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.