JETHAWKS NOTEBOOK: TOP PROSPECTS AREN'T WINNERS LANCASTER'S RECORD IS POOR, BUT FOCUS IS ON DEVELOPMENT.Byline: GIDEON RUBIN Special to the Daily News On paper, the JetHawks are arguably minor-league baseball's most prospect-rich team. The JetHawks parent Arizona Diamondbacks This article is about the baseball team. For other uses, see Diamondback. The Arizona Diamondbacks (also referred to as the D-backs) are a Major League Baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They play in the West Division of the National League. , whose minor-league system is ranked No. 1 by Baseball America  This article or section is written like an .Please help [ rewrite this article] from a neutral point of view. Mark blatant advertising for , using . , has nine of its top 30 Baseball America organizational prospects playing for its advanced Class-A affiliate in the Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley . That talent hasn't yet translated into victories. Heading into Monday's game against High Desert, Lancaster (13-24) had minor-league baseball's fifth-worst record. The parent club hasn't fared much better. Arizona's composite organizational record (65-84) is baseball's third-worst. JetHawks history suggests that winning in A-ball doesn't necessarily correlate to developmental success. The JetHawks' 2000 team won a franchise-record 89 regular-season games, but was a bust from a development standpoint, producing no everyday major-leaguers. The 2001 JetHawks, who set a record for futility with a 2-25 June, turned out to be one of the most developmentally successful Lancaster squads, producing Diamondbacks staff ace Brandon Webb Brandon Tyler Webb (born May 9, 1979 in Ashland, Kentucky), is a National Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks and was the 2006 National League Cy Young Award winner. Webb was a 1997 graduate of Paul G. Blazer High School in Ashland. , among others. Whether the JetHawks' top prospects are able to adjust to the more advanced California League The California League is a minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth in time to make an impact this season remains to be seen. JetHawks manager Brett Butler said he is nowhere near ready to count out his team out of title contention, but he indicated it is not the organization's top priority. ``It's hard to make that judgment yet, we still have a lot of baseball left,'' Butler said. ``Obviously, we want to win, but (player) development is first and foremost.'' Lancaster ran away with the first-half title in 2004, when vaunted vaunt v. vaunt·ed, vaunt·ing, vaunts v.tr. To speak boastfully of; brag about. v.intr. To speak boastfully; brag. See Synonyms at boast1. n. 1. prospects Conor Jackson, Carlos Quentin and Jamie D'Antona became known a the ``Three Amigos AMIGOS Advanced Mobile Integration in General Operating Systems .'' Unlike the 2006 crop of prospects, the Three Amigos were more polished collegians. This year's team features younger players who are less advanced, such as Carlos Gonzalez, a five-tool 21-year-old Venezuelan outfielder who is considered among baseball's top prospects. Gonzalez, who was last season's Midwest League MVP (Multimedia Video Processor) A high-speed DSP chip from Texas Instruments, introduced in 1994. Officially introduced as the TMS320C80, it combines RISC technology with the functionality of four DSPs on one chip. at low-A South Bend (Ind.), is holding his own but not dominating, batting .274 with three homers and 23 RBIs. Assuming Gonzalez and Co. should be tearing up the league to start the season is unrealistic, those in player-development circles say. ``I think many times when you see a team with a lot of talent, you assume immediate success, and I don't think that's fair,'' Lake Elsinore manager Rick Renteria said. ``That's part of development, and it takes time. You might not see it for two to three years.'' Promoted: Pitcher Chris Kinsey, who started the season in Lancaster, developed a cut fastball under the tutelage TUTELAGE. State of guardianship; the condition of one who is subject to the control of a guardian. of pitching coach Jeff Pico that has accelerated his progress. Kinsey was promoted to Double-A Tennessee after allowing no earned runs in 11 1/3 innings at Lancaster. He has a 2.70 ERA in five appearances with the Smokies. ``It was a good promotion,'' Butler said. ``He's gotten some confidence with that pitch. It should help him.'' gideon.rubin(at)dailynews.com (818) 713-3607 |
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