Radical changes at the plate have brought Jayson Nix long-awaited success. And that improvement has given the Triple-A Colorado Springs second baseman not just confidence but a wonderfully different perspective.

"I don't feel like I'm a minor league player," said Nix, who will turn 25 on Aug. 26. "I'm a professional player, and I feel like I belong in the big leagues. Whether that'll happen or not and when, I don't know.

"That's out of my control, but probably for the first time in my career, I feel like I belong in the big leagues and I don't belong in the minor leagues."

Make no mistake, Nix was not expressing a sour-grapes opinion. He wasn't griping about being in the minor leagues, angry about his fate or at all discontent.

On the contrary, Nix, in his seventh season in the Rockies organization, is finally blossoming and just happens to be doing it on the doorstep of the majors.

Nix is hitting .290 with nine homers and 41 RBI. He's tied for second on the Sky Sox in both doubles (25) and runs scored (67), leads the team with 17 stolen bases in 22 attempts and is playing remarkably well on defense. Nix has been doing the latter for a couple seasons, but after three straight disappointing years offensively, Nix's game finally has balance.

Nix surged in June after Sky Sox hitting coach Carney Lansford intervened and overhauled his hitting approach. He scuffled in July, largely because he was overly pull-conscious. So the test this month for Nix will be to follow the dictates of Lansford, who has preached the importance of hitting the ball hard in the middle and going the other way, and get back to doing what he did so well in June.

So far, so good. Nix is 10-for-21 (.476) in seven games this month – hitting safely in his five starts and twice going hitless as a pinch hitter – with one double, four homers and five RBI.

"I got kind of inside conscious at the plate," Nix said, referring to his struggles in July when he hit .238, "and that was causing me to pull off the ball a little bit. That's something that happens, and you got to recognize when it happens and make the adjustment as quickly as possible.

"I wasn't able to make it as quickly as I wanted to. But recently, I've been able to lock back in to my approach and look for a ball to drive up the middle, the other way."

Nix hit .251-2-26 for the Sky Sox last year in 103 games, his season ending July 31 when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while trying to jump over a tag only to become entangled with the catcher.

This season, Nix was hitting .241 at the end of April. He worked his average up to .269 on May 21 but had not hit a home run. Nix went hitless in eight at-bats to finish a homestand May 27 and tacked on eight more hitless at-bats on a trip to New Orleans and Oklahoma City that took the Sky Sox into June. At that point, Lansford stepped in.

"When we were in Oklahoma City," Lansford recalled, "he was broken down. He was to the point where you could see he was like giving up, he was so frustrated."

Lansford watched Nix in spring training and saw a player with a very wide stance and his hands held rather low, almost at his belt. It was an approach Lansford questioned, but being new to the Rockies organization and getting to know the players, Lansford realized he needed to observe, and nothing more, at that point.

"But after watching him and giving him ample time to see if he could get some results with that (approach), it just wasn't working," Lansford said.

He suggested to Sky Sox manager Tom Runnells that Lansford work with Nix, try to get him to use a more traditional stance and see whether that might bring results.

Lansford said, "As I told Jayson, 'If we wait much longer, you'll be in such a hole that you can't get out of it.' He said, 'I'm just tired of hitting .250. I'm not a .250 hitter.' "

Lansford was mystified that Nix, despite his strength, had no home runs. Worse, Lansford saw little chance for Nix to get the necessary backspin on a ball to make it carry over the fence with his hands held so low.

Nix, the Rockies first pick and 44th player taken overall in the 2001 draft, came into this season with a .250 lifetime average. His one good full season was 2003 at low Single-A Visalia where Nix hit .281-21-86 with 46 doubles. Lansford asked Nix about the stance he used that season.

Lansford told Runnells to give Nix a day off in Oklahoma. He played the following day and went 2-for-4. The Sky Sox went home, and Nix didn't play in the first two games, working extra instead with Lansford.

"He's still a little bit too spread out for me, but it's working," Lansford said. "But he moved his hands up to the launch position, which is where every hitter has to get anyway. As soon as he changed to that stance, even in soft toss (drills) in the (indoor batting) cage, I could see, 'This is what he needs to be doing.' He could get backspin. He could handle high fastballs a lot better."

Nix hit .370 (34-for-92) in June with five homers and 23 RBI. He had back-to-back four-hit games, appropriately enough in Las Vegas, and finished the month at .296. Nix kept hitting in July, his average rising to .313 on July 12 and no higher. He went 8-for-61 the rest of the month and drove in just five runs all month.

"The biggest thing that Jayson needs to do," Lansford said, "is pound in his head that there's hits from the right field line to the left field line and not just from second base over to the third base line. He gets a little pull happy."

Nix said Lansford has "helped me a lot by just believing in me." In what Nix describes as Lansford's "intense" and "genuine" way, Lansford "has so much confidence in everybody."

