Rockies' farm report: Mayora's attitude adjustment has led to all-around improved play

Published June 15, 2007 at midnight

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Standing behind a screen and throwing pitches meant to be hit, low Single-A Asheville manager Joe Mikulik has noticed something different about second baseman Daniel Mayora.

"Even when I throw batting practice to him, his approach is better really than anybody we have here," Mikulik said. "He really works the ball to the opposite field. He's just got a solid approach. He's got that aura about him where he's a relaxed confident type player."

Earlier this week, the Tourists played a series with Augusta, a San Francisco affiliate managed by Roberto Kelly. A former outfielder, Kelly was a two-time All-Star who played all or parts of 15 seasons in the majors. Mikulik said after Kelly praised Mayora for his solid hitting approach, he said, "And he looks like he's been around for a while."

Mayora, a native of Venezuela, will turn 22 on July 27. He's in his third season in the Rockies organization and first full professional one, moving up one level annually. From Rookie Casper in 2005, Mayora advanced to short season Single-A Tri-City last year where he was the Dust Devils primary shortstop and hit .304 in 74 games with five homers and 30 RBI.

"He stays inside the ball and uses the whole field," Mikulik said. "He doesn't chase too many balls. He's a pretty disciplined hitter. He drives the ball to all fields. His power's a little below average right now, but I think eventually he'll get stronger."

Mayora is hitting .326 for the Tourists with 21 doubles, seven home runs and 38 RBI. All his homers, 15 doubles and 30 RBI have come at hitter-friendly McCormick Field, where Mayora's .373 average dwarfts his .281 mark on the road.

Mayora has gone hitless in consecutive games just once this season, a three-game drought that covered 10 at-bats from May 8-10. His on-base percentage is .387 with the drag on that number, on the surface anyway, being Mayora's 56 strikeouts in 239 at-bats.

"He doesn't really chase that many pitches," said Asheville hitting coach Houston Jimenez. "Usually at this level, they get two strikes, they chase every breaking ball in the dirt, no matter how far it is from the plate. He doesn't swing at that pitch. When he strikes out, he swings and misses fastballs and sliders, but they're around the strike zone."

Jimenez, a former major league infielder, was Tri-City's hitting coach last year and said Mayora flailed at plenty of bad breaking pitches and compounded his troubles with a higher leg kick. That prevented him from getting his front foot down in time, which made it hard for Mayora to get his hands back before firing and attacking a pitch with what in hitting parlance is known as a load. A less-pronounced leg kick this year, Jimenez said, has enabled Mayora to load in time.

"He stays with his hands close to his body, like an inside-out swing," said Jimenez, who played parts of four seasons in the big leagues. "And he consistently is an opposite-field hitter. I wish I could hit like that, so I could last 15 years in the big leagues."

There have been other changes this year, not as subtle or technical as a leg kick but equally, or even more importantly, that have worked to Mayora's advantage. His desire to work and improve are significantly better from last year when they weren't particularly good. Jimenez said Mayora's body language was "terrible" at Tri-City.

"It seemed that he didn't want to play, that he was lazy, that he doesn't care," Jimenez said. "He never anticipated anything.

"I just kept talking to him last year, and this year is a big, big improvement. One of the reasons, I think is the manager. Mikulik, everybody knows, is a very intense manager. So you better play the way he wants you to play.

"I can tell inside, (Mayora) wants to do it, he wants to get to the big leagues. Now he's doing a lot better. He's always talking about the game. He wants to make it. He wants to improve. He works on his hitting and his defense every day."

Despite average to below average speed, Mayora is 18-for-19 in stolen base attempts, a statistic that indicates the heady, instinctive feel Mayora brings to the field. He has made tremendous improvement turning double plays, having worked extensively in spring training on coming across the base, which he never did, especially on ground balls to third. Mayora has a very good arm and soft hands.

Jimenez said Mayora has "average range for the big leagues." He's more adept going to his left, Jimenez said. Going to his right is not a problem, Jimenez said, but backhanding balls sometimes is despite his "soft, sweet hands."

