the next move

Curious to see what the future holds for Anthony Alford. The former Petal High star, released from his Southern Miss football scholarship on Thursday (with two criminal charges still hanging over his head), may well be planning to transfer to another school and keep playing. But after getting banged up at quarterback during the Golden Eagles’ dreadful 2012 season, maybe Alford is considering playing pro baseball full-time. He was rated the No. 36 overall prospect by Baseball America before last June’s draft, and even though he had announced his intention to play two sports at USM, Toronto picked him in the third round. He signed for $750,000 with the stipulation that he could continue playing football. In five games in the rookie Gulf Coast League last summer, Alford flashed the tools that baseball scouts love in him: He hit a home run and stole four bases. It certainly would be interesting to see how quickly he could advance if he were to devote his focus to baseball. P.S. Laurel resident Bobby Dickerson, a longtime minor league manager and coach, has been named third-base coach on Buck Showalter's Baltimore Orioles staff.

again!?

Eli Whiteside was claimed today by Texas off waivers from Toronto. If you’re scoring at home, that’s four teams in roughly as many weeks for the former Delta State standout. Whiteside finished the season on San Francisco’s roster. He has since been claimed off waivers by the New York Yankees, the Toronto Blue Jays and now the Rangers. A fairly solid defensive backstop, Whiteside is also, however, a .215 career hitter with 10 home runs in 208 big league games. He joins four other catchers, at least for now, on Texas’ roster — Geovany Soto, Konrad Schmidt and Luis Martinez. That could be an interesting position battle in spring training.

sipp goes west

Among the nine players changing places in Tuesday night’s three-team MLB trade is Pascagoula native and former Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College star Tony Sipp. The left-handed reliever moves from Cleveland to Arizona as part of the big swap that also included Cincinnati. Sipp, 29, had spent his entire pro career in the Indians’ system. He didn’t post a great year in 2012 — 4.42 ERA in 63 appearances — but historically has had success getting lefty hitters out. His career ERA is 3.68 in 248 games; he has had only six save chances, converting two. P.S. Also moving to Arizona is former Reds shortstop prospect Didi Gregorius. That means Ole Miss alum Zack Cozart, Cincy’s starting shortstop, won’t have to look over his shoulder in 2013.

prospecting

Julio Teheran is No. 1. Again. But, since he’s only 21, that’s OK. Baseball America’s list of the top 10 prospects in Atlanta’s organization is out, and the Colombian right-hander, who pitched for the Mississippi Braves in 2010, is back on top. He will have an impact in Atlanta soon, count on it. No. 2 on the BA list is J.R. Graham, the little right-hander who reached Mississippi late last summer, going 3-1 with a 3.18 ERA. He throws VERY hard and struck out 42 Double-A hitters in 45 1/3 innings. With any luck (for M-Braves fans), he’ll be back in Pearl this spring. Christian Bethancourt (No. 3), Sean Gilmartin (4), Evan Gattis (8) and Zeke Spruill (9) — all 2012 M-Braves — are also on the list. The power-hitting Gattis might be back, but it’s less likely for the others of that group. Right-hander Lucas Sims, the Braves’ top pick last June, checks in at No. 5. He played in rookie ball last season, as did No. 6 Mauricio Cabrera (RH) and No. 10 Jose Peraza (SS). No. 7 Alex Wood, a lefty drafted out of Georgia this year, went 4-2, 2.22 at low Class A Rome. He might show up at Trustmark Park sometime next summer. P.S. Belhaven and Blue Mountain will launch the 2013 college season at Smith-Wills Stadium in Jackson on Jan. 25. Can’t hardly wait. … Pulled from a box of 2012 Topps Updates: Andrelton Simmons and Brian Dozier rookie cards, Paul Maholm in a Braves unie, a Tim Dillard, a Scott Diamond, a Jairo Asencio (the former Luis Valdez) and a Ben Sheets. A nice haul.

on the move

After six years in the Detroit organization, former Ole Miss standout Justin Henry will get a change of scenery in 2013. Boston traded for the 27-year old outfielder on Thursday and it’s expected he’ll go to big-league camp with the Red Sox. Henry, drafted out of Ole Miss in 2007, couldn’t break through to The Show with the Tigers, despite hitting .293 for his career. The left-handed swinger, listed at 6 feet 3, 180 pounds, is not a power hitter; he has just four home runs as a pro. But he gets on base and can steal a bag (126 career). He spent last season at Triple-A Toledo, batting .300 with 38 RBIs, 72 runs and 22 steals. He should get a good look from a Red Sox club that needed to make some changes after a rough 2012 season.

teheran's time?

Atlanta Braves officials and fans alike have to be encouraged by Julio Teheran’s recent outings in the Dominican Winter League. The former Mississippi Braves right-hander from Colombia threw five hitless innings for Licey on Tuesday and has allowed just one hit in his last two starts (10 2/3 innings). Overall, he is 2-1 with a 4.01 ERA in six DWL starts. With former M-Braves Tommy Hanson traded and Brandon Beachy recovering from Tommy John surgery, Atlanta may have a rotation spot to fill this spring, and the hard-throwing Teheran will no doubt get an opportunity. He has made seven big league appearances, with middling results, and had a wobbly 2012 season at Triple-A Gwinnett, going 7-9, 5.08. He is capable of so much better. He blew through three levels of minor league ball in 2010, finishing 3-2 with a 3.38 ERA in seven starts for the Double-A M-Braves, and was lights out at Gwinnett in 2011. He’s only 21 (22 in January). But this may be his time. P.S. Yunel Escobar. Traded. Again. From Miami to Tampa Bay. For a minor leaguer. Not a good sign for the enigmatic ex-M-Braves shortstop.

a just reward

Buck Showalter, who came up short in the American League manager of the year voting by the baseball writers, earned some hardware today, claiming the GIBBY (Greatness in Baseball Yearly) award for best manager given by mlb.com. Former Mississippi State star Showalter steered Baltimore to a stunning 93-69 finish and a wild card berth. Showalter, known as a disciplinarian, reportedly loosened his reins a bit this year and it seemed to work with these Orioles, who snapped a streak of 14 straight losing seasons. Former Jackson Mets star Billy Beane (Oakland GM) won the GIBBY for top executive. The awards are voted on by media, MLB front-office personnel, ex-players, fans and the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). P.S. Former Delta State standout Eli Whiteside was claimed off waivers by Toronto from the New York Yankees. … Noticed that ex-DSU player Edwin Maysonet, who got some big league time with Milwaukee this year, is playing in his native Puerto Rico this winter. He is a free agent. … Atlanta prospect Evan Gattis, a 2012 Mississippi Braves catcher/left fielder, now has nine homers in 157 at-bats in the Venezuelan Winter League.

keep on sluggin'

Hattiesburg native John Lindsey will play on in 2013, having re-signed as a minor league free agent with the Detroit Tigers. Lindsey, who’ll turn 36 in January, hit .270 with 15 home runs and 47 RBIs in 65 games for the Tigers’ Triple-A Toledo club in 2012. He began 2012 playing in Mexico, hitting 21 bombs for Laguna. Lindsey has been slugging away in pro ball since 1995 and has logged only 12 at-bats (one hit) in the majors, all with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2010. He has 249 career minor league homers. P.S. Delta State product Eli Whiteside, who signed a split contract with the New York Yankees, has been designated for assignment (taken off the big league roster). … Former Mississippi Braves shortstop Brandon Hicks, DFA’d by Oakland last week, was traded to the New York Mets. … Ex-M-Brave Brent Lillibridge, who finished last season with Cleveland, has elected free agency.

return of a hero

During his playing days, Bobby Thigpen was a great fit in the Chicago White Sox’s bullpen, posting a team-record 201 career saves. Maybe he’ll find success there again. The former Mississippi State standout has been hired as bullpen coach by the ChiSox. “This is something I am looking forward to,” he told ESPNChicago.com. Thigpen, who has been managing and coaching in the White Sox’s system for several years, spent last season as pitching coach for Double-A Birmingham in the Southern League. Thigpen spent the majority of his nine-year playing career with the White Sox and in 1990 set an American League record for saves with 57, a mark that stood for 19 years. Thigpen and ChiSox manager Robin Ventura were teammates for several years. Thigpen was a member of some of the great MSU teams of the 1980s, teaming with Will Clark, Rafael Palmeiro and Jeff Brantley.

transaction watch

Some noteworthy names have popped up on the MLB transaction report in recent days. T.J. House, the former Picayune High ace, was added to Cleveland’s 40-man roster, as was former Mississippi Braves pitcher Brett Oberholtzer by Houston. Delta State product and onetime big leaguer Dusty Hughes was re-signed by Atlanta; the left-handed reliever spent 2012 at Triple-A Gwinnett. Also signing minor league deals were a host of ex-M-Braves: Matt Young and Jo-Jo Reyes with the Los Angeles Angels; J.C. Boscan with the Chicago Cubs; Erik Cordier with Pittsburgh; and Juan Abreu with the L.A. Dodgers. Former M-Braves shortstop Brent Lillibridge was put on the Triple-A roster by Cleveland, and Brandon Hicks, another ex-M-Braves shortstop, was designated for assignment by Oakland.

moving on up

Some familiar names were added to Atlanta’s 40-man roster today. Catcher Christian Bethancourt and right-handers Zeke Spruill, David Hale and Cory Rasmus — all 2012 Mississippi Braves — were protected from the Rule 5 draft and will go to spring training with the big league club. Bethancourt hit just .243 last year before a hand injury ended his season early, but he is regarded as a strong defensive catcher. Spruill was 9-11 with a 3.67 ERA, Hale 8-4, 3.77 and Rasmus put up a 3.68 in 50 games in relief. It’s likely all four will start at Triple-A Gwinnett in 2013. ... How many former M-Braves now on the Atlanta roster? Try 22.

back in the saddle

John Gibbons, the former Jackson Mets catcher, is getting a second chance as manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, and this time the expectations will be greater. Gibbons went 305-305 in his previous stint (2004-08); his best team, the 2006 club, finished 87-75 and ran second — missing the playoffs — in the American League East. The Blue Jays have added Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle and Melky Cabrera to their roster for 2013, and Gibbons himself said in his press conference that he expects to contend (with the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays) in the beastly AL East. Wish him luck. He’ll need it. Gibbons, now 50, was one of the Mets’ three first-round picks in 1980 — Darryl Strawberry and Billy Beane were the others — and reached Double-A Jackson in 1982. He was a star for Our Jackson Mets in 1983, batting .298 with 18 homers and 67 RBIs. Gibbons joins quite a crew of former JaxMets players or skippers in leadership positions in MLB: Beane is the GM in Oakland, and Davey Johnson, Clint Hurdle, Ron Gardenhire and Ned Yost are managing in Washington, Pittsburgh, Minnesota and Kansas City. P.S. Billy Hamilton suffered nothing more than back spasms in his crash into the outfield wall in Saturday’s Arizona Fall League title game, according to various reports. The Taylorsville High alum and Cincinnati prospect, still learning the ropes in center field, had a triple and a bunt single in the game.

center of attention

With any luck, we’ll get to judge how Billy Hamilton’s adjustment to center field has gone when Peoria meets Salt River in today’s Arizona Fall League championship game (2 p.m., MLB Network). Hamilton, the speedy Taylorsville High product, is expected to start in center for Peoria, with Meridian Community College product Corey Dickerson possibly in left or right for Salt River. Cincinnati converted Hamilton from shortstop to outfield in the AFL. “People say outfield is easy,” he told mlb.com in late October, “but once you get out there, you’ve got to know the hitters, how much power they’ve got and the angle of the bat when the ball comes off it. It’s been a little hard.” Hamilton certainly has the speed and a strong enough arm to make this work, and he seems to have bought into it. “Whatever gets me to the big leagues, I’m down with it,” he told mlb.com. He hit just .234 in the AFL but did steal 10 bags, drive in nine runs and score 11. He hit .311 in the regular season and stole a pro record 155 bases between high-A and Double-A. Dickerson, a Colorado prospect and more of a power hitter, batted .364 with three doubles, two triples, a homer, 11 RBIs and eight steals.

