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Offensive Players of the Week 06/11/2007 2:39 PM ETBy Evan Mohl / MLB.com
International League
Andy Marte, Buffalo
.462 (12-26), 5 R, 3 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 5 BB, 4 SO, 0 SB, 1.038 SLG
After opening the season in the big leagues, Andy Marte was sent to Triple-A Buffalo at the end of April to find his swing. Marte may have finally regained form, proving why he is one of the league's top prospects. Entering the week hitting an abysmal .214, Marte absolutely crushed the ball, leading the International League in both home runs (four) and RBIs (11). The Dominican third baseman opened the week on a 4-for-6 tear and ended it in even better fashion. In the first game of a doubleheader against Richmond on Sunday, Marte was flawless, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBIs. He followed that performance by knocking in the winning run in the sixth inning of the night cap, giving the Bisons a 2-1 victory over the Braves.
Pacific Coast League
Chip Ambres, New Orleans
.586 (17-29), 14 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 3 BB, 3 SO, 0 SB, .966 SLG
The baseball seemed more like the size of a beach ball for Chip Ambres last week. Ambres smacked the ball all over the field, hitting safely in every game and recording multi-hit games in every contest except for one. His best outing came on Thursday, when Ambres went 5-for-5, hit two home runs, drove home four runs and scored three times. The Zephyrs' outfielder raised his average 48 points from a pedestrian .262 to a commendable .310. For the week, he led the Pacific Coast League in both batting average (.586) and hits (17).
Eastern League
Luke Hughes, New Britain
.650 (13-20), 6 R, 5 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SO, 0 SB, 1.050 SLG
Making an out was a rare occurrence for Luke Hughes last week. The second baseman failed to get a hit only seven times in his 20 at-bats, as he hit safely in every game and had at least three hits three times. Hughes led the Eastern League in batting average (.650), hits (13) and on-base percentage (.667). After dipping below the .300 mark a few weeks ago, the Australian native is now batting .349 on the season, raising many eyebrows in the Twins organization.
Southern League
Charlton Jimerson, West Tenn
.452 (14-31), 7 R, 3 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 13 RBI, 3 BB, 9 SO, 4 SB, .935 SLG
Charlton Jimerson displayed an impressive combination of speed and power last week as he led the Southern League in home runs (four), hits (14) and RBIs (13) in addition to tying for the circuit lead with four stolen bases. Jimerson accounted for more than a quarter of the Diamond Jaxx runs as he knocked in 13 of the club's 42 runs last week. Jimerson collected multiple hits in six of West Tenn's seven games, and seven of his 14 hits on the week went for extra bases. The 27-year-old homered twice and drove in five runs as the Diamond Jaxx broke a six-game skid with a 12-6 victory at Mississippi on Wednesday, and added two more home runs in a 6-0 triumph against Huntsville the following night.
Texas League
Joe Mather, Springfield Cardinals
.435 (10-23), 8 R, 4 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 4 BB, 4 SO, 1 SB, 1.000 SLG
Texas League home run and RBI leader Joe Mather also became Mr. Clutch last week as he propelled the Springfield Cardinals into first place in the North Division. It all began on Tuesday, when Mather drove in all five of the Cardinals runs against the Tulsa Drillers. Springfield would need every one of Mather's career-high five RBIs as the Cardinals escaped narrowly, 5-4, after a Mather seventh-inning, three-run homer. On Saturday, Mather laced a tie-breaking double in Springfield's last at-bat in game two of a doubleheader, giving the Cardinals a win over Arkansas. Then, on Sunday, Mather showcased his strong arm, as the right fielder threw out Cody Fuller at the plate for the game's final out, preserving a 4-3 victory and first place in the division.
California League
Michael Saunders, High Desert
.484 (15-31), 8 R, 3 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 12 RBI, 3 BB, 9 SO, 2 SB, .968 SLG
Michael Saunders might want to think about asking his parents to stay with him for awhile. Since mom and dad came to visit from British Columbia, the Mariners prospect has been on an absolute tear. Saunders crushed California League pitching last week, belting four home runs and driving in 12 runs. The highlight came Wednesday, when Saunders went 5-for-5 with five RBIs, missing the cycle by a triple. The five hits were a career-high for Saunders, who ranked first in the California League in batting average (.484), RBIs (12) and hits (15) last week.
Carolina League
Kala Kaaihue, Myrtle Beach
.500 (14-28), 8 R, 4 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 3 BB, 5 SO, 0 SB, .964 SLG
After struggling through the first two months of season, Kala Kaaihue got back on track last week. The Hawaiian native hit safely in all of his games, raising his average nearly 40 points from .247 to .286 and extending his hitting streak to 10 games. Kaaihue had his best night on Thursday as he went 4-for-5 with four RBIs and three runs scored. Kaaihue launched a three-run home run in the top of the ninth-inning, leading the Pelicans to a five-run inning and a come-from-behind victory over Kinston.
Florida State League
Mark Hamilton, Palm Beach
.360 (9-25), 8 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 5 HR, 9 RBI, 3 BB, 5 SO, 0 SB, 1.040 SLG
It's only June, and Mark Hamilton has already set career highs in RBIs and home runs. The Tulane alumnus blistered his way through his personal records last week by hammering five home runs and collecting nine RBIs. Hamilton set his career marks in fashion on Monday when he hit three homers and drove in six runs as Palm Beach pounded Clearwater, 11-5. On the season, Hamilton is tied for the Florida State League lead in RBIs (47) and ranks second in home runs (12).
Midwest League
Gerardo Parra, South Bend
.448 (13-29), 7 R, 3 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SO, 1 SB, .655 SLG
In his first season in Class A ball, Gerrardo Parra seems to have found a comfort zone. Although he struggled out of the gate, Parra has been steady ever since and busted out with his best performances last week. The Dominican had four straight three-hit games from June 4 to June 8 as he helped South Bend score 40 runs in a four-game span. Parra had his best outing on June 7 when he went 3-for-5 with three runs, a home run and three RBIs, helping South Bend topple Lansing, 14-10. Parra leads the Midwest League in hits with 82.
South Atlantic League
Billy Rowell, Delmarva
.455 (10-22), 6 R, 4 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 2 BB, 4 SO, 0 SB, .773 SLG
After suffering an injury that kept him out until May 23, Billy Rowell, the Orioles' 2006 first-round pick, lived up to expectations last week. Already labeled by some as the "next Brooks Robinson," Rowell had a tremendous week raising his average from the Mendoza line to above .300. The New Jersey native was a key cog in the Shorebirds season-high eight-game winning streak as he led the South Atlantic League in RBIs (12) and ranked third in hits (10). On Tuesday, Rowell had season-high three hits and four RBIs. In the seventh inning, Rowell ripped an RBI double and came around to score the tying run in the Shorebirds' 9-6 victory over Lake County.
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.
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