West Tenn Diamond Jaxx Founded in 1998 Jackson, Tennessee
Team Logo Cap Insignia
Class-level
Double-A (1998-present)
Minor league affiliations
Southern League (1998-present) North Division
Major league affiliations
Seattle Mariners (2007-present) Chicago Cubs (1998-2006)
Name
West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (1998-present)
Ballpark
Pringles Park (1998-present)
Minor league titles
League titles	2000
Division titles	1999, 2000, 2005
Owner(s)/Operated by: Diamond Jaxx Baseball
Manager: Phil Plantier
General Manager: Tom Hanson

Pringles Park entrance sign.

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

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.

[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.

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 winning percentage.

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

[edit] Current roster

[edit] Notable former players

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

• Matt Murton
• Carlos Marmol
• Carlos Zambrano
• Corey Patterson
• Jae Kuk Ryu
• Angel Guzman
• Adam Greenberg
• Sammy Sosa
• Nomar Garciaparra
• Mark Prior
• Wade Miller
• Scott Moore
• Geovany Soto
• Eric Hinske
• Micah Bowie
• Sergio Mitre
• Ricky Nolasco
• Ryan Theriot
• Renyel Pinto
• Luis Valbuena

[edit] Ballpark

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

• West Tenn Diamond Jaxx. 2 October 2007. <http://www.diamondjaxx.com>.
• "West Tennessee (sic) Diamond Jaxx." The Baseball Cube. 2 October, 2007. <http://www.thebaseballcube.com/teams/team_10433.shtml>.

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: West Tenn Diamond Jaxx

• Official West Tenn Diamond Jaxx website
• West Tenn Diamond Jaxx statistics at The Baseball Cube

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