another look

Last day of the year seems like a good time to take another look ahead at how the Mississippi Braves' lineup for 2011 might shape up. With Cody Johnson (traded) out of the picture, left field opens up, possibly for another fallen prospect, Jordan Schafer, whose 2010 season was wrecked by injuries. Put speedy L.V. Ware in center, where he finished up with the M-Braves last summer. Fast-rising Cory Harrilchak, who got high marks in Baseball America's Atlanta organizational ratings, could be the right fielder. If Mauro Gomez (16 homers in Pearl in 2010) doesn't make the Triple-A club, he'll be back at first base. Or Michael Jones (.282, 5 homers, 47 RBIs at Class A Myrtle Beach) might break through. Cole Miles, who got a brief tour with the M-Braves in 2010, is a logical candidate at second base. Tyler Pastornicky, possibly Atlanta's shortstop of the future, likely will be back at that spot for the 2011 M-Braves. He's one to watch. Third base is tougher to peg. Donell Linares might return for a second season, or Mycal Jones could fit in there. Jones also played briefly in Pearl last year. Another candidate could be free agent signee Shawn Bowman, who hit 22 homers in Double-A last year. Catching duties may go to Jesus Sucre and Shawn McGill, both of whom spent time in Pearl in 2010. Sucre quietly hit .297 in 38 games. The pitching might be very good. Eight of the Braves' top 10 prospects as picked by Baseball America are pitchers, and as many as five of those could play in Pearl in 2011. That group includes Julio Teheran (the No. 1 prospect), Randall Delgado (No. 3) and Arodys Vizcaino (No. 7), all starters. Teheran and Delgado showed flashes of brilliance for the M-Braves last summer.

totally random, vol. 4

Today's subject: Ellis Burks. Burks, born in Vicksburg in 1964, put up in 1996 what is arguably the greatest single season by any Mississippi-born player. As a member of the ball-bashing Colorado Rockies, Burks, an outfielder, hit .344 with 40 home runs and 128 RBIs along with 142 runs, 45 doubles, 8 triples, 32 stolen bases and a .639 slugging percentage that led the National League. He could have, maybe should have, won the MVP award. The 20th overall pick (out of a Texas junior college) by Boston in 1983, Burks made the big leagues in 1987. Over an 18-year career that was mottled by various injuries, he hit .291 with 352 homers and 1,206 RBIs. He was on the Hall of Fame ballot last year for the first time but didn't get enough votes to stay on. Not a huge surprise. As good as his numbers are, Burks was never really regarded as one of the greats of his time. (That's also one of the issues dogging ex-Mississippi State star Rafael Palmeiro, eligible for the Hall this year.) Burks' numbers do, however, rank with the best of any Mississippian to play the game, which is worth celebrating.

still to come

Marcus Thames and Fred Lewis, two fairly well-established big leaguers, remain unsigned as we head toward the new year. Both play outfield, but they bring different tools to the table. Thames, from Louisville and East Central Community College, is a power guy. The New York Yankees might bring him back, but there's been no word. Lewis, from Wiggins and Gulf Coast CC, is a speed guy who got strong consideration for the Cool Papa Bell Award after a fine year with Toronto. He was quoted in September as saying he was "a whole lot unsure" about the Blue Jays' plans for him in 2011, and they non-tendered him at season's end. He could still end up back there, but then again ... . Eager to see where those guys land.

totally random, vol. 3

Today's subject: Dave Hoskins. Greenwood native Hoskins, who died in 1970, holds a noteworthy distinction in baseball history: He was the first black player in the Texas League. More than that, he was sensational for the Dallas Eagles of 1952, posting a 22-10 record and a 2.12 ERA. The right-handed pitcher, who batted from the left side, was a Negro Leagues star in the '40s as both a hurler and slugger. He signed with the Cleveland Indians in 1953 and pitched in 40 big league games. Hoskins' numbers were very good: 9-4, 3.81 in 139 1/3 innings, .227 batting average. But he was on a Cleveland team overrun with great arms (Feller, Lemon, Garcia, Wynn, et. al) and his opportunities were limited. He was out of The Show after 1954. Still, Hoskins made his mark.
P.S. Mitch Moreland, the former Mississippi State star from Amory, will be the speaker at Itawamba Community College's Leadoff Banquet on Feb. 4. After his sparkling debut with the Texas Rangers last season, Moreland might be the most intriguing Mississippian to watch heading into 2011. ... Former ICC star and onetime big leaguer Jonathan Van Every has signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals.

hall monitor

Bill Hall has a job for 2011, which is more than a lot of folks can say. And reportedly he'll be paid $3 million-plus by the Houston Astros, which ain't bad. The Nettleton product is headed for his fourth team in what will be his 10th MLB season. He was found wanting in Boston after hitting just .247 in a utility role in 2010. The Astros have Hall, 30, targeted for their second base job. He's started fewer games there than he has at third, shortstop or in the outfield in his career, and his fielding percentage at second base is .960, not so good. But he does bring pop to the position, having hit 18 homers last season. Ane he's a good athlete, so he'll make some plays on the bases and in the field. This could be a good fit.

totally random, vol. 2

Today's subject: Eric McNair. McNair, who was born and is buried in Meridian, is one of the best and perhaps least-heralded Mississippi-born players of any era. Nicknamed "Boob" after a popular cartoon character of his time, McNair played in the big leagues from 1929-42, hitting .274 for his career with 82 homers, 229 doubles and 633 RBIs. Good numbers for a middle infielder — he primarily played shortstop — even by today's standards. McNair's best season was 1932, when he hit .285 with 18 homers, 95 RBIs and a league-best 47 doubles for the Philadelphia Athletics. He got MVP votes that year, and in two other years, as well. He also played in two World Series, including the 1930 Fall Classic with the champion A's team that included Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove, Al Simmons, Mickey Cochrane and Rube Walberg, among other stars. McNair, who died suddenly of a heart attack at age 39 in 1949, would rate strong consideration for the shortstop position on Mississippi's all-time team.
P.S. Jackson native Donnie Veal was re-signed to a minor league deal by the Pittsburgh Pirates, who cut him loose from their 40-man roster earlier this month. Veal, a lefty pitcher coming off Tommy John surgery, worked in Triple-A last year, posting a 4.35 ERA in 49 2/3 innings before his injury. Veal, who has some big-league time, passed through Pearl in 2007 and '08 as a member of the Tennessee Smokies when that club was a Chicago Cubs affiliate.

plus and minus

Cliff Lee's surprising — shocking? — decision to return to Philadelphia is a blow to the Atlanta Braves' hopes of winning the National League East in 2011. The Phillies' arsenal of arms is now historically great. Still, former Meridian Community College star Lee, Roy Halladay and Holmes CC alumnus Roy Oswalt have things to prove as postseason pitchers. None has a World Series ring yet. And the Phillies' offense took a big hit with the loss of Jayson Werth, who made the surprising — shocking? — decision to sign with Washington. With all due respect to Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Shane Victorino, Werth was the scariest hitter in Philly's lineup last season. He made the clutch hit almost seem routine. The Braves' attack will be better with Dan Uggla, though their defense may suffer. And Atlanta's got pitching, too. The NL East will be a war.

standing out

With the addition of Carl Crawford to their lineup, the Boston Red Sox have an imposing group. All-Stars everywhere ... except catcher. Jarrod Saltalamacchia's name stands out because it doesn't seem to belong. The former Mississippi Brave is penciled in as the BoSox's No. 1 backstop and No. 9 hitter, seemingly by default. "Salty" was once a prized Braves prospect but hasn't done much at the big league level: .248 with 23 homers in 250 games. He also has had some defensive issues in the past. Maybe it'll help that he's overshadowed by all the big stars. Less pressure to perform. But that only works to a point. In Boston, there's always going to be scrutiny. It could get tough for "Salty."
P.S. Former M-Braves lefty Scott Diamond was plucked by the Minnesota Twins in the Rule 5 draft. Diamond's record in two years in Pearl was just 9-16, but his ERA was 3.50 and he struck out 201 in 233 1/3 innings. He was 4-1 with a 3.36 ERA the latter part of 2010 at Triple-A Gwinnett. He's got big league potential, for sure. And Atlanta could get him back if he doesn't stick with the Twins' major league team in the spring. ... Ex-M-Brave Jeff Francoeur landed in Kansas City, where so many former Braves have gone to play for ex-Braves farm director Dayton Moore. Considering how irrelevant KC has been over the last 25 years or so, will we ever hear from Francoeur again? ... Former Meridian Community College star Paul Phillips, a well-traveled catcher, signed a minor league deal with Cleveland on Wednesday. That's a club he could make. ... Mark Feb. 4 on your calendar. Belhaven opens its season that day at Smith-Wills Stadium against Blue Mountain, which is launching its inaugural baseball campaign.

totally random, vol. 1

Today's subject: Billy Cowan. Born in Calhoun City in 1938, Cowan played college ball at Utah (wow!) and went on to appear in 493 major league games from 1963-72 with six teams, most of them bad (Cubs, Mets, Phillies, Angels). Cowan, 6 feet and 170 pounds, hit 35 homers in one minor league season but managed just 40 total in the big leagues. His best year was 1964, when he hit 19 bombs for the Chicago Cubs as a regular outfielder. He batted .276 in 1970 and '71 as a part-timer with the California Angels but dropped out of the majors in 1972. A .236 career hitter, Cowan would have a tough time making even the 40-man roster of the all-time Mississippi major league club. But, hey, he played in The Show.

catching up (again)

As strange as it was to see Lance Berkman in a New York Yankees uniform, it might be even odder to see the former Jackson Generals star in St. Louis Cardinals duds next season, back in the National League Central to play against the Houston Astros. It was a great sign for the Cardinals. When healthy, Berkman can handle left field; he's more athletic than people think. And there's no doubt he can hit. He's closing in on 2,000 career knocks (1,675) and already has topped the 300-homer and 1,000-RBI milestones. Too bad the Atlanta Braves didn't make a run at Berkman. ... Reports are that Cleveland, Kansas City and Philadelphia are interested in free agent Jeff Francoeur, the former Mississippi Braves outfielder. Francoeur hit .249 with 13 homers last season for the Mets and Texas. He's still got some value, especially as a right fielder. If you've ever watched him play the field, you know. ... Atlanta made a good deal in getting veteran reliever Scott Linebrink from the Chicago White Sox for former M-Braves hurler Kyle Cofield. Cofield is a tall right-hander with a good arm, but he's been plagued by wildness and nagging injuries. He wasn't going to help the Braves anytime soon. Linebrink will right away. ... Got a Mike Minor (2010 M-Braves ace who was rushed to Atlanta and faltered there) rookie card on Sunday. What are the chances it will be in high demand in 10 years? Probably about as long as the odds that former Mississippi State star Rafael Palmeiro will make the Hall of Fame. Well, maybe not that long. Palmeiro has pretty numbers but too much ugly baggage.