worth a look

Take a break from football on Saturday and check out the Arizona Fall League championship game (2 p.m. on MLB Network). Meridian Community College product Corey Dickerson will be in the game; he went 4-for-4 on Wednesday as Salt River clinched the East Division title. Dickerson, a rising Colorado outfield prospect, has a current 12-game hit streak and is batting .387 with a home run and 11 RBIs. Former Taylorsville High standout Billy Hamilton's Peoria club is in first place in the West. Hamilton (Cincinnati) is batting .250 with 10 stolen bases. P.S. Former Ole Miss star and current Florida Marlins minor leaguer Chris Coghlan (.224) hit his fourth homer for Aguilas in the Dominican Winter League on Wednesday. … 2012 Mississippi Braves catcher/outfielder Evan Gattis hit homer No. 6 for Zulia in the Venezuelan Winter League. Gattis, who could be back in Pearl for 2013, is batting .275 with 20 RBIs and has earned the nickname El Oso Blanco (White Bear). … Itawamba CC had three players sign with NCAA Division I schools on Wednesday: Right-hander Ben Hudspeth (remember that name) with Mississippi State, shortstop Tyler Tipton with Kentucky and lefty Dylan Earnest with Southeastern Louisiana.

resume building

In addition to winning the National League Manager of the Year award, Davey Johnson bolstered his Hall of Fame credentials in 2012. The former Jackson Mets manager (Texas League champions, 1981) led the Washington Nationals to 98 wins — most in the majors — and a division title, which is the sixth Johnson’s teams have captured. Johnson, who now has two manager of the year awards (Baltimore, 1997), has won only one World Series ring as a manager (New York Mets, 1986). But those can be hard to come by. Just ask Bobby Cox. Johnson has won 2,283 games as a big-league skipper for five different organizations. He has posted an outstanding .564 winning percentage. Fast approaching 70, he’ll give it a go again with the Nats in 2013. They’ll be good, a World Series contender. Count on that. And don’t be surprised if Johnson gets a Cooperstown call a few years down the road. P.S. Yunel Escobar, the onetime Mississippi Braves shortstop, apparently wore out his welcome in Toronto just as he did in Atlanta. He is a key piece in the blockbuster Toronto-Miami trade. Escobar batted just .253 this year (after a .290 mark in 2011) and created more off-field distractions. He lives in the Miami area, so maybe he’ll be happy there, though considering the plight of the Marlins, probably not so much on the field. … 2012 M-Brave Todd Cunningham (.254) went 3-for-4 with an RBI for Hermosillo in the Mexican Pacific League on Tuesday, and ex-M-Brave Matt Esquivel (.206) blasted his third homer, a game-winner, for Navojoa in the MPL. … Atlanta has one catcher, ex-M-Braves star Brian McCann, on its current roster, and McCann is expected to miss the start of the 2013 season after recent shoulder surgery. Might the Braves rush 2012 M-Braves catcher Christian Bethancourt to The Show next spring? They’ve fast-tracked a number of players recently.

not to be overlooked

Billy Hamilton is getting lots of attention in the Arizona Fall League, but there’s another Mississippi native out there who is actually playing better. McComb’s Corey Dickerson, a former Meridian Community College star, is hitting .340 with a homer, eight RBIs and seven stolen bases in the AFL. (Hamilton, the blazer from Taylorsville, has nine steals and a .275 average.) Dickerson was drafted (for the second time) by Colorado in 2008 after a monster season (.459, 21 home runs) at MCC. The Mississippi State commit signed and launched what has been a very impressive pro career. He reached Double-A Tulsa this past season and hit .274 with 13 homers in 67 games. He is carrying a .307 career average and has 67 bombs. Dickerson, 6 feet 2, 210 pounds, is a lefty-hitting corner outfielder who can’t be far off from his first big-league shot. His power seemingly would be a great fit at Coors Field. P.S. Kudos to former Jackson Mets outfielder Billy Beane, the Oakland A’s GM, on his executive of the year award, and to ex-OJMs skipper Davey Johnson on his new deal to manage Washington again next season.

scatter shots

Todd Cunningham, the switch-hitting center fielder who starred for the Mississippi Braves this past season, is getting more seasoning in the Mexican Pacific League. He belted a three-run homer for Hermosillo on Tuesday night and is hitting .250 in 44 at-bats. Cunningham hit .306 for the M-Braves, contending for the Southern League batting title, and added 23 doubles, 51 RBIs, 77 runs and 24 stolen bases. He’s one to keep an eye on. … The New York Yankees have claimed former Delta State star Eli Whiteside off waivers from San Francisco. Whiteside, a catcher, spent most of 2012 in the minors, going 1-for-11 in big league games. He didn’t play in the postseason as the Giants won the World Series. … Remember Zach Penprase? The former Mississippi Valley State standout is still plugging away, six years after Philadelphia drafted him out of Itta Bena. He is currently playing for Sydney in the Australian Baseball League. The Californian, an infielder, has played the past four seasons in independent ball after stalling at the Class A level in affiliated ball.

catching up

The next Mississippi Braves alumnus to make the majors could be Ernesto Mejia, who was recently added to Atlanta’s 40-man roster. Mejia, a right-handed hitting first baseman, smacked 26 home runs and drove in 99 runs for the M-Braves in 2011, setting club records in both categories. He was an International League All-Star in 2012 after hitting .296 with 24 homers at Triple-A Gwinnett and currently is batting .333 with five homers in 21 games in winter ball. Mejia, 26, won’t beat out Freddie Freeman, obviously, but he could be a good bat off the bench. … Still puzzled over why the Braves claimed ex-M-Braves outfielder Jordan Schafer off waivers from lowly Houston. Schafer is a good center fielder and can steal a bag, but he has hit just .221 for his career, seems injury-prone and has had off-field issues, as well. … Taylorsville’s Billy Hamilton (Cincinnati) went 1-for-3 with two runs and two steals and made a great catch in center field in Saturday night’s Arizona Fall League Rising Stars Game. Meridian Community College product Corey Dickerson (Colorado) went 1-for-2 with a run and an RBI in the all-star game. … Former Ole Miss pitcher Mickey Callaway, hired last week as the Cleveland Indians' pitching coach, has the potential to be "a star," according to the Tribe's new manager, Terry Francona. Callaway was the Indians' minor league pitching coordinator this past season. ... On the free agent market: Weir’s Roy Oswalt, Nettleton’s Bill Hall and ex-Jackson Generals Freddy Garcia, Lance Berkman and Bobby Abreu.

honor role

Things turned sour for Lance Lynn in the postseason. The right-hander from Ole Miss made two lackluster starts in the National League Championship Series, which his St. Louis Cardinals lost to San Francisco. He also gave up a walk-off home run in the NLDS against Washington. But put all that aside. Lynn’s regular season stats were stellar: 18-7 record, 3.78 ERA, 180 strikeouts in 176 innings. He made the All-Star Game in his first full big league season. He played a prominent role for a playoff team. And he earned the 2012 Cool Papa Bell Award, given here for the best performance by a Mississippian (native or college alum) in the majors. Lynn won out over some strong competition. Mississippi State product Jonathan Papelbon had another good year, his first in Philadelphia: 38 saves, 2.44 ERA. MSU’s Mitch Moreland hit .275 with 15 homers for Texas. Ole Miss alum Seth Smith hit .240 with 14 homers for Oakland. Ex-Rebels star Zack Cozart hit .246 with 15 homers and played solid defense for Cincinnati as a rookie shortstop. Meridian Community College product Cliff Lee had a 3.16 ERA and 207 K’s (with just six wins) for the Phillies. Still, Lynn’s 18 wins puts him over the top. He joins Chris Coghlan (2009), Roy Oswalt (2010) and Lee (2011) as winners of the Bell award.

blanco's numbers

While there have been many heroes for the San Francisco Giants as they bolted to a 3-0 lead in the World Series, you can’t overlook left fielder Gregor Blanco’s contributions. The former Mississippi Braves standout has: 3 sweet catches; 2 big hits (a bunt and a triple); and 1 good throw. He's had a hand in every win. Speed is Blanco’s main skill, and we saw it at Trustmark Park in 2005 and ’06. In 123 games in ’05, he stole 28 bases and hit 12 triples. In 66 games in ’06, he swiped 17 bags. He didn’t make a huge impression during his time in Atlanta, especially in the field. But he has played so well for the Giants, they haven’t missed the suspended Melky Cabrera a bit.

memory lane

Old Jackson Mets fans surely remember Kevin Elster. He played a pretty slick shortstop at Smith-Wills Stadium back in 1985 and ’86, helping the JaxMets win a Texas League title in ’85. He didn’t hit much for power — four homers total in his two stints in Jackson. But he’s in the news today because of a feat of power. Before San Francisco’s Pablo Sandoval hit three home runs in Game 1 of the World Series on Wednesday night, the only player with a hat trick of that sort at the Giants’ ballpark was Elster. He did it in the very first game played there in 2000 when he was with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Barry Bonds never hit three there. Kevin Elster did. Amazing. Elster hit just 88 home runs in a big league career that stretched from 1986-2000 and only once hit more than 10 in a season. But that one day he caught lightning in a bottle.

it happened in '84

The Detroit Tigers and San Francisco Giants franchises have been around since the dawn of time – or so it seems. Interesting that they’ve never met in the World Series before. Both have multiple championships on their resumes, with the Giants having celebrated one just two years ago. The Tigers were in the Fall Classic in 2006 but lost to St. Louis. Their last title came in 1984, when a pair of Mississippi natives played notable roles. Sunflower’s Larry Herndon was the Tigers’ left fielder that year, and he went 5-for-15 in the five-game World Series victory over San Diego. Herndon hit a crucial two-run, two-out home run in the fifth inning of Game 1, propelling the Tigers to a 3-2 victory. Jackson native Chet Lemon was Detroit’s center fielder; he was 5-for-17 in the Series and also made 15 putouts, a nice number for a man long noted for his glove. P.S. There are no Mississippians in the 2012 Series, but New Albany and Delta State product Eli Whiteside has been with the Giants (though inactive) throughout the postseason. He’s the third catcher and likely won’t be activated unless Buster Posey or Hector Sanchez goes down. Whiteside was active for the Giants’ 2010 championship run and got a ring.

touching the bases

Picayune High product T.J. House threw five hitless innings Friday for Scottsdale in the Arizona Fall League. The Cleveland Indians prospect has a 1.13 ERA in eight innings over two starts in the AFL. … Taylorsville’s Billy Hamilton (Cincinnati) has five steals and a .300 average through five AFL games with Peoria. … After seven years as hitting coach of the Boston Red Sox, former Jackson Mets star Dave Magadan has taken the hitting coach job with the Texas Rangers. … Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College alum Fred Lewis elected free agency after the New York Mets outrighted him to Triple-A. Lewis finished the 2012 season in the big leagues but hit just .150 in 20 at-bats; he hit .294 at Triple-A Buffalo. Lewis, who turns 32 in December, has been with five different organizations in the last three years. … Also on the free agent market is ex-Delta State player Edwin Maysonet, who was up for a short time with Milwaukee this season. ... The fourth inning bit Lance Lynn again in the National League Championship Series. On Friday, after sailing through three innings, former Ole Miss star Lynn ran into trouble in the fourth and exacerbated the situation with a brutal throwing error. He took the loss as San Francisco won 5-0 and forced a Game 6. Lynn, an 18-game winner this year, also got KO’d by the Giants in the fourth inning of Game 1, which the Cardinals won.

