Monthly Archives: September 2009

It’s been quite a summer — and fall — for Desmond Jennings, the former Itawamba Community College star. Jennings was named the Southern League’s player of the year and the Tampa Bay Rays’ minor league player of the year and, on Thursday night, helped the Triple-A Durham Bulls win the International League championship. Jennings hit just .188 in the Bulls’ three-game sweep of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but he delivered a key two-run single in the clinching game, won by Durham 3-2 in 12 innings. Durham will play either Chris Maloney’s Memphis Redbirds or Sacramento in the Triple-A title game next Tuesday. Injured most of last season, Jennings has shot up the prospect charts — to No. 18 in Baseball America’s midseason ranking. It looks like Jennings’ decision to pick baseball over football (he was an Alabama recruit) was a good one. He’ll be in the big leagues next season.

There aren’t many races left to watch these last couple weeks of the season … but so what? The Philadelphia-Atlanta series that starts Friday shouldn’t be ignored, especially the Sunday game slated to match former Meridian Community College star Cliff Lee against former Mississippi Braves ace Tommy Hanson. The Braves need to win that series, if not sweep it, to stay in the NL wild card chase. That third game could be pivotal. Lee is 7-2 with Philly, but one of those losses was to the Braves. … Florida is still chasing wild card leader Colorado, as well, and it’ll be interesting to see how Marlins rookie Chris Coghlan holds up down the stretch. Tonight, he faced a fellow former Ole Miss player, Matt Maloney of Cincinnati, and got three of the seven hits Maloney allowed in five pretty solid innings. (He left with a 3-2 lead.) … San Francisco, which heads to Los Angeles for a key NL West series this weekend, took two of three from Colorado in their showdown that ended Wednesday. No less than five Mississippians hooked up in that series: Seth Smith (Ole Miss) and Paul Phillips (Meridian CC) for the Rockies and Fred Lewis (Gulf Coast CC), Brandon Medders (Mississippi State) and Eli Whiteside (Delta State) for the Giants. Smith just seems destined to play a big role in the Rockies’ finishing kick. … Detroit is at Minnesota this weekend with the Tigers looking at a chance to bury the Twins in the AL Central. Marcus Thames (East Central CC) has seen his role reduced in Detroit, but the slugging outfielder might yet produce a dramatic home run. He’s certainly capable. The Twins have Matt Tolbert, yet another former Ole Miss player, filling a utility role. … September is fading, leaves are falling and October is just around the corner. These are the times that baseball fans live for.
P.S. Sad to see that Roy Oswalt’s tough year came to a tough end. Houston shut down the Weir resident and former Holmes CC standout on Wednesday. He won only eight games, lowest total of his career, and had a 4.12 ERA in an injury-dampened season.

Former Mississippi Braves outfielder Jason Heyward — and it’s safe to assume he won’t be back at Trustmark Park anytime soon — was named Baseball America’s minor league player of the year today. Heyward, who began 2009 at Class A Myrtle Beach and is now at Triple-A Gwinnett, played in 47 games for the M-Braves and hit .352 with seven homers and 30 RBIs. Winning this award is typically a harbinger of a bright future. Previous winners include Joe Mauer, Josh Beckett, Rick Ankiel, Andruw Jones (twice), Derek Jeter, Manny Ramirez and, yes, Gregg Jefferies. Jefferies won it twice — in 1986 and 1987. He played parts of both of those seasons with the Jackson Mets. He could flat out hit, but he didn’t really have a position, a shortcoming that may have kept his big league career from taking off. That’s not a problem for Heyward. He’s a darn good right fielder.

Familiar faces figure to fill out the Mississippi Braves’ 2010 lineup. Here’s a projected opening day lineup that includes eight players who made at least a couple of appearances with the 2009 M-Braves: 

Former Mississippi Braves right-hander Tommy Hanson was brilliant Wednesday night against Houston. Atlanta manager Bobby Cox … not so much. And the Braves may be done in the playoff chase. Hanson threw eight shutout innings at the Astros. Struck out seven. Walked none. Hit 95 mph in the eighth. And, with Atlanta holding just a 1-0 lead, Cox pulls him. He’s headed for the Hall of Fame, sure, but everyone watching this game knew this was a bad move. Let the kid finish. The Braves’ bullpen cannot be trusted with a 1-run lead. To no one’s surprise, Rafael Soriano gives up three hits plus an intentional walk in the bottom of the ninth and Houston wins 2-1. (Kudos to former Jackson General Lance Berkman, who got the biggest hit, a one-out, one-on double off the wall in left.) A crucial game that should have been won was lost, and the Braves are 8 1/2 games out in the wild card race and 9 back in the National League East. 

Dusty Hughes, the former Delta State left-hander who has battled through some adversity in his pro career, arrived in the big leagues for the first time over the weekend. And when he pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings in his debut for Kansas City on Sunday, the Tupelo native and former Horn Lake High hurler became the 31st Mississippi-connected player to make The Show this season. He is also the fourth DSU alum to appear in a big league game in 2009. Hughes, 27, was an 11th-round pick by the Royals in 2003. He missed all of the 2006 season after Tommy John surgery but reestablished himself in 2007 when he was named pitcher of the year in the Arizona Fall League. Having finally gotten the call-up to Kansas City, Hughes could hardly have done better his first time out. As manager Trey Hillman told the Kansas City Star: “… you kind of take extra notice of what you think their heart rate is, the look in their eyes. He wasn’t intimidated.” 

Heard it on the radio: Former Mississippi Brave Jeff Francoeur was hitting .301 with seven home runs and 31 RBIs in 47 games with the New York Mets. He went 1-for-4 with an RBI today as the Mets knocked off the Colorado Rockies. Braves fans must cringe when reminded what Francoeur has done since Atlanta dealt him away. Wonder if Braves management is having any trader’s remorse? Ryan Church has done almost nothing for Atlanta. Not only is Francoeur hitting for the Mets, he was recently tabbed in Baseball America as having the best outfield arm in the National League. Wouldn’t it be nice to still have him around for the wild card chase …?
P.S. Hattiesburg native Joey Gathright is back in The Show. Boston brought him up on Wednesday, though he didn’t get in the game that night. He might win a game or two with his speed, which is something to behold.

Checked out the Mississippi Braves’ newest edition, Cody Johnson, at Trustmark Park tonight. The former Atlanta Braves first-round pick (2006) is an impressive specimen, standing 6 feet 4 and weighing every bit of his listed 195 (and probably more). Johnson, an outfielder, has been moving slowly in the Braves’ system, mainly because of defensive issues and a tendency to strike out a lot. In fact, West Tenn lefty Nick Hill fanned Johnson in his first Double-A at-bat. But the left-handed hitter does have power. He hit 28 homers at Class A Rome last year and 32 at high-A Myrtle Beach this season. He’ll likely be here for an extended stint in 2010 — and he’ll likely park a few balls on the roof of the cafe beyond right field. Put him down as a work in progress. But don’t dismiss him. By the way, Johnson’s father, John, played at Mississippi State. He might just feel at home here.