putting on a shift

This blog is moving. Same stuff. New location: allmississippibaseball.net

essence of fisk

When you can evoke the memory of Carlton Fisk in Boston, you’ve done something kinda special. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, the onetime Mississippi Braves catcher, did so by getting the game-winning hit for the Red Sox on Sunday in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series. His opposite-field RBI single in the bottom of the ninth capped a huge rally and kept Boston from falling behind 2-0 in the series against Detroit. It was a big hit, and history served to amplify the moment. The last time a Red Sox catcher got a walk-off postseason hit was in 1975 — when Fisk famously homered down the left-field line to beat Cincinnati in Game 6 of the World Series. Saltalamacchia arrived in Mississippi in 2006 as Atlanta’s No. 1 prospect. He scuffled that first year with the Double-A M-Braves but hit .309 with six homers in 22 games in 2007 before getting the big league call. Essentially blocked in Atlanta by the presence of Brian McCann, then in just his third season, Salty was traded to Texas in the summer of ’07 as part of the Mark Teixeira deal. The switch-hitting Saltalamacchia, with the longest surname in MLB history at 14 letters, has never really become the star he was once projected to be. His career average is .246 and he has 78 homers over seven seasons. But 2013 was his best all-around year: .273, 14 homers, 65 RBIs, 40 doubles, 68 runs in 121 games. And now he has made a postseason memory, earning mention in the same sentence with the great Carlton Fisk. Of course, if the Sox don’t win the ALCS, Salty’s big hit, unlike Fisk's, likely won't stand the test of time.

seizing the moment

After getting knocked around by Pittsburgh in Game 2 of the National League Division Series, Lance Lynn had to be wondering when his next postseason chance might come for St. Louis. He was passed over for the Game 1 start in the NLCS against Los Angeles on Friday, but his chance did come later. The former Ole Miss star certainly seized the moment. Lynn threw two scoreless innings (one hit, one walk) and got the victory as the Cardinals beat the Dodgers 3-2 in 13 innings. Lynn threw 29 pitches in the 12th and 13th frames and reportedly remains a candidate to start Game 4 in Los Angeles next week. The win was the fourth in postseason play for Lynn. He went 2-0 with a 3.27 ERA in 10 relief appearances as a rookie for the Cardinals during the 2011 World Series run. Last year, after winning 18 games in the regular season, he was less effective in October, going 1-2 with a 5.73 in six games (two starts). St. Louis fell to San Francisco in the NLCS. Lynn won 15 games for the Cards this year but scuffled at times in the second half. In his NLDS loss vs. the Pirates, he allowed seven hits, three walks and five runs in 4 1/3 innings. Friday’s outing, under all that pressure, had to be a confidence booster. P.S. Wonder what Oakland fans will recall more vividly: that UM product Seth Smith went 5-for-16 overall with a home run or that he made the last out, with runners on base, in Games 4 and 5 of the A’s American League Division Series loss to Detroit?

comeback trail

Cody Satterwhite notched a save on Tuesday in his first Arizona Fall League appearance. The former Hillcrest Christian and Ole Miss standout is now in the New York Mets' system, having been signed out of an independent league in mid-summer. Satterwhite, 26, was a second-round pick by Detroit in 2008 whose career was derailed by arm problems. The hard-throwing right-hander was out of baseball in 2012 but appears to be on the comeback trail now. In high Class A ball this year, he put up a 2.78 ERA in 22 2/3 innings with 23 strikeouts. P.S. The Biloxi City Council has voted to back $21 million in bonds for the construction of the ballpark that reportedly will be home to a Southern League franchise, possibly by 2015.

prime time player

Seth Smith’s production was down this year, but things have picked up for the Ole Miss product in the postseason. Smith hit a key home run for Oakland on Monday as the A’s beat Detroit 6-3 and took a 2-1 lead in their American League Division Series. Smith, whose numbers dropped this year in homers, RBIs, on-base and slugging percentage, is 4-for-8 in the series. On Monday, he belted a 3-1 pitch over the left-center field wall for a two-run bomb that put the A’s up 6-3 in the fifth inning and chased Tigers starter Anibal Sanchez. Many wondered why Detroit manager Jim Leyland left the right-hander in to face the lefty-hitting Smith, whose homer was his fourth all told against Sanchez, two coming in postseason play. “With their whole staff, you’re looking for a mistake and hope you can capitalize on it,” Smith told The Associated Press. “You will miss them sometimes, but fortunately for me, I was able to get the barrel to it.” He’ll attempt to barrel up some balls from Doug Fister, another righty, in Game 4 today at Comerica Park. Smith is 0-for-3 career against Fister.

old times here

Who would have ever thought that the Atlanta Braves’ postseason hopes would rest so heavily on Freddy Garcia, ace of the 1998 Jackson Generals? Garcia, who turned 37 on Sunday, gets the ball tonight for Atlanta in a must-win National League Division Series game at Los Angeles. Garcia was a top-rated Houston Astros prospect in 1998 and was 6-7 with a 3.24 ERA for the Double-A Generals when he was dealt to Seattle as part of the Randy Johnson trade. The big right-hander has been a horse over his long career, posting 156 wins with a 4.15 ERA. He put up a 1.65 for the Braves in six games, including three fairly impressive September starts. He is 6-3 with a 3.28 in 10 postseason starts and went 3-0 for the world champion Chicago White Sox in 2005. Garcia will put up a fight against a loaded Dodgers lineup, but still, who would have ever thought, with all the arms the Braves’ system has produced in recent years, it would come down to this? … Heard on the TBS broadcast of Sunday’s game that Julio Teheran, a former Mississippi Braves standout, was the first rookie to start a postseason game for the Braves franchise since Vern Bickford in the 1948 World Series. Bickford was a member of the original Jackson Senators, a Boston Braves farm club that played for many years at a ballpark located on the Fairgrounds. Bickford won 10 games for the 1946 Senators. Coincidentally, Bickford took the loss against Cleveland in Game 3 of the ’48 Series and Teheran, who pitched for the M-Braves in 2010 and had a hand in a combo no-hitter, took the loss against the Dodgers on Sunday. … Another former M-Braves hurler, Charlie Morton, starts for Pittsburgh today in a possible NLDS clincher for the Pirates against St. Louis. Morton went 7-4 with a 3.26 for Pittsburgh this year. M-Braves fans might remember that Morton really emerged as a prospect after a sterling outing in the 2007 Southern League playoffs. He made it to the big leagues the next year. … Ole Miss product Seth Smith, who has a .313 career average and two home runs against Detroit’s Anibal Sanchez, is in the lineup for Oakland today against the Tigers’ right-hander, who led the American League in ERA. Smith is the DH, hitting fifth. He went 2-for-4 Saturday as the A’s squared the ALDS at 1-all. … Ex-Itawamba Community College standout Desmond Jennings likely will start for Tampa Bay today as the Rays try to stay alive in the ALDS against Boston, which is up 2-0. Jennings is 2-for-7 in the series and 2-for-6 career vs. Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz (12-1, 1.74 ERA).

october madness

They call Tampa Bay’s Joe Maddon a “mad scientist” for his unorthodox approach to managing. One of his go-to concoctions is Desmond Jennings, a blend of power and speed. The former Itawamba Community College standout, playing with a troublesome hamstring, had two hits, including a two-run double, for the Rays in Wednesday’s 4-0 Wild Card Game win over Cleveland. Jennings is, plain and simple, a run producer, no matter where Maddon sticks him in the lineup. He scored 82 runs and drove in 54 in 139 games this season. His speed has been compromised a bit by his injury, but the longer the Rays stay alive in the postseason, the healthier Jennings figures to get. And to think, this one time Alabama football recruit almost went to that other sport. … Having been left off the National League Division Series roster by Atlanta, Mississippi State product Paul Maholm may be wondering about his future with the Braves. The left-hander went 10-11 with a 4.41 ERA in 2013, and the Braves likely will have an abundance of starting pitchers in camp next spring. … Ole Miss alumnus Lance Lynn will start Game 2 of the NLDS for St. Louis. Lynn was 15-10 with a 3.97 this year, finishing strong after a wobbly stretch. Only in his third MLB season, Lynn already has pitched in 16 postseason games, with two starts, and won a World Series ring in 2011. His postseason ERA is 4.50. … Former Rebels star Seth Smith didn’t have a great year — .253, eight homers, 40 RBIs — with Oakland, but he figures to get some at-bats in the American League Division Series against Detroit. Smith is a lefty hitter, and the Tigers’ rotation consists of all right-handers. Smith also has postseason experience, batting .231 with a homer over 14 games dating to his rookie year with Colorado in 2007. … The Houston Astros, following their abysmal season, announced they won’t bring back first base coach Dave Clark, the former Shannon High and Jackson State star who briefly managed the club in 2009. … Another JSU alum and former big leaguer, Wes Chamberlain, is being inducted into his alma mater’s Hall of Fame on Saturday.

red alert

The baseball spotlight shifts to the National League tonight when former Ole Miss standout Zack Cozart, Taylorsville High alumnus Billy Hamilton and the rest of the Cincinnati Reds take on the Pittsburgh Pirates in the do-or-die Wild Card Game. The Reds limp into the postseason with five straight losses, including a three-game sweep at the hands of the Pirates in Cincinnati over the weekend. Now they get to face Pirates ace Francisco Liriano (16-8, 3.02 ERA) at PNC Park in a town that hasn’t hosted a postseason game since 1992. Looks like a tough spot for the Reds, who'll throw lightly raced Johnny Cueto. Cincy shortstop Cozart, for his part, went 2-for-10 in 2013 against Liriano with a home run, one of the 12 he hit while batting .254 and driving in 63 runs. The Reds may be left to hope that Hamilton gets to play a role. He won’t start, but if there is a late-game need for a pinch runner, he’ll be it. And he is a weapon, having stolen 13 of 14 bases during his September call-up. P.S. Pirates manager Clint Hurdle was the last skipper of the Jackson Mets, taking the team to the Texas League playoffs in 1990. The Mets pulled their Double-A club out of Jackson after that season, and the Houston-affiliated Generals moved in. The Generals’ first manager was Rick Sweet, now a roving instructor in the Reds’ system.

update

Both Mitch Moreland and Desmond Jennings are in the lineups (see previous post) for tonight's American League playoff game. Moreland is playing first base and hitting seventh for host Texas, while Jennings is in center field and leading off for Tampa Bay.

the x factor

The Mississippi factor in tonight’s wild card playoff game might not be much of a factor in the outcome. Former Mississippi State star Mitch Moreland, now Texas’ first baseman, has hit just .125 over his last 10 games and struck out seven times in his last 15 at-bats. It’s possible the lefty hitter won’t even start against Tampa Bay left-hander David Price. Desmond Jennings, the ex-Itawamba Community College standout who usually mans center field for Tampa Bay, may not play either. He has been battling a hamstring problem and has made just two pinch-hit appearances since Sept. 22. Jennings was a late-season spark for Tampa and is batting .252 with 14 homers and 20 stolen bases. One intriguing matchup of note: The Rangers’ hitting coach is former Jackson Mets infielder Dave Magadan, and the Rays’ pitching coach is onetime Jackson Generals coach Jim Hickey. … Ole Miss product Seth Smith, who has had a lackluster 2013, ended the regular season on a strong note, going 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI in Oakland’s 9-0 win over Seattle. The A’s get Detroit in the ALDS. … Four former Mississippi Braves pitchers got decisions in games with playoff implications on Sunday: Julio Teheran beat Zach Miner in Atlanta’s win over Philadelphia, Todd Redmond (Toronto) was roughed up by Tampa Bay, and Scott Diamond (Minnesota) lost to Cleveland. … Ten former M-Braves played in Atlanta’s 12-5 romp, including Christian Bethancourt, who struck out in his first MLB at-bat after sitting on the bench for a couple weeks. His time will come. … Only one of the six Mississippi-connected managers in MLB made the postseason: former JaxMets skipper Clint Hurdle of Pittsburgh. Davey Johnson, another OJMs manager, is retiring in Washington. Ex-JaxMets infielder Ron Gardenhire reportedly is getting a new contract with Minnesota, which went 66-96. MSU alum Buck Showalter will return in Baltimore, former JaxMets catcher John Gibbons reportedly will be back in Toronto and JaxMets alum Ned Yost is expected to keep his job with Kansas City.

