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.