here we go

The Philadelphia Phillies seem to be the consensus pick to win the World Series, which may be an unwanted burden. And when it comes to Mississippi connections in the MLB postseason, the Phillies are certainly the team in the center ring. Meridian Community College product Cliff Lee (17-8, 2.40 ERA) is Philly's No. 2 starter, and Holmes CC alumnus Roy Oswalt (9-10, 3.69) factors in as the fourth starter. He might not work in the National League Division Series against St. Louis, but you never know. Former Jackson Mets manager Sam Perlozzo is the Phillies' first-base coach, so we'll see plenty of him. The wild card Cardinals have ex-General Lance Berkman, who had a monster season (.301, 31 homers, 94 RBIs). He's a money player, so don't surprised if he comes up big against the Phillies. Milwaukee had former Itawamba CC standout Tim Dillard (4.08 ERA in 24 games) on its roster at season's end, but it's unlikely he'll be on the postseason roster unless there's an injury. In the American League, former Generals ace Freddy Garcia (12-8, 3.62) is penciled in as the New York Yankees' No. 3 starter and will go against Detroit on Monday. Garcia, an under-the-radar talent, is 145-95 in a big league career that goes back to 1999. Former Generals infielder Carlos Guillen, who was traded with Garcia from Houston to Seattle in the Randy Johnson deal in 1998, has a calf injury and won't be active for the Tigers until the ALCS, if then. Guillen's season (.232 in 28 games) was wrecked by injuries. Texas features a pair of Magnolia State connections: former Mississippi Braves lefty Matt Harrison (14-9, 3.39) and Mississippi State product Mitch Moreland (.259, 16, 51). Harrison lines up as the No. 4 starter. The Rangers' lineup is so stacked that Moreland had trouble getting at-bats down the stretch. But the lefty-hitting first baseman/outfielder had an excellent postseason as a rookie in 2010, and Rangers manager Ron Washington surely won't hesitate to run him out there. Texas' foe in the ALDS is Tampa Bay, which features rookie left fielder Desmond Jennings from Itawamba CC. Jennings (..259, 10, 25) cooled near the end of the year, but he has game-changing speed and power to boot. He's one to watch. Former Generals pitching coach Jim Hickey is the Rays' pitching coach and has helped the staff set nearly every club record during his five years.

oh what a night

It was an unforgettable Wednesday night for the Atlanta Braves and all their fans. For all the wrong reasons. A fifth straight loss, in extra innings, after blowing a late lead, left the Braves out of the postseason. St. Louis, with ex-Jackson Generals star Lance Berkman driving in a run and scoring one, did its part to get in, blasting Houston 8-0. Braves fans will have hard time forgetting Wednesday. Former Mississippi Braves star Craig Kimbrel blew a save, for just the third time all year. The Braves had two runners cut down on the bases, hit into three double plays and left eight runners on base in the 4-3 loss to Philadelphia. They struck out 15 times in 13 innings. Former M-Braves Martin Prado, Freddie Freeman, Brian McCann and Jason Heyward were a combined 4-for-18 with one run and no RBIs. Still, the game that lingers as the harbinger of Atlanta's doom may have been played on Sept. 19, Black Monday. That was the night when, with two outs, Chipper Jones lost a high hopper in the lights at that football field Florida played on. Then Omar Infante hit a game-winning, two-run homer off Kimbrel. That same day, the Cardinals, getting a big homer from Berkman, beat Roy Halladay and the Phillies. The Braves' wild card lead was still 2 1/2 games then, but it felt smaller. The noose had begun to tighten.
P.S. Wondering if Mississippi State product Jonathan Papelbon's last pitch for Boston will be the one that Baltimore's Robert Andino smacked into left field to beat the Red Sox on Wednesday night and, ultimately, knock them out of the playoffs. Papelbon, 31-of-34 in saves this season, is a pending free agent. ... Wondering also why Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon felt compelled to thank Orioles manager Buck Showalter (the former MSU player) and his team for playing hard against the Red Sox. Aren't they supposed to play hard, just as a matter of course? ... Tyler Pastornicky didn't play Wednesday, but he was on the bench for Atlanta, becoming the 59th M-Braves alumnus to advance to The Show. Pastornicky hit .314 for the M-Braves and .365 in 27 games at Triple-A Gwinnett. The Braves looked past Diory Hernandez and Brandon Hicks to bring up Pastornicky as an emergency shortstop. He might be the shortstop in Atlanta next season.