catching up

Great to see Matt Young make the Atlanta Braves' 40-man roster. The former (and longtime) Mississippi Braves standout deserves a shot at the big leagues, and the Braves did the right thing by protecting him from the Rule 5 draft. Young is small — 5 feet, 8 inches, at best — but he has skills. He doesn't hit for power, but he has hit for average at every level. He can run, both on the bases and in the outfield. And he plays hard, every minute of every game. He's also a good guy. He might actually help the Braves in 2011. ... Also added to the 40-man roster were Cory Gearrin, a 2009 M-Braves reliever, and Randall Delgado, a starter who was here last summer and likely will be back in 2011. ... The Braves gave up on former first-round pick Cody Johnson, the big left-handed slugger who struggled so painfully in Pearl last season. Johnson was traded to the New York Yankees; if he ever makes it to the big leagues, it'll be a surprise. ... And a belated congrats to former Jackson Mets shortstop Ron Gardenhire, who not only won his first American League manager of the year award last week but got a well-deserved contract extension from the Minnesota Twins.

new launching pad

Ralph is his given name, but he's known as Rocket, a reference to the hustle he displayed as a young player. Rocket Wheeler is 55 now. His pro playing career consisted of six minor league seasons in the Toronto Blue Jays' system. He's devoted now to launching the careers of other players; he has been coaching or managing in pro ball since 1981, spending the last eight years in the Atlanta organization. He'll spend his ninth as manager of the Double-A Mississippi Braves, it was announced today. Wheeler has won three minor league manager of the year awards at three different levels. In 2008, he was Baseball America's choice for minor league manager of the year after his Class A Myrtle Beach club won 89 regular season games. That was the slugging bunch that included Brandon Hicks, Willie Cabrera, Eric Campbell, Concepcion Rodriguez, Ernesto Mejia and Tyler Flowers. Wheeler also knows the Southern League, having managed in it for three years while with Toronto. At this stage, it's tough to predict what players Wheeler will have when the M-Braves open the 2011 season, though he'll likely have a few that he managed at Myrtle Beach the last couple of years. As a veteran baseball man who has no doubt seen it all, you can bet Wheeler will get the best out of them.

sorry, jay-hey

Atlanta's Jason Heyward had a very good rookie season. Maybe even a great season. But Buster Posey figures to win the National League rookie of the year award when it's announced today. Former Mississippi Braves right fielder Heyward hit .277 with 18 homers and 72 RBIs, compared to Posey's .305, 18 and 67. Heyward scored more runs (83-58) and drew more walks (91-30), but he played in 34 more games than Posey. And Posey played catcher — and hit cleanup. For a division winner. (San Francisco also won the World Series, but that's not relevant here.) Heyward, who hit second (yes, he should have been hitting third by midseason — but that's another debate), piled up his numbers early. He had 38 RBIs in April and May. He had just eight in September and October. He had exactly one RBI after Sept. 18 while the Braves were involved in a furious wild card battle. Posey was a rock down the stretch for the Giants, with eight homers, 15 RBIs and 18 runs in September and October. That's money. And that's why he should win out over the Jay-Hey Kid.
P.S. Former Delta State star Eli Whiteside, the Giants' backup catcher, didn't play in the World Series, but he did contribute to the cause. Or his wife, Amy, did. According to a San Francisco Chronicle report, Amy passed out home-baked chocolate oatmeal cookies during the team's postseason flights. That might have been San Fran's winning edge. ... Props to ex-Jackson Mets manager Clint Hurdle on getting the Pittsburgh Pirates manager job. He'll light a fire under the Bucs, for sure.

yes, but ...

Kenshin Kawakami is now on the Mississippi Braves' roster. But don't look for the one-time Atlanta starter to pitch in Pearl in 2011. It seems much more likely the Braves will trade or sell him to a Japanese team, according to mlb.com. Kawakami, a star in Japan just a few short years ago, was 8-22 with a 4.32 ERA in two years with Atlanta, never living up to expectations. He was taken off the 40-man roster and outrighted to Double-A.
P.S. Still no word on the M-Braves manager for 2011, though it should be announced very soon. Former M-Braves standout Jonathan Schuerholz has been named to manage Atlanta's Gulf Coast League club.

moving on

Eric Duncan, who was perhaps the Mississippi Braves' steadiest player from start to finish in 2010, is among the minor league free agents cut loose by Atlanta. Duncan, a former New York Yankees first-round pick, settled in as the M-Braves' second baseman early in the year and hit .267 with eight home runs and 64 RBIs. Also on the list as published by Baseball America are 2010 M-Braves Orlando Mercado, Michael Daniel, Luis Bolivar and Christian Colonel. Ex-M-Braves James Parr and Clint Sammons, who were on the roster at Triple-A Gwinnett, also became free agents. It's now unlikely any of them will return to the organization in 2011. Mauro Gomez, who led the M-Braves with 16 homers and 80 RBIs, would have been a free agent but had previously re-signed with the Braves. ... Four former Mississippi college players are on the free agent list: pitcher T.J. Beam (Ole Miss), pitcher Roy Corcoran (Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College), infielder Edwin Maysonet (Delta State) and outfielder Jonathan Van Every (Itawamba CC).

scene it

Caught a portion of the classic movie "Field of Dreams" while channel surfing today. Just happened to be what is probably the most spell-binding scene, the one in which Ray takes Terrance Mann to Fenway Park and "Moonlight" Graham's career stats pop up on the scoreboard while The Voice says, "Go the distance." What's the Mississippi connection? The baseball nut can't help but notice what's going on in the game during the scene. The Oakland A's are batting, Boston's in the field. On the mound for the Red Sox: Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd, the Meridian native and former Jackson State star. His delivery and follow-through are unmistakable. Boyd won 78 games in the big leagues, 16 for the pennant-winning 1986 BoSox. He was still pitching in independent ball into his late 40s. His nickname is one of the best of all-time. Still, in a way, his appearance in the background of a scene in "Field of Dreams" could be the neatest part of Boyd's legacy.

found ...

... while rummaging through a desk drawer, two scoresheets from Jackson Mets games, one from 1985, the other from '87. A treasure trove for the true baseball fan. The past instantly comes alive on these sheets. In the '85 game, the JaxMets beat Tulsa 3-2 in 16 innings. The game lasted 5 hours, 25 minutes and ended at 1:01 a.m. The Mets won it when a bases-loaded, one-out fielder's choice ground ball by Randy "Moose" Milligan scored Stanley Jefferson. Unforgettable. Eight players who would reach the big leagues played for the Mets that night, including Barry Lyons, Greg Olson, Dave Magadan, Kevin Elster and Mark Carreon. Tulsa's No. 3 hitter was Ruben Sierra, who went 0-for-5 with two walks. In the '87 game, the JaxMets beat Tulsa (again) 6-5, scoring six runs in the bottom of the ninth. It was an incredible game, one easily recalled from a quick glance at the scoresheet. The Mets scored all their runs with two outs. They went into the ninth with just two hits; they got four in the final frame, including Marcus Lawton's single that scored Dan Winters with the game-winning run. Other memorable players who suited up that night included Gregg Jefferies, Steve Phillips, Joaquin Contreras, Rick Lockwood and Ed "Smoke" Pruitt. Tulsa's No. 6 hitter was Juan Gonzalez, who went 0-for-4. Keeping score at the ballpark has become a lost art. And that's a shame. Finding two old scoresheets in a desk drawer tells you why.

counting heads

The Atlanta Braves' current 40-man roster — and it could change before the winter meetings — includes 17 Mississippi Braves alumni plus two others who are on the disabled list and don't count against the limit. New to roster, sort of, are 2010 M-Braves pitchers Juan Abreu and Erik Cordier. Abreu was on the 40-man for a brief period last winter. Both had pretty good numbers in Pearl last summer, enough to gain protected status. Both could also be back with the M-Braves in 2011. One new name, sort of, on the list is Jairo Asencio. This is the pitcher formerly known as Luis Valdez. He reportedly was unable to get into the country this year from the Dominican Republic because it was discovered that he was not who he said he was. Luis Valdez, the closer for the 2008 Southern League champion M-Braves club, is actually named Jairo Asencio. He used the other name so that he could sign a pro contract (with the Pittsburgh Pirates) before he was actually old enough to do so (you have to be 16). Asencio, now 26, is expected to return to the Braves' system in 2011.
P.S. The list of minor league free agents, which likely includes several 2010 M-Braves, should be available soon. Stay tuned.

out there

Cliff Lee is fixin' to get rich. He is one of the hottest free agents out there, coveted by the New York Yankees, among other big-market clubs. The lefty out of Meridian Community College is certainly the most high-profile Mississippi-connected player on the market, ranking No. 2 overall (behind Carl Crawford) among the 2010-11 free agents, as selected by a Sports Illustrated writer. Louisville's Marcus Thames is also out there (see previous post), as well as Nettleton's Bill Hall. Hall, whose option was not picked up by Boston, had an uneven year: .247, 18 homers. His versatility in the field gives him some value, but he was expected to hit better. He may be slipping — and his options may be limited. In fact, neither Thames nor Hall appears on the SI list of the top 50 free agents available. Also on the market is former Jackson General Lance Berkman, who helped the Yankees once he got healthy down the stretch but wasn't retained. Berkman is 35, but he can still play. His .248 average in 2010 was an aberration.
P.S. Mississippi Braves alumnus Tyler Pastornicky went 0-for-2 in Saturday's Rising Stars game in Arizona.

and the winner is ...

His overall numbers for 2010 certainly don't blow you away, but what Roy Oswalt did for the Philadelphia Phillies in his 13 appearances for them was fairly sensational. The former Holmes Community College standout from Weir was 7-1 with a 1.74 ERA for the National League East champs, a performance that is worthy of the second annual Cool Papa Bell Award. (The award is given here to recognize the best performance by a Mississippi-connected player in the major leagues. Ole Miss alumnus Chris Coghlan won the inaugural Bell.) Oswalt, who began the season with the Houston Astros, went 13-13 overall with a 2.76 ERA and 193 strikeouts in 211 2/3 innings. He beats out several other worthy candidates, including Fred Lewis, Marcus Thames, Jonathan Papelbon and even Cliff Lee. Down the stretch in the regular season, Oswalt was better than any of them, and he played a vital role in Philly's division-winning charge.
P.S. Tyler Pastornicky, likely to be the Mississippi Braves' shortstop in 2011, will play in the Arizona Fall League's Rising Stars game on Saturday (8 p.m., MLB Network). Pastornicky, not highly rated on some of the early 2011 prospect charts, has done something to warrant Atlanta's interest in his future. A recent slump has dropped his average in the AFL to .229, but he showed flashes of pop and a good glove during his time in Pearl last summer.

power rangers

Tough to pick against Texas in the World Series. San Francisco has good pitching. With Meridian Community College alumnus Cliff Lee fronting its staff, Texas has better pitching. The Giants have some thump in the lineup with Buster Posey, Aubrey Huff and the surprising Cody Ross. As for the Rangers, well, former Mississippi State standout Mitch Moreland, their No. 9 hitter, summed it up in an interview before the first postseason game was played. "We've got some very talented hitters, top to bottom," he said. "The middle of our order, I don't know of a better one. ... We've got some guys who can change a game very quickly." The New York Yankees trot out a pretty impressive 1 to 9. But Texas outscored the Yanks 38-19 in their six-game ALCS. The Rangers hit .304 as a team. Moreland, the rookie first baseman, hit .389 with three RBIs. (He just looks like he belongs, at the plate and in the field.) The Rangers' ability to run (9-for-10 in steals vs. New York) is an added bonus. The Rangers win in six.