"I think it's the glove," Jimenez added. "Believe me, it's a horrible glove, but he likes it. I wouldn't play with that glove. I keep telling him the glove (causes problems) for the backhand; that's where he drops the ball, because he gets to the ball."

Time will tell whether Mayora's future in the big leagues is as a right-handed hitting utility player or a regular second baseman. Jimenez believes the latter will be Mayora's lot.

"He's solid defensively with average range for the big leagues," Jimenez said. "He already has a good bat, so he'll get better and better. He already proved that he can hit -- 93, 95 mile-per-hour fastballs. He can stay back on the breaking balls. I think he's going to hit .300 wherever he goes."

Jimenez is bullish on Mayora for another reason, the attitudinal change Jimenez has witnessed since their time together at Tri-City. Jimenez said Mayora "used to complain about everything," a year ago, wondering why there was so much discipline and structure and not understanding that the Rockies, like every organization, have a system, process and programs in place to enhance the development of their minor leaguers.

"But he now understands," Jimenez said. "Now he has a really good attitude. He works hard every day. He's becoming a solid player."

Triple-A Colorado Springs (32-31, 2nd place, 1 ½ games behind)

Sky Sox Web site | Sky Sox Roster

Third baseman Ian Stewart (.306-9-38) has gone 12-for-30 in his past seven games with one double, six homers, 13 RBI and 10 runs. Two of the homers were three-run shots, one of which tied the scores in the ninth inning Monday at Salt Lake before the Sky Sox won in the 10th. Stewart hit three homers in his first 199 at-bats this season before this power surge. He has taken over the team lead in home runs and is second in RBI to first baseman Joe Koshansky (.321-7-47) . . . Second baseman Jayson Nix (.271-1-16) began the season with 145 at-bats without a home run before connecting Monday at Salt Lake. While hitting safely in six of his past seven games, Nix has gone 12-for-26 with three doubles, one triple, that home run and eight RBI to raise his average from .233 to the highest it has been since Nix was hitting .289 on April 26 . . . Ubaldo Jimenez (4-3, 6.95) is averaging 6.3 walks per nine innings. While winning two of his past three starts, Jimenez has run up some large pitch counts. He threw 107 pitches in 5 2/3 innings June 1, 76 pitches in 3 2/3 innings June 7 and 102 pitches in five innings Tuesday . . . Center fielder Cory Sullivan (.264-1-20) has seven multi-hit games during his nine-game hitting streak, raising his average from .212 by going 18-for-36 with three doubles, one triple, nine runs scored and five RBI . . . Shortstop Clint Barmes (.314-2-17) has raised his average to a season-high by hitting in nine straight games and 11 of his past 12, going 23-for-59 in that stretch with five doubles, one triple, one homer, 10 RBI and nine runs . . . Edwin Bellorin (.355-5-26) was placed on the seven-day disabled list retroactive to Sunday with a strained right quadriceps and Tino Sanchez was recalled from Tulsa where he hit .105-1-4 with 19 at-bats in nine games. Bellorin might have been able to continue playing, but since he's having such a good year, the Rockies didn't want to risk losing him for a longer period if he aggravated the injury.

Double-A Tulsa (32-32, 2nd place, 2 games behind)