simply brilliant

It is that time of the year, that most wonderful time of the year in baseball, when pitching swells in importance. On Friday, cheers went out to Lance Lynn, Cliff Lee, Kris Medlen and Craig Kimbrel. Former Ole Miss star Lynn scattered four hits over six innings to spark St. Louis to a 7-0 win over the Chicago Cubs, clinching the National League Central title for the Cardinals. It was the 15th win for Lynn and his second straight after a long dry spell. Lee, the Meridian Community College alum, was brilliant for Philadelphia against Atlanta, scattering three hits over eight innings while fanning 13 and walking none. “I can’t tell you how good that guy is,” said the Braves’ Chris Johnson, who had one of the hits, an eighth-inning home run (on an 0-2 pitch) that propelled Atlanta to a 1-0 victory. Former Mississippi Braves standout Medlen, every bit as brilliant as Lee, got the W — he is 15-10 and has nine wins in his last 11 starts — with eight dominant innings, and ex-M-Braves closer Kimbrel rang up his 50th save with a 1-2-3 ninth.

feder is feted

Mike Feder, the former Jackson Mets general manager, was honored by the San Diego Padres and threw out the first pitch at Petco Park on Thursday night. Feder was named the Pacific Coast League’s executive of the year earlier this month for his work at Tucson, the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate. Tucson was a lame duck franchise (formerly located in Portland) when Feder, who had been out of baseball for 12 years, was recruited for the GM job in 2011. The franchise (but not Feder) will move to El Paso next season. Feder was a two-time Texas League executive of the year (1980 and ’81) during his JaxMets tenure, which included three TL championships at Smith-Wills Stadium. He left after the 1987 season to take a job as GM of a Tucson club that at that time was a Houston Astros affiliate. P.S. To continue on a Smith-Wills Stadium theme, Belhaven’s fall ball series is ongoing at the old ballpark. The next game is scheduled for Monday at approximately 3 p.m. It’s open to the public.

calm before the storm

Paul Maholm’s reaction to Carlos Gomez’s ridiculous antics in Wednesday’s Milwaukee-Atlanta game was remarkably calm. Maholm, the veteran left-hander out of Mississippi State, gave up a first-inning homer to Gomez, who proceeded to bark at Maholm and other Braves as he made his way around the bases. Catcher Brian McCann physically prevented Gomez from crossing the plate and all hell broke loose. Gomez was tossed, along with Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman. Maholm, however, kept his cool and pitched on, going seven innings (eight hits, three runs) in what became a 4-0 loss. Maholm, who has battled some injuries, is now 10-11 with a 4.41 ERA for a team that is 93-65 and contending for the National League’s best record. Gomez’s homer was the 17th Maholm has allowed this year. He is reportedly vying with former Jackson Generals ace Freddy Garcia for the No. 4 starter job in the postseason. Not sure if Wednesday’s outing helped Maholm’s cause. As for the Gomez incident, Maholm told mlb.com: “… I’m probably going to say he’s the last guy who’s going to act like that when he hits a homer.” Not sure what that means.

nabbed

Let the record show that Billy Hamilton was finally caught stealing in the 14th attempt of his MLB career. It happened today, when the New York Mets’ Juan Centeno (no, never heard of him either) cut Hamilton down at second base in the fifth inning of Cincinnati’s 1-0 loss. Former Taylorsville High star Hamilton made another start in center field and hit leadoff, going 1-for-4 with two strikeouts. He is batting .389 in 18 at-bats and has tallied nine runs to go with his 13 bags. He reportedly has not been guaranteed a postseason roster spot for the Reds, who are 4 games back of first-place St. Louis in the National League Central and destined for a wild card.

take that

Detroit’s road to clinching a playoff berth went through Minnesota’s Target Field on Monday. Southern Miss product Brian Dozier threw up a roadblock. Dozier’s ninth-inning home run, his 18th of the year, tied the score and he crossed the plate with the game-winning run in the 11th as the Twins beat the Tigers 4-3. Detroit’s magic number to clinch a playoff spot in the American League remains at 1, its number for claiming the Central Division at 2. Dozier, finishing strong for a team long out of contention, has 13 hits in his last eight games. He is batting .248 and has 65 RBIs. Former Ole Miss standout Alex Presley (two hits on Monday) also has been playing well for Minnesota, putting up a .286 average with eight RBIs and seven runs in 22 games since joining the club in a late July trade. Both Dozier, a second baseman, and Presley, an outfielder, have an eye on securing jobs for next season — and producing against a contender like Detroit certainly doesn't hurt.

a place in history

Bill Selby could go deep. He smacked 14 home runs in his one season at Northwest Mississippi Community College, where he is now the hitting coach. He belted a school-record 23 one year at Southern Miss. In the minor leagues, he hit 189 bombs. He went deep five times in his one season in Japan. And in his journeyman MLB career of 198 games, he clubbed 11 more. One of those homers is a significant footnote in baseball history. On July 14, 2002, Selby, playing for the Cleveland Indians, hit a walk-off grand slam against Mariano Rivera, the great New York Yankees closer. Drumroll, please: It was the first walk-off homer allowed by Rivera and one of only five hit to date against the future Hall of Famer, who debuted in 1995. Selby’s feat is noted in an excellent piece on Rivera (“Exit Sandman”) in the current (Sept. 23) issue of Sports Illustrated. P.S. Ole Miss alum Seth Smith celebrated Oakland’s American League West clincher on Sunday. Smith didn’t play Sunday or Saturday. He is 6-for-18 in his last 10 appearances but those have been sporadic. He’s at .248 for the year. … Former Itawamba CC star Desmond Jennings left Tampa Bay’s big 3-1 win over Baltimore with what was reported as a tight hamstring. He was initially listed as day-to-day. The AL wild card-leading Rays need Jennings in the lineup. … Taylorsville High product Billy Hamilton, batting leadoff for Cincinnati, went 3-for-6 with two steals and two runs in an 11-3 win over Pittsburgh. The two teams are 2 back of St. Louis in the National League Central/wild card battle. … Ex-UM standout Chris Coghlan, auditioning to be Miami’s third baseman in 2014, made two errors in the second game of a doubleheader against Washington. The second boot came in the bottom of the ninth and allowed the game-winning run to score.

three stars

It was a long time coming for Lance Lynn, but the right-hander out of Ole Miss finally notched win No. 14 for St. Louis on Saturday. Lynn allowed one run in 6 1/3 innings as the Cardinals beat Milwaukee 7-2 and stayed 2 games up in the National League Central. Lynn (14-10, 4.09 ERA in 32 starts) had not won since Aug. 4. … Itawamba Community College product Desmond Jennings continued to swing a hot bat for Tampa Bay, hitting his 14th homer and knocking in four runs to help the Rays beat Baltimore 5-1 and keep the top spot in the American League wild card standings. Jennings has 11 RBIs in his last 10 games. … Billy Hamilton, the Taylorsville tornado, is scheduled to start in center field today for Cincinnati, which fell a game back of Pittsburgh and 3 behind St. Louis in the NL Central with Saturday’s loss at Pittsburgh. Hamilton, who has made just one previous start since coming up, is 10-for-10 in stolen bases.

one day in september

Start in Pittsburgh, where, in the ninth inning on Friday, Ole Miss alum Zack Cozart (single) and Taylorsville High product Billy Hamilton (stolen base, run) played big parts in Cincinnati’s huge comeback win. After getting three runs in the ninth, the Reds won 6-5 on a Joey Votto homer in the 10th. They’re now tied with ex-Jackson Mets manager Clint Hurdle’s Pirates in the National League wild card battle, both 2 games behind their Central Division rival St. Louis. … Flash to Tampa Bay, where, in the 18th inning, former Itawamba Community College standout Desmond Jennings doubled and scored the game-winning run on a hit by David DeJesus. “That was fun, man,” Jennings said. The Rays’ 5-4 win over Mississippi State product Buck Showalter’s Baltimore Orioles puts them atop the American League wild card race, with Cleveland now in second. The O’s are 2.5 games out. … In Cleveland, the Indians (Mississippi connection: ex-Ole Miss star Mickey Callaway is the first-year pitching coach) beat Houston 2-1. … At Kansas City, former JaxMets catcher Ned Yost’s resilient Royals (2.5 games back of Cleveland in the wild card) dealt Texas a blow with their 2-1 win. Last out of the game: MSU alum Mitch Moreland, 0-for-3 on the night, flies out to former Southwest Mississippi CC star Jarrod Dyson in deep center field. Texas, essentially done in the AL West, is a half-game behind Cleveland in the wild card standings. … Jump to Chicago, where Atlanta cut its magic number for clinching the NL East to 1 by beating the Cubs with a ninth-inning rally. MSU product Paul Maholm allowed four runs in 5 1/3 innings and got no decision when the bullpen blew a lead. … At Colorado, in a game with no playoff impact, ex-Meridian CC standout Corey Dickerson belted his fourth homer of the year; it came off ex-Mississippi Gulf Coast CC ace Tony Sipp, who took the loss for the Diamondbacks.

role playing

The role of spoiler fell to Corey Dickerson late Thursday night, and the former Meridian Community College star from McComb played it well. Dickerson knocked in the game-winning run with a triple in the bottom of the 15th inning as Colorado beat St. Louis 7-6. “Every big league game is awesome, even if it’s a long one,” Dickerson told mlb.com. The Cardinals saw their lead in the National League Central cut to 1 game over Pittsburgh and 2 over Cincinnati. Dickerson went 3-for-7 on Thursday with two triples. In 62 games, the rookie outfielder is batting .289 with three homers, 14 RBIs, 13 doubles, six triples and 29 runs. Former Ole Miss standout Drew Pomeranz, who has had an injury-wracked campaign, also had a hand in the Rockies’ win, throwing two hitless innings in relief. Weir High and Holmes CC product Roy Oswalt started for Colorado but couldn’t hold a four-run lead. He lasted just 4 2/3 innings; he is winless in seven appearances (six starts) this season and has a 7.71 ERA. … Meanwhile, Mitch Moreland, the ex-Mississippi State star, belted his 23rd homer — and just his third off a left-hander — to help Texas beat Tampa Bay 8-2 and draw even with the Rays as the leaders in the American League wild card race. Moreland had three hits all told, boosting his fading average to .239.

a time for heroes

Three hits, two walks, four steals, two runs and an RBI. And his team won, in 13 innings. Billy Hamilton’s first career MLB start on Wednesday could not have gone much better. Playing center field and batting ninth, the ex-Taylorsville High star's performance was a tour de force in Cincinnati’s 6-5 win at Houston. He is the first player in the live ball era (from 1920 on) to steal four bases in his first big league start and has tallied nine steals faster (in only eight games) than anybody in the modern era (since 1901). “Who knows what comes next?” Hamilton told mlb.com. Well, for one, a postseason roster spot seems assured now. The Reds are third in the National League Central, 2.5 games back of St. Louis but just a half-game behind stumbling Pittsburgh. Cincy hold a 5.5-game edge over Washington for the second wild card. … Meanwhile, at Tampa Bay, Itawamba Community College product Desmond Jennings was a walk-off hero in a huge win for the Rays. Jennings’ RBI single in the 12th inning beat Texas 4-3. Tampa Bay now leads the Rangers by a game atop the American League wild card standings. Jennings’ big hit was atonement for a misplay (not an error) earlier in the game that resulted in two Rangers runs. Jennings, though batting just .246, has 78 runs, 49 RBIs, 13 homers and 20 steals for a Rays club that has had offensive issues. ... Atlanta reduced its magic number for clinching the NL East to 2 and dealt Washington a blow in its playoff quest with a 5-2 win. Former Mississippi Braves Jordan Schafer, Brian McCann, Alex Wood and, of course, Craig Kimbrel made noteworthy contributions. Kimbrel, coming off a shaky outing on Tuesday, worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his 48th save in 52 chances. He has a 1.31 ERA, a 0.89 WHIP, 90 strikeouts and just 20 walks in 62 innings. That’s Cy Young-caliber stuff.

whatever happened to ...

