To this point, the most significant contribution Manny Alexander has made to Orioles history is as an answer to a trivia question: Name the only person other than Cal Ripken to play nine innings at shortstop for the Orioles since June 27, 1982.

Alexander played the final nine innings of the Orioles' season-ending, 4-3, 13-inning victory over the host Cleveland Indians on Oct. 4, 1992.

Alexander the Great?

Two years later, Alexander still has only five major-league at-bats, still has proved he can play only one position well, still has not settled questions about his bat, and still is the best infield prospect in the Orioles' system.

Rich in outfield prospects and deep in pitching possibilities, the Orioles have little to brag about in the infield below the major-league level.

Alexander is out of contract options, which means he either makes the major-league roster next spring or must be placed on waivers. Knowing this, the Orioles decided to prepare him for the only available role, that of a utility infielder.

A native of shortstop-factory San Pedro de Macoris in the Dominican Republic, Alexander was asked by the organization to try a new position. He split most of this season, his second for Triple-A Rochester, between second base and shortstop.

At short, he has been the same player as in years past. He has an arm and range that allow him to make spectacular plays in both directions, but has a tendency to botch routine grounders.

At second, he played like a drummer playing the guitar. The talent was there, but something wasn't quite right.

Alexander, who has returned to full-time shortstop duty, committed 14 errors in 47 games at second base. Not only that, his hitting suffered. He batted .220 with 15 RBIs in 186 at-bats as a second baseman and is hitting .257 with 21 RBIs in 183 at-bats as a shortstop.

"He's a legitimate true shortstop," Orioles assistant general manager Doug Melvin said. "There's no question he's a major-league shortstop. He has great instincts in the field. His bat is what he needs to work on."

Alexander can throw and run (26 stolen bases in 32 attempts), but he has yet to put it all together.

A recent hot streak at the plate, which coincided with his move back to full-time shortstop duty, has pumped a batting average that was .204 at the All-Star break up to .238. He has driven in 15 runs in his past 17 games, compared with 21 RBIs in his first 80 games.

Alexander's strong finish might even be reviving interest in him on the trade front, but even Alexander's biggest fan, agent Mike Powers, acknowledged Alexander has not made the anticipated progress this season.

"I'm not trying to make excuses for him," Powers said. "He's having a bad year. No question. But there is a lot of stuff going on in his life and I'm a big believer that stuff affects these guys.

"His wife is up here for the first time ever, pregnant and due in a couple of weeks. She speaks no English and she's all alone when Manny is on the road. I think that weighs on him. People don't realize what a difficult adjustment that is. You don't speak the language and you have a hard time translating dollars into pesos and pesos into dollars. Just little things like that."

Tough shadow to shake

In any language, it's hard to imagine much playing time for Alexander if he stays with the Orioles.

"He's not Cal Ripken and he never will be," Powers said. "That's a real difficult shadow. Cal Ripken arguably is the best player who has ever played. There will never be a replacement for Cal Ripken. Never, ever. And it's not like Manny's going to walk in and replace Mark McLemore, who I think is a darn good second baseman and is a better hitter than Manny ever will be."

Alexander is better suited for short, Powers agrees.

"Manny's arm is second to none in this organization," Powers said. "For Manny to go to second is like taking a cannon and putting him in a place where you have to shoot a ball five feet. It's overkill."

A trade would be best for Alexander's career, but the Orioles can't afford to give him away.

Alexander is the only insurance policy in the system for both Ripken and McLemore. The lack of depth doesn't end in the middle of the infield. No third baseman from the system projects as major-league ready for next season as an insurance policy for Leo Gomez.

"Those things go in cycles," Melvin said of talent shortages and surpluses by position. "Four years ago, we didn't have any outfield prospects and our pitching was thin. Our scouting department focused on outfielders and pitching. Last year, when we started realizing the benefits of that, we went after infielders."

The Orioles used their second-round choices in each of the past two seasons on infielders. David Lamb was drafted out of high school in 1993 and has made significant progress in this, his first full season of pro ball.

A 6-foot-2, 165-pound, switch-hitting shortstop from Newbury Park, Calif., Lamb was hitting .243 for Single-A Albany (Ga.) and committed 18 errors in his first 81 games at short, a fairly low total for a player who turned 19 in June.

Lamb doesn't have any one extraordinary tool, but doesn't have any glaring weaknesses, either. The Orioles hope he will develop power as he fills out.

Tommy Davis, a first baseman/third baseman at Southern Mississippi, is a power-hitting prospect playing third base for the Albany Polecats. Davis, taken in the second round of this June's draft, needs improvement making the throw from third. The Orioles are high on Davis' long-range potential, but Bowie's Scott McClain is closer to being ready to play third base in the majors.

"His glove is as good as we have in the minor leagues," Melvin said of McClain.

Built more like a catcher than a third baseman, McClain has deceptive agility and sure hands. His power totals will have to continue to improve for him to make it to the major leagues.

T. R. Lewis, a fourth-round pick in 1990, remains a hitting prospect, but he lacks the power to play first base and doesn't have the arm to play third. Lewis' shoulder never fully recovered from injuries sustained in a car accident that claimed the life of his girlfriend.

He has split this season between Bowie and Rochester and between first base and left field when he is not used at designated hitter.

Left-handed-hitting Paul Carey, 26, has improved at first base, but has yet to post the kind of offensive numbers needed to generate any interest on the trade front.

Ramos could be sleeper

Long range, the best first base prospect might be Noel Ramos, a seventh-round draft choice in June. Ramos, a native of Puerto Rico, has the best batting practice power in the system, but hasn't made enough contact (48 strikeouts, .197 average in his first 137 at-bats) to take it into games.

Still, he has half of the Gulf Coast Orioles' eight home runs and has earned the nickname "Little Cat" because he resembles Andres "Big Cat" Galarraga of the Colorado Rockies.

A number of shortstops at the lower levels have shown flashes of brilliance and bouts of error-itis.

Juan Bautista, suffering from anemia, is back playing after having his spleen removed. Bautista, 19, will not return to the Dominican Republic this off-season because he can get better medical treatment in the United States.

Denio Gabriel, 18, has outstanding range and a strong arm, but is not much of a hitting prospect.

Feliciano Mercedes, 21, might have been taken by the California Angels in the Dwight Smith trade but for a back injury.

Most young shortstops have split personalities on the field. Spectacular play one minute, a botched routine grounder the next. One of the Orioles' young shortstops even has a name to match: Angel Pagan.

TOMORROW: Catchers

INFIELDERS' RATINGS

Best prospect: Manny Alexander (Rochester)

Best hitting prospect: Tommy Davis (Albany)

Best power prospect: Noel Ramos (Sarasota) or possibly Davis

Best base-running prospect: Alexander

Best arm: Alexander

Best glove: Scott McClain (Bowie)