maxing out

You have to love Jonathan Papelbon's intensity. The ex-Mississippi State star holds nothing back. From his pre-pitch scowl to his postgame commentary, he is all in all the time. After working 2 1/3 scoreless innings in Boston's gut-grinding, 14-inning win at New York late Sunday night, Papelbon, defying the baseball gods, declared the Red Sox's epic September swoon over. "Now we roll," he said. Well ... the BoSox lost the next night and fell into a tie for the American League wild card lead with Tampa Bay. On Tuesday night, Papelbon nailed down his 31st save (in 33 opportunities) in an 8-7 win over Baltimore; he gave up a couple of hits and a run but got the job done. "Only the strong will survive," Papelbon told reporters after the game. "The weak will fall by the wayside." Boston faces another pressure-packed game at Baltimore tonight, still tied with the Rays on the last day of the regular season. If he's needed — and fate says he will be — Papelbon will tromp out there, breathing fire.

at the movies

Two questions arise about Mississippian Chad Bradford after seeing the movie "Moneyball." First, who is that playing the part of Bradford and mimicking his submarine-style delivery? Well, the actor's name is Casey Bond, and, yes, he was a minor league pitcher, reaching the Triple-A level with San Francisco before being released and moving on, eventually, to acting. Second, what kind of money did Bradford make during his big league career? Bradford, from Byram by way of Hinds Community College and Southern Miss, had a very good career. He was 36-28 with a 3.26 ERA and 11 saves. More impressive than that, he played in seven different postseasons with five different teams over 12 years. He pitched in the 2008 World Series for Tampa Bay. His career postseason ERA in 24 games was 0.39. With numbers like those, it's no surprise that his value — and his salary — grew rapidly as his career progressed. In 2002, the "Moneyball" season on which the movie is based, Bradford, one of the so-called undervalued misfits the low-budget Oakland A's coveted, made $235,000, according to baseball-reference.com. That was his second year with the A's; they had gotten him in a trade with the Chicago White Sox in December 2000. Bradford got a raise to $331,000 in 2003, to $965,000 in 2004 and to $1.4 million in 2005. He was traded at midseason that year to Boston. In his final year, 2009 with Tampa Bay, Bradford made a reported $3.67 million. As a relief specialist used primarily in late innings to get ground balls, Bradford certainly wasn't undervalued anymore.

high hurdles

Tonight, it's Cliff Lee. On Tuesday, Roy Oswalt. The run-starved Atlanta Braves, trying to nail down the National League wild card, face those two former Mississippi junior college stars, plus the Philadelphia Phillies' vaunted lineup, in their next two games. Then they get hot rookie Vance Worley on Wednesday. Atlanta has a 1-game lead on St. Louis, which finishes with three games against the worst team in baseball, Houston. This is a tough row to hoe for the Braves. Lee, a Meridian Community College alumnus, is 16-8 with a 2.38 ERA and is still in the NL Cy Young conversation. Oswalt, out of Holmes CC, hasn't had a great year (8-10, 3.86) but is capable of a great outing at any time. Stay tuned.
P.S. Jackson's Seth Smith contributed three hits to Colorado's franchise record 25 on Sunday. The Rockies, winding up a disappointing year, beat Houston 19-3. Smith, finishing off a good year, raised his average to .283.

notebooking

Craig Westcott, the former Belhaven star and Ferriss Trophy winner, went 13-4 with a 3.42 ERA this season for San Jose, San Francisco's high Class A club. Westcott, a big right-hander, finished fourth in the California League in ERA and made the postseason All-Star team. ... This past season's Ferriss Trophy winner, Southern Miss outfielder Tyler Koelling, hit just .228 with five homers for Minnesota's short-season A club Elizabethton. ... Koelling's 2011 USM teammate Todd McInnis ranked second in ERA with a 1.90 in the short-season New York-Penn League. Pitching for St. Louis' Batavia club, McInnis went 3-2 in 13 games (11 starts). ... Petal's Anthony Alford, an outfielder who also stars in football, was the only Mississippian in the Top 50 of Baseball America's early 2012 MLB draft projection. Alford ranked 49th. ... The New York Yankees held a tribute on Saturday honoring the 50th anniversary of Roger Maris' 61-home run season. Yes, there was a Mississippian on that 1961 Yankees team: Silver City native and Ole Miss alumnus Jack Reed, who played in 28 games as an outfielder, often being used as Mickey Mantle's defensive replacement.