When it comes to Nix's defense, Lansford's confidence is unparalleled. He said he played with and against "a lot of great second basemen, and none of them compare to Jayson Nix. He's the best I've ever seen at second base – hands down."

Lansford said Nix has good range and is extraordinarily quick turning the double play.

"I think in the big leagues, with his defense, all he needs to do is hit .270 or so," Lansford said. "With his ability defensively to save so many runs, if he could do that, he could play every day in the big leagues."

Getting to the big leagues is the first step, and Nix knows September, when rosters are increased and minor leaguers are promoted, is coming.

"I'd by lying to you, if I told you I hadn't thought about it," Nix said. "But I don't want to think about it. It's out of my control. I want to be an every day second baseman in the big leagues . . . but who that is with or when it is – that's the kind of stuff that does me no good to think about."

Triple-A Colorado Springs (60-58, second, 1 game behind)

Sky Sox Web site | Sky Sox Roster

Infielder Omar Quintanilla (.323-3-31) has hit safely in seven straight starts and nine of his past 10 and has 19 hits in his past 40 at-bats . . . Third baseman Ian Stewart (.301-15-64) has had his average drop from .313 on July 31 -- the highest it had been since May 2 (.318) by going 3-for-25 with 12 strikeouts. While hitting .356-5-18 in July, Stewart struck out 15 times in 104 at-bats . . . Marc Kaiser (6-5, 5.89), who has issued 67 walks in 99 1/3 innings has been dropped from the rotation, and replaced by Tim Harikkala (1-0, 0.84), who made three relief appearances before pitching six scoreless innings in his first start for the Sky Sox on Tuesday at Albuquerque and winning 4-0. In that game, Harikkala threw 49 of 77 pitches for strikes and had a 12/5 ratio of ground balls to fly ball outs along with one strikeout . . . Left fielder Joe Gaetti (.279-9-26) has seven hits in his past 39 at-bats, a tailspin that has dropped his average from .306 . . . First baseman Joe Koshansky (.301-18-90) still leads the Pacific Coast League by one in the RBI race but has hit only one homer dating to July 20 and in his past 11 games has gone 7-for-38 dropping his average from.313 with one double, one homer and five RBI . . . Outfielder Alexis Gomez (.293-5-32) was hitting .279 on July 24 but has since gone 17-for-49 with one double, one homer and four RBI as well as 13 strikeouts.



Double-A Tulsa (56-58 overall, 21-23 second half, third place, 3½ games behind)

Tulsa Drillers Web site | Drillers Roster



Catcher Tino Sanchez (.170-1-8) rejoined the Drillers on Tuesday and went into Wednesday's game at first base in the eighth. Sanchez had returned home to Puerto Rico to be with his pregnant wife after hitting the fatal line drive July 22 that struck first base coach Mike Coolbaugh in the neck . . . Pitcher Greg Reynolds is continuing with a throwing program in Denver and has made progress but has not thrown off a mound. He went 4-1, 1.42 in eight starts but has pitched only once since May 15 and not at all since June 19 because of an inflamed right shoulder. The hope is Reynolds will be able to participate in the Rockies instructional league program to prepare for the Arizona Fall League where workouts begin in early October . . . Reliever Todd Williams, 36, is working out with Drillers pitching coach Bo McLaughlin. Williams began the season with Triple-A Norfolk where he went 1-0, 0.00 and pitched 11 2/3 scoreless innings. Baltimore purchased his contract May 5 but released Williams on June 17 after he went 0-2, 7.53 in 14 games for the Orioles . . . Ryan Mattheus (8-8, 4.94) had a season-high 10 strikeouts Wednesday at Frisco and gave up two runs and four hits in seven innings without getting a decision. He left with a 3-2 lead that was blown in the bottom of the eighth before the Drillers won 5-3. A sinker-slider pitcher, Mattheus has 88 strikeouts in 135 2/3 innings and had 12 strikeouts in 32 1/3 innings in his previous five starts . . . Left fielder Matt Miller (.246-8-41) has five hits in his past 37 at-bats, albeit with seven walks and five strikeouts. His average is at its lowest point since May 8 (.245) . . . Right fielder Jordan Czarniecki (.290-11-46) has hit safely in nine of his past 10, 10 of his past 12 and 21 of his past 24 games. He has raised his average from .261 during that stretch by going 33-for-88 (.375) . . . With a Texas League-leading 41 doubles, third baseman Christian Colonel (.313-13-67) has a chance to break the Tulsa team record of 51 doubles set by Mike Lamb in 1999. Colonel also leads the league in hits (135) and total bases (215). During his current nine-game hitting streak, Colonel is 15-for-40 with three doubles -- the last on Aug. 2 -- one homer and six RBI . . . Reliever Juan Morillo (5-4, 2.48) blew his third save Wednesday but then picked up the victory at Frisco. He gave up a run-scoring single to the first batter he faced, tying the score at 3-3. That was just the fourth time in his past nine games that Morillo has allowed a hit. During that stretch, he has worked 8 2/3 innings and allowed eight hits -- including a season-high four July 31 -- and two runs with three walks and 10 strikeouts. Opponents are hitting .211 against Morillo, who has yielded two homers -- the most recent on July 4 -- in 54 1/3 innings . . . In his past two starts, Ching-Lung Lo (6-8, 6.07) is 0-1, 13.97, allowing 20 hits and 15 runs in 9 2/3 innings.



