sizzlin' start

As an eighth-round pick — and the third Mississippi product drafted — earlier this month, there might have been some expectations heaped upon Corey Dickerson in his debut season as a pro. Suffice to say, he has met them — and then some. The former Brookhaven Academy and Meridian Community College star is hitting .455 with three homers and 12 RBIs for the Casper Ghosts (no kidding) of the short-season Class A Pioneer League. Dickerson, who hit .459 with 21 homers as a sophomore at juco power MCC, was lured away from Mississippi State by the Colorado Rockies, who have to be thrilled with the left-handed hitting outfielder's hot start. "I just want to put up big numbers and show that I'm worthy of where they drafted me," Dickerson told the Casper Star-Tribune. "I just want to be the best player I can be every day."
P.S. The Mississippi Braves had four players named to the Southern League All-Star Game: pitcher Brandon Beachy, catcher Orlando Mercado, outfielder Willie Cabrera and — surprise! — outfielder Cody Johnson. Johnson, hitting .210 and leading the league in strikeouts, made it on potential, one supposes. He is Atlanta's No. 9 prospect, but he has a long way to go.

he gone

Mike Minor, the Southern League leader in strikeouts and an All-Star Futures Game selection, was promoted from the Double-A Mississippi Braves to Triple-A Gwinnett today. Good for him, not so good for the M-Braves' hopes of making a second-half run. His place will be taken by right-hander Tim Gustafson, a quality arm who has been with the M-Braves before. But Minor, Atlanta's first-round pick last year, was a special talent, and he was only beginning to blossom. Gustafson was 7-5 with a 5.87 ERA at Gwinnett. He made two appearances with the M-Braves earlier this season after going 2-3, 3.79 in Pearl in 2009. The M-Braves also lost veteran infielder Juan Gonzalez, who was hitting just .206 and was out of place as an everyday shortstop. He was released. Gonzalez's best value might have been as a leader for the many young Latins on the club. His roster spot will be taken by Luis Bolivar, a true shortstop who began the year here before getting bumped to Gwinnett. Bolivar hit .263 but made 10 errors in 22 games during his first stint.

bucking the trend

Craig Westcott, the 2009 Ferriss Trophy winner from Belhaven, has been promoted to Double-A Richmond in the San Francisco system, which is rapid advancement for a 30th-round pick in his first full season of pro ball. The big right-hander was 6-0 with a 1.83 ERA at Class A San Jose. Obviously, he was ready to be challenged at the next level. His progress bears watching, and here's why: Winning the Ferriss Trophy, a high honor for Mississippi collegians, hasn't exactly been a good luck charm. The first recipient, Stephen Head in 2004, was a high draft pick but is now in independent ball. Brian Pettway and Thomas Berkery, the next two, apparently are out of baseball. Ed Easley, the 2007 winner, is a part-time catcher with Double-A Mobile in the Arizona system. Scott Bittle has yet to make his pro debut because of arm issues. The 2010 winner, Drew Pomeranz, the fifth overall pick by Cleveland earlier this month, hasn't signed yet.
P.S. Saw Desmond Jennings in an MLB Network minor league broadcast today. The former Itawamba star, now at Triple-A Durham (Rays), went 3-for-5 and scored two runs, including the game-winner from first base on a double in the ninth. He's got game.

positive-negative

The Mississippi Braves got a boost today when Eric Duncan was activated from the disabled list. Arguably the club's best hitter, Duncan is expected to be in the lineup at second base tonight when the M-Braves take on Mobile at Trustmark Park. He has been out since June 12 with a wrist sprain. ... This might be good news for Nettleton's Bill Hall, but it's bad for Red Sox Nation. Boston's Dustin Pedroia has gone on the DL with a broken foot. Hall was in the lineup as his replacement today. Hall can hit a little, though he's not in Pedroia's league. But here's the more glaring difference: In 548 games at second base, Pedroia has a .991 fielding percentage with just 23 errors. Hall, whose best position is batter, has a .959 percentage with 19 errors in 110 games at second. Boston likely can't play him there for an extended period.

check it out

The June 28 issue of Sports Illustrated features a great story by Chris Ballard about a small Illinois high school team that reached the state championship game in 1971. One of the team's stars was a sophomore right fielder named Brian Snitker. Yes, the former Mississippi Braves manager who's now coaching third base for Atlanta. There's even a picture of the young Snit, who was interviewed for the story. It's worth the time — and expense? — to read it.
P.S. Former M-Braves standout Brandon Jones was demoted from Triple-A to Double-A today by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Jones was hitting .205. One suspects his heart just isn't in it (see previous posts).

hear something?