gamble lost

Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel should be second-guessed for his decision to put right-hander Roy Oswalt in the game in the ninth inning on Wednesday night. Yes, Oswalt, the former Holmes Community College star from Weir, volunteered for the duty, but it was Manuel's call. It's always a gamble to put a player in a role with which he is not very familiar, and Manuel lost the bet. Oswalt, brilliant as a starter for the Phillies all year and in the postseason, wasn't so good in relief. Coming on in a tie game against San Francisco, just three days after starting Game 2, Oswalt threw 18 pitches, 13 for strikes. But his stuff wasn't fooling the Giants. All four balls put in play were hit hard, including singles by Aubrey Huff and Buster Posey and Juan Uribe's game-winning sacrifice fly. Now down 3-1 in the best-of-7 National League Championship Series, the Phillies can only hope Oswalt gets another chance to pitch. As the starter in Game 6, if there is one.

heads up

A check of the Arizona Fall League statistics shows a pair of possible 2011 Mississippi Braves are off to good starts. Tyler Pastornicky, the M-Braves' shortstop at the end of last season, is hitting .462 with two RBIs and three runs in 13 at-bats through Tuesday. Pastornicky hit .254 with two homers and 15 RBIs in 38 games for Mississippi after he was acquired from Kansas City. He's been playing second base for the Phoenix Desert Dogs but is likely to be back at short in Pearl next spring. Outfielder Cory Harrilchak, a 5-foot-10, 175-pound lefty hitter, was batting .286 for the Desert Dogs and is in their lineup today. Harrilchak played at two levels of A-ball in 2010 and hit .269 at Myrtle Beach. He could be somewhere in Mississippi's outfield next year.
P.S. Pearl River Community College's 2010 Hall of Fame class, which will be honored on Saturday in Poplarville, includes Rhyne Hughes, a former Wildcats first baseman who made his major league debut with Baltimore this season.

it could happen

Just to throw this out there: Marcus Thames might be a good fit for the Atlanta Braves in 2011. The Louisville native and former East Central Community College star, now with the New York Yankees, will be a free agent after the season. The Braves need a power-hitting outfielder, and Thames is that. He hit 12 homers in limited at-bats this season and had a .288 average to boot. It's not likely that the Braves will pursue big-name free agent outfielders Jayson Werth or Carl Crawford, so Thames makes some sense. He won't be pricey. And though he's been primarily a DH the last couple years, he can play left field, certainly as well as Matt Diaz or Melky Cabrera. The Braves ought to consider him.

a baseball-fest

Columbus is honoring the life and baseball career of the late Sam Hairston this weekend. It's a much deserved celebration of one of the best players the state has produced but one who remains largely unsung. Some may know him as the patriarch of the only black three-generation major league family: His sons Jerry and John were big leaguers, and Jerry's sons Jerry Jr. and Scott are current members of the San Diego Padres. Sam Hairston, who said in a 1990s interview that he was born in Crawford, just outside Columbus, got only five at-bats in the majors with the 1951 Chicago White Sox. But in the Negro Leagues, where he launched his career in the days of segregated pro baseball, he was a star. He won a Negro American League Triple Crown with the Indianapolis Clowns in 1950, hitting .424 with 17 homers and 71 RBIs in a 70-game season (according to James A Riley's Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues). Hairston also won a league MVP award in the integrated minor leagues after hitting .310 with 102 RBIs in 1953 with Colorado Springs and later added a batting title with a .350 average in 1955 for the same club. He played until 1960 and later served as a hitting coach for the Double-A Birmingham Barons. He died Oct. 31, 1997. Sam Hairston Baseball Park at Weyerhauser Field, near his childhood home, is to be dedicated today with a Mississippi Department of Archives and History marker planted on the site. Another historic marker will be erected at the Queen City Hotel, where Negro Leaguers stayed when playing in or passing through Mississippi.

coming ... soon?

The American League Championship Series, which will feature several Mississippi connections, starts Friday. That's three days after Meridian Community College product Cliff Lee's masterful performance for Texas in Game 5 of the ALDS. It'll have been six days since East Central CC's Marcus Thames hit his first postseason homer, helping the New York Yankees complete a sweep in their ALDS. The NLCS doesn't start until Saturday. The two NLDS ended on Sunday and Monday. This extended downtime, created largely by TV commitments (tail wagging dog), is a problem for baseball. As many as three World Series games could be played in November. They've got to figure out a way to compress the regular season and the playoffs. ... Anyway, we are witnessing the stuff of legend by Lee. With two wins in the ALDS, he is now 6-0 in postseason play. He'll match up with the Yankees in Game 3 of the ALCS and Game 7 if it goes that far. Thames, the right-handed half of New York's DH platoon, will get to face the left-handed Lee at least once. Stay tuned for that. Both have been to the World Series before, Lee with Philadelphia last year, Thames with the Detroit Tigers in 2006. Neither got a ring.

juco pride

The NJCAA is proudly trumpeting the fact that it has 28 alumni on the postseason rosters of the eight MLB teams still playing. Among those are four MACJC products: Meridian's Cliff Lee (Texas), Holmes' Roy Oswalt (Philadelphia), East Central's Marcus Thames (New York Yankees) and Itawamba's Desmond Jennings (Tampa Bay). Jennings, the fleet outfielder with the football background, played only a handful of regular season games for the Rays; his inclusion on the postseason roster was something of a surprise. Maybe that means he'll do something memorable.
P.S. For the second straight year, Jarrett Hoffpauir was a waiver claim. The former Southern Miss infielder was snapped up by San Diego after Toronto took him off its roster. The Blue Jays, who snatched him from St. Louis after last season, didn't give Hoffpauir much of a shot. ... Vicksburg's Taylor Tankersley apparently cleared waivers with Florida and was assigned to its Triple-A club. Tankersley, a lefty reliever coming off surgery in 2009, didn't pitch well in a brief big league stint this year.

a blast

Jeff Francoeur, the former Mississippi Braves star, made his first postseason appearance since 2005 today. He hit an RBI double and scored a run in the second inning for Texas as the Rangers beat Tampa Bay 5-1 in the opener of their best-of-5 series. Francoeur, who has endured a lot of frustration since he broke in with such a splash with Atlanta back in '05, had something of a resurgence with the Rangers after they acquired him from the New York Mets at the end of August. Francoeur didn't play regularly — 15 games, 53 at-bats — but hit .340 with two homers and 11 RBIs in a Texas uniform. Good to see him with a smile on his face in the dugout; he's a good guy and was due for some good times. He hit just .249 overall in 2010. His production was really all former Meridian Community College standout Cliff Lee needed to subdue the Rays. Lee had a rocky first inning, then sailed through the next six. He allowed just five hits, one run and struck out 10.

seasoning

As usual, there are sprinkles of Mississippi flavor all over the MLB playoffs. Former Mississippi Braves aplenty dot the Atlanta roster, including Brian McCann, Jason Heyward and Tommy Hanson. Plus, there's ex-Jackson General Billy Wagner, who famously struck out the side in the ninth in Sunday's crucial victory. And don't forget pitching coach Roger McDowell (ex-Jackson Mets hurler) and third-base coach Brian Snitker (M-Braves manager in 2005). San Francisco has Eli Whiteside (Delta State) as its backup catcher. Roy Oswalt (Holmes Community College) is a key piece of the strong rotation for Philadelphia, which has ex-JaxMets manager Sam Perlozzo coaching third. Cliff Lee (Meridian CC), Mitch Moreland (Mississippi State), Julio Borbon (Starkville native) and Jeff Francoeur (former M-Brave) are with Texas, where ex-JaxMet manager Clint Hurdle serves as hitting coach. Former Generals pitching coach Jim Hickey oversees the staff at Tampa Bay, as he did during the Rays' World Series run in 2008. Minnesota is managed by ex-JaxMets player Ron Gardenhire, and his pitching coach is former OJMs pitcher Rick Anderson. Matt Tolbert (Ole Miss) has a chance to make the Twins' roster as a utility man. The New York Yankees feature Marcus Thames (East Central CC) and Lance Berkman (ex-General), who usually share DH duties. All stirred together, this is gonna be good.
P.S. Matt Maloney (Ole Miss) got the win for Cincinnati in its season finale, but it's unlikely he'll make the postseason squad.

more, more

The highlight show continues for Amory's Mitch Moreland. The Texas Rangers rookie hit two more home runs on Friday and scored a third run on a botched pickoff play by the Los Angeles Angels. Former Mississippi State star Moreland now has nine homers (and 25 RBIs) in his short time in the big leagues; the lefty swinger has got to be a lock for the postseason roster by now. Moreland hit just 17 homers in his career at MSU, where he also pitched. ... Another MSU product, Craig Tatum, a backup catcher for Baltimore, made the most of a rare start Friday by going 2-for-4 with three RBIs against Detroit. He's hitting .281. Orioles manager Buck Showalter, yet another MSU alum, has to be impressed by Tatum's work with the bat. Defense actually is his forte. ... One bright byproduct of Atlanta's disheartening loss to Philadelphia: Former Mississippi Brave J.C. Boscan finally got in a game. He walked and scored a run in the Braves' attempted ninth-inning rally.
P.S. Nice story in Sports Illustrated (Oct. 4 issue) about former Jackson General Billy Wagner, now Atlanta's closer. Wagner reveals some resentments about Houston, the team that originally drafted him in the first round. He also leaves no doubt that this is his final season. He's had a great run; he rates a spot on any all-time former Jackson Mets/Generals team.

did you see that?

One of the most bizarre plays of the season happened Wednesday night in Arlington, Texas, and former Mississippi State star Mitch Moreland was in the thick of it. Moreland, on first base for the Rangers, scored the game-winning run on a wild-pitch third strike and a throwing error by the Seattle catcher. It was one of those plays that make you wonder if the playoff-bound Rangers are a team of destiny.
P.S. In case you missed it, Hattiesburg native John Lindsey's first big league tour ended last Saturday when he was hit by a pitch and suffered a broken hand. He went 1-for-12 with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

call it clutch

It came in a losing cause, but Bill Hall's performance against Mariano Rivera on Sunday night is worth a round of applause. At Yankee Stadium on ESPN and in the ninth inning, the Nettleton native singled to knock in the tying run, stole two bases and then scored the go-ahead run as Boston went up on New York 3-2. Jonathan Papelbon, the former Mississippi State ace, came on for the Red Sox in the bottom of the ninth and blew his eighth save, an American League worst. New York won it in the 10th, essentially quashing Boston's slim playoff hopes. Hall has started at six different positions for Boston. Maybe he should try closing.
P.S. Not to be overlooked is Mitch Moreland's two-homer, five-RBI game for Texas. With seven homers in less than two months in The Show, the ex-MSU standout has virtually assured himself of a postseason roster spot with the Rangers.

more magic moments

Former Ole Miss star Seth Smith broke up a perfect game with a sixth-inning double and then scored Colorado's lone run Friday night. Alas for Rockies fans, their club lost to the brilliant Tim Lincecum and San Francisco 2-1 and fell further back in the two playoff berth races. Nettleton native Bill Hall, who hasn't had a great year with Boston, belted his 18th homer and helped take down the New York Yankees 10-8, dropping the Bombers out of first in the American League East. Mississippi State alum Jonathan Papelbon, the Red Sox's hot-and-cold closer, notched his 37th save. Starkville native Julio Borbon went 2-for-4 with two RBIs as Texas beat Oakland 10-3 and reduced its magic number in the AL West to 2.

closing fast

Roy Oswalt may be pulling up on and even passing Fred Lewis in the race for the second Cool Papa Bell Award (see previous posts). The Toronto Blue Jays announced Thursday that Lewis, the former Stone County High and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College standout, is done for the year. He's having surgery on his left foot to remove a bunion. He hit .262 with 8 homers, 31 doubles, 5 triples, 36 RBIs, 70 runs and 17 steals in 110 games. Oswalt, out of Weir and Holmes CC, is 7-1, 1.76 ERA with Philadelphia and 13-13, 2.80 overall.

in the heat ...

