Several Diamond Jaxx players need to improve in second half

The Jackson Sin
Jul 10 2005

About a month ago, Chicago Cubs general manager Jim Hendry was in Jackson watching a red-hot Diamond Jaxx team mow down the first-half Southern League competition.

He was impressed, but said he didn't see any current players moving on to the big leagues any time soon.

''We've got guys hurt like Mark Prior and Nomar Garciaparra - you don't just replace guys like that with kids from Double-A,'' Hendry said. ''These guys (in Jackson) are very good, but I'd like to see them get as many at-bats as they can down here and have a good summer, instead of rushing them.''

Well - guess you can scratch that plan.

Two key cogs to the Jaxx' offensive machine, Matt Murton and Adam Greenberg, were called straight up to the Cubs on Thursday. Murton made his impact right away, going 2-for-2 with an RBI in his major league debut.

His first major league hit came off National League All-Star Dontrelle Willis - a single into left field in the second inning.

To make a long story short, between Rich Hill, Murton and Greenberg, it's become apparent that some of the Jaxx players might make a impact on the Cubs this season.

But here in Double-A, several players are still plugging away, trying to move up the food chain. Here's a look at eight Jaxx regulars - and what they need to do to impress the organization.

1. Ryan Theriot - The Jaxx' second baseman is hitting .304 with a home run and 33 RBIs. Since he decided to scrap switch-hitting, Theriot has been one of the best line-drive hitters on the team.

His defense is strong, and he can play both shortstop and second base. There isn't much to not like, except for the fact that he's shown little power.

A realistic goal would be to hit five or six home runs in the second half while seeing his batting average stay over .300. With that, the Cubs might give him a long look at being the second baseman of the future.

2. Buck Coats - The tall, lanky shortstop from Georgia might have the sweetest swing on the roster. He's hitting .300 with 28 RBIs, yet somehow hasn't hit a home run.

But the big problem with Coats lies in his defense. In 74 games, he's already committed 23 errors, which simply won't cut it in the big leagues. His arm isn't particularly strong, and he's prone to error streaks where he will make four of five errors in a week span.

Keeping his error total under 35 for the season would help his chances of a promotion. A little more pop in his bat wouldn't hurt either. He hit eight home runs in Single-A Daytona last season - so it appears the power is possible.

3. Casey McGehee - In a lot of ways, McGehee has been the Jaxx' MVP this season. He provides very steady defense at third base and first base, can catch if needed, and is one of the best run-producers on the team.

He's hitting .315 with four home runs and 39 RBIs, projecting as a Bill Mueller-esque third baseman in the future.

The problem for McGehee, of course, is a guy named Aramis Ramirez, who's locked up to a long-term deal in Chicago. He's young and figures to be at the hot corner for a long time at Wrigley Field.

But if McGehee keeps producing, the Cubs' organization would either have to find a place for him or package him in a deal with another team. A little more power wouldn't hurt for McGehee - finishing with more than 10 homers and 80 RBIs would be something to shoot for.

4. Matt Craig - After a rocky start of the season where the third baseman missed 15 games for violating minor league baseball's drug policy, Craig has recovered to have a decent season. He's hitting .275 with seven homers and 37 RBIs.

But to impress the Cubs' brass, he'll have to do more. His defense certainly won't get him to the big leagues. He only has eight errors, but that's because the Jaxx have hidden him at designated hitter or first base for much of the season.

Improving defense to go along with a .290 batting average and 15 home runs would keep Craig on the path to the big leagues. Otherwise, he might get squeezed by a Cubs' system that has plenty of prospects at the corner infield positions.

5. Felix Pie - The obvious answer for Pie is to simply get healthy. His ankle has taken a long time to heal and the Cubs' aren't taking any chances with one of their top prospects.

At 20 years old, Pie is still learning patience at the plate. It's amazing he's hitting .304 with 11 homers and 25 RBIs considering he'll swing at almost anything - much like Anaheim's Vladmir Guerrero.

Even after being out of the lineup for three weeks, Pie still leads the team in strikeouts with 53.

If he can improve his plate discipline in the second half, expect Pie to be with the Cubs sometime at the end of this season or early next year.

6. Jae-kuk Ryu - The big Korean has been one of the Jaxx' most consistent pitchers with a 7-4 record and a 3.50 ERA. He's worked deep into ballgames and leads the team with 105.1 innings pitched.

For the most part, Ryu's season has been encouraging, but pitching coach Alan Dunn said he'd like to see Ryu's velocity improve. For most of the season, he's hovered in the 89-91 range with his fastball - having his heater consistently hit 91 or 92 would help him get to the big leagues.

He's kept his walks and hits totals low, so a little extra heat on his fastball should be enough for Ryu to earn a promotion.

7. Sean Marshall - The Cubs' organization is high on this 22-year-old left-hander, and with good reason. He throws hard, he throws strikes - and he's 6-foot-6.

Because of a finger injury last season, Marshall was shelved for a long time. Getting more mound time is all that appears to separate him from Triple-A or the big leagues. So far for the Jaxx, he's 0-1 with a 3.18 ERA since being called up from Daytona. He's thrown 17 innings while striking out 16 and walking four.

8. David Aardsma - If there's one thing the Cubs need, it's a closer, and the Jaxx are beginning to give the former Rice reliever a chance to pick up saves in Double-A. He's 2-0 with a 2.22 ERA and two saves this season.

He's throwing in the 92-93 range with his fastball. The Cubs' would like to see that number improve. Aardsma has also walked 16 in 28.1 innings. That's too many, especially for a closer. Keeping his walks down and saving 10-15 games might get Aardsma to the big leagues as early as next season.

- David Brandt, 425-9636