The Seattle Mariners’ first year with a team in the Appalachian League has been a success.
The short-season Class A Pulaski (Va.) Mariners clinched the East Division title last week and will begin the best-of-three league championship series tonight against Elizabethton.
Pulaski finished 40-27 and five games ahead of Danville in the East, ending Danville’s run of four straight division championships.
More important, the Mariners believe the team provided an important bridge for young players between rookie-level Peoria and short-season Class A Everett, especially those from Latin American who are adjusting to a new country.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” said Greg Hunter, the Mariners’ minor league director. “We’d never been in the Appalachian League before and it’s hard to tell what you’ll have with the guys you get out of the draft. But some of the Latin kids we sent there were some of our better young players. You never know how they’re going to do under the lights playing in front of people.”
“It’s nice to win, but the most important thing is developing players and we were able to do that.”
Hunter said the community seemed to embrace the team and it was a positive experience in all aspects. What that means for next year isn’t certain.
The Mariners had a one-year agreement to field a team in Pulaski. They have a Sept. 11 deadline to decide whether to return for another season.
“It’s been a good situation,” Hunter said. “It’s something we’ve got to talk about internally and decide what we’re going to do. There are a lot of factors involved as far as if and when we’re able to extend.”
Pulaski first baseman Kris Sanchez finished the regular season with a .336 average, 11 home runs and 36 RBI, and third baseman Mario Martinez finished at .319, five homers and 32 RBI after batting .340 in August.
Right-hander Brooks Mohr went 6-4 with a 3.27 earned run average in 13 starts and right-hander Blake Nation was 1-2, 2.74 with 11 saves, including six saves and a 1.86 ERA this month.
Elsewhere around the Mariners’ minor league system:
Class AAA Tacoma Rainiers: The Rainiers are finishing the season with a flourish but will need help to win the Pacific Coast League Pacific North Division.
They entered Tuesday on a five-game winning streak, including 13 straight at home, but were five games behind first-place Salt Lake with eight remaining.
Catcher Rob Johnson was named the PCL’s catcher of the year this week. He entered Tuesday with a .308 average, nine homers and 45 RBI.
DH Victor Diaz drove in five runs Monday against Sacramento and has 25 home runs and 102 RBI, tying him for third in the PCL.
Class AA West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx: The Diamond Jaxx won the Southern League North first-half title and are coasting toward the postseason, having gone 27-34 to put them 10½ games out of first place in the second-half standings.
Outfielder Greg Halman entered Tuesday with a 10-game hitting streak and a .286 season average and catcher Adam Moore had a .316 average after batting .385 in his previous 12 games. Outfielder Mike Wilson was batting .289 with 27 home runs and 83 RBI.
Class A High Desert Mavericks: Shortstop Carlos Truinfel had hit safely in 27 of 32 games to lift his season average to .286. Second baseman Chris Minaker, of Edmonds-Woodway High School, was batting .291. The Mavericks were 22-42 and 16½ games behind first-place Lancaster in the California League South.
Class A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: Phillippe Aumont’s right elbow is tender again and his first full minor league season has ended early.
Aumont, the Mariners’ first-round draft pick in 2007, was scratched from Tuesday night’s start and won’t pitch again until the instructional league, which begins Sept. 15 in Arizona.
“He had a little bit of discomfort in between starts and we just decided to shut him down,” Hunter said. “Everything is fine.”
Aumont missed two months this season because of a sore elbow and finished 4-4 with a 2.75 ERA.
The Timber Rattlers were 22-41 and eighth in the Midwest League Western Division. Shortstop Edilio Colina had a .299 average after batting .464 in a 10-game stretch entering Tuesday.
Rookie-level Peoria Mariners: Catcher Henry Contreras was batting .343 with an eight-game hitting streak and first baseman Alfredo Mateo .241 with a team-high 28 RBI. The Mariners were 10-14 and eight games behind the first-place Scottsdale Giants with three games remaining in the Arizona League season.
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