a second helping

Ex-Ole Miss standout Lance Lynn makes his second postseason start tonight as St. Louis goes for the clincher in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series. “I’m as strong as I’ve ever been all year,” Lynn told mlb.com. The big right-hander, who had been working out of the bullpen in the playoffs after starting much of the regular season, got the call in Game 1 on Sunday and breezed through three innings before host San Francisco knocked him out in the fourth. The Cardinals went on to win the game and now take a 3-1 lead into tonight’s contest. They’d love to wrap it up at Busch Stadium, where Lynn is 9-4 with a 3.28 ERA this season. Games 6 and 7, if necessary, would be back in San Francisco’s AT&T Park. Lynn doesn’t sound like he is feeling any pressure. “It’s enjoyable, no matter what the situation of the time of it,” he told mlb.com. P.S. Mason Robbins drove in three runs and Isaac Rodriguez a pair as Southern Miss’ Gold team beat the Black 12-3 Thursday night in Game 2 of their fall ball world series. Jake Drehoff got the win. … Mississippi State will play three intrasquad scrimmages this weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) as part of homecoming activities. Last Saturday, Adam Frazier scored a pair of runs to lead the Maroon to 4-3 win over the White, which got a home run from Tyler Fullerton. … Ole Miss’ fall world series is set for next weekend.

winter is here

Chris Coghlan’s quest to get back to the big leagues has taken him to the Dominican Republic. The former Ole Miss standout went 3-for-5 with a homer in his winter league debut on Sunday. Coghlan, a former National League rookie of the year, hit just .140 in 39 games with Miami this season and spent most of 2012 at Triple-A New Orleans. In 89 games for the Zephyrs, he batted .284 with seven homers and 31 RBIs. It’ll be interesting to see what the future holds. … Justin Henry, another ex-Rebel, is playing in Venezuela. Henry, a sixth-year pro who has yet to make The Show, batted .300 at Triple-A Toledo in the Detroit system this season. He is off to a .357 start with Zulia, playing on a team that includes Mississippi Braves alums Ernesto Mejia and Evan Gattis.

betting the house

He is isn’t listed among Cleveland’s top 10 prospects, but T.J. House, the former Picayune High star, is certainly a minor leaguer to keep an eye on next year. The 23-year-old left-hander made his Arizona Fall League debut on Saturday and threw three solid innings, allowing three hits and one run with four strikeouts. (He got Taylorsville’s Billy Hamilton twice.) House is sturdy (6 feet 2, 215 pounds) and durable (23 starts or more in each of his four pro seasons). Scouting reports indicate he isn’t overpowering but throws strikes and features an exceptional changeup. The Indians drafted him in the 16th round in 2008 after he went 7-2 with a 0.89 ERA and 99 strikeouts his senior year at Picayune. In four pro seasons, he has an ERA of 3.93, and at Double-A Akron in 2012 was 8-5 with a 3.98. The Indians were awful this year and will be under new management (Terry Francona) in 2013. House might have a real shot at making his big league debut sometime next season. P.S. Hamilton is hitting .500 through five games in the AFL. Former Meridian Community College standout Corey Dickerson is off to an .091 start.

next

After Friday’s miraculous, 9-7 comeback win extended their season, the St. Louis Cardinals will hand the ball to former Ole Miss star Lance Lynn in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series on Sunday. The Cardinals face San Francisco in a matchup of the past two World Series winners. Lynn won 17 games in 29 starts during the regular season, including four W’s in his last four starts after a hiatus in the bullpen. For the year, Lynn went 18-7 with a 3.78. He has pitched four times in relief in this postseason. He gave up the walk-off homer to Washington’s Jayson Werth on Thursday but for the most part pitched well. Lynn’s a horse. The 7-game series starts at San Francisco, but the Cardinals don’t seem to care about home field. They won at Atlanta in the wild card game, then took two of three at Washington to win the NLDS. … Former Mississippi Braves standout Gregor Blanco, a lefty hitter, batted .286 with a homer, two RBIs and three runs in the Giants’ 5-game NLDS win over Cincinnati.

sudden stops

The list of Mississippians in the MLB playoffs grows thin. Ole Miss products Zack Cozart and Seth Smith bowed out on Thursday in the first two of the four 5-game division series battles we’ll be treated to this postseason. Cincinnati's Cozart went 5-for-21 in his first postseason series. He was 1-for-4 with a run on Thursday but also committed a costly error at shortstop in San Francisco’s six-run fifth inning. The Giants held on to win 6-4. Smith was just 2-for-15 (with three RBIs) in Oakland’s ALDS loss to Detroit. His two hits were big ones in A’s wins, but he went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts Thursday as the Tigers followed Justin Verlander’s four-hitter to a 6-0 win. Smith made the last out of the A’s season, a ground out to second. Meanwhile, ex-Ole Miss standout Lance Lynn was involved in the last at-bat of Thursday’s St. Louis-Washington game. The Cardinals right-hander gave up the game-winning homer in the ninth to Jayson Werth (on the 13th pitch of the at-bat) as the Nationals evened the series 2-all. Lynn is 1-1 (with an 8.10 ERA) in three relief appearances in the NLDS and said after Thursday’s game he would welcome the chance to pitch again in today’s Game 5. Mississippi State product Tyler Moore must also be eager for another shot. He has just the one AB for Washington in this series — a two-run pinch single in a Nats win on Sunday. Baltimore, managed by Mississippi State alumnus Buck Showalter, forced a Game 5 in the ALDS with a 2-1, 13-inning win over the New York Yankees on Thursday. A decisive postseason game at Yankee Stadium is always a pretty cool thing.

mr. smith checks in

The Oakland A’s, who made a habit of the walk-off win (14 of 'em) during a magical regular season, were at it again on Wednesday night. And Jackson’s Seth Smith was right in the thick of things. With the A’s down 3-1 in the bottom of the ninth, Smith ripped a two-run double and then scored himself two outs later on Coco Crisp’s single to even the American League Division Series with Detroit at 2-all. Former Ole Miss star Smith had been fairly quiet as Oakland lost the first two games of this series. But he hit a big home run at O.Co Coliseum — his first in three postseasons — in Tuesday’s 2-0 win. Smith hit just .150 over the last 21 games of the regular season, but A’s manager Bob Melvin has kept the left-handed hitter in the lineup against Detroit’s right-handed starters. “It’s not like Seth Smith’s any slouch,” teammate Jonny Gomes, his frequent platoon partner, told mlb.com. So true. Smith was 4-for-11 in the postseason prior to this year, playing with Colorado in 2007 and 2009. Some remember him for making the last out, a strikeout, against Boston (and Mississippi State alum Jonathan Papelbon) in the ’07 World Series. He’s giving us something else to remember now. ... P.S. Kudos to former Mississippi Braves outfielder Gregor Blanco on his first postseason homer on Wednesday, which helped San Francisco even its National League Division Series with Cincinnati at 2-all.

meanwhile, in arizona

Quite a few familiar names appear on the rosters in the prospect-packed Arizona Fall League, which launches its 20th anniversary season today. Mississippi Braves manager Aaron Holbert is managing the Phoenix team, and there are five 2012 M-Braves on his club: pitchers Ryan Buchter, Chris Jones, Cory Rasmus and Zeke Spruill and catcher Matt Kennelly. Also with the Phoenix team are likely 2013 M-Braves Nick Ahmed, a shortstop, and Edward Salcedo, a third baseman. Billy Hamilton, the Taylorsville High product and stolen base king, is set to play outfield for Peoria, Cincinnati’s AFL affiliate. Former Meridian Community College standout Corey Dickerson, an outfielder in Colorado’s system, is with Salt River, and Picayune product T.J. House, a left-hander in the Cleveland organization, is on the Scottsdale roster. P.S. Former M-Braves slugger Matt Esquivel and ex-Jackson Generals infielder Bryant Nelson (remember him?) helped Long Island win the independent Atlantic League championship.

role playing

He has bounced from starter to reliever twice now, but Lance Lynn has rolled smoothly with the changes. The former Ole Miss standout worked three innings in emergency relief on Monday and picked up the win as St. Louis whipped Washington 12-4 and evened the National League Division Series at 1-all. Lynn replaced Cardinals starter Jaime Garcia (shoulder injury) in the third inning. He worked two scoreless before allowing a couple of solo homers in the fifth, when St. Louis was comfortably ahead. Lynn, an 18-game winner this season, began the year in the St. Louis rotation (replacing injured Chris Carpenter) and made the All-Star team. Some rocky outings led to a demotion to the bullpen, where he worked on his mechanics before yet another injury (Jake Westbrook) created another starting opportunity. Lynn went 4-0 in his last four starts. He’s been bumped back to the bullpen for the postseason, a role he filled well during St. Louis’ championship run last fall. But the injury to Garcia just might open the door for a starting job if the Cards reach the NLCS.

october!

Postseason baseball is so often defined by moments, and rookie Tyler Moore had one worth remembering on Sunday. In his first postseason at-bat, the Brandon native produced a two-strike, two-out, two-run pinch hit to boost Washington to a 3-2 win over St. Louis in Game 1 of the National League Division Series. It was the first postseason game for a Washington-based team since 1933. Moore, who hit 10 homers this season, reached out to poke a 93 mph fastball from Cardinals lefty Marc Rzepczynski into right field to put the Nationals ahead in the eighth inning. “I’m a blessed man. It’s pretty unbelievable,” Moore, an alum of Northwest Rankin, Meridian Community College and Mississippi State, told mlb.com. … Jackson native and Ole Miss product Seth Smith and his Oakland teammates are still looking for some October magic. Smith, who hit .417 against Detroit in the regular season, is 0-for-5 and the A’s are down 2-0 to the Tigers in the American League Division Series. … While a bunch of former Mississippi Braves were swept from the postseason in Atlanta’s crazy — for lack of a better word — loss to St. Louis in the NL wild card game, there are two ex-M-Braves facing off in the NLDS. Gregor Blanco has a couple of hits in five at-bats for San Francisco, but the Giants are down 2-0 to Cincinnati, where J.J. Hoover has established himself in the Reds’ vaunted bullpen. He worked a scoreless inning in Sunday’s 9-0 blowout. Ex-Ole Miss star Zack Cozart, Cincy’s rookie shortstop, went 1-for-4 in that game and is 2-for-8 in the series. … In two previous trips to the postseason, Amory native and MSU alum Mitch Moreland had gone 19-for-75 with three homers and 10 RBIs, helping Texas get to the World Series in both 2010 and ’11. This year, he got one at-bat and struck out. The Rangers, who led the AL West by 2 games with three to play, fell into the wild card game and were summarily dismissed by Baltimore. What a shocking turn of events for that club.

finishing touches

Seth Smith got a big hit and enjoyed another celebration (that’s two in three days) on Wednesday. The ex-Hillcrest Christian and Ole Miss standout had an RBI single in Oakland’s six-run fourth inning which propelled the surprising A’s to a 12-5 win over Texas and the American League West championship. … Tyler Moore, the Northwest Rankin, Meridian Community College and Mississippi State alumnus, belted his 10th homer on Wednesday, helping Washington beat Philadelphia 5-1 and celebrate for the third time in the closing stretch. Davey Johnson’s Nationals clinched home-field advantage throughout the National League playoffs. … Meridian CC alumnus Cliff Lee took the loss for the Phillies, but he finished with some impressive numbers: a 3.16 ERA, 207 strikeouts and just 28 walks. … Former Jackson Mets manager Sam Perlozzo, who won two Texas League championships, reportedly won’t be back as Philly’s first-base coach in 2013. Seems an odd move to make. … Former Jackson Generals star Lance Berkman made a pinch-hit appearance for St. Louis in what might have been his final game. The ever-appreciative fans at Busch Stadium gave him a standing ovation. Ex-Gens standout Bobby Abreu did not play for the Los Angeles Dodgers in what might have been his last game in uniform. … The Cardinals have announced Kyle Lohse as their starter for Friday’s wild card showdown with Atlanta. Ole Miss product Lance Lynn, an 18-game winner, surely will get a start in the NLDS if the Cards advance. … Atlanta used eight pitchers in its 4-0 win over Pittsburgh; seven of them are ex-Mississippi Braves. A horde of M-Braves alums will be on Atlanta’s postseason roster, including Friday starter Kris Medlen, while Gregor Blanco will be with San Francisco, J.J. Hoover with Cincinnati, Matt Harrison with Texas and possibly Brandon Hicks with Oakland. … Former M-Brave Scott Diamond took a loss for Minnesota on Wednesday, but he had a solid season: 12-9, 3.54 ERA for Ron Gardenhire’s 66-96 club.

