DIAMONDBACKS INK JETHAWKS.

Byline: Gideon Rubin Staff Writer

LANCASTER - The turbulent five-year relationship between the JetHawks and the Seattle Mariners is over. The two teams have their gone separate ways amid a flurry of Player Development Contract renegotiations around the California League.

The JetHawks have singed a four-year deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Mariners with the San Bernardino Stampede.

In other developments around the league, the High Desert Mavericks, who have been affiliated with the Diamondbacks since 1997, announced they have signed a new PDC with the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes will hold a news conference at 2 p.m. today, when they are expected to announce a new PDC agreement with the Angels, and the Lake Elsinore Storm are reportedly close to a deal with the San Diego Padres.

``The Diamondbacks are the most professional and quality organization I have dealt with in my 12 years in professional baseball,'' said Matt Ellis, the JetHawks vice president and chief operating officer, who represents an ownership group that also operates the Missoula Osprey of the advanced rookie Pioneer League.

``They believe in relationships with not only our ownership but our community and the fans as well,'' Ellis said.

Ellis said the main concern fans had about a possible new affiliation was that the major-league team have their spring-training facility in Arizona, in order to be more accessible from Southern California. The Diamondbacks, with a facility in Tucson, met that criterion.

Ellis said an oral agreement between his team and the Diamondbacks was made in a telephone conversation on Sept. 6, the first day negotiations between minor-league franchises and prospective new team are allowed under rules of Major League Baseball and the National Association of Minor League Baseball.

The Ellis group also announced Thursday that their Yakima Bears of the short-season Northwest League signed a PDC agreement with the Diamondbacks as well.

JetHawks general manager Kevin Younkin is buoyed by the recent developments.

``We look forward to the opportunity to cross-promote with the Diamondbacks and the other two clubs in Missoula and Yakima,'' Younkin said. ``We see great advantages in terms of public relations and marketing to have the Diamondbacks associated with all three clubs.''

The JetHawks, who became the first team in California League history to go from worst to first in terms of wins and losses in consecutive seasons, are hooking up with an organization that fielded the worst California League team in 2000.

Ellis, however, dismissed the assertion that the type of season the High Desert Mavericks had - compiling a 48-92 regular-season record - accurately reflects the strength of the Diamondbacks system, insisting that his Antelope Valley-based team with superior facilities will receive far better care from its parent club.

``I don't think it's `apples to apples' to compare their season in High Desert to us, I think its different,'' Ellis said. ``I think Lancaster will become one of their priorities in their system because of what we've got here as a community, as a fan base, and as a playing surface.''

Mariners player development director Benny Looper said he is pleased with his team's new affiliation with the Stampede.

``With great fan support and the fact we'll be associated with the Elmore group, it's a great fit,'' Looper said.

The JetHawks and Mariners have had conflicts over the years, mostly centering around having top pitching prospects bypassing the advanced Single-A level out of fear that unfriendly conditions at the Hangar - including high altitude and a prevailing jet stream to right field - would damage confidence.

In 1999, highly-touted prospects Ryan Anderson and Gil Meche went directly from Single-A Wisconsin - commonly referred to as ``slow-A'' - straight to Double-A New Haven.

The JetHawks and Diamondbacks will co-host a ``Meet the Diamondbacks'' day at Lancaster Municipal Stadium, which will be open to the public. Diamondbacks player development director Tommy Jones and general manager Joe Garagiola Jr. are expected to be in attendance, Ellis said.