As a Minor Leaguer your goal is to play well enough to get a promotion to the next level and eventually land a spot on the Big League roster. So when a demotion comes along, it can be discouraging.

But the players who work through adversity and take advantage of every opportunity given to them prosper in the end. And for 22-year-old Chris Colton of the Mariners' Class A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, prospering after a demotion is exactly what he is doing.

Colton was named the Mariners Minor League Player of the Week by Mariners director of Minor League operations, Greg Hunter, for the week of August 1-7. In his past eight games, Colton has hit at a .444 clip with four homers, two doubles, a triple and 11 RBIs.

After having spent the entire 2004 season with the Timber Rattlers, he was promoted to Advanced A-ball at Inland Empire to begin 2005. He played well enough to stay here for the first three months of the season, but after posting a sub-.250 average (.243) and an on-base percentage under .300 (.297), he was sent back down to his former team at Wisconsin.

"We told him it was the best opportunity for him to get more at-bats," said Hunter. "[Since going] back there he has been a trooper and has showed us what he can do."

And a trooper he has been. Since returning to Wisconsin, Colton is hitting .364 with five doubles, two triples, nine long balls, seven stolen bases, has driven in 25 runs, slugged .643 and has an on-base percentage that has reached .407.

"I think it's probably been his best stretch [of playing] since we've had him," said Hunter.

Since his return to Wisconsin, Colton has been -- for the most part -- a mainstay in center field, but also has a strong enough arm that he has spent some time in right field as well.

Hunter describes him as being "a talented young kid with some pop in his bat [who] also has good arm strength and foot speed."

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Colton was drafted by the Mariners in the 15th round of the 2001 First Year Player Draft out of Newnan, Ga. He spent his first two seasons with the organization with the Short A Everett Aqua Sox and was promoted to Wisconsin at the beginning of the 2004 season. He finished the 2004 season third in the Midwest League in triples with 11, had 12 home runs and 15 stolen bases.