Skip to main content

Jiwan James Makes BlueClaws History

By

Thursday night, Jiwan James hit safely for the 22nd straight game, which set a team record for the Phillies A-Level affiliate Lakewood BlueClaws. No doubt, James' conversion from pitcher to every day player has been successful. The milestone was locked in the first inning, when the switch hitting James led off the game against the Kannapolis Intimidators with a single to center field.

James, a 22nd round draft selection by the Phillies in 2007, was ranked as the 11th best prospect in the Phils' system by Baseball America last off-season. James pitched in 9 games with the Phils' Gulf Coast League team in 2007 and reemerged as an outfielder with the short season Williamsport club in 2009, where he batted .264 in 30 games.

According to James, his recent success can be attributed to some adjustments in his approach. "The difference between the first half and now is I shortened up my swing a little bit," James told PhoulBallz.com in an exclusive interview. "I feel like in the first half, I was trying to hit the ball a lot harder than I should have been, instead of letting it come naturally. I've also been laying off (more) pitches and being more patient at the plate."

James' average in June and July (.315) has improved greatly over his efforts from April and May (.230 avg). Since James' turnaround, Lakewood's winning percentage has shot up also (.707 in June & July/.558 in April & May). As James comes into his own, he has begun to be recognized as a catalyst in the defending South Atlantic League champions' lineup. Of his role as leader of the Lakewood offense, James said, "If the lead-off hitter is doing good, then your winning percentage is going to go up. That's baseball period."

Mitch Hilligoss is the owner of the South Atlantic League hitting streak record at 38 games, set in 2007. Phillies minor league second baseman Harold Garcia recently set the Florida State League hit streak record at 37 games, while playing for the Clearwater Threshers. Asked when his hitting streak might become a big deal, James said, "I'm trying not to think about it. I watched Garcia do what he did down in Clearwater. I watched that every day, and now it's my turn."
__________________________________


Follow PhoulBallz.com on Twitter HERE.

Labels:

Comments

OBC said…
More breakout young'uns. I like it.
July 16, 2010 at 5:17 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Rappers in Phillies Caps

By
Weekend greetings to you phine pholks out there. Today's post features pictures of rappers wearing Phillies caps. Why rappers in Phillies caps, you ask? Because... Any other questions? We will start things off properly by going with a highly recognizable hip hop star. 50 Cent stays constantly relavant by consistantly creating radio friendly material to help sell (G) units, while he "keeps it real" by still rapping about the thug life he lived before becoming the 2nd highest earning black entertainer in America. 50 is seen here in a recent interview rocking a throw-back Phillies cap. Next up we'll use a throw-back screen cap from what may be the very first major appearance by a rapper wearing Phillies gear. Chuck D, of legendary rap group Public Enemy, wore a Phillies cap in the music video for rap anthem Fight The Power in 1989. The song was the lead single from the soundtrack for Spike Lee's film Do The Right Thing . Next up we'll go with some home grown tal...
3 comments
Read more

Ring-a-ling

By
This week I heard old news about how when the Indianapolis Colts won the Super Bowl, they gave former Colt Edgerrin James a championship ring. "Edge" had been a Colt for seven years, and even though he was gone when they won the big one, the team and the coaching staff felt as though James had contributed in building the team that won it all, so they awarded him a ring. This got me wondering which people, in an extended Phillies phamily , would be deserving of a 2008 World Series Champions ring. I heard an interview with Mike Schmidt, in the days that followed the Series, and when asked if he thought he'd get a ring, he said, "They have my (ring) size." Schmidt, the Hall of Fame thirdbaseman , was a long time Phillie, a one time coach of the single-A Clearwater Threshers (where he managed World Series MVP Cole Hamels ) and appears as a guest hitting instructor in Phillies spring training every year. With all those things in mind, of course Mike Schmidt shou...
8 comments
Read more

All in the Family

By
22-year-old pitching prospect Nick Hernandez's father helps him stay fit during the off-season Phillies pitching prospect Nick Hernandez spent much of the 2010 regular season on the disabled list with an injury to his throwing shoulder. The 6'4", 215 pound lefty, who was named a mid-season South Atlantic League all-star with the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws, attempted comebacks twice during the season, making rehab outings for the rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies, but experienced setbacks that curtailed his return to the mound and kept him from helping his teammates lock down a second consecutive league championship for Lakewood. In 8 starts with the BlueClaws last season, the 12th round draft pick from 2009 posted a 3-1 record with a 1.61 ERA and averaged 7 innings per start. Hernandez's strength is throwing a lot of strikes and he owes some of his success to his father, also named Nick (Dad's full first name is spelled Nicolas, while son's name is spell...
6 comments
Read more