falling down

Tying run on base. Two outs. Ninth inning. Must-win game. There was a time when Brian McCann was a batter Atlanta Braves fans would love to see at the plate in that situation. But the McCann of 2012 isn’t. On Monday, the former Mississippi Braves standout bounced out to the pitcher. The Braves lost to Pittsburgh 2-1 and saw their slim National League East title hopes snuffed. McCann went 0-for-4 and stranded three runners all told on Monday. His season average dropped to .227, some 50 points off his career number. He has five silver slugger awards, but his numbers have been dropping. He hit. 301 in 2008, followed by .281, .269, .270 and now this year’s skid. His RBI totals have gone from 94 in 2009 to 77, 71 and now 67 this year. He had some vision problems in 2011, and a shoulder issue reportedly has hampered him this season. Clearly something is wrong. Maybe it’s just all those games behind the plate; he’s been the Braves’ regular catcher since 2006, when he batted .333. The Braves, as a team, have fallen back into one of those spells where they can’t seem to put together hits and produce big innings. This team came out of the gates throwing up crooked numbers, but it’s been a different club the second half. Monday’s lineup included just one .300 hitter (ex-M-Brave Martin Prado). Their pitching has been good all year, especially in the recent crucial weeks. (Tip your cap to ex-Jackson Mets hurler Roger McDowell, the pitching coach.) But offensive consistency is a concern heading into Friday’s wild card showdown with either St. Louis or Los Angeles. Braves fans might want to cross their fingers and pray for a three-run homer. P.S. Mississippi natives Tyler Moore (Washington) and Seth Smith (Oakland) celebrated their team’s playoff berths on Monday. They join Zack Cozart (Cincinnati), Mitch Moreland and Roy Oswalt (Texas), Paul Maholm (Atlanta) and Eli Whiteside (San Francisco) as Mississippians who have already partied.

hot spots

The last day of September shapes up as a very entertaining day in baseball. From a Mississippi perspective, keep an eye on the events in St. Louis, where Ole Miss product Lance Lynn (17-7) starts for the Cardinals against Washington. The Cards are still hunting the second wild card in the National League; the Nationals are still trying to fend off Atlanta in the NL East and also battling for the league’s best record. In Atlanta, former Mississippi Braves star Kris Medlen (9-1) goes to the bump to face the New York Mets. Hattiesburg native Fred Lewis could play a role there for the Mets. In the crazy American League, Texas, clinging to first place by 2½ games in the West, plays host to the wild card hopeful Los Angeles Angels in a doubleheader. Former Mississippi State standout Mitch Moreland figures to get some big at-bats for the Rangers. And Weir’s Roy Oswalt might be needed out of the Texas pen again. Oakland, 2½ games behind Texas and 2½ games up on the Angels in the No. 2 wild card race, hosts Seattle. UM alumnus Seth Smith likely will be in the Oakland lineup today against Mariners righty Erasmo Ramirez. Baltimore, currently tied with the New York Yankees atop the East, hosts Boston, cast in a rare role as spoiler. Ex-M-Braves Jarrod Saltalamacchia (25 homers) and Mauro Gomez (.281) swing big sticks for the BoSox. Still waiting on a Bill Hall (Nettleton) sighting in the Orioles’ lineup. Tampa Bay, still alive (barely) in both the East Division and wild card races, is at Chicago, where the White Sox have dropped 2 games behind Detroit in the Central. The Rays have former Itawamba CC star Desmond Jennings, who struck out four times in their win on Saturday. Does he get benched today? The ChiSox have Jackson native Donnie Veal, a big lefty who has been a good addition to their bullpen. P.S. Former M-Braves star Craig Kimbrel, a legit NL Cy Young candidate, notched his 41st save on Saturday. Of his 21 pitches, 14 were at 96 mph or better, including a 100. His last pitch was a knee-buckling breaking ball for strike three.

been that kinda year

Alex Presley made the final out in Homer Bailey’s no-hitter on Friday night, a fitting footnote in a tough year for the former Ole Miss standout. Presley went 0-for-4 in Pittsburgh’s 1-0 loss to Cincinnati, dropping his average to .236 in 100 games. He does have 10 home runs and seven triples, but he also has 71 strikeouts and just 18 walks. In sum, it has not been the kind of season the Pirates were hoping to get from Presley after he hit .298 in 52 games in 2011. The job as left fielder and leadoff batter was his for the taking this spring, but he wound up back in the minors after a slow start. The left-handed hitting Presley has gotten regular playing time again lately but is batting just .214 over his last 10 games. The Pirates, after another second-half collapse, figure to make some changes in the off-season. Presley could be on shaky ground. There are a bunch of other outfielders in the fold, including superstar Andrew McCutchen, Jose Tabata, Travis Snider and touted prospect Starling Marte. P.S. Ex-Rebels star Zack Cozart had a hand in the only run the Reds scored in Bailey’s no-no. Cozart’s first-inning single moved Brandon Phillips from second to third and Phillips then scored on a Todd Frazier sac fly. … Meridian Community College alumnus Cliff Lee got another no-decision (No. 15 this year) in Philadelphia’s 2-1 loss to Miami. The Phillies were officially eliminated from playoff contention. Lee is 6-8 with a 3.12 ERA.

worth noting

Ole Miss product Drew Pomeranz got his first win since July 6, throwing five shutout innings in Colorado’s 6-0 victory against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night. Pomeranz, working under the Rockies’ stringent pitch limit, is 2-9 with a 5.01 ERA. “The big thing was just being relaxed,” he told mlb.com. … In a key game at U.S. Cellular Field, Pascagoula native Tony Sipp cherry-picked — he retired the one batter he faced — a win as Cleveland beat the Chicago White Sox 6-4, dropping the ChiSox a game behind Detroit in the American League Central. Jackson native Donnie Veal was charged with the game-tying run in the sixth inning as Chicago failed to hold a 4-3 lead. … Nettleton native Bill Hall has been recalled by Baltimore and is eligible for the postseason roster. Journeyman Hall hit 15 homers in Triple-A this season, as if Buck Showalter’s O’s needed any more power. … Washington third-base coach Bo Porter reportedly will get the Houston managerial job for 2013. Former Jackson Mets infielder Tim Bogar, now a Boston coach, was among the candidates for the job.

party on

The Atlanta Braves threw an impressive celebration on Tuesday night after former Mississippi Braves star Freddie Freeman’s walk-off homer clinched a postseason berth. What they did tonight was equally impressive. Showing no signs of a letdown (or a hangover), the Braves followed Paul Maholm’s lead and beat Miami 3-0, keeping the heat on Washington in the National League East race. Maholm, the Mississippi State product, was sharp, allowing just five hits and no walks in 6 2/3 innings. He is 3-4 with a 4.09 ERA since the Braves got him from the Chicago Cubs, but that’s a bit deceiving. Seven of his nine starts with the Braves have been good ones. Maholm, a lefty who is at his best when he keeps the ball low in the zone, might get a crack at starting in the postseason if the Braves get to the NLCS. He has pitched better than right-hander Tommy Hanson of late. P.S. Good news for Clint Hurdle. The former Jackson Mets skipper reportedly will return as manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2013, despite the Bucs’ second-half collapse.

scatter shots

Roy Oswalt made his first appearance since Sept. 9 on Monday night and contributed to a big win for Texas. The right-hander from Weir and Holmes Community College threw two clean innings of middle relief as the Rangers rallied to beat Oakland, their closest pursuer in the American League West, by a 5-4 count. Mississippi State product Mitch Moreland had two hits and an RBI for Texas, now 5 games up on the A’s. … Jackson native Donnie Veal notched his first career save as the Chicago White Sox stopped a five-game skid with a 5-4 win over Cleveland. The ChiSox remain a game up on Detroit in the AL Central. Veal has a 0.75 ERA in 21 appearances. The big left-hander, drafted out of an Arizona junior college by the Cubs, passed through Trustmark Park in Pearl with Tennessee back in 2007 and ’08. … Lance Lynn worked seven strong, fanning nine, in St. Louis’ 6-1 victory over Houston. The former Ole Miss star is 17-7, 3-0 in three starts since returning to the rotation. “I see him with a whole different demeanor,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheney told mlb.com. St. Louis is 3½ games clear of the field in the battle for the second National League wild card. … Atlanta, with former Mississippi Braves pitcher and rising star Kris Medlen (8-0 as a starter this year) on the mound tonight, can clinch at least a wild card berth with a win over Miami. … Itawamba Community College alumnus Desmond Jennings, now with Tampa Bay, and Taylorsville High product Billy Hamilton, a Cincinnati minor leaguer who broke the stolen base record this summer, are among the featured players in Sports Illustrated’s most recent issue (Sept. 24), which was devoted to speed. Not mentioned was one of the fastest players currently in MLB, Jarrod Dyson, the ex-Southwest Mississippi CC standout who stole his 29th bag on Monday.

the main event

Mike Minor vs. Roy Halladay. At one point this season, this would have seemed like a laughable matchup. Today, it belongs on the MLB marquee when Atlanta and Philadelphia, both hunting playoff berths, meet at Citizens Bank Park. Former Mississippi Braves left-hander Minor was 4-6 with a 6.20 ERA after 15 starts this season and many were wondering why he wasn’t back in the minors. Halladay, despite some injury issues this season, is simply one of the best in the game, a two-time Cy Young award winner. But over their last 10 starts, Minor actually has pitched better than Halladay, looking more like the crafty hurler who dominated hitters in Double-A back in 2010. Minor, 9-10 with a 4.31 ERA for the year, is 4-3 with a 2.32 in his last 10 starts. Halladay, 10-7, 4.03 overall, is 6-2 with a 3.66. The Braves just haven’t scored behind Minor, a problem they’ll try to correct today. P.S. Zack Cozart was back in the Cincinnati lineup at shortstop on Friday for the first time in two weeks. The ex-Ole Miss star was 0-for-4 in the first-place Reds’ loss to Los Angeles. … UM product Drew Pomeranz lasted just three innings (85 pitches) for Colorado, allowing four hits, five walks and four earned runs. He did not take the loss in Friday’s 15-5 defeat against Arizona, however. It was 4-4 when he left. The former first-round pick (by Cleveland) remains 1-9 with an ERA of 5.30. Not what the Rockies were counting on. … Weir’s Roy Oswalt has been cleared to rejoin the Texas bullpen, but he didn’t work Friday in the first-place Rangers’ 6-3 loss at Seattle.

doubling down

The Oakland A’s needed to win. Seth Smith needed a breakout game. With September pressure in the air, both things happened today at Comerica Park in Detroit, where the former Ole Miss standout cranked out three hits and four RBIs and his A’s walloped the Tigers 12-4. Oakland, battling Detroit, among others, in the American League wild card chase, had lost the first two games of the series and three straight overall. Smith was in a slump (see previous post), but it didn’t look that way today. The left-handed hitting slugger went 3-for-4 with a walk, belted his 14th home run and scored three times. Though he’s hitting just .249, Smith’s RBI total is up to 50 and he’s only three homers shy of equaling his single-season high. Perhaps today was the start of a strong finish for both team and player. Now’s the time. Autumn’s closing in.

