Looking in obvious places

Here are where ex-Rattlers are in the Seattle and Milwaukee minor league systems.

This is more difficult than it would appear. Tacoma's online roster is not completely, um, completed.

The best I can tell is that Caesar Jimenez, Greg Halman, and Michael Saunders are there.

West Tennessee is would be best described as who on the team is not an ex-Rattler.

Only two of the 12 position players never played for Wisconsin. Half of the 12 pitchers are ex-Rattlers.

High Desert...I don't know...According to the roster, Ryan Feierabend is there...Marwin Vega is there...Here is the release, you can figure it out.

Clinton has Danny Carroll and Kalian Sams.

Also from the Mariner side of things (Welcome back to the internet, Mariners Minors!) comes this piece of bad news from one of the exhibition games in Albuquerque last weekend.

James McOwen, famous for last year’s hit streak, separated his right shoulder yesterday in an exhibition game after he ran into a wall. Funny thing about that, he’s already done it twice before. So, in essence, a player rewarded by the organization for his hard work by being brought along with the big club has gone and injured himself in a way that will likely put him out for the entire season. Ouch.

Ouch indeed.

Over on the Brewers side of the ledger:

No ex-Rattlers in Nashville...yet.

Huntsville has Jim Henderson, Alex Periard, Taylor Green, and Brett Lawrie.

Brevard County w/ a lot of former Rattlers: Mike Fiers, Ruben Flores ('06), Evan Frederickson, Corey Frerichs, Daniel Meadows, Dan Merklinger, Wily Peralta, Brandon Ritchie, Cody Scarpetta, Nick Tyson, Martin Maldonado, Brock Kjeldgaard, Juan Sanchez, Erik Komatsu, Erik Miller.

Diamond Jaxx Preview

West Tennessee starts the Southern League Playoffs tonight. They host Carolina in Game One of the best-of-five Southern League Playoffs.

Here is the milb.com site with the preview. You'll need to scroll past the Mississippi-Montgomery preview to get to the Diamond Jaxx-Mudcats.

Here is the look from the Jackson Sun.

Joe Woerman ('06) gets the start tonight for West Tennessee.

It must have been a successful first half

Because, the Jackson Sun has contributed a column and a story regarding the tough second half that the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx are having right now.

Woes don't mean much

After splitting the opening series with Huntsville, the North Division first-half champs have lost 15 of their last 21 games.

And it doesn't mean a thing.

The Jaxx can lose the rest of their games and are still guaranteed a spot in the playoffs because of their division title.

It's like picking up a book you have already read -- you know the ending.

....

Jaxx manager Scott Steinmann said while he wants to wins games and championships, he is in the business of player development.

Players promoted so far hint that he has fulfilled his duties this season.

Jaxx search for answers to team's slump

"We got off to a little bit of a slow start, and I believe it was due to personnel changes," said Jaxx manager Scott Steinmann. "We had injuries to some pitchers, including starters Denny Stark and Anderson Garcia."

The Jaxx are hoping their recent success can help turn things around.

West Tenn has had major shakeups since the beginning of the season with six major players promoted to Triple-A Tacoma.

...

Steinmann said his team has talked about the significance of the second half of the season, and decided to shoot for a second-half division title despite already locking up a playoff spot.

"Everybody is holding each other accountable for their actions on and off the field," Steinmann said. "It looks like the club is gelling together again."

Catching up with...

the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx.

Nick Hill is a Patriotic Pitcher

For most members of the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx, this past week’s series with the Tennessee Smokies was just another road trip in a long season.

For Nick Hill, the five-game series meant more. Much more.

The left-handed pitcher was taking the mound in Sevier County, the closest he’s pitched to his Bluff City home since his days as a star at Sullivan East High School.

Wilson Captures Topps Player of the Month Award

Diamond Jaxx OF Mike Wilson has been named the Topps Player of the Month for June, as voted on by Southern League managers. The Topps Company of New York, makers of Topps Baseball Cards and in conjunction with Minor League Baseball, presents the award each month to the top performer in each of the ten full season leagues.

Moore moving up quickly

Adam Moore has dreamed about being a Major League Baseball player since he was 2 years old and hitting off a tee with a plastic bat.

He is close to realizing his dream, doing much more damage with a wooden bat as a catcher for the Double-A West Tenn Diamond Jaxx - two steps away from the major leagues.

"I always knew I would have a future in (baseball)," Moore said. "I enjoyed basketball and football in high school and I had college scholarships for both, but I always knew baseball was my dream. That's what I wanted to do."

Jaxx's Wilson climbing Mariners' ladder

Mike Wilson had a decision to make.

Attend the University of Oklahoma on a football scholarship or go into the Seattle Mariners organization as a second-round draft pick in the 2001 MLB Draft.

"Baseball was always my first love," Wilson said. "Football was something that I stumbled on when I was small, playing with my friends. I didn't really see myself playing (football) in college or in the NFL."

Tonight's Tie-breaker

West Tennessee is at Huntsville to open the second half of the season tonight. The winner of this Southern League Game will be the first half North Division Champion.

Jaxx hope to end first half with playoff spot

"I was upset that we lost (Sunday)," said Jaxx pitcher Chris Dorman. "We controlled our own destiny. But to have it work out this way, it was just meant to be for us to go head-to-head for the first-half title."

I think that RICH Dorman may be a little more upset that his 7-2 record can't even get him the right name in a newspaper article.

Jaxx starter Ryan Ketchner (5-2, 3.57 ERA) will attempt to secure a playoff spot when he takes the mound for his 14th start of the season.

Here is a look at some of the hitters Ketchner will have to face.

The game is at 7:05pm CDT.

Diamond Jaxx off the field

There is new ownership in Jackson, Tennessee. The people in charge of the Diamond Jaxx are trying to repair the brand, as it were.

The Jackson Sun has taken notice.

On Wednesday, a pair of West Tenn Diamond Jaxx players read stories to a group of students at Parkview Montessori Magnet School. That might not sound very exciting, but it is a good indicator of how times have changed for our local professional baseball team.

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So what is so special about the Jaxx players' visit? Well, it is a good indicator of the team's new attitude. It is an indicator of the team's willingness to get involved in the community, even in small ways. And it is the key to the team's continued success in Jackson.

Truth is, there's a lot of work still to be done to rebuild the bridges burned over the past several years. The problems stemmed from a nasty dispute between former Mayor Charles Farmer and former Jaxx owner David Hersh. Then, there was the effort several years ago to relocate the team. By the time all that had settled down, there were a lot of hard feelings in the community, even among hard-core fans.

Being in first place may help. But, community involvement is the key.