Fred Lewis, the former Stone County High and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College star, is batting .268 with four home runs, 21 RBIs and 12 stolen bases for the Hiroshima Carp of Japan’s Central League. What’s more, the left-handed hitting outfielder is helping the Carp close in on their first postseason appearance since 1991. The team had won seven straight games as of Tuesday. Lewis is a .266 career hitter in 535 MLB games, having last appeared with the New York Mets in 2012. He might get another look in the States next spring. P.S. Five 2013 Mississippi Braves are headed to the Arizona Fall League: pitchers Aaron Northcraft, Juan Jaime and Shae Simmons, second baseman Tommy La Stella and outfielder Robby Hefflinger. Jaime, a hard-throwing right-hander, is an intriguing prospect. He fanned 70 in 42 innings in relief for the M-Braves but had a 4.07 ERA. The injury plagued La Stella will look to build on his abbreviated campaign (.343 in 81 games), while Hefflinger (.170, six homers in Double-A after going .286, 21 in high-A ball) has things to prove. Also on the Scottsdale roster is former Hillcrest Christian and Ole Miss standout Cody Satterwhite, back in affiliated ball this year with the New York Mets. Ex-Rebels pitcher Austin Wright (Philadelphia) is on the Peoria roster. The AFL season starts Oct. 8.

one fine day

Cliff Lee might have registered the best day by any Mississippian in the majors this season in Philadelphia’s 12-2 win over Miami on Monday. The former Meridian Community College star worked eight innings, struck out 14 and walked none for his 14th win and also went 3-for-4 with a triple and four RBIs. Though it came in a game between also-rans, it’s still tough to beat that performance. … In a game with postseason implications, Ole Miss product Zack Cozart belted his 11th home run of the year and drove in four runs all told to spur Cincinnati past Houston 6-1. The Reds gained a game on Pittsburgh and St. Louis in the National League Central race; Cincy is 2.5 games back. … Ex-UM standout Lance Lynn pitched fairly well (6 1/3 innings, 2 runs) for St. Louis, but the Cardinals lost 6-2 to Colorado. Lynn, a 13-game winner, has not notched a victory since Aug. 4 and is 1-5 with a 4.62 ERA in his last 10 starts. He may find his status for the postseason rotation in jeopardy.

gettin' hot in here

The Texas Rangers’ recent freefall — they’ve lost eight of 10 — is personified in Mitch Moreland’s performance. The former Mississippi State star is mired in an 0-for-21 slump and has seen his average fall to .233. The Rangers lost to Oakland 1-0 on Saturday and dropped 5.5 games behind the Swingin’ A’s in the American League West. Texas is tied with Tampa Bay atop the wild card standings, but Cleveland is coming on fast and the New York Yankees, Baltimore and even Kansas City are still in the picture. … Itawamba Community College product Desmond Jennings had a couple of doubles and a couple of RBIs to spur Tampa Bay, which has won three straight, past Minnesota on Saturday. … Taylorsville’s Billy Hamilton stole another base — he is 5-for-5 — and scored a run in Cincinnati’s 7-3 win against Milwaukee. The Reds are 2.5 games back of Pittsburgh and St. Louis in the National League Central race but hold a 5.5-game edge on Washington for the No. 2 wild card in the NL. … The Nationals saw their 7-game win streak halted by Philadelphia — MSU alum Jonathan Papelbon notched his 27th save — and dropped 11 games behind Atlanta in the NL East. The Braves, 2-1 winners over San Diego, now have a magic number of 4 to clinch the division. P.S. Former Mississippi Braves pitcher David Hale (nine K’s in his debut for Atlanta on Friday night) beat Christian Bethancourt to the lineup card to become the 80th M-Braves alum to advance to the big leagues. When he plays, Bethancourt will be the 13th M-Braves product to debut in MLB this season, joining Hale, Evan Gattis, Paul Clemens (with the Astros), Brett Oberholtzer (Astros), Cory Rasmus, Jesus Sucre (Mariners), Ed Lucas (Marlins), Alex Wood, Zeke Spruill (Diamondbacks), Joey Terdoslavich, Todd Cunningham and Phil Gosselin.

just by watching

Don’t get WAR, the acronym seamheads use for their pet stat, Wins Above Replacement. Just don’t get it. Can’t begin to fathom how UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating) or DRS (Defensive Runs Saved) are calculated. Not doubting their validity. Just don’t understand them. Some use those numbers to tell us that Andrelton Simmons is a really good player, that the ex-Mississippi Braves standout is having, perhaps, the best defensive season by any shortstop ever. See “Wizards Like Oz,” a piece largely about Simmons, in the current issue (Sept. 16) of Sports Illustrated. Well, here’s another good way to judge a player: JBW. Just By Watching. If you watch Simmons on a regular basis, you don’t really need those complicated stats to tell you that he can really play. Watch him for just a few games and you’ll see he has great range, steady hands, an amazingly quick release and a rifle for an arm. If he has a flaw, it might be that he sometimes overdoes it, making a throw that shouldn’t be made or chasing a ball that someone else might have a better crack at. But the plays he makes certainly overshadow any of that. Some would use those complicated stats to argue that Simmons is the Braves’ MVP, even the National League’s MVP. OK, that’s going too far for a .259, bottom-of-the-order hitter with 15 home runs. If you watch the Braves on a regular basis, you know that Freddie Freeman, another ex-M-Braves star, is Atlanta’s best player and should be a top MVP candidate. Freeman is hitting .309 with 20 homers and 98 RBIs. He’s been producing all season. And he’s also a pretty good glove at first base. Don’t need WAR, UZR or DRS to tell you any of that. You can tell JBW.

as the season turns

Cliff Lee deserved to see a change in the wind. In 2012, the Meridian Community College product put up a 3.16 ERA and a 207-28 strikeouts-to-walks ratio yet finished with a 6-9 record for a foundering Philadelphia team. The Phillies haven’t been any better this season, but Lee's bottom line is. After tossing eight strong innings to beat San Diego 4-2 on Wednesday, the left-hander has a 2.97 ERA, a 187-32 K/BB ratio and -- ta da! -- a 13-6 record. Considering that the Phillies are 11 games under .500 and don’t score much, especially when Lee is pitching, this is a remarkable turnaround. Call it the breaks of the game. There may have been rumblings that Lee’s age is showing — he turned 35 last month — but he dismisses such chatter. “I feel young, maybe I’m getting gray in my beard, I don’t know, but I still feel young,” he told mlb.com. He’s got 138 career wins with, apparently, many more to come. P.S. Former Mississippi Braves pitcher David Hale, an 8-game winner in Pearl in 2012, is slated to make his MLB debut for Atlanta vs. San Diego on Friday. (Former Mississippi State star Paul Maholm is having elbow issues.) … Ex-Ole Miss standout Seth Smith contributed a double and two runs to Oakland’s 10-run inning on Wednesday. The A’s 18-3 rout of Minnesota put them 3 games ahead of skidding Texas in the American League West. ... Lance Lynn, another UM alum who has been scuffling, allowed just one unearned run in six innings (yet got no decision) in St. Louis' 5-1 win over Milwaukee. The Cardinals stayed a game up on Pittsburgh in the National League Central.

bethancourt gets the call

Fresh off an impressive campaign for the Double-A Mississippi Braves, Christian Bethancourt, who might be Atlanta’s starting catcher next season, has been summoned to the big leagues for the first time. Bethancourt hit .271 with 12 home runs this season after batting just .243 with little power for the M-Braves in 2012. A highly rated prospect for several years, Bethancourt is considered an outstanding defensive catcher. He threw out roughly a third of runners who attempted to steal on him this season but had double-figure totals for errors and passed balls. Bethancourt and former M-Braves star Evan Gattis might vie for Atlanta’s catching job next spring if Brian McCann departs as a free agent. Of course, the Braves really ought to consider re-signing McCann (see previous post). Bethancourt will be the 80th M-Braves alumnus to reach the majors when he makes his debut; McCann was the first, back in 2005.

running smoothly

A guy out of Mississippi used his wheels to score the game-winning run in the ninth inning for Cincinnati on Sunday night — but it wasn’t speed demon Billy Hamilton of Taylorsville. Ole Miss product Zack Cozart showed a little speed of his own in scoring all the way from first base on a double to left field by Ryan Hanigan. The Reds beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 for their fourth straight win and seventh W in the last 10. At 82-62, the Reds are tied for second with Pittsburgh in the National League Central, 1.5 games back of St. Louis. Cozart has been on a tear of late. He went 2-for-4 Sunday, extending his hit streak to 13 games, and is batting .254 with 10 homers, 53 RBIs and 69 runs in 133 games. In MLB, September is a good time to get hot. P.S. Another former Ole Miss standout, Seth Smith, contributed a three-run homer (No. 8) in a seven-run third inning to help first-place Oakland beat Houston 7-2. The A’s maintained a 1.5-game lead on Texas in the American League West.

numbers to chew on

0 — Combined MLB wins for Roy Oswalt and Drew Pomeranz this season. Weir’s Oswalt (0-4) and Ole Miss alumnus Pomeranz (0-4) were activated from the disabled list by Colorado last week. 1 — Wins since June 30 by Paul Maholm, the ex-Mississippi State star now pitching for Atlanta. Maholm (10-10, 4.41 ERA), who missed a chunk of time with an injured wrist, starts today against Philadelphia. 2 — Wins the Mississippi Braves need to stay alive in the Southern League postseason. The M-Braves trail Mobile 2-1 in the best-of-5 SL South Division series. Game 4 is today in Mobile. 4 — Stolen bases, in four attempts, in four appearances as a pinch runner, by former Taylorsville High standout Billy Hamilton. He has scored the tying or go-ahead run three times for red-hot Cincinnati, which has won five of six. 7 — Blown saves by MSU product and Philadelphia closer Jonathan Papelbon, who suffered another against Atlanta on Saturday. To be fair, he has picked up five wins, including one Saturday. 9 — Number of former Mississippi Braves pitchers who have started games for MLB clubs other than Atlanta in 2013. 15 — Home runs for M-Braves product and current Atlanta shortstop Andrelton Simmons, who blasted his latest on Saturday, a game-tying, ninth-inning shot off Jonathan Papelbon. Where does the 170-pound Simmons get that power? 20 — RBIs for ex-State star Tyler Moore, who picked up two on Saturday for Washington. Moore, who struggled early this season, is batting .370 over his last 10 games. 25 — Number of Mississippians (native or college alums) to play in The Show this year, including rookies Joey Butler, Corey Dickerson, Billy Hamilton and T.J. House. 30 — Stolen bases for Jarrod Dyson, the Southwest Mississippi Community College product who plays for Kansas City, which is hanging around in the American League wild card chase. 38 — Hits for Meridian CC alum Corey Dickerson, who is batting .295 for Colorado with 18 extra base hits in 51 games in his first season.