out in the wild

Lance Lynn was at it again for St. Louis on Wednesday night. The former Ole Miss star, making his second spot start since being taken from the rotation, threw 6 1/3 shutout innings against Houston as the Cardinals won 5-0 and strengthened their grip on the National League’s No. 2 wild card berth. Lynn, who has 16 victories, has won both of his starts in place of Jake Westbrook and has allowed only one run in 12 1/3 innings in that span. Whether Lynn will stay in the rotation remains uncertain. … Philadelphia is hanging around, 4 games behind St. Louis, thanks in no small part to Jonathan Papelbon. The ex-Mississippi State standout notched his 36th save on Wednesday. Over his last 10 appearances, Papelbon has allowed just one earned run while recording six saves and two victories. … In the American League, Oakland currently holds the No. 2 wild card spot (a half-game behind Baltimore) despite a three-game losing streak. The A’s could use some more thump from Ole Miss alum Seth Smith, who is homerless in his last 10 games and batting just .211 over that period. … Tampa Bay’s hopes are fading. The Rays have lost seven of 10 and are 5½ games back of Oakland. Desmond Jennings, the Itawamba Community College product, went 2-for-5 with a triple, two runs, two RBIs and a stolen base in a 13-3 win over Boston on Wednesday. Where has that been all year, Rays fans must be wondering. P.S. Ex-Ole Miss standout Zack Cozart, out of the Cincinnati lineup since Sept. 3 because of an oblique injury, might return this weekend when the Red host Los Angeles. The rookie shortstop is hitting .243 with 13 bombs. Cincy has virtually locked up the NL Central and is battling Washington for the league’s best record.

in praise of prado

It seems unfathomable now that Atlanta actually considered trading Martin Prado in the off-season for Colorado’s Seth Smith. No offense to Smith, the former Ole Miss star and a fine player now in Oakland. But without ex-Mississippi Braves star Prado in the lineup, Atlanta would very likely be lost in the wilderness of National League also-rans. Chipper Jones is a great hitter, when he plays. Michael Bourn had a superb first half, Jason Heyward is providing much-needed power and Freddie Freeman has had his big moments. But Prado is the Braves’ glue. A .296 career hitter, he slumped to .260 in 2011. Hardly seemed like a reason to panic. After Monday’s four-hit game in a big win over Miami, he’s at .303 for this season with 76 runs, 66 RBIs, 38 doubles, nine homers and 17 stolen bases. He leads the majors in two-strike hits. But forget the stats. Prado also has a baseball IQ that is off the charts. That was evident during his brief stints in Pearl — 39 games in 2005 and 43 in ’06, the year he first reached Atlanta. He can play anywhere in the field, hit anywhere in the order. He’s a heady baserunner. Need a ground ball to the right side? He can do it. Fly ball to score a run? Ditto. Bunt? Sure. To put it succinctly, he can play this game. Can’t imagine the Braves without him. P.S. Interesting, isn’t it, that you can put together an entire lineup of ex-M-Braves now with MLB clubs other than Atlanta. At catcher, Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Mauro Gomez, Brent Lillibridge, Yunel Escobar and Brandon Hicks around the infield. Gregor Blanco, Gorkys Hernandez and Jeff Francoeur in the outfield. Jordan Schafer off the bench. On the mound, Matt Harrison (or Scott Diamond). In the pen, Tim Collins, Manny Acosta, Francisely Bueno, Jaye Chapman.

anticipation in pearl

There was joy in Lynchburg, Va., this week — and hope that it might spread to Pearl next year. The Mississippi Braves missed out on the postseason in 2012 — for the fourth straight year — but there is reason to believe next year might be different. The Class A Lynchburg Hillcats, the M-Braves’ feeder club, won the Carolina League championship. And a good number of those players could be at Trustmark Park in 2013. Spots should be available. The team’s shortcomings (a 62-77 overall record) notwithstanding, the core of the 2012 M-Braves’ lineup likely will move to Triple-A. Catcher Christian Bethancourt, first baseman Joey Terdoslavich, second baseman Phil Gosselin, third baseman Joe Leonard and outfielder Todd Cunningham (a postseason Southern League All-Star) handled themselves well enough in Double-A to rate a promotion. Starting pitchers Sean Gilmartin (an SL All-Star), Zeke Spruill, Gary Moran (the league ERA champ) and David Hale are strong candidates for Triple-A Gwinnett’s 2013 opening day roster. The lead dog in the pack of players likely headed this way next spring is outfielder Matt Lipka, a first-round pick in 2010 and a top-rated prospect. He was injured much of this season (.271 in 51 games) and didn’t play in the Hillcats’ postseason run. He may have to play his way onto the Mississippi club in spring training, but he’ll get every opportunity. Other Hillcats alums to watch for in Pearl next year include: shortstop Nick Ahmed (.269, 40 stolen bases), second baseman Tommy La Stella (.302), first baseman Chris Garcia (.285, 11 homers), outfielder/DH Adam Milligan (.255, 15 homers), catcher Braeden Schlehuber (.270) and third baseman Edward Salcedo (17 homers, 23 steals). Milligan and Schlehuber already have some Double-A time. The top starting pitchers at Lynchburg were Gary Schlosser (13 wins, 3.38 ERA), Cody Martin (12 wins), Aaron Northcraft (10 wins) and J.R. Graham, who was 9-1 for the Hillcats before moving to Mississippi, where he also impressed. The hard-throwing Graham could be the M-Braves’ ace in 2013. Power-hitting catcher/outfielder Evan Gattis, who missed a big chunk of 2012 with an injury, and outfielder Keenan Wiley should be back in the M-Braves’ fold next year, lending some needed experience to what projects as a young lineup. If the ex-Hillcats bring their championship chemistry with them … well, sure, next year might be different.

a shot in the arm

On Thursday night, in his first start since Aug. 24, Lance Lynn became just what St. Louis was looking for: a stopper. The right-hander from Ole Miss went six innings, allowing five hits, two walks and one run, as the Cardinals beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 in a key National League series. St. Louis halted a three-game losing streak and moved 2 games ahead of L.A. in the chase for the second wild card. Lynn, making a spot start, improved to 15-7 and lowered his ERA to 3.95. He reportedly simplified his mechanics during his time in the bullpen and seemingly returned to his All-Star form on Thursday. Surely Lynn will get another starting opportunity down the stretch. P.S. There are rumors that Roy Oswalt’s sore arm might spell the end of the Weir product’s rocky season with Texas.

the hot hand

When Cliff Lee is on, he’s very good, about as good as any pitcher in MLB. And of late, the former Meridian Community College standout has been on. Lee — who owns 124 career wins and a Cy Young Award and has worked in two World Series — pitched a sterling seven innings on Wednesday night to beat Miami 3-1, helping Philadelphia win its seventh straight. Over his last six starts, Lee is 3-0 with a 1.73 ERA. For the year, he is 5-7, 3.36 with an amazing 14 no decisions, a reflection of the early season struggles the Phillies endured. But they’re not struggling anymore. At 72-71, the Phils are 3 games out of the second wild card spot. With Lee, Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels at the front of their rotation and ex-Mississippi State star Jonathan Papelbon (34 saves) in the bullpen, this is not a team anyone wants to face in the postseason. Atlanta’s worst nightmare might be meeting Philly in the one-game wild card playoff. P.S. MSU product Paul Maholm finished with an ugly line in the Braves’ 8-2 loss to Milwaukee on Wednesday: 4 1/3 innings, 9 hits, 2 walks, 8 runs (6 earned). But it’s worth noting that he shut the Brewers out for four innings and if Chipper Jones makes a couple of plays at third base, the disastrous fifth could have turned out very different. Now the reeling Braves get Washington at Turner Field this weekend.

shine on

The spotlight in the National League East was claimed by Washington and Philadelphia on Tuesday night, much to Atlanta’s chagrin. Former Mississippi State star Tyler Moore hit a big home run for the relentless Nationals and ex-MSU standout Jonathan Papelbon nailed down another save for the surging Phillies. The Braves, seemingly back in an offensive funk, lost to Milwaukee 5-0 and fell 7½ games behind first-place Washington. Philly, meanwhile, climbed to 71-71 and is back in the NL wild card picture. The Phillies were 14 games under .500 on July 13. On Tuesday, Moore belted a two-run pinch homer off New York Mets knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, giving the Nationals a 3-2 lead in the seventh inning of a game they would win 5-3. “I’ve failed so many times. … I’m just learning about situations in the game,” the humble Moore told mlb.com. The rookie has two pinch homers among his nine for the season and is batting .283. Papelbon pitched a 1-2-3 ninth on Tuesday to finish off a 9-7 win over Miami. He has 33 saves and five wins. But the ultra-competitive closer indicated his team hasn’t accomplished anything just by reaching .500. “Ain’t nobody here need an ego boost, you know?” he told mlb.com. P.S. Just for the record, former Delta State standout Eli Whiteside is back on San Francisco’s active roster as the first-place Giants’ No. 3 catcher. He has yet to get in a game this month.

bye bye berkie

Lance Berkman’s season is over; no immediate word on his career. The former Jackson Generals star will have a second knee surgery this year and won’t play again for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2012. He said he is “keeping my options open” about the future. Berkman, now 36, was a key player for the world champion Cardinals in 2011, but this season has been a virtual washout because of injuries: .263, two home runs, seven RBIs in 31 games. For his career, Berkman is hitting .296 with 360 homers and 1,200 RBIs. It'd be nice to see him end things on a better note. … Meanwhile, former Ole Miss ace Lance Lynn will get a spot start for the Cardinals, filling in for Jake Westbrook, on Thursday at Los Angeles. Lynn, who made the All-Star Game, was 13-5 as a starter but was clearly fading when pulled from the rotation after an Aug. 24 start that lasted just two innings. He has been hot and cold in six games out of the bullpen. For the season, he has a 4.04 ERA. St. Louis, chasing a playoff spot in the National League, is hoping for a strong effort from the big right-hander, who was a clutch performer in the 2011 postseason. P.S. D.J. Davis, the Toronto Blue Jays’ first-round pick and the first Mississippian drafted in 2012, helped Vancouver win the short-season Class A Northwest League pennant. Davis, from Stone County, went 3-for-5 with a run in Sunday’s clincher. He played at three levels this summer, batting .250 overall with five homers and 25 stolen bases.

one more time again

In today’s rubber game of a three-game set between playoff contenders, Roy Oswalt will get another spot start for Texas at Tampa Bay. The former Holmes Community College standout has made two previous spot starts (four earned runs in 10 total innings) since being pulled from the Rangers’ rotation. Oswalt, 4-2 with a 5.85 ERA, is getting a shot today because former Mississippi Braves ace Matt Harrison was pushed back to Tuesday. Oswalt has made just one appearance since Aug. 23 for the first-place Rangers, who lead the American League West by 4½ games. Texas manager Ron Washington said he is hoping for five innings from Oswalt, who will be opposed by the Rays’ James Shields. P.S. Former M-Braves star Andrelton Simmons homered and scored twice on Saturday to help Class A Lynchburg win the opener of the 5-game Carolina League championship series. Simmons, out since early July with a broken finger, reportedly will rejoin the Atlanta club on Monday. … Former M-Braves outfielder Matt Esquivel had one of the two hits Roger Clemens allowed Friday night in his second “comeback” appearance with the independent Sugar Land Skeeters of the Atlantic League. Esquivel is hitting .300 for the Long Island Ducks.

campus news

Ben Hudspeth, who went 11-0 with a 1.82 ERA as a freshman for Itawamba Community College in 2012, has committed to Mississippi State, according to a release from ICC. Hudspeth, a first-team NJCAA All-American, would join the Bulldogs for the 2014 season. ICC reports that it has had at least one player sign with an SEC school for 11 straight years. Former Indians catcher Zack Randolph signed with MSU last fall and will be on the 2013 club. ICC, which went 39-13 in 2012, also sent two players to William Carey for the 2013 season: pitcher Landon Brister, who was 6-1 last season, and outfielder Jeremy Ferguson, a .325 hitter.

having a blast

The imprint of former Mississippi Braves was all over Atlanta’s 11-3 victory against the New York Mets today at Citi Field. Martin Prado was 3-for-6 with two RBIs, and Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman contributed a hit apiece in Atlanta’s 17-hit attack, which also included an RBI double by pitcher Kris Medlen. The remarkable Medlen went six innings to improve to 8-1 (7-0, 0.81 as a starter), and Luis Avilan and Cory Gearrin closed it down after a lengthy rain delay. Gearrin, doing a Craig Kimbrel impersonation, struck out the side in the ninth. Of course, the boldest mark left on this game was the work of Brian McCann, who went 4-for-5 with three runs and four RBIs. And he hit his first home run since July 31. It came in the fifth inning against Hattiesburg native Robert Carson, a gas-throwing left-hander. Maybe McCann has broken out of his weeks-long funk. The Braves need his bat.

