Jimenez and Haley Finally in Same Dugout

The striking similarities of their stories make PJ Jimenez and Zack Haley an unusual mentor-mentee duo. Jimenez attended Arizona Western Junior College from ’06-’08; Haley’s first two years of college ball were played at another Junior College in Arizona, Yavapai. PJ transferred to Liberty for his Junior season; Zack? Ditto. The slender native of Yucaipa, CA manned short for the POWER in each of the ’07, ’08, and ’09 seasons; the Criminal Justice major from Scottsdale, AZ joined the ballclub in ‘10, and returned for the ’11 season. While their histories are similar, the duo never met up. They missed each other by a year in Arizona Junior College ball, by a matter of months at Liberty, and by one season with the ballclub in Palm Springs. Now, though, they can be found fielding grounders on the Palm Springs Stadium dirt, chatting about their mutual Liberty coaches, or analyzing the opposing pitcher from the dugout. Jimenez, the POWER career hits leader, serves as one of the team’s assistant coaches this year, while Haley is spending his second straight year on the POWER roster.

Both fan favorites, hard-working ballplayers, and dedicated Christians, the pair of Liberty Flames field grounders with ease and bring a never-ever-quit mentality to the ballpark. Both hold similar values on and off the ball field. When searching for the right college (albeit a few years apart), the pair of POWER stalwarts made their decisions in a similar manner, “I kind of chose the same way that Zack did to go to Liberty,” PJ said, “I had two criteria that I really wanted a school to meet. I’d love to go to a Christian school and I’d love to play DI. Liberty had both of those.”

An alum of the program in Lynchburg, VA, Jimenez knows “the places where they’re strong, and [he knows] some of the places where [he feels] like they’re weak.” Jimenez spent one year under the team’s current infield coach (Jason Murray), which allows him to provide Zack with advice that complements the work of Murray and head coach Jim Toman. “I try to talk with Zack and try to do my best to help him out and get him better. And that’s really the reason why everybody’s here, is to get better,” Jimenez explains.

Limited by a dislocated pinky this season, Haley has been forced to adjust his grip on the bat, and err de facto, his swing. While the gritty, blond-haired righty is playing at less than full-strength, the coaching staff and management team don’t doubt him. “We like you, Haley,” manager Harry Gurley joked as Zack expressed frustration with his own hitting. While the blond-haired kid who idolizes Dustin Pedroia is hard on himself about his struggles, he appreciates being back in Palm Springs. “It’s nice being asked back because you know that they trust you and that you can kind of be a guy for them. So, it’s nice to come with that confidence, even if you’re struggling. They still know you can play.”

Haley knows the game well, much like the man who spends each day working with him in the field. When the hits aren’t dropping in, Haley finds another way to get on base, be it by taking a pitch in the shoulder, watching four balls, hustling to first in hopes of forcing an error, or making a catcher pay for a dropped third strike. Jimenez demonstrated that same tenacity in his three seasons with the POWER and his two at Liberty, getting on-base at a .380 clip his senior year, walking sixteen times and being plunked ten.

First with Jimenez, and now with Haley, the POWER have long benefited from the hard-nosed perseverance of their dedicated middle infielders.  Though they’ve missed the chance to turn double plays together, Haley and Jimenez enjoy working together, bonding over their shared backgrounds, and comparing their similar lifestyles. The duo’s individual impacts on the POWER organization have been felt on all levels, but credit the franchise for being a great players’ organization. As PJ put it, “It’s always good to play under and work with good people. People who are willing to help you out at any point.” Once the beneficiary of that helpful environment, now PJ is the one giving advice and helping the SCCBL-leading POWER team improve day after day.