up against it

The odds certainly appear to be stacked against the Mississippi Braves in the Southern League South Division championship series. Not only do they have to play the first two games on the road — and Games 4 and 5 if the series goes that far — but in tonight’s crucial opener at Hank Aaron Stadium, they go up against Mobile’s Archie Bradley, the Arizona Diamondbacks’ top prospect. Right-hander Bradley, who had a 0.90 ERA in two starts against the M-Braves this year, was named the SL’s pitcher of the year after going 12-5 with a 1.97. He’ll be opposed by right-hander Michael Lee, a six-year minor league veteran who finished 9-8, 3.71 this season. The M-Braves’ best pitcher, Gus Schlosser (7-6, 2.39), won’t be available until Game 3 at Trustmark Park on Saturday. Mobile was the league’s best team in 2013, going 79-60 and winning both halves in the South to earn the huge home-field advantage. The BayBears also are going for a third straight pennant, something done only once before in the SL’s long history. The season series was tight: Mobile won 11 of the 20 meetings. And the teams finished 1-2 in staff ERA and 2-3 in team batting. The BayBears have league batting champ Justin Greene (.308) and power-hitting veteran Nick Evans (19 homers). The M-Braves’ top hitters are Tommy La Stella (.343 in just 81 games), Jose Martinez (.285) and SL All-Star Christian Bethancourt (.277, 12 homers). The M-Braves earned their first playoff berth since 2008 by winning an hotly contested, extra-inning battle against Jacksonville on the last day of the regular season. “They’re going to have energy,” Mobile manager Andy Green, the SL manager of the year, told al.com. Will there be enough energy to overcome the long odds? There is some karma working for the M-Braves, however. This is the fifth anniversary of their first — and only — SL title, the 10th anniversary of the independent Jackson Senators’ only Central League crown and the 20th anniversary of the Jackson Generals’ first Texas League pennant. So there.

coming up long

Struggling Tampa Bay got a boost Tuesday night from former Itawamba Community College standout Desmond Jennings, who hit his 12th home run in a 7-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels. Jennings also stole his 19th base for the Rays, who are clinging to the second wild card in the American League despite just two wins in their last 10 games. … Mitch Moreland added a long ball, No. 22 for the Mississippi State product, in Texas’ 5-1 win over Oakland. The Rangers are a game up on the A’s in the AL West; Oakland leads the wild card race. (Isn’t this fun?) … And former Mississippi Braves stars Evan Gattis and Andrelton Simmons went yard for Atlanta, which beat the New York Mets 3-1 and remained 2 games ahead of the L.A. Dodgers in the race for the best record in the National League. Gattis, just back from a short sojourn at Triple-A Gwinnett, hit homer No. 16, his first since July 24. Simmons belted his 13th, a go-ahead shot in the seventh. P.S. Good to see that Texas recalled Pascagoula High product Joey Butler. The minor league veteran got a call-up in early August when Nelson Cruz was suspended, played in two games (going 2-for-4), then went back to the minors when the Rangers acquired Alex Rios. Butler, in his third tour at Triple-A Round Rock, batted .291 with 12 bombs and 51 RBIs this season.

raise a glass

Billy Hamilton’s first major league stolen base came tonight in his MLB debut and is one worthy of any and all hoopla it generates. The Taylorsville High product entered a scoreless game as a pinch runner in the seventh inning for Cincinnati, drew three throws to first base and then swiped second – against St. Louis’ Yadier Molina, perhaps the best defensive catcher in the game. Hamilton scored the game’s only run on a hit by Todd Frazier. The win was a big one for the Reds, who are chasing both the Cardinals and first-place Pittsburgh in the National League Central. Hamilton has 395 minor league steals on his ledger, with a success rate of 82.5 percent. Can he have that kind of success in The Show? Well, he’s off to a darn good start.

ready or not

The Chicago White Sox tossed Tim Anderson, their first-round pick in June out of East Central Community College, into a full-season Class A league for his pro debut. He fit right in. Shortstop Anderson, the 17th overall pick, batted .277 with 45 runs, 24 RBIs and 24 stolen bases in 68 games for Kannapolis in the low-A South Atlantic League. Only 20 years old, he could be on a fast track. Hunter Renfroe, the ex-Mississippi State slugger who was picked 13th overall by San Diego, batted .271 with six homers and 25 RBIs at two levels; he hit just .212 after his promotion to the low-A Midwest League. Renfroe’s former State teammate Adam Frazier had a better debut, batting .332 with 34 runs and 27 RBIs in 56 games in short-season Class A for Pittsburgh. JaCoby Jones, the former Mississippi Mr. Baseball from Richton, hit .311 with the same Pirates club but saw his season end after 15 games because of a knee injury. Other noteworthy 2013 debuts: Ole Miss product Stuart Turner (Minnesota) batted .264 with three homers and 19 RBIs in rookie ball and ended the year on the Double-A roster; ex-Rebels ace Bobby Wahl (Oakland) posted a 3.92 ERA in short-season A-ball; and former Vancleave High star Colin Bray (Arizona) hit .280 with three homers and 27 RBIs at the rookie level. P.S. MSU alum Chris Stratton, a 2012 draftee by San Francisco, had a strong season in the low-A Sally League: 9-3, 3.27. The top pick from the state last year, outfielder D.J. Davis (Toronto) from Stone County High, batted .240 with six homers, seven triples, 25 RBIs and 13 steals in rookie ball.

introducing ...

Former Jackson Generals ace Freddy Garcia was quite impressive in his Atlanta debut on Sunday, throwing 4 2/3 scoreless innings in relief against Miami. The Marlins had KO’d former Mississippi Braves lefty Alex Wood in the third inning en route to a 7-0 win. Garcia, 36, an accomplished pitcher with 155 MLB wins, should only benefit from working with Atlanta pitching coach Roger McDowell, the former Jackson Mets standout. Garcia can fill a variety of roles for the Braves. The more impressive debut on Sunday was made by Ole Miss product Alex Presley, who went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run to help his new club, Minnesota, beat Texas 4-2. The Rangers’ division lead over Oakland dropped to one game; the two American League West rivals begin a 3-game series today at O.Co Coliseum. A more anticipated debut could come today: Cincinnati is expected to add former Taylorsville High star Billy Hamilton to its roster. Hamilton set the professional baseball stolen base record with 155 in 2012. Reds manager Dusty Baker told mlb.com that Hamilton is much more than another Herb Washington, the Belzoni native who served as a pinch runner for Oakland in the mid-’70s without ever batting or playing the field. Hamilton can do those things, though speed on the bases is his game-changing tool. The Reds host division rival St. Louis, which is tied with Pittsburgh atop the National League Central standings. P.S. Texas activated ex-Generals star Lance Berkman from the disabled list. Lingering injuries may limit Berkman’s contributions down the stretch.

scatter shots

It was apparent that Alex Presley was no longer in Pittsburgh’s plans, so the move from the contending Pirates to also-ran Minnesota may not be all that bad for the former Ole Miss standout. Presley, swapped for Justin Morneau in one of Saturday’s big moves, is scheduled to join the Twins today. Presley, who has had several stints in Pittsburgh this season, was playing in Triple-A and hitting .298 with five homers and 17 stolen bases. Twins GM Terry Ryan called Presley “a catalyst type.” He is a left-handed hitter with speed and a little pop who can play anywhere in the outfield. … Ex-Southern Miss star Brian Dozier hit his 15th home run, a leadoff blast, for the Twins on Saturday. … Ole Miss alum Lance Lynn got rocked (seven runs in four innings) by Pittsburgh in his big start for St. Louis on Saturday. The Bucs are now a game up on the Cards in the National League Central. … Itawamba Community College product Desmond Jennings had a ninth-inning RBI hit for Tampa Bay, but the Rays lost to Oakland 2-1 and lost ground in the American League East and wild card standings. They are 4.5 games back of first-place Boston and a game behind wild card leader Oakland. … Miami has activated UM product Chris Coghlan from the disabled list. The oft-injured outfielder was hitting .277 for the Marlins before his latest setback. … Meridian CC alum Corey Dickerson hit his third homer for Colorado on Saturday. … The Rockies, who are going nowhere this year, announced that Roy Oswalt, the former Holmes CC star from Weir, will make a rehab start on Tuesday and possibly rejoin the big league team after that. He is 0-4, 7.64 in 2013. … Toronto goes for the 3-game sweep of Kansas City today in the matchup of former Jackson Mets catchers-turned-managers John Gibbons and Ned Yost.

on center stage

Today’s can’t-miss game is St. Louis at Pittsburgh, a battle for first place in the National League Central. The Pirates won Friday’s series opener at PNC Park, forging the tie at the top and handing the Cardinals a second straight loss. Enter Lance Lynn to play the role of stopper for the Cards. This is an iffy proposition. The right-hander out of Ole Miss is winless in his last four starts and just 3-5 with a 4.48 ERA over his last 10. His 10-1 start in 2013 seems almost forgotten. For the year, he is 13-8, 4.02 with 158 strikeouts and 62 walks in 168 innings. There is a bright side for Lynn: He has been effective against Pirates stars Andrew McCutchen (4-for-23) and Pedro Alvarez (4-for-18). It’ll certainly be interesting to see how he handles things tonight. He’ll be opposed by A.J. Burnett, a veteran battler who is 6-9, 3.18.

'you're outta here'

Check off career ejection No. 66 for Ron Gardenhire, which moves him into a tie for ninth with the great Joe Torre on the all-time list for managerial ejections. Gardenhire, the former Jackson Mets infielder and current Minnesota Twins manager, was run Thursday during the Twins’ 3-1 home loss to Kansas City. (The Twins’ lone score came on a homer by Southern Miss product Brian Dozier, his 14th.) Gardenhire, generally an even-tempered and likable guy, is 989-923 in 12 years in Minnesota. He has won six division titles and was American League manager of the year in 2010. But his club will miss the postseason for the third straight year in 2013. Thursday’s loss was the Twins’ fifth straight and dropped their record to 57-75. Gardenhire has been run four times this season, a frustration that is perfectly understandable. And it’s also understandable why his job security is in question.

the view out west

Seth Smith walloped a home run for Oakland on Tuesday night, his first since June 16 – and first since having Lasik surgery last week. Smith, the ex-Hillcrest and Ole Miss standout, is having a down year (.240, seven homers, 34 RBIs), but maybe the ocular tuneup was what he needed to get him going. His homer on Tuesday was a key blow for the A’s, who beat Detroit 6-3 and remained 2.5 games behind first-place Texas in the American League West. The Rangers, getting an RBI hit from Mississippi State product Mitch Moreland, beat Seattle 4-3. Oakland currently holds the No. 2 wild card spot in the AL, but there are a lot of dogs still in the fight. The last few weeks of the season are going to be fun to watch in that league. P.S. Miami has sent former Ole Miss star Chris Coghlan to Triple-A New Orleans for a rehab assignment. … Former Mississippi Braves right-hander Paul Clemens pitched six strong innings for Houston in his first MLB start (not his first appearance) on Tuesday, but the Astros’ bullpen blew the save against the Chicago White Sox. Jackson native Donnie Veal cherry-picked the win for the Sox. … The M-Braves, now tied for first in the Southern League South with five games left at Jacksonville, topped the 200,000 mark in attendance after a strong final homestand. The announced average for 2013 was 2,861, down slightly from 2012 (2,904). The average in 2005, the club’s first year at Trustmark Park, was 3,847.

stay tuned ...

