For years, he was a baseball player who tried too hard to make his game match his name.
Michael Garciaparra had that famous name to live up to and a body to grow into, and neither was allowing him to flourish as a minor league with the Seattle Mariners. After becoming the Mariners’ top draft pick in 2001, he spent four years at the rookie or Class A level.
Finally, last season, he began to break through, hitting .299 at high-A Inland Empire in the California League. He has continued it this season.
Garciaparra has leaped all the way to Class AAA Tacoma, and he’s playing well there.
After batting .305 at Class AA San Antonio, where he started the season, he was hitting.364 with a .475 on-base percentage in 21 games at Tacoma entering Friday.
“I think he’s starting to have fun playing the game,” said Greg Hunter, the Mariners’ director of minor league operations.
Being the younger brother of superstar Nomar Garciaparra wasn’t easy, and Michael Garciaparra’s thin frame didn’t hold up well early in his minor league career when he adjusted to playing games every day. He’s still no Adonis – 6-1 and 165 pounds – but Garciaparra clearly is his own ballplayer now.
“In a couple of years of A ball, he felt pressure and expectations, taking it a little too serious and being hard on himself,” Hunter said. “He has lightened up and he’s enjoying the game more, and he’s having the best year since we’ve had him.”
Garciaparra’s play has helped the Rainiers to a 30-29 record, leaving them four games behind first-place Salt Lake in the Pacific Coast League Pacific North Division entering the weekend.
The Mariners promoted first baseman Jon Nelson to Tacoma from Class AA San Antonio, and he starred in his first game. Nelson went 4-for-5 with three RBI in the Rainiers’ 18-8 victory at Las Vegas on Thursday.
He replaced T.J. Bohn, who injured his right thumb Tuesday while diving into second base.
The Rainiers also have missed infielder Asdrubal Cabrera, who has a hip flexor injury.
Outfielder Adam Jones led the Rainiers with 10 homers and 38 RBI, and outfielder Shin-Soo Choo’s 15 steals tied him for fourth in the PCL.
Outfielder Chris Snelling has cooled since his hot start after coming off the disabled list and was hitting .246 in 20 games.
Right-hander Clint Nageotte raised his record to 7-3 in the victory over Las Vegas, tying him for first in victories in the PCL.
Elsewhere around the Mariners’ minor league system:
Class AA San Antonio Missions: The Missions’ first-half struggles continued, and they entered the weekend 22-36 and last in the Texas League South Division, 11 games behind first-place Corpus Christi.
None of the regulars was hitting .300.
Left-hander Travis Blackley had a 5-4 record with a 3.80 ERA in 12 starts, and right-hander Jon Huber had 11 saves.
Outfielder Gary Harris came off the disabled list late last week after being out because of a strained left quad.
Class A Inland Empire 66ers: The first-place 66ers led the California League with a .287 team batting average, and three of their players were in the top 10 in average.
Outfielder Mike Wilson was fourth with a .325 average, infielder Yung Chi Chen sixth at .323 and infielder Matt Tuiasosopo tied for eighth at .318. Chen had 19 steals, fourth most in the league.
Left-hander Robert Rohrbaugh was 5-1 with a 1.80 ERA in eight games, seven of them starts. Right-hander Ivan Blanco was 5-3, 3.58 and Jon Lockwood 5-2, 3.20.
The 66ers were 24-26 and led the South Division by four games over High Desert.
Class A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: Third baseman Robert Hudson led the Rattlers with a .282 average and shortstop Jeffrey Dominguez was hitting .281, the top averages on a team without a .300 hitter among its regulars.
The Rattlers, 29-35 and seventh in the eight-team Midwest League Western Division, also didn’t have a pitcher with a winning record.
Left-hander Justin Thomas was 5-5 with a 3.10 ERA. Right-hander Joe Woerman had pitched 151/3 straight innings of scoreless relief, and righty reliever Nick Allen had a 141/3-inning scoreless streak entering the weekend.
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