Quite a dramatic win for the Mississippi Braves on Thursday night. And quite a celebration after Antoan Richardson scored the winning run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning. They've scored more runs in the ninth — 54 — than in any other, and they've won nine times in their last at-bat. Breakdowns in various aspects of the game at various bad times have hurt them. But they're 1-2 now in the second half of the Southern League season, and manager Phillip Wellman, who isn't given to hyperbole, believes this bunch is capable of putting it all together for a run at a division title. "I know we were 30-38 (in the first half) and then 30-40, and that's not good," he said after Thursday's game. "But what amazes me still is that these guys do not quit. I'm proud of the way they go about their business every day. ... They show up early and they work hard. I just hope in time they start to reap the rewards of the hard work. I keep saying this, 'There's something about this team that I like.' I mean that. And I keep telling them, 'We're one click away.' We're just waiting for that click." Maybe that was it on Thursday night at Trustmark Park.

one to remember

It hardly compares to the Isner-Mahut marathon at Wimbledon that finally ended today, but on this date in 1962, the New York Yankees beat the Detroit Tigers 9-7 in a 22-inning game that lasted 7 hours, 22 minutes. The game-winning homer, delivered in the top of the 22nd, was hit by Silver City native and Ole Miss alumnus Jack Reed. Reed played in 222 big league games over three seasons with the Yankees, but that homer was the only one he hit. It made a lot of people happy, no doubt.

starring roles

Props to Mississippi Braves left-hander Mike Minor for being selected to play in the All-Star Futures Game in Anaheim on July 11. Minor's numbers (2-6, 4.16) are a tad deceiving; he has gotten little run support. The more telling stat is this: 101 strikeouts, best in the Southern League. Also headed to California for the annual showcase of prospects are Braves pitcher Julio Teheran, who'll likely arrive in Pearl next spring; former M-Braves center fielder Gorkys Hernandez, now in the Pittsburgh system; and ex-Itawamba Community College star Desmond Jennings, who's with Tampa Bay.
P.S. Interesting signee announcement by ICC on Tuesday. Andy Wilson will come in from Texas as a football player, a quarterback by position. He is the son of former major league outfielder Glenn Wilson — and he also played baseball in high school. Wonder if a compulsion for the summer game will lead Andy to play that sport at ICC also. Coincidentally, Jennings went to ICC as a football player first and foremost, then had a change of direction.

misfire

Anthony Lerew makes his second start of 2010 for Kansas City tonight on the heels of a pretty good effort his first time out. Maybe there's still time for him to become a solid major league contributor. Armed with an upper 90s fastball and a lot of confidence, he looked to be headed for much better than that when he arrived in Mississippi in 2005. Remember the so-called Young Guns of the '05 M-Braves staff? Lerew, Blaine Boyer, Zach Miner, Macay McBride, Matt Wright and Matt Coenen comprised the rotation, and the consensus then was that at least a couple of these guys would bolster the Atlanta rotation down the line. It didn't happen, a cautionary tale about putting too much stock in prospect rankings. Boyer, currently with Arizona as a middle-innings reliever, and Lerew are the only ones currently in the big leagues. Miner, who has had some success over the years, is on the disabled list with Detroit. McBride, who also got some big league time, is pitching in indy ball. Wright and Coenen, who had injury issues, never made The Show and have dropped off the radar.

kicking the door open

He was hitting .328 with nine home runs and 43 RBIs at Triple-A Las Vegas. Twice this season he has hit for the cycle. Late Sunday, the Toronto Blue Jays decided to give former Southern Miss standout Jarrett Hoffpauir another crack at the big leagues. Hoffpauir got a cup of coffee with St. Louis last season, then was claimed on waivers by Toronto in the off-season. Having dismissed underperforming Edwin Encarnacion, the Jays have a job open at third base. Hoffpauir can play there, as well as several other positions. Check the Jays' lineup Tuesday to see if he's in it.