The schedule says it’s the last home game of the season for the Mississippi Braves. But don’t put the foam tomahawks away just yet. There may be more chopping days ahead at Trustmark Park. The M-Braves (35-28) remain very much in the chase for the Southern League South Division second-half title and a playoff berth. They enter tonight’s game against Huntsville at the TeePee a game behind first-place Jacksonville, with first-half champ Mobile sandwiched between the two. The M-Braves finish the regular season with a 5-game series at Jacksonville. Mississippi's first postseason appearance since 2008 will be there for the taking. The 2013 M-Braves (3.07 staff ERA) have had good pitching, which has been the norm since the club moved to Pearl. They’ve also become a productive offensive club, batting .252 (third in the league) and ranking fourth in runs. Christian Bethancourt (.283, 12 home runs, 44 RBIs) and Edward Salcedo (12 homers, 54 RBIs), both regarded as big league prospects, have made creditable strides this season. Tommy La Stella (.332 in 75 games) has had a breakthrough, while Jose Martinez (.288), Jaime Pedroza (.285), Christian Marrero (eight homers) and Barrett Kleinknecht (eight homers) have made significant contributions. And then there’s Mycal Jones, who rates some special notice. He first arrived in Double-A late in 2010, spent most of 2011 here after converting from infielder to center fielder and started 2012 in Pearl again. But he scuffled terribly (.141) and wound up back in A-ball. He got yet another shot with the M-Braves this spring and seems finally to have figured some things out. He is batting .261 with 29 stolen bases, 54 runs and 32 RBIs. Out with an injury since Aug. 11, he came off the disabled list on Monday and hit a key homer, his fourth, in a 2-1 victory over Huntsville. If the team, which let the first-half championship slip from its grasp, could somehow channel Jones’ perseverance over the last few days of the regular season … .

a need for speed

In the biggest game on the MLB schedule Monday night, Cincinnati at St. Louis, Zack Cozart came up big for the Reds. The former Ole Miss standout tripled and doubled, drove in three runs and scored another. He also made some good plays at shortstop. Unfortunately for Cincy, that wasn’t enough. With big home runs from Matt Holliday and Allen Craig (a game-changing grand slam off Mississippi Braves alum J.J. Hoover), St. Louis won 8-6, moved into first place alone in the National League Central and dropped the third-place Reds 3½ games back. Cozart’s recent exploits notwithstanding — he entered Monday having batted .281, up 40 points from his season average, over his previous 10 games — the Reds continue to have offensive issues. Among those is speed on the bases. The cure for that, of course, could be Billy Hamilton, the base-stealing demon from Taylorsville. Hamilton likely will be promoted when rosters expand on Sunday. He is batting .257 (.310 on-base percentage) with 73 steals, 73 runs, six homers and 41 RBIs in 119 games at Triple-A Louisville. P.S. Meridian Community College product Cliff Lee stifled the New York Mets for eight innings on Monday to notch his 11th win for Philadelphia; it was his first W since July 5. Jonathan Papelbon, the ex-Missisippi State star, worked the ninth for his 22nd save, just his second since July 11.

well, that's one

Louis Coleman’s ERA skyrocketed on Friday night. All the way to 0.40. Coleman, the former Pillow Academy star, gave up a home run in Kansas City’s 11-10 loss to Washington; it was the first run the sidearming right-hander had allowed all season. He had worked 21 straight scoreless innings before Jayson Werth took him deep in the fourth inning at Kauffman Stadium. For his MLB career, all with the Royals, Coleman has a 2.77 ERA in 133 innings. The Greenwood native and LSU alum was one of three Mississippi-born players who participated in Friday’s game, a matchup of two teams whose playoff aspirations have gone “poof.” Natchez native and ex-Southwest Mississippi Community College standout Jarrod Dyson stole a base (No. 23) and scored a run as a pinch runner for KC, which lost its sixth straight. One really has to wonder if Royals manager Ned Yost, the old Jackson Mets catcher, will be back next season. Brandon native and former Northwest Rankin/Meridian CC/Mississippi State star Tyler Moore went 3-for-5 for Washington and boosted his average to .203. Even with the win, the Nationals are 13 games behind Atlanta in the National League East. We already know that this is ex-JaxMets skipper Davey Johnson’s last season at the Washington helm. P.S. Former State star Mitch Moreland belted his 18th homer (as a pinch hitter) to help Texas beat the Chicago White Sox 11-5 and opened up a 3½-game lead on Oakland in the American League West. … If or when Freddy Garcia joins the Atlanta rotation, he would be the sixth former Jackson General to play for the Braves. The list: Shane Reynolds, Daryle Ward, Tom Martin, Billy Wagner and Julio Lugo. Garcia, who has 155 big league victories, was acquired from Baltimore on Friday. Just 3-5, 5.77 with the Orioles, the 36-year-old Garcia was 8-3, 2.84 at Triple-A Norfolk.

these are the times

Paul Maholm, the ex-Mississippi State standout, will return to the mound for Atlanta today in a game that has suddenly taken on a lot more significance. It’s not just a test of Maholm’s left wrist, which sidelined him for about a month. It’s not just an opportunity for the veteran lefty (9-9 with a 4.41 ERA) to make his case for a fulltime spot in the rotation. It’s not just the series opener in a potential playoff preview against National League Central power St. Louis. It’s not even because it’s the MLB Network Showcase Game for tonight. Nope, more than all that, it’ll be the Braves’ first game SINCE. Since, of course, Jason Heyward’s frightening injury. Hit in the face by a pitch on Wednesday, the former Mississippi Braves star has a broken jaw that might force him to miss the rest of the regular season. The Braves have had a plethora of injuries and ailments this year, but this one kinda feels different. Heyward wasn’t having a great year overall — .253, 13 home runs, 37 RBIs — but since he moved to the leadoff spot at the end of July, he has batted .345, slugged .586 and led the Braves on a 19-4 splurge. Their NL East lead is a safe 15 games. But will the loss of Heyward, and the way it happened, send them into a funk? These are the times that try men’s souls – or at least their plate discipline. Heyward’s absence will mean more at-bats for ex-M-Braves such as Jordan Schafer, Evan Gattis and Joey Terdoslavich. Can they answer the call? Many will be looking for signs of a hangover tonight at Busch Stadium. A strong start from Maholm, who was scuffling before his injury, would certainly be a boost to morale.

the plots thicken

Meanwhile, back at the pennant race: Former Itawamba Community College standout Desmond Jennings went 1-for-4 with a walk in his return from the disabled list on Monday night. Jennings helped Tampa Bay beat division rival Baltimore 4-3 and stay a game back of first-place Boston in the American League East. … Mitch Moreland contributed a two-run double and also scored during Texas’ 11-run third-inning outburst against hapless Houston. The former Mississippi State star now has 20 doubles, 17 home runs and 50 RBIs for the Rangers, who stayed a half-game up on Oakland in the AL West with their 16-5 romp over the Astros. … The A’s, who held a nice lead in the division not so long ago, haven’t been getting much from Ole Miss product Seth Smith. He is 2-for-20 in August and has seen his average skid to .241. … Ole Miss alum Zack Cozart drove in two runs and had a hand in two sweet double plays as Cincinnati topped Arizona 5-3. The Reds, third in the wild, wild National League Central, are just 2.5 games back of leader Pittsburgh in the division and have a firm grip on the second wild card. … St. Louis, second in the NL Central (1 game back), throws former Rebels ace Lance Lynn at Milwaukee tonight. Lynn is 13-6 with a 3.89 ERA but has won just one of his last four starts. ... Ex-State star Jonathan Papelbon registered his first save since July 11 for Philadelphia, which is out of postseason contention for the second straight year. Papelbon, thought to be on the trading block, has 21 saves on the season. P.S. Former Hattiesburg High slugger John Lindsey has changed uniforms yet again. The 36-year-old Lindsey, in pro ball since 1995, is now with the independent New Jersey Jackals. He began this season with Detroit’s Triple-A Toledo club, then moved to Campeche in the Mexican League, where he hit 20 homers. Lindsey has 292 career minor league bombs and 1,895 hits. He went 1-for-11 in his lone MLB stint with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2010.

the hot bat

Just can't ignore what Corey Dickerson is doing for the Colorado Rockies. The McComb native and former Meridian Community College star banged out three more hits in a Rockies win on Wednesday. The lefty-swinging outfielder is batting .357 over his last 10 games. For the year, he's at .321 with two homers, two triples, eight doubles and eight RBIs in 33 games. “Just keep doing what I'm doing, playing hard and the at-bats will come,” he told mlb.com. Dickerson, who had huge numbers in the minors, reportedly has improved his defense, which will also be important to getting playing time. In 19 games spread over the three outfield positions, Dickerson has not made an error, though he doesn't have an assist either. P.S. Ole Miss alum Lance Lynn (13-6, 3.79 ERA) goes to the hill for St. Louis today in a big National League Central game with Pittsburgh. The Pirates' 5-1 win on Tuesday stretched their division lead over the Cardinals back to 3 games. … In case you missed it, the 2014 Southern League schedule has been released and there is no team in Biloxi. It has become apparent there won't be a team there before 2015, if then. Construction has not yet begun on the proposed stadium.

whatever happened to …

Brandon Jones, the onetime Mississippi Braves star, was named hitter of the week in the independent Can-Am League on Tuesday. Jones went 11-for-24 with six RBIs last week and is batting .288 with a homer and 19 RBIs on the year for the New Jersey Jackals. Jones, who got some big league time with Atlanta, spent last season with the Kansas City T-Bones of the indy American Association and hit .326 with 14 homers and 73 RBIs. P.S. The Jackals released former M-Braves standout Cody Johnson on Tuesday. The much-traveled Johnson, a former first-round pick by Atlanta, has now been released by three different teams this season. He began the year in the New York Yankees system and later played for York in the Atlantic League. The strikeout-prone Johnson has 144 career minor league homers and a .245 average.

random stuff

There is speculation out there that Tyler Moore may be back in Washington soon. The former Northwest Rankin High, Meridian Community College and Mississippi State standout has been raking at Triple-A Syracuse of late. He was named the International League player of the week for last week and is currently hitting .312 with eight home runs and 38 RBIs in 36 games. In sporadic play with the Nationals this season, he batted just .151 with three homers. Washington’s season has skidded off the rails, and the Nats brass might want to see what Moore can do with regular at-bats. … Meridian CC product Corey Dickerson, now with Colorado, swatted his second homer on Thursday. Keep an eye on him. … Former Ole Miss star Alex Presley has six hits, three runs and two RBIs since returning to Pittsburgh late last month. He is batting .281 in 26 games overall for the Pirates, who have hit the 70-win plateau and moved 4 games ahead of second-place St. Louis in the National League Central. … Cleveland’s playoff hopes took a serious hit this week when the Indians were swept in four games at home by Detroit, the first-place team in the American League Central. The Indians are now 7 games behind. No one felt worse about this development than Mickey Callaway, the former Ole Miss pitcher who is in his first campaign as the Tribe’s pitching coach. Cleveland’s pitching has been fairly solid this season, but against Detroit, the Indians suffered a blown save on Monday, saw their ace (Justin Masterson) get roughed up on Tuesday, dropped a 6-5 game in 14 innings on Wednesday and were mashed 10-3 on Thursday. … Ex-Rebels standout Chris Coghlan, on the disabled list (calf injury) with Miami since June, is expected to begin some rehab work soon in the low minors. Reports say Coghlan, the NL rookie of the year in 2009 as an outfielder, could return to The Show in September as a third baseman. … Starkville native Julio Borbon was outrighted to Triple-A Iowa by the Chicago Cubs earlier this week.