wait till next year

Andrelton Simmons was anointed the “best player” in the Atlanta Braves’ minor league system in 2011 by Baseball America. The 22-year-old shortstop from Curacao led the Class A Carolina League in hitting with a .311 average and added 35 doubles, 52 RBIs and 26 stolen bases. And defense is reputedly his best skill. More to the point here, Simmons likely will be the Mississippi Braves’ shortstop in 2012, which is something to look forward to over the long off-season. It figures that most of the M-Braves’ frontline players from 2011 won’t be back. The top pitchers were gone before the season ended, which means we’ll probably see the likes of Zeke Spruill, Aaron Shafer, Matt Crim and Chris Masters — all of whom finished in Pearl — heading up the rotation. Some familiar names could be back in the bullpen: Billy Bullock, Brett Butts, Yeliar Castro and Luis Avilan. Ryan Buchter, who had 15 saves at Class A Lynchburg, is a good candidate to move up. Among starting position players, right fielder Cory Harrilchak (.266, seven homers) and center fielder Mycal Jones (.252, seven homers) probably need another Double-A season. Four outfielders posted nice numbers at Lynchburg and could make the jump next spring: Adam Milligan (.291, 12 homers), Keenan Wiley (.285, 19 stolen bases), L.V. Ware (.251, seven homers, 14 steals) and Todd Cunningham (.257). At catcher, highly rated prospect Christian Bethancourt (.271 at Lynchburg) may also be ready for Double-A. But if not, Matthew Kennelly (.262 for the M-Braves) and Braeden Schlehuber (.233) could again man that spot. At first base, look for converted third baseman Joey Terdoslavich, who hit .286 with 20 homers and a Carolina League-record 52 doubles at Lynchburg. Phil Gosselin (.264, six homers, 63 RBIs at Lynchburg) figures to play second base, with Joe Leonard (.247, eight, 63) taking over at third. Off-season moves by Atlanta could impact the M-Braves’ 2012 roster, of course, but the core of the club likely will be made up by the players named above. Maybe they’ll have the right stuff for a championship for a change. In seven years, the M-Braves have produced bushels of talent but just two playoff teams and one Southern League pennant.
P.S. Bullock, Bethancourt, Gosselin and Cunningham are among the players the Braves are sending to the Arizona Fall League. ... Former M-Braves starter and 2008 Southern League pitcher of the year Todd Redmond is on the Team USA roster for the World Cup that starts Oct. 1 in Panama. Redmond had a good year (10-8, 2.92 ERA) at Triple-A Gwinnett but still hasn't gotten the big league call. The M-Braves' Kennelly is on Australia's roster.

a few observations

Desmond Jennings, the Tampa Bay flash from Itawamba Community College, scored three runs in the Rays' 15-8 rout of the New York Yankees on Thursday night. In 57 games, primarily as the leadoff batter, Jennings has scored 43 runs and driven in 25. There is no overstating the influence he has had on Tampa Bay's resurgence into the American League postseason chase. ... Roy Oswalt took another loss Thursday in what was essentially a meaningless game for Philadelphia. The former Holmes CC star from Weir is 8-10 with a 3.86 ERA but apparently will be the Phillies' No. 4 starter in the postseason over rookie Vance Worley, whose numbers (11-3, 3.00) are significantly better. That's something to keep an eye on. Oswalt reportedly has decided he'll pitch again in 2012, his back troubles notwithstanding; the Phillies can pick up his option for $12 million. That's also something to keep an eye on. ... Mississippi State product Mitch Moreland, whose average has slipped to .262, hasn't been playing much for Texas of late. Nelson Cruz, back from injury, has been DH'ing instead of playing the outfield, which has shifted Michael Young from DH to first base in Moreland's place. Moreland will get his hacks again soon enough for the playoff-bound Rangers. ... Paul Maholm, who is done for the season with a shoulder injury, went 6-14 with a 3.66 ERA for Pittsburgh. The Pirates can bring the former MSU ace back for $9.75 million in 2012. But will they? ... And props to Lance Berkman, who got a new $12 million deal for 2012 with St. Louis. The former Jackson Generals star is batting .300 with 31 home runs and 91 RBIs. And to think, many called the Cardinals crazy when they signed him last off-season.

