This was supposed to be the golden age of second basemen. The 1992 American League All-Star team included Carlos Baerga, Roberto Alomar and Chuck Knoblauch, all of whom turned 24 that year. Now, when they should be hitting their prime, all three seem to be on the decline. Not so Easley, age 24, who has had a breakthrough first half and typifies the premium placed on offense at what used to be a defensive-minded position. However, though Easley has outperformed him at the plate in the first half of this season, Craig Biggio remains the best all-around second baseman in baseball.