Desmond Jennings, the Itawamba Community College product, played a part in Tampa Bay's big win over the New York Yankees on Thursday night, and he also played a part in a record-tying performance, albeit a forgettable one for Yankees right-hander Javier Vazquez. Jennings was one of the three consecutive batters plunked by Vazquez, who tied the major league mark. Jennings entered the game as a pinch runner and wound up scoring twice in the Rays' 10-3 win. East Central CC's Marcus Thames, the pride of Louisville, gave the Yankees an early lead with his 12th homer of the year. New York's lead in the American League East slipped to a half-game. ... Delta State alumnus Eli Whiteside, who has the unenviable task of backing up star rookie catcher Buster Posey, made a rare appearance for San Francisco and contributed a hit and a run in the Giants' 13-0 win at Chicago. The Giants re-took first place in the National League West. ... Ex-Meridian CC star Cliff Lee walked consecutive batters for the first time all season and took the loss for Texas, which failed to reduce its magic number (4) for clinching the AL West by falling to Oakland 5-0. Lee also got clipped in the ear by a flying piece of bat. Rough day.
P.S. Tip of the cap to David Dellucci, who goes into the Ole Miss sports hall of fame tonight. Dellucci was a two-time All-SEC outfielder and an All-America selection during his tenure with the Rebels (1993-95). As a pro, he hit .256 with 101 homers (29 in 2005!) over 13 seasons with seven teams, and he won a World Series ring with Arizona in 2001.

remember him?

Good for Charlie Morton. Got his second win of the season on Wednesday, his first since April. Lowered his ERA from 10.03 to 8.11. He's lost 11 times for the pathetic Pittsburgh Pirates. Morton, a tall right-hander with a good-natured demeanor and a live arm, pitched one memorable game (in the 2007 Southen League playoffs) for the Mississippi Braves. Didn't do much else. Atlanta traded him away, though his departure has not proven as hurtful as some of the other prospects they've shipped out in recent times. Anyway, good to see him have a good day. Several other former JADAPs (Jackson area Double-A players) also stood out on Wednesday. Tommy Hanson pitched great for Atlanta but didn't get a decision in the crushing loss to Philadelphia. Martin Prado had the Braves' only hit. Matt Harrison plucked a win — his third of the year — for Texas, which is closing in on the American League West title. Jeff Francoeur scored the winning run in the 12th inning on a passed ball for the Rangers. (Neftali Feliz, traded away by the Braves before he ever got to Pearl, earned another save.) Gregor Blanco, the fleet center fielder the Braves gave up on, got three hits for the Kansas City Royals. And going way back on the memory trail, ex-Jackson General Melvin Mora, a key player for resurgent Colorado, homered in the Rockies' loss, and another former Generals star, Lance Berkman, homered for the New York Yankees, his first bomb in pinstripes.

into the fire

A few weeks back, Mississippi Braves manager Phillip Wellman predicted that Brandon Beachy would pitch in the big leagues. It might happen a little sooner than expected — like tonight. Reports say Atlanta is prepared to hand the 24-year-old right-hander the ball in the first game of a crucial showdown with Philadelphia. If scheduled starter Jair Jurrjens, who has a sore knee, can't go, Beachy will. Beachy, an undrafted signee out of Indiana Wesleyan, began this season in the M-Braves' bullpen but moved into the rotation in mid-summer. He was so impressive that he jumped to Triple-A Gwinnett after only a handful of Double-A starts. Beachy went 5-1 with a 1.75 ERA overall this year with 148 strikeouts and just 28 walks in 119 1/3 innings. His command of three pitches was big-league quality, Wellman said. If Beachy goes tonight, what a baptism under fire it will be.
P.S. Wellman, who had dropped hints that he might not be back next year, is officially out. It has been confirmed that his contract was not renewed for 2011 by the Atlanta organization. He'll be missed at Trustmark Park. He was not only a sharp manager who seemed well-respected by his players, he also worked very well with the media.

finding meaning

It was a battle to stay out of last place in the American League Central, a rain-drenched game that seemingly meant nothing to anybody. Well, maybe that's not true. Jarrod Dyson, the McComb native and Southwest Mississippi Community College alumnus, had his best game in his brief big league career on Saturday night. He went 3-for-5 with a run and a stolen base as his Kansas City club lost to Cleveland. Dyson may be battling former Mississippi Brave Gregor Blanco for the Royals' center field job in 2011. So these games mean something to Dyson, for sure. And he's holding his own, batting .357 with three steals in six games.

louie, louie!

Quite a feat by Luis Hernandez today. The little infielder, who played for the first Mississippi Braves team in 2005, hit a home run for the New York Mets off Atlanta ace Tim Hudson. It was just the third career homer for the 5-foot-10, 180-pound (maybe) Hernandez in some 300 career at-bats. But that's not the amazing part. He actually hit the homer after fouling a ball off his right foot and breaking it on the previous pitch. No one knew it was broken until Hernandez tried running the bases, which was painful just to watch.

just wondering

Jason Heyward continues to rake. The former Mississippi Braves star had two hits tonight, including a game-changing home run, to spark scuffling Atlanta to a greatly needed win over the New York Mets. Heyward is hitting .418 over his last 25 games and .288 for the season. He's not the Braves' leading hitter, but he is their most dangerous hitter. Why doesn't Bobby Cox hit him third instead of second? The Braves' lineup needs a shakeup, and moving Heyward to the 3-hole would be a great start. Here's more: Bat Nate McLouth leadoff. He's started to swing it well. He's got power and speed. He's suited to the role much better than Omar Infante. Move Infante, the Braves' most consistent hitter, to the 5-hole, behind slugger Brian McCann. Hit Martin Prado second, not third. Drop Derek Lee to sixth or even seventh until he starts to show some pop. Alex Gonzalez fits nicely in the 6-hole. The Braves are at a critical juncture, and a lineup change is worth a shot, if only for a couple of games. ... Meanwhile, Holmes Community College product Roy Oswalt notched his seventh straight win for Philadelphia and improved to 8-1 with his new team. With three aces (Oswalt, Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels), the Phillies are going to be hard to catch in the National League East and equally hard to beat in the postseason.

overdue

The Minnesota Twins refused to let the Chicago White Sox make a move on them in the American League Central. In a crucial series for the Sox at U.S. Cellular Field over the previous three days, the Twins won all three games, expanding their lead in the division to nine games. So, essentially, it's over. The Twins are going to win the division for the sixth time in Ron Gardenhire's nine years as their manager. Here's an interesting fact: Former Jackson Met Gardenhire has been runner-up for the AL manager of the year award five times. He's never won it. Practically every year he takes a team with a middle-of-the-pack payroll and steers it into the playoff chase. He hasn't won a pennant yet, but just getting to the playoffs these days is tough enough. Doing it six times in nine years, in Minnesota, that's impressive. Surely Gardenhire will get his just reward this year.

september magic

It's one of the best times of the year in major league baseball — magic numbers are becoming relevant. Closest to clinching its division is Texas, which reduced its magic number in the American League West to 9 on Wednesday. The Rangers topped Detroit while Kansas City was beating Oakland. Amory native and Mississippi State product Mitch Moreland and Starkville native Julio Borbon each went 1-for-4 with a run for the Rangers. Cincinnati beat Arizona on Wednesday and now has a magic number of 10 in the National League Central. Ole Miss alumnus Matt Maloney worked 2 1/3 strong innings in middle relief to get the win, his first of 2010 (he won twice last year). ... Surging Colorado moved within 2 1/2 games of the wild card lead with another big win on Wednesday. Curiously, the Rockies have made their recent run without a lot of contribution from ex-Rebels star Seth Smith. Considering Smith's ability as a pinch hitter alone, it figures that he'll be heard from down the stretch.
P.S. Former Hinds Community College coach Rick Clarke will be among the school's Hall of Fame inductees on Sept. 23. In 22 years with the Eagles, Clarke won 565 games and took four teams to the juco World Series. His 1989 team was the first Mississippi juco to make the trip. Clarke coached three future big leaguers at Hinds, all pitchers: Patt Rapp, Steve Bourgeois and Chad Bradford.

call to arms

Mississippi juco products Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt are on the mound today in significant games. Actually, it's hard to decide who's feeling the greatest pressure. Former Meridian Community College star Lee, who has been down with a back problem, goes for Texas against the New York Yankees. Lee is 2-5 with a 4.69 ERA for the Rangers since they acquired him from Seattle, hardly the production they were looking for. Texas is a lock to win the American League West, but the Rangers would like to see some positives from Lee in what could be a playoff preview against the Yankees, who are in a dogfight in the AL East. Meanwhile, Holmes CC alum Oswalt has been dynamite for Philadelphia, going 5-1, 2.30 in eight starts since the Phillies got him from Houston. Oswalt faces the New York Mets today as the Phillies try to keep pace with Atlanta in the National League East. Oswalt is 5-5 career against the Mets.

falling forward

The Phoenix Desert Dogs' pitching staff will have a familiar look to Mississippi Braves fans. Four 2010 M-Braves hurlers are on the Arizona Fall League club's roster: Brandon Beachy, Michael Broadway, Kyle Cofield and Erik Cordier. Position players headed to Arizona are first baseman Freddie Freeman (a 2009 M-Brave), shortstop Tyler Pastornicky (2010 M-Brave) and outfielder Cory Harrilchak (a possible 2011 M-Brave). The Desert Dogs manager is Don Mattingly. The AFL season starts on Oct. 12.

and then there were 26

John Lindsey got his first official at-bat with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday night — he flied out as a pinch hitter — and became the 26th Mississippi-connected player to participate in a major league game this season. Twenty of the 26 are native Mississippians. Considering the state's relatively small population base, this is a remarkable number. Here's another: 10 of the 26 are products of Mississippi junior colleges. As much as we beat our chest about football in the Magnolia State, evidence suggests that it is really a baseball state.
P.S. Fred Lewis, a Mississippi Gulf Coast CC product, had missed five straight games (elbow injury) before getting back on the field Wednesday for Toronto. He finally started again Thursday night, though not in his customary leadoff spot. It'll be interesting to see if he can keep his strong season going as the Blue Jays play out the string as a spoiler in the American League East.

cruel fate

John Lindsey, the 16-year minor league veteran (see previous posts), finally got his name in a major league box score tonight. But the Hattiesburg native didn't actually get to hit or even take the field. Called on as a pinch hitter by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the eighth inning against San Diego, Lindsey, a right-handed hitter, was called back when the Padres changed pitchers from a lefty to a righty. Andre Ethier pinch hit for Lindsey — and hit into an inning-ending double play. Stay tuned.

long climb

Drafted in the 50th round — the last round of the MLB draft — in 2006, Jarrod Dyson faced some long odds in getting to the big leagues. Consider them conquered. Dyson, a McComb native who played at Southwest Mississippi Community College, made his major league debut with the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night as a pinch hitter. He drew a walk and scored a run in a 10-3 loss to Minnesota. Tonight, he pinch ran, this time in the ninth inning against the Twins. His best tool is speed — 131 minor league steals in 162 attempts — and he showed it by swiping second. He was stranded there as the tying run when the game ended. KC lost 4-3. Dyson, a 5-foot-9, 160-pound outfielder, moved through four levels of the minors to reach The Show this season. He hit .272 with 13 steals at Triple-A Omaha. The Royals figure to give him a long look.

spotlight on ...