blast from past

When Freddy Garcia went seven innings to beat Washington on Sunday, the former Jackson Generals right-hander improved to a remarkable 21-8 in interleague games, one of the best such records since the leagues began battling each other. Not to be overlooked is the fact that Garcia is 8-3 with five straight wins this year for a suddenly resurgent Chicago White Sox club. Garcia, famously traded along with fellow Gens Carlos Guillen and John Halama from Houston to Seattle in 1998 for Randy Johnson, looked to be finished in April of 2009 when he was released by the New York Mets. But the White Sox picked him up last summer, and his surgically repaired shoulder seems to be functioning fine now. Garcia, one of the many Venezuelans recruited by Houston in '90s, ranks as one of the best pitchers the Astros produced during their Jackson years. And he's adding on to his resume.

one step back

Former Delta State standout Brent Leach, who is being converted back into a starting pitcher by the Los Angeles Dodgers, made his first start for Double-A Chattanooga on Wednesday. Not one to remember. In 2 2/3 innings, the 27-year-old left-hander gave up six hits, two walks and six earned runs. He took the loss in an 8-5 defeat at West Tenn. Leach's first start for the Lookouts had originally been scheduled for Trustmark Park against the Mississippi Braves on Monday, but the Flowood native was scratched. Actually, he was serving out a suspension, reportedly for hitting a batter while at Triple-A Albuquerque. He was shipped to Chattanooga on June 10. Leach, who posted a 5.75 ERA in 38 games out of the bullpen for Los Angeles in 2009, began this season in Triple-A and had made three starts there after 18 relief appearances. His ERA was 6.62. Leach was primarily a reliever at DSU and at Southern Miss before that. The Dodgers made him a starter after picking him in the sixth round in 2005. He converted to the pen in mid-2006 and had been used exclusively in that role until this year. Can Leach, still on L.A.'s 40-man roster, get back to the big leagues as a starter? Well, clearly it's a long-term project.

problem is ...

Desmond Jennings is getting close, without a doubt. The former Itawamba Community College star, now with the Triple-A Durham Bulls, was named the International League player of the week on Monday after hitting .538 with 4 doubles, 3 triples and 11 RBIs over a seven-day span. For the year, in 42 games, Jennings is at .290 and has stolen 14 bases in 15 tries. The Tampa Bay Rays' No. 1 prospect seems to be over the wrist injury that put him down in spring training and delayed the start of his 2010 season. The issue now ... where does he fit in with the Rays, who, along with the New York Yankees, have the best record in the big leagues? Tampa Bay has Carl Crawford in left field, B.J. Upton in center and Ben Zobrist in right. Jennings profiles best in center, though he can and has played all three spots. The Rays might consider moving Upton to right and using the versatile Zobrist at DH or somewhere in the infield. With Jennings in center flanked by Crawford and Upton, Tampa Bay might have the fastest outfield of all time.
P.S. On this date in 1992, Jeff Reardon, a former Jackson Met, broke the career saves mark while with the Boston Red Sox. Reardon is currently seventh on the career list, which, interestingly enough, includes five former Jackson pitchers among the top 15: Billy Wagner, Reardon, Randy Myers, Todd Jones and Rick Aguilera. Wagner, the ex-General now closing for Atlanta, is fast approaching No. 400.

looking ahead

The Mississippi Braves are doing a slow fade in the first half of the Southern League season. They've lost 10 of 12, several in agonizing fashion, and were formally eliminated from the South Division race on Saturday. With six games left, including a home game tonight and then five on the road, it's time to start thinking about the second half and the club's prospects for improvement in the standings. Three key players are currently on the disabled list: starting pitcher Kyle Cofield, standout reliever Brett Butts and infielder Eric Duncan, the team's best hitter. They need to get them back on the field, though with Cofield and Butts, that might be a while. The M-Braves also need more consistency from their starting pitchers; they fall behind early in too many games. They need to pick it up on defense, which seemingly has slipped in recent weeks. And they need Cody Johnson, the slugging left fielder, to pull out of his funk. He can provide needed thump, but only if he's making consistent contact, which he is not. Johnson got a hit off a left-hander on Sunday, so maybe that's a good sign. He's a key to the attack. The second half starts at Trustmark Park with a six-game series against Mobile beginning June 22.

