HONOLULU--Of all the U.S. players in Hawaii Winter Baseball, Mariners prospect Jeff Clement came in with the most experience at the highest level in the minors. Yet, he has struggled, as has the majority of the hitters in the pitching-strong league.
The third overall selection from the 2005 draft out of Southern California was batting .174 with one double, home run and two RBIs in 46 at-bats as of Nov. 16 with at least five games to go, plus the championship his Waikiki BeachBoys are expected to play in on Nov. 22. But the Mariners sent help. A lot of it.
This past week, Clement and the other Mariners position players--first baseman Reed Eastley (.192) and outfielder Sebastien Boucher (.151) got help from Mariners’ big league hitting coach Jeff Pentland and newly-hired hitting coordinator Alonzo Powell. They were accompanied by catching coordinator Roger Hansen and director of player development Frank Mattox.
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Clement was fast-tracked this past season. After spending his first pro season at short-season Everett and Low-A Wisconsin, Clement skipped high Class A and started 2006 at Double-A San Antonio, where he hit .288 with six doubles, a triple and two home runs with 10 RBI in just two weeks into the season before having surgeries to remove bone chips from his left elbow and to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.
Yet when he returned from rehab, he was sent to Triple-A Tacoma, where he batted a respectable .257 with 10 doubles, four home runs and 32 RBIs in 67 games. To make up lost at-bats because of the injuries, he was sent to HWB.
Two week old quotes and more at the link.
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