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.