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.