Everett, Wash.
Published: Wednesday, May 14, 2008

MARINERS MINOR LEAGUE REPORT: Seattle is taking it slow with Aumont, its 2007 first-round pick

By Kirby Arnold
Herald Writer

 Phillippe Aumont may be pitching like a man among boys in the Class A Midwest League, but the Seattle Mariners are coddling him in his first minor league season.

Aumont, a 6-foot-7, 250-pound 19-year-old who was the Mariners' first-round draft pick last year, hasn't allowed a run in 172/3 innings of relief this season for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.

That's right, relief.

The Mariners see Aumont (1-1, 20 strikeouts) as nothing but a starter, but they're following a carefully designed plan to bring him along slowly this season. Nobody wants to risk injury to that prized arm -- which can bring a fastball at 96 mph -- or Aumont's psyche.

With that in mind, Aumont pitches three innings per outing.

"We're breaking him on slow to get his feet underneath him in pro ball," said Greg Hunter, the Mariners' minor league director. "He didn't pitch a lot of innings last year."

Aumont has been pitching every six days for the Timber Rattlers, following left-handed starter Donald Hume.

"He's a starter for us, but we're piggybacking him after Hume," Hunter said. "He knows when he's coming into a game and that allows him to go through his full warmup routine to get ready like he's starting."

There's also a psychological aspect to that plan. Having Aumont pitch later in games allows an opportunity for success -- he could get a victory, a hold or a save -- that isn't possible if he starts and leaves after three innings.

"If he starts and his innings are limited like this, he can't win a game," Hunter said. "He can only lose a game. This way he can be in there for a decision."

Hunter said he will start games once he's stretched out to pitch five innings.

"We're building his innings up and there will be a time when we'll start him," Hunter said. "We're waiting on the weather (to warm) and we'll see how it goes for the first little bit, but there's no real timetable."

Aumont and Hume (4-0, 1.78 ERA), are among the few bright spots on a Wisconsin team that is near the bottom of its division again. The Rattlers entered Tuesday 14-19 and seventh in the Midwest League's Western Division, 11 games behind first-place Clinton.

DH Gavin Dickey hit safely in 14 of his 16 games, with a .382 average and seven extra-base hits.

Elsewhere around the Mariners' minor league system:

Class AAA Tacoma Rainiers: Shawn Garrett's three-run homer in the ninth inning Tuesday gave the Rainiers a 4-1 victory at Omaha, their fourth straight win. The Rainiers are 21-17 and second in the Pacific Coast League Pacific North Division, nine games behind first-place Salt Lake, which started the season 30-8.

Left-hander Ryan Feierabend ran his record to 4-1 Sunday with a victory at Omaha. He has a 1.67 ERA.

Eric O'Flaherty, who started the season as the Mariners' left-handed relief specialist, is 1-0, 4.50 and hasn't allowed an earned run in his past three outings (4.0 innings). Left-handers are hitting .313 against him.

Right-hander R.A. Dickey beat Omaha on Monday, moving him to 2-4 with a 3.38 ERA.

Outfielder Jeremy Reed is batting .350 with six home runs and 21 RBI, and first baseman Bryan LaHair is batting .272 with seven homers and 24 RBI.

Class AA West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx: Right-hander Mumba Rivera is 1-0 with a 1.76 ERA and five saves. With a fastball that reaches 96 mph, Rivera has 18 strikeouts in 151/3 innings and, entering Tuesday, had fanned six of his previous nine hitters.

"He's shown us arm strength throughout the years and he's been consistent with it," Hunter said. "He's throwing the ball to bottom part of the strike zone and locating it to both sides of the plate."

Right-hander Rich Dorman is 4-1 with a 2.19 ERA in eight starts, and he hasn't lost since April 15. He has pitched into the seventh inning in each of his past five starts.

First baseman Thomas Hubbard is batting .362 with five homers and 30 RBI, and he has hit safely in his past 10 games. Catcher Adam Moore, batting .311 with two homers, 21 RBI and 11 doubles, has hit safely in nine of his past 10 games, batting .429 with seven doubles in that span.

Right-hander Denny Stark, who came out of retirement and signed with the Mariners during spring training, is 0-1 with a 6.10 ERA in two outings. Stark, 33, was the Mariners' fourth-round draft pick in 1996 and pitched in the major leagues with the M's and Rockies.

Class A High Desert Mavericks: Right-hander Kyle Parker, a former University of Washington star, is 3-0 with a 3.60 ERA and has struck out 45 in 45 innings. He's second in the California League in strikeouts.

Shortstop Chris Minaker, who starred at Edmonds-Woodway High School, is batting .281 and his 13 doubles are tied for third in the league. He has hit safely in eight of 10 games.

Outfielder Greg Hallman's 16 steals rank third in the league. He hasn't been thrown out. Shortstop Carlos Truinfel is batting .263 and has committed a team-high eight errors.

The Mavericks are 17-21, tied for first in the California League South with Lake Elsinore and Lancaster.
© 2009The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA