homecoming

Itawamba Community College, the little baseball factory in Fulton, announced today that one of its star alums, Jonathan Van Every, will be the speaker at the Indians' annual leadoff banquet on Jan. 29. Van Every, 30, also a former University Christian standout, will head to spring training in February with the Pittsburgh Pirates, who signed him to a minor league deal in November. Van Every hit his first major league home run in 2009, but injuries were the predominant story of his season. He was hurt in spring training and again in the summer — and ultimately was released by the Boston Red Sox, the second organization for which he has played. Van Every will get a chance to revive his career with the forever-rebuilding Pirates, who might be able to use his power bat.

P.S. Room may have been cleared in the Mississippi Braves' 2010 outfield for Cole Miles, a Matt Young-type player drafted in 2005 out of a Nevada junior college. Miles goes 5 feet 8, 165 pounds and can play second base in addition to center field. A switch-hitter, he batted .266 for Class A Myrtle Beach in 2009 with 7 triples, 4 homers and 27 RBIs.

mississippi impact

The two pitching prospects Atlanta acquired from the New York Yankees today in the Javier Vazquez deal won't have a direct impact on the 2010 Mississippi Braves' roster. Left-hander Mike Dunn reached the majors last summer for the Yankees; he figures to be a Triple-A Gwinnett player in the Braves' system. Arodys Vizcaino, a 19-year-old Dominican, will be entering just his third year of pro ball, having spent 2009 at the short-season A level. He's at least a couple years away from Pearl. But he does have the potential to get here. Note his 100 strikeouts in 86 1/3 pro innings. ... The Braves recently released a couple of players who have spent some time with the M-Braves, including outfielder Jon Mark Owings. That was a bit of a surprise. He looked to be a good candidate for the M-Braves' opening day lineup. Infielder Chad Lundahl might have been here next season, too, but didn't figure to be a regular.

new heading?

The Seattle Mariners are one of the three. Three current major league franchises have never played in the World Series: the Mariners, the Texas Rangers (nee Washington Senators, 1961) and the Washington Nationals (nee Montreal Expos, 1969). The Mariners have been around since 1977. They've played for the American League pennant three times but never gotten beyond that point in the postseason. Well, they might be charting a new course this off-season. The Mariners' deal for left-hander Cliff Lee, the former Meridian Community College star, gives them a terrific 1-2 punch (along with Felix Rodriguez) in their rotation. That's the foundation of any Series team. Lee appears to be entering his prime. He is 90-52 with a 3.97 ERA in eight seasons, 36-16 the last two, including a Cy Young season with Cleveland in 2008. This past year, after moving to Philadelphia, he was dominant in the postseason: 4-0, 1.56 in five starts. Phillies fans would have loved to see him get a crack at New York in the Game 7 that never happened. The M's might only have Lee for one year; if they make the Series, that would be enough.

P.S. Hattiesburg's John Lindsey signed a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers today, virtually ensuring that he'll have a job in affiliated ball in 2010 and a chance to soldier on toward his big league dream.

mr. perseverance

If you admire perseverance as a human trait — and who doesn't? — then you have to admire John Lindsey. The Hattiesburg native can currently be found playing for Mazatlan in the Mexican Pacific League. He was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in 1995 and has been playing, at some level, ever since. He has logged 1,463 professional games (not including winter league or instructional league or other off-the-charts organized activities) but has not spent one day in the majors. Though his window of opportunity is closing fast, very fast, Lindsey hangs on at age 32. He is hitting .317 with 11 home runs in 54 games in Mexico. Last season with Triple-A New Orleans in the Florida organization, the 6-foot-1, 245-pound first baseman hit .251 with 19 homers. In his last three pro seasons, he has blasted 75 of his 194 career homers. Lindsey's still got something in the tank, something more than just the capacity to persevere, which he has in abundance.

P.S. On the move: Former Mississippi Brave Edgar Osuna was a Rule 5 pick, fourth overall, by Kansas City, where the crafty lefty has a good chance to stick. ... John Bale, the former Southern Miss lefty, was recently released by the Royals. ... Hattiesburg native Joey Gathright and former Jackson General Raul Chavez have signed minor league deals with Toronto.

here we go again

The Atlanta Braves like stability. Bobby Cox's long tenure as manager is evidence of that. Here's more: They made only two changes to the field staffs of their entire minor league system for 2010. Phillip Wellman will be back for a fourth year as manager of the Mississippi Braves. It's like a presidential term. The old Jackson Mets and Generals changed managers like they changed undies. They never had the same manager for more than two years, and that happened only a few times. For those associated with the M-Braves, Wellman's return should be welcomed. He's a good manager and a good guy. The players like him and respect him. He'll get the best out of them. The 2010 season will be Cox's last in Atlanta. It'll probably be Wellman's last in Pearl. He's likely to be among the candidates to replace Cox — and certainly will get consideration for the big-league staff, whoever the manager might be.

P.S. Kent Willis, who was displaced by Dave Wallace as Atlanta's minor league pitching coordinator, will return to the organization as pitching coach at Class A Myrtle Beach. The Columbus native and former Southern Miss pitcher was the M-Braves' pitching coach in 2005 and 2006 before earning the promotion to coordinator. Why he wasn't retained in that capacity is a mystery.

bring it

Went to an Atlanta Braves game a few years back. Billy Wagner was on in relief for the Houston Astros, attempting to nail down one of the 385 saves he has today. He threw a fastball, and the board that registers pitch speed hit 100. Never had seen that before. Never will forget it. The Braves signed the former Jackson Generals left-hander to be their closer for 2010. Good move. He is an old-school warrior and an upgrade over Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez, both of whom were shaky last season. Wagner showed last year with Boston that he can still bring it after Tommy John surgery in 2008, posting a 1.98 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings. He's 38, so he's not a long-term solution. But he'll man the post capably until one of the ex-Mississippi Braves, Luis Valdez or Craig Kimbrel, is ready to take it over, probably in 2011.

by the numbers

He played 18 years in the big leagues and hit .291. He had 2,107 hits, blasted 352 homers, drove in 1,206 runs and even stole 181 bases. Make no mistake, Vicksburg native Ellis Burks has numbers. He was on the Topps All-Rookie team in 1987, when he broke in with Boston, and was third in the National League MVP voting in 1996, when he hit .344 with 40 homers and 128 RBs for Colorado. He also made two All-Star Games. So he made an impression. Whether he made a Hall of Fame-worthy impression, well, we shall see. Burks is on the ballot, for the first time, for 2010. The new inductees will be announced on Jan. 6. It would be a big surprise if Burks got the necessary votes, but he might get more than a few. He's the best candidate since Dave Parker (who's still on the ballot himself) to become the first Mississippi native elected to Cooperstown. It's unlikely Parker will make it this time either.

P.S. The Trustmark Park college schedule — now called the Spectrum Events series — is out, and it's down to four games in 2010: Ole Miss-Southern Miss on March 23, the awkwardly named Governor's Cup (Ole Miss-Mississippi State) on March 30, Jackson State-MSU on May 4 and State-USM on May 5. The Mississippi Braves' press release about the series notes that additional games could be added to the slate.

thin reds line

Cincinnati needs a shortstop. Paul Janish currently is penciled in there for 2010, but according to Baseball America reports, former Ole Miss standout Zack Cozart could make a push for the job by midseason. And if Cozart doesn't work out, there's ex-Taylorsville High star Billy Hamilton farther down the line. Cozart and Hamilton were the subject of a recent BA story about the Reds' shortstop job, which hasn't been adequately filled since the days of Barry Larkin. Cozart, 24, who played at Double-A Carolina in the Southern League in 2009, is rated Cincy's No. 10 prospect. His defense is considered good enough for the big leagues, and he hit .262 with 10 homers last season — and indication that his bat is coming on. Hamilton, the first Mississippian picked in the June draft, batted just .205 with 14 stolen bases in a short rookie league tour. "He's very crude as far as baseball," Reds farm director Terry Reynolds told BA. Hamilton was a great multi-sport athlete at Taylorsville, but he needs to bulk up from his listed 160 pounds.

newsworthy

It wasn't exactly big news when the Baltimore Orioles got minor leaguer Rhyne Hughes from Tampa Bay last summer in a trade for big league catcher Gregg Zaun. There wasn't much fanfare when they put Hughes on their 40-man roster last week, which means he'll go to big league camp next spring. Unless you are a big fan of Picayune High or Pearl River Community College, or perhaps the Montgomery Biscuits, you may not have even heard of Rhyne Hughes. Well, he's a 6-foot-2, 175-pound, left-handed hitting first baseman with some ability that the Orioles seem to like. In 583 minor league games, Hughes has a .281 average, 71 homers and 299 RBIs. On several occasions, Hughes demonstrated his offensive skills at Trustmark Park as a member of the visiting Biscuits. Some may recall that in 2008, Hughes hit the 10th-inning homer that gave Montgomery an 11-10 victory in a game in which it had trailed 10-0. Last May, he had a huge series against the Mississippi Braves, blasting another game-turning homer among his big hits. Hughes led the Southern League in homers when he was promoted to Triple-A. He has never been a highly rated prospect, but plenty of players have come from off those charts to blossom into quality big leaguers. Keep an eye out next spring.

P.S. Curious to see what kind of player Tray Rutland will be for Jackson State. The erstwhile Tigers quarterback reportedly was a good pitcher in high school in East Point, Ga. He's big, athletic and left-handed.

change of scene

Craig Tatum, the former Mississippi State star from Hattiesburg, was claimed off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles today after the Cincinnati Reds took the 26-year-old catcher off their 40-man roster. Good news for Tatum: The only other catcher on the Orioles' roster is the highly touted Matt Wieters. Tatum, known more for his defensive abilities than his bat, made his big league debut in 2009 with the Reds and hit .162 in 26 games. He batted .239 in Triple-A. To clear space for Tatum, the Orioles designated former Mississippi Braves pitcher Chris Waters for assignment. ... On the topic of M-Braves, five pitchers who toiled for the 2009 club were added to Atlanta's 40-man roster: Kyle Cofield (who led the team with 10 wins and had a 3.90 ERA); Lee Hyde (2-1, 4.35 in seven appearances), Jeff Lyman (5 wins, 3.12 ERA in 33 games); Jose Ortegano (5-2, 2.83 in eight starts); and Jonny Venters (4-4, 2.76 in 12 starts, including opening day). Cofield, Hyde and Ortegano are likely to return to Pearl in 2010.

positive signs

After a generally disappointing season with the Mississippi Braves, Brandon Hicks stepped it up in the Arizona Fall League. The highly regarded shortstop, who played at lot of third base (out of necessity) in the AFL, hit .310 with a homer and 11 RBIs in 84 at-bats in the prospect-packed league that concluded its regular season today. Hicks, who is good with the glove, batted .237 with 10 homers and 48 RBIs for the M-Braves, though he did finish strong. Still, his 131 strikeouts in 464 ABs were a concern. Still think he'll be back for another tour, if only a short one, in Pearl in 2010. ... Former Itawamba Community College star Desmond Jennings, the Southern League MVP for 2009, was added to the Tampa Bay Rays' 40-man roster today. The swift outfielder is moving swiftly toward his big league debut.

