Today's paper:
Two for the 'show' Dynamite prospects, tearing up Triple-A, patiently wait for call up
Nick Piecoro
The Arizona Republic
May. 27, 2005 12:00 AM
TUCSON
They say there's no reason to worry about it, that it's out of their control. They say that if they take care of themselves, the rest will take care of itself.
Diamondbacks farmhands Carlos Quentin and Conor Jackson, two of the fastest rising prospects in baseball, are familiar with the big-league roster. They say it is good - great, even. A first-place caliber team.
They realize that even though they are annihilating Triple-A pitching, there is no place for them in the majors right now.
And they're cool with that.
Not only do Jackson and Quentin swing at all the right pitches, they also say all the right things.
"They know their time will come," Tucson Sidewinders manager Chip Hale said. "That's the difference with true major league players, I think. They know their time will come and all they're doing is learning everything they can."
Since the day they were drafted in the first round, 10 picks apart, in 2003 - Jackson, No. 19, out of California; Quentin, No. 29, out of Stanford - their names have been spoken in the same breath and etched on the same lists of Diamondbacks prospects.
They were together every step of the way last season. They started in Class A Lancaster, tore up the California League, and were promoted on the same day to Double-A El Paso, where they continued their torrid hitting.
In February, Baseball America tabbed Quentin as the organization's top prospect. Jackson was No. 2.
They have done nothing to temper enthusiasm through the first 47 games in Tucson. Quentin is hitting .346 with nine doubles, six homers and a .500 on-base percentage. Jackson has a .396 average, 19 doubles, three homers and a .495 OBP.
Where to play?
One step away from the majors, both admit to thinking about what's next but in the same breath they say they try not to.
Both play positions at which the Diamondbacks appear set. Quentin is a corner outfielder, a natural right fielder. Jackson, who played third base in college, was an outfielder his first two professional seasons before moving to first base this year.
Neither seems to sweat those details.
"You can't really worry about what's going to happen in the future," he said. "You have to take it day by day, one at-bat at a time."
Jackson stopped and laughed. He knew exactly what he sounded like: a character in Bull Durham.
"I feel like I'm quoting it here," Jackson said. "But it's really true."
Said Quentin: "The only thing that's in my hands is how well I can perform on the field."
If you think they sound alike, you're not the only one.
"They're like brothers," Sidewinders closer Brandon Medders said. "Like twins that don't look alike."
Quentin and Jackson, who have known each other since college, are friends on and off the field.
The two were roommates at Lancaster last season, but not anymore.
"We see enough of each other," Quentin said.
"We fight like brothers," Jackson said. "We act like we're adults and we're mature, but when we get together we're little kids. We're like 2-year-olds, I'm not going to lie."
Give and take
Both believe their development is helped by the other's presence. Jackson says no one knows his swing like Quentin, while Quentin says they often ask each other for advice.
During a game last weekend, Jackson said they talked at length in the dugout about their mental approach to hitting.
Hale has been impressed with their patience and defense.
"They are definitely new-age hitters," Hale said. "They're very good at working counts . . . I don't know how many times Conor has gone 0-2 and ended up getting a hit 3-2 or walking."
Hale says Quentin has looked good in right field, where he made a game-saving catch this month, reaching over the fence to pull back a would-be home run. His arm strength has continued to improve following ligament replacement surgery in 2003.
All Jackson needs, Hale says, is more experience at first base.
"I couldn't be happier with his progress," Hale said.
That statement would pretty much sum up Diamondbacks Assistant General Manager Bob Miller's thoughts on the pair.
Miller, who also oversees the organization's minor league operations, marvels at their strikeout-to-walk ratios. Combined, they have 26 strikeouts and 65 walks.
"Ridiculous," Miller said. "They're going to get better, that's the best part. They're both young. They both have things to learn. And they realize they're not major league All-Star players yet. Hopefully, they will be."
