MINOR DETAILS: PLAYERS WITH AREA TIES TRY TO REACH THE MAJOR LEAGUES

Six professional baseball players with area ties -- including one who started the season in the major leagues but has since been sent down to the minors -- have met with mixed results so far this year.

Following is a rundown of how the six were faring through early this week:

Matt Whiteside

One of the veterans among area pro baseball players -- and the only one with considerable major-league experience -- Whiteside played with Philadelphia the first couple months of the season but he was recently sent down to the Phillies' Triple A team, the Scranton/Wilkes Barre Red Barons.

Pitching strictly in relief, the righthander went 1-1 with an 8.50 earned-run average for the Phillies. In 10 games covering 18 innings, he allowed 27 hits.

Since being sent to the Red Barons, Whiteside is 1-1 with one save and a 6.00 ERA. He's made one start and five relief appearances, covering six total innings and allowing nine hits.

A 1986 Charleston High School graduate who went on to pitch at Arkansas State, Whiteside was a 25th-round draft pick by the Texas Rangers in 1990. He spent his first eight season in the Rangers' organization before joining the Phillies this year. He's spent parts or all of the past seven seasons in the majors.

Cliff Politte

A St. Louis native who pitched one summer for the Cape Girardeau Capahas, the 54th-round draft choice from a few years ago was the surprise of St. Louis' spring training and began the season with the Cardinals.

Politte had some impressive early outings but then struggled and was sent down to the Cardinals' top minor-league team, the Triple A Memphis Redbirds.

With Memphis, Politte is 1-2 with a 6.47 ERA in six starts. In 32 innings pitched, the righthander has allowed 44 hits.

Steve Bieser

A Ste. Genevieve native who starred for Southeast Missouri State University in the late 1980s, Bieser began his professional career in 1989 as a 32nd-round draft pick and toiled eight seasons in the minor leagues.

Then last season Bieser finally got his breakthrough when he made the New York Mets' roster out of spring training. But he was sent down to the minors midway through the campaign.

Bieser was picked up by Pittsburgh this year and has spent the season with the Pirates' top farm team, the Triple A Calgary Cannons. Capable of playing the outfield and several other positions, Bieser is batting .267 with one home run and 17 runs batted in for the Cannons.

Kerry Robinson

A St. Louis native who starred for Southeast Missouri State -- he batted .385 in 1995 -- Robinson is in his fourth professional season.

A 34th-round draft choice by St. Louis in 1995, Robinson spent three highly successful seasons with the Cardinals' organization, reaching as high as Double A.

The outfielder was selected in this year's expansion draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and has spent the season with the Double A Orlando Rays. Robinson is batting .267 with two homers and 22 RBIs.

Lamonte Collier

Another St. Louis native who starred for Southeast Missouri State -- he batted .426 in 1997 -- Collier is in his second pro season.

Taken by Philadelphia in the 34th round of the 1997 draft, Robinson spent last season in a Class A Rookie League. After going through the Phillies' extended spring training program this year, he recently joined the Class A Clearwater Phillies, where he has seen limited playing time as a backup infielder.

Collier is batting just .120 in only 25 at-bats spanning 10 games.

Talley Haines

A 1995 Cape Central High School graduate, Haines had a strong junior season pitching for Freed-Hardeman College in Tennessee this year and was taken in the 25th round of the June draft by Tampa Bay.

After signing, the righthander was assigned to the Devil Rays' Rookie League team in Princeton, W.Va. The squad has only recently started its season, playing five games, and Haines has already made one appearance out of the bullpen, getting a win with three hitless and scoreless innings.