Minor-league spotlight
Mike Zuanich, 1B, Tri-City Dust Devils
Zuanich apparently knows the value of a second chance.
The acknowledgement came in an outburst last week for the Rockies’s Single-A, short-season affiliate in the Northwest League. A second-year player in the organization, Zuanich blasted six home runs in six games and had 11 RBIs. He raised his season batting average to .344.
Marc Gustafson, the Rockies’ director of player development, noted that Zuanich’s six-game numbers were closer to what the Rockies expected when they selected him in the 28th round of the 2008 draft out of Cal-Santa Barbara.
“We didn’t see a lot from him last year,” Gustafson said. “The numbers we expected didn’t translate in performance. But he has shown us that he’s a very impressive power-hitting first baseman who can hit the ball a long way. Finding right-handed hitters who can hit with power such as Matt Holliday is tough to do. We like to have those kind of players spread through the organization.”
During the Pioneer League season last year at Casper, Zuanich hit only .185 in 30 games. He had no home runs and only eight RBIs.
Gustafson noted that Zuanich went right into the season with Casper after playing a full college season of baseball and might have been tired.
Of his 15 hits last year, the 6-foot-4, 225-pounder sent seven for extra bases, including six doubles.
Organizational leaders (Through Thursday)
HITTING: (65 games) Jordan Pacheco, Asheville, .337; Mike McCoy, Colorado Springs, .333.
RUNS: Eric Young Jr., Colorado Springs, 69; McCoy, Colorado Springs, 64.
HITS: Matt Miller, Colorado Springs, 100; Scott Robinson, Asheville, 91.
DOUBLES: Miller, Colorado Springs, 26; Radames Nazario, Modesto, 25.
TRIPLES: Maikol Gonzalez, Modesto, 7; Jeffrey Cunningham, Asheville, 6; David Christensen, Asheville, 6.
HOME RUNS: Ryan Harvey, Tulsa, 11; Christensen, Asheville, 10.
RBI: Miller, Colorado Springs, 63; Pacheco, Asheville, 47.
STOLEN BASES: Young, Colorado Springs, 46; McCoy, Colorado Springs, 26; Robinson, Asheville, 26.
PITCHING VICTORIES: Joey Williamson, Modesto/Tulsa, 8; Brandon Hynick, Colorado Springs, 7; Alan Johnson, Colorado Springs, 7; Esmil Rogers, Tulsa, 7.
LOSSES: Kenneth Durst, Modesto, 7; Bruce Billings, Modesto, 7.
SAVES: Andrew Johnston, Tulsa, 22; Craig Baker, Modesto, 20.
INNINGS: Hynick, Colorado Springs, 90; Jason Hirsh, Colorado Springs, 89 2/3.
WALKS: Connor Graham, Modesto, 37; Dan Houston, Asheville, 33.
STIKEOUTS: Christian Friedrich, Asheville/Modesto, 86; Bruce Billings, Modesto, 85.
ERA: (starters) Adam Eaton, Colorado Springs, 1.30; Juan Nicasio, Asheville, 2.10; (relievers) Matthew Reynolds, Modesto, 1.19; Edgmer Escalona, Mo- desto, 2.48.