Matt Tolbert is making the most of his opportunity to play for Minnesota as the Twins try to fend off Chicago in the American League Central. The former Ole Miss star, filling in at third base for injured Danny Valencia, had a career-high five RBIs and two triples on Saturday, drove in another run on Monday and rapped an RBI triple on Tuesday. The Twins won all those games. He also made a diving stop Tuesday that was included in the top plays of the day by both ESPN and MLB Network. Tolbert, born in McComb, is a product of little Centreville Academy in Woodville. He played four years at Ole Miss and was a 16th round pick by the Twins in 2004. It took him four years to reach the big leagues. He hasn't been a star, but the 6-foot, 185-pound switch-hitter has held his own, batting .249 in 147 career games. And with the Twins, September is meaningful, this year and almost every year it seems. As Tolbert told the St. Paul Pioneer Press, "(E)verything counts out there, every play, situation, whatever it might be." Sounds like fun.

being there

He didn't get in Monday night's game at San Diego, but John Lindsey's official debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers is just a matter of time. The watch is on. It's hard to imagine how the Hattiesburg native will feel. After 16 years in the minor leagues, he is finally wearing a big league uniform. At age 33, he's in The Show. Lindsey hit .353 with 25 homers in Triple-A this season, but it didn't look like the Dodgers would make a spot for him. Until Sunday. "You reward people for the right reasons, including heart," LA general manager Ned Colletti told ESPN the Magazine. When Lindsey debuts, he'll be the oldest non-Asian player to make his first appearance since former Jackson Mets catcher Alan Zinter, who, at age 34, got the call from Houston in 2002.

flashback

Fans in the stands at Trustmark Park next April 7 might be a little confused. The Jackson Generals will be in Pearl to play the Mississippi Braves. No, not those Generals. Lance Berkman and Bobby Abreu and Billy Wagner aren't going to make a ghostly return. The old Texas League team is long gone. This will be the new Jackson Generals, the Southern League team formerly known as the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx. Of all the nicknames they could have picked, they resurrect "Generals" for the club in Jackson, Tenn. Very strange. So don't expect to see the Rally Gator or General Trash at the TeePee next year. Just a team called the Generals. Try not to cheer.

on this date

Today marks the 20th anniversary of Bobby Thigpen's major league saves record. The former Mississippi State standout notched his 47th save of the year on Sept. 3, 1990, with the Chicago White Sox. He went on to post 57 saves that season, a record that stood until 2008 (Francisco Rodriguez broke it). Thigpen, whose major league career lasted from 1986-94, finished with 201 saves and a 3.43 ERA. Despite that relatively short tenure, his place in history is secure.
P.S. On the subject of former Bulldogs and saves, Jonathan Papelbon pitched into and out of trouble against Baltimore on Thursday night to record his 35th of the year. He is the first pitcher in major league history to have at least 35 saves in each of his first five seasons. Just when you think the Boston Red Sox closer is starting to sink, he rights his ship. He has made eight straight scoreless appearances and is 6-for-6 in save opportunities over that stretch. The Red Sox continue to count on him — as they should.

debut alert(s)

Within moments tonight, former Itawamba Community College star Desmond Jennings and ex-Mississippi Braves standout Freddie Freeman made their first major league plate appearances. Jennings, hitting second for Tampa Bay, grounded out to third. Freeman, batting sixth for Atlanta, smashed a ground ball up the middle, but New York had a shift on for the lefty swinger and the result was a routine 6-3. Freeman became the 47th M-Braves alumnus to reach The Show.

wild pitches

Former Mississippi Braves Freddie Freeman (no surprise) and J.C. Boscan (pleasant surprise) are among the Atlanta Braves' September call-ups. Freeman likely will take over first base next year. Boscan, who'll be the third catcher down the stretch, is getting a well-deserved courtesy call-up. He has logged 14 years in the minors. He was a key figure in the M-Braves' championship run in 2008. Remember the "I Smell Blood" t-shirts? He's a good defensive catcher and a good guy. His perseverance has been justly rewarded. ... The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2011 includes four baseball-connected figures: Former Mississippi State ace Jeff Brantley, Delta State coach Mike Kinnison, former Southern Miss coach Corky Palmer and Con Maloney, who some might think is an odd choice. Well, like him or not, the outspoken Maloney was an iconic figure in Jackson as the owner of the Texas League Mets and Generals in the 1980s and '90s. The franchise likely wouldn't have been here 25 years had he not stepped up to buy it. He also led the group that took ownership of the independent Senators, who would probably still be playing at Smith-Wills Stadium had the M-Braves not moved into Pearl. Maloney also launched the popular Maloney Trophy Series, in honor of his father, featuring small college powers Millsaps, Belhaven and Mississippi College. ... Louisville native and former East Central Community College star Marcus Thames had an awesome August for the New York Yankees. He hit six homers in a six-game stretch at the end of the month and is hitting .310 with 10 bombs overall. The Yankees signed him to a minor league deal in the off-season after he slumped with Detroit in 2009. Looking for a right-handed power bat, the Yankees found it. ... Former Meridian CC standout Cliff Lee has not been the difference-maker Texas was looking for. Lee, roughed up by Kansas City on Tuesday, is 0-3 with an 8.28 ERA in his last five starts for the Rangers and 2-5, 4.69 since they acquired him from Seattle. What's up with that? ... And former M-Brave Jeff Francoeur, apparently found wanting by the New York Mets, is on the move to Texas, where it's hard to figure how he fits in. Maybe there is real concern about Josh Hamilton's injuries. Still think that someday, somehow, Francoeur will make a return to his hometown Atlanta for a stretch drive. It may be a few years, but it could happen.

confounding

The 2011 Southern League schedule is out. Finally. And it's just as messed up as in years past. The Mississippi Braves open the season at home (they also play at home on Memorial Day and July 4) against West Tenn. They'll play the Diamond Jaxx 24 times. West Tenn is in the North Division. The M-Braves, who are in the South, play South rivals Jacksonville and Montgomery a combined 25 times. They have only five home games against Montgomery, arguably Mississippi's main rival. This makes no sense. This year, the M-Braves played Jacksonville, the best team in the South, only eight times. That makes the so-called division race a farce. Is there no way to create a more balanced schedule?
P.S. Still looking ahead, here's a guess at the 2011 M-Braves lineup: C - Jesus Sucre; 1B - Mauro Gomez; 2B - Jordan Kreke or Cole Miles; SS - Tyler Pastornicky; 3B - Mycal Jones; OF - Cody Johnson, Adam Milligan, Cory Harrilchak or L.V. Ware. Pitchers - Julio Teheran, Randall Delgado, J.J. Hoover, Jacob Thompson, Juan Abreu ... who knows? The position players are actually harder to pick. There are no players at Class A Myrtle Beach having breakout seasons. And considering how many free agents the Braves brought in this year to fill holes at the Double-A level, it's very likely they'll do it again. The ranks seem to be thin again.

drawing close

The Mississippi Braves' single-season record for home runs is 19, set by Matt Esquivel in 2007. Mauro Gomez has a real shot at the mark. The slugging first baseman has 16 bombs with 11 games to play — and it might help that seven of those are on the road. Trustmark Park isn't kind to mashers. Gomez, a Dominican who turns 26 in September, might be a little past the prospect stage. But he has no doubt opened some eyes in his first Double-A season. He's hitting .280 with 76 RBIs. His strikeout total is high (113 in 457 at-bats). He doesn't run well, and he's not a graceful first baseman. But he does have pop. He hit 28 home runs in the Class A California League in 2009, his last of six seasons in the Texas system. Gomez's future might lie with an American League club, which would enable him to DH on a regular basis.
P.S. In Baseball America's annual tools survey, former M-Brave Martin Prado is rated (by scouts) the second-best defensive second baseman in the National League. So why is it that, in Chipper Jones' absence, Prado is playing third base and Omar Infante is playing second? Wouldn't it make a lot more sense to leave Prado at his best position? Infante plays third as well as Prado does.

it's so true

Wondering when was the last time Roy Oswalt took the field at a position other than pitcher? Until he was forced into action in left field for Philadelphia on Tuesday night, he had never done it in pro ball. Surely he didn't play the field at Holmes Community College. Maybe at Weir High on the field that his father carved out of the woods. Well, Oswalt looked like a natural out there, at least on the one play that he had to make. There's an old truism in the game about the ball always finding a player trying to hide from it. And it found Oswalt. The first Houston hitter in the top of the 15th inning smacked a fly ball right to him; he caught it cleanly. And then in the bottom of the 16th, with the Phillies down 4-2 and the tying runs on, Oswalt, filling the ejected Ryan Howard's cleanup spot, came to the plate. He worked the count to 2-2 before grounding to third base to end the game. Only in baseball.

positive-negative

Cody Johnson's trip down to Class A Myrtle Beach apparently has helped the erstwhile Mississippi Brave find his stroke. In 12 games with the Pelicans, the 2006 first-round pick is hitting .286 with three homers and 13 RBIs. In 42 at-bats, he has 12 strikeouts and eight walks. Johnson was a mess when he was sent down (see previous posts). Maybe he's regained some confidence, too. Look for him back in Pearl next spring. ... Meanwhile, Jordan Schafer's return to the disabled list — for a second stint here — is more bad news for the former top prospect (see previous posts). His left wrist and hand are reportedly hurting again. In 18 games for the M-Braves, he is hitting .175 with three extra-base hits, all doubles. It seems unlikely he will play again this season, and his career may truly be in jeopardy.
P.S. Yasser Gomez, who has taken over in left field for the M-Braves with the departure of Schafer (who followed Johnson), has performed well. The veteran former Cuban star is hitting .333 and plays with a lot of energy. He might nudge his way into Atlanta's plans next year.

countdown

The Mississippi Braves have seven home games left, starting tonight against Jacksonville. Their playoff hopes are pretty much crushed. Players are still trying to put up numbers to secure spots for next season, either with the Braves or someone else. And the M-Braves' front office is watching its numbers, too, mainly this one: 2,609. That's the season attendance average at Trustmark Park, the $30-million stadium that can accommodate 7,000-plus. Attendance is down more than 300 per game from last year and more than 1,200 from the inaugural season of 2005. And keep in mind, the 2,609 represents tickets sold, not fannies in the seats. The real average is much lower, possibly under 2,000. And crowds for these last few games don't figure to help the average. Is this a troubling trend? One would think so. Here are some other numbers to chew on: In 1996, the Jackson Generals' average attendance peaked at 1,866 per game in 5,000-seat Smith-Wills Stadium. The Generals, who had a sweetheart lease agreement, were losing money even then. Their average attendance dropped in each of their last three seasons, hitting 1,416 (an actual crowd count!) in 1999. The Texas League franchise, sold by local owner Con Maloney in 1998, moved in 2000 to Texas. The independent Senators' best average in their four years at Smith-Wills was 1,991 per game (tickets sold) in 2003, their championship season. The Senators averaged an announced 1,500 in their last season, 2005, when they were essentially driven out of business by the arrival of the M-Braves in Pearl. There was so much hullabaloo about landing Atlanta's Double-A club, but all of that seems to have died down. Way down. Truth is, the M-Braves aren't drawing much better than the Generals or Senators did. And neither of those clubs survived. That's interesting, to say the least.
P.S. Weir's Roy Oswalt has certainly delivered for Philadelphia, which pried the right-hander away from Houston to help it chase down Atlanta in the National League East. Oswalt won again Sunday, his third straight victory. Of course, Atlanta may have made a counter move by promoting former M-Braves lefty Mike Minor, who also won on Sunday while striking out 12 Chicago hitters. Minor is 2-0 in three starts.