coming soon

After hammering away in Triple-A for most of the last three seasons, Pascagoula’s Joey Butler is now anxiously awaiting his first swing as a major leaguer. Butler, a product of ’Goula High and UNO, was called up by Texas on Monday in the wake of Nelson Cruz’s suspension. Butler, 27, called the unexpected promotion “a humbling experience.” He was batting .290 with 10 homers and 44 RBIs at Round Rock. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound right-handed hitting outfielder, who didn’t play against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night, is a career .290 hitter with 70 homers in six minor league seasons. The Rangers drafted him in the 15th round in 2008.

setbacks

Tampa Bay figures to miss Desmond Jennings, the ex-Itawamba Community College star who has gone to the disabled list with a broken finger. Jennings, the Rays’ center fielder and leadoff batter, is hitting .258 with 11 homers, 40 RBIs, 17 stolen bases and 69 runs in 104 games. He was injured while sliding on Saturday. He’ll be out at least 15 days at a time when the Rays are in hot pursuit of first-place Boston in the American League East, with third-place Baltimore breathing down their necks. In other injury news, Weir High and Holmes CC alum Roy Oswalt had a setback (cramp) in a simulated game on Saturday and his return to Colorado’s rotation is on hold. Oswalt, 0-4 with a 7.64 ERA for the Rockies, injured his left hamstring on July 7 and went on the DL. P.S. Props to former Mississippi Braves pitcher Brett Oberholtzer, who has thrown 14 scoreless innings in his two starts for Houston. He beat Boston on Monday.

first things first

Hunter Renfroe, the first pick from Mississippi in this year’s MLB draft, is batting .286 with four homers and 15 RBIs in 22 games for San Diego’s short-season Class A Eugene club. Renfroe, from Crystal Springs and Mississippi State, is slugging .516. … Last year’s top pick from the state, D.J. Davis out of Stone County High, is hitting .255 with four homers, 19 RBIs, seven triples and nine steals for rookie-level Bluefield in the Toronto organization. … Connor Barron of Sumrall, the first Mississippian picked in 2011, is at Southern Miss. He is currently playing summer ball in the Texas Collegiate League and batting .253 with six homers and 25 RBIs in 43 games. … The first pick out of the Magnolia State in 2010 was Drew Pomeranz, the ex-Ole Miss standout who is currently on the disabled list with an 0-4, 8.10 ledger for Colorado this season. … First-place Atlanta has won nine straight games, best current streak in MLB, and will seek to extend the run today against Cliff Lee, the Philadelphia ace out of Meridian Community College who is 10-4, 3.05. … Props to Tommy La Stella of the Mississippi Braves, who is now first in the club record book with a 21-game hit streak. With La Stella's help on Saturday, the M-Braves won at Huntsville 6-5 and are now 22-18 (2½ games out of first place) in the second half of the Southern League season.

a night to remember

It has been a largely forgettable season for Minnesota, which has languished near the bottom of the American League Central much of the time, and for former Southern Miss star Brian Dozier, who has had to battle to keep a job in his second big league tour with the Twins. In that context, a game like Friday night’s becomes all the more exhilarating. Dozier knocked in the game-winning run in the bottom of the 13th inning — his first career walk-off hit — as the Twins (46-60) stopped a four-game skid with a 4-3 win over Houston. Dozier, who went 3-for-7 and extended his hitting streak to nine games, had quite the night. He doubled in the eighth inning and scored to tie it at 2-2. In the ninth, after the Astros had gone back in front 3-2, he drove in the tying run. Then came the big hit in the 13th. “A confidence booster,” Dozier told The Associated Press. Dozier, who was moved from shortstop to second base this season, is hitting just .236, though he does have nine home runs. There could be changes in Minnesota in the off-season; manager Ron Gardenhire, the former Jackson Mets shortstop, may be on the way out if the club doesn't perk up. Dozier, a .298 career hitter in the minors, may need a strong finish to secure his spot for 2014.

on the power pole

Amory native and former Mississippi State star Mitch Moreland smacked his 15th home run for Texas on Thursday and holds a comfortable lead in the unofficial Mississippi Home Run Derby for 2013. Moreland, in 94 games, has matched his homer total from 2012 even though he is batting only .243 for the Rangers. His primary challengers in this faux competition figured to be Ole Miss product Seth Smith and MSU alum Tyler Moore, but neither has put up power numbers like last year. Smith (14 bombs in 2012) has six homers in 87 games for Oakland. Moore (10 homers in 156 at-bats in 2012) hasn’t gotten much opportunity with Washington and has just three homers in 42 games/106 ABs. He is currently at Triple-A Syracuse, where he is hitting .306 with six homers. Ex-Itawamba Community College standout Desmond Jennings is No. 2 on the Mississippi power chart, with 11 homers for Tampa Bay. He’s got pop (13 homers in 2012) but is considered more of a speed guy and often bats leadoff. Somewhat surprising is the power displayed by Southern Miss alum Brian Dozier, who has hit nine homers in 91 games for Minnesota. Ex-UM star Zack Cozart belted 15 home runs for Cincinnati last year and, with eight in 99 games this year, could reach that number again. P.S. MSU alum Jonathan Papelbon, seemingly unhappy with the situation in Philadelphia, has blown six saves since June 1 and has an ERA of 2.59 after Thursday’s blown save/loss against San Francisco. … Meridian CC product Cliff Lee — still a Phillie — is going to miss another start today because of a neck problem. … Zeke Spruill started for Arizona on Thursday, running to eight the number of former Mississippi Braves pitchers who have started games for MLB clubs other than Atlanta in 2013.

hot stuff

The hottest team in baseball, by numbers, is the Kansas City Royals, managed by former Jackson Mets catcher Ned Yost. The Royals have won eight straight to reach 53-51, 7 games out in the American League Central with plenty of games left. Southwest Mississippi Community College product Jarrod Dyson has helped, with six hits and four steals in his last six games. And ex-Pillow Academy star Louis Coleman still hasn’t allowed an earned run out of the KC bullpen. … Former JaxMets skipper Clint Hurdle has seen his Pittsburgh Pirates take four straight from St. Louis in their National League Central showdown. The Bucs are 65-42 and lead the Cardinals by 2½ games. … In keeping with this theme, Texas has won three straight games with walk-off homers and crept within 4 games of Oakland in the AL West. Texas’ hitting coach, coincidentally, is ex-JaxMets star Dave Magadan. … No team had a better July than Tampa Bay, which went 21-5 and is second in the AL East at 64-44, a half-game back of Boston. Some credit there should go to former Jackson Generals pitching coach Jim Hickey, who won a Texas League ring in 1996. Over the previous five seasons, all under Hickey, the Rays have a 3.74 ERA. They’re at 3.76 this year, fifth in the AL. Last year, this club posted a remarkable 3.19 ERA with a .228 opponents batting average (lowest in the DH era) and an AL-best strikeout total. Their pitching has made them perennial playoff contenders in a tough division. … Kudos should also go to Atlanta’s pitching coach, former JaxMets hurler Roger McDowell. The Braves have weathered all kinds of injuries to their staff (and position players, as well) and bolted to an 11-game lead in the NL East. Atlanta, fueled by so many ex-Mississippi Braves stars, look like the best team in the league right now. P.S. Reports say former Generals standout Lance Berkman, on the DL with Texas, may retire. … Former M-Braves lefty Brett Oberholtzer threw seven shutout innings Wednesday for Houston against Baltimore and got his first career win. … The Chicago Cubs’ trade of outfielder Alfonso Soriano may open up more playing time for Starkville native Julio Borbon, who is batting just .194 but is 7-for-8 on stolen bases.

breaking through

Check out these stats: .331 average, .401 on-base percentage, 10 doubles, two triples, a homer, 21 RBIs and 19 runs in 49 games. Oh yeah, and a 17-game hitting streak that’s alive today. Those impressive stats belong to Tommy La Stella, the left-handed hitting second baseman who typically bats third for the Double-A Mississippi Braves. Now check out Baseball America’s 2013 Prospect Handbook, a brilliantly researched guide to the top players in the minor leagues. It doesn’t list Tommy La Stella among Atlanta’s top 31 prospects. That’s an indication of what an inexact science the rating of prospects can be. And La Stella’s performance this season, despite a spate of injuries, is an indication of how an ostensibly overlooked player can work his way into an organization’s plans. He’ll be in that top 30 next year for the Braves, who need some young position players to step up. La Stella was an All-American at Coastal Carolina in 2011, when he batted .398 with 14 homers and 70 RBIs. The Braves took him in the eighth round that summer. He batted .311 with 15 homers over his first two pro seasons and was a top 30 (No. 28) prospect entering 2012. Somehow he slipped despite his good production at high Class A Lynchburg, where he hit .302 despite missing six weeks with a broken leg. He started this season back at Lynchburg – but again on the disabled list (elbow injury). He batted .550 in seven games for the Hillcats before Atlanta promoted him to the M-Braves on May 6. He’s been on a roll ever since, a 12-day stay on the DL (hamstring) notwithstanding. His current hot streak has helped fuel the M-Braves, who are 18-17 and just 1.5 games out of first in the Southern League South. They play Montgomery at Trustmark Park tonight in the third game of a 5-game series. P.S. Former M-Braves outfielder Todd Cunningham has been called up by Atlanta; he is No. 78 on the list of M-Braves who have advanced to The Show.

back on track?

While Oakland has been pulling away from Texas in the American League West, Seth Smith has been feeling a little left out. The former Hillcrest Christian and Ole Miss star was in a career-worst 0-for-29 skid entering Monday’s game against Toronto. “Winning is nice,” Smith told mlb.com, “but you still want to be part of winning. You don’t want to just be the out in the lineup.” Smith broke out in Monday’s 9-4 win, doubling in the third inning and finishing 2-for-3 with an RBI. For the year, the left-handed hitting outfielder/DH is batting .250 with six homers and 33 RBIs for the A’s, who have won four in a row, seven of 10 and 19 of 30 to lead the Rangers by 6 games. Smith hit just .240 in 2012, his first year with Oakland, but had been swinging it much better this year. On June 23, he was at .284. However, his power has been down a bit. Smith hit 14 home runs last season and averaged 15 over the previous three years. Perhaps he has snapped out of his slump and the power will start to come back, as well. His last bomb was on June 16. P.S. Pittsburgh recalled UM alum Alex Presley, just in time for its huge home series against St. Louis, its National League Central rival. Presley was 1-for-4 with an RBI in the Bucs' 9-2 win on Monday night. Another ex-Rebels star, right-hander Lance Lynn, is slated to start for the Cardinals at PNC Park today in the opener of a doubleheader.

george scott, 1944-2013

Sad news: One of Mississippi’s all-time greats, George Scott, has died. The Greenville native was 69. A large and colorful character who was nicknamed Boomer, Scott played 14 years (1966-79) in the big leagues, most famously as a member of the Boston Red Sox. He was on the Impossible Dream team of 1967. A three-time All-Star and eight-time Gold Glove winner as a first baseman, Scott batted .268 for his career with 271 homers — “taters,” he called them — and 1,051 RBIs. He led the American League in RBIs with 109 in 1975 and tied for the lead that same year with 36 homers. “I was born poor, I was born black, and I was born in Mississippi. When you’ve been through that, you can deal with anything,” he once told Sports Illustrated.