waiting game

Atlanta, as expected, drafted a bunch of college/junior college position players early in this week's draft. The system needed hitters, to be sure, and the Braves appear to have landed a nice haul. Of course, it's unlikely we'll see any of these players in Pearl before 2012. But their presence in the lower minors might enable the Braves to push some of last year's draftees at a brisker pace. Among those who could make the Double-A Mississippi Braves by next year are shortstop Mycal Jones (fourth round), outfielder Robert Hefflinger (seventh), outfielder Cory Harrilchak (14th) and first baseman Riann Spanjer-Furstenburg (16th). Harrilchak already has reached high Class A Myrtle Beach; he's a speed player, not a power guy. Jones, a potential third baseman of the future, is hitting .261 with six homers at low-A Rome, and Hefflinger, who goes 6 feet 5, 225 pounds, is at .264 with two homers and 30 RBIs there. Spanjer-Furstenburg, a South African, has played only five games at Rome, having broken his hand in April. The wealth of pitching talent in the Braves' system will be in Pearl soon enough: Julio Teheran, Randall Delgado and Zeke Spruill, all top 10-rated prospects, are now at Myrtle Beach, and Arodys Vizcaino, acquired in the Javier Vazquez trade with the New York Yankees, is 9-3 with a 2.34 ERA at Rome.
P.S. Former Hillcrest Christian star Justin Reed, whose once-promising career seemed to have hit a ceiling in A-ball this season (see previous post), may be done in affiliated ball after a second positive drug test and 50-game suspension was announced today by Major League Baseball. What a shame.

not so fast

Read with interest this comment from Madison Central High star Ryan Bolden after he was drafted Monday by the Los Angeles Angels: "I'd like to end up in the big leagues in three years." If he signs, which he likely will, the young outfielder may be in for a reality check. Not many high school draft picks make it to the major leagues in three years. Jason Heyward, an exceptional talent, made it this year in his fourth pro season. More common might be the case of Justin Reed, a former Hillcrest Christian star who was considered more skilled than Bolden when he was drafted by Cincinnati in the fourth round in 2006. Today, Reed, 22, is still in A-ball. He is hitting .158 for high Class A Lynchburg. He has a .229 average over his five pro seasons. He's a long way from The Show. The lesson here is, it's hard enough just to get to Double-A. Bolden might want to lower his sights. Progress in pro baseball requires confidence but also great patience.
P.S. Drew Pomeranz went to Cleveland with the fifth pick, the highest any Ole Miss player has ever been drafted. What's the highest any Mississippi-connected player has been plucked? Mississippi State's Will Clark went No. 2 overall to San Francisco in 1985. ... A little history note: On this date in 1940, Ellisville native Harry Craft hit for the cycle for Cincinnati in a 23-2 win over Brooklyn.

where have you gone ...

Joe DiFabio will always hold a special place in Mississippi baseball history. He was the first player from the state picked in the major league draft. The former Delta State right-hander went 20th overall to the St. Louis Cardinals in the first draft in 1965. Some very familiar names were called that day: Rick Monday, Joe Coleman, Billy Conigliaro, Ray Fosse, Jim Spencer and Bernie Carbo were among the first rounders who made it to the big leagues. DiFabio got as high as Triple-A before hanging 'em up in 1971. His career numbers were good: 45-34, 3.24 ERA. He deserves a shout-out today, 45 years after his big moment.