spray hitting

A few random thoughts on a gray November day: Ole Miss product — and inaugural Cool Papa Bell Award winner (see previous post) — Chris Coghlan of the Florida Marlins is the first Mississippian (native or college alumnus) to claim a major league rookie of the year award, which he did on Monday. The only other Mississippi-connected player to win in either league before Coghlan was Darryl Strawberry, the ex-Jackson Met, who took the NL honor in 1983. ... On the subject of the OJMs, Wally Backman will rejoin the lengthy list of former Mets and Generals managing or coaching in pro ball. The New York Mets hired him to manage their Class A Brooklyn team next season. ... The minor league free agent list is out, and four 2009 Mississippi Braves are on it: RH Jerome Gamble, C Jose Camarena, IF Kody Kirkland and 1B Ernesto Mejia. It seems fairly certain the Braves will re-sign Mejia, who missed most of the '09 season with a knee injury. The 6-foot-6 slugger, who turns 24 next month, has a career .278 average with 45 homers and 205 RBIs in five minor league years, including a 21-homer season at Class A Myrtle Beach in '08. He barely got a taste of Double-A last summer, moving up when Freddie Freeman was shut down. Freeman, Atlanta's No. 2 prospect, has played only 12 games in the Arizona Fall League, hitting .267 with one homer. There's a good chance he'll start the 2010 season with the M-Braves, but he and Mejia would form a good lefty-righty tandem sharing first base and DH duties. ... Two former M-Braves to watch in Atlanta's camp next spring: right-handed starter Todd Redmond and right-handed closer Luis Valdez. Redmond, the Southern League pitcher of the year in 2008, won nine games at Triple-A Gwinnett this year and capped his season by going 3-0 with a 1.21 ERA in the World Cup in October. He could help the Braves in middle relief. Valdez, the hard-throwing closer for the M-Braves' pennant winner in '08, got some rave reviews in the International League this year and earned a cup of coffee in The Show. He's a darkhorse in Atlanta's closer race.

hall cred

When you think of Davey Johnson — the manager, not the player — does Hall of Fame naturally follow? Probably not. But the man who cut his managerial teeth in Jackson has stronger credentials than you might imagine. Johnson is on the 10-man ballot for managers and umpires that the Hall of Fame Veterans Committee is now considering. Also on the list are Whitey Herzog, Tom Kelly, Billy Martin and Gene Mauch. Electees will be announced next month. Johnson won a 1981 Texas League title with the JaxMets and five years later won a World Series with the New York Mets. That was his only Series appearance in 14 years as a manager. But it should be noted that Johnson's clubs won four division titles and finished second seven times. His career .564 winning percentage is better than that of Hall of Famers Leo Durocher, Sparky Anderson and Walt Alston. Maybe he's got a chance. In 1999, when The Clarion-Ledger polled readers on the all-time Jackson Double-A team, Johnson was picked as manager, 18 years after his only season with the club. Some guys just have that certain something.

new face in pearl

Garey Ingram, a former major league player, will serve as the Mississippi Braves' hitting coach next season, the Atlanta Braves announced today. The Braves organization has yet to name a manager or pitching coach for the Double-A club, though it wouldn't be a surprise to see Phillip Wellman and Marty Reed return to those duties. Ingram previously worked in the Giants and Dodgers minor league systems. Atlanta also announced that former big league pitching coach Dave Wallace will take the reins as its minor league pitching coordinator, replacing Mississippi native Kent Willis, who was not retained. That does come as a surprise. Willis had helped groom many of the talented young arms now popping up in Atlanta.

card tricks

Pulled today from one Jumbo Pack (36 cards) of Topps 2009 Updates and Highlights: a Chris Coghlan rookie, a Tommy Hanson rookie, a Kris Medlen rookie, a Seth Smith, a Cliff Lee (in a Phillies uniform) and a Julio Lugo (in a Cardinals unie). Two ex-Ole Miss stars, two former M-Braves, an ex-Jackson General and a Meridian CC alumnus. In one package. For the Mississippi baseball fan, that's a gold mine. As for finding pleasure in small things, well, that's the secret of life.

follow through

Rough start for Atlanta Braves prospect Mike Minor in the Arizona Fall League's Rising Stars Showcase on Saturday. The Braves' top pick in June lasted just 2/3 of an inning and gave up seven runs, six earned. Probably shouldn't read too much into that. We'll see more of the touted left-hander with the Mississippi Braves in the near future. Remarkably, Minor's team rallied to win 8-7, and 2009 M-Braves closer Craig Kimbrel worked the ninth for the save. M-Braves shortstop Brandon Hicks, who replaced Ole Miss product Zack Cozart on the West roster, went 0-for-2.

who's coming?

As many as six of Atlanta's 2010 Top 10 prospects — as ranked by Baseball America — could appear in Pearl next season. No. 1 Jason Heyward, the stud outfielder, isn't expected to return to the Mississippi Braves, but No. 2 Freddie Freeman (1B), No. 4 Mike Minor (LH), No. 5 Craig Kimbrel (RH), No. 7 Randall Delgado (RH), No. 9 Cody Johnson (OF) and No. 10 Adam Milligan (OF) are likely candidates to play for the Double-A club at some point in 2010. Freeman, Kimbrel and Johnson spent time with the M-Braves this past season. Minor, the top pick in June from Vanderbilt, would be thrown on a fast track if he starts next season in Double-A, as would Milligan, a 2008 junior college draftee. But BA's experts seem to think they might get that shot. ... The most intriguing player on the list is No. 6 Christian Bethancourt, who is a couple years away from Pearl. Bethancourt is a 6-foot-2, 175-pound catcher, something the Atlanta system sorely needs to develop.

some consolation

The major league season is over, alas with no Game 7 in the World Series. But there is more baseball out there, seamheads, and it's coming to a TV screen near you Saturday night. The Arizona Fall League's Rising Stars Showcase will air at 7 p.m. on MLB Network. Craig Kimbrel, who impressed as a reliever for the Mississippi Braves last season, is on one of the rosters, along with Atlanta's No. 1 pick last June, left-hander Mike Minor. Ole Miss alumnus Zach Cozart, a shortstop in the Cincinnati system, is scheduled to play, along with a host of other prospects such as Buster Posey, Jordan Danks, Dustin Ackley, Ike Davis, Jemile Weeks and Joshua Fields. Overall No. 1 pick Stephen Strasburg, the right-hander with the 100-plus mph fastball, has been scratched from his appearance, but this is a game worth checking out. You'll see a lot of the players in The Show very soon.

P.S. Former Louisville High and East Central Community College star Marcus Thames will be looking for a new team for 2010. Detroit announced today that Thames has been removed from its 40-man roster, clearing the way for free agency. Thames, 32, had a tough year, battling injuries and hitting .252 with 13 homers in 87 games. His power is his best tool; he'll likely catch on with another American League club.

the bell tolls

It shall be called the Cool Papa Bell Award, in honor of the only Mississippi-born player in the Baseball Hall of Fame. It shall be awarded to the Mississippian (native or college alumnus) who is judged here to have had the best season in the major leagues. In what was pretty much a two-horse race, the 2009 Bell goes to Chris Coghlan, the Ole Miss product who could win National League rookie of the year honors. Coghlan, playing out of position in left field, energized Florida's run at a playoff berth by hitting .321 with 84 runs, 9 homers and 47 RBIs in 128 games. He gets the nod over Seth Smith, another UM alumnus who hit .293 with 15 homers and 55 RBIs in 133 games for Colorado. Smith was a pinch hitter extraordinaire. Others who rated consideration: former Meridian CC star Cliff Lee, who went 14-13 with a 3.22 ERA overall and 7-5, 3.39 for Philadelphia, and ex-Mississippi State standout Jonathan Papelbon, who posted 38 saves in 41 chances and a 1.85 ERA for Boston. Lee, of course, did his best work in the postseason, but those numbers aren't considered for the Bell.

pining for game 7

Unless you are a New York Yankees fan, you're rooting for a Game 7 in the World Series. A winner-take-all game at Yankee Stadium ... does it get any better than that? One of the most intriguing angles if there is a Game 7 is the possibility that Meridian Community College alumnus Cliff Lee will start for Philadelphia. The left-hander, who won Games 1 and 5, pronounced himself "available" to go Thursday night on short rest. He's 4-0 with a 1.56 ERA in the postseason. He's pitched 40 1/3 innings. He could be good for a few more, especially with a world championship and perhaps a Series MVP award on the line. Southern Miss coach Scott Berry remarked in 2008, when Lee was with Cleveland and en route to the Cy Young Award in the American League, that his former pupil at MCC had developed such command of his fastball and cutter that he was moving from a good pitcher to a great one. That has been so evident in this postseason. Here's hoping he gets a chance in a Game 7.
P.S. On the Mississippi connection watch: Pedro Martinez, the Phillies' starter in Game 6 tonight, pitched at Smith-Wills Stadium for San Antonio. Yankees left fielder Johnny Damon played there, too, with Wichita, as did Phillies third baseman Pedro Feliz, who came through with Shreveport. Of course, Philly third-base coach Sam Perlozzo won two Texas League pennants as the Jackson Mets manager. But how about this: New York's Nick Swisher is the son of Steve Swisher, another former JaxMets manager. And here's a far-fetched Magnolia State tie of note: The Yankees' Jerry Hairston Jr. is the grandson of Sam Hairston, a Crawford native and one of the first black Mississippians to play in the majors. ... Does anyone else out there think about connections like these?

feather change

Former Southern Miss star Jarrett Hoffpauir, who made his big league debut this season with the Cardinals of St. Louis, is now a Blue Jay, having been claimed on waivers today by Toronto. Hoffpauir, 26, primarily a second baseman, hit .250 in eight games with St. Louis. At Triple-A Memphis, he showed some promise with the bat, hitting .291 with 14 home runs.

first, not foremost

The best performance by a Mississippi native in a World Series game is debatable, though the one-hitter tossed by Waynesboro's Claude Passeau in the 1945 Series is hard to top. (Jay Powell, Boo Ferriss, Harry "The Hat" Walker, Dave Parker and Frank White also had some laudable efforts.) But there can only be one "First Appearance by a Mississippian in the World Series," and that title goes to Ewell Albert "Reb" Russell. The Jackson-born Russell, a left-handed hurler, started Game 5 of the 1917 Series for the Chicago White Sox. It was a pivotal game, with the series against the New York Giants tied at 2-all. The White Sox — the team of Shoeless Joe Jackson, Chick Gandil, Happy Felsch, Buck Weaver and others of 1919 Black Sox infamy — won the game 8-5 and went on to claim the championship in Game 6 two days later. Russell's performance in Game 5, however, was not one for the ages. He faced only three batters in the top of the first inning at Comiskey Park. He retired none. Two runs scored. Eddie Cicotte relieved. The White Sox's comeback rendered Russell's outing forgettable for most, save for those who like to chart Mississippi baseball history.
P.S. Wondering if Melvin Mora, the former Jackson General, is done. Baltimore has declined the 2010 option on the 37-year-old third baseman, whose 807 games at the position is second-most in Orioles history to Brooks Robinson. That's remarkable. Mora wasn't a highly rated prospect when he passed through Jackson in 1995 and '96. But he was a solid hitter (.298 and .286 in his two Double-A stints) and could play all over the field. He's played every position except catcher in the majors, has a .278 career average and has made two All-Star teams. He could still help somebody.

ohhh mexico

A host of 2009 Mississippi Braves are spending their winter vacation in Mexico — and seem to be enjoying themselves. Outfielder Concepcion Rodriguez, who'll likely be back in Pearl next year, is hitting .280 with six RBIs through 14 games. Starting pitcher Tim Gustafson is 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA, and reliever Brett Butts has three saves and a 3.86 ERA in eight appearances. Those three are playing for Navojoa. Left-hander Edgar Osuna, with Mazatlan, has a 2.25 ERA in four relief appearances. ... In Venezuela, Ernesto Mejia, the 6-foot-6 first baseman who missed most of the 2009 season rehabbing a knee injury, is at .269 with two homers and seven RBIs in six games, while lefty Jose Ortegano is 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA in three starts. (Also playing in Venezuela: ex-Jackson General Richard Hidalgo and the unforgettable former Senator Selwyn Langaigne.) ... Meanwhile, back in the U.S.A., Freddie Freeman, who could well be back at first base for the M-Braves in 2010, hit his first home run in the Arizona Fall League today. He is hitting just .222. Brandon Hicks, the likely M-Braves shortstop in 2010, has been hot at .296. Jason Heyward has been out of action with a buttocks (no joke) injury.

been there ...