High Single-A Modesto (63-54 overall, 29-18 second half, first, 2 games ahead)

Modesto Nuts Web site | Nuts Roster



Reliever Pedro Strop (5-2, 4.28) was 91-95 mph with his fastball but left Wednesday's game with elbow soreness. He gave up five hits and retired just two of the seven batters he faced and allowed five runs . . . Catcher Neil Wilson (.263-6-60) had one hit in his past 11 at-bats, three in his past 24 and seven in his past 40 before going 3-for-4 with a home run Thursday . . . First baseman Jeff Kindel (.314-11-69) went hitless in two consecutive games -- something he hadn't done since June 21-22 -- following the end of his 26-game hitting streak. But after going 0-for-2 in two games, Kindel has hit safely in five straight, going 10-for-21 with a double, two triples and six RBI . . . Chaz Roe (5-11, 4.80), who has won his past two decisions, issued four or more walks in eight of his first 16 starts, something he has not done in his past eight outings. Roe gave up 49 walks in 96 1/3 innings over 16 starts, an average of 4.58 walks per nine innings, but has cut that average to 2.98 with 14 walks in 42 1/3 innings in his past eight starts . . . Left fielder Justin Nelson (.333-11-42), who has a .447 on-base percentage and .646 slugging percentage, has gone 13-for-36 in his past nine games with nine runs, two doubles, four homers and 13 RBI. He also seven walks and 12 strikeouts in that stretch . . . Brandon Durden (8-7, 4.54) allowed three runs, one earned in six innings Wednesday and lost 4-1 Sunday against Visalia. The defeat was the first for Durden since June 29 and ended a five-game winning streak that had stretched over six starts. Since matching his season high with four walks June 5, Durden has allowed 11 walks in 66 innings in his past 11 starts . . . Outfielder Cole Garner (.201-5-26), who went 2-for-4 on Thursday to inch above .200, hit three homers in 251 at-bats before hitting two on Tuesday at Lancaster, giving him five homers on the road where he is hitting .272 as opposed to .134 at home.



Low Single-A Asheville (71-44, overall, 29-17 second half, tied first)

Asheville Tourists Web site | Tourists Roster

Opponents are batting .105 (2-for-19) against reliever Casey Weathers (0-0, 3.18), who has made four straight scoreless appearances following his professional debut July 27. The Rockies first-round pick in June, Weathers made his first two-inning appearance Wednesday against Hagerstown with two walks four strikeouts and a wild pitch. Player development coordinator Marc Gustafson was at the game and said, "He was not good with his command, but the stuff will make your jaw drop." Weathers was 95-98 mph with his fastball and 86-90 mph with his slider. "It was just filthy," Gustafson said. "Extremely impressive. He is special." . . . .Left-hander Keith Weiser (13-6, 3.43) has allowed three walks -- and no more than three -- in two of his 23 starts. He has 25 walks and 101 strikeouts in 144 1/3 innings and in his past nine starts is 5-2, 3.20 . . . Shortstop Hector Gomez (.285-9-50) broke out of a 1-for-26 slide by going 2-for-4 on Thursday. But during that slump, Gomez had just four strikeouts in those 26 at-bats . . . Second baseman Daniel Mayora (.304-12-61) also went 2-for-4 on Thursday after having just five hits in his previous 42 at-bats. Since the beginning of July, Mayora is 32-for-133 (.241) . . . First baseman Michael Paulk (.316-11-89) leads the South Atlantic League in RBI and is second in hits (133). In his past 10 games, Paulk is 14-for-36 with four doubles, one home run and seven RBI. At hitter-friendly McCormick Field, Paulk is batting .267 compared to .363 on the road . . . Knuckleballer Simon Ferrer (7-8, 4.49) pitched six scoreless innings Wednesday, two starts after working five scoreless innings. On Wednesday, Ferrer matched his season-high with seven strikeouts. He also struck out seven when he threw his only complete game June 25 . . . The Tourists signed converted shortstop Mike Marbry, who turns 23 next month and will try to get his career going as a pitcher. Released by the Braves in December, Marbry, a non-drafted free agent out of North Carolina-Wilmington, went 3-for-23 in 10 games for Atlanta's team in the Rookie Gulf Coast League last year. He has worked out for Asheville manager Joe Mikulik and pitching coach Bryan Harvey, reaching 95 mph in the bullpen with his fastball.