on the clutch watch

Every game is big now in the big leagues. Contending teams are counting on clutch performances, such as the one Paul Maholm delivered for Atlanta on Friday night. The former Mississippi State standout threw 5 1/3 shutout innings — why oh why was he pulled? — to propel the Braves to a 3-0 win over the New York Mets, Atlanta’s third straight shutout. News flash: The Braves actually gained a game on Washington in the National League East, now sitting 6 ½ back. Maholm is 3-3 with a 3.48 ERA in seven starts for the Braves. That’s clutch. … Ole Miss product Seth Smith went 2-for-5 on Friday to help Oakland beat Seattle (and the great Felix Hernandez), halting a three-game skid. The A’s are still in the hunt in the American League West, 4 1/2 games behind Texas. Smith is 6-for-16 in September. Clutch. … Desmond Jennings, the former Itawamba Community College star, is hitting .300 with eight runs scored in his last 10 games for Tampa Bay, which is lurking just 2 games off the pace in the AL East. … The Chicago White Sox are clinging to a 1-game edge in the AL Central, and Jackson native Donnie Veal has played an unsung role. The lefty reliever has put up a 1.08 ERA in 12 appearances. … Northwest Rankin, Meridian CC and MSU alumnus Tyler Moore hasn’t gotten a lot of playing time for the first-place Nationals of late. The right-handed hitting slugger is 4-for-20 since Aug. 13. … Former Bulldogs star Mitch Moreland is batting just .200 over his last 10 games for Texas. … Since being moved to the bullpen in St. Louis, Ole Miss product Lance Lynn is 0-2 and has yielded five runs in six innings over five appearances. He took the loss Friday after giving up a 13th-inning homer to Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun. The Cardinals are 8 ½ games back of Cincinnati in the NL Central. … The Reds have been without ex-UM star Zack Cozart, their regular shortstop, since Sept. 3 because of a lingering back problem.

the hit parade

With two hits off Ole Miss alumnus Drew Pomeranz on Tuesday night, Atlanta’s Chipper Jones caught and moved ahead of Mississippi native Dave Parker on baseball’s all-time hits list. The retired Parker, from Calhoun City (or Jackson or Grenada), had 2,712 hits and is the highest ranking Mississippian on the list, now No. 62 behind Jones. … Pomeranz, a former first-round pick (by Cleveland) having a difficult season, lasted just three innings against Atlanta, handcuffed by Colorado’s curious 75-pitch limit. He did not allow a run, but the Braves made the tall left-hander work, touching him for five hits and a walk. Pomeranz, who seems to have lost velocity on his fastball, lowered his ERA to 4.93, but he is saddled with an ugly 1-8 record. Colorado, using three relievers, beat the Braves 6-0. P.S. Itawamba Community College product Desmond Jennings hit his 12th homer, stole his 25th base and scored twice as Tampa Bay beat New York (and former Jackson General Freddy Garcia) 5-2 and tightened the American League East race. The Yankees are now tied with Baltimore, and the Rays are 1½ games behind. … The well-traveled Fred Lewis is back in the big leagues with the New York Mets. The former Stone County and Mississippi Gulf Coast CC star hit .294 with 13 homers and 25 steals at Triple-A Buffalo.

stormy times

There was a testy moment in Monday’s Texas-Kansas City game, ignited by a pitch thrown by Royals right-hander Louis Coleman. The former Pillow Academy standout from Schlater plunked the Rangers’ Nelson Cruz in the ninth inning. Cruz, who had earlier blasted one of four Texas homers off KC starter Bruce Chen, didn’t like it. Both benches emptied, but order was rather quickly restored with no ejections. Then Michael Young took Coleman deep to cap Texas’ 8-4 victory. Coleman has allowed nine homers in 43 innings this season, his second in the majors. He had a very good rookie season, posting a 2.87 ERA in 59 2/3 innings, but hasn’t been as effective in 2012, with a 4.19. Truth is, it’s been a rocky year all the way around for former Jackson Met Ned Yost’s Royals (60-74). Wonder if he’ll weather the storm. P.S. Andrelton Simmons went 1-for-3 in his one-game rehab stint with the Mississippi Braves, who lost their season finale on Monday at Mobile. Simmons is expected to make a stop at Class A Rome before returning to Atlanta. … Good to see former M-Braves star Martin Prado back at second base — his best position — as a replacement for the benched Dan Uggla.

the dog days

Tough day to be a Bulldog in the ATL. Mississippi State alumnus Paul Maholm lasted just two innings as Atlanta’s starting pitcher, giving up seven runs. Not what the playoff-chasing Braves needed. But Maholm could smile at game’s end after what happened to fellow former Bulldog Jonathan Papelbon. The Philadelphia closer gave up a jaw-dropping, three-run, walk-off home run to Chipper Jones in the bottom of the ninth that capped the Braves’ 8-7 win. That was just what the Braves needed after blowing a game in the ninth on Friday and getting shut down by former Meridian Community College star Cliff Lee on Saturday. Could be a defining moment. We won’t know until October, of course. … Just for the record, ex-Bulldogs star Mitch Moreland suffered an 0-for-5 today, but his Texas club did win and holds firm to first place in the American League West. And MSU product Tyler Moore was hitless in one AB for Washington, but the Nationals also won and stayed 6½ games ahead of the Braves in the National League East.

closing argument

Only five pitchers in major league history have topped 400 career saves. One has to think that Jonathan Papelbon has a real shot at reaching that milestone. The Mississippi State product, now closing for Philadelphia, notched his 250th on Friday night against Atlanta. He is in his seventh full season at age 31. It might be too much to expect of Papelbon to put up seven more years like his first seven. You never know when a pitcher’s arm might go. But 150 more seems reasonable, especially considering how consistent Papelbon has been. His save totals year-by-year: 35, 37, 41, 38, 37, 31 and 31 (so far in 2012). His ERA spiked to 3.90 in 2010 and his walks were up in 2009 and ’10, but he allayed any concerns with a solid final season in Boston. His last game with the Red Sox was forgettable (blown save in a must-win Game 162), but he is likely glad to be out of that circus, even if Philadelphia’s season has been a tough one. With six more saves in 2012, Papelbon will move into the top 30 on the career list. No. 1 Mariano Rivera’s 608 (and counting) is out of reach (by anyone, ever), but the top five might just be a target. Former Jackson Generals star Billy Wagner is the current No. 5 with 422. P.S. Among the players added to the expanded rosters were former Generals star Lance Berkman (off the disabled list with St. Louis) and ex-Mississippi Braves Jordan Schafer (off the DL in Houston), J.C. Boscan (Atlanta), Brandon Hicks (Oakland) and Deunte Heath (Chicago White Sox). … Atlanta announced that ex-M-Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons will start a rehab assignment on Tuesday with one of the playoff-bound Class A teams. Among the things the scuffling Braves need (deeper runs by their starters, a rejuvenated Brian McCann, more time on the pine for Dan Uggla), getting Simmons back at short (and his bat back in the lineup) is near the top of the list. Paul Janish can play defense, but he hasn’t hit a lick.

the o's buck up

Without a doubt, the series to watch this weekend is Baltimore-New York at Yankee Stadium. It’s a tremendous opportunity for the Orioles, who are just 3 games behind the Yankees in the American League East, and it’s a showcase for manager Buck Showalter, the former Mississippi State All-American (1977) who has worked some real magic with the perennially awful O’s. No one expected anything from Baltimore this season, the well-traveled Showalter’s third with the club. Baltimore won 69 games in 2011. Sports Illustrated predicted the Orioles would win 63 this year. They’ve already won 72. They’ve got their first postseason appearance since 1997 clearly in sight. Much of the credit has to go to Showalter. Yes, his managerial career has been somewhat mercurial. He has a .512 career winning percentage but has never managed to stay in one place more than four seasons. He was the AL manager of the year in 1994 with the Yankees but was gone after the ’95 season. He lasted just three years in Arizona with a club he built from scratch, a club that would win the World Series the year after he departed. He was AL manager of the year in 2004 with Texas but was gone after the ’06 season. If the once-proud O’s make the postseason this year, it’d be shocking to see Showalter leave anytime soon. Heck, they might erect a statue of him at Camden Yards. P.S. Former Ole Miss standout Alex Presley has been recalled from Triple-A by Pittsburgh, which is still in the NL playoff hunt despite its recent struggles. The lefty-hitting outfielder was at .234 with eight homers when he was sent down.

out at home

We’ve seen the last of the Mississippi Braves for 2012 — unless you’re planning a trip to Mobile for the team’s final series. Attendance — an announced average of 2,904 — was up at Trustmark Park for the second straight year, but the team’s performance was pretty much a downer. Yes, there were shining moments from certain individuals. Andrelton Simmons jumped to the big leagues. Christian Bethancourt was invited to the All-Star Futures Game. Seven M-Braves went to the Southern League All-Star Game. Todd Cunningham may yet win the league batting title. Three different pitchers won league player of the week honors. But the team will miss the league playoffs for the fourth straight year. A big reason: The M-Braves were just 32-37 at home. To win a division title, you’ve got to clean up at your home park. The M-Braves’ pitching wasn’t a problem at the TeePee, which favors the guys on the mound. The staff ERA there was an excellent 3.12. But the hitting just never came around. The club, which finished with 13 home runs in those 69 home games, struggled much of the year to produce runs. The M-Braves averaged 3.75 per home game. Maybe that’s just a number, but this much is obvious: It was not enough. See ya next April. P.S. Ole Miss product Lance Lynn delivered a solid outing on Monday in his first relief appearance since being yanked from the St. Louis Cardinals’ rotation. Lynn pitched 1 1/3 innings, allowing just an unearned run and earning a hold, as the Cardinals beat Pittsburgh 4-3 in a key National League Central series. Lynn, an All-Star this year, was winless in five straight starts before the demotion.

up and at 'em

If it was a reward for his hot hitting, Mitch Moreland did not rest on his laurels. The former Mississippi State standout, who typically hits at the bottom of the stacked Texas order, found himself in the No. 2 spot on Sunday against Minnesota. He responded by banging out two hits, extending his hitting streak to nine games, though the Rangers fell 6-5. “I just thought that was kind of funny,” Moreland told reporters about seeing his name in the 2-hole. He certainly has been enjoying himself of late, batting .394 with 11 RBIs and his first career grand slam during the current streak, which has boosted his average to .297. The Rangers have their fingers crossed that Moreland can stay healthy. … Another thing different about Texas’ Sunday lineup: Former Mississippi Braves infielder Luis Hernandez started at shortstop. He was making a brief return to the big leagues as a roster fill-in but hopes to get called again in September. P.S. Kudos to Meridian Community College alumnus Cliff Lee, who went seven innings to beat Washington and drove in a run with a double in Philadelphia’s 4-1 victory. Lee is 3-7 now with a 3.67 ERA and is batting .200.

the gang's all there

They played a wild one at Fenway Park in Boston on Saturday night, and a host of former Mississippi Braves contributed to the craziness of Kansas City’s 10-9, 12-inning victory. Mauro Gomez, filling in at first base for the traded Adrian Gonzalez, belted his first career home run, helping the Red Sox overcome a 3-0 deficit en route to a 9-3 lead. Gomez went 4-for-6 with three RBIs all told, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia had two hits and an RBI for the Red Sox. But KC rallied. Its bullpen, including Tim Collins and Francisley Bueno, held Boston scoreless over the last eight innings of play. Jeff Francoeur scored the game-winning run in the 12th. Bueno, who worked 1 2/3 innings, notched his first career win.

worth remembering?