Meridian Community College alumnus Cliff Lee has been given the honor of starting Game 1 of the World Series for Philadelphia on Wednesday night. That's at Yankee Stadium. Yes, it's new this year, but it's still an intimidating place. The ghosts made the move from the old park, so they say. But Lee should feel rather comfortable. After all, the left-hander beat the Yankees in the first game ever played in the new park, back on April 16 when he was pitching for Cleveland. Plus, Lee has been very good this postseason, his first in the big leagues. He'll face his former Indians teammate CC Sabathia in Game 1, which could be one heck of an opening act.

something abreu-ing

It is fairly remarkable that the Los Angeles Angels are still hanging around in the American League Championship Series considering the lack of production they've received from Bobby Abreu. The former Jackson Generals star — known as "Bobby A-Brew" when he hit .303 with 73 RBIs for the '94 Gens — is batting .143 (3-for-21) in the five games with one RBI. During the regular season, his first with the Angels, he hit .293 and drove in 103 runs, his seventh straight year of 100-plus RBIs. But Abreu's biggest contribution was helping the Angels' other hitters become more disciplined at the plate. The team jumped from 18th in on-base percentage to third this season, taking its cues from the ever-patient Abreu. "We've changed because of Bobby," Torii Hunter told Sports Illustrated. Against the New York Yankees in the ALCS, Abreu has seemed out of sorts, walking just four times and fanning seven. He could be the X-factor in what remains of the series, which New York leads 3-2 entering Saturday's Game 6. If Abreu returns to form, watch out, Yankees fans.

a will to succeed

Will Hawkins was named the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference's hitter of the year last spring, when he mashed out a .406 average with 11 home runs and 55 RBIs. And the 6-foot-2, 230-pound junior from Nettleton hasn't restricted his hitting to the baseball field. As a linebacker for the Majors football team, Hawkins has recorded three straight double-digit tackle performances, capped by a career-high 15 in a win over Rhodes last week. Maybe the Millsaps basketball team could use a board-pounding power forward ...
P.S. Mississippi State's recruiting class for 2010 is rated No. 8 in the country in the recently released Baseball America overview. An under-the-radar player to watch, according to the experts at BA, is Jaron Shepherd, a left-handed hitting outfielder signed out of Navarro (Texas) Junior College. He is described as raw but bursting with potential; his dad, Ron, played 115 games for the Toronto Blue Jays in the mid-'80s. Ole Miss' class comes in at No. 12, highlighted by lefty-hitting juco catcher Miles Hamblin. BA is very high on Hamblin, who starred for a Howard (Texas) JC team that went 63-1 last season.

a series to remember

If you set out to document the greatest performances in League Championship Series history, you'd have a lot of ground to cover. After all, this is the 40th anniversary of the first expansion of baseball's postseason. Yet any Mississippian who's followed the game for a while — say, 20 years plus — could give you one for the list right off the top of his head. Will Clark, 1989. The former Mississippi State star put on a superstar show in the San Francisco Giants' 4 games to 1 win over the Chicago Cubs. It was the postseason debut for Clark, who had a thing for debuts. He homered in his first pro at-bat and in his first big league at-bat, off Nolan Ryan, no less. In that 1989 NLCS, Clark went 13-for-20 (.650) with 2 home runs, 8 RBIs and 8 runs in the five games. He set the tone for the Giants' dominance of the series in Game 1 when he went 4-for-4 with six RBIs. He was 3-for-3 with two homers, including a grand slam, against the Cubs young ace Greg Maddux. In the clinching Game 5, Clark delivered the tying and go-ahead runs with an eighth-inning single off Mitch Williams. In the World Series against Oakland — the infamous Earthquake Series — Clark had four hits but no RBIs as the Giants were swept. He never got back to the Fall Classic, but the sometimes irascible guy known as "The Thrill" gave us an LCS performance you can't forget. And it's a tale that will only get better as it ages.

afl update

Former Mississippi Brave Jason Heyward had two hits in his Arizona Fall League debut on Tuesday night and added another on Wednesday; he's 3-for-9 with two doubles and an RBI. Ex-M-Braves Freddie Freeman and Brandon Hicks debuted on Wednesday and went a combined 0-for-7. Of note, Hicks, the M-Braves' shortstop in 2009, played third base for the Peoria Saguaros. There was some speculation in the spring that he might be moved there someday. This is likely just a trial run. Odds are Hicks will be back at short and back with the M-Braves next spring. Three other 2009 M-Braves pitched for the Saguaros on Wednesday: Jeff Lyman started (2 innings, 3 hits, a walk and a run) and Lee Hyde and Craig Kimbrel worked an inning each. The starter for Scottsdale was Jackson native Donnie Veal, whom the Pirates reportedly are planning to convert to starting in 2010. The live-armed lefty was sharp in his AFL debut, tossing two perfect innings with three K's.

fall forward

Six players who toiled for the Mississippi Braves this season are among the Atlanta contingent in the Arizona Fall League, which starts today. Outfielder Jason Heyward, first baseman Freddie Freeman, shortstop Brandon Hicks and pitchers Jeff Lyman, Craig Kimbrel and Lee Hyde are joined by 2009 first-round pick Mike Minor, a pitcher from Vanderbilt, on the roster of the Peoria Saguaros. The AFL is sort of a select league for minor leaguers, and success there has propelled many a player to a big league job the next spring. Heyward is one to keep an eye on. Baseball America's minor league player of the year has a legit chance to be Atlanta's right fielder next spring. Lyman and Kimbrel are not far from being big league ready, either. Hicks had a tough year with the M-Braves; the AFL affords him a chance to get back on the rails. ... Other names of note in the AFL: Ole Miss product Zack Cozart (shortstop/Reds) is on the Saguaros roster; ex-Rebels pitchers Cody Satterwhite (Tigers) and Lance Lynn (Cardinals) are with the Peoria Javelinas and Surprise Rafters, respectively; and Jackson native Donnie Veal (pitcher/Pirates) is with Scottsdale, where former Jackson General Dave Hajek is serving as hitting coach.

fenway flop

Boston took a lead into the eighth inning of a must-win game and sent two of the best closers of this generation out to preserve it on Sunday at Fenway Park. They couldn't do it. Former Jackson General Billy Wagner and ex-Mississippi State star Jonathan Papelbon got knocked around by the Los Angeles Angels for five runs in a combined 1 2/3 innings and the Red Sox's postseason came to a stunning and abrupt end. Whoulda thought it? Papelbon's meltdown was particularly hard to figure. He had never allowed a run in the postseason. But on Sunday, he couldn't drop the hammer. He relieved Wagner in the eighth and gave up a two-run hit. Still, Boston took a 6-4 lead to the ninth. Papelbon got two outs and then it all fell apart. Former Generals star Bobby Abreu (3-for-5 on the day) had a big two-out, two-strike double that drove in the first run of the ninth, and he later scored what proved to be the game-winner. Papelbon had to be pulled. In an inning of work, he was charged with 4 hits, 2 walks and 3 runs. He didn't strike out a batter. He's an intense kind of guy. Wonder how long he'll stew over that final inning of 2009?

two and done?

Minnesota Twins third baseman Matt Tolbert's first postseason as a major leaguer may have been short and not so sweet. The former Ole Miss star started Games 1 and 2 of the American League Division Series against New York but left Friday night's game with a strained oblique in his left side. He may be done, regardless of how much farther the Twins go. And down 2-0 to the Yankees, that likely isn't far. Tolbert, who spent most of the season in the minors, played a key role for Minnesota down the stretch, hitting .333 the last 21 games and playing good defense at what had been a problem position for the club. At least he'll go to spring training with some credentials for more regular duty in 2010.

numbers

Stumbled across some figures on ballparkdigest.com that caught the eye. The Mississippi Braves, in their fifth season at $30 million Trustmark Park, drew a paid (tickets sold) average of 2,996 fans per game in 2009. That ranked 105th out of 176 minor league clubs this year, according to the Web site's data. The Atlanta Braves pulled their Double-A club out of Greenville, S.C., where it had resided since 1984, after protracted haggling over the building of a new ballpark there. They moved to Pearl, where the TeePee was built for them, and drew a paid 3,847 the first year, 2005. That seemed promising. Smith-Wills Stadium never drew anything like that during the 25 years (1975-1999) of Double-A baseball there. But the TeePee attendance figure has dropped each year since. And the 2,997 figure of this past season includes a lot of tickets that were never used. The actual average might have been closer to 2,000 per game, which is awfully close to what the old Jackson Generals drew in their best season (1,866 in 1996). Hmmm. Didn't the Generals leave (for greener pastures in Texas) because of poor attendance? And here's another number to ponder: 4,857. That's what the new Greenville, S.C., club (a Boston Red Sox low A team) drew in the ballpark that was built there soon after the Braves left.

ghosts of smith-wills

They played professional baseball of some variety at Smith-Wills Stadium for 30 years, so maybe it shouldn't be surprising that there are so many people with ties to the old ballpark involved in this year's playoffs. Still ... seven of the eight clubs, all except the New York Yankees, have someone in uniform who either played, coached or managed the Jackson Mets or Generals. (Sorry, no Diamond Kats or Senators involved here.) Players include ex-Generals stars Julio Lugo with St. Louis, Bobby Abreu with the LA Angels and Billy Wagner with Boston. Former Jackson Mets shortstop Ron Gardenhire is managing Minnesota, and ex-OJM Rick Anderson is his pitching coach. Former JaxMets manager Sam Perlozzo coaches third base for Philadelphia. Former JaxMets third baseman Dave Magadan, who played for Perlozzo on the '85 title team, is the hitting coach for the Red Sox, and ex-OJM shortstop Tim Bogar is the first-base coach. Bob Apodaca, a former JaxMets pitching coach, performs the same duty for Colorado, which fired former JaxMets manager Clint Hurdle earlier this year. Last but hardly least, former JaxMets manager Bob Schaefer is a coach for the LA Dodgers.

impact player

He didn't start either of the first two games of the National League Division Series in Philadelphia, but Seth Smith made an impact for Colorado in Game 2 today. The former Ole Miss and Hillcrest Christian star got a pinch-hit single off the leg of Phillies pitcher J.A. Happ in the seventh inning of the Rockies' series-tying 5-4 win. Happ left the game with what was later called a contusion and may no longer be a candidate to start game 3 on Saturday at Colorado. Smith, who hit .293 with 15 homers and 55 RBIs in the regular season, may be limited to pinch hitting in the postseason because the Rockies have such a plethora of outfielders. But pinch hitting is fine by Smith. It's a role in which the sweet-swinging lefty excelled this season, leading all of the majors with a .472 average. He'll no doubt be heard from again.

they're back

Ron Gardenhire has done it again. The Minnesota Twins, the flagship of baseball's limited payroll fleet, are in the playoffs for the fifth time in the former Jackson Met's eight seasons as manager. They made it again tonight with a 12-inning 6-5 win over Detroit in the American League Central tiebreaker, a game that had the good old Metrodome rocking. Matt Tolbert, the former Ole Miss and Centreville Academy star, was in the middle of things for the Twins, going 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI, the latter coming in the bottom of the 10th. It was a bitter end for Detroit, which appeared to have the division sewn up weeks ago. Former Jackson General Carlos Guillen was a quiet 0-for-3. Former Mississippi Brave Zach Miner got a blown save; he got a big out — against Tolbert — in the sixth but yielded a two-run homer to Orlando Cabrera in the seventh that put the Tigers behind.
P.S. The Chicago White Sox picked up the option on pitcher Freddy Garcia, the former Jackson General who beat the Tigers in a big game Sunday. He's not done yet.

on the spot

A pair of pitchers with Mississippi connections played key roles in the frantic American League Central race on Saturday. Delta State alumnus Dusty Hughes, a rookie with the Kansas City Royals, served up Michael Cuddyer's go-ahead home run in the eighth inning of Minnesota's 5-4 win over Kansas City. The Twins, winners of 15 of their last 19, moved into a tie for first later that night when former Jackson Generals ace Freddy Garcia, now with the Chicago White Sox, beat Detroit, scattering six hits over seven innings with seven strikeouts in one of his best outings in a while. The Tigers are one of Garcia's many former employers. The big right-hander has had a hard time finding a spot in the majors the last couple years. If that was his last start, what a way to go out.

is that good?

