On the day the
Cubs traded center fielder
Marlon Byrd, center fielder of the future
Brett Jackson went 2-for-5 with a double at Triple-A Iowa.
If Jackson was trying to make a statement to earn a promotion, he apparently is wasting his time. His bosses have already told him to be patient, and manager
Dale Sveum buys into that idea.
"He still needs to develop," said Sveum, who is aware of the public clamor favoring Jackson's immediate arrival.
"He's still striking out a little bit too much. ... If he's striking out that much in Triple A, it's going to be that much more against big league pitching. The development part is big for everybody, and until you get those 500 at-bats in Triple A, it's something that (President
Theo Epstein) and everybody in the organization wants to impress on (prospects) is you're going to stay and play and develop."
Jackson has 1,204 at-bats in the minor leagues, including 256 at Iowa. This season he has hit for a .239 average and struck out almost once every three at-bats.
"Sometimes we rush kids too quick and it's not for anybody's benefit," Sveum said. "We've all (seen) when kids have been rushed and do very well (
Starlin Castro had 1,098 minor league plate appearances). But it doesn't happen very often"
The Cubs also are taking the patient approach with first baseman
Anthony Rizzo, another former first-round draft choice. Rizzo has 424 at-bats in Triple A. But Rizzo also had a taste of the big leagues last season with the
Padres and hit only .141 in 49 games