the frontrunner

Lots of games left, of course, but Fred Lewis, the former Stone County High and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College star, may have moved to the front of the pack in the competition for the second Cool Papa Bell Award. Lewis, found wanting in San Francisco after a poor 2009 season, has blossomed as Toronto's leadoff batter. He's hitting .275 with 31 doubles and eight home runs for a team that might yet make a playoff run. Hot on Lewis' heels is Texas lefty Cliff Lee, the Meridian CC product who is 10-6 with a 2.77 ERA for the playoff-bound Rangers. Edge goes to the position player.
P.S. Former Jackson General Billy Wagner has tied former JaxMet Jesse Orosco for No. 1 on the all-time strikeouts list for lefty relievers with 1,169. ... If the New York Mets make a managerial change in the off-season — a pretty safe bet — a strong candidate might be former Jackson Mets infielder Wally Backman. The feisty Backman is currently managing the Mets' short-season Class A Brooklyn club. He'd be a good fit in Queens. ... Former Mississippi State standout Mitch Moreland is showing some staying power with the Rangers. The lefty-hitting first baseman belted his third home run Friday night and is batting .292 since Texas called him up a couple weeks back; he might make the postseason roster.

standing by

If Cincinnati is looking to add a little juice to its lineup for the last few weeks of the playoff push, Zack Cozart appears to be primed for duty. The former Ole Miss star is hitting .263 with 16 home runs, 60 RBIs and 29 stolen bases for the Reds' Triple-A Louisville club. The surprising Reds, currently in first place in the National League Central, have Orlando Cabrera (on the disabled list) and Paul Janish at shortstop, but neither is having a great season with the bat. Cozart could provide a nice change of pace there. Wonder if Tampa Bay might be considering Desmond Jennings for much the same purpose. The former Itawamba Community College standout is hitting .290 with 32 steals at Triple-A Durham. Center fielder B.J. Upton has struggled much of the year for the Rays; it couldn't hurt to give Jennings a shot there as Tampa tries to keep pace in the AL East.
P.S. Drew Pomeranz is going to play in a bright spotlight for Cleveland whenever his pro career gets started. The Ole Miss product, signed for $2.65 million late Monday as the fifth overall pick in the draft, was the Indians' highest draft selection since 1992, when they took pitcher Paul Shuey No. 2 overall. Cleveland is in a rebuilding mode, and Pomeranz, a left-handed power thrower, may be a big part of that project.

a step back

Cody Johnson homered Saturday. For Class A Myrtle Beach, where the erstwhile Mississippi Braves left fielder is now playing. Atlanta's No. 9 prospect was a disaster during his stay in Double-A. He hit 10 homers, but the last of those was on May 15. When he departed on Monday, he was hitting .189 with 114 strikeouts in 233 at-bats. And he spent a long time on the shelf with a hamstring injury. With Jordan Schafer — another scuffling one-time prospect — back (from a sore wrist) to man left field, there really was no place for Johnson in Pearl. Besides, he needed to go somewhere else. "It was time," said M-Braves manager Phillip Wellman. "He wasn't making progress. You can't keep running into a brick wall. He was as frustrated as anybody. I told him sometimes you have to take a step back to get moving forward again. He understood. Hopefully, he'll get back on track. He was going to have to repeat here next year anyway." Johnson had some success (.242, 32 homers) at Myrtle Beach in 2009, and through four games there he is hitting .308 with five K's in 13 ABs.
P.S. Happened to see where Hattiesburg native Joey Gathright, who had been in Triple-A with Baltimore much of the season, is now in independent ball, playing for the Long Island Ducks in the Atlantic League.

trouble ahead

The shelf life of a big league closer can be short, the careers of Mariano Rivera and Billy Wagner notwithstanding. Maybe the once-dominant Jonathan Papelbon really is showing signs of decline. He blew a save Thursday night as Boston melted down in the ninth inning and lost at Toronto. (Former Mississippi Gulf Coast CC standout Fred Lewis, having a heckuva year with the Blue Jays, got the game-winning sac fly.) Former Mississippi State star Papelbon has six blown saves this year, already matching his career-high from 2006. His ERA has ballooned to 3.26. He posted a 1.85 in 2009. He has nine decisions (4-5), way too many for a closer. Boston has withstood all kinds of injuries to stay in the American League playoff race, but they won't get into the postseason if Papelbon's struggles continue. Worst of all, he seems to have lost his fearsome aura; it might be hard to get that back.

eyes on linares

The news about Chipper Jones — possible torn ACL, maybe done for the year, maybe done forever — suddenly shifts more attention to Mississippi Braves third baseman Donell Linares. Is he the Atlanta third baseman of the future? Tough call. He has handled himself well in his first Double-A season, as a 26-year-old who'll be 27 in October. The Cuba native is hitting .253 with 11 homers and 44 RBIs, but he lacks speed. Doesn't strike out a lot, but doesn't walk much. He makes the routine plays at third and has a good arm. He's made 14 errors in 96 games at the hot corner. It's been a good season, not a great one. Consistent, but not a breakthrough. The M-Braves are home tonight; check out Linares. See what you think.

homey hurrah

What a big Wednesday it was for Mississippians in the majors. ... Louisville's Marcus Thames homered and smacked the game-winning hit in the ninth inning as the New York Yankees beat Texas in a battle of American League division leaders. Meridian CC alumnus Cliff Lee started for the Rangers and left in the seventh with the lead, but his bullpen couldn't hold on. Former Mississippi State standout Mitch Moreland, the pride of Amory, drove in two runs for Texas. ... Weir's Roy Oswalt threw seven shutout innings for his first win with Philadelphia, helping the Phillies keep pace with Atlanta in the National League East. ... Nettleton's Bill Hall belted a pair of homers — he's got 15 for the year — to help Boston, still kicking in the AL playoff race, notch a big win. ... And former MSU star Buck Showalter improved to 8-1 as the new skipper of the Baltimore Orioles. ... And there's more: Former Jackson General Bobby Abreu hit a walk-off homer for the L.A. Angels, ex-Gen Melvin Mora a grand slam for Colorado and former M-Brave Brian McCann a slam for Atlanta, which got a strong start from M-Braves alum Tommy Hanson and another sharp relief appearance from 2009 M-Brave Jonny Venters. Plus, ex-M-Brave Jarrod Saltalamacchia returned to The Show when his new club, Boston, called him up. ... And then there was Chris Coghlan. The ex-Ole Miss standout had knee surgery Wednesday; Florida hopes he'll be able to return before season's end. Coghlan's taken a lot of flak for injuring himself during a celebration, but, hey, he was just having some fun. There's a place in baseball for fun; that's why we like it so much. Besides, players get hurt in all sorts of weird ways: punching water coolers, sneezing, arguing with umpires. Remember Marcus Thames went on the DL earlier this season after stepping on his own bat following a base hit. Stuff happens.

worried about wags?

He blew another save today. An fluky infield hit, a line drive single and a deep fly ball cost Billy Wagner against Houston, though the Atlanta closer got the win (his sixth!) when the Braves scored six in the 10th. That's seven blown saves for the year, two (plus a loss) in seven appearances this month. Should Braves fans be worried about the former Jackson General? No. Not yet. He's allowed only four hits and two runs in seven innings in August. He's nailed down four saves (28 for the year). Saw him against San Francisco at Turner Field on Saturday when the flame-throwing lefty was as scary good as ever, fanning the side on 11 pitches. It's still in him. His season ERA is 1.78, well below his career average of 2.35. Sure, he's had some problems, but some of those might have been alleviated had the Braves scored a few more runs. That remains this club's biggest issue. They've got to score more, put some games away. That's the mark of a championship club, not winning by 2-1 or 3-2 scores.

climbing the chart

Cliff Lee's 100th career win on Friday night wasn't cause for great celebration among his latest batch of teammates, the Texas Rangers. It's a nice milestone but nothing more, really. The former Meridian Community College standout has seen his career take off in recent years (22 wins in 2008, 14 in '09, 10 so far this year) and will likely win a lot more before he's done. A relevant target for the 31-year-old left-hander is 176. That's Aberdeen native Guy Bush's career win total, which is the highest for any Mississippi-connected pitcher. Claude Passeau (Waynesboro) is next in line at 162, then Roy Oswalt (Weir) with 143 (and counting). Oswalt has indicated he might not play much longer, so Bush's mark may withstand his rise.
P.S. Matt Tolbert, who seemingly dropped off the radar, will begin a rehab assignment in rookie ball this week. The Ole Miss alumnus has been on the disabled list for Minnesota since July 3 with a finger injury. The Twins, hot on the heels of the Chicago White Sox in the American League East, might need the versatile infielder for the stretch run.

minor details

Mike Minor is penciled in to start Monday night for the Atlanta Braves, which will make the left-hander the 46th Mississippi Braves alumnus to advance to the major leagues. Minor, just a year removed from Vanderbilt, pitched well here, going 2-6 with a 4.03 ERA for a team that struggled — and still does — to score. More indicative of his stuff, he had 109 strikeouts in 87 innings. He pitched well at Triple-A Gwinnett, too. Maybe the Braves are going out on a limb moving him up so quickly, but in the heat of the division battle, it's a risk worth taking.

not so cheery O's

Men of a certain age — OK, and women, too — remember the Baltimore Orioles as a model franchise. Perennial contenders. The Robinson Boys. Jim Palmer. Boog Powell. Dave McNally. Eddie Murray. Cal Ripken. The Oriole Way. But that was a generation ago. The Orioles have been irrelevant for most of the SportsCenter Era, which is just about the worst thing that can happen to a team. New manager Buck Showalter, the former Mississippi State All-American, takes his turn, starting tonight at Camden Yards, at rebuilding the fallen O's. He talked at his Monday press conference about sifting through personnel to find the right pieces. "When you get 25 nuggets, you get to play in October," he said. "It's as simple as that." Obviously, that's not simple. He has a few nuggets on the current club — Matt Wieters, Adam Jones, a couple of young arms — but not many. On top of everything else, the Orioles play in the brutal American League East. He's got a tough row to hoe. Known for his attention to detail, Showalter has a winning record as a big league manager. But obsessiveness isn't necessarily a good trait in that profession. It's hard to overlook the fact that Showalter has worn out his welcome relatively quickly at each of his previous three stops: New York Yankees (1992-95), Arizona (1998-2000) and Texas (2003-06).
P.S. Belhaven's hopes of making a repeat run to the NAIA World Series were significantly enhanced with the recent addition of Southern Miss transfer Anthony Doss, an outfielder, and Mississippi State transfer Jared Miller, a pitcher. Both were highly decorated high school players in the state. ... Also on the move for this fall: Hinds Community College slugger Zach Polzin, who signed with NAIA Trevecca Nazarene. Polzin hit 11 homers for the Eagles last spring.