Lenny Dykstra's 1986 World Series ring sold at auction for $56,762.50, according to reports today. Should we be happy or sad for the former Jackson Mets star? Dykstra filed for bankruptcy in July, claiming more than $31 million in debts. Wonder if he still has the 1984 Texas League championship ring he won with the JaxMets? That might fetch a few hundred.

the finish line

Tommy Hanson, the former Mississippi Braves ace, made his last start of the season for Atlanta on Thursday night (no decision in a 2-1 defeat vs. Washington) and thus closed his case for National League rookie of the year honors. He's got a strong one. He went 11-4 with a 2.89 ERA in 21 starts and was a big reason the Braves made a late run at the playoffs. That should count for something. Of course, Ole Miss alumnus Chris Coghlan emerged as a .300 hitter in the leadoff spot for Florida and helped the Marlins stay in the race until the final week, as well. Coghlan went 4-for-9 with three runs in Florida's wins over Atlanta on Tuesday and Wednesday, losses that severely damaged Atlanta's chances of catching Colorado. ... Though it was a meaningless game for playoff-bound Philadelphia, it might be a sign of trouble that former Meridian Community College star Cliff Lee continued to stumble down the stretch in a loss to Houston on Thursday. Lee started 5-0 with Philly after coming over from Cleveland. He is 2-4 with a 6.13 ERA since then. ... What a weird series Boston experienced against Toronto early this week. First, the Blue Jays swept the three games at Fenway and hit 13 homers in the process. On Tuesday night, when Adam Lind came to the plate looking for his record-tying fourth homer of the game, former Mississippi State star Jonathan Papelbon plunked him on the elbow with apparent intent, though he wasn't ejected. On Wednesday, Roy Halladay baffled the BoSox on three hits in a 12-0 rout. Hattiesburg native Joey Gathright, whose primary role has been pinch runner since Boston recalled him, got two of those hits, including a sixth-inning single that broke up the no-hitter. ... Minnesota won Thursday's beanball-marred series finale at Detroit and thus remained in the fight for the American League Central title, 2 games out with three left. The Twins won 8-3 despite making four errors (one by ex-Rebel Matt Tolbert, in as a defensive replacement at third base). It was a class act by Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, the former Jackson Met, to apologize to the Tigers for pitcher Jose Mijares inexplicably throwing at Adam Everett in the eighth inning. The Tigers retaliated by hitting Delmon Young. Though Young was visibly upset, possibly at Mijares, Gardenhire said the Tigers did what they needed to do in that situation.

mad skills

Chris Lofton opened some eyes back in the spring as a freshman left fielder and leadoff hitter for Jones County Junior College. The 5-foot-11, 175-pounder from Raleigh batted .391 with 9 triples, 4 homers, 30 RBIs and 14 stolen bases as the Bobcats won 36 games and reached the second stage of the state tournament. Lofton is also starting at cornerback this fall for the JCJC football team. He has been credited with 13 tackles, four assists and an interception through five games. But there's more. He also returns punts and kickoffs. Still more: He holds for extra points and field goals. A major league club might draft this guy next spring on his athletic versatility alone.

well, anyway

Sigh. Game 1 of the highly anticipated Twins-Tigers matchup was rained out Monday night. They'll play a day-night doubleheader today at Comerica Park. The Tigers were, however, able to hold a pregame ceremony in the rain Monday honoring their 1984 championship team. Has it really been 25 years? There were a pair of Mississippi natives on that Detroit club. Left fielder Larry Herndon of Sunflower, who caught the final out in the 4-1 series win over San Diego, hit .333 over the five games, including a key two-run homer in a Game 1 victory. Jackson native Chet Lemon, one of the game's best center fielders, hit .294.

in hot pursuit

Huge series starts tonight at Comerica Park in Detroit, where the first-place Tigers play the first of four games against the Minnesota Twins, who trail by 2 games in the American League Central. There are Mississippi angles aplenty in this showdown. Former Jackson Met Ron Gardenhire manages the Twins, and his pitching coach is ex-OJM Rick Anderson. Former Ole Miss star Matt Tolbert has been playing a steady third base for the Twins down the stretch. For Detroit, there's former Jackson General Carlos Guillen, who has been swinging a hot bat; Louisville native and ex-East Central CC star Marcus Thames, a DH/left fielder/pinch hitter with a big swing; and ex-Mississippi Brave Zach Miner, a middle reliever. MLB Network has Game 1.
P.S. Belated props to Jackson native Donnie Veal, who got his first big league win on Friday night by working two scoreless inning for Pittsburgh. Lefty Veal was a Rule 5 pickup in December by the Pirates out of the Chicago Cubs system. He pitched for the Tennessee Smokies of the Southern League last season.

fall ball

Ole Miss started fall practice on Saturday, looking ahead — way ahead — to extending its streak of NCAA Tournament appearances to eight. Though both Mississippi State and Southern Miss have been to the College World Series in recent years, something the Rebels haven't done since 1971, Ole Miss moved past the other two as the state's preeminent program of the '00 decade. State may have ruled in the '80s and '90s in Ron Polk's heyday, but there has been a gradual sea change since Mike Bianco took over in Oxford. Ole Miss has been to a Super Regional four of the last five years. The Rebels had 10 players drafted last June off a team that went 44-20. They've had 14 drafted in the first five rounds over the last six years. Left-hander Drew Pomeranz has been pegged as the No. 11 college prospect for 2010 by Baseball America. The Rebels' 2009 recruiting class, a key group for next spring, was ranked 18th-best by Collegiate Baseball (three notches behind rebuilding MSU). A new decade starts next spring. State has some work to do to knock Ole Miss off the mantle it once held.

P.S. More college stuff: Former Belhaven star and 2009 Ferriss Trophy winner Craig Westcott helped Salem-Keizer win the short-season Class A Northwest League championship. Lefty Westcott, who went 3-0 in the regular season for the San Francisco farm club, threw seven shutout innings in Game 3 of the best-of-5 NWL title series as the Volcanoes took a 7-0 victory and a 2-1 series edge. ... News seems to travel slowly out of Lorman. Alcorn State hired a new coach in July, Barrett Rey, to replace Willie "Rat" McGowan, who quietly retired after the 2009 season. Rey, a former Southern U. player, had been the coach at Grambling.

duty calls

The injury suffered by San Francisco catcher Bengie Molina in Thursday night's game — badly bruised fingers on his glove hand — could mean more playing time down the stretch for former Delta State star Eli Whiteside. Raw rookie Buster Posey may also get a look. Whiteside is hitting just .197 with a homer and eight RBIs in limited time. His best asset is his defense; he made a nice play on a foul pop after replacing Molina on Thursday. And we shouldn't forget that he was behind the plate for Jonathan Sanchez's no-hitter this summer. If he's looking to stay with the Giants as the primary backup to Molina next season, Whiteside needs to step up in the crucial games ahead as San Francisco chases the wild card in the National League.

a long, long time ago

Congratulations go out to Ron Gardenhire on the occasion of his 700th win as manager of the Minnesota Twins. Old-timers in the Jackson area will remember Gardenhire as the JaxMets shortstop in 1980. He had a good year for a team that made the Texas League playoffs under Bob Wellman. Gardenhire, who had been drafted in 1979 out of Texas, hit .258 with 16 doubles, 6 triples, 6 homers and 64 RBIs in his first and only Double-A season. He was a serviceable big league player. He's been far more than that as a manager. Don't bet against the small-market Twins catching Detroit in the American League Central and making the playoffs — again.

P.S. Following the milestone win on Tuesday night, Gardenhire, humbly deflecting credit, told The Associated Press, "My coaches work their tails off, and I tip my hat to them." One of those coaches is Rick Anderson, a former Jackson Mets pitcher.

cut to the chase

Meanwhile, back at the playoff race: Fred Lewis' speed paid off again for San Francisco on Monday night. The former Stone High and Mississippi Gulf Coast CC star foiled a potential inning-ending double play, beating the throw to first as the go-ahead run scored in the eighth inning of the Giants' 5-4 win over Arizona. Lewis got an RBI and San Francisco gained a half game in the National League wild card race, now trailing Colorado by 4. ... Matt Tolbert started at third base for Minnesota again on Monday and the ex-Ole Miss star contributed two hits and a run in the Twins' 7-0 win over Chicago. Minnesota is just 2 1/2 games behind AL Central leader Detroit. ... Texas' hopes for this year are essentially quashed, but Starkville native Julio Borbon isn't mailing it in. He went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs in the Rangers' 10-3 win against Oakland.