It might be a trivia question at some ballpark somewhere someday. Who was the first batter Roger Clemens faced in his curious “comeback” in the independent Atlantic League at age 50? The answer: Hattiesburg native and ex-big leaguer Joey Gathright. Gathright, leading off for Bridgeport tonight, had a seven-pitch at-bat, striking out on a breaking ball out of the zone. The sullied Clemens, who last appeared in a major league game in 2007, pitched 3 1/3 innings for Sugar Land, leaving — perhaps forever — with a 1-0 lead. Despite what a blubbering Curt Schilling was saying during ESPN Classic’s broadcast, Clemens did not appear particularly sharp. His fastball looked very average and he bounced numerous breaking balls.

scatter shots

Did anyone really think Matt Harrison would be this good? The former Mississippi Braves standout flirted with a no-hitter (into the seventh) on Friday night while notching his 15th win for Texas. With a 3.04 ERA, the left-hander has emerged as the Rangers’ ace. … Mississippi State product Mitch Moreland went 2-for-4 in the Rangers’ 8-0 win over Minnesota on Friday and is up to .294 for the year. He’s a Cool Papa Bell Award contender, for sure. … Former M-Braves pitcher Scott Diamond, now with Minnesota, was slapped with a 6-game suspension plus a fine for throwing at Texas’ Josh Hamilton on Thursday. Diamond is appealing. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, the ex-Jackson Mets infielder, also was ejected from Thursday’s game. The fireworks began when Weir’s Roy Oswalt plunked the Twins’ Joe Mauer with a 3-0 pitch earlier in that game. … Saw this note in ESPN the Magazine: Oswalt has a .761 winning percentage and a 2.70 ERA in September/October regular season games. He has made two decent spot starts since his demotion to the Texas bullpen; maybe he’ll be a factor down the stretch. … Lance Lynn’s woes continued Friday when the former Ole Miss ace was KO’d by Cincinnati in the third inning. St. Louis did win the game, but Lynn has now had five straight sub-par outings. He is 13-5 but winless since July 27. … Cincinnati general manager Walt Jocketty, interviewed on MLB Network during Friday’s Reds-Cards game, didn’t sound very committed to calling up stolen base king Billy Hamilton of Taylorsville in September. Hamilton, now in Double-A, isn’t yet on the 40-man roster. … Brandon’s Tyler Moore hit his first career pinch homer on Friday in Washington’s loss to Philadelphia. The rookie from Mississippi State has seven bombs for the year. … Former MSU star Jonathan Papelbon notched the save — No. 28 — for the Phillies in that 4-2 win against the Nationals. … Ole Miss product Drew Pomeranz pitched well for Colorado on Friday (two hits, two runs in five innings vs. Chicago) but still doesn’t have a W in his last eight appearances. … Former JaxMets skipper Clint Hurdle’s Pittsburgh Pirates are walking the plank — again. They’ve lost five of six and 11 of 15. They’re not scoring (3.6 runs per game the last 15) or pitching (5.01 ERA the last 15) very well. … Wonder if Bill Hall might get a September call-up from Baltimore? The Nettleton native has 14 homers at Triple-A Norfolk; he could be weapon off the bench for MSU alum Buck Showalter’s Orioles, who are hanging around in the postseason race. … Lance Berkman is rehabbing his latest injury at Triple-A Memphis and hopes to be back with St. Louis by Sept. 1. The former Jackson Generals star, whose season has been wrecked by injuries, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he is pondering retirement after this season. He is 36.

it's a title fight

Taylorsville’s Billy Hamilton already has blown past the stolen base record, but some drama may yet unfold at Trustmark Park during the Pensacola-Mississippi series. The M-Braves’ Todd Cunningham and the Blue Wahoos’ Josh Fellhauer are battling for the Southern League batting title. Fellhauer, a left-handed hitting outfielder, goes into tonight’s game — the opener of a five-game set — with a league-best .313 mark, having gone 6-for-9 the last three days. Cunningham, who has more at-bats (442 to 310) and hits (138 to 97) than Fellhauer, is at .312. Cunningham, a switch-hitting outfielder, has had an eye-opening season: He’s scored 73 runs, driven in 49 and added six triples, three homers and 23 steals. A batting title would be a nice topper, as well as a first for the M-Braves since they arrived in Pearl. The Greenville Braves’ Napoleon Calzado led the SL in hitting (.359) in 2004, the franchise’s last season in South Carolina. P.S. Former M-Braves star Matt Young, recently signed by St. Louis, is hitting .391 through seven games at Triple-A Memphis. He was released by Detroit with a .212 average at Triple-A Toledo.

a slam dunk

Mitch Moreland picked a bad day to hit his first grand slam. The Mississippi State product’s first career grannie came Wednesday in the same game in which Texas teammate Adrian Beltre hit three homers, two in one inning. But give Moreland his props: He was due a slam. He hit one last year that was wiped out by a rainout. Wednesday’s at-bat was his 26th with the bases loaded, and he cashed in with a big fly off Baltimore’s Tommy Hunter in a nine-run fourth inning. The Rangers, still in first place in the American League West, won the game 12-3. Moreland matched a career-high with five RBIs, and he now has 38 to go with his 13 homers and a .289 average.

first impressions

Zack Cozart and Jonathan Papelbon will remember their first on-field meeting, though Papelbon might rather forget it. Cozart, the former Ole Miss standout, hit the first pitch he saw from Mississippi State alumnus Papelbon — a 94 mph fastball — out of Citizens Bank Park in the ninth inning on Tuesday night. Cozart’s 14th home run of the year broke a tie and propelled his Cincinnati Reds to a 5-4 win over Papelbon’s Philadelphia Phillies. Their college careers did not coincide, so this was their first encounter. Cozart had a plan against the veteran pitcher. “Any guy that has a fastball like that, you don’t want to fall behind,” Cozart told mlb.com. Papelbon, who has not fared well in non-save opportunities, took the loss to fall to 3-5. It was the fifth homer he has allowed this season. He is 27-for-30 in save chances but that’s small consolation in the Phillies’ disappointing year. Coazrt’s Reds, on the other hand, have opened up a 7 1/2-game lead in the National League Central. P.S. Former UM star Seth Smith returned to the Oakland lineup and went 2-for-2 with two walks and two runs as the A’s, chasing Texas in the American League West, beat Minnesota 4-1.

circle the date

The Atlanta Braves are coming. Local Braves fans have been waiting for this for eight years. The Mississippi Braves announced today that the major league Braves will play a team of its minor league stars in an exhibition game at Trustmark Park in Pearl on March 30, 2013. Tickets will go on sale after the first of the year. Word to the wise: Get ’em early. There will be great demand. The New York Mets and Houston Astros both played exhibitions at Smith-Wills Stadium during Jackson’s Texas League days, and both games drew sellout crowds. The Mets played the JaxMets in 1986, the Astros took on the Generals in 1997. And if you believe in karma, there’s this: Both those teams were championship clubs. The Mets, of course, won the World Series in 1986. The Astros won the National League Central title in 1997, then lost in the NLDS to … the Braves. Atlanta has made the postseason only twice since the M-Braves took up residence at the TeePee in 2005, and the 2010 team got in as a wild card. A side trip to Pearl next spring might be a good thing.

dozier's detour

The road back to The Show may not be easy for Brian Dozier. The Southern Miss product, sent down to Triple-A Rochester by Minnesota early last week, slipped while making a play on Saturday night and left the game limping. He is 2-for-15 in his four games with the Red Wings. Dozier’s promotion to the Twins earlier this season generated a lot of excitement in the Twin Cities, but the highly rated shortstop prospect had begun to falter in recent weeks. When he was sent down, he was batting .234 with six home runs and 33 RBIs in 84 games. The bigger concern, however, seemed to be his defense. He had made 15 errors and many mental mistakes, as well. “(H)e needs to go relax a little bit and get his swing back to where it was,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “He was frustrated with it at times, carrying that swing out there to defense.” Dozier could be recalled when rosters expand in September, but there is no guarantee. P.S. Former Hillcrest Christian and Ole Miss standout Seth Smith is likely to return to the Oakland roster early this week. Smith was batting .237 with 11 homers when he went down with a hamstring injury about two weeks ago. … Taylorsville product Billy Hamilton swiped his 143rd base for Double-A Pensacola on Saturday night, leaving him two shy of tying Vince Coleman’s pro record of 145. The Blue Wahoos come to Trustmark Park in Pearl on Friday.

eye on the bump

Roy Oswalt apparently had no trouble finding his passport. Now if he can just locate the stuff that has won 163 games in the big leagues, it’ll be all good. The former Holmes Community College standout will make a spot start today for Texas at Toronto because, according to reports, Ryan Dempster, the Rangers’ scheduled starter, can’t find or doesn’t have his passport. Oswalt was pulled from the Rangers’ rotation at the end of July and grudgingly moved to the bullpen. His last appearance, on Aug. 8, was a rocky one. Maybe the rest and the opportunity to start again will be rejuvenating. Oswalt has a 6.53 ERA. … Also on the bump today is Lance Lynn, the Ole Miss product who is seeking to get back on track with St. Louis. He is 13-5 with a 3.65 ERA, but his last couple of starts haven’t been so sharp. The Cardinals play host to Pittsburgh in Game 2 of a huge series. … Former Mississippi Braves star Todd Redmond will at long last make his major league debut for first-place Cincinnati in the second game of a twinbill against the Chicago Cubs. Twice this season Redmond was called up from the minors but sent down before making an appearance. … M-Braves alumnus Scott Diamond, who is 10-5 with a 2.97 ERA for a scuffling Minnesota club, is on the mound today, as is Atlanta’s Ben Sheets (4-2, 2.13), whose career revival began with the M-Braves earlier this summer.

disappointing news

A disappointing season turned even more so today for former Terry High star Deshun Dixon. The 20-year-old outfielder was suspended 50 games, effectively ending his season, for a second violation under Major League Baseball’s drug policy. The announcement from the commissioner’s office did not specify the banned substance but called it a “drug of abuse.” Dixon was a 10th-round pick by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2010 and was batting .193 at short-season Class A Hudson Valley this season. The suspension will carry over to 2013.

seems so familiar

Kris Medlen turned in his first shutout for Atlanta on Thursday night, blanking San Diego in a 6-0 win. He is 3-0 and has allowed just three earned runs in 25 2/3 innings over four starts since moving from the bullpen to the rotation. This is remarkable. It’s also familiar. Mississippi Braves fans might recall the 2008 season, when Medlen moved from the bullpen to the rotation in early June. He was brilliant in that role, helping the M-Braves win the second half championship in the Southern League South and roll on to the league pennant. He went 6-5 as a starter, winning the second-half clincher. He had a 3.52 ERA, so with a little luck his record could’ve been much better. In the postseason, Medlen beat Birmingham with a dominating five-hit shutout in the division series clincher. M-Braves manager Phillip Wellman and pitching coach Derek Botelho said it was as good a performance as they’d seen all season. Medlen left the do-or-die Game 4 of the league championship series after seven innings with a lead, which the M-Braves blew before rallying to win 6-5 and square the series at 2-all. They won their only league title the next day. P.S. Cliff Lee took another hard-luck no decision on Thursday, giving the former Meridian Community College star a major league-leading 12. The Philadelphia left-hander hasn’t always been sharp this season, but his 2-7 record doesn’t seem to fit with his 3.83 ERA.

art of the steal

Minor leaguer Billy Hamilton’s run for the stolen base record — the Taylorsville product has 139, six shy of the pro mark — may have kindled some curiosity about Mississippi’s best bag burglars. Hall of Famer Cool Papa Bell, allegedly one of the fastest men ever to play the game, was a legendary base stealer in the Negro Leagues. But the Starkville-born Bell, unfortunately, never got a shot at the major leagues, where he might have set all kinds of records. Perhaps the fastest Mississippian to appear in the majors was Belzoni native Herb Washington, whose brief career is largely a curiosity. Washington was a world champion sprinter recruited by Charlie Finley as a pinch runner for the Oakland A’s of the mid-’70s. Lacking most baseball skills, Washington lasted just a season and a half, stealing a grand total of 31 bases. He never batted, never played a position. The career steals leader among Mississippians in the majors is Gerald “Gee” Walker, who debuted in the 1930s and wound up with 223 bags. He is followed by Ellis Burks (181), Frank White (178), Matt Lawton (165), Buddy Myer (156) Dave Parker (154), Don Blasingame (105), Hughie Critz (97), Larry Herndon (92) and Joey Gathright (81). Gathright is still active but playing in the minors. Jarrod Dyson, currently with Kansas City, has 41 and has the speed to move quickly up the chart if he gets more playing time. It’s worth noting that Marcus Lawton — Matt’s older brother — had a 100-plus stolen base season in the minors but didn’t hit enough to stick in the big leagues for long. It takes more than speed, as Hamilton, now in Double-A, will learn.