4 to watch 4

1. Drew Pomeranz. The major league baseball draft starts Monday and the Ole Miss left-hander will go early. Both Baseball America and Sports Illustrated have him rated the No. 4 prospect in the draft. He'll surely go top 10. The first Mississippian picked last year was Billy Hamilton, the ex-Taylorsville High shortstop, who went at No. 57. The only other Mississippi-connected players in Baseball America's Top 200 are Madison Central outfielder Ryan Bolden (No. 141) and Richton shortstop Jacoby Jones (No. 166).
2. Van Pope. The ex-Terry High and Meridian Community College star, released by Atlanta a couple weeks ago after a failed move from third base to pitcher, will surely get another shot somewhere, perhaps in independent ball. Haven't seen his name on any transactions list yet. Pope was once a top 10 prospect in the Braves' system but seemed to hit a ceiling with the Double-A Mississippi Braves, even though he did get some Triple-A time. Never seen a better arm on a third baseman. If he could only hit a little better.
3. Jarrod Saltalamacchia. The former M-Braves catcher reportedly (see recent mlb.com story) is making progress in conquering his throwing woes at Triple-A Oklahoma City in the Texas system. Saltalamacchia had developed a severe case of what might best be called Steve Sax Syndrome (see Phil Taylor's column in the June 7 Sports Illustrated); he was having great difficulty just tossing the ball back to the pitcher. When he was in Pearl — as Atlanta's top-rated prospect — Saltalamacchia worked hard on his defense and was pretty good behind the plate. His struggles then were with the bat, though he did pick it up during his short-lived second stint here in 2007. It'll be interesting to see what happens when the Rangers recall him to The Show. Very interesting.
4. Antoan Richardson. The M-Braves' diminutive new outfielder could make a big difference for this team. He brings speed to center field and to the top of the lineup, something the club has not had. The Bahamas native is off to a great start: .367 with 11 hits in eight games, four runs scored and one steal in two tries. Manager Phillip Wellman loves to play aggressively on the bases and Richardson gives him a weapon to use in that regard. The first half has gotten away from the M-Braves, but they may be better equipped now for a second-half run.

one?!?

Mississippi Braves left-hander Mike Minor, blending a 91 mph fastball with a nasty changeup, was brilliant on Thursday night, throwing eight shutout innings with 11 strikeouts, two walks and just three hits allowed. But Atlanta's 2009 first-round pick got no decision in a game the punchless M-Braves would lose 3-0 in 10 innings to Montgomery. Minor's record remains 1-4. One win is all he's got to show for his 11 starts. He has a 3.68 ERA and a Southern League-best 91 strikeouts in 63 2/3 innings. But just one W. In fact, Minor's tough luck extends back to last summer, when he posted a 0.64 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 14 innings over four starts for Class A Rome but finished with an 0-1 record. If you haven't seen Minor pitch at Trustmark Park yet, go soon. He may not be around Double-A much longer.

hey, lookie here

Hattiesburg native John Lindsey, the 33-year-old career minor leaguer, is really trying to get the Los Angeles Dodgers' attention. He was named the Pacific Coast League's hitter of the week for May 24-30 after batting .407 with five homers at 13 RBIs for Triple-A Albuquerque. Lindsey also had a 17-game hitting streak in May. If the Dodgers have a need anytime soon for a power bat off the bench — and Lindsey can certainly provide that — maybe they'll reward his recent production and his perseverance (see previous post).

fine tuning

Chris Coghlan has changed his tune and, coincidentally perhaps, the direction of his season. The former Ole Miss standout, last year's National League rookie of the year and the first Cool Papa Bell Award winner (see previous posts), got two more hits for Florida on Wednesday night to boost his average to .242. He is 14-for-37 (.378) in the first nine games of a 10-game homestand that ends tonight. Coghlan's resurgence coincides with a switch in his walk-up song, from "Song of the South" by Alabama to Lecrae's "Rebel Intro." "I'm not a superstitious guy, but I definitely got tired of hearing 'Song of the South,'" Coghlan told The Associated Press on Tuesday. Maybe he should buy into the superstition thing. Coghlan, who hit .321 last year, had been scuffling around the Mendoza Line much of this season until his recent tear.
P.S. Fred Lewis, the former Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College star from Wiggins, is now hitting .310 as the leadoff batter for Toronto, which acquired him in mid-April from San Francisco. Lewis' 19 doubles rank among the American League leaders. And to think, it looked as though he might be done last year when he slumped with the Giants. ... Former Mississippi Braves right-hander Todd Redmond made his first start on Wednesday since throwing a no-hitter last week. In a Gwinnett Braves game televised by CSS, Redmond (5-5) got the victory in a 2-1 win and struck out 10 Indianapolis hitters. The former Southern League pitcher of the year could be another option for Atlanta if it needs a starter down the stretch. And it just might.

a sad note

Former Jackson Generals pitcher Jeriome Robertson was killed Saturday in California in a motorcycle crash, according to reports. Robertson, 33, won 15 games with a 5.10 ERA for Houston in 2003. The left-hander went 15-7 with a 3.06 ERA for the 1999 Generals, the last Astros club to play at Smith-Wills Stadium. Robertson was traded to Cleveland after his big rookie season and won only one more big league game. His last year in the majors was 2004 and he last pitched in 2007 in an independent league.