P.S. Did you know ... Dave Clark is only the second Mississippi native to manager the Houston franchise. Ellisville's Harry Craft was the skipper of the first Houston team, the Colt .45s, in 1962.

opportunity knocks

He surely didn't want it to happen this way, but Dave Clark became the interim manager of the Houston Astros today when Cecil Cooper was fired. The former Shannon High and Jackson State slugger, who had been the Astros' third-base coach, will make his big league managerial debut tonight when the Astros host St. Louis. Clark has managerial experience, having won minor league championships in the Class A South Atlantic League (with Pittsburgh's Hickory club) and the Double-A Texas League (with Corpus Christi, the Astros franchise that was previously located in Jackson). Clark played 12-plus years in the big leagues, hitting .262 with 62 homers. 

the flip side

Even though they are paid — and paid pretty well, actually — to play a kids game, it can't always be easy showing up for work this time of year if you're a Pittsburgh Pirate. The Pirates are so hopelessly bad, they have become almost tragic. The franchise that gave us Pie Traynor, the Waner brothers, Bill Mazeroski, Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell hasn't had a winning season since 1992, when Barry Bonds was their 185-pound left fielder. Consider the plight of former Mississippi State left-hander Paul Maholm, who might be the ace of the current Bucs staff by default. While guys he played with and against in Mississippi are enjoying the thrill of the playoff chase, Greenwood native Maholm is stuck on a club that is 30 games out of first place in the National League Central. The Pirates have been out of the race, division or wild card, for weeks if not months and have lost 19 of their last 22. Maholm lost Sunday to San Diego, falling to 8-9. Considering that his club is 56-91, that's fairly remarkable. His ERA is 4.46, high but not a disaster — unless you pitch for a club that is as offensively challenged as Pittsburgh, which traded away most of its best hitters weeks ago. The Pirates lost 4-0 on Sunday, the 15th time they've been shut out. If there's a silver lining for Maholm, he might only have to start a couple more times.

heat of the moment

Fred Lewis hasn't had the kind of season the San Francisco Giants were counting on (.269 with 18 RBIs), but no one was thinking about that Friday night at Dodger Stadium. Lewis — Fast Fred from Wiggins by way of Mississippi Gulf Coast CC — sparked the Giants' 8-4 win over Los Angeles, a victory that kept San Francisco in the National League wild card chase. Pinch hitting in the sixth inning of a 4-4 game, Lewis delivered an RBI double over the head of left fielder Manny Ramirez and scored an insurance run on a Eugenio Velez double. ... Ole Miss product Chris Coghlan led off the ninth inning by reaching on an error and set off a four-run rally by Florida that took down Cincinnati 4-3 at the Great American Ballpark on Friday. The Marlins gained ground on wild card leader Colorado with that victory. ... At the Metrodome, former Rebels star Matt Tolbert, the pride of McComb, had a hit and highlight-reel defensive play at third base in Minnesota's 3-0 win over Detroit. The feisty Twins, managed by ex-Jackson Met Ron Gardenhire, are just 3 games behind the Tigers in the American League Central.

collecting hardware

It's been quite a summer — and fall — for Desmond Jennings, the former Itawamba Community College star. Jennings was named the Southern League's player of the year and the Tampa Bay Rays' minor league player of the year and, on Thursday night, helped the Triple-A Durham Bulls win the International League championship. Jennings hit just .188 in the Bulls' three-game sweep of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but he delivered a key two-run single in the clinching game, won by Durham 3-2 in 12 innings. Durham will play either Chris Maloney's Memphis Redbirds or Sacramento in the Triple-A title game next Tuesday. Injured most of last season, Jennings has shot up the prospect charts — to No. 18 in Baseball America's midseason ranking. It looks like Jennings' decision to pick baseball over football (he was an Alabama recruit) was a good one. He'll be in the big leagues next season.

it's that time

There aren't many races left to watch these last couple weeks of the season ... but so what? The Philadelphia-Atlanta series that starts Friday shouldn't be ignored, especially the Sunday game slated to match former Meridian Community College star Cliff Lee against former Mississippi Braves ace Tommy Hanson. The Braves need to win that series, if not sweep it, to stay in the NL wild card chase. That third game could be pivotal. Lee is 7-2 with Philly, but one of those losses was to the Braves. ... Florida is still chasing wild card leader Colorado, as well, and it'll be interesting to see how Marlins rookie Chris Coghlan holds up down the stretch. Tonight, he faced a fellow former Ole Miss player, Matt Maloney of Cincinnati, and got three of the seven hits Maloney allowed in five pretty solid innings. (He left with a 3-2 lead.) ... San Francisco, which heads to Los Angeles for a key NL West series this weekend, took two of three from Colorado in their showdown that ended Wednesday. No less than five Mississippians hooked up in that series: Seth Smith (Ole Miss) and Paul Phillips (Meridian CC) for the Rockies and Fred Lewis (Gulf Coast CC), Brandon Medders (Mississippi State) and Eli Whiteside (Delta State) for the Giants. Smith just seems destined to play a big role in the Rockies' finishing kick. ... Detroit is at Minnesota this weekend with the Tigers looking at a chance to bury the Twins in the AL Central. Marcus Thames (East Central CC) has seen his role reduced in Detroit, but the slugging outfielder might yet produce a dramatic home run. He's certainly capable. The Twins have Matt Tolbert, yet another former Ole Miss player, filling a utility role. ... September is fading, leaves are falling and October is just around the corner. These are the times that baseball fans live for.
P.S. Sad to see that Roy Oswalt's tough year came to a tough end. Houston shut down the Weir resident and former Holmes CC standout on Wednesday. He won only eight games, lowest total of his career, and had a 4.12 ERA in an injury-dampened season.

star power

Former Mississippi Braves outfielder Jason Heyward — and it's safe to assume he won't be back at Trustmark Park anytime soon — was named Baseball America's minor league player of the year today. Heyward, who began 2009 at Class A Myrtle Beach and is now at Triple-A Gwinnett, played in 47 games for the M-Braves and hit .352 with seven homers and 30 RBIs. Winning this award is typically a harbinger of a bright future. Previous winners include Joe Mauer, Josh Beckett, Rick Ankiel, Andruw Jones (twice), Derek Jeter, Manny Ramirez and, yes, Gregg Jefferies. Jefferies won it twice — in 1986 and 1987. He played parts of both of those seasons with the Jackson Mets. He could flat out hit, but he didn't really have a position, a shortcoming that may have kept his big league career from taking off. That's not a problem for Heyward. He's a darn good right fielder.

forecasting

Familiar faces figure to fill out the Mississippi Braves' 2010 lineup. Here's a projected opening day lineup that includes eight players who made at least a couple of appearances with the 2009 M-Braves: 

1. Jon Mark Owings, CF

2. Willie Cabrera, RF

3. Brandon Hicks, SS

4. Ernesto Mejia, 1B

5. Cody Johnson, LF

6. Donell Linares, 3B

7. Travis Jones, 2B

8. Benji Johnson, C

9. Jose Ortegano, P

There's an outside chance Freddie Freeman might be back at first base. He's a good-looking prospect, but he played only 41 games (hitting .248) for the Double-A club and finished the year on the DL with a wrist/hand injury. But if he fares well in the Arizona Fall League, we've likely seen the last of him at Trustmark Park. Hicks showed flashes of big league ability during what was a disappointing season overall (.237, 10 homers, 131 K's, 28 errors). He, too, could boost his stock in the AFL and land at Triple-A Gwinnett next spring. The others are safer bets to return. Owings, Mejia and the two Johnsons arrived very late in the season and didn't get much of a taste of Double-A. The new name in that lineup is Linares, a Cuban emigre who had a big year, at age 25, at Class A Myrtle Beach. His numbers: .287, 32 doubles, 15 homers and 87 RBIs. He might be the third base prospect Atlanta has been searching for.

P.S. On the subject of Atlanta, the Braves got their sagging offense back on track Thursday night against a seemingly unlikely suspect: Weir's Roy Oswalt, the former Holmes CC star. The Braves knocked around the Houston ace for 10 hits and six runs in two innings en route to a 9-7 win. When he's on, Oswalt's stuff is magical. But he's almost never on against Atlanta. He is 0-3 with a 7.58 ERA in seven career regular season starts. ... Seems Ole Miss alumnus Chris Coghlan always has something going. The Florida Marlins' rookie sensation has scored at least one run in nine straight games. 

fork, please

Former Mississippi Braves right-hander Tommy Hanson was brilliant Wednesday night against Houston. Atlanta manager Bobby Cox ... not so much. And the Braves may be done in the playoff chase. Hanson threw eight shutout innings at the Astros. Struck out seven. Walked none. Hit 95 mph in the eighth. And, with Atlanta holding just a 1-0 lead, Cox pulls him. He's headed for the Hall of Fame, sure, but everyone watching this game knew this was a bad move. Let the kid finish. The Braves' bullpen cannot be trusted with a 1-run lead. To no one's surprise, Rafael Soriano gives up three hits plus an intentional walk in the bottom of the ninth and Houston wins 2-1. (Kudos to former Jackson General Lance Berkman, who got the biggest hit, a one-out, one-on double off the wall in left.) A crucial game that should have been won was lost, and the Braves are 8 1/2 games out in the wild card race and 9 back in the National League East. 

P.S. Throw some ice water on Seth Smith. He's that hot. The former Hillcrest Christian and Ole Miss star, the reigning NL player of the week, got a two-out, two-run, game-winning hit for hard-charging Colorado on Wednesday. The Rockies, who've won six in a row, lead the wild card and are just 2 1/2 back of Los Angeles in the West. In those six wins, Smith is batting .522 with 12 RBIs. ... Props also go out to former Mississippi State standout Jonathan Papelbon, who recorded his 35th save for Boston on Wednesday. He has 35 or more saves in each of the last four seasons.

31 and counting

Dusty Hughes, the former Delta State left-hander who has battled through some adversity in his pro career, arrived in the big leagues for the first time over the weekend. And when he pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings in his debut for Kansas City on Sunday, the Tupelo native and former Horn Lake High hurler became the 31st Mississippi-connected player to make The Show this season. He is also the fourth DSU alum to appear in a big league game in 2009. Hughes, 27, was an 11th-round pick by the Royals in 2003. He missed all of the 2006 season after Tommy John surgery but reestablished himself in 2007 when he was named pitcher of the year in the Arizona Fall League. Having finally gotten the call-up to Kansas City, Hughes could hardly have done better his first time out. As manager Trey Hillman told the Kansas City Star: "... you kind of take extra notice of what you think their heart rate is, the look in their eyes. He wasn't intimidated." 

cringing time

Heard it on the radio: Former Mississippi Brave Jeff Francoeur was hitting .301 with seven home runs and 31 RBIs in 47 games with the New York Mets. He went 1-for-4 with an RBI today as the Mets knocked off the Colorado Rockies. Braves fans must cringe when reminded what Francoeur has done since Atlanta dealt him away. Wonder if Braves management is having any trader's remorse? Ryan Church has done almost nothing for Atlanta. Not only is Francoeur hitting for the Mets, he was recently tabbed in Baseball America as having the best outfield arm in the National League. Wouldn't it be nice to still have him around for the wild card chase ...?
P.S. Hattiesburg native Joey Gathright is back in The Show. Boston brought him up on Wednesday, though he didn't get in the game that night. He might win a game or two with his speed, which is something to behold.

first look

Checked out the Mississippi Braves' newest edition, Cody Johnson, at Trustmark Park tonight. The former Atlanta Braves first-round pick (2006) is an impressive specimen, standing 6 feet 4 and weighing every bit of his listed 195 (and probably more). Johnson, an outfielder, has been moving slowly in the Braves' system, mainly because of defensive issues and a tendency to strike out a lot. In fact, West Tenn lefty Nick Hill fanned Johnson in his first Double-A at-bat. But the left-handed hitter does have power. He hit 28 homers at Class A Rome last year and 32 at high-A Myrtle Beach this season. He'll likely be here for an extended stint in 2010 — and he'll likely park a few balls on the roof of the cafe beyond right field. Put him down as a work in progress. But don't dismiss him. By the way, Johnson's father, John, played at Mississippi State. He might just feel at home here.