Short-season Single-A Tri-City (21-29, tied for third, 2 games behind)

Tri-City Dust Devils Web site | Dust Devils Roster

Catcher Josh Bell, who last played July 18, has been working out with roving catching coordinator Marv Foley and is expected to make his Dust Devils debut Sunday. Bell, 23, was released by Toronto after hitting .189-7-29 in 60 games for low Single-A Lansing where he played last year. Bell was suffering from the effects of a concussion, and the Blue Jays had him playing third base, which was a challenge and not going to work. Bell has good bat speed and strength to all fields, although his pitch recognition must improve -- witness his 88 strikeouts in 227 at-bats at Lansing and 90 in 264 at-bats there last year while hitting .273-10-30. The Cardinals drafted Bell in the fifth round out of high school in Jackson, Tenn., in 2002, but he went to Auburn and was taken in the sixth round by Toronto in 2005. There's precious little catching to be found, and with Johnny Bowden sidelined since Aug. 1 with a wrist problem and organizational players in Nate Anderson and Brian Aguailar, Bell represented an upgrade at the position to go along with Lars Davis (.223-1-14), drafted in the third round out of Illinois in June . . . Second baseman Everth Cabrera (.300-1-23) is expected to be out at least three more weeks, making his return this season uncertain. He suffered a high ankle sprain Aug. 2. In 42 games, Cabrera has 27 walks, 24 strikeouts and a .432 on-base percentage . . . Left-hander Drew Coffey (2-4, 4.72) is expected to only miss one start after coming out of a game Tuesday with tightness in his shoulder after facing two batters and giving up two doubles and throwing a wild pitch . . . After hitting .294-1-2 in five games at Rookie Casper, infielder Philip Cuadrado (.333-1-4) moved up to the Dust Devils. Cuadrado, 23, began the season at Modesto where he hit .215-3-19 in 37 games before being sidelined by a knee injury. A third baseman by trade, Cuadrado has played second base for the Dust Devils in the absence of Cabrera . . . During his seven-game hitting streak that ended Thursday, third baseman Darin Holcomb (.306-9-30) went 13-for-29 with five doubles and four RBI . . . Left-handed reliever John Rodriguez (1-2, 2.95) has allowed four runs and two walks with 13 strikeouts in 11 1/3 innings in his past 11 games . . . Bruce Billings (3-2, 3.26) has allowed more home runs (7) than walks (6) in 49 2/3 innings. Billings, who has 58 strikeouts, walked two in his professional debut June 23 and has since walked four in 47 innings . . . Agustin Arias (1-0, 1.32 with two saves) has allowed one walk in 7 1/3 scoreless innings in his past seven games with nine strikeouts and five hits allowed in that span.



Rookie Casper (12-36 overall, 2-8 second half, fourth, 5 games behind)

Casper Rockies Web site | Rockies Roster



Reliever David Parker was sent to Casper to help fortify an extremely thin bullpen. Parker went 3-1, 5.74 in 17 games at Asheville but wasn't pitching much lately. After an outing July 19, just his third that month, Parker's only appearance came Aug. 2 . . . In his past four starts, Jhoulys Chacin (4-4, 4.35) is 3-1, 1.61, allowing six runs, five earned, and 15 hits in 28 innings with eight walks and 25 strikeouts . . . The Rockies have scored two or fewer runs in eight of 10 games in the second half. The exceptions were their two wins, both against Orem – 5-0 on the road July 31 and 9-1 at home Monday. The Rockies are 1-5 at home in the second half and 1-3 on the road . . . First baseman Jeff Cunningham (.264-5-18) has two hits in his past 19 at-bats and three hits, all singles, in his past 30 at-bats . . . Parker Frazier (1-3, 14.32), who projects as a starter, is back in the rotation replacing Juan Nicasio (0-2, 4.50), who cut the index finger on his pitching hand. Frazier has hit 91 mph and has pitched better despite losing both starts since returning to the rotation . . . Center fielder David Christensen (.221-4-10) is leading the Pioneer League with 60 strikeouts, an average of one every 2.33 at-bats. Colorado's second-round pick last year, Christensen, 19, hit .198-5-20 at Casper last year with 93 strikeouts, an average of one every 2.23 at-bats . . . Outfielder James Sims finally made his professional debut Aug. 2. After suffering a leg injury, Sims fouled a ball off his eye when he was close to returning. In three games, he has gone hitless in six at-bats with two walks and four strikeouts . . . Outfielder Scott Robinson (.248-4-18) has raised his average from .214 with 14 hits in his past 45 at-bats. Robinson hit two homers in first 115 at-bats before hitting home runs in consecutive games Sunday and Monday.



etkinj@RockyMountainNews.com

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