Monthly Archives: April 2009

This just in: Former Ole Miss standout Matt Tolbert was sent down to Triple-A Rochester by the Minnesota Twins. Tolbert, who hit .294 this spring, had hoped to make the big league roster as a backup infielder. If this is the low point for Tolbert so far this year, he already has had a pretty good high. Back in January, his three-run homer was the key blow for Araguas in its Game 7 victory in the Venezuelan Winter League championship series. Small consolation, perhaps, but it had to feel good at the time. Tolbert, who made his major league debut with the Twins last year before suffering through an injury-plagued campaign, will surely get another chance in The Show this season.

Things could get ugly in Clarksdale on Saturday when Coahoma Community College hosts Itawamba CC in an MACJC North Division doubleheader. It’s a mismatch in terms of records, yes. Coahoma is 0-12 in the division, sixth-ranked ICC is 12-0. But beyond that, Mark Collier’s Indians feature an array of hitters that might make the ’27 Yankees turn their heads. Facing its top competition in the North in its last two series, ICC hit seven homers in a twinbill sweep of Northwest and nine in a sweep of Northeast. The Indians’ Dustin Lunn has an NJCAA Division II-leading 12 homers. Auburn signee Justin Bryant has 8. Ladarrius Cole hit 3 homers in one game on Wednesday. Nate Coleman leads the nation with a .471 batting average. Coahoma’s pitchers could be in for a turbulent time.
P.S. Here’s an oddity. Mississippi Delta CC beat East Mississippi 1-0 Thursday in a 5 1/2-inning affair that saw neither team get a hit. The lone run scored on a double steal following a couple of walks in the second inning. Delta’s Ted Washington pitched 6 innings and EMCC’s Tyler Richardson went 5. The game was halted after the top of the sixth because of rain.

Funny how these things work out. Atlanta’s decision to trade outfielder Josh Anderson opened the door for Louisville native and ex-East Central Community College star Marcus Thames to become the Detroit Tigers’ primary DH. How’s that? Well, because Anderson is out of minor league options — which is one of the reasons the Braves dealt him to Detroit — the Tigers had to put him on their 25-man roster and remove someone else. That someone proved to Gary Sheffield, the high-priced but aging slugger who had been penciled in as Detroit’s DH. That job now falls to Thames, who might not have Sheffield’s awesome stroke but packs plenty of wallop. It’s up to Thames now to make the best of this opportunity.
P.S. A wave of Mississippi-connected players has been shipped out of big league camps in recent days: Edwin Maysonet by Houston, Paul Phillips by Colorado, Bobby Kielty by the New York Mets and Corey Wimberly by Oakland. Only the Kielty move really came as a surprise. The veteran outfielder seemed like a nice fit on the Mets’ club. Waiting to see what Minnesota does with Matt Tolbert. … Former Mississippi Valley star Zach Penprase, apparently released by the Los Angeles Dodgers, signed with the Fargo-Moorhead club of the independent Northern League.