Originally published May 8, 2007 at 12:00 AM | Page modified May 17, 2007 at 9:08 PM

M's Farm Report | From Italy to Wisconsin, for love of the game

Playing third base for the Class A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, Alex Liddi is further proof that the Mariners' search for prospects extends...

By Scott Hanson

Seattle Times staff

Around the organization (All records and statistics through Sunday)

Class AAA Tacoma Rainiers

Last week: 3-4. Overall: 14-17 in Pacific Coast League. Third place in North division, 3 ½ games back.

Noteworthy: OF Wladimir Balentien is showing no signs of slowing down. The 22-year-old from Curacao hit three home runs last week, including a walkoff grand slam in a 6-3 win over Colorado Springs on Wednesday. He is leading the team in hitting (.357 average in 112 at-bats), home runs (8) and RBI (26). ... 2B Yung Chi Chen, who dislocated his shoulder diving for a ball on April 10, is rehabbing the injury in Peoria. Although there is no timetable for his return, the Mariners say there is a chance he could make it back by the end of the year.

Class AA West Tenn Diamond Jaxx

Last week: 5-1. Overall: 14-16 in Southern League. Third place in North division, two games back.

Noteworthy: LHP Justin Thomas, who missed most of April with tenderness in his elbow, returned to the mound Wednesday and pitched one inning as scheduled as the starter. The elbow reacted fine after the scoreless inning and he pitched three innings Sunday in West Tenn's 5-4 win over Mobile. Thomas, a fourth-round draft pick in 2004, allowed two runs on two hits, walking two and striking out one in the three-inning stint. ... C Rene Rivera, who spent last season as the backup catcher in Seattle, has struggled at the plate, hitting .189 in 74 at-bats with two home runs. ... The Diamond Jaxx have allowed 14 runs in their past five games.

Class A High Desert Mavericks

Last week: 3-3. Overall: 11-20 in California League. Fifth place in South division, five games back.

Noteworthy: OF Michael Saunders, an 11th-round draft pick in 2004 who was born in Victoria, B.C., is sixth in the California League in steals with 10, and third in walks with 23. Saunders, 20, is hitting .226 in 106 at-bats. He stole 22 bases last season with Wisconsin. ... Another Canadian, RHP Aaron Cotter from Kitmat, B.C., leads the team in innings pitched with 34, but is 1-3 with a 5.03 ERA. ... IF Jeffrey Flaig, a second-round pick in 2003, is hitting .194 in 72 at-bats.

Class A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

Last week: 2-5. Overall: 6-20 in Midwest League. Seventh place in Western division, 10 games back.

Noteworthy: RHP Ricky Orta, a fourth-round draft pick in 2006, returned from the seven-day disabled list and threw two scoreless innings in a 3-2 win over South Bend on Saturday. ... 1B Andy Hargrove, the son of Mariners manager Mike Hargrove, is hitting .229 in 35-bats with one home run and six RBI. ... SS Carlos Trinufel, the touted 17-year-old prospect out of the Dominican Republic, was 3 for 23 for the week, dropping his average from .298 to .250.

Scott Hanson

Playing third base for the Class A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, Alex Liddi is further proof that the Mariners' search for prospects extends worldwide.

Liddi comes from Sanremo, Italy, which borders France on the Italian Riviera. Italy is known for producing soccer players, but the Mariners scout Italy and it might pay off with Liddi, who signed with the M's less than a month after his 17th birthday in September 2005.

"I never liked soccer," he said. "I grew up playing baseball and I'll do anything for baseball."

Liddi was introduced to the game by his father, who played in high school in Los Angeles before moving back to Italy. Liddi said his dad played semi-pro baseball in Italy, and said his mother plays, too.

Alex Liddi quickly showed promise and drew attention while playing for Italy in the 2005 European Junior Championships and at Major League Baseball's European academy.

Liddi said he had no problem leaving his family and coming to the United States in search of his major-league dream.

Around the organization (All records and statistics through Sunday)

Class AAA Tacoma Rainiers

Last week: 3-4. Overall: 14-17 in Pacific Coast League. Third place in North division, 3 ½ games back.

Class AA West Tenn Diamond Jaxx

Last week: 5-1. Overall: 14-16 in Southern League. Third place in North division, two games back.

Class A High Desert Mavericks

Last week: 3-3. Overall: 11-20 in California League. Fifth place in South division, five games back.

Class A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

Last week: 2-5. Overall: 6-20 in Midwest League. Seventh place in Western division, 10 games back.

Scott Hanson

"I had moved away in Italy to play baseball before I signed, and already had an apartment," he said. "It wasn't that hard."

The baseball transition didn't prove too hard either. He began last year playing for Peoria in the Arizona League, where he hit .313 with three home runs and 25 runs batted in. That earned a late-season promotion to Wisconsin, where he hit .184 in 38 at-bats.

Liddi is listed at 6 feet 4 and 176 pounds, although he says he is up to 208 pounds. He expects to get more power as he continues to fill out.

"I still have a teenager's body," the 18-year-old said. "I think I will put on a few pounds each year just naturally."

Liddi entered the season with goals of batting .300 with 40 extra-base hits. But he got off to a poor start and is hitting .212 in 66 at-bats, although he is hitting .306 in his last 10 games.

"It's getting better, but not like it should be," he said. "I will do better."

Liddi said he is still adjusting to the change in pitching from the Arizona League to the Midwest League.

"Pitchers here are a lot more concerned with wins and losses, rather than just on developing," he said. "In Arizona on a 3-2 count, they would throw a fastball. Here, they might throw a changeup."

Liddi is confident he will adjust and said his goal is to make it to the major leagues in three years. "If that happens, I think baseball would get more popular in Italy and it might make it easier for other players from Italy to get signed," he said.

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