desperate times

Well, the Atlanta Braves may not be desperate just yet, but they did need a pick-me-up after Black Monday. And they got it, bouncing Florida 4-0 on Tuesday night. Randall Delgado, a 2011 Mississippi Braves starter, threw five shutout innings to earn his first major league win. Two other former M-Braves stars chipped in: Freddie Freeman hit his 20th home run, and Jason Heyward was on base twice, scored a run and made eight catches in right field, several of the highlight variety. St. Louis kept pace with the Braves in the National League wild card race, whipping the New York Mets 11-6 as former Jackson Generals standout Lance Berkman went 2-for-5 with two RBIs. Meanwhile, in Boston, where they may actually be feeling desperate, the Red Sox called on closer Jonathan Papelbon in the eighth inning Tuesday against Baltimore. The former Mississippi State star, who had not given up a run since July 16, gave up a three-run double to Robert Andino that put the O's ahead to stay 7-5. It was just the second blown save of the year for Papelbon. The Red Sox didn't lose any ground to Tampa Bay in American League wild card race. The Rays, 2 games back, fell to New York 5-0. However, the Los Angeles Angels — keep an eye on them — beat Toronto 10-6 and crept within 3 1/2 games of the BoSox.
P.S. McComb native and former 50th-round draft pick Jarrod Dyson was recalled to the big leagues by Kansas City late Tuesday night after participating in the Triple-A Championship Game. (Dyson's Omaha club lost to Columbus.) Dyson, a speedy outfielder from Southwest Mississippi Community College, made his major league debut last summer and began this season on the Royals' 25-man roster.

pitching in

Matt Maloney, the former Ole Miss star, made an emergency start for Cincinnati on Sunday — and wound up needing to call for aid himself. Maloney lasted just 1 2/3 innings against Milwaukee, which rolled to an 8-1 win and inched closer to clinching the National League Central title. That game was one of four involving division leaders and chasers on Sunday in which Mississippi-connected hurlers had a profound impact. Former Jackson Generals ace Freddy Garcia took a loss for the New York Yankees, dropping to 11-8 for the year. The Yanks' lead over Boston in the AL East is a precarious 4 1/2 games. (And the Red Sox's lead over Tampa Bay in the wild card is an even more precarious 2.) Ex-Mississippi Braves lefty Matt Harrison won his 13th for Texas, which remained 4 1/2 games up on the Los Angeles Angels in the AL West. The Atlanta Braves got a wobbly start from Brandon Beachy and a weak relief effort from Jonny Venters — both M-Braves alums — in a 7-5 loss to the New York Mets. Ex-M-Braves closer Manny Acosta wriggled out of a ninth-inning jam to notch the save for the Mets. The Braves' lead in the wild card is just 3 1/2 games on St. Louis and 4 on red-hot San Francisco. ... Two key games today will be started by former M-Braves: Mike Minor gets the call for Atlanta against Florida and Scott Diamond will start for Minnesota against the Yankees.
P.S. Former Delta State standout Eli Whiteside, who went to the disabled list with a concussion (face-first slide vs. Atlanta) in late August, hasn't been much of a factor in San Francisco's recent surge. Whiteside is batting just .130 (3-for-23) in September and has seen more playing time going to the Giants' other catchers, rookies Chris Stewart and Hector Sanchez.

hand it over

Craig Kimbrel ought to win the National League Rookie of the Year Award. He preserved a 1-0 win for Atlanta over New York on Saturday by striking out the side in the ninth. (The win became that much larger when Philadelphia, behind Holmes Community College product Roy Oswalt, beat wild card challenger St. Louis later in the day; the Braves now lead the Cards by 4 1/2 games.) Kimbrel, the Mississippi Braves' closer at the end of 2009, has four wins and 45 saves, meaning he has contributed to 49 of Atlanta's 87 victories. That's huge impact. Kimbrel's ERA is 1.71, and he has 123 strikeouts in 73 2/3 innings. That's dominant stuff. He deserves the rookie honor over teammate Freddie Freeman, the former M-Braves first baseman who has had his moments but not enough lately.