hot, hot, hot

The hottest team in the big leagues right now is Tampa Bay, which won its seventh game in a row on Monday. Yes, the streak coincides with Evan Longoria’s return from the disabled list, and, yes, the Rays’ pitching has been great of late. But Desmond Jennings, the former Itawamba Community College two-sport star, is also heating up and doing the things a leadoff man should do. Jennings is batting .359 over his last 10 games, with two homers, four RBIs and 12 runs. He has scored 10 runs in his last six games, all Tampa Bay wins. For the year, he’s at .249 with nine homers, 34 RBIs and 55 runs in 91 games. Don’t be surprised if Tampa Bay runs down the New York Yankees in the American League East. P.S. Brent Lillibridge, the former Mississippi Braves shortstop, is getting regular time with Cleveland — his third team in 2012 — and is taking advantage. He homered Monday and now has two, his first two of the year, in his last three games. He is batting .313 in his last 10 games, raising his average to .205. Lillibridge can run and play virtually anywhere in the field. When he hits, he’s a valuable asset.

it happened in '33

The Washington Nationals might just be a team of destiny. Davey Johnson, who steered the Jackson Mets to a Texas League pennant back in 1981, is almost certainly the National League manager of the year. The Nationals have the best record (71-44) in baseball. Atlanta has been feverishly chasing them since the All-Star break but still stands 4 1/2 games behind in the NL East as of today. The Nats had an eight-game win streak snapped on Sunday; the Braves also lost, in heart-breaking fashion to the New York Mets. That’s how it’s gone for Washington, whose fans are long overdue for some October baseball. The Nationals, who moved from Montreal in 2005, haven’t contended before this year. The Senators of 1961-71, who moved to Texas, had one winning season and never sniffed the postseason. The last Washington team to do so was the 1933 Senators, who lost the World Series in five games to the New York Giants. (That Senators franchise moved to Minnesota in 1961.) Buddy Myer, an Ellisville native who batted. .303 in his brilliant big league career, was the Senators’ second baseman in ’33. He was also on their pennant-winning team in 1925. Of course, the current Washington club also suits up a Mississippi native — Tyler Moore, the Northwest Rankin, Meridian Community College and Mississippi State product who is having a great rookie season (.295, six homers) as a part-time player.

braves stuff

Paul Maholm, who says he was a big fan of Tom Glavine as a kid in Greenwood, did the old left-hander proud on Friday, throwing a masterful shutout for Atlanta against the New York Mets. Maholm, a ground ball-inducing machine, yielded just three hits. He walked none. The complete game was exactly what the Braves and their stretched bullpen needed. The Mississippi State product is 10-7 overall and 1-1 with the Braves, and his ERA is down to 3.50. Not to be overlooked in the 4-0 win is Jason Heyward’s home run. It was his 19th of the season, a career high for the ex-Mississippi Braves star. He hit 18 in 2010, when he took the league by storm as a rookie. Then came last year’s crash, which left many wondering which was the real Jason Heyward. Well, he seems to have answered that question. His average (.269) could be better, perhaps if he struck out (111 K’s) a bit less, but he has become a scary hitter again. Plus, he’s got 15 stolen bases and is playing very well in right field. So … when will Andrelton Simmons return to the lineup? It might be September, according to reports. The former M-Braves shortstop, who was playing so well for the big league club, has been out since early July with a broken bone in his right hand. The Braves reportedly are targeting the end of August for a rehab assignment. P.S. Itawamba Community College product Desmond Jennings went 3-for-4 and scored three runs for Tampa Bay, which won its fourth in a row on Friday. Good sign? Jennings, often the Rays’ leadoff man, has 51 runs in 88 games. They need more from him as they battle for the playoffs. He’s got eight homers and 19 steals, but his batting average is just .243, on-base percentage .309.

the billy club

Billy Hamilton fever is spreading. He got a mention on ESPN’s Pardon The Interruption the other day. Baseball America and milb.com have “Race for the Record” factoids on the front page of their web sites, tracking the Taylorsville native’s stolen bases. He has 131 at the moment. Vince Coleman’s pro record is 145. Hamilton’s team, the Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos, has 24 games left. They have 14 scheduled before they arrive at Trustmark Park for an Aug. 24-28 series. Hamilton is averaging a stolen base a game (27 in 27) for Pensacola, so he could already have tied — or even broken — the record by then. But with a rest day here or a rainout there … it could be close. Noteworthy, also, is the fact that Hamilton is hitting a respectable .263 in Double-A, with a homer (inside the park) and 18 runs. P.S. Mississippi State alum and 2012 Ferriss Trophy winner Chris Stratton has a 5.40 ERA in limited (8 1/3) innings in rookie ball with San Francisco.

as the bullpen turns

Roy Oswalt answered the call for the Texas Rangers today. He was rudely disconnected by the Boston Red Sox in the seventh inning. Oswalt, the ex-Holmes Community College star, made his first appearance since he embroiled himself in controversy on Sunday by declining to pitch a third inning in relief (see previous post). Today, he retired the only batter he faced in the fifth inning (a run scored on a passed ball), then got three straight in the sixth. He came out for the seventh but was shelled for four runs, including a game-tying three run bomb by Will Middlebrooks. Texas, which hit four homers (Amory’s Mitch Moreland blasted his 12th), recovered to win 10-9. But the Oswalt situation just gets more complicated. He faltered as a starter but has made it clear that he isn’t happy pitching in relief. And maybe he’s not fit for that role, as today’s outing would seem to indicate. His ERA is 6.53. Now what?

the hot corner

There’s always something to watch at the ballpark, even if the local nine isn’t doing so hot. The Mississippi Braves, who return to Trustmark Park tonight to begin a five-game homestand, are still languishing near the bottom of the Southern League South. But Joe Leonard, the big third baseman, returns on a bit of a roll. He hit three home runs and drove in nine runs on the 10-game trip. Chipper Jones will retire at the end of this season — or so they say — which means Atlanta will need a third baseman in 2013. Leonard, who turns 24 on Aug. 26, could be in the mix come spring. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound right-handed hitter is batting .267 with 20 doubles, nine homers, 56 RBIs and 52 runs in his first Double-A season. Atlanta took him in the third round in the 2010 draft out of Pitt, where he was the Big East Conference player of the year. You want power in a third baseman, and Leonard is starting to show some. He hit four homers in 148 at-bats in his first pro season, then belted eight in 110 games at high-A Lynchburg last season. Leonard didn’t hit his first M-Braves homer until mid-May. He has now hit seven since June 12. His defense (10 errors) has been solid; he doubled as a closer at Pitt and has a strong arm. Leonard is definitely one to keep an eye on over what remains of this season.

a mess in texas?

This latest Roy Oswalt thing is turning messy. The Weir High and Holmes Community College product allegedly is not happy that he has been sent to the bullpen by the Texas Rangers. He has pitched well in two relief stints, but he declined to throw a third inning in his most recent outing, a stance many see as selfish. He allegedly wants to be traded from the team — this first-place, World Series-caliber team — that handed him a midseason opportunity, plus some big bucks, to be a starter. His ERA in that role is well over 6.00. His last start was awful. So now Ryan Dempster has taken his spot in the rotation. According to reports, the Rangers aren’t going to release Oswalt, nor will they trade him for nothing. Wonder if the second-winningest Mississippi-born pitcher in history will just stomp his foot and walk away?

whatever happened to ...

After missing most of July with a knee injury, Van Pope is back in the lineup for the independent Amarillo Sox. Pope, a former Terry High and Meridian Community College standout who also played for the Mississippi Braves, is in his second tour with the Sox, of the American Association. Pope, a third baseman, is batting .295 with two homers and 21 RBIs in 40 games this season after hitting .299 with 10 and 61 in 2011. Pope was a fifth-round draft pick by Atlanta and was a top 10 prospect at one time. But he struggled in Double-A, hitting just 10 homers in 222 games in 2007 and ’08. His defense was good — his arm amazing — but Atlanta wanted to see more power, among other things. He got a trial at Triple-A Gwinnett (.202, four homers in 2009) and later a look as a pitcher in A-ball. He was released in 2010. Returning to affiliated ball would seem like a longshot. P.S. Former Jackson Generals right-hander Freddy Garcia got his 150th career win on Sunday, pitching for the New York Yankees. He got win No. 1 in 1999 with Seattle. Garcia has had a nice career, going 150-100 with a 4.12 ERA. … Former M-Braves star Jeff Francoeur hit his 10th homer for Kansas City on Sunday. He’s hitting just .238 but still plays a mean right field. He might get interest from a contender down the stretch.

heading for home

The GB column in the standings should be printed in bold these days. It’s that time of year when Games Behind becomes a focal point. The chase for division championships is on. Nobody wants to be thrown into the wild card playoff this year. It’s a sprint to the finish now, no longer a marathon. The two biggest series of this weekend are Pittsburgh-Cincinnati and Baltimore-Tampa Bay, and Mississippians are front and center in both. Ole Miss product Zack Cozart, who is on a 7-for-17 roll, went 1-for-3 Saturday as the red-hot Reds beat Pittsburgh 5-4 and dropped the Pirates 5½ GB in the National League Central. UM alum Alex Presley, batting leadoff for the Bucs, was 2-for-4 in a losing cause. His manager, former Jackson Mets skipper Clint Hurdle, wasn’t around for the end, having been ejected early for arguing about an HBP warning. Today’s game will be intense. Meanwhile, at Tampa Bay, former Mississippi State standout Buck Showalter’s Orioles shut down the Rays 4-0 to even that series at a game apiece and level the teams' records at 56-51. They’re tied for second in the American League East, 6½ GB the New York Yankees. Itawamba Community College alum Desmond Jennings went 0-for-4 for the Rays on Saturday; he had a home run in Friday’s 2-0 win. The Rays, whose pitching (under the tutelage of ex-Jackson Generals pitching coach Jim Hickey) has been brilliant, will throw 14-game winner David Price today. … In other Saturday games of note: Ex-MSU star Tyler Moore (.295 as a rookie) had a game-tying pinch hit in a six-run eighth inning that propelled Washington past Miami 10-7. That win, coupled with Atlanta’s 3-2 loss to lowly Houston, moved the first-place Nationals, managed so adroitly by former JaxMets skipper Davey Johnson, 3 games up on the Braves in the NL East. Greenwood native and former MSU star Paul Maholm had a decent debut for the Braves, yielding three runs (all on Justin Maxwell homers) in seven innings with eight strikeouts. … Oakland, which may miss UM product Seth Smith’s left-handed power over the next couple of weeks, fell 5½ GB first-place Texas in the AL West with a 3-1 loss to Toronto. Texas beat Kansas City 4-2 for its fourth straight W. Ex-MSU star Mitch Moreland has returned from the DL with a vengeance (7-for-16 with a homer) for the suddenly resurgent Rangers, who also got a win last week from Holmes CC’s Roy Oswalt in his first relief appearance. … Philadelphia, out of it in the NL East, knocked NL West contender Arizona 2 1/2 GB division leader San Francisco with a 3-0 win. Meridian CC’s Cliff Lee — still a Phillie! — is expected to start today’s game, looking for a second straight win in what’s been an unexpectedly rough year (2-6, 3.73). P.S. Southwest Miss CC product Jarrod Dyson is climbing in the AL stolen base race; he got No. 21 on Saturday for Kansas City. And he’s hitting .271. … First Bobby Abreu gets DFA’d by the L.A. Dodgers, then Lance Berkman goes back on the DL with St. Louis. Sadly, this could be a race to retirement for the two former Jackson Generals stars (see previous post).