by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
The Jacksonville Suns easily clinched the Southern League’s first-half title Wednesday night. But to win in the second half, the Suns will have to contend with their parent club, the Los Angeles Dodgers, as well as their league opponents.
A first half that witnessed the Suns win two out of every three games is sure to catch attention from the major leagues. Suns General Manager Kirk Goodman said prospects like third baseman Andy LaRoche and reliever Matt Alexander are certainly popping up on the Dodgers’ radar screen. Other top prospects include double play combination of shortstop Chin-Lung Hu and second baseman Tony Abreu.
“Our middle infield turns astonishing double plays almost nightly,” said Goodman. “No matter what our record is, these guys — the Dodgers — know how they’re performing,”
The team’s leading pitcher is Spike Lundberg, who has a 6-1 record with a 2.64 ERA and 52 strikeouts.
Goodman advises fans to see LaRoche while they can. The Suns’ leading home run hitter probably possesses the quickest ticket to the next level. But Goodman is optimistic that most of the current roster will be in place as the Suns chase back-to-back Southern League titles.
The Suns aren’t the only team winning in the Dodgers family. The AAA Las Vegas 51s and Major League Dodgers are also enjoying solid seasons propelled in part by former Suns stars like Jason Repko, an outfielder who’s currently hitting .304.
With both teams stocked with young talent, the Suns’ young stars might get a chance to stick around and pursue history. The Suns would be the first team in 30 years to repeat as league champions. Goodman attributes the success to a roster balanced with youth and experience and the steady managing of John Shoemaker.
“All these guys want to play at the highest level possible, but if they were to win back-to-back titles in the Southern League, that would be almost unprecedented,” said Goodman. “I think they would all remember what it was like to play on these teams.”
Goodman said parent clubs want to see more from their minor leaguers than individual statistics. They want to see their young players learning how to win as a team. Winning players in the minors have a habit of turning into winners in the majors, said Goodman.