good stuff

There was a questionable call, yes, but the Mississippi Braves tag team of Julio Teheran and Tyrelle Harris was unquestionably dominant in Monday night's combo no-hitter at Trustmark Park. The M-Braves beat Mobile 2-0. Teheran, Atlanta's No. 3 prospect, had an electric fastball that registered at 91-92 on the stadium gun but had to be coming in harder than that. The 19-year-old Colombian, in his second Double-A start, went 5 2/3 innings, departing after 95 pitches. (Atlanta is very strict on its pitch counts for minor leaguers.) He struck out seven and walked two. Mobile managed only one batted ball that was close to being a hit off Teheran. The 6-foot-2, 160-pounder needs polish, obviously, but demonstrated in this outing what all the hoopla was about when Atlanta signed him in 2007. Harris, a 6-foot-4, 235-pounder making his Double-A debut in his second pro season, threw some jaw-dropping breaking stuff. He retired 10 of the 12 batters he faced, six via strikeout. A hard-hit ball that bounced away from first baseman Mauro Gomez in the eighth was ruled an error, but that was the only hard-hit ball against Harris.
P.S. The fact that outfielder Jordan Schafer had to have an injection in his surgically repaired left wrist on Monday is not good news for the onetime top prospect. It'll be interesting to see how quickly he is able to get back in the M-Braves' lineup. Or should that be, IF he is able to get back in the lineup.

end of an era

It hasn't been officially announced yet, but Lance Berkman is gone from Houston. He'll be suiting up for the New York Yankees possibly as soon as tonight. And so ... the last former Jackson General still playing for the Astros has moved on. Kinda sad, in several ways. Berkman, arguably the best position player produced in Jackson's 25-year Texas League era, looked to be one of the those rare players who would finish his career with the organization he came up with. It's hard to imagine him in a uniform other than the Astros'. "I'm from Texas. Heck, I played at Rice. This city is like the womb. ... To think about the possibility of going anywhere else is kind of scary," Berkman told The Associated Press on Friday. He has had a sluggish season to date, but don't be surprised if the Big Puma picks it up with the Yankees.
P.S. On this date in 1997, McComb native Blake Stein, an otherwise obscure big league pitcher, was involved in a trade that may forever keep his name in the news on deadline day. He and two others were shipped from St. Louis to Oakland for Mark McGwire. ... Keep an eye out for Corey Wimberly's big league debut. The former Alcorn State star is leading the Pacific Coast League in stolen bases and hitting .290 for Oakland's Triple-A club. As the A's fade from the American League West chase, they may want to take a look at Wimberly, who plays the outfield and second base.

going places

Mason Robbins of George County High and Brandon Woodruff of Wheeler are on the rosters (on opposing teams) for the Under Armour All-America Game at Wrigley Field. Robbins, an outfielder/left-handed pitcher who is committed to Southern Miss, and Woodruff, an outfielder/right-hander headed for Mississippi State, are rising seniors. The Under Armour game is set for Aug. 14 at noon CDT and will be televised by MLB Network.

remember the time

Freddy Garcia and Ramon Castro got back in sync on Thursday night, when Castro hit a pair of homers and Garcia went six innings for the win as the first-place Chicago White Sox beat Seattle 9-5. Castro has become Garcia's personal catcher this season, reestablishing a relationship spawned when both were coming up in the Houston system. They were paired together with the Jackson Generals in 1998, when both showed their big league potential. Garcia is 10-4 in a bounce-back year. With Castro calling his games, Garcia won six straight starts before suffering a couple of rough outings on July 18 and 24. On Thursday, the big right-hander was sharp again (7 hits, no walks, 3 runs and 3 strikeouts). Castro is hitting .327 with five homers in limited time. ... Former Jackson Mets star Gregg Jefferies is among the featured athletes in Sports Illustrated's latest "Where Are They Now?" issue (Aug. 2-9). Jefferies is a hitting instructor and high school coach in his native California. His 1987 season with the OJMs still rates as one of the best by any who have played for the JaxMets, Gens or M-Braves. Jefferies, then a shortstop, batted .367 with 20 homers, 48 doubles and 101 RBIs. He was the Texas League MVP and Baseball America's minor league player of the year for the second year in a row. It still must gnaw at OJMs fans that Jefferies was summoned to New York before the TL Championship Series, which the Mets lost.
P.S. Mississippi State alumnus Mitch Moreland got a single in his first major league at-bat Thursday night and went 2-for-4 for the Texas Rangers.

debut alert

Former Mississippi State standout Mitch Moreland was promoted to the big leagues by Texas late Wednesday. The Rangers play the Oakland A's tonight, and Moreland reportedly is in the lineup. “Since I could walk, this is what I’ve wanted to do,” he told The Associated Press. Moreland, a first baseman, was drafted by the Rangers in the 17th round in 2007 and has zipped through their system. He was their minor league player of the year in 2009 and was hitting .289 with 12 homers at Triple-A Oklahoma City this season. MSU's sports information office reports that Moreland will be the 46th Bulldogs alumnus to play in The Show. Moreland's status was clouded a bit today when the Rangers traded for Florida's Jorge Cantu, who can also play first base, a position of need in Texas.
P.S. Philadelphia's acquisition today of former Holmes CC star Roy Oswalt was bad news for Atlanta in its quest to win the National League East. The race just got a whole lot tougher. But there is this ray of sunshine for Braves fans: Oswalt is 0-3 with a 7.58 ERA in seven career starts against the Braves.

watch closely now

The window is still open for Jordan Schafer. But he has reached a critical stage in his career, to be sure. He's going to play everyday in left field — not center, where Antoan Richardson is entrenched — for the Double-A Mississippi Braves, where Atlanta sent the former No. 1 prospect after he hit .201 in 52 games at Triple-A Gwinnett. Schafer is 2-for-8 with a pair of RBIs in two games here. M-Braves manager Phillip Wellman said Schafer's attitude is good. "He told me, 'I've got to get back on track,'" Wellman said. "Sometimes a change of scenery helps. I told him that I'll make him one promise: We, as a staff, will do everything we can to get him back where he needs to be." Schafer helped the M-Braves win the 2008 Southern League title with a good if unspectacular season that was disrupted by a 50-game drug policy suspension. All seemed to be good when Schafer made Atlanta's opening day roster in 2009 and homered in his first at-bat. But a steady decline followed, then a demotion to Gwinnett, then wrist surgery in September. After a slow recovery, Schafer went 5-for-17 in a rehab stint with the M-Braves in May. In hindsight, he probably should have remained in Double-A. The M-Braves needed a center fielder at that time. But he went to Gwinnett. And now he's back, hoping to regain his prospect status against Double-A pitching, which is only somewhat less sophisticated than the Triple-A variety. At 23, Schafer's still young. He can run and throw. If he starts to hit again, he could still help the Braves, who need a center fielder. It doesn't look like it'll happen this year, but you never know. The window is still open.
P.S. Schafer's arrival in Mississippi means less playing time for another scuffling prospect, Cody Johnson, the erstwhile left fielder. Johnson came off the disabled list Sunday and promptly notched his 100th strikeout of the season. He fanned again Monday as a pinch hitter.

curses!

Sent down to Triple-A Norfolk by Baltimore on Saturday, Craig Tatum didn't like it one bit. "It (stinks)," the former Mississippi State star from Hattiesburg told mlb.com. "But what can you do?" Tatum was hitting .271 and by all accounts had played good defense, which is his forte. The lousy Orioles actually were better, record-wise, in games Tatum started. But when No. 1 catcher Matt Wieters came off the DL, Tatum was the odd man out. He could be optioned to the minors without passing through waivers. The other catcher, Jake Fox, could not. So the O's kept Fox. Tatum likely will get another chance. Maybe he can blame his bad fortune on the Sports Illustrated jinx. Tatum wasn't on the cover, but he did make an inside photo spread in the current (July 26) issue. The pic shows him catching a bat flung by former Mississippi Brave Yunel Escobar. One question: What does that tattoo on Tatum's left arm spell out?

crowded yard

Leave town for a few days and all heck breaks loose with the Mississippi Braves' roster. A recent flurry of moves has seen the addition of two Top 10 pitching prospects — Julio Teheran and Randall Delgado — plus outfielders Yasser Gomez and Jordan Schafer. As of this moment, the M-Braves have six active outfielders plus prospect Cody Johnson on the DL. Double-A clubs can get by with four outfielders; six is way too many. Where will Schafer, the former No. 1 prospect, play? Center? Why didn't Atlanta just leave him with the Mississippi club after his rehab ended? He played really well in that brief stint, then scuffled at Triple-A Gwinnett. What happens to Antoan Richardson, who has done so well out there since being re-signed? Gomez, a Cuban defector, is considered a player on the rise. He's gotta play. Willie Cabrera is having a standout season; he needs to play, too — or get promoted. And the power-hitting Johnson needs to get back on the field soon. Michael Daniel and Concepcion Rodriguez must be on edge. There's not room for all those guys.

prospect sighting

The Mississippi Braves — and the Atlanta minor league system — needed a young shortstop with a high ceiling, and they may have landed one: Tyler Pastornicky. Acquired from Toronto in the Yunel Escobar deal, Pastornicky made his M-Braves debut on Friday night at Huntsville and got a pair of hits. Luis Bolivar is a capable shortstop, sure, but he's 29 years old. Pastornicky, only 20, a fifth-round pick in 2008, has a future in the system. He's small at 5 feet 11, 170 pounds, but he showed some pop at Class A Dunedin, hitting six homers in 77 games this season. And he figures to get stronger. He's a .264 career hitter and a good glove man from all indications. Plus, his dad, Cliff, played in the big leagues with Kansas City. Tyler's progress will be interesting to watch over the rest of the summer at Trustmark Park.
P.S. If you get a chance, check out the Hattiesburg Black Sox team playing in the state semi-pro tournament at Smith-Wills Stadium this weekend. The Black Sox are loaded with talent, including former pros Tony Phillips, Tootie Myers and Walter Young. They play at 4 p.m. today in a winners bracket game.

just win, baby

Meridian Community College might be the closest thing the state has to a baseball dynasty. The Eagles have been to the junior college World Series seven times. They've won 11 Miss-Lou Conference titles (including 2010) and 10 region titles. They also won the MACJC championship three times during the six years they played in the state association. Regardless of whatever recruiting advantages MCC might enjoy over other state schools, this is an impressive resume. And now Chris Curry sits in the captain's chair. The former MCC and Mississippi State standout was named as Chris Rose's replacement today. Rose, 186-93 in five years at the helm, took the East Mississippi CC job in June. Rose succeeded Scott Berry, now the Southern Miss coach. Berry followed Corky Palmer at both MCC and USM. Curry, who had been an assistant at SEC power Arkansas, has a powerful legacy to uphold in the Queen City.

life's a beach

Atlanta Braves fans might want to remember the name Brandon Beachy. He's coming. The Mississippi Braves right-hander was brilliant again on Thursday night, though he got no decision when the bullpen blew a lead. For the record, Beachy, moved from the pen to the rotation on June 18, is 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA in his five starts for the Double-A club. He has 44 strikeouts — 13 on Thursday vs. Huntsville — in 30 innings and just six walks. He's got three quality pitches, nothing overpowering but everything sharp. Manager Phillip Wellman has already forecast that Beachy, 23, will make The Show. It's only a matter of time, really. The M-Braves can only hope he stays the rest of this summer. Remarkably, the 6-foot-3 Indiana native was undrafted out of Indiana Wesleyan. He was a third baseman/first baseman who closed on occasion in college. Atlanta signed him after seeing him pitch in the Virginia Valley League, a college summer loop, and he pitched mostly in relief his first three years in the system. Shades of Kris Medlen in 2008, Beachy has emerged as an ace since shifting to the rotation last month.