Tulsa Drillers Web site | Drillers Roster

Greg Reynolds (4-1, 1.58) is scheduled to start Tuesday against Wichita and throw 50-60 pitches. Since he last pitched May 15, Reynolds will have been sidelined more than a month with shoulder soreness when he takes the mound June 19 . . . Reynolds was one of four pitchers and six Drillers named to the North Division team that will play in the Texas League All-Star Game on June 26 at Corpus Christi. Also honored were closer Steven Register (0-1, 4.71 with 22 saves) and relievers Jarrett Grube (4-1, 1.89) and Juan Morillo 3-2, 2.42), shortstop Jon Herrera (.276-1-20) and left fielder Matt Miller (.272-7-32) . . . Herrera began the season with 220 at-bats without a homer before Saturday when he hit his first. It was an inside-the-park home run as the ball became lodged in the fence . . . Miller is 2-for-28 with one double and one RBI in his past seven games, dropping his average from .303, and has eight hits in his past 45 at-bats. Miller's home-road splits are dramatically different, as he's hitting .318 (28-for-88) at home and .240 (30-for-125) on the road . . . Samuel Deduno (3-2, 4.63) set a season-high for a Tulsa pitcher with 11 strikeouts Monday and matched the season high with eight innings pitched, allowing four hits and one run in a 2-1 win at Wichita. Reynolds pitched eight innings May 3 in a win against Arkansas. Deduno got eight of his 11 strikeouts with curveballs and three with fastballs. His curveball is a plus pitch, so the key with Deduno is his fastball command and whether his useable changeup is effective. In this win against Wichita, Deduno was 88-94 mph with his fastball, averaging 90 mph and throwing 52 of 85 fastballs for strikes. He threw 12 of 21 curveballs and seven of 11 changeups for strikes with the ranges 75-84 mph on his curveball and 77-84 on his changeup, which graded out to a major league average pitch . . . Left-hander Franklin Morales (0-3, 3.38), making his fourth start since missing a month with a strained right hamstring, pitched a season-high seven innings Sunday at Wichita but also allowed a season-highs of four runs and seven hits. Morales took the loss in a 4-3 defeat and was involved in his first decision in seven starts since April 12. Morales was 89-98 mph with his fastball, averaged 93 mph but had poor command across the board as he threw 51 of 80 fastballs for strikes and four of 15 curveballs and two of 10 changeups for strikes . . . Shoulder inflammation has kept reliever Darren Clarke (1-1, 2.00) sidelined since June 5. He's scheduled to begin a throwing program Friday and is about two weeks away from pitching for the Drillers . . . Infielder Matt Macri (.294-5-14) has nine hits in his past 24 at-bats, including four doubles and two homers. A hamstring injury kept Macri in extended spring training, delaying his 2007 debut until May 3 . . . Center fielder Chris Frey (.295-1-17) rebounded from a .233 April to hit .318 in May and is batting .348 (16-for-46) this month. Overall, Frey is batting .233 (20-for-86) at home and .339 (41-for-121) on the road . . . Third baseman-outfielder Christian Colonel (.296-5-32) has gone 16-for-38 and during a nine-game hitting streak with five doubles, two homers and six RBI and has raised his average from .273 . . . Second baseman Corey Wimberly (.250-0-11) was successful on his first 13 stolen base attempts before getting caught stealing second Tuesday and again Wednesday . . . The Drillers have not won consecutive games since they won two straight May 30-31. Since that modest streak, they've gone 4-8. The Drillers have scored three or fewer runs in four straight games and six of their past seven, going 2-5 in that stretch . . . Left-hander Zack Parker (2-0, 7.58), who had been out with shoulder soreness, made his first appearance Saturday since May 1.

High Single-A Modesto (32-34, 3rd place, 4 games behind)