prime time

It was a great Mississippi moment from a great MLB game on Friday night: Ninth inning, Boston up 4-3 on Tampa Bay, Jonathan Papelbon facing Desmond Jennings. The former Mississippi State star struck out the Itawamba Community College alumnus (who was 3-for-3 with a walk to that point) for the second out, then nailed down the save (his 30th) with yet another K after yielding a base hit. The Red Sox had lost six straight games against the Rays and held just a 3-game edge in the American League wild card battle, so they needed this one. And Papelbon answered the bell, throwing 12 strikes among his 13 pitches, every one touching the mid-90s. Hard to believe it was Papelbon's first save opportunity since Aug. 18. Game 3 of this compelling four-game series is today at Fenway Park.
P.S. Philadelphia will send Weir's Roy Oswalt to the bump tonight against St. Louis in a potential bid to clinch its fifth straight National League East title; the Phillies have already sewn up a playoff spot. Oswalt (7-9, 3.88 ERA), who has been a little shaky over his last four starts (15 earned runs in 26 innings), could use a strong outing. Of course, if scuffling Atlanta loses to the New York Mets earlier in the day, Philly will already have clinched the title — and the game becomes that much more important for the Cardinals, who stand 3 1/2 games back in the NL wild card race entering play today. ... Ex-Ole Miss star Drew Pomeranz (1-0, 0.00) makes his second major league start tonight for Colorado against a streaking San Francisco team (six straight wins) that isn't out of the playoff hunt just yet.

from yuma he came

Joey Gathright scored his first major league run in some two years on Thursday night. The Hattiesburg native, once called the fastest man in baseball, is back in The Show with Boston, which plucked him from Yuma in the independent North American League at the end of August. He played a handful of games at Triple-A Pawtucket before Boston recalled him on Tuesday. Alas, Gathright could not help the Red Sox avoid losing to Tampa Bay and seeing their lead in the American League wild card chase drop to 3 games over the resurgent Rays. Gathright, 30, who was hitting .347 with 20 steals for Jose Canseco's Yuma Scorpions, might yet aid the BoSox cause with his ability to run. The former 32nd-round pick — by Tampa Bay, coincidentally — had 80 stolen bases over his first 445 games in the big leagues and stole 21 bags for Kansas City in 2008, when he was playing somewhat regularly. He was with Boston in 2009. “It was fun getting back around organized baseball,” Gathright told BostonHerald.com after his call-up. “Yuma was fun, but it was independent ball, so having things done the right way and ready to go when you get to the field (was different).”
P.S. Meridian Community College alumnus Cliff Lee allowed one run — a ninth-inning homer — against Florida on Thursday and wound up with a no-decision for Philadelphia, which won the game in the 10th. The remarkable Lee (16-7, 2.38 for the season) has a 0.56 ERA over his last eight starts. ... Pablo Sandoval's cycle on Thursday was the first for a San Francisco player since Fred Lewis, the pride of Wiggins, did it as a rookie in 2007. Lewis, who finished this season in the minors with Cincinnati, hit his first big league homer as part of his cycle.

old dogs

Maybe the excitement of the postseason pursuit has made them feel young again. Whatever the reason, it was good to see former — and aging — Jackson Generals come up big in big games on Wednesday. Carlos Guillen, soon to turn 36, went 3-for-5 and drove in the winning run for Detroit, which won its 12th straight game and reduced its magic number to 3 for clinching the American League Central title. Lance Berkman, 35, has seen the MVP buzz die down in recent weeks but is still contributing for St. Louis. He went 1-for-3 with a triple and scored a run in a 3-2 win over Pittsburgh. The Cardinals kept pace with Atlanta in the National League wild card race; they're 4 1/2 games back. And 37-year-old Bobby Abreu went 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI as the Los Angeles Angels beat Oakland and stayed in the hunt in both the AL West (3 back) and wild card (4 1/2 back) races. Though his batting average is down, Abreu recently topped 20 steals for the season for the 13th straight year. He has 393 career steals; he's sneaky fast. Another old Gen, 34-year-old Freddy Garcia, is 11-7 with a 3.71 ERA for the New York Yankees, who are clinging to a 4-game lead in the AL East.
P.S. Former Mississippi Braves right-hander Charlie Morton took the loss on Wednesday when Pittsburgh clinched its 19th straight losing season. Morton is 9-10 for the 67-82 Pirates.