oil and water

The Cincinnati Reds should have known better. They should have known it wouldn't work out. They put a former Ole Miss pitcher on the mound and a former Mississippi State catcher behind the plate on Saturday. That's asking for trouble. And sure enough, the Reds lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers 11-4. Ex-Rebel Matt Maloney gave up eight hits, two walks and five runs in five innings, taking the loss to fall to 0-3. Ex-Bulldog Craig Tatum, who surely did hit best calling pitches against the powerful Dodgers lineup, couldn't pull Maloney through, though Tatum did belt his first big league homer in support. That blast was part of a 4-run third inning that tied the score at 4-all. But a run in the fifth was Maloney's undoing. Chalk it up to bad chemistry in the battery.
P.S. Joey Gathright must be feeling a little frustrated. Baltimore traded him to Boston on Saturday. The Red Sox become the Hattiesburg native's fourth team in less than a year. The Chicago Cubs signed Gathright in the off-season (taking him away from the Kansas City Royals) but hardly played him before dealing him to Baltimore. He never left Triple-A with the Orioles, despite hitting well above .300, and the Red Sox have assigned him to Triple-A Pawtucket. Perhaps he'll get a September call-up. He has some value as a pinch runner, at least. ... Atlanta may have planted some seeds of doubt in the mind of ex-Meridian CC star Cliff Lee on Saturday, when they roughed him up in a 9-1 win over Philly. Lee had been almost untouchable in his first five National League starts. The Braves seemed to figure him out, belting three homers against Lee in his five innings of work. It was a big game, at least for the Braves, and Lee came up small.

another reason

If you're looking for another reason — or any reason — to head out to Trustmark Park this weekend, here's a good one: Atlanta center fielder Nate McLouth will make an injury rehab appearance with the Mississippi Braves on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The M-Braves made the announcement earlier today. The M-Braves are essentially out of the Southern League playoff race, so McLouth won't help them there. But he could be a boost to attendance, which is threatening to fall under 3,000 for the average per game this season. McLouth is a fun player to watch; he's got power and speed and plays with a lot of energy.
P.S. Boston's bullpen got a lot tougher today with the acquisition of former Jackson Generals lefty Billy Wagner. With Wagner and ex-Mississippi State star Jonathan Papelbon, another hard thrower with a nasty temperament, finishing games, you gotta like the Red Sox's chances of nailing down the American League wild card. ... Numbers to chew on: Former Meridian CC star Cliff Lee is 5-0 and has allowed just three earned runs in 40 innings since joining the Philadelphia Phillies last month; ex-Hillcrest Christian and Ole Miss standout Seth Smith is 15-for-32 as a pinch hitter for the Colorado Rockies.

fast company

Managers in the Eastern League like Cody Satterwhite's fastball, which has been known to reach the upper 90s. The former Hillcrest Christian and Ole Miss standout, now with Detroit's Double-A Erie club, was given the "best fastball" nod in the EL in Baseball America's annual tools survey. Satterwhite is 4-5 with 12 saves and a 2.98 ERA in 33 games at Erie. He had 51 strikeouts in 48 1/3 innings. ... Former Itawamba CC star Desmond Jennings was rated the fastest baserunner in the Southern League, as well as its best defensive outfielder and most exciting player. Jennings, in the Tampa Bay system, is now in Triple-A, banging on the door to the big leagues. Current Mississippi Braves standout Jason Heyward, who has played only about 40 Double-A games, was rated the league's best batting prospect.
P.S. Bill Hall, the pride of Nettleton, got an RBI hit in his first at-bat for Seattle on Friday night and finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs. The Mariners played him in left field. ... The change in scenery hasn't done much for former Jackson State ace Dewon Day, picked up by Oakland after his release by Tampa Bay. Day, a onetime big leaguer, has a 5.52 ERA in 11 relief appearances at Double-A Midland.

put up or pack up

The Atlanta Braves organization has taken a hard line with its Double-A club this summer. Five players who were on the Mississippi Braves' opening day roster, including three who were in the starting lineup, have been released over the course of the season. That's a high total for the Braves. These moves weren't disciplinary in nature; they were all about production. Third baseman Eric Campbell, a former second-round pick and one-time Top 10 prospect in the organization, had been a disappointment at both the plate and in the field. On Tuesday, a day after hitting a home run, he was whacked. Catcher Phillip Britton, an oft-injured backup most of the year to J.C. Boscan, got the news Wednesday. Pitcher Bryan Dumesnil was released on July 31, first baseman Kala Ka'aihue — another huge disappointment — on July 4 and infielder Javier Guzman — last year's regular shortstop — way back on April 30. The team is better today than it was at the end of the first half. Not much debate about that. But with only 16 games left in the season, and the team essentially out of the playoff picture, you have to wonder if there are any other struggling M-Braves looking over their shoulder?

chance meeting

Billy Wagner made his first comeback appearance for the New York Mets on Thursday night. And wouldn't you know it ... the first batter the former Jackson Generals star faced was former Mississippi Brave Reid Gorecki, now up with Atlanta. Wagner, showing flashes of his pre-Tommy John surgery self, struck out Gorecki with a 95 mph heater up in the zone. Wagner pitched a 1-2-3 eighth in the Mets' 3-2 loss to the Braves.
P.S. Julio Borbon, the Starkville native who played at Tennessee, hit his first big league homer for Texas on Thursday. Borbon is up for the second time this season and likely will stay this time. He was hitting .385 through his first 10 games. He could be a factor in the Rangers' drive for a playoff berth in the American League.

hall monitor

Bill Hall has resurfaced. The Nettleton native, whose career was in a serious tailspin in Milwaukee, was traded to the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday for a minor league pitcher. Hall, whose best position is — or was — hitter, wasn't in the Mariners' lineup against Detroit today. Hall, hitting .201, was designated for assignment by the Brewers last week. He got a fat contract after blasting 35 home runs for Milwaukee in 2006 but hasn't been the same player since. He has played just about every position save catcher, none of them particularly well. Maybe Seattle will give him some ABs at DH. At 29, Hall is young enough to get it turned around. But just barely.
P.S. Former Pearl River CC star Rhyne Hughes also got a change of scenery when Tampa Bay shipped him to Baltimore in the Gregg Zaun deal. Hughes, a power-hitting first baseman, will stay at the Triple-A level for the time being. ... Eager to see what kind of stuff Billy Wagner has. The New York Mets are expected to activate the ex-Jackson Generals lefty very soon. He had arm surgery last summer. Wagner was scary fast in his prime, hitting 100 mph with apparent ease. ... Former Mississippi Brave Reid Gorecki got his first big league hit and RBI in Atlanta's 15-2 win over the Mets on Wednesday. He is the 41st M-Braves alumnus to rise to the majors during the club's five years in Pearl.

update

Florida's Chris Coghlan got hits in his first two at-bats against Houston's Roy Oswalt tonight, running the former Ole Miss star's streak of multi-hit games to a jaw-dropping 10.

watch for it

There's a nice Mississippi-angled sidebar to tonight's Houston-Florida game. Astros ace Roy Oswalt, the ex-Holmes Community College standout from Weir, makes his much-anticipated return after missing a couple of starts with a back problem, and among the Marlins he'll face is sizzling hot Chris Coghlan. The former Ole Miss star, scheduled to hit leadoff tonight, has recorded a franchise-record nine straight multi-hit games. He is having a tremendous rookie season, despite having been shifted from second base to a new spot, left field, which he has had to learn on the fly.
P.S. Props, a bit belated, go out to Marcus Thames, who belted his 100th career home run for Detroit on Sunday. Even in this era of sluggers, that's a noteworthy milestone for the former East Central CC standout from Louisville, who, by the way, hit his first career blast off Randy Johnson. ... Props, too, to former Mississippi Brave Martin Prado, who has 52 hits since June 30. He's a big reason the Atlanta Braves have become a factor again in the playoff race. ... And one more nod to Hillcrest Christian and Ole Miss alumnus Seth Smith, who got yet another pinch hit on Sunday — that's 15 for the year, unofficially — for resurgent Colorado.

eli's here

Big things keep happening for Eli Whiteside, the former Delta State standout from New Albany who finally seems to have stuck in the big leagues. Whiteside hit his first career home run — a grand slam, no less — in San Francisco's 10-6 win over Houston today. Less than a month ago, Whiteside was behind the plate for Jonathan Sanchez's no-hitter, the first by a Giants pitcher in 33 years. Whiteside made his big league debut with Baltimore in 2005 and didn't get back again until this season. Has Eli arrived? He's making his case.
P.S. Add to the list of Mississippi free agents the name of Jonathan Van Every, the Itawamba Community College alumnus who was officially released last month by Boston, which had designated him for assignment. ... Nettleton's Bill Hall, whose slump earned him a demotion to Triple-A, is back with the Milwaukee Brewers, who stuck the erstwhile third baseman in right field on Monday night.

2 ships passing

While waiting for Brett Bukvich to launch his pro career, it's time to bid farewell to his brother, Ryan Bukvich. Ryan, who pitched in 97 big league games, his last appearance coming last July with Baltimore, was recently released by the Newark Bears of the independent Atlantic League. The 31-year-old right-hander, an Ole Miss alumnus, had a 2-6 record and a 7.93 ERA. Clearly, something wasn't right. Oddly enough, his name has come up in conversation at two different venues in recent weeks. Brett, a burly left-hander, was a fifth-year senior at Ole Miss this season and was picked in the 18th round by the Florida Marlins. Already 23 years old, Brett needs to get off to a fast start in pro ball if he hopes to follow in his brother's footsteps and make the majors.
P.S. Two other ex-Rebels, outfielders David Dellucci and Bobby Kielty, also may be done. Dellucci, already released once this season (by Cleveland), was designated for assignment late last month by Toronto, and Kielty was cut loose by the New York Mets in June and hasn't resurfaced.

movin' on up

Cliff Lee just made a big jump, from one step out of the cellar in the American League Central to the top of the NL East. The left-hander out of Meridian Community College was traded today by lowly Cleveland to Philadelphia, which greatly improved its chances of repeating as World Series champion. Lee, the 2008 AL Cy Young winner, wasn't having a great statistical season for the Indians; he was 7-9 with a 3.14 ERA, 3-2, 2.37 in his last five starts. But he'll get much better run support from the Phillies' power-packed lineup. This is bad news for Atlanta, of course. The Braves might need to officially change their focus from the division to the wild card race.
P.S. Curious to see what the next report will be on Roy Oswalt's back injury. He had an injection today and likely will have his next start pushed back. Houston, still contending for a playoff spot, has a real problem if the Weir resident and former Holmes CC star misses significant time. ... The Astros sent former Delta State star Edwin Maysonet back to Triple-A yet again, but it probably didn't hit him too hard. Maysonet's wife just had a baby back in Puerto Rico, so he's got other things on his mind.