Modesto Nuts Web site | Nuts Roster

Second baseman Eric Young Jr. (.247-4-28) left the team to attend the funeral of a family member, and Everth Cabrera will temporarily take his place through the end of the first half of the season Sunday. Cabrera, 20, a native of Nicaragua, will play at short-season Single-A Tri-City after hitting .254-0-14 last year at Rookie Casper with a .382 on-base percentage and playing very well at second base. Young is 14-for-50 in 12 games this month with seven extra-base hits -- two doubles, two triples and three homers -- and 13 runs to raise his average from .234 . . . Brandon Hynick (9-1, 1.82) has made eight starts after a Nuts loss, going 5-0, 2.17 in those games. The latest was Tuesday when Hynick allowed a season-high 11 hits Tuesday but limited the damage to three runs in eight innings and won 6-3 against Stockton as the Nuts broke a season-worst five-game losing streak. Hynick has pitched seven or more innings in seven of 13 starts and is second in the California League with 89 innings pitched and second in ERA -- Rancho Cucamonga's Brok Butcher has a 1.81 ERA and 89 1/3 innings pitched -- and tied for the league lead in wins . . . Nuts pitchers are last in the league with 403 strikeouts while the Nuts batters have a league-high 534 strikeouts. Outfielder Daniel Carte is tied for third in the league with 64 strikeouts. Dexter Fowler is tied for fifth (62) and Cole Garner is tied for eighth (61). Garner (.198-1-14) is averaging one strikeout every 2.74 at-bats, including 10 strikeouts while going one for his past 20 . . . Fowler (.277-2-23) has 14 strikeouts in 49 at-bats this month but has 19 hits, including two doubles and two triples, in that span to raise his average from .247 . . . Carte (.287-5-38), who has three walks all season in 202 at-bats, a .319 on-base percentage and an average of one strikeout every 3.16 at-bats, is in a 10-for-60 slide that has dropped his average from .338 . . . With third basemen Phil Cuadrado (.215-3-19) on the disabled list with a right knee injury and Jose Valdez (.256-1-31) day-to-day with a sore left quadriceps, the Nuts added third baseman Nick Haley (.286-0-1), who had been in extended spring training. The left-handed hitting Haley was a free agent signed out of the University of Louisville before spring training . . . A strained left quadriceps will keep outfielder Lino Garcia (.261-4-9) sidelined at least two weeks.

Low Single-A Asheville (40-26, 3rd place, 7 ½ games behind)

Asheville Tourists Web site | Tourists Roster

Josh Sullivan (3-1, 2.91) is expected to return in about two weeks. He's on the disabled list for the second time this season with right triceps tendinitis and last pitched May 28. That was Sullivan's second start after being sidelined for 3 ½ weeks following an April 27 start . . . There's no timetable for the return of Andrew Kreidermacher (2-1, 1.29), who last pitched May 18 and has been out due to weakness in his right shoulder. A magnetic resonance imaging exam showed no damage to the labrum and rotator cuff. But Kreidermacher has to build up the strength in his shoulder after inflammation in the rotator cuff subsides . . . Aneury Rodriguez (2-5, 5.66) allowed seven runs Wednesday at Augusta, matching his season-high. He also allowed seven runs April 13 in his second start of the season. Rodriguez's outing Wednesday lasted 4 1/3 innings and was his shortest start of the season, and his five walks were a season-high . . . Left-hander Keith Weiser (8-3, 3.23), whose fastball command has been not been that sharp lately, is 1-3, 6.18 in his past five starts, allowing 39 hits and 24 runs, 19 earned in 27 2/3 innings . . . Shortstop Hector Gomez (.273-7-26) was hitting .214 on May 9 but has hit safely in 26 of his past 29 games, going 42-for-125 (.336) in that span. The free-swinging Gomez has 30 strikeouts in that stretch, but that average of one strikeout every 4.2 at-bats is an improvement on his ratio up to that point of one strikeout every 3.3 at-bats . . . Left-hander Tommy Baumgardner (0-1, 3.00 with seven saves) had a string of 12 consecutive scoreless appearances end when he gave up three runs June 3. He has been scored upon in only one of his past 16 appearances dating back to May 1. Stuff-wise Baumgardner doesn't project to a closer, but he does consistently throw strikes, as evidenced by five walks and 33 strikeouts in 27 innings. He has faced 113 batters and has allowed one home run, a solo shot in the 10th on June 3 when Baumgardner surrendered three runs and lost 5-2 against Augusta . . . After hitting .342 (26-for-76) in May to raise his average to .306, infielder Geoff Strickland (.281-5-22) is 5-for-29 with 10 strikeouts this month . . . Losing seven of eight games to Augusta, including getting swept in three games there Tuesday and Wednesday, is a major reason the Tourists are lagging behind the first-place GreenJackets in first-half play that ends Monday. The Tourists broke a five-game losing streak Thursday, which matched their longest skid of the season. They also dropped five in a row May 18-22.

etkinj@RockyMountainNews.com

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