no minor feats

Three very impressive numbers were posted this season by three Mississippians in the minors. Start with the 103 checked in by Billy Hamilton. The former Taylorsville High star stole 103 bases in A-ball in the Cincinnati system. A wiry shortstop, Hamilton also batted .278 and scored 99 runs. Then there was the 32 rung up by Corey Dickerson. The Brookhaven native and ex-Meridian Community College standout blasted 32 home runs in his first full pro season playing in A-ball for Colorado. Dickerson, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound outfielder, hit .282, drove in 87 runs and scored 78. Last but not least by any means is the 1.78 registered by Drew Pomeranz. The former Ole Miss left-hander posted a 1.78 ERA at three different levels and in two different organizations, Cleveland and Colorado. He also struck out 119 in 101 innings. Then he went out and won his major league debut for the Rockies last Sunday, throwing five scoreless innings.
P.S. A not-so-hot number was logged by Rhyne Hughes, the ex-Pearl River CC standout from Picayune. MLB announced today that Hughes has been given a 50-game suspension to start next season after testing positive for a banned amphetamine. Hughes, who got some big league time with Baltimore in 2010, hit .249 with 15 homers for Triple-A Norfolk this year. It'll be interesting to see if the Orioles keep him around.

eye on ...

Jason Heyward is hitting .273 since Aug. 17. Doesn't sound like much, but it's an upward trend, which is a good thing where the former Mississippi Braves star is concerned. For the year, Heyward is batting .223 with 13 home runs and 40 RBIs. It's been a precipitous fall for the muscular right fielder who made a bid for rookie of the year honors in 2010. Last season, Heyward, assuming the mantle of local hero left vacant by the trade of Jeff Francoeur, batted .277 with 18 homers and 77 RBIs. He also drew 91 walks. He was a force in the lineup. But opposing pitchers seem to have found some holes in Heyward's somewhat unorthodox swing. He's still striking out at about the same rate he did in 2010, but his walks are down significantly (42 in 349 at-bats). He slumped at the end of 2010, which some dismissed as a result of a hand injury. But the struggles continued this spring. (It surely didn't help when he showed up on the cover of Sports Illustrated during spring training.) He became a bench player. Jose Constanza's recent slump — and ankle injury — opened the door for Heyward to get back in the lineup on a regular basis, and he has looked better. His grand slam on Aug. 23 against the Chicago Cubs was one of his brightest moments since he homered on opening day. He's driven in 10 runs since Aug. 17. The Braves, still plagued by a lack of offense, could use some from Heyward. They have a big series starting tonight with St. Louis, which is chasing them in the wild card race.

day break

Three American League games with postseason implications are in the books today, and Mississippians played a notable role in the outcome of two of them. At Tampa Bay, Itawamba Community College product Desmond Jennings hit a walk-off home run in the 10th inning to beat Texas 5-4, and at Cleveland, Pascagoula's Tony Sipp surrendered a seventh-inning grand slam to Detroit's Victor Martinez that propelled the Tigers to an 8-6 victory. Meanwhile, New York lost to Baltimore 5-4 in 11 innings; Mississippi State alumnus Craig Tatum started behind the plate for the Orioles and went 0-for-2. ... Jennings' homer was his ninth since his late July call-up, and he is hitting .302. Tampa Bay, clinging to faint wild-card hopes, moved within 7 1/2 games of Boston in that race. The Red Sox play at Toronto tonight. ... The loss for Texas reduced its lead to 3 games over Los Angeles, which plays tonight at home against Seattle. ... Sipp's blown save was his first of the season; he has been an effective lefty out of the pen. Cleveland, hanging on by a thread in the AL Central, lost all three games of its series with first-place Detroit and now trails by 9 1/2 games. Chicago, down 8 1/2 games to the Tigers, is at Minnesota tonight.

a strong case

Cliff Lee sliced up the Atlanta Braves on Monday and may have cleared a path for himself to the Cool Papa Bell Award for 2011 in the process. Philadelphia left-hander Lee, the onetime Meridian Community College standout, threw a five-hit shutout at the Braves to run his record to 16-7 with a 2.47 ERA. He is 7-0 with a 0.96 in his last seven starts. And he topped 200 strikeouts for the year on Monday. Plus, he's doing all this for a first-place club. The Cool Papa Bell Award is given here to the Mississippian (native or college alumnus) who has the best season in the majors; Chris Coghlan won in 2009, Roy Oswalt last year. Evidence is still being gathered, but Lee is the man to beat at the moment. Former Mississippi State star Jonathan Papelbon (29 saves, 4-0 record, 2.75 ERA for Boston); Ole Miss product Seth Smith (.288, 15 homers, 56 RBIs for Colorado); and ex-MSU standout Mitch Moreland (.270, 16, 48 for Texas) aren't out of the running, but they'd need some kind of finish to upend Lee.
P.S. Colorado has called up Ole Miss alum Drew Pomeranz, the hot-prospect left-hander acquired in the Ubaldo Jimenez deal. Pomeranz is 4-3 with a 1.78 ERA in 20 starts over three levels of the minors this season. ... Ernesto Mejia took home the Mississippi Braves' Triple Crown this season — sort of. He set team records with 26 homers and 99 RBIs, and though he lost out to Tyler Pastornicky for the batting lead (.299 to .297), he also set an M-Braves mark for hits with 148.

