks are making it look easy.

Their .620 winning percentage gives them room for slippage to equal the .562 mark that mark that got them past San Francisco in a tight National League West race last year. Here's an abridged primer on how Bob Brenly's team is doing it:

	Randy Johnson Starting Pitcher Arizona Diamondbacks Profile
	2001 SEASON STATISTICS GM W-L IP H K ERA 11 8-1 79 63 100 2.73

1. Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling are the closest things to a guaranteed victory that there is in the big leagues.

While much of the offseason focus was on getting more depth on the pitching staff, Arizona is 20-2 when the two workhorses start and 11-16 behind four other starters used by Brenly.

Here's an especially damning stat: Even with Johnson and Schilling combining for a 2.81 ERA over 160 innings -- logging 36 percent of the staff's total innings -- the Diamondbacks still somehow rank 14th in the NL in ERA.

But there is no reason to doubt the strength of the Johnson-Schilling tandem. These guys carried Arizona to the World Series title last year and make a repeat possible.

2. No team in the NL produces runs as reliably as Arizona.

Despite Williams being sidelined all season with a broken left foot and cleanup hitter Erubiel Durazo beginning his season on May 17 after wrist surgery, the Diamondbacks are leading the NL with 5.5 runs per game.

But, in the words of White Sox broadcaster Hawk Harrelson, it's not what they're hitting but when they're hitting. Luis Gonzalez & Co. don't waste their energy padding stats in blowouts; they get runs when they need them, the latest example being Sunday's 10-9 victory over Los Angeles. The Diamondbacks have followed the Earl Weaver philosophy -- they're tied for the NL lead with 58 home runs and lead the league with 203 walks.

Arizona has scored at least five runs 32 times already. Six NL teams haven't yet hit 20 in that category, and West rival San Francisco didn't get its 20th five-run game until Monday. Montreal is second to the Diamondbacks with 28 games scoring five-plus runs.

3. These aren't just a bunch of geezers.

Second baseman Junior Spivey, 27, provides much needed energy for a team on which 12 position players are in their 30s. In his first full big-league season, Spivey is sustaining the impact that scouts spotted in spring training, when he was one of the most talked about players in the Cactus League.

"This guy is really a good player," one scout said. "He's got a chance to be an All-Star … and I don't mean years from now. I mean right now."

Spivey is hitting .333 with 27 extra-base hits and a 1.002 OPS (eighth in the NL). His presence has allowed Brenly to move postseason hero Craig Counsell to third base, where he and Chris Donnels have filled in nicely for Williams.

4. Byung-Hyun Kim can't wait to face the Yankees again.

The guy who served up game-tying ninth-inning homers in back-to-back World Series games has been as effective as any NL reliever in the first two months. He's 2-0 with 12 saves and a 1.84 ERA. Opponents have batted only .198 against him.

Matt Mantei, who underwent Tommy John surgery last June, is eligible to be activated on Wednesday after a rehab stint with Triple-A Tucson and Double-A El Paso. But he'll reverse roles with his old set-up man when he comes back.

That's fine with him. "I'm not too worried about it," Mantei said. "I'll just do what I can to help out -- setting up or mopping up, as long as I'm back here doing something."

Like almost all teams, the Diamondbacks can use help in middle relief, as only lefty sidearmer Mike Myers (3-1, 2 saves, 2.76 ERA) has been effective.

5. There's no more versatile roster.

General manager Joe Garagiola Jr. and top assistant Sandy Johnson have gathered a cast of players who can move all over the field. The lineup is sort of like a hardball version of an amoeba. Already Brenly has used a minimum of three different starters at four spots -- second base (3), first base (3), center field (4) and right field (4).

There's no substitute for such versatility over a long season. While other teams would be slowed by the loss of a key ingredient like right fielder Danny Bautista, who was hitting .325 before injuring his shoulder, the Diamondbacks can now give playing time for guys on their deep bench. Jose Guillen, David Dellucci and Quinton McCracken have started in right since Bautista was lost for at least three months with a torn labrum last Wednesday.

6. It's the best clubhouse in baseball.

Brenly is blessed with a dream cast of veterans. That's important considering this is a team where management sometimes allows players to set their own rules -- most notably Schilling's insistence that the roof of Bank One Ballpark be closed when he starts.

