The Chattanooga Lookouts had no shortage of teachable moments and team meetings during the first half of their Southern League season, and those may be paying off.
Just not nearly as quickly as second-year manager Doug Mientkiewicz had hoped.
"He's been trying to get the message across to us," Lookouts right fielder Daniel Palka said. "We have all the potential in the world and have a very good team out there, and I think he's just made it clear that the cards have been out there and that we just need to go play them."
Chattanooga closed a 36-34 half by winning 17 of its last 25 games. The Lookouts are off until starting the 70-game second half Thursday night at AT&T Field against the Jackson Generals, who won the league's North Division first-half race over Chattanooga by 10 games.
There was never much doubt weeks into the season that Jackson would win the first half, but there is no doubting now that the Lookouts appear primed for a run at the second-half title and an opportunity to defend last season's Southern League championship in September.
Palka is supplying the power with a league-leading 16 home runs, while shortstop Leo Reginatto is providing the consistency with dazzling plays in the field and a .299 batting average at the break. The Lookouts are doing the things that often go unnoticed, committing the fewest errors (36) during the first half while turning the most double plays (85).
They also have one of the hottest arms, as relief pitcher Trevor Hildenberger has been scoreless for 18 consecutive innings.
"I would think we would be better in the second half," Mientkiewicz said. "A lot of our guys now have half a year of Double-A experience. It's a continuing process and the roster will change, but we should be getting better. That said, we've got to go out and prove it.
"I'm looking forward to this second half and seeing how we respond."
The Lookouts won just four of their first 13 games in April, but the low point of the first half occurred May 23, when they lost for the fourth time in five games at Jackson. That left Chattanooga seven games under .500 for the first time (19-26) and resulted in a solemn bus ride home.
Mientkiewicz managed Fort Myers to first-half championships in the high Single-A Florida State League in 2013 and 2014, and he guided the Lookouts to the first-half title last year, so being below .500 for most of the spring was new territory.
"It reminded me of how much I hate losing, and it's not the losing as much as not being able to get across information," Mientkiewicz said. "We would have a good couple of games and then take a mind eraser and forget everything. You want to be patient, but it's tough to have patience when you know they're in their own way.
"I've had halves like this, but not the first half. We had always won the first half, so it's been a learning experience for me, too."
Whether the Lookouts can improve this half remains to be seen, but their first-half finish certainly qualifies as encouraging. Regardless of what transpires, players know their manager won't be lacking for motivation.
"He wants it just as bad as we do," outfielder Travis Harrison said. "He's fighting for us and trying to do everything he can to get us going in the right direction, but at the end of the day he's not out there on the field. We're the ones who have to make it happen, but he definitely cares a lot and does not like to lose."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.