scatter shots

Mark it down. Corey Dickerson, the former Meridian Community College star from McComb and Brookhaven Academy, belted his first career home run today for Colorado. He’ll hit more. He’s got serious thump — the left-handed hitting outfielder has 78 homers in his four minor league seasons — plus he gets to play home games in Coors Field, where the Rockies slugged four bombs today in a 6-5 win over Milwaukee. Dickerson was recalled for his second big league stint a couple of days ago when Colorado put former Ole Miss pitcher Drew Pomeranz on the disabled list. … Former Pillow Academy standout Louis Coleman has not allowed a run in 10 2/3 innings for resurgent Kansas City, now a .500 team. … Trade rumors continue to swirl about Meridian CC alum Cliff Lee, who was pulled from a scheduled start for fading Philadelphia on Saturday. Reports say St. Louis, Cleveland and Boston are among the most likely destinations for the veteran lefty, who is having a strong year (10-4, 3.05 ERA). … Isn’t it ironic that Atlanta finds itself looking for pitching help at a time when so many of its onetime prospects — and ex-Mississippi Braves standouts — are starting for other clubs: Randall Delgado in Arizona, Charlie Morton in Pittsburgh, Scott Diamond in Minnesota, Tommy Hanson in Anaheim and Todd Redmond in Toronto. (In addition, Matt Harrison is on the DL in Texas and Houston has plans to work Paul Clemens into its rotation soon.) … Ole Miss alum Bobby Wahl, picked in the fifth round by Oakland, has a 3.12 ERA in 8 2/3 innings of work in the low minors. The A’s are said to be very high on Wahl.

central casting

Nice line put up by Zack Cozart on Tuesday night: 4 3 4 2. The ex-Ole Miss standout matched his career-high with the four hits (raising his average to .243), belted his eighth homer and padded his RBI total to 36. Not bad numbers for a guy who plays regularly for the Cincinnati Reds primarily because of his defense, which is steady if unspectacular. Cozart is among the small but significant cast of Mississippi-connected characters involved in the “pennant race” in the National League Central. With two wild cards available, the top three teams in that division are basically jostling for three playoff spots. Winning the division is a plum, yes, but when all three teams already appear bound to make the playoffs, it takes a little drama out of the so-called “pennant race.” Regardless, Cozart and the Reds are currently in third place, chasing St. Louis and Pittsburgh. In the Reds’ bullpen is former Mississippi Braves hurler J.J. Hoover. And it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Cincy bring up former Taylorsville High flash Billy Hamilton as a base-stealing weapon down the stretch. St. Louis’ vaunted rotation includes former Rebels star Lance Lynn, who has struggled of late but has abundant experience under pressure. And coaching first base for the Cardinals is Jackson native and onetime Mississippi State first baseman Chris Maloney. The Pirates’ rotation features former M-Braves standout Charlie Morton, and Ole Miss product Alex Presley, a quality lefty hitter, is toiling in Triple-A. Of course, Pittsburgh is managed by former Jackson Mets skipper Clint Hurdle, who steered the last edition of OJMs into the Texas League playoffs in 1990. P.S. Port Gibson product Silento Sayles, the prep stolen base king, got his first bag as a pro on Tuesday; he's with Cleveland's rookie team in the Arizona League. ... Onetime Mississippi State player and coach Jimmy Bragan is one of the three inaugural inductees into the Southern League Hall of Fame. Bragan was president of the SL in the 1980s.

game of the weak

In this corner, Drew Pomeranz, the former first-round draft pick out of Ole Miss, now pitching for the Colorado Rockies. And in this corner, the Miami Marlins, a two-time world champion. Well, Monday night’s matchup in Coors Field could have been hyped that way, but in reality it didn’t figure to be much of a fight. The Marlins, currently one of the worst teams in baseball, went into that game in the throes of a 37-inning scoreless drought. Pomeranz, recalled from the minors on Sunday, had an 0-3 record and an 8.76 ERA in three big league starts this season. Ding. The Marlins came out swinging, scored in the first inning (former Mississippi Braves shortstop Ed Lucas tallied the run) and won the game 3-1. Pomeranz lasted just 4 1/3 innings and took the loss. The big left-hander, drafted by Cleveland in 2010, was rushed to the majors by the Rockies after they got him in the Ubaldo Jimenez trade in mid-2011. The results have been disappointing. Entering this season, Pomeranz was 4-10 with a 5.01 ERA in 26 big league starts. He seemingly has gone backwards in 2013. P.S. Possible defining moment for Atlanta’s season: Former M-Braves star Jason Heyward’s diving catch in center field in the pouring rain to close out Monday’s 2-1, come-from-behind win over the New York Mets. If you didn't see the play, look for it.

lost weekend

It started in Chicago, spread to St. Louis and wound up in New York. A bug bit the three Mississippi-connected starting pitchers in the big leagues this weekend, leaving all three feeling a little sick. Mississippi State product Paul Maholm, pitching for Atlanta, lasted just three-plus innings against the White Sox on Saturday. He gave up seven earned runs, took the loss in a 10-6 defeat and left the game with some kind of problem in his left (pitching) wrist. Maholm, hot and cold much of the season, is now 9-9 with a 4.41 ERA. His spot in the rotation might be in jeopardy with former Mississippi Braves star Brandon Beachy seemingly ready for his 2013 debut after the Tommy John surgery layoff. In St. Louis on Saturday, Lance Lynn, the former Ole Miss star, was knocked around by San Diego, allowing four runs in five innings in a 5-3 loss. Lynn (11-5 overall) is now 1-4 with a 6.30 in his last five starts; that has to be troubling for the Cardinals, who are in a heated battle in the National League Central with Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. Finally, today at Citi Field in the Big Apple, Meridian Community College alum Cliff Lee gave up three homers and five runs in Philadelphia’s 5-0 loss to the Mets. Lee (10-4) has surrendered seven homers in his last two outings – and in between he gave up a run in one inning of work in the All-Star Game.

remembering abreu

MLB’s Home Run Derby can get a little tedious, but it does provide a few unforgettable exploits. For instance, who doesn’t remember Bobby Abreu’s 41-homer performance in winning the 2005 contest at Detroit’s Comerica Park? Former Jackson Generals star Abreu, who isn’t playing in 2013 (but isn’t retired either), showed some pop in his lengthy big league career, belting 287 homers. But the most he hit in one season was 31 with Philadelphia in 2001. He caught lightning in a bottle that July day in 2005, hitting a record (since broken) 24 bombs in the first round of the competition. The 41 total is still the record. Years from now, more people are likely to remember that power display than they will the fact that Abreu was a career .292 hitter who could also draw walks (1,456) and steal bases (399). For the record, he hit 16 homers for the 1994 Generals. More impressive in those days was his throwing arm in right field.

'lighting the way

Expect some highlights today from Billy Hamilton, who is scheduled to play in the All-Star Futures Game (1 p.m., ESPN2) at Citi Field in New York. The former Taylorsville High star, making his second appearance in the showcase event that launches MLB’s All-Star festivities, is batting just .243 (.300 on-base percentage) at Triple-A Louisville in the Cincinnati system. But the switch-hitting center fielder has scored 52 runs, driven in 29 (with five homers!) and — oh yeah — stolen 52 bases in 83 games. He stole a pro record 155 in 2012. A longtime scout said in a recent interview that Hamilton is “the most exciting player I’ve ever scouted.” … Also making his second appearance in the game will be Mississippi Braves catcher Christian Bethancourt, a .262 hitter who has one of the best arms in the minors. … Former Mississippi State star Hunter Renfroe, the 13th overall pick last month by San Diego, is 7-for-12 with a home run in three games at short-season Class A Eugene in the Northwest League. … Former Ole Miss standout Matt Tolbert is 15-for-31 in his rehab work in the low minors in Philadelphia’s system. Tolbert could get back to the big leagues in the second half, especially if the Phillies start cleaning house. … A big home run by State alum Mitch Moreland on Saturday helped Texas hand Detroit ace Max Scherzer his first loss of the year after 13 wins. Moreland belted his 13th homer and picked up RBIs 36 and 37 in the Rangers’ 7-1 victory. … Itawamba Community College product Desmond Jennings bunted a run home Saturday for Tampa Bay, which rallied to beat Houston 4-3 for its ninth win in 10 games. Jennings is batting .265 and has 36 RBIs. … Jackson native Donnie Veal, a lefty reliever, has been recalled to the majors by the Chicago White Sox. Meanwhile, Colorado sent UM alum Drew Pomeranz and Meridian CC product Corey Dickerson to Triple-A. … Former M-Braves standout Jeff Francoeur was summoned to the big leagues by San Francisco on Saturday, arriving just in time to witness and then celebrate Tim Lincecum’s no-hitter. … A lowlight of note: Ex-Ole Miss star Lance Lynn, who was St. Louis’ best pitcher the first couple of months of 2013, suffered one of his worst career outings, yielding 11 hits and six runs in 4 1/3 innings Saturday against the Chicago Cubs. Once 10-1, Lynn is now 11-4 with a 4.00 ERA.

looking ahead

Three straight wins on the current homestand have put the Mississippi Braves in position to climb above .500 heading into the All-Star break. Behind left-hander Ian Thomas (six shutout innings), the M-Braves beat Chattanooga 2-0 on Friday night to move to 11-12 in the second half. They have two more games against the Lookouts at Trustmark Park before the 3-day break. The schedule sets up well for the M-Braves to make a charge at a half-season championship that eluded them in the first half. Mississippi has a 5-game series at Jackson, Tenn., following the break but then plays 15 of its next 20 at home, including a 10-game homestand July 23-Aug. 1. The M-Braves are 25-23 at the TeePee. They need to improve on that during the stretch ahead. And this is certainly a club with the talent to do it. They’ll send five players to the July 17 Southern League All-Star Game in Jacksonville: Starter Gus Schlosser (6-2, 2.36 ERA), catcher Christian Bethancourt (.262, five homers), third baseman Edward Salcedo (.257, 10 homers, 44 RBIs), right fielder Jose Martinez (.306) and shortstop Jaime Pedroza (.287). Closer Mark Lamm was selected to the South squad but has been promoted to Triple-A Gwinnett. Second baseman Tommy La Stella, batting .315 since his May 6 call-up, might have gotten more All-Star attention had he played in more games (37 to date). Still getting his feet wet at the Double-A level is left fielder Robby Hefflinger, batting just .196 with three homers in 13 games since coming up from Class A Lynchburg. Hefflinger, who blasted 21 homers for the Hillcats, made Baseball America’s Midseason Minor League All-Surprise team. He could be a difference-maker down the stretch. The M-Braves have also gotten 2012 SL ERA champ Gary Moran back from injury and could yet see highly rated J.R. Graham (shoulder woes) return to their rotation.

dynamic duo

The Pittsburgh Pirates plucked a pair of Mississippi-connected players in the early rounds of last month’s draft – and they’ve got to be pleased as punch with the early production. Richton native and former Mr. Baseball JaCoby Jones (third round out of LSU) and Mississippi State product Adam Frazier (sixth round) are the top two hitters for the Jamestown Jammers of the short-season Class A New York-Penn League. Jones, having shifted from infield to center field, hit his first pro home run on Wednesday and is batting .406 with eight RBIs in seven games. Frazier, playing shortstop as he did at State, is hitting .375 with five RBIs in seven games. … Through six games in the rookie Arizona League, Cleveland draftee Silento Sayles, who set the national prep stolen base record at Port Gibson, has yet to get a bag. P.S. The numbers were .293, 40 doubles, 19 homers and 105 RBIs. Jeff Francoeur put up that impressive line with the Atlanta Braves in 2007. And the former Mississippi Braves star has been searching for that stroke virtually ever since. He is 2-for-8 with an RBI and two strikeouts in two games at Triple-A Fresno, where San Francisco sent him after he signed earlier this week. When will Frenchy get back to The Show? “Sooner the better,” he told the Fresno Bee. The Giants do need some outfield help. Maybe, just maybe, Francoeur still has some 2007 magic in his bat.