With guys like Mark Grace, Gonzalez and the ageless "Mo Man," otherwise known as Mike Morgan, there's not much chance that players are going to lose sight of the importance of team play.

Grace, whose bat continues to slow, provided a wonderful example by stepping aside in a dignified manner when Brenly installed Durazo as his regular first baseman. This may be Grace's last season and he wants to go out with another trip to the Series.

Spotlight: Astros 1B Jeff Bagwell and 2B Craig Biggio
Every scout you talk to sees age creeping up on the long-time Houston cornerstones, Biggio in particular. These days you only have to glance at a box score to know something has changed.

	Jeff Bagwell First Base Houston Astros Profile
	2001 SEASON STATISTICS GM HR RBI R OPS AVG 48 9 26 30 910 .267

Manager Jimy Williams is hitting Biggio second, giving his customary leadoff spot to shortstop Julio Lugo, and has dropped Bagwell into the cleanup spot, behind Lance Berkman. He's trying to awake a lineup that has seen its average run production drop from last year's 5.2 to 4.7.

"It gives us a different look and maybe adds something to our offense that might jump-start us," Williams said about hitting Berkman third. "I'll taking my chances with [Bagwell] hitting fourth."

Bagwell took an 0-for-6 in the cleanup spot last Friday against Chicago, stranding seven runners. During the three-game series, Cubs manager Don Baylor twice intentionally walked Berkman to face Bagwell -- a tactic that had not been used by any manager since May 20, 1995.

As for jump-starting Bagwell, he was 1-for-13 in the series. He saw no difference in the way the Cubs pitched to him. "I'm not a big believer in all that stuff," said Bagwell, who is hitting .267 with nine homers and 26 RBI. "I think a lot of that is sometimes an excuse."

Biggio, who is batting .246, had four RBI in Houston's 7-5 victory on Sunday. That snapped a six-game losing streak for the Astros, who are in for a long season if they don't start scoring more runs.

New face: Royals RHP Miguel Asencio
When we caught our first glimpse of the 21-year-old Asencio, he was throwing 16 consecutive balls to walk four White Sox hitters. He's come a long way since that April 6 debut.

For one thing, he's lowered his ERA from infinity to 6.65. For another, he's worked his way into the Kansas City rotation, making two strong starts since replacing Chris George.

His first opportunity came when a doubleheader left Tony Pena needing a spot starter. He responded by allowing one run on one hit -- and the standard four walks -- in five innings against the streaking Angels.

"He shut us down as well as any pitcher we've seen," Anaheim manager Mike Scioscia said. "We knew he had a real live arm. Even though he walked four guys, he really had good command of his changeup and threw it a lot when he was behind in the count."

Pena gave Asencio a second chance on Sunday. He held Texas to three runs over six innings. He may not be going back to the bullpen any time soon.

Team to watch: Colorado Rockies
If you believe Clint Hurdle, nothing drives an underachieving roster like guilt.

"For whatever reason, the guys have taken it upon themselves," Hurdle said. "After getting Buddy fired, they talked about feeling guilty and that they needed to take responsibility. They needed to reevaluate themselves."

Colorado is 20-9 since Hurdle took over for Buddy Bell, who was canned after a 6-16 start.

"There are weird dynamics," third baseman Todd Zeile said. "Were we at a point where we were ready to lift off? We'll never know, but in fairness to Clint, he's done a very good job as a cheerleader, motivator and positive force on the club. Given the fact we are relying on so many highly talented young kids, Clint's excitement has to be good for that."

Todd Helton credits Hurdle for setting the right tone.

"I think this is the best overall atmosphere we've had since I've been here," Helton said. "There is nothing external to think about. We just think about going out, playing the game and winning. You're a lot more successful doing that."

Don't rule the Rockies out for a role in the wild-card race. However, Colorado's improvement gives the NL West four solid teams, making it tougher for the runnerup to accumulate enough victories to grab the wild-card spot. The most likely beneficiaries of a balanced West are the Central leaders, St. Louis and Cincinnati.

Phil Rogers is the national baseball writer for the Chicago Tribune, which has a web site at www.chicagosports.com.