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.