30-something

Tim Dillard, the former NJCAA All-American from Itawamba Community College, will become the 30th Mississippi-connected player to appear in the majors this season when he makes his first appearance with Milwaukee, which could come tonight. The tall right-hander from Saltillo, son of former Ole Miss standout and ex-big leaguer Steve Dillard, got some big league time in 2008 but had spent the first few months of this year at Triple-A Nashville. On the clock for possible 2009 appearances: Vicksburg native Dmitri Young and ex-Grenada star Terrell Young (no relation), both of whom apparently are still on the DL with the Washington Nationals.
P.S. Upon further review, Ole Miss had 11 players drafted in June, matching Georgia for the most draftees from one college. Baseball America had reported the Rebels' total at 10; they missed somebody.

perfect timing

Ramon Castro hadn't done a lot to distinguish himself over an 11-year major league career. Until Thursday, when he became a significant footnote to an historic performance. The former Jackson General was the catcher for Mark Buehrle's perfect game. Castro, the Chicago White Sox's backup catcher, had never caught Buehrle before. Odds are he'll catch him again real soon. Castro was a first-round pick in 1994 by the Houston Astros out of Puerto Rico. He reached Double-A Jackson in 1998, showing promise as both a receiver and a hitter (.256, 8 homers) at Smith-Wills Stadium. The Astros traded him to Florida (for former Mississippi State star Jay Powell), and he debuted with the Marlins in 1999. Then he went to the New York Mets. Now he's in Chicago. Regardless of whatever else he does there, ChiSox fans will remember Castro for a long time.

rebel yells

He was the 1,494th player picked in last month's draft, not the last to go but near it. For that reason alone, it'll be interesting to track the pro career of former Ole Miss catcher Brett Basham, selected as a senior in the 50th round by San Diego. Basham had a good junior year with the Rebels — he was drafted in the 16th round — but played less and produced less this past spring. No doubt he'll be hungry to prove himself as a pro — and he's off to a good start in the Arizona League, going 4-for-9 in his first three games. Meanwhile, former Rebels outfielder Jordan Henry, a seventh-round pick by Cleveland, may prove to a steal. He was hitting .316 with 22 runs, 10 RBIs and 11 steals through 28 games at short-season A Mahoning Valley. The Rebels, for the record, had 10 players drafted, more than any school in the country save Georgia (11). Most of them have signed, including much-heralded but oft-injured pitcher Scott Bittle, who, at last look, had yet to make his pro debut with St. Louis.

tommy gun

Caught former Mississippi Brave Tommy Hanson's 11-strikeout performance at Turner Field on Monday night. Very impressive. He was dominant at times last year in Pearl, but it looks like he is even better now. He was able to dial up the 95-96 mph fastball when he needed it and commanded most of his stuff well. He allowed 5 hits, 3 walks and 3 runs in his seven innings against San Francisco, but he never seemed to be in trouble. ... Fred Lewis, the former Stone County High and Gulf Coast CC star, got in that game for the Giants as a pinch hitter, drew a walk from Hanson and stole a base. The Giants were expecting much more this season from Lewis than what he has produced. He may be giving Nettleton's Bill Hall a run for Most Disappointing Performance by a Mississippian in the big leagues this year.
P.S. Kudos to Craig Tatum, the Hattiesburg native and Mississippi State alumnus, on his call-up by Cincinnati. He becomes the 29th Mississippi-connected player (not counting M-Braves) to make The Show in 2009. Tatum is a strong defensive catcher; if he can hit just a little bit (he went 0-for-2 in his debut), he's got a chance to stick in the big leagues for a while.

deja vu

Never saw Darryl Strawberry at Smith-Wills Stadium. But Jason Heyward, an eerily similar player, may be stirring the same kind of buzz a few miles away at Trustmark Park. The 19-year-old Heyward, one of the top prospects in all of the minors, hit his first Double-A home run Thursday night, a towering blast to the deep gap in right-center. He had three other hits, including a pair of opposite-field doubles. After 10 games with the M-Braves, Heyward is hitting .417 with 5 doubles, 2 triples, the one homer and 10 RBIs. Strawberry, who was 20 when he played for the Jackson Mets in 1982, hit .283 that year with 19 doubles, 9 triples, a franchise-record 34 homers and 97 RBIs. He was in New York the next year. Heyward might be in Atlanta this September. Strawberry was a left-handed hitting right fielder who stood 6 feet 4 and weighed 180 pounds in '82. Heyward is a left-handed hitting right fielder who stands 6 feet 4 and weighs (a chiseled) 220. Both have basketball backgrounds. Both were first-round picks. Strawberry became a big league star in short order after leaving Jackson, where tales of his homers are legend. Heyward's just get started, really, but he looks to be on that track. If you were there Thursday night, you know. You're talking about it today.

close encounters

From the You Never Know Who You'll See at the Ballpark Dept.: On Wednesday night, there was an NBA point guard (Mo Williams) and an NFL running back (Jerious Norwood) in the press box at Trustmark Park. Tonight, former major league catcher and manager Bob Boone was in the house. And almost every night, former Olympic long jumper Savante Stringfellow is working on press row. That's a full house, isn't it?

star turns

The major league All-Star Game has always been a pretty big deal, even before the contrived significance of World Series home-field advantage was added a few years back. Putting all those great players on one field for a midsummer game ... how can it be anything but grand? Winning the World Series is every player's ultimate goal, but making the All-Star Game rates pretty high, too. Years ago in the old Negro Leagues, making the East-West Game, as their showcase was called, was an even bigger deal than winning the season-ending championship. The game drew like nothing else those leagues put together. It was the event of the season, and Mississippians had their share of star turns, as research in Robert Peterson's path-breaking "Only the Ball Was White" shows. In the inaugural East-West Game, at Chicago's Comiskey Park in 1933, Starkville native Cool Papa Bell started and hit leadoff for the East, but fellow Hall of Famer Bill Foster, who grew up in Lorman and later was a dean at Alcorn State, pitched for the West, got the win and a hit. Bell played in almost every East-West game over a 12-year stretch. Howard Easterling of Mount Olive was a five-time All-Star. In 1940, he went 2-for-5 with a run in the East's 11-0 win. In 1946, at Washington's Griffith Stadium, Easterling had three hits, two runs and an RBI in a 5-3 win. Bubba Hyde, from Pontotoc, was 2-for-3 with an RBI in a second 1946 game, back at Comiskey. In 1949, Easterling again came up big in the classic, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a steal in a 4-0 East win. Charleston's Bill Hoskins had a hit and an RBI in the East's 8-3 win in 1941, played before a crowd of 50,000-plus. Jackson native Buddy Armour went 2-for-4 with a couple of runs and a stolen base in the 1944 game and rapped out two hits in '47, as well. Oh, if only there were a time machine for baseball fans ...

it's a start

If there were doubts that Hunter Owen could hit at the pro level, with a wood bat, he has provided some answers in his first two games with the independent Edinburg Roadrunners. The former Millsaps star, the school's career homer and RBI leader, went 2-for-4 with an RBI in his Friday debut, then followed that effort by going 2-for-3 with a homer and four RBIs on Saturday. Owen, who tried out but couldn't get a job with a major league organization, is hitting cleanup for Edinburg, which plays in the United League. There is a fairly long list of players who have used indy ball as a springboard to the affiliated game. Owen could be another.
P.S. Congratulations are in order for former Jackson State star Tommie Campbell, who will be inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in September. He was a first-round pick by the New York Mets in 1967 and, by all accounts, a pretty good player. He played four years in the Mets' system, reaching the Double-A level. For the record, and contrary to JSU's information, Campbell did not play for the '69 champion Mets. There is no record that he was ever on their 40-man roster that season.

traded!

It's sad. It was inevitable, perhaps, but it's still sad. Jeff Francoeur, the hometown hero in Atlanta, was traded away. To the New York Mets, no less, the Braves' biggest rival over the last 10 years or so. Francoeur was a big hit with the Mississippi Braves in 2005; people still show up at Trustmark Park in his jersey. But he was an even bigger sensation in Atlanta, having played high school ball in the area. For 2 1/2 years, he looked like a rising star. But then he lost his swing. Came back to Pearl last summer looking for it. Still hasn't found it. Even the biggest Francoeur supporters had to know his time with the Braves was running short. But it was a shock the way it went down. After having one of his best games of the season (3-for-4, 3 doubles) at Colorado on Thursday night, Jeff Francoeur was shipped out for an older, injury-prone player, Ryan Church. Don't know how that's going to work out. This much is certain, though: No. 7 will be missed in right field at the Ted.
P.S. How about that Seth Smith. The former Hillcrest Christian and Ole Miss standout got his 12th pinch hit of the season Friday night for Colorado (against the Braves). He is now 12-for-25. Pinch hitting seems to be Smith's main role with the Rockies these days, and he's playing it well.

props

Martin Prado, the former Mississippi Brave, may have arrived. At last. Prado, having recently usurped Kelly Johnson as Atlanta's starting second baseman, was named National League player of the week earlier this week after posting some mighty fine numbers: a .577 average, 8 doubles and 6 RBIs in a week's time. Prado had the look of a big leaguer when he arrived at Trustmark Park way back in 2005. Then-M-Braves manager Brian Snitker raved about him. But until this season, Prado hasn't really been given a chance to play regularly for the big Braves. He is now making the most of it. ... Kudos also go out to Jonathan Papelbon, the ex-Mississippi State star who was named to the American League All-Star team. Papelbon recently became the Boston Red Sox's all-time saves leader (with 133 in just three-plus years). He has also become arguably the most feared closer in the game, passing Mariano Rivera for that honor.
P.S. If you haven't been out to the TeePee to see Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman yet, do it. These guys are good. And they will get better. But they won't be here long, probably not beyond this season if that long.

checking back

It's July 2, a month since the Atlanta Braves' possible "defining moment," an adrenaline-pumping victory over the Chicago Cubs. The Braves were 26-25 on June 2, 3 1/2 games out of first in the National League East. Today, as they play first-place Philadelphia, the Braves are 37-40, 3 games out. So, they've made up ground ... but they haven't exactly turned the season around. Even with the addition of Nate McLouth, Atlanta continues to struggle at the plate. Former M-Brave Jeff Francoeur, whose clutch ninth-inning homer on June 2 created such cause for optimism, still isn't producing enough. Former M-Brave Yunel Escobar is still causing distractions. Former M-Braves Tommy Hanson and Martin Prado have helped the cause, but there seems to be so much work left for Atlanta. Dare we check back yet again a month from now?

julio in the club

Julio Borbon made his major league debut tonight as a Texas Ranger. He also became the latest Mississippian to make The Show. Borbon's connection is thin — he was born in Starkville in 1986, apparently while his father was in grad school at Mississippi State — but he's still a native. The former Tennessee All-American has been on the Rangers' prospect charts for a couple of years. He was a .300 hitter at the Class A and Double-A levels in 2008 and was batting .298 in Triple-A when the Rangers called him up. An outfielder, Borbon goes 6 feet 1, 190 pounds, hits left-handed and has plus speed. He could be a good one.

ode to '86

MLB Network aired a rebroadcast this morning of Game 6 of the 1986 National League Championship Series, the New York Mets vs. the Houston Astros at the Astrodome. It has to rank in just about everybody's Top 10 list of the best major league games. The Mets led the series 3-2 and were desperately trying to avoid having to face Mike Scott, almost unhittable in the series, in Game 7. They would win 7-6 in 16 innings — and go on to win the World Series, of course, where they played another fairly memorable Game 6. That NLCS game would have been a great one even had it been played sometime in May: the Mets score three in the ninth to force extra innings; both teams score once in the 14th; the Mets break away, or so it seems, with three in the 16th, only to see the Astros score two and leave the winning run on base. The cast of characters was rich. Nolan Ryan, Dwight Gooden, Gary Carter, Keith Hernandez, Jose Cruz, Davey Lopes, Davey Johnson ... heck, Yogi Berra was a coach for the Astros. And from a Mississippi perspective, it was off-the-charts compelling, then and now. So many connections and angles. The Mets' Double-A club had been in Jackson since 1975 — the Astros' club would move to Smith-Wills Stadium in 1991 — and the big league Mets played an exhibition game at Smith-Wills that spring. Their roster was replete with former JaxMets: Darryl Strawberry, Lenny Dykstra, Mookie Wilson, Jesse Orosco, Kevin Mitchell, Lee Mazzilli, Wally Backman, Kevin Elster and more. Johnson, the manager, managed the JaxMets to a Texas League crown in 1981. Coach Greg Pavlick played in the first game at Smith-Wills. And Scott, the Astros' ace, was also a former JaxMet, while Jeff Calhoun, who worked the game-deciding 16th for Houston, played at Ole Miss. Watching the rebroadcast brings all that back — and reminds us why we love the game.
P.S. Wonder if anyone else noticed this: When the Braves and Red Sox hooked up Saturday, there was a former Jackson Mets shortstop coaching first base for Boston (Tim Bogar), a former Jackson Generals shortstop playing short for the BoSox (Julio Lugo), and a former Mississippi Brave playing short for Atlanta (Diory Hernandez).

