DIAMOND JAXX NOTES - Southern Illinois not interested in Jaxx
David Brandt
The Jackson Sun
06/19 2005
While the Diamond Jaxx have already started looking for other places to move
the franchise if attendance stays down, Southern Illinois does not appear to be
one of the places the club may end up.
A couple members of the Southern Illinois Baseball Group were at Pringles
Park a few weeks ago, but spokesman Dennis Poshard said he doesn't think Marion,
Ill., would be interested in a Double-A franchise.
''I think they were really just looking,'' Poshard said. ''We've pretty much
got our sites set on a Single-A franchise out of the Midwest League.''
The Marion Daily Republican reported that the group has already purchased
land that they will build a stadium on for a Single-A franchise, which will be
located at the interchange of Interstate 57 and Illinois 13 in Marion. Plus, the
group got $3 million from the Illinois State Legislature to help fund
construction.
Poshard said the Jaxx's Double-A franchise is intriguing, but he wasn't sure
if Southern Illinois had the resources to undertake that level of a team.
''We'd have to make a bigger stadium and spend more money,'' Poshard said.
''Plus, it costs a little more to operate a Double-A team, so we'd be spending
more money on that, too. It would be great, but I don't know if it would be
smart.''
With Marion looking to add a Single-A team from the Midwest League, it would
do little to change Jackson's chances of getting a Single-A team if the Double-A
Jaxx left. Both the Midwest League and South Atlantic League would still involve
most of the same long road trips that both league commissioners in January said
they weren't too keen on making.
Plenty of help in Daytona
The Diamond Jaxx are putting together an excellent season so far in Double-A,
but so is the team directly below them in Single-A Daytona.
The pitching has been especially impressive with
Sean Marshall (4-4, 2.74 ERA), Carlos Marmol (6-2, 2.99 ERA) and J.R.
Mathes (5-2, 2.95 ERA) all putting together terrific first halves.
The Daytona Cubs also feature three strong power hitters in Scott Moore
(.304, 15 HRs and 49 RBIs), Kevin Collins (.278, 14 HRs, 45 RBIs) and Brian
Dopirak (.249, 7 HRs and 31 RBIs).
Closer Thomas Atlee as a 2.61 ERA and eight saves while veteran Matt
Creighton (.414) is off the disabled list and putting together a great start in
his first 10 games. Creighton has spent parts of the past three seasons with the
Jaxx.
Thanks, Carolina
A Southern League first-half championship is never easy, but the Carolina
Mudcats might as well of handed the crown to the Jaxx in the last week.
After a start that was even better than the Jaxx, Carolina (40-26) has lost
eight games in a row to blow a two-game lead. The Jaxx have won five of eight
games over that span, which was more than enough to overtake the Mudcats and
bring home the title.
During the slide, the Mudcats lost six games in a row to Jacksonville by a
58-15 margin. The Suns have already clinched the South Division title, partly
due to Carolina's sudden collapse.
Odds and ends
Felix Pie is on the disabled list after spraining his ankle sliding into
third base against the Mississippi Braves É Randy Wells is now up with the Jaxx
after spending the early part of the season with Daytona, where he was 5-1 with
a 2.90 ERA in 25 relief appearances.
David Brandt covers the Diamond Jaxx for The Jackson Sun. He can be reached
at 425-9636 or dbrandt@jacksonsun.com
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