West Tenn Diamond Jaxx

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West Tenn Diamond Jaxx
Founded in 1998
Jackson, Tennessee

Team Logo
Cap Insignia
Class-Level
  • Double-A (1998-present)
Minor League affiliations
Major League affiliations
Name
  • West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (1998-present)
Ballpark
Minor League titles
League titles 2000
Division titles 1999, 2000, 2005
Owner(s)/Operated by: Lozinak Baseball Properties, LLC
Manager: Eddie Rodriquez
General Manager: Jeff Parker

The West Tenn Diamond Jaxx are a minor league baseball team of the Southern League and the Double-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. The team is located in Jackson, Tennessee, and plays their home games at Pringles Park; opened in 1998, the park currently hold 6,000 fans.

Contents

[edit] Team history

[edit] Chicago Cubs (1998-2006)

The Diamond Jaxx began play in Jackson, Tennessee in 1998 as the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. In the following season, 1999, manager Dave Trembley led the team to win the West Division title. They went on to play in the Southern League Championship series where they were defeated by the Orlando Rays, three games to one. The Diamond Jaxx also hosted the SL All-Star Game that season.

The 2000 team was managed by Dave Bialas and featured such future major league stars as Carlos Zambrano and Corey Patterson. The team also won its first, and only, SL Championship. They defeated the Birmingham Barons (3-2) to win the West Division title, and then beat the Jacksonville Suns (3-2) to take the league title.

The Diamond Jaxx's worst season came in 2001 when the team won only 59 games and lost 80, finishing with a .424 average, their worst average to-date. In 2002, the team lost the West Division Championship to the Birmingham Barons, two games to three.

A Diamond Jaxx baseball game at Pringles Park in August 2005
A Diamond Jaxx baseball game at Pringles Park in August 2005

In 2005, Nomar Garciaparra played in four games for the Diamond Jaxx. The team, managed by Bobby Dickerson, returned to post-season action for the first time since 2002. They won the North Division Championship versus the Carolina Mudcats before losing the league championship to the Jacksonville Suns, one game to three.

After the 2005 season, the team considered a move to South Carolina, citing financial problems, but team owner Bob Lozinak was denied permission by Major League Baseball[1]. They later signed a three-year lease to play at Pringles Park through the 2008 season.

Following the 2006 season, the Diamond Jaxx ended their affiliation with the Cubs. Team ownership made an attempt to sell the team to a group of investors in Florida which was approved by the city, but failed to meet deadlines for approval by MLB, Minor League Baseball, and the Southern League[1].

[edit] Seattle Mariners (2007-present)

The Diamond Jaxx began their affiliation with the Seattle Mariners in 2007. They finished the season with a .432 average.

On October 2, 2007, The Tennessean, reported that the team's owners entered into an agreement to sell the team to a group of Nashville-based investors. Low attendance and financial problems were cited as reasons for the sale. One of the new owners is Reese Smith III, who is also a minority partner in the Triple-A Nashville Sounds. The new owners plan to keep the team in Jackson for the 2008 season in an attempt to increase attendance and break even (financially)[1]. The sale was approved by the Southern League during the 2007 Baseball Winter Meetings. [2] The majority owner will be David Freeman, who is also the majority owner of the Nashville Predators.[3]

[edit] Season-by-season record

West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (Southern League)
Year Regular Season Post-season
Record Win % Finish* Record Win % Result
1998 66-74 .471 3rd - -
1999 84-57 .596 1st 4-4 .500 Won West Division Championship vs Chattanooga Lookouts, 3-1
Lost SL Championship vs Orlando Rays, 1-3
2000 80-58 .580 1st 6-4 .600 Won West Division Championship vs Birmingham Barons, 3-2
Won SL Championship vs Jacksonville Suns, 3-2
2001 59-80 .424 5th - -
2002 73-67 .521 3rd 2-3 .400 Lost West Division Championship vs Birmingham Barons, 2-3
2003 65-73 .471 4th - -
2004 70-68 .507 3rd - -
2005 83-56 .597 1st 4-3 .571 Won North Division Championship vs Carolina Mudcats, 3-0
Lost SL Championship vs Jacksonville Suns, 1-3
2006 75-65 .536 2nd - -
2007 60-79 .432 4th - -
Totals 706-677 .510 - 16-14 .533 1 League Championship
Note: * Finish denotes their position in their divisional standings.

[edit] Current roster

West Tenn Diamond Jaxx roster
v • d • e
Players Coaching staff
Pitchers
  • -- David Asher
  • 29 Andrew Baldwin
  • 46 Brodie Downs
  • 17 Chad Fillinger
  • 44 Douglas Fister
  • 58 Chris Jakubauskas
  • 33 Craig James
  • 54 Mumba Rivera
  • 22 Justin Thomas
  • 27 Aaron Trolia


† disabled list
‡ temporary inactive list
Roster updated February 1, 2008

 Catchers

Infielders

  • 12 Christopher Minaker
  • 21 Erick Monzon
  • 18 Luis Valbuena

Outfielders

  • 45 Brent Johnson
  • -- Jon Nelson
  • 15 Michael Saunders
 Manager
  •    Scott Steinmann

Coaches

[edit] Notable former players

Many current and former major leaguers have played for the Diamond Jaxx. A list of notable players includes:

[edit] Ballpark

Main article: Pringles Park

The Diamond Jaxx's current, and only, ballpark is Pringles Park. The park, which is owned by the City of Jackson, was opened in 1998 and seats 6,000 fans.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Sisk, Chris. "Nashville group buys Jackson baseball clube." The Tennessean. 2 October 2007: 1B.
  2. ^ "Marlins to deal Willis, Cabrera to Tigers." The Tennessean. 5 December 2007.
  3. ^ http://tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080501/SPORTS04/805010359/1002/SPORTS

[edit] External links


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Seattle Mariners franchise
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Sports teams based in Tennessee
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(NCAA Division I)