century marks

Props to former Taylorsville High star Billy Hamilton for reaching the 100-stolen base plateau on Saturday while playing for Class A Dayton in the Cincinnati system. Also on the short list of minor leaguers to reach that mark are Marcus Lawton and Lenny Dykstra. Gulfport native Lawton swiped 111 bags for Class A Columbia in the New York Mets' system in 1985, two years before he joined the Jackson Mets. Former Jackson Met Dykstra stole 105 bases for Class A Lynchburg in 1983, the year before he played in Jackson. One common thread: Their feats occurred in A-ball, where pitchers don't do such a good job of holding runners. Still, 100 stolen bases in a season is amazing.

good to see

Antoan Richardson was genuinely excited last summer when he was promoted from the Mississippi Braves to Triple-A Gwinnett for the first time. One can hardly imagine how Richardson felt today when he suited up as an Atlanta Brave for the first time, then got a pinch single in his first at-bat. Richardson, the 57th M-Braves alumnus to advance to the majors, has some valuable tools. First and foremost, he can fly. He's a threat to beat out a bunt and runs down everything in the outfield. Back in Double-A this season for some reason, Richardson, a 5-foot-8, 27-year-old switch-hitter, batted .283 with a .430 on-base percentage and 17 stolen bases in 22 tries. A native of Barbados, Richardson went to Vanderbilt and played in the San Francisco organization before Atlanta signed him as a free agent last year. He's as friendly a guy as you could meet and a joy to watch play the game.

just an ex- check

Remember Eric Duncan? Duncan, who had a really solid season with the Mississippi Braves in 2010, is having another really solid season. The former New York Yankees first-round pick is batting .274 with 22 home runs and 61 RBIs for St. Louis' Double-A club, Springfield. His hitting coach there is ex-M-Braves manager Phillip Wellman. Remember Cody Johnson? Johnson, who had a really rocky season with the M-Braves in 2010, is having another really rocky season. The former Atlanta Braves first-round pick, who was sold to the Yankees in the off-season, hit 15 homers at Double-A Trenton this year but was demoted to Class A Tampa with a .226 average and 138 strikeouts in 297 at-bats. He's hitting .310 with six homers at Tampa but has 53 K's in 126 at-bats.
P.S. Ole Miss alumnus Alex Presley came off the disabled list cold, managing just four hits in 27 at-bats for Pittsburgh at the end of August. But since the calendar flipped to September, Presley is 5-for-8 with a homer and two triples. He's hitting .310 with two homers, five triples and 13 RBIs for the season.

comeback kid

Bobby Kielty's comeback has gone well. The former Ole Miss standout, who was out of baseball for basically two years, has put up some decent numbers as a 35-year-old part-timer with San Diego's Triple-A Tucson club. Kielty is batting .297 with seven home runs and 26 RBIs. He has also pitched in three games, with a 6.75 ERA to show for it. Where this comeback might lead isn't clear. Kielty's really not a kid anymore, and he has a surgically repaired knee from 2009. It's hard to imagine him getting another major league shot. But he did have his day. The switch-hitter known for his unkempt red hair played in 599 big league games and batted .254 with 53 bombs. His last major league appearance came in the 2007 World Series, when he hit a pinch homer for Boston during its sweep of Colorado. Kielty played in the minors in 2008 and again at the start of '09 before the knee injury shut him down. While flipping houses as a real estate broker in Riverside, Calif., he decided to try his hand — or arm — at pitching. He was working out at the local junior college last year when he got an offer to play again, as an outfielder, in the Puerto Rican Winter League. There he caught the eye of some big league clubs, and San Diego signed him. Alas, the Tucson season will be over soon. It'll be interesting to see if Kielty's comeback ends then, as well.