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.

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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.