flashing potential

On his best day, Jarrod Dyson can fill up a box score. Take last Saturday, for instance. The dash-fast outfielder from McComb went 3-for-3, drew a walk, scored a run, drove in a run, stole two bases and even picked up an assist. His Kansas City Royals won that day, 4-3 over Oakland. They lost badly on Sunday — Dyson was a quiet 1-for-4 — and thus lost the 3-game series to the visiting A’s. KC, brimming with young talent but confoundingly inconsistent, stands 41-44, third in the American League Central, 6 games out of first place. Dyson is hardly the linchpin for these Royals. In fact, whatever they get out of him might feel like a bonus. Remember, he was a 50th-round draft pick out of Southwest Mississippi Community College. A 5-foot-9 lefty hitter, he is batting .268 with 12 steals, two homers, 13 runs and 10 RBIs in 30 games, having recently become a regular in a lineup that features high draft picks who have raised expectations for the long-struggling Royals. KC is entering a key stretch of the season: The Royals play the Yankees in New York tonight through Thursday, then have a road series against AL Central leader Detroit followed, after the All-Star break, by home sets with Cleveland and Baltimore. It could be a telling stretch also for manager Ned Yost, the former Jackson Mets catcher who has yet to guide this club to a winning season much less the playoffs, a drought that dates to 1985. Is this the year? We may know soon enough. Dyson doesn’t have the kind of game to carry a team, but he can light the fuse, as he did last Saturday. He could be an unsung reason that this team catches fire – if it ever does. P.S. Weir’s Roy Oswalt, 0-4 with a 7.64 ERA in four starts for Colorado, is headed to the disabled list with a hamstring injury. Wonder if he’ll be back at all. … Former Mississippi Braves ace Todd Redmond, now pitching for Toronto, notched his first big league win on Sunday, beating Minnesota and ex-M-Braves hurler Scott Diamond.

worth noting

Keep an eye on the progress of Alex Yarbrough, a 2012 fourth-round pick by the Los Angeles Angels out of Ole Miss. Yarbrough, a second baseman, is hitting .319 with 10 home runs and 51 RBIs at Class A Inland Empire in the California League. He didn’t homer in 63 games in his first pro season. … East Central Community College product Tim Anderson, the second of Mississippi’s two 2013 first-round draftees, is hitting .288 in 14 games for Class A Kannapolis in the Chicago White Sox system. … Mississippi State’s Hunter Renfroe, the other first-rounder, has yet to sign; the deadline is July 12. … The Mississippi Braves (6-10 in the second half) won on the Fourth of July — halting a six-game skid with a 1-0 victory behind the pitching of ex-big leaguer Mitch Atkins — but they also took a loss on Thursday. Closer Mark Lamm (10 saves) went to Triple-A Gwinnett. … Former M-Braves first baseman Joey Terdoslavich, promoted to Atlanta on Thursday, fanned in a pinch-hit appearance. He is the 77th M-Braves alum to advance to The Show. … Former MSU star Paul Maholm (9-6, 3.69 ERA) will lock horns with ex-Meridian CC standout Cliff Lee (9-2, 2.49) when Atlanta plays Philadelphia tonight. … Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon, the MSU product, appears to have shaken out of his funk, posting four scoreless innings and three saves in his last four outings. He’s got 17 saves for the year. … Itawamba CC alum Desmond Jennings is batting .316 over his last 10 games for surging Tampa Bay, same average former Ole Miss star Seth Smith has put up during the last 10 for first-place Oakland. … Not so hot: MSU alum Mitch Moreland, who is batting just .162 over his last 10 games for Texas. … Former Hillcrest Christian and Ole Miss standout Cody Satterwhite recently signed with the New York Mets out of an independent league. Satterwhite, a former second-round draft pick who had a 0.65 ERA for the Sioux City Explorers, has yet to be assigned to a minor league club.

the dog show

The award for Best Performance, College Baseball Team, Mississippi Division is a no-brainer. Mississippi State had its best season ever, going 51-20, reaching the championship series of the College World Series and, in the process, driving up the price of maroon ink on the local market. So if the Bulldogs are No. 1 in the state, who’s No. 2? In the spirit of making lists, and closing the curtain on the 2013 college season, here goes: 2. Millsaps. The Majors (38-14) went to the Division III CWS after winning both the regular season and conference titles in the Southern Athletic Association. 3. Delta State. The Statesmen, regular season Gulf South Conference champs, made it to a Division II regional, where their season ended with a 44-11-1 mark. 4. Ole Miss. The Rebels won 38 games, losing 24, but couldn’t get out of the NCAA regional at Raleigh, N.C. 5. Southern Miss. The Eagles, 30-27 after a sluggish start, tied for the C-USA regular season crown and made it to the championship game of the league tournament. 6. Jackson State. The Tigers (34-22) won their division in the SWAC and won the SWAC Tournament, claiming the league’s automatic NCAA berth. 7. William Carey. The Crusaders (36-23) finished third in the tough Southern States Athletic Conference regular season race and were awarded an NAIA regional, where their season ended. 8. Belhaven. A fourth-place finish in the SSAC and a lackluster league tournament effort didn’t get the Blazers (37-21) an invite to the NAIA regionals. 9. Alcorn State. The Braves made the SWAC Tournament with a 14-10 league record and finished 16-41. 10. Mississippi College. The Choctaws suffered their second straight losing season (17-22) and didn’t make the postseason in the American Southwest Conference. 11. Blue Mountain. The Toppers, in their third NAIA season, finished 13-39. 12. Mississippi Valley State. The Delta Devils went 5-44, missing the SWAC Tournament a year after making the championship round. 13. Tougaloo. The Bulldogs, an NAIA independent, went 9-33. 14. Rust College. Based on available info, the D-III Bearcats were winless in 2013.

not so hot

Is there worry in St. Louis? The Cardinals have been passed by red-hot Pittsburgh in the National League Central and their ace, Lance Lynn, is in a bit of a tailspin. Former Ole Miss standout Lynn lost his second straight start on Tuesday night. He is 10-3 with a 3.75 ERA for the year, but the right-hander has a 4.45 ERA over his last 10 starts and has allowed 21 runs in his last five (30 2/3 innings). “He has the stuff to stop the bleeding,” Cards manager Mike Matheny told mlb.com. “He just couldn’t figure out how to do it.” St. Louis lost to the Los Angeles Angels 5-1 and slipped 2 games behind the Pirates in the division. Third-place Cincinnati is just 2 back of the Cardinals. … Roy Oswalt, the former Weir High and Holmes Community College star, has made three starts for Colorado. He is 0-3 with a 7.88 ERA. He took the loss Tuesday as the Rockies were rocked by the LA Dodgers 8-0. In 16 innings, Oswalt has yielded 27 hits. The Rockies, in dire need of pitching, are just 1.5 games behind first-place Arizona in the NL West, but the surging Dodgers are now just a game back of Colorado. P.S. Itawamba CC alumnus Desmond Jennings hit his 10th home run and swiped his 10th base in Tampa Bay’s 8-0 win over Houston on Tuesday. Only four other American League players have reached double digits in both homers and steals.

rise and fall

The Mississippi Braves, who faltered late in their chase for a first-half championship in the Southern League, may get a lift in the second half from the addition of Robby Hefflinger, an outfielder who was putting up big numbers at Class A Lynchburg. Hefflinger, who went 0-for-4 (with a couple of hard-hit balls) in his Double-A debut at Trustmark Park on Saturday, was leading the Carolina League in home runs with 21 and slugging percentage with a .579 mark. He was batting .286 with 52 RBIs. He’s a right-handed hitter with an Evan Gattis-like build (6 feet 4, 220 pounds) and reportedly is a pretty good outfielder. Hefflinger, 23, Atlanta’s No. 29-rated prospect entering 2013, was a seventh-round pick in 2009 out of Georgia Perimeter Junior College. Atlanta released outfielder Kyle Russell, a spring free agent signee who never really provided the left-handed power the M-Braves were hoping to get from him. … Meanwhile, ex-M-Braves standout Jeff Francoeur was designated for assignment by Kansas City, which essentially means he’s done there. The one-time Sports Illustrated cover boy, who seemed to have stardom written all over him back in 2005, was batting just .208 with three homers in 59 games for the Royals. He struck out in his last at-bat for them on Saturday. There is speculation that San Francisco and the New York Yankees might have an interest in Francoeur, who is still a very good right fielder. But he might have to go back to the minor leagues.

cheers

There was a whole lot of cheering going on at Atlanta’s Turner Field on Friday night, and not just because the Braves won another game. Surely you watched. Most of the noise was for the great Chipper Jones, whose No. 10 was formally retired. There was also applause, a lot of it at times, for Martin Prado, the ex-Mississippi Braves star who was making his return to the ATL for the first time since the trade to Arizona. Then there was that moment in the seventh inning when Tony Sipp took the mound for the Diamondbacks. The Pascagoula native, who played at Moss Point High and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, had some family and friends in town. He reportedly left 58 tickets at will call, and it appeared they all showed up. The TV cameras found the group as Sipp was working his third of an inning. He gave up a hit but no runs. The left-hander, acquired by Arizona from Cleveland in the off-season, has a 3-1 record (with two blown saves) and a 3.63 ERA in 33 appearances for the first-place D'backs. The more significant pitching work of the night was done by Braves starter Julio Teheran, the former M-Braves ace. He threw six shutout innings, allowing four hits and one walk with 10 strikeouts, out-pitching his former Mississippi teammate Randall Delgado, who allowed eight hits, three walks and two runs in his six innings for Arizona. Teheran is now 6-4 with a 3.12 ERA in 2013. Atlanta’s top-rated prospect for two years running, he’s living up to his billing. When Friday’s 3-0 victory was finished, Teheran should have gotten a curtain call.

paging pomeranz

Drew Pomeranz reportedly will return to the big leagues and start for Colorado on Sunday against visiting San Francisco. The left-hander out of Ole Miss, a former first-round pick by Cleveland, is 8-1 with a 4.20 ERA at Triple-A Colorado Springs. He leads the Pacific Coast League in strikeouts with 96. He spent part of 2012 with the Rockies and was 2-9 with a 4.93 ERA working under a stringent pitch limit. ... Pomeranz joins Holmes Community College product Roy Oswalt in the Rockies rotation. Oswalt is 0-2, 7.36 in his two starts, both on the road.

here and there

Congratulations to Bill Walberg, the radio voice of the Jackson Mets and Generals for 23 seasons, on being elected to the Texas League Hall of Fame. Walberg, who was really good at calling a game, also was a font of information on players and stats, as any sportswriter who ever covered a game at Smith-Wills Stadium could tell you. … Silento Sayles, the stolen base champ from Port Gibson High, was named a second-team prep All-American by Baseball America. Sayles batted .541 (no typo) and stole a record 103 bases in 2013. Sayles, drafted by Cleveland and now playing in the Arizona League, has one hit and no steals in two pro games. … Next month’s All-Star Futures Game will feature Taylorsville’s Billy Hamilton and former Mississippi Braves first baseman Joey Terdoslavich on the U.S. team (managed by former Jackson Mets star Mookie Wilson) and current M-Braves catcher Christian Bethancourt with the World team. … Stone County product D.J. Davis, the first Mississippian picked in the 2012 draft (by Toronto), is batting .259 in six games at Bluefield in the short-season Appalachian League. … Former Petal High star Anthony Alford, drafted in the third round by the Blue Jays last year, is playing in the rookie Gulf Coast League (.222 in five games). The ex-Southern Miss quarterback spent the spring playing safety for Ole Miss and is expected to return in the fall. … Picayune’s T.J. House was sent down today by Cleveland after making two scoreless appearances in his first major league duty. … Former Ole Miss standout Matt Tolbert, injured most of the season, played for the Gulf Coast League Phillies today and hit a triple. Tolbert, 31, a onetime major leaguer, signed a minor league deal with Philadelphia in the off-season.