'bout time?

Yunel Escobar's antics may finally have caught up with him. Atlanta has traded its enigmatic shortstop, getting veteran Alex Gonzalez from Toronto as part of the five-player deal. Though he was slumping this season, Escobar can play, no doubt. But his showboat habits were always troubling, even when he was with the Mississippi Braves in 2006. He'd double-pump on ground balls just to show off his arm, snatch throws with his bare hand, nod in agreement or disagreement about ball-and-strike calls, chirp and whistle in the infield and sulk when things weren't going his way. He was never Bobby Cox's kind of player. But his talent had won the Braves over. Remember, they traded away Elvis Andrus in part because they had Escobar already producing in the big leagues, apparently entrenched. Now he's gone. Maybe the time was right for this move. The Braves could be better this year with Gonzalez. But what about 2011? Brandon Hicks?

more than a feeling

As ridiculous as it is that the MLB All-Star Game "counts," we shouldn't diminish the significance of Brian McCann's game-deciding hit on Tuesday night. MVP of the Midsummer Classic is a big deal. And it would be only fitting if McCann's clutch knock translates into home-field advantage for the Atlanta Braves in the World Series come October. If the Braves get there, he'll be a main reason why. Beyond that, McCann is a star who doesn't act like one, unfailingly polite but driven to succeed. In one of his first interviews after arriving in Mississippi in 2005, he said that he wasn't overly concerned about adjusting to Double-A pitching because the Double-A pitchers would also have to adjust to him. And he was right. In his short stay with the M-Braves (48 games), he demonstrated a sweet swing that you just knew would work at any level. He batted only .265 here, but had he stayed all year, he'd have been up around .300. And among the six homers he belted as an M-Brave was a ninth-inning, walk-off blast onto the cafe roof in right field that broke up not just a shutout but a no-hitter, as well. It will always stand as one of the great moments in Trustmark Park history. Afterward, he apologized for taking so long to get out of the shower room; his devious teammates had trapped him inside as a joke. McCann was the first M-Brave to be promoted to Atlanta and had two hits in his June 10, 2005, debut while catching John Smoltz. We never saw him again here. There was a strong sense when he left that he was headed for bigger and better things. So true. And he's not nearly done yet.

celestial ponderings

In a year when there are no Mississippi-born players in the major league All-Star Game, it might be a good time to remember how many great MLB players the Magnolia State has produced. You could win a lot of games with this all-time squad of Mississippians: Leading off and playing center field Chet Lemon (Jackson); batting second and playing shortstop Buddy Myer (Ellisville); hitting third in left field Ellis Burks (Vicksburg); the cleanup batter and right fielder Dave Parker (Calhoun City); in the 5-hole playing first base George Scott (Greenville); batting sixth at third base Bill Melton (Gulfport); hitting seventh and playing second base Frank White (Greenville); hitting eighth and catching Jake Gibbs (Grenada); and batting ninth and pitching Guy Bush (Aberdeen). Boo Ferriss (Shaw), Claude Passeau (Wayneboro), Roy Oswalt (Weir) and Oil Can Boyd (Meridian) would round out the rotation. Joe Gibbon (Hickory) could close. On the bench you'd have the likes of Harry "The Hat" Walker (Pascagoula), Gee Walker (Gulfport), Don Blasingame (Corinth), Sam Leslie (Moss Point), Charlie Hayes (Hattiesburg), Barry Lyons (Biloxi) and Herb Washington (Belzoni). If we made Negro Leagues stars eligible, then you could throw in Cool Papa Bell (Starkville), Howard Easterling (Mount Olive), Luke Easter (Jonesboro) and Sam Hairston (Crawford). That is a star-studded group that stacks up with any state's all-time squad.

gimme fever

Too early for pennant fever? Nah. It's the All-Star break and temperatures are rising. Mississippians look to be at the center of several title chases, and a horde of ex-Mississippi Braves are contributing in Atlanta, which has the best record in the National League. But let's start in Colorado, where the surging Rockies have joined the NL West race. Jackson's own Seth Smith, the early leader for the second annual Cool Papa Bell Award (see previous posts), has helped fuel Colorado's rise, hitting .287 with 12 homers and 38 RBIs. The Rockies like his pinch-hitting abilities, but they might be wise to give him more starts in the outfield. Also in the NL West race is former Delta State star Eli Whiteside, still getting plenty of at-bats as the backup to Buster Posey at catcher for San Francisco. In the NL Central, surprising, first-place Cincinnati recently called up Ole Miss alum Matt Maloney, who pitched well enough in his two starts (3.09 ERA) to merit sticking around in the second half. In the NL East, former Rebels star Chris Coghlan (.268) has overcome a slow start and is one of the reasons Florida has hung within shouting distance of Atlanta. The return of Vicksburg native Taylor Tankerlsey to the Marlins' bullpen hasn't hurt their cause. Texas has suddenly become the sexy team in the American League. Forget Cliff Lee's ragged first start for the Rangers on Saturday; the Meridian Community College product will play a huge role down the stretch, as will Starkville native Julio Borbon (.280 after a slow star). Ole Miss alum Matt Tolbert should get another chance to contribute in Minnesota, with the Twins in a heated battle with Chicago and Detroit in the AL Central. In the AL East, Nettleton's Bill Hall, now starting at second base, has begun to hit a little more for injury-ravaged Boston, and former Mississippi State star Jonathan Papelbon has been his usually reliable self with 20 saves for the Red Sox. Former Gulf Coast CC standout Fred Lewis (.276) has been a revelation as Toronto's leadoff batter. And East Central CC product Marcus Thames homered and drove in two runs for the first-place New York Yankees on Sunday. If he can just avoid stepping on his own bat and stuff, Thames can provide the Bombers with power off the pine. And let's not forget the wild card, Weir's Roy Oswalt, who'll impact a division race wherever he lands in the inevitable trade by Houston.
P.S. Ex-Itawamba CC star Desmond Jennings went 0-for-3 in Sunday's All-Star Futures Game but managed to get on base three times and score three runs. He can make things happen. Former M-Brave Mike Minor threw a perfect inning for the victorious U.S. stars. ... Ex-M-Brave Anthony Lerew played an unwitting part in a milestone on Sunday, serving up Andruw Jones' 400th career home run as the White Sox shelled Kansas City.

a prediction or two

Roy Oswalt twirled his second career one-hitter on Thursday night, beating Pittsburgh 2-0. The former Weir High and Holmes Community College star was a part of one of the oddest no-hitters in history — when six Houston pitchers combined to no-hit the New York Yankees in 2003 — but has never tossed one of his very own. In a season when no-no's seem to be practically falling off trees, here's a bold prediction: Oswalt will get one this summer. If his body is sound, as it appears to be, he's got nasty, no-hit caliber stuff. It's noteworthy that no Mississippi native has thrown a solo no-hitter in the big leagues. Another prediction, less bold: When Oswalt gets the no-no, it'll be for a team other than the Astros. Though the trade rumors have cooled a bit lately, it's still a safe bet Oswalt will be dealt before the July 31 deadline. And he'll be pumped to be working for a team in a pennant race.

flair for the dramatic

Seth Smith established himself as a clutch hitter last season, when he led the National League with 17 pinch hits. But the former Ole Miss standout set a new personal standard for high drama on Tuesday night. His first walk-off home run — a three-run shot — capped a Colorado record nine-run ninth inning as the Rockies beat St. Louis 12-9. Smith, who was in the Rockies' lineup, had made an out his first time up in the ninth and told mlb.com that his mindset when he came to bat the second time was simply not to make another one. No worries. He crushed a Ryan Franklin pitch into the right-field seats to trigger a crazy celebration at Coors Field. Though there were no Mississippi-connected position players (natives or collegians) selected to the MLB All-Star Game, Smith might be the most deserving among that group. Playing more frequently in the Rockies outfield this season, he is hitting .291 with 12 home runs.

this we know

Where will Cliff Lee wind up? Rumors are rampant about the former Meridian Community College star's trade destination. Seattle may be shipping its left-handed ace to Minnesota. Or New York. Both the Yankees and Mets are interested. Then there's Tampa Bay. The Chicago White Sox. Even Philadelphia might be bidding to get him back. As many as 15 teams are said to be interested. We do know that he's headed to Anaheim next week for the All-Star Game. And he should be the American League starter, without question. Lee's numbers are amazing: He is 8-3 for a mediocre club with a 2.34 ERA and five complete games. When you consider his strikeouts-to-walks ratio, Lee enters another realm: 89 K's and just six walks in 103 2/3 innings. Give him the ball next Tuesday night.
P.S. The Mississippi Braves' roster shuffle continued on Monday when infielder Dan Nelson was promoted from Class A Myrtle Beach. He might help with his bat — he homered in his first game — but, sadly enough, he's not a prospect, just another recycled veteran on a club filled with them. Nelson is 26 and with his fourth organization. The loss of right-hander Jeff Lyman to Oakland on a waiver claim last week was a blow to the bullpen, but it might be offset by the return (from two months on the DL) of Kyle Cofield, who will pitch in relief for a couple weeks before moving back into the rotation. Cofield has quality stuff, as he showed last year. A rotation of Cofield, Brandon Beachy, Scott Diamond, Erik Cordier and Tim Gustafson would be pretty strong. Now if they can just get Brett Butts back (from injury) into the bullpen mix ...

happy tater day

George Scott, the Greenville native and onetime Boston Red Sox slugger, lovingly called his home runs "taters." Everybody, save for the pitchers who throw them, loves taters. Every true fan knows the significant home run numbers: 60, 61, 70, 73, 714, 755, 762. There's another, lesser publicized tater number of note: 62. On July 2, 2002, major league players launched a single-day record 62 homers. Considering the recent decline in home run numbers, this is a record that very well may stand forever. Of course, Mississippi-connected players hit their fair share that day. Vicksburg native Dmitri Young, playing for Detroit, hit two, as did former Jackson General Lance Berkman of Houston. Gulfport's Matt Lawton, then with Cleveland, hit one, off Roger Clemens, no less. Also taking the trip around the bases that day were ex-Mississippi State star Rafael Palmeiro (Texas), Hattiesburg native Wendell Magee (Detroit) and former Southern Miss standout Kevin Young (Pittsburgh). If we were to honor the home run by naming a day in its honor, today would be it.

first step

Passed over in the major league draft, former Mississippi College standout Tyler Seaman has launched his pro career in independent ball. The 6-foot-4 right-hander won his debut on Monday with Fargo-Moorhead of the Northern League. Seaman, a Pascagoula native and Jones County Junior College alumnus, went 15-4 in two years at MC, often dominating hitters at the NCAA Division III level. If bloodlines count for anything — and it seems they do in baseball — Seaman has a chance to get into affiliated ball and even make the big leagues. His father is former Jackson Mets left-hander Kim Seaman, who appeared in 27 big league games (3.16 ERA) with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1979 and '80. The elder Seaman was 10-4 with a 2.13 ERA for the 1978 OJMs.