still waiting

Mississippi Braves manager Phillip Wellman expressed his frustration with his club's anemic attack after a tough loss Friday night, calling it "embarrassing" in a published report. Meanwhile, at Class A Myrtle Beach — which won 11-1 Friday — there sits left fielder/DH Cody Johnson, Atlanta's No. 1 pick in 2006, who's hitting .268 with 20 homers and 48 RBIs. As for those two Top 10 prospects, first baseman Freddie Freeman is hitting .318 with six homers and 33 RBIs and right fielder Jason Heyward is at .293, 10, 26 (in 43 games). Any of the three would be an upgrade to the M-Braves' current lineup. When will Atlanta's brass make a move with one or more of them? Sure, they're being patient, but they've got to be considering it now.
P.S. The Tampa Bay Rays have activated Chad Bradford, the submarine-style reliever from Byram, Hinds CC and Southern Miss. Bradford has been out all season after elbow surgery in February. He posted a 1.42 ERA for the American League pennant winners last season.

clouds in his coffee

Wondering what's going on with Bill Hall. The Nettleton native rarely plays anymore for the Milwaukee Brewers, who have gone to youngsters Matt Gamel and Casey McGehee and even veteran Craig Counsell at third base. That's a crowd, and it's beginning to look like Hall may not fit in. Since hitting those 35 home runs in 2006 and getting a big contract, he's been spiraling down. Currently, Hall is batting .197 with five homers and 16 RBIs — and offense is what he is supposed to bring to the table. He went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts against Minnesota on Tuesday, his first game action since June 17. That's one appearance in eight days. Not a good sign.

goin' pro

It didn't make big headlines locally, but it was a pretty big deal when Ole Miss' Jordan Henry agreed to contract terms with the Cleveland Indians on Monday. Henry, who played center field and hit leadoff for the Rebels, was the SEC leader in walks and steals and generally the sparkplug for Ole Miss. The Rebels will miss him. Rated by Baseball America as the top Mississippi college player in the draft, Henry was plucked in the seventh round by the Indians. Ole Miss also lost right-hander Phillip Irwin, who signed with Pittsburgh as a 21st-round pick. The Rebels figure to lose a few more to pro ball in the coming days.
P.S. Tim Dillard walked Manny Ramirez once and retired him on a ground ball the other time the two faced off in Wednesday night's Pacific Coast League game (see previous post). Former Itawamba CC star Dillard went eight innings for Nashville (Milwaukee Brewers) in a game the Sounds won in 15.

watch for it

Tim Dillard, the former Itawamba Community College and Saltillo High star, gets to share the stage with Manny Ramirez tonight in Albuquerque, N.M. Dillard is scheduled to start for the Triple-A Nashville Sounds against Ramirez and the Isotopes in the second game of the Los Angeles Dodgers slugger's minor-league comeback from his 50-game drug suspension. ESPNews is expected to do live look-ins on Ramirez's at-bats, of which he should get at least a couple. Game time is 8:05 CDT. Dillard, who has some big league experience, is 7-3 with a 4.31 ERA for the Sounds. Ramirez went 0-for-2 Tuesday night, but we know what he's capable of.

a mississippi nine

For the first time in recent memory, we could actually field a full team of current big leaguers with Mississippi connections. Start with Eli Whiteside (Delta State) behind the plate, then it's Marcus Thames (East Central CC) at first base, Matt Tolbert (Ole Miss) at second, Edwin Maysonet (DSU) at shortstop, Bill Hall (Nettleton) at third and an outfield of Seth Smith (Ole Miss), Fred Lewis (Gulf Coast CC) and Chris Coghlan (Ole Miss). For starting pitchers, how about Cliff Lee (Meridian CC), Roy Oswalt (Holmes CC) and Paul Maholm (Mississippi State). Jonathan Papelbon (MSU) is the closer. Brandon Medders (MSU), Brent Leach (DSU) and Tony Sipp (Gulf Coast CC) can handle middle relief. There's a backup catcher in Paul Phillips (Meridian CC), but not much else for a bench until (or unless) David Dellucci (Ole Miss), Jason Smith (Meridian CC), Joey Gathright (Hattiesburg) and Jonathan Van Every (Itawamba CC) get recalled. It's not exactly an All-Star cast, or even a good fantasy team, but it might give the Washington Nationals a good series.

generations

It is appropriate on this day when fathers are feted that recognition be given to the Hairston clan, the first and to date only black three-generation major league family. The tree started with Sam Hairston, who was born in Crawford, the same Mississippi town that gave us Jerry Rice and Clarence Weatherspoon, stars of other sports. Sam Hairston was a Negro Leagues star of the 1940s who made a brief yet significant appearance with the Chicago White Sox in 1951. He was the second black Mississippian to play in the big leagues (arriving behind only Luke Easter). Sam had two sons who played in the majors, Jerry and John. Jerry also had two sons make the big leagues, Jerry Jr. and Scott. That's a truly remarkable story.

power ball

For those out there still digging the long ball — if it's OK to do that in these complicated times — please note that Marcus Thames has found his stroke. The Louisville native and former East Central CC star hit two home runs for the Detroit Tigers on Friday, giving him three in two days and five for the season. If he can do one thing on the ballfield, it's hit for power. Thames' return from a long stint on the disabled list has helped the Tigers move into first place in the American League Central. Ex-Gulf Coast CC star Fred Lewis, known more for his speed than his pop, might have topped Thames' power display on Friday, however. Lewis, with the San Francisco Giants, hit a homer into McCovey Cove, no easy feat. OK, so it bounced in. That's still impressive. Barry Bonds hit a bunch out there, but few others can do it.

marquee matchup

Tommy Hanson, the former Mississippi Braves ace, goes against former Ole Miss star Matt Maloney in a matchup of prized rookie hurlers today when Atlanta takes on Cincinnati. Both have had mixed results to date. Atlanta, which has lost four straight, including the last two against Cincinnati, is approaching the desperation stage. Don't know if that's a good thing or not for Hanson, who is carrying a heavy burden as the Braves' anointed future ace.
P.S. Waiting for word on changes to the M-Braves' roster. First baseman Freddie Freeman would seem to be the logical choice to be promoted first. The M-Braves certainly need a power bat at that position. Outfielder Jason Heyward played again Wednesday night for the first time in a couple of weeks; he may get a shot here soon enough. Outfielder Cody Johnson also may rate a look, and third baseman Donell Linares is yet another possibility. The second half starts on Monday at Trustmark Park. Maybe the new bodies will arrive at the same time.

feel the rath

Gary Rath, a former pitcher whose pro career took him far and wide, takes over for Cooper Farris as head coach at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. Rath, a Long Beach native who played at Mississippi State, spent 15 years in the pros, including stints in the big leagues here and in Japan, Korea and Taiwan. He was an assistant this past season to Farris, who retired after 20 years — mostly good ones — at Gulf Coast. Rath knows what he's getting into. Specifically? Well, he's taking over a team with a bevy of returning players for a program with high expectations that competes in a very tough league. That's about it.

encore, encore?

The Mississippi Braves reached a low point Monday night, losing 10-0 to Birmingham for their fifth straight loss to the Barons. It was a humbling if not humiliating series for the M-Braves, who may already have been looking ahead to the start of the second half next Monday. (Of course, Birmingham comes in for a six-game series to kick it off, so ... .) The M-Braves' amazing turnaround last season, from first-half flop to Southern League champion, was largely a by-product of a revamped starting rotation. If the club is going to pull off a similar stunt this season, it needs bats more than arms. Leadoff hitter Gorkys Hernandez is gone to the Pittsburgh Pirates, and manager Phillip Wellman freely admits the team hasn't had a true No. 3 or 4 hitter all season. That makes it tough. What's more, trades and injuries have left the Atlanta system thin at every level. There are some talented hitters at Class A Myrtle Beach, most notably outfielder Jason Heyward. But Heyward's been hurt and may not be ready. The Braves won't rush him just to try to pump up the Double-A club's record. Freddie Freeman could help at first base and in the middle of the order, but he, too, has only half a season of high-A ball under his belt. Outfielder Cody Johnson, who can really rake, reportedly has defensive issues. The M-Braves do need something to compete in the second half. The question is, where will it come from?
P.S. David Dellucci, signed as a free agent last week by the Toronto Blue Jays, is hitting .273 with an RBI in his first three games at Triple-A Las Vegas. Wonder how long the Jays will wait to summon the former Ole Miss star. Still wondering why Cleveland cut him loose. A left-handed hitter with Dellucci's credentials would seem to be a valuable commodity. Maybe there's something we don't know about.

the chosen one

The honor of first Mississippian drafted in 2009 goes to ... Billy Hamilton, the versatile star from Taylorsville High. Hamilton went in the second round to the Cincinnati Reds, the 57th pick overall and much higher than Baseball America had projected him. An outfielder/shortstop who has signed to play football with Mississippi State, Hamilton has drawn comparisons to former Nettleton star Bill Hall, now with the Milwaukee Brewers. Hamilton will get a nice offer from the Reds, so he'll likely never see the field at State. But he is a so-called "raw talent," one who could take a long time to reach the major leagues.
P.S. David Renfroe, a shortstop/pitcher from South Panola High, was the only other Mississippian picked on Day 1, going to Boston in the third round, 107th overall. The Ole Miss signee reportedly has a preference for hitting. Wonder if that's what the Red Sox have in mind?

bright spots

Zack Cozart, continuing to shine at Double-A Carolina in the Cincinnati system, was named the Southern League hitter of the week for the period June 1-7. The former Ole Miss shortstop hit .345 with four homers and seven RBIs in seven games. He hit safely in all seven. Cozart was in Pearl when the Mudcats played the Mississippi Braves to open the season, but the two teams don't meet again until the last series of the year, at Zebulon, N.C. Too bad. ... Highlights from Sunday's games in the big leagues: Former Meridian Community College star Paul Phillips went 4-for-5 with three RBIs and a homer for Colorado; East Central CC product Marcus Thames returned from 43 days on the DL to go 2-for-5 for Detroit; and Ole Miss alum Chris Coghlan hit his second homer of the year — off Tim Lincecum, no less — for Florida.

ouch

Ole Miss loses. Southern Miss wins. Talk about your cruel twists of fate. Ole Miss, nationally ranked all year, gets a regional at home and a super regional at home yet comes up short — again! — of reaching the College World Series for the first time since 1972. And then, to add insult to this injury, USM is packing for Omaha. The Golden Eagles didn't even expect to get into the NCAA Tournament, but they went to Atlanta and won the regional and went to Gainesville, Fla., and won the super regional. They are truly living a dream. This season will forever belong to Corky Palmer, who'll retire as coach whenever it finally does end. But USM fans should also tip a cap to Hill Denson. Denson, now the coach at Belhaven, is largely responsible for turning the USM program into a viable Division I entity. Starting way back in the early '80s, he upgraded the schedule, the talent, the budget and the facilities. And he hired Palmer from Meridian Community College. Certainly one